Park Parent Perspective #2: Packing & Purchasing

Just 10 days to go before our trip, and the Amazon deliveries are starting to pile up!

With a toddler and an infant, we’re definitely erring on the side of “over-prepared” in our packing. We are driving, not flying, so we also have the benefit of only being limited by our trunk space. And that’s actually less than I expected to work with, because two strollers alone take up a ton of space…

Before I get into the functional part of our packing list, let’s start with the important stuff: the shirts!

This is my first trip to Disney World after launching FDC, so of course I’ll have some of my own shirts for the trip! I’ll be packing three: Oldster, Monorail, and Home Is Where The Mouse Is. 

As excited as I am to be able to wear my FDC shirts to the parks for the first time, I’m also eager to see what inspirations I’ll come across for new design ideas! The last time I was at Disney World, I was waiting in line for Haunted Mansion and sweating in the Florida heat when the idea for my “Today Was Worth Melting For” design popped into my head. By the time we walked into the Stretching Room I had done a rough sketch on my phone to make sure I remembered the idea for later!

I’ve also got two RSVLTS shirts that I am bringing that have become mainstays in my Disney vacation lineup: Ratatouille + Emperor’s New Groove

**Side note: if you’re like me and love RSVLTS shirt designs but don’t love the price tag… keep an eye out for deals on the Shop app! I got both of these for $60 total using a Shop Cash promotion last summer.

Moving on to the rest of our packing list… Admittedly, my wife is the queen of trip prep. She is the spreadsheet-wielding, hyper-organized leader of the group, and I do my best to keep up but am often a step or two behind her in planning. So most of this list is a result of her ability to think ahead and have a plan for most situations that come up.

Here are a few of the things we’ve bought in preparation for the trip, primarily for the girls since our packing list hasn’t changed much over the last few years of Disney trips:

• Wet Dry Bags — Outfit changes happen! These come in handy much more often than I expected when we first got them.

• Stroller Rain Cover — rain gear is, of course, a must for Florida… and being able to keep your stroller (and kids) dry really helps prevent the day from ending abruptly. 

• Travel Magna Tiles Kit — a bored toddler waiting in line can be a dangerous thing… luckily our daughter loves to fidget and play with magna tiles! They keep her occupied and are easy to stash in a fanny pack or outer backpack pocket for quick access.

• Stroller Fan — the hot Florida air gets trapped under the hood of a stroller, so an attachable fan helps keep the airflow moving!

• Hanging Stroller Toys — a little something to occupy our infant when she’s being pushed around in the stroller

• Formula Powder Containers — with these, we pre-measure our formula servings in the morning and have quick access to mixing bottles throughout the day!

• Momcozy Baby Carrier — after trying a few different baby carriers, I ended up liking this one the most. It’s not too heavy, the material is relatively breathable, and it’s easy to put on. I’ll be baby-wearing our three month old on a lot of rides, so this was a big need for our packing list.

Monday will be just 7 days out, so once the dust settles on our early morning lightning lane bookings I’ll be posting our day-by-day trip itinerary and how/why we decided to plan things the way we did. If anything, writing these blogs is at least helping the countdown go a little bit quicker!

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