I was searching through some old files on my computer yesterday and ran across my packing list for our first trip to Walt Disney World. It brought back plenty of memories for me, but mostly I can say that I am sure glad I no longer have to pack things like fold up potty seats and sippy cups. Eight years and many trips later I share this list with you and recap what was great to have and what we now leave behind.
Things I need on the plane:
I was nervous about flying across county with my 4 yr. old son and 1 yr. old daughter for the first time. Prior to our flight I had read many articles on what to pack and carry on with you to make your flight more bearable for you, your children and of course those around you. I look back and laugh now at how unhelpful most of that information was. As a mom I’ve learned no amount of what anyone else says worked for their kids is a guarantee it will work for mine. It is simply better to thoughtfully consider what my children with will need, desire, and do best with in a cramped plane for 6 hours than rely on what someone else says. You can read about my analysis of flying with children here. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. So take this list as an idea of what to consider for your first trip to Walt Disney World.
- Tickets & Hotel confirmation (Most of this is now handled electronically for the airlines and with Disney’s new electronic Magic Bands. I wrote about our first experience with the Magic Bands here. You will have all of your information stored right there in the arm band for you. Just remember to pack them with you if you had them shipped to your home first. I’ve written about this new experience here as well)
- Board Books for Leah (Although these worked great for my son as a baby when we traveled by plane they were not such a hit with Leah she just wasn’t that captivated by them. If I did it again I would make sure they were the open up the flap kind of board books that gave her something to do and see)
- Camera & Video
- Stuart’s Highlights magazine (These are great because they have all sorts of find the hidden object pictures. However I don’t remember him ever even opening the magazine)
- Diapers & Wipes
- Ipods/Ipads (Yes, yes, yes, and we still take them with us every time we travel. Even the one year old would listen to music and stories with her head phones on, sometimes.)
- Lollipops for take off & landing (Yes again, these were a life saver for me. Take off and landing is the time when your ears are the most irritated with altitude change and the sucking helps the little ones pop their ears. Whatever you do don’t forget your lollipops!)
- Extra Clothes
- Insurance Cards
- Stroller (I wish I would have known about The Trouble with Strollers before I packed ours)
- Kleenex
- Pacifier
- Tylenol and Motrin (Children & Adults)
- Leah’s Blanket
- Head Phones for everyone
- Sippy Cup (as practical and smart as this sounds I can’t tell you how many times I had to pick this up off the floor and how badly I just wanted to throw it out the window.)
- Tip Money (We always check our bags curb side. I discovered how convenient and wonderful this service was when I traveled regularly with my job before I was a mom. A small tip is worth every convenience of not standing in long lines inside the airport while trying to juggle two kids.)
- Toys enough for a small surprise every hour. (I’m sure at the time this sounded like an excellent idea as I read the article that mentioned this idea. In reality though this was such a big flop I felt ripped off! Every toy I gave them ended up on the floor in what like two seconds. I recommend leaving the toys at home along with the writing pads and markers unless you can find those triangular crayons that wont roll off the trays. I mention these in my article on flying with kids)
- Favorite stuffed animal
- Writing Pads
- Washable Markers
- Snacks: (Snacks were always a hit! anytime they got a little bit whiny a snack always would settle them back down. Make sure you bring plenty.)
- Goldfish
- fruit snacks
- Crackers
Things I want in our Carry on’s:
These were the things I wanted to not check but could go in the bin overhead so that I had them when we got off the plane right away. If you use Disney’s Magical Express when you check your bags at the airport they will deliver them for you directly to your hotel room. So, you will not have to worry about dealing with baggage claim and kids all at the same time. I’ve written more about this great treat in this article along with other ways to plan and prepare for your first visit to Walt Disney World. However, it may take a little time for you to get your bags delivered to your room so I wanted to make sure we had certain items with us that we could use right away like the first item on my list!
- Swimsuits
- Cover-ups
- Hats
- Arm floaties
- Swim Diapers
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses(Kids) (Adults)
- Make up & Hair accessories (God forbid that somehow this very important stuff should somehow get lost and not arrive!)
In Our Checked Luggage:
And finally everything else.
- Sand Toys (Some of the resorts actually do have beaches and how fun it would be to spend sometime at them and play with the sand toys, will you actually do it though? We didn’t. Leave them at home)
- Extra Swimsuits (Kids) (We used the clothes line in the shower in our room and never once needed more than one swim suit)
- Extra Swimsuits (Adults) (Never needed them)
- Phone Chargers
- Ipod Speakers
- Diapers and Wipes
- Diaper Rash Ointment
- Juice Boxes
- Bagels
- Pop tarts
- Cream Cheese
- Popcorn
- Pullups for night time
- Swim Diapers
- Beach Bag (I have found that having a tote bag is rather handy for going to the pool)
- Huggies Wash Cloths (Huggies makes disposable travel washcloths already infused with soap. I did their hair and everything with this cloth. They were the greatest things for giving my kids quick baths at night)
- Drain Stopper (Because some tubs stoppers don’t always work and I didn’t want to get stuck)
- Adult Shampoo & Cream Rinse (Use the hotels unless you need something special)
- Lotion
- Fingernail Clippers & File
- Ziploc Bags (These always come in handy for something either packing up loose items or keeping soiled clothes away from everything else in a diaper bag.)
- Rain Ponchos (These are very important to us. We use them almost every trip even if it is just to make sure we stay dry on the water rides.)
- Waterproof Camera
- Fold up potty seat (It’s up to you but we used ours!)
- Extra Kleenex packets
- Disposable Bibs (Or an easy wipe off bib)
- Light Weight Jackets (Kids)
- Light Weight Jackets (Adults)
- Allergy medication (Kids & Adults)
- Neosporin & Band-Aids
- Spray & Wash Stick
- Pop Up hamper (We always take one with us because it keeps our room so much neater and when we are ready to do laundry it is easy to carry to the laundry room)
- Q-tips
Okay so now it’s your turn to tell me what you make sure you pack for your trips to Walt Disney World or any where!
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