Packing for Disneyland can be an exciting but overwhelming experience. How do you fit your entire wardrobe into one little suitcase??? Planning everything that you’ll need (or want) for your entire vacation is not something to leave to the last minute. Giving yourself plenty of preparation time is key to making sure you don’t leave anything behind. Here’s our guide to the essentials you’ll want checked off on your Disneyland packing list.
Cute (but comfortable) Clothes
One of my favorite parts of planning Disneyland trips for my own family is planning what we’re going to wear each day! There’s so many different ways you can go: do you just wear a Disney t-shirt, Disneybound as your favorite character, or go full on Dapper Day? Honestly all of the above are great options, but the biggest thing to remember is comfort is important. Especially if you’re planning on being in the parks all day, open to close, you want to make sure you’re going to be comfortable.
My go to outfit for a park day is leggings or bike shorts (with pockets of course) and a fun Disney t-shirt. There are SO many options for Disney shirts out there from almost everywhere especially Amazon. You could do fun family matching shirts, cute couples shirts, or something just for you. This is the part to have fun with, but make sure to start early so you’re sure everything will get to you before you leave.
Another thing to consider when planning outfits is a jacket. The only thing I always underestimate is how cold it gets at Disneyland after the sun goes down. Even in the summer, once that sun sets it can get really chilly, so if a brand new Disney jacket is not in your souvenir budget (although there are some really cute ones), you will want to bring something light and portable to throw in your park bag and get out when it gets cold.
Comfortable Walking Shoes
The next big thing you’ll want to add to your Disneyland packing list is comfortable shoes to walk around in. Let’s face it, you’re going to Disney, you’ll be doing a lot of walking. You can easily get well over your 10,000 steps a day, so having the right shoes to walk around in can make a huge difference in your enjoyment factor in the parks. In fact, if you’re going to be in the park back to back days, it’s recommended to bring two pairs of walking shoes that you can switch off wearing each day.
The Skechers Go-Walk line is my go to whenever I’m buying new shoes for Disney. They are so comfortable and with so many different styles for both women and men, you’re sure to find something to match your look. Other great options are the ASICS Gel Contends, or the New Balance Fresh Foams – both available in men’s and women’s.
In addition to some great shoes, some good socks are so important. These socks by Wrightsock are the only ones I wear to the parks. They’re dual lined socks which means the part that touches your foot and the part that touches your shoe move independently of each other. Why is that important? Blisters! Since the inner liner is sticking with your foot and not your shoe, you’re not getting the friction on your feet that leads to blisters forming. I was completely skeptical at first but since I started wearing these a few years ago, I have not gotten one blister from walking around in the parks all day, when I used to get them all the time on the bottom of my feet. They’re completely worth it for me.
Sun Protection
Don’t underestimate California’s sun. Even on cloudy days, the sun can be your worst enemy. Make sure you’re prepared with all the sun protection you need. Grab your favorite sunscreen in a travel size to fit nicely in your park bag to reapply throughout the day as needed. I like this one from Neutrogena. It’s lightweight and not greasy feeling and I can feel good about putting it on my face as well as the rest of my skin.
The other sun protection items on my Disneyland packing list are sunglasses and hats for the whole family.
Reusable Water Bottle
A bottle of water at Disneyland will cost you over $4 each. Times that by the number of people in your family and by how many bottles of water you’ll drink in a day and suddenly staying hydrated is the most expensive part of your day. To beat the heat, and the price tag, bring a reusable water bottle. There are drinking fountains and water bottle fill up locations all around the parks. Or you can get some ice water from any quick service dining location.
I love these water bottles from Brita that filters the water while you drink. I’m not super fond of drinking straight from the tap and especially not from a public drinking fountain so having these built in filters make it so much better fro me. And they have insulated ones to keep ice water cold too! Be on the lookout though. Disney does not allow glass containers into the parks so steer clear of glass when choosing your perfect water bottle.
Portable Charger
At Disneyland, your phone is going to be your best friend! Between booking Lightning Lanes, ordering food, checking wait times, and of course taking pictures, your battery can drain really quickly. Through the Disneyland Resort there are FuelRod stations where you can purchase a portable charger kit for around $30. The great thing about the FuelRods is once you use it up, you can exchange it for free at any of the FuelRod stations around the parks quickly and easily. And if you want to save a few bucks, you can buy a FuelRod from Amazon before you go. We bought a two pack for our last trip and had no issues swapping them out when we needed to.
Medicine
I always feel like I have a mini pharmacy with me when I go to the parks, but I’d way rather have some essentials and not need them than need them and not have them. On my medicine list is Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Tums, and each of our allergy medicines. Don’t forget your regular medications too. Pro-tip: if you or your kids have any medication that needs to be refrigerated, you can drop it off at the first-aid center for them to store for you while you’re in the park. That way instead of having to lug around a cooler all day or go all the way back to your hotel, you can just make your way Main Street.
Snacks
This one is especially important to add to your Disneyland packing list if you have kids who love to get hungry at the most inconvenient times. Having some different handheld snacks in our park bag has definitely helped to stave off some full blown hunger meltdowns in the middle of a line. We didn’t start packing snacks until we had kids but now I always pack some snacks for us too!
This is our tried and true go to list of things we bring whenever we go to Disneyland and California Adventure. Of course this list can be adapted and customized to your own families needs.
Didn’t see your number one essential to bring to the park? Let us know in the comments below!
Ready to plan your next Disney vacation? Almost There Travel Company can help make the process a little bit easier for you. Fill out our Vacation Planning Form to start today!