What do you do With the Backpack?

[Calee]

Our first trip my kids were 4, 6 and 8. We hadnt used a stroller or carried a bag in years.

We rented a double stroller in the park after the first half of the first day. This is a more expensive option, but I liked it bc we did not have to deal with a stroller we didnt need outside the parks. It was low to the ground and not "babyish" looking. You could pay for all the park days at once for discount and get a stroller in every park if you hopped.

The 4 year old used it every day and my other two fought to sit in the other seat! WDW is a completely different experience than "regular life". I would not rule it out. And yes it gives a great spot to leave a bag (without valuables in it) while you ride rides.

 

[DisneyOma]

A rental double stroller is perfect to leave a backpack and any other stuff in when you go on rides. Also, it's great to give your back a rest by putting the backpack in the stroller when walking around. And even if the kids mostly want to walk, the stroller allows them to take a rest if they feel like it, and is a handy place for the smaller ones to sit for parades.

Just don't leave anything valuable or any food. People will take the valuables, squirrels will take the food (and possibly poop and pee on your stuff)

 

[Meglen]

If a child can fit in a stroller.. you should bring it or get one. My 9 yr old had a hard time keeping pace and I wish he was little again for a stroller. Would have made the days easier.

We did a leisurely trip last go and still walked 20k steps a day. So unless someone wants to carry a child stroller is your best option . Than store your stuff in there and keep valuables in ur pockets.

 

[SG131]

Interesting idea, but no one needs a stroller.

This is going to be a whole new world for you. I’m sure you could skip the stroller, but be prepared to go very slowly and not walk nearly as far as you usually do. At 4 and 5 it’s going to be rough without a stroller. That also leads to some very cranky kids.

I’m all for going bagless, when it’s just me. When I’ve taken foster kids what I bring depends on the age. You need to let your nephew decide on this one. How well trained potty trained is the 4 yr old. Long lines can easily lead to accidents. Who is paying for the snacks? Is he ok feeing the kids pretzels and ice cream for snacks and buying $4 bottles of water to keep the kids hydrated if it’s hot? Maybe one kid is a very picky eater. Will all the kids wear a fanny pack all day or will they get annoyed by it and one grown up ends up carrying two extras.

He knows his kids best. I’ve definitely brought a large backpack with absolutely no problem onto a lot of the bigger rides and I’ve also at times left it at the stroller depending. If they think they need it, it is very doable.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

The stroller thing and going bagless really depends on the kid. We went when DD was 5 and didn't take a stroller. We did an entire week with RD, midday pool break and PM park every day. We watched all night time shows. My daughter didn't complain once and we easily walked 5-10 miles a day. She only fell asleep once on the way out of MK and my XH carried her to the buses (staying at CBR). We did everything we wanted including favorites multiple times during the trip and we aren't commandos. We aren't running from ride A to ride B with a strict itinerary. We go with the flow, sit when we want, relax if we want, stop for a drink and a snack. It's a vacation, not a military exercise. When I go to Disney I never assume we will be back but I still don't go commando and make it an exhausting experience. It's tiring enough without that.

As for the bags....that also depends on your kids. Once we didn't have a stroller we didn't want to carry bags. My kids weren't super messy so once we were done with strollers we went bagless. I was fine buying special snacks in the parks and getting free water. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner and I let them get their own meals so they weren't very hungry between meals. I use a lanyard and carry my ID, insurance card, cash and credit card in there. Last trip I did bring a Vera Bradley crossbody for my portable phone charger on longer park days since we use our phones more now with MDE and FP+. I also took contact solution and lip gloss.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Thank you all for your experiences and insight. I talked to my nephew and he said they don't even own a stroller. The backpack tucked under the legs and secured by the strap makes sense.

This is a one day at MK and then on to the ship for a cruise. I'm finding there are more variables to consider for one day at the park than a week on the ship: ADR, MDE, FP+, snacks, rain gear, phone, chargers, etc. For those that spend multiple days at WDW, I am awestruck at the amount of pre-planning you do.

This is going to be an experience for all of us at MK. After one day, just get me on the ship, take me somewhere and hand me a menu. Again, thank you all.

 

[BatuurGuide]

We did WDW bagless and with a bag last month and there were certainly times I appreciated not having all that stuff in my pockets. That said, entering the park was a lot quicker without bags.

The only time I had an issue fitting a small backpack under my feet on a ride was on Tomorrowland Speedway. It pushed my knees into the steering wheel and made the car really hard to control—or at least that’s the reason I gave my wife for why my driving was so terrible.

 

[gtpoohbear]

I've never had any trouble bringing my backpack with me on rides, and sometimes it's pretty bulky! But even on the roller coasters it fits fine underneath my feet. I'd rather have the stuff with me that I know I'm likely to need, rather than be wasting time trying to hunt it down in the park. Personally, not a fan of having younger kids carry a pack. They will inevitably set it down somewhere and lose it, or get tired of carrying it, then it's just one more thing for you to wrangle yourself.

Also going to go against the grain here and say that if they don't even own a stroller anymore, they will probably be just fine without it. Mine didn't need it at those ages either.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Thank you all for your experiences and insight. I talked to my nephew and he said they don't even own a stroller. The backpack tucked under the legs and secured by the strap makes sense.

This is a one day at MK and then on to the ship for a cruise.

If you're only at MK, then there's definitely no need to go bagless. None of the rides are wild enough that I'd ever be worried about my stuff falling out. I'm all about carrying cheap, (relatively) healthy snacks to the parks and water bottles. Everyone needs a water bottle.

 

[twinmom13]

I am in the (mostly) bagless/strollerless camp. I take a small purse worn as a waist pack with cell phone, charger, tiny packets of sunscreen, band-aids, and ID/medical cards. Free water is easy to find, as are snacks. The odds of actually needing a change of clothes are small enough that I would rather pay for new clothes on the off chance something happens than carry extras around just in case. For me, a backpack would only lead to back pain. With that being said, everyone is different, and every kid's needs are different. Some need more stuff, some prefer to be prepared, and that is fine. Same with strollers. We try to prepare for all the walking by "training for Disney" ahead of time by going on long walks and places like the zoo as often as possible to build up endurance, and that has worked great for us, both at 5 and at 6, but again every kid is different. Since you are only going to be there for one day, I would think it would be easier to forego a stroller than if it were for a week. One warning about sticking a backpack by your feet: on Splash, there is a good chance it will get wet.

 

[Gingerfun1]

I'd leave worrying about this to the parents, TBH. They know what their kids need and after 3 kiddos, I'm sure they can manage it.

 

[Buttcracker]

Leave it at home. Consider embracing the "only bring what can fit in your pockets" Disney lifestyle.

I agree 100% with this. I wish I would have embraced this sooner in my Disney visits and stop bringing 5 giant backpacks. We started making use of the free ice water at the QS locations and anything else you think you might need can be picked up at the 1st aid stations at all 4 parks.

I do know there are folks that need to bring in certain items like epi pens, prescriptions, baby formula ect. If so go minimal- this is really just a fanny pack that you wear across your back/chest:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GCJ14BG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I recommend it because you can easily slide it so it's across your chest during rides, or if you are walking and need to get something out while not on a ride. I'm a big fat man nearly 300lbs so I speak from experience about large backpacks/ride cars. This bag has made several trips (my wife needs an epi pen with her at all times) and it's a breeze through security.

 

[MudQueen22]

I bring a backpack when vacationing even if it is just myself and dh. There are so many little things i like to bring that I can't fit them all in pockets comfortably, and my backpack has nice big straps and fits all the way down my back so I hardly notice it's there. I put it at my feet on just about every ride, and it really didn't slow me down at all.

 

[tinkerjo]

Thank you all for your experiences and insight. I talked to my nephew and he said they don't even own a stroller. The backpack tucked under the legs and secured by the strap makes sense.

This is a one day at MK and then on to the ship for a cruise. I'm finding there are more variables to consider for one day at the park than a week on the ship: ADR, MDE, FP+, snacks, rain gear, phone, chargers, etc. For those that spend multiple days at WDW, I am awestruck at the amount of pre-planning you do.

This is going to be an experience for all of us at MK. After one day, just get me on the ship, take me somewhere and hand me a menu. Again, thank you all.

For 1 day I’m going bagless!! Eat breakfast at the hotel, grab some snacks and free water through the day, and eat a decent supper. Put sunscreen on before you leave and hope it doesn’t rain!!!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

For 1 day I’m going bagless!! Eat breakfast at the hotel, grab some snacks and free water through the day, and eat a decent supper. Put sunscreen on before you leave and hope it doesn’t rain!!!

EXACTLY That is going to be the plan.

 

[maxiesmom]

For 1 day I’m going bagless!! Eat breakfast at the hotel, grab some snacks and free water through the day, and eat a decent supper. Put sunscreen on before you leave and hope it doesn’t rain!!!

There is no way I could apply sunscreen once and have it protect me all day. In addition at bare minimum you need ID and a bit of cash.

 

[DSNY4ever]

You just put it at your feet, there is always room, we have never had a problem. I have no idea how people travel with no backpack. We HAVE to carry sunscreen or else we'd burn. We always carry a small water and snacks, plus I can't fit my phone in my pocket anyway. If you leave it in the stroller you could return to find it gone, soaked by rain or ransacked by a squirrel.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I carry a backpack with all the potential needs: rain ponchos, water, juice boxes, snacks, Tylenol, phone charger, sunscreen, lip balm, etc. when I go on rides, it usually sits at my feet and I put 1 leg through it. If everyone is going to have a fanny pack they can all carry their own stuff easily. My kids prefer string bags, and again, just sit it on the floor of the ride with your leg through it so it doesn’t fall out. I don’t think I can go without a bag but I would love to! Saves a lot of money if your kids want snacks and drinks

I haven't been in a very long time, but when I've gone in the past I always brought a backpack when I went the parks, though sometimes I wish I wouldn't. The freedom of not having one would be wonderful, but I bring a camera, and an extra lens that I wrap in a towel, so I need somewhere to put it. When I go on rides, I do what tinkerjo does and loop my leg through one of the straps, which has never been a problem for me. Rides that have a lot of water, like Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom, I won't ride.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

If we're in the parks for any extended period of time, there's always a small backpack going with us. We've never had any issue with it on any of the Disney attractions - most you can put it at your feet, some have storage pouches, and some (like Flight of Passage) have storage bins. It is SOOOO much nicer than the way they do things at Universal, where you always have to track down a locker.

It's a little off-topic, but it'll be interesting to see what they do with bags and backpacks on the new Tron attraction. We had the chance to experience it in Shanghai, and it was awesome - but there they had a person with a 'bag cart', where you put your stuff before getting on the ride, and then it was waiting for us at the exit. I wonder if they'll manage a similar setup. Anyway - sorry for the tangent! I just hope Tron isn't the first one to require a locker before riding.

 

[SteveH]

Even without kids my wife and I both take a backpack, it's not full by any means. Never had any problem putting it by our feet on any rides. Some have bags they need to fit into; Sorin' others like Mine Train are tight enough they don't move anywhere.