What’s in Your Disney Fanny Pack: Tips to Stop Overpacking
We see it all the time. People showing up to Disney World like they are getting ready for a trek up Mount Everest. We’re here to tell you that there is such a thing as being over-prepared!
Fanny packs are perfect to keep everything you need right at hand, but they also serve to help you pack just what you need because ffanny packs can only hold so much.
Here are the must have items that you need to carry in your fanny pack:
- Wallet – We recommend a small card wallet, just enough to hold your ID, hotel key, and a credit card/Disney gift card. Note: While every store accepts cash, it takes up so much space! That being said, the Disney balloon vendors only accept cash.
- Phone – Like you would consider leaving it home, ha! Your phone is akin to a magic wand in Walt Disney World. It can hold your park ticket, help you find Genie+ Lightning Lanes, check wait times and character locations, and even order lunch!
- Cheap-O poncho all folded up in a pouch – Y’all… Walmart sells them for $0.99. Bring one with you. It’s Florida. Assume it’s going to rain once per day.
- If you’re me… a tube of lipstick for touch ups! But I realize that may not be on your fanny pack list, especially for the male fanny pack carriers, ha!
That’s basically 3 things. Yup. This is all you really need to have a lot of fun at Disney World. Remember, it’s your vacation. If you are packing for the Oregon Trail and have to carry it all day, that’s not fun!
Here are things that you do NOT need:
- Phone charger – If you got your phone within 3 years, you really do not need a charger. We have gone from rope drop to fireworks taking pictures of everything, ordering food all day, checking wait times, and operating Genie+ with a Galaxy s20FE and still had over 30% at the end of the night.
- This is your PSA to remember to stay present and enjoy where you are. If you are spending all day on Instagram showing the world how much fun you’re having are you really in the moment having fun?
- Sunscreen* – Of course, if you burn lobster-red in 5 seconds, this does not apply to you! We lather up before going into the parks, and between that and constant breaks into the buildings for AC relief, we have never had an issue with sunburns
- Bandaids – Every park has a Baby Care / First Aid building and this will be your friend. You don’t need to carry a pharmacy around the parks because they will have everything you need, like individual band aids!
- Hand sanitizer – True facts, Disney World is the cleanest theme park in America! Fun fact: Did you know that they power wash the streets and sidewalks every morning before opening? Even still, the idea of sharing touch services with 10,000 of your closest friends is kind of gross. Many of the post-pandemic hand sanitizer stations are gone, but we are still seeing one in every attraction line. Feel the need for clean? Just use Disney’s!
- Lip balm – Why? Classic overpacking. Yes, it is small, so you’re attempted to say, what’s the harm? Those small items add up and then you have to dig to find anything and you drop things in the crowd, cause a pile up, and now you’re stressed! That’s. Not. Fun. Leave the chapstick at home. Plus, it’s always humid, nature’s moisturizer.
- Ibuprofen / Acetaminophen – Remember those First Aid stations? They have single packs if you need them.
- Battery packs – This is pretty next level from the chargers. Now, once upon a time this was absolutely a must-have to use the My Disney Experience app all day in the parks, but the reality is that technology has come a long way!
Have a new phone but it dies really fast? Uninstall games on your device, especially those role playing games. They are huge! As long as you are logged into an account it should save your progress so you can redownload after your trip without interruption.
- Picnic blankets…- This is popping up on a lot of Disney checklists. Just don’t. If you want something soft to sit on, try the hub grass!
- Waterproof camera – Are you jumping into the aquariums at the Seabase? Planning on a photoshoot in the rain? If not, you probably don’t need a specific camera for water.
- Pennies and quarters – Gone are the days carrying around 10lbs. in change! Almost all pressed penny machines accept credit cards now. FYI – Pressed pennies (https://mickeyblog.com/?s=penny+machines) are the cheapest Disney souvenir to collect!
Moral of the story is to bring what you are comfortable with, but don’t over pack yourself so much that you are stressed out! Sure, Disney World vacations are not relaxing, but it is still vacation! Have a magical time.