Top 10 Must-Pack-Items for a Trip Disney World

Our family ventured on our first trip to Disney World this year after waiting for our kids to be old enough to be able to enjoy it and embrace the memories. My sons are 8 and 11 and when I told them we were going to Disney World, they were super excited! They weren't totally sure what to expect but they knew about the Disney magic ☺️!.

We were all excited and planned to go the last week of summer break so the kids to go back to school on a high.

I initially approached the planning of the trip very casually! I told a few friends, 4 weeks in advance that we were going and then, when they hit me with a barrage of questions: did you purchase your tickets? did you reserve your park days? did you download the app? did you make your dinner reservations? did put together your spreadsheet 👀👀👀👀??? I was super overwhelmed and to be honest, I had second thoughts about calling this a "vacation!" This felt more like planning a work conference!

I took it in stride and then began the process of planning our trip. Stay tuned for my next post about how we hit 4 parks in 2 days!

One of the things that I WAS able to wrap my head around more quickly was my packing list. I read a ton of blogs that suggested A LOT of items. I tried my best to sift through all the lists to narrow it down to what I thought would be most critical for me and my family.

I did the work so you don't have to! So, here is my top 10 list of items you MUST have in your suitcase for a trip to Disney World:

10. Misting Fans - these are VERY critical! It is HOT in Florida and we needed these fans every day that we were at the parks. Bonus tip: put ice cubes in water that you fill the fans with! More ice than water - LOL - you want the water to be cold when you need it and it will melt over time. Also, important for you to know - YES, they do sell the misting fans at the parks, but they are almost double the price of the 02Cool 2 Pack Misting Fan I purchased off of Amazon.

9. Sunscreen - clearly, this is important! Not much I can say about this one. My only

suggestion is to grab sunblock that is easy to apply for yourself and the kids. Here are some recommendations - Neutrogena Mineral Ultra Sheer Sunscreen stick and my other favorite is the Supergoop Mineral Powder Sunscreen I use this especially when I want to reapply and re-set any makeup I may be wearing during the summer.

8. Disposable ponchos are a must! Especially if you don't already own ponchos for

everyone in your family. These were perfect because we could easily carry them in our backpacks and take them out when needed. Our second day at the parks there was a flash storm in the middle of our day. We needed the ponchos just to get around the park and then once the rain was over, we had no issues discarding the ponchos and continuing with the fun!

7. Wet Ones Antibacterial wipes are a great thing to have in your bag. Because you can throw these into your backpack and they can be used for hands, wiping down tables, cleaning your airplane seats and more. So these are definitely a must have.

6. Body glide was a new discovery for me! I learned about this product from one of the

blogs that I read. It was intriguing to me because I know that you do a TON of walking at Disney World and Body Glide is meant to prevent chaffing! I definitely didn't want my kids or either me or my husband to have this issue to I purchased it. I'll admit, this is the one thing from my list that we did not use during the trip. But if this is something you think you'll need, it was inexpensive enough and comes in the form of a deodorant stick so a little goes a long way.

5. So, did you know that Disney World allows you to bring in insulated water bottles 🤯?!?! I would have never assumed that this was an option so when I researched and learned this was a possibility, I jumped right on this. We each had water bottles that we pre-filled in the morning with ice cold water. This helped us save money on purchasing expensive drinks and also helped us to pace our hydration during those hot days. Bonus Tip: Don't go crazy with 48oz and 60oz water bottles, because they will be TOO heavy to carry during the day. Also, be sure to get a water bottle that has a handle. This will make it easier to carry and/or attach to your backpack.

4. Waterproof phone cases are good for not just the pool but also for protecting your

phone when you're caught in the rain and/or riding on water rides! So many useful purposes - you just gotta have one.

3. A travel backpack... not just ANY backpack! Regular backpacks can be bulky, and heavy. You need something that is breathable, lightweight, has multiple compartments and packable. This Venture Pal Ultra Lightweight backpack is perfect for the occasion.

2. A packable hat for sun protection. I used my hat during the early

part of the day while my sons wore their baseball caps during the day. This hat I love because it can easily be packed, not only in your suitcase, but also in your backpack. The hat can be rolled up easily to stow away when you don't need it any more.

1. And finally, how could anyone survive without a portable charger. This is important for A LOT of reasons. Besides the fact that you are in the park for long hours... but also, you are using your phone to manage your park experience, take pictures and videos and also make calls. Trust me, your battery is going to really be drained! I went and grabbed the Apple MagSafe Charger but there are a million options to choose from!

So there you have it! My top 10 must haves for a trip to Disney. Share it with a friend, save it for a future trip but these are the things you definitely need!

Stay tuned for how we hit 4 parks in two days! I wasn't the most popular parent in the moment but my kids later thanked me for the experience!

XO Ayanna