As A Mom, These 13 Items Are Worth The Splurge When Packing For Disney
Some of these items I'd never even think to pack before we went!
I just got back from a five-day trip to Orlando, including a couple of days at the Disney World Resort. And before you even ask, yes, the entire trip was magical, and yes, we’re already planning out our next trip back.
After spending some time there (especially as a mom), there are certain items I now know that I will never leave off my packing list or itinerary. From portable fans to the ultimate travel backpack to transportation, these Disney packing list essentials are sure to make your trip to the House of Mouse so much smoother.
1. The Ultimate Travel Backpack
My husband used this backpack from STATE for our entire trip, and it held everything from our portable chargers to mouse ears to our giant bag of snacks. The backpack has a huge main compartment with a drawstring, so when you need to rummage through for that one thing at the bottom of the bag, you can easily access it, but also have everything closed and secured when you’re on rides.
2. A durable kids' carry-on bag
Our daughter is at the age where she can carry her own bag around the airport. This fun and funky carry-on luggage from Away was perfect for her. It’s lightweight, smooth as silk to push around, and fits everything she needed for her whole trip, thanks to Away’s signature, patented compression system that helps pack more in with pockets perfect for smaller items.
3. A comfortable pair of sneakers
I’ve done Disney the wrong way, and that involves wearing the wrong shoes! At the end of the day, my feet were aching and literally throbbing so badly I couldn’t sleep. This time, I found a great pair of shoes, practiced some long walks in them before we left, and I can’t even begin to explain how comfortable they felt!
4. Extra storage space on our stroller
We rented a stroller during our trip, but we decided we needed some sort of bag to add to the stroller for extra space. Enter: the amazingly named CrapKeeper! The CrapKeeper held our water bottles, phones, snacks, and everything else that we needed quick access to without having to carry it around all the time or whip around our backpacks to grab. The CrapKeeper comes with 8 pockets & sleeves designed for your phone, glasses, sunscreen, and well...all your crap! It strapped right onto the stroller bar, and we were all set.
5. Breatheable, cooling clothing
Florida is hot. It’s muggy and sweaty. You will need cool, breathable clothing to make the trip bearable as you race around the park. My husband lived in these t-shirts from Origin thanks to their high-performance, temperature-regulating training tops with their “brrr° Triple Chill Effect.”
These tees have temperature-regulating minerals embedded in the core of the fiber (won’t wash out or fade with time) to provide an immediate and continuous cooling effect; active wicking to move moisture away from the body for non-stop comfort; rapid drying for a fresh, crisp, wearing experience.
6. A cute cover-up for your pool day
During our trip, we made sure to have a rest/pool day. We hung around the pool basically all day, but I didn’t want to be in the water every second (unlike my six-year-old, who is a fish). When I was lounging poolside with my book and a yummy drink, I was using my Mimi Flamingo wrap.
The pattern fit my beachy vibe and was so soft, lightweight, and breathable thanks to the 100% cotton gauze material.
7. Wedgie-free underwear
No one wants swass and wedgies at the happiest place on earth, right? Enter: Nuage! This underwear brand was made for people who don’t want to deal with thongs but also don’t want to have weird, bunchy underwear with their granny panties.
Their underwear is lightweight, stretchy, and breathable for total comfort. Plus, they have “3D Butt Coverage” which helps the fabric contour and lay flat to your curves—no digging, no bunching!
8. A bra that even Taylor Swift recommends
One thing that I knew I would need while walking 20k steps in the park was a good, supportive bra. I am a large-chested girlie, and so, sports bras tend to work best for me when it comes to coverage and feeling supported during the day. Forme bras did the trick.
The Forme Power+ Bra has patented posture-correcting technology with a wider underarm opening that allows me more freedom and flexibility when reaching for something under the stroller or waving my hands in the air on Seven Dwarves Mine Train.
9. A pair of cozy jammies
We went to the parks during Halloweentime, and I wanted to surprise my daughter with a pair of new, cute Halloween pajamas to wear while we were hanging out at the hotel. These Kyte Baby PJs are so adorable, soft, and breathable for her body. She gets super hot during the night, but these PJs are designed for sensitive skin. She absolutely loved them.
10. A car service to the airport
I was so nervous about getting to the airport on time because I had (stupidly) decided that it would be a good idea to book A 6 AM flight, which meant that we had to leave our house around 3:30 AM! I knew that no family member was going to come get us (understandably), and a ride-share service made me a little nervous. So, I opted to bite the bullet and use a private car service called Blacklane.
Blacklane was prompt (early, actually), friendly, knowledgeable about where they were going, and pulled out all the stops to make sure we had an enjoyable ride to and from the airport. We’d use them again in a heartbeat.
11. Interactive wristwear for the parks
We were on the fence about splurging on Disney’s MagicBands, but eventually decided to make the decision to buy them, and I am so glad we did! We used them for everything! They got us through our Lightning Lanes. We paid for food and merch with them. We used them to open our hotel room and get into the parks.
They were also super interactive as we made our way around the resort, lighting up and buzzing as we hit different spots in the parks. My daughter was more infatuated with her MagicBand buzzing and lighting up during the Magic Kingdom fireworks than the actual fireworks!
12. A pair of snag-free, tangle-free sunglasses
When you’re in the Disney World parks, you’re going in and out of pretty much everywhere, which also means taking your sunglasses on and off. I have a habit of just throwing my sunglasses onto the top of my head, which usually leads to them getting totally tangled in my hair and causing a knotty mess. I picked up a pair of Dax Eyewear sunglasses with their hair-friendly design with flush, snag-free nose pieces that glide over buns, braids, or messy waves without pulling a single strand.
13. Body glitter because why not!?
There is something about Disney that just makes me want to feel all glitzy and shimmering! My daughter and I wanted to be all shiny at the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, so we dabbed on some body shimmer from gimmee shimmee. The Shimmee Stick is clean, hormone-free, vegan, and gave us the cutest sparkle on our skin!
Not only does this stick provide that extra shimmer you're looking for, but it also acts as a hydrating balm thanks to the natural sources of Vitamin E in the product.
