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Published: 2022-03-22 09:47:00 Updated: 2022-03-22 09:47:00

Posted March 22, 2022 9:47 a.m. EDT

By Tara Lynn, WRAL contributor

Our family just returned from a week-long trip. It was my first “real” trip and our first trip as a family.

I shared that I was reluctant to go, due to the cost, crowds, and uncertainty of what to expect. I am now looking forward to going again (and getting another Dole Whip ice cream!).

I was reading all kinds of blogs on what to pack. Most covered the basics like sunscreen, ponchos, glow sticks and Minnie Mouse ears (at least half the price on Amazon of what you pay in the parks). But there were a few things I saw while we were there that were genius and not mentioned. I wanted to share these must-pack items for Walt Disney World if you are traveling with young children, especially if you plan to use a stroller. These made life so much easier while we were there.

Keep in mind, my husband and I flew to Orlando with our 7 and 5-year-old daughters. We had two checked bags, a carry-on, a briefcase and a bookbag. We rented a stroller that was delivered and picked up at our resort and took a shuttle bus from the airport to the resort. This meant we needed to pack efficiently, but didn’t have to worry about packing car seats or the stroller.

If you plan to take a stroller or rent a stroller, you will absolutely need and want a stroller organizer bag. The general pouches that Velcro around the handle are great for having quick access to drinks, hand sanitizer, and tossing and grabbing your phone quickly. Had I thought about it more (after I thought I had thought of everything!), I would have brought ours from home.

I also saw this genius stroller hack a few times where people used those over-the-door clear plastic shoe organizers. They strapped them to the handles of the strollers and stashed wipes, masks, sunglasses, sunscreen, snacks and water bottles in the pockets.

You’ll have to take it off or roll it up when you need to collapse the stroller (i.e., when getting on a bus or monorail). But once you get in the park and get it set up, it looked like an amazing convenience.

Another stroller idea, tie a brightly colored ribbon around the handle for an easy way to identify yours quickly amongst the sea of strollers in the designated parking areas outside of rides and restaurants. Some families even had embroidered signs with their last names on them. Creative and fun, but I’ll save my money for food at Epcot (like the Fiesta Margarita in the Mexico pavilion).

Finally, on our last day, I saw that Disney had some stroller organizer bags for about $25 in some of the shops. I probably would have bought one had I seen them on our first day.

I packed several small and medium carabiners but forgot my extra-large one for the stroller. These were so helpful to clip my sunglasses to my bookbag or quickly attach something like a water bottle to a bag when you need an extra hand. Again, had I brought the one that can fit over a stroller handle, it would have been a big help.

Alligator clips are great for so many reasons like keeping those earbuds and charging cords organized. The most genius way I saw somebody use an alligator clip at WDW was for rain cover! We didn’t want to deal with the expense or daily storage of a special rain cover for the stroller. My husband bought two adult-size reusable poncho-type raincoats for us and I had two cheap clear plastic ones I had never used.

It rained a few times while we were there. It was fairly easy to find a place to dodge the rain, but if we wanted to go on a ride or see a show, we usually needed to leave the stroller outside. Having a clear plastic poncho or bag can easily be draped over the stroller, but you’ll need alligator clips to keep it in place. If you want to be super frugal and help the environment, save a few of your dry cleaning bags and toss those in your luggage.

I had at least one clip in my bookbag and that helped keep the rain from soaking our girls and the stroller while we were on the move or when we parked the stroller and couldn’t find a covered option. You could pack an umbrella, but a poncho was so much easier. They do sell them in stores. I did snag an extra kid-sized one for just $10 (just as the rain finally stopped of course).

You will have to go through a security screening when entering the park. I carried my professional camera and one lens in a regular backpack. That was the heaviest and bulkiest thing we had with us. Most of you will just have a cell phone for photos and that shouldn’t set off the scanners. If you bring a portable battery charger, that will probably set off the scanners.

If you have to go through a bag check, having clear plastic bags is very helpful. I brought cloth and reusable wet/dry bags, but after the first two days of having to open every single bag to show security, I realized it was easier to use plastic sandwich bags. I had brought a box with us to use for packing and to carry snacks with us into the park. I love to keep things organized in groups so I don’t have to search through a bunch of loose random things. This is especially helpful when somebody forgets to screw the cap all the way back on the sunscreen and it gets all over the bag, but not on anything else! Said person shall remain anonymous.

There were a lot of little girls waltzing around the parks in full princess costumes. We went in early March and the high for most days was 85 degrees. I knew my girls would be hot and itchy walking around all day in a costume. We bought some comfy cotton dresses and packed clothes they wore regularly. If you do have a special dinner planned, I would suggest bringing a special dress to the park to change into just before dinner.

I packed two extra outfits for myself and the girls. Those came in handy. We brought swimsuits as we planned to spend the day by the pool when we arrived. That was a blast (be prepared for your kids to ask to go back to the pool again and again and again.)

We each had two pairs of comfortable shoes to swap out as needed to keep our feet comfy with all the walking. We did not need water shoes. I packed the girls’ sunhats, but they didn’t wear them since they were mostly shaded when in the stroller. We all wore sunglasses most of the time.

Portable Battery Charger: We brought a portable battery charger with us fully expecting our phone batteries wouldn’t last. We both have newer model iPhones and never needed to plug our phones in while at the park. That was with my husband using the Disney App for booking lightning lanes and me using it to check out our photos from PhotoPass. If you have an older phone, you may need the charger.

Water Bottle: Every blog I read said to take a filtered water bottle. We bought two and took them with us, but only carried one into the parks each day. I don’t know if we actually needed the water filter part. Ice water at all the restaurants and quick stop food shops tasted fine. But you will want to bring a water bottle. Fill it up with lots of ice at your hotel. We were able to pour our leftover water from lunch into our bottle to refill. There are refilling stations, but they are few and far between, particularly in the Magic Kingdom. Most are in restaurants. You can also get free ice water from most of the quick service spots.

Glow Sticks: All the blogs said to bring glow sticks. I went to the Dollar Store and snagged some. I was surprised how much they came in handy as we were at the parks after the sunset. They mainly provided cheap entertainment for the girls while we waited for the fireworks to start. It was also a great way to have a quick visual reference as we were walking or moving. Cheap, simple fun. Hard to beat.

I hope this has been helpful! I remember trying to read so many blogs and most had great advice. These were a few special things I saw, learned, and will be sure to keep in mind when we all go again!

Tara Lynn is a former WRAL reporter and anchor. She lends her 15-plus years in journalism to tell visual stories through love-filled photography for families of all kinds. The mother of three little humans and one senior rescue dog believes in celebrating magic in the little things, the big loves, and the imperfect moments that make the most remarkable memories. Her vision is to help families celebrate and share their love through photography and curated album artwork that become timeless keepsakes connecting multiple generations...because moments often pass in the blink of an eye, and the photographs we take connect us to our memories and our great loves, forever.

You can find Tara Lynn on Instagram at @TaraLynn_andCo and TaraLynnAndCo.com. Learn more about her photography at TaraLynnAndCoPhoto.com.

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