What to Bring when visiting Disneyland
Depending on what time of year you are visiting Disneyland, there certain things you bring no matter what and other things the depend on the season. Below are my must bring items every time we go to Disneyland.
Basics
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Water Bottle
- Cell Phone
- A lot of money (Kidding, not kidding!)
Shoes
You are probably thinking, "Of course you bring shoes!" But I'm not talking about one pair. I'm talking about several pairs. And several pairs that are all extremely comfortable, broken in, and ones you know you can walk a lot in.
I feel like I have found a lot of success in making sure I bring at least three pairs of shoes. I will rotate through these shoes and switch out halfway through the day. We will spend half our day in the park, come back to the hotel and rest and swim, then head back to the parks at night. When we come come back to the hotel midday, that is when I change shoes and put on a different pair before heading back into the parks. My feet feel like I can tackle the second half of the day. If I put back on the same shoes as I wore in the morning, they hurt. I'm not sure why that is, but it works for me and my whole family. My go-to shoes are a pair of Nikes, my Allbirds, and one other comfortable pair that I have at the moment.
You are probably thinking, "Of course you bring shoes!" But I'm not talking about one pair. I'm talking about several pairs. And several pairs that are all extremely comfortable, broken in, and ones you know you can walk a lot in.
I feel like I have found a lot of success in making sure I bring at least three pairs of shoes. I will rotate through these shoes and switch out halfway through the day. We will spend half our day in the park, come back to the hotel and rest and swim, then head back to the parks at night. When we come come back to the hotel midday, that is when I change shoes and put on a different pair before heading back into the parks. My feet feel like I can tackle the second half of the day. If I put back on the same shoes as I wore in the morning, they hurt. I'm not sure why that is, but it works for me and my whole family. My go-to shoes are a pair of Nikes, my Allbirds, and one other comfortable pair that I have at the moment.
|
Ponchos
For us, it doesn't matter which time of year we go, we pack ponchos. Of course they come in handy if it rains, but one of the main reasons we bring ponchos is for when we ride Splash Mountain or Grizzly River Rapids. These rides are sure to get you wet and the poncho allows you to stay dry and keep going about your day rather than walking around soaked. Another thing we bring is some sort of plastic bags, such as the heavy duty plastic bags you get at Target. We put these bags over our feet when riding these rides and I also store my backpack in these bags to protect it. This has allowed us to walk off these rides dry, while others are soaking wet. |
|
|
Travel First Aid Kit
Like I mentioned on this page, I don't ever travel without this kit. For a trip to Disneyland, I highly encourage you to make sure you have this packed full with bandaids and Advil. Luckily, we have never had to use when we have gone to Disneyland like we have on our other trips, but I would never leave home without it.
Leave the actual kit in your hotel room, but bring some bandaids and Advil with you into the park. I don't know if it's all the sugar, heat, or exhaustion, but every time I have gone, I get a major headache at least one of the days and I need Advil. Having it in my bag has saved me from trying to find some while in the park.
Like I mentioned on this page, I don't ever travel without this kit. For a trip to Disneyland, I highly encourage you to make sure you have this packed full with bandaids and Advil. Luckily, we have never had to use when we have gone to Disneyland like we have on our other trips, but I would never leave home without it.
Leave the actual kit in your hotel room, but bring some bandaids and Advil with you into the park. I don't know if it's all the sugar, heat, or exhaustion, but every time I have gone, I get a major headache at least one of the days and I need Advil. Having it in my bag has saved me from trying to find some while in the park.
|
|
Handheld Fan
When the weather is really hot, these small handheld fans come in really handy. There's nothing better when standing in a long line, hot and sweaty, and being able to put this fan out and cool down. This has come in handy not only in Disneyland, but other trips, too. |
|
Hand Sanitizer
There is no way I could ever go to Disneyland without toting this stuff around EVERYWHERE. This is the only type of sanitizer I bring to Disneyland. It's Purell, but is their Prime Defense version. It's made for higher risk environments and a bit stronger than their original version. I like the bottle it comes in and is easy to throw in my bag. |
|
Loungefly Backpack
Okay...so this isn't a needed item when going to Disneyland, but I do love my Loungefly backpack and it was worth the splurge. My daughter was the first one to recognize the bags all over the parks and she instantly wanted one. She made us stop in every store to look for the perfect bag and she eventually found one. Her's is a class Minnie design and super cute. After we left that Disneyland trip, I decided that I needed one for our next trip and found the perfect one for me, a simple black one. They come out with new designs all the time, so you're sure to find one you like. |
Both of our Loungefly bags come with us on each trip, and for me it's the perfect bag to tote around everything you need for a day in the park. I put my bottled water, cell phone, wallet, sunglasses, sunscreen (check out my favorite choice here), hand sanitizer, extra charger, poncho, and extra plastic bags all inside this backpack.
It's not too big and fits my daughter perfectly. She is able to wear it all day around the parks with not problem. She keeps bottled water, her own poncho, and her Minnie ears in there when she's not wearing them.
It's not too big and fits my daughter perfectly. She is able to wear it all day around the parks with not problem. She keeps bottled water, her own poncho, and her Minnie ears in there when she's not wearing them.
If you don't want to splurge on a Loungefly backpack, then you don't have to. But you do need some sort of bag. My husband always brings his backpack, and my son has a basic Nike drawstring bag such as this one. For a few of our trips to Disneyland, I had this bag. It worked great and would have kept using it, except now I have my beloved Loungefly backpack.
|
Magnetic Battery Portable Charger
I don't see anyway to do Disneyland the right way without using the Disneyland app all the time. And, you will be taking pictures every where you go. Between using your phone for these two things, your phone's battery will deplete quickly. I can usually make it to halfway through the day, but not much beyond that without needing to charge my phone. So, I always carry a charger with me. This Anker one is the one I have and it magnetized right to the back of my phone. This way I can just stick my phone on it and throw it in my backpack while riding rides. |
|
When it comes down to it, you don't have to bring all of these things, but you will most likely find yourself in a position in which you had at least one of them. One of my best travel savvy tips is to come prepared. I hate wasting time on vacation. If you plan beforehand and come prepared, then you are less likely to waste time and money, going to find these things while on your trip. So, plan ahead and travel savvy to Disneyland with these items ready to go.