Disney Essentials for a Magical Trip

These won’t just serve as peace of mind for me and Nathan. Orson is very much in the stage where if he loses sight of me at the children’s museum for 30 seconds, he claims he was lost.

With these cute, Disney-character temporary tattoos, Orson and Nova can feel more secure. We’ll prep them about what to do if either of them loses sight of us and how to ask for help using these tattoos.

Separation is absolutely a worst-case scenario at Disney World, but it can happen, so these are an essential for our packing list.

Genexa is my go-to brand for clean meds. I’m not overboard crunchy, but I generally try to avoid dyes, artificial sweeteners, and unnecessary additives. Especially when choosing to ingest a medication that’s supposed to make me or my kids feel better.

Luckily, Genexa’s line offers Pepto, Benadryl, and Tylenol alternatives that are dye- and additive-free. Solid runner up for clean Benadryl? KinderMed for the win, and my kids prefer the flavor to Genexa.

Beggars can’t always be choosers, though.

Sometimes, you gotta do whatcha gotta do. For allergies, if your kids need some non-drowsy relief, there is dye-free, chewable Zyrtec. For pain and fever, dye-free Motrin, too. Make allowance for the artificial sweeteners, and it’ll get the job done.

And, honestly, I can think of few things that could derail the magic of a heavy-food laden, Disney World trip more than leaving constipation treatment off of your packing list. Dye-free Colace exists, friends. Do yourself a favor and don’t go on vacation without it.

Especially if you’re planning to do the Epcot cheese crawl (aka Emile’s Fromage Montage)… May God have mercy on your colon.

The hope would be that you take my Happy Feet section to heart and invest in your podiatric pals… That’s the best way to avoid needing to use these, but they are good to have on hand.

Blister bandaids can heal your heels so that you can continue to savor all the good feels.

We’re anticipating many late nights and overtired, amped-up preschoolers. Pair that with early park entry, and it could be a recipe for disaster. Instead of fighting our kids forever to get them to go to sleep before early rising, we’ve got the magic bullets here to help.

We’ll bring along their Hatch sound machine for familiar sounds and stories from home, for one thing. Read my review of the Hatch here.

But the absolute G.O.A.T. to knock my kids out quickly and safely? LiliCare Kids Sleep Gummies are for sure on my Disney World packing list. They’re clean, safe, and kick in faster than anything! Read my review here. TL;DR? Buy them now.

Since we’re going during the off-season in September, it’s fair to expect A LOT of rain in Florida. Parkas for the kiddos are a must, but Frogg Toggs are worth the price. In terms of functionality, grow-with-me fit, and pack-away reusability, these were a no-brainer investment for us.

Added bonus: even though they “fit” Orson and Nova (definitely on the big size right now), these Frogg Toggs make my babies look like little, colorful Jawas. Utinni!

Although Frogg Toggs do come in adult sizes as well, we opted for all-purpose rain jackets with our future sailboat plans in mind. The two brands we have—Patagonia for Nathan and Black Diamond for me—both impress us with their fit, water-resistance, inner shells, and functionality.

We know they’ll hold up to torrential rain conditions on land or by sea, and they’re easy to roll up and stow away. A Disney World packing list must-have, if ever there was one.

Here comes the sun! While we can count on inevitable rain, it’s still Florida, and we know that sun will shine (and scorch) again. My absolute favorite brand of sun-related skincare is none other than:

Babo Botanicals!

Living in South-Central Texas, you’d best believe I stock up on the stuff every year. Sheer sprays; tinted, facial, liquid sunscreens; sunscreen lotions; face sticks; after-sun skincare… All EWG-verified, clean products that you can feel good about using for your whole family.

I fell in love with this brand due to its gentle, sensitive-skin line of baby sunscreen, and I’ve never looked back. Highly recommend adding these sunscreens to your packing list for any beach vacays, camping trips, or magical Disney World adventures!

I’ll be honest: in summer heat, I love baring skin! Bring on crop tops and spaghetti straps all day, everyday. That being said, I do not want to have to bathe head-to-toe in sunscreen every single morning before park entry.

I love letting some bare skin breathe, but I also LOVE convenience. And on a scorching Florida day, out in the sun for hours, it’s nice to have a few UPF garments to throw on and skip out the door to rope drop.

I have hooded Willit and BASSDASH UPF shirts that offer superior sun protection. Don’t let the long sleeves fool you; the materials are ultra lightweight and breathable for a comfortable, relatively cool day in the parks. They’re also reasonably priced and come in some fun colors!

Nathan loves his Baleaf UPF shirt, and although it technically can be considered a rash guard, it’s thin, light, soft fabric as opposed to feeling like swimsuit material. Highly recommend any of these for your Disney World packing list.

Wear a UPF shirt, and save some sunscreen (and precious time).

Now, for the hotheads out there…

Invest in some good UPF-rated sunhats for your park days. Ideally, get some with wide brims to protect your scalp, face, ears, and neck; chin straps so they don’t blow away with the first gust; and durability so that they can be easily packed.

I found these perfectly appropriate sunhats and bought two for my preschoolers. Along with some color-coded cord locks to make the strap adjustable. Sure, they’re a bit big, but we’re going early in the Disney Halloween season when it still might as well be summer.

What could be more on point than these Nightmare Before Christmas sunhats? Orson and Nova adore theirs, and the hats themselves are cute, super functional, and offer tons of skin protection.

I, on the other hand, went with something a little more reserved and practical. This Fedora-style beach hat boasts a UPF 80+ rating, and is made to easily pack up. Perfect for the Disney World packing list.

While you’re logging those infinite Disney World steps, you’ve got to stay hydrated! We love our double-wall insulated, stainless-steel REDUCE drinkware to keep our water frigid and refreshing. For Orson and Nova, however, who still tend to want to chew on silicone straws, we opt for Zak bottles!

Zak kids’ bottles come in fun character designs, including Disney princesses, Star Wars icons, and Marvel superheroes. And they tend to be more durable than REDUCE kids’ bottles.

Check them out!

We’ve got two solid recommendations for rechargeable battery packs for all of your Disney device needs. Consider how many phones will be used amongst the party members for managing lightning lanes, watching wait times, keeping reservations, and navigating park maps.

Also worth considering is Magic Band usage, especially if you invest in Magic Band+ like we did. With these bands, you want to keep them charged for all of the fun extras like coordinating lights and vibrations during the Happily Ever After fireworks and scavenger hunts throughout the parks.

Our top-tier, battery-pack picks: Anker and Fuel Rods. Anker Power Banks are sleek and compact and capable of fast charging devices on-the-go. Fuel Rods are nice for your packing list, too, in that they can be exchanged for fully-charged rods at kiosks in Disney World.

Both come at a fairly reasonable price point and can be bought in two packs if desired.

For messy, smiling faces. For sticky hands and melty Mickey Premium Bars. And for any mysterious substances or sticky sliminess you might encounter in a quick service eatery chair in which you’re about to park it. Yeah, take some wipes with you.

WaterWipes for alllll the food messes; alcohol wipes for anything else. A packing list essential for any trip to Disney World.

For this, I’ll point you to Nathan’s post: Capturing Family Memories Worth Sharing. Check out his review for some of the best family cameras you can get your hands on for all of your adventures.

That being said…

I’ll tell you my personal favorite.

Being able to pull out a lightweight camera at the opportune, most magical moment and easily operate it is essential for my Disney World packing list. For its compact build and simple operation, my favorite family camera is the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. No diggity. No doubt.

A veritable sea of strollers as far as the eye can see… And now, you’re hunting for yours. Given that, there are all sorts of handy tips for helping your stroller stand out in the crowd: bandanas, balloons, lights at night, personalized signs through Etsy, et cetera.

So, start considering how you want to address this common Disney World situation and what you can add to your packing list to help. In this situation, we ultimately opted for something cheap and fairly garish in hopes that it’ll be eye catching enough to narrow the search down quickly.

An added bonus for these Velcro luggage handles is that there’s also a space on the inside for your name and phone number in case of separation from your luggage… Or stroller.

Sole support for soul support for long Disney days of walking to and fro. Nathan and I definitely have our favorites than we cannot wait to sport in the parks and on our Disney cruise.

We fell in love with our Salomon shoes for all things outdoors: camping, hiking, neighborhood walks, you name it. They’re an investment, but a worthwhile one, due to superior cushioning, long-lasting durability, grip, arch support, and, for some styles, Gore-Tex waterproofing that keeps feet dry even in wet conditions.

For comfy, casual, Disney World and cruise wear, our OluKais made the packing list, too. These shoes are beyond versatile and really attractive. But more than that, they. are. comfortable. Even the OluKai flipflops have arch support. And you can rest assured that every pair you buy gives back to conservation efforts in Hawai’i.

Not just the shoes that you wear, but also the pair of socks inside them that matters. I mentioned earlier how it’s a prudent idea to add blister bandaids to your Disney World packing list, but with socks like these, you likely won’t need them.

Hear me out…

Maybe it’s because I used to work 12+ hour shifts as an RN, but I throw down solid money for solid socks. I understand their importance in podiatric care. Take care of your feet, so that you can trudge hours in reasonable comfort, right?

So, look no further than Darn Tough socks to meet you where you’re at to get you where you’re going. These socks are the real deal and an investment, but they are guaranteed for life. Seriously. The Darn Tough socks are designed for optimal comfort AND performance.

You can wear them multiple days without odor or bacteria build up (a top pick for camping as well). These socks are made with merino wool which wicks moisture away to keep your feet dry in all conditions, making them perfect to banish blistering. Fresh and dry footsies if these make your packing list for Disney World, guaranteed.

Loungeflys have your back while on your back! If you want everyone to know that you’re rooting for the villains or in league with princesses, Loungefly backpacks are the perfect accessory to testify your allegiance.

I have two Vader Loungefly backpacks in my possession. One, I’ve used as an everyday purse, and it’s been broken in and well loved. My second Loungefly bag, however, is new with tags, scuff-free, and pristine for its debut at Disney. I. Am. Giddy.

I’m also prepared, for I additionally invested in a Loungefly bag organizer. Whether princess or foe, it’s nice to have everything in its proper place for easy access.

For your Disney World trip, I recommend adding MagicBands to your packing list. Even better to go the MagicBand+ route, with all of the fun, interactive extras! And everyone in your party will love being able to choose his or her personal favorite to show off the Disney fandom.

But wait, there’s more…

I highly recommend getting a multi-charger for your MagicBands. They are inexpensive but invaluable when you might be limited on outlets in your hotel room. These chargers are even compatible with the battery packs I mentioned earlier if they need a quick juice up while out and about.

Why opt for a single-use autograph book to collect character signatures when you can choose something more playful. Especially if your family enjoys game night from time to time, or you just want something that you can actually use for years to come, grab a Disney deck of playing cards!

It’s a unique way to cherish the memory of meet-and-greets while also serving a practical purpose. I grabbed this classy, subdued, Mickey Mouse deck. There is a gorgeous, holographic foil, 100-year anniversary deck where each card shows a different character.

Tempting…

But I feel like my OCD traits are strong enough that I’d spend so much time finding the right card for the right character that it would just stress me out in the long run. Still… these commemorative cards would make a gorgeous, playable collection.

Matching outfits for your Disney World packing list? Chef’s kiss. I definitely snagged a couple sets for our upcoming trip: personalized Disney t-shirts from Etsy and these adorable Star Wars outfits from Amazon.

It’ll be easier to spot each other if Nathan and I split the kids up for a bit, and the clothes will stand out for cute, matching photo shoots. Highly recommend!

Because our trip is by land AND sea, I wanted to deck out our ship’s cabin door with magnets. There are so many awesome options to choose from, but we opted for seasonal flair with a touch of Star Wars for good measure.

While you can find some decent options on Amazon, for a more personalized touch, I recommend the Etsy route. Amazing customer service, by-and-large, and you get to support small businesses! We’re making dreams come true here.

My kiddos and I all have some version of auditory sensitivity.

I have misophonia, but I can typically deal with *expected* loud sounds like fireworks. Orson is easily overwhelmed by LOUD noises, even if he enjoys what is creating the sound. Nova’s sensitivity can depend on the day and circumstances.

My solutions for auditory buffer? Muted headphones for the littles and Loop earplugs for myself. With both, they aren’t completely noise-cancelling devices, but they help filter and mitigate the volume of incoming sounds.

Orson and Nova love the fun designs for their respective headphones and know that they can use them anytime to dampen acoustic overwhelm. Hearts for Nova, obvi. And the Origamisaurus design for my boy Orson. My Loop earplugs just work to take the edge off, so I don’t have to work as hard to filter the noise barrage.

Both sensory devices worthy of the packing list for Disney World.

Check out Mamasaur’s Favorite Fidgets to read my in-depth thoughts about ONO fidget tools. I love them. My kids try to take them from me because they love them, too.

Anyway…

I know if I’m feeling pasted to the ceiling, overwhelmed and overstimulated by Disney World activities, having these on my packing list will ensure I have a grounding outlet close at hand.

While I don’t mind passing off my glow-in-the-dark, soft-touch plastic, junior-sized roller to my preschoolers, I’m making sure they have some of their own fidget outlets for long-queue entertainment.

Pop-It fidgets. These chewing necklaces for my daughter (side note: the oral stimulation seeking with this girl is otherworldly. I can’t get her to stahp spittting and/or licking, so we’re attempting redirection). Simple, lightweight fidget toys to help them patiently pass the time.

Three top picks coming at ya here, depending on your budget and flight time:

Top-tier pick for easy flying? Nintendo Switch 2, all the way. Best in-flight entertainment I can think of, really, and it still allows room for connection. Check out our Nintendo Switch 2: Baby’s First Console article to find out more.

My sensory-specific recommendation is one of these fidget-friendly, OT-approved, activity plushies. They’re compact, easy to pack, and keep my kids focused and engaged. A fun, cuddly, squishy, sensory activity pillow for Orson and Nova, some snacks, and they’re good to go for our flight!

If your flight time is a little longer, however, and you’re looking for additional boredom busters: Orson obsesses over these magnetic puzzles. They’ve kept him quietly engaged on previous flights for hours, and he typically chooses these over any screen entertainment like a movie or show.

All of these are also great to have on your Disney World packing list for rest breaks back at the hotel!

Nova needs her Mister.

Ever since she was a baby, she’s had a deep attachment to her Yoee-brand (bought out by GUND) Mister Fox. I’m giving Orson and Nova a choice of two cuddle buddies each to bring along to make the hotel and cabin feel a bit more like home. And I know already that Mister is making Nova’s list.

If your kiddos have their special attachment objects and cherished, cuddle-buddy toys, within reason, the trip will be more magical overall to remember these items for your Disney World packing list.

Now, where to pack everything you’ve got on your Disney World packing list? We love our Amazon Basics, hard-shell, scratch-resistant, expandable luggage. Bonus: we chose bright orange, so it sticks out and is easy to spot at baggage claim!

For our carry-on baggage and Nathan’s park bag, we’re bringing along our Peak Design 25L Outdoor backpacks. These hold so much and still manage to feel compact. These backpacks are perfect for short trips, long park days, camping, et cetera.

One of the things we adore about our backpacks is that, when we bought them, we paired them with sets of the modular, ultralight packing cubes. We use these for EVERYTHING. The cubes make it seamless to organize everything: toiletries, clothing, snacks, first aid… The list goes on. These bags are an investment, and one we’d readily make again.

If you like to take Ziploc bags just in case, check these out as a sustainable, eco-friendly, reusable option to add to your packing list for Disney World.

Leftover, sticky snacks that your kids want to save for later? Use a Stasher. Soggy socks after a water ride? Throw those socks in a Stasher, and slip on some dry back ups. I like using Stashers for my makeup and bruxism night guard.

You’re only limited by your imagination.

So, we’re talking about a packing list for Disney World… For the most part, I’m checking any “crunchiness” at the gate. It’s a vacation. A time for saying “yes”. A time for lots of special treats.

However, there’s a safe limit here. Are we going to make space for food dyes in special treats like Pop Century’s tie-dye cheesecake? Yes. Will we get basic candy treats loaded with dyes like lollipops? Probably not.

Orson, at 4, is already acutely aware of how dye-heavy foods make him feel. He’s fast to admit that dyed foods make him feel “crazy like Ra’s al Ghul” (a Batman supervillain, if you didn’t know). He can get hyper-emotional and his feelings get extra BIG after any Red 40.

But we tend to avoid dyes in general.

That’s why, if he so chooses, I’ll have some safe, dye-free, back-up treats if candy is catching his eye or he doesn’t want to try the dye-heavy foods.

Fresh Bellies are my kids’ favorite flight snack, and they’ll be perfect to have on hand as a light, in-queue munchie. Freeze-dried fruit snacks are calorically negligible. They’ll get to munch on these to their hearts’ content without filling up at all.

We snagged our dream advance reservations for during our Disney World stay. One of our Magic Kingdom days starts with an early appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where Orson and Nova will be transformed into a prince and princess!

Immediately post-transformation, we have a dining reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table for brunch! Amazing as this all is, it’ll turn to a nightmare real fast if we were to expect them to wait till brunch to eat.

For occasions such as this, I’ll have some Kodiak protein bars on hand. It’ll ensure their bellies aren’t totally empty before an hour long dress-up appointment, while not overfilling them, so they’ll still have room at the restaurant for something more substantial.

Granola bars are a wise, snacky, packing list staple for a Disney World trip with littles.

Whiskware stackable snack containers are super cute and wonderfully functional. Interlocking containers that hold 1/3 to 1 cup of snacks AND conveniently fit in cupholders. My kids have a Star Wars set, but there are plenty of licensed-character designs for your little Disney fan to choose from.

If you’re planning a Disney World trip and you aren’t subscribed to Disney Food Blog’s Youtube channel, might wanna fix that. The Everything Bundle guide to Disney is a fantastic resource to help you plan an unforgettable Disney adventure.

AJ Wolfe, the voice of DFB, also recently wrote her own novel, Disney Adults, which has recently been named a NYT bestseller. Great Disney-themed reading material for your upcoming trip! Fun sidenote: the audiobook is narrated by AJ herself!

If you’re looking for a solid, in-flight read, check out Sol’s Ladder.

Besides, It’s Nathan’s debut novel!

It’s a sci-fi, slow-burn thriller that’s Treasure Island meets The Martian. Reviewed as a “thrilling sci-fi adventure” and “an immersive journey that hook you early and never lets up”, Sol’s Ladder is a captivating read to take along for downtime.

A little self-promotion here: I have written and published a novella for fellow parents! Parenting Without Burnout is a short, easy-to-digest guide with tips and advice to help banish parental burnout as you navigate the day-to-day whirlwind with kids.

It’s not me claiming to have all the answers. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my own parenting journey. However, I stand by all of the helpful tools and actionable steps laid out in this book to help make the journey a little lighter and more sustainable.

Maybe while flying to Disney World, having this guide on your packing list to skim through can offer fresh perspective. Take things slow, cherish the time with your family, and embrace this vacation as a proper reset for you AND your kids.

Anyway, you can actually download this guide for FREE by signing up for my email newsletter, or check it out on Amazon and leave a review. Your support means so much to the Mamasaur!