The typical checklist for a trip to the Disney parks includes your camera, autograph book, tickets, and money. These are must-haves. But I have discovered a few other items that make a Disney vacation more stress free. The great thing about these items is they are very small and can fit inside a small bag. If you keep this small bag always packed you can drop it into your bag when you head to the parks. You may not use these items every time, but you’ll save time, money, and sanity if you do need them.
Five useful items to bring to the parks:
1) Ziploc bags. I like the sandwich or quart size, but whatever size you happen to have, these are immensely useful. You can use one as a doggie bag and it is much easier to carry around than a to-go box. You can put wet items in them. You can put half-licked all-day suckers in them. I always put my guide books in baggies before I go on Splash Mountain.The uses are endless and they are so small that you can pack quite a few in many different sizes.
2) Aspirin. Or Tylenol. Or Advil. Any pain pill that you like to use at home should be in your sanity bag. When you have muscle soreness or a headache due to too much noise, the last thing you want to do is hunt for medicine. At the minimum you’ll have to walk a long ways to the first-aid station and if you decide to buy some you’ll pay a lot. Been there, done that. Save your sanity and have some with you.
3) Small towel or bandana. Wet benches. Sticky faces. Soaked skin from Splash Mountain. There are lots of reasons to bring a towel. I like the washcloth size, but a bandana can work, also. When it is damp just tie it to the outside of your pack and it will dry quickly. Or put it in the baggies you also packed.
4) Carabineer. These are the clips that climbers use, but nowadays you can find them everywhere. They are very handy if you want to attach items to your pack so your hands are empty. Or if you broke down and bought your child a sword, a carabineer is a useful item for attaching the sword to their belt loop so they are not waving it all over and hitting everyone.
5) Band-aids. Like the pain pills, these are an item that you won’t think about until you need one. Instead of interrupting your trip when your child scrapes their knee running around on Tom Sawyer’s Island, just put a Band-Aid on it and they are off again. If you buy Disney themed Band-Aids then it is almost like a badge of honor.
You may have more items to put in your sanity bag but these five I have found extremely useful. Just make sure whatever you bring is small. If it weighs you down you may not pack it and then you won’t be saving your sanity. Any vacation can become insane. Planning ahead can make the insanity fun instead of annoying. Fun is better. Happiness squared.
Goofy Tip: I don’t mind walking around in wet clothes because they will dry fairly quickly, but I hate having wet shoes. They never seem to dry and they make my feet feel gross. My sanity solution is to bring a pair of flip-flops with me. Flip-flops don’t take up much room and before you go on Splash Mountain or Grizzly River Run you can switch shoes. After the ride dry your feet off with the small towel you brought, put your damp flip-flops into a gallon baggie, and put your shoes back on. Your feet will be happy and that will make you happy.