Six Disney Park MUST Haves for 2023

We’re just a month away from heading into the Disneyland Resort Parks and I’m already creating my packing list! These are just a few of our favorite things that help us keep sane in the parks. Whether you’re planning to hop between the resorts and the park or just want to do a 14 hour day, these necessities will come in handy while you’re on your dream vacation.

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Backpacks

First and foremost, you’re gonna need a bag to carry things in. But choosing the BEST bag for the parks is H. A. R. D. I love seeing all the cute loungefly bags, but sometimes they’re not the most functional (especially when traveling with kids). I’ve found over the years, the more pockets and organization you have, the more streamlined and quicker you can access things while walking from ride to ride. Right now we use a stroller, but almost all of our bags are purchased with the future in mind… you know the time when “all our kids will carry their own bags” (also known as the time when we’ll be putting everything in a locker and mom and dad will still be stuck carrying all the things).

Adults/Teens – For those of us who carry a few personal snacks, some extra socks, a portable charger and our wallets, we love smaller bags. Jake has a fanny pack from Universal he loves because of all the pockets (this tactical fanny pack is similar), while Emi and I carry our loungefly bags (like this Glow in the Dark one!).

Kids/Preschoolers – These Simple Modern backpacks have some serious pockets but they aren’t much larger than an ipad. Evan has a similar one from Pottery Barn that his grammy bought for his birthday, and we love that he can carry extra clothes, snacks, his water bottle and his Mickey Ears. Originally Gracie had a loungefly but I believe this is a better option for her even. Plus you can snag matching accessories and they can use the bags after your trip for school or outings!

A Portable Charger

Jake loves his portable chargers, and with all the technology apps in the park, you’re going to want at least one. We tend to pass the time in line playing on the play disney (Apple or Android) app, and use the park apps for Genie+ throughout the day. I’d highly recommend having one portable charger per phone in your party. Personally, I tend to use two throughout the day when I’m in charge of scheduling through the apps, plus I tend to take a lot of photos (for obvious reasons!). You can buy packs of the solar charging power banks on Amazon, which are super handy to use both at the parks and on the go later. Some even have built in flashlights and cords for your phone. Personally I prefer to extend the magic when I’m unable to visit Disney, so I love this Disney themed one and they have a lot of different designs!

Reusable bags

We love our reusable snack bags and each one of our family members has a different pattern from Simple Modern on Amazon. (If you’re buying for multiple kids, you can find the matching backpack, water bottle and lunch box too!) It makes for extremely easy snack packing and no one argues over who did or didn’t get goldfish. (Speaking of goldfish, it’s worth noting that the oils and coloring from the goldfish will stain the lighter color bags if left in there too long. We learned this from experience.) While you’re at it, snag a set of these bag holders so you can fill the baggies quickly and free up your hands while reloading snacks at the hotel.

Hats/Sunglasses

Without fail, we’ve bought sunglasses in the parks on the first day of the last 3 visits. For whatever reason, we never seem to remember them until we’re in the California/Florida sunshine. (It’s a Washingtonian thing). Buying sunglasses in the parks comes with a premium, and they’re much cheaper elsewhere. We found Disney sunglasses for our kids at Winco the other day, and the dollar store tends to have some fun themes. Amazon also has some fun ones like this set of Cars sunglasses with the case so you can toss them in the kids bags!

Sunscreen applicators

My sister-in-law introduced me to these Solar Buddies sunscreen applicators! Let me just say they are a pain to clean, but so worth it when you’re applying sunscreen and don’t want to get it on your hands! The sun in California and Florida is just different than the sun in Washington. Without sunscreen, someone always ends up burnt, so we love these combined with our wellness box sunscreen.

duck suits + ponchos

Without fail, it will rain on one of your park days. Especially if you forget the duck suits and ponchos. Disney knows this and you can buy ponchos in their stores, but the price can be super high because of supply and demand. We prefer to purchase these ponchos on Amazon and snag a decent sized pack, then toss them in backpacks and the bottom of strollers. Our boys have their duck suits, and they roll down nice and tight to put in the bottom of park bags.

This is by no means an all inclusive list of the things we bring with us. It’s just a quick peek at some of our favorite products from Amazon while I’m prepping to pack our park bags. 😉