Best bag for taking to the parks

[Genie1953]

Can anyone give me suggestions for the best bag to take to the parks. I will be carrying my ID, park pass, small compact camera, rain gear (compactly folded disposable poncho), case for sunglass clip, and I think that will be it. I prefer a bag made of some type of cloth material...not leather and I really don't want to wear a back pack. I have a small Ameribag (Catskill Esopus) that is 6" x 6.5" x 2" but I am afraid it won't be big enough and am looking for something just a big bigger to bring along as a backup. Does anyone have any ideas?

[jonahbear2006]

I really love my j.j. cole diaper bag. It doesn't look like a diaper bag and it goes over your shoulder to your opposite hip. It is a nice material and lightweight. It has a zip pocket for your cards that lies right on your chest, a pocket for a bottle of water, a place for your phone (also on your chest), a smaller pocket for whatver (suppose to be for a pacifier) and then on the back it has a larger pocket for ponchos or whatever else you need to carry. It is very fashionable and comes in diff. colors. Mine is brown and pink, they also carry black. I bought it for disney world after the first trip being really hard to use what we already owned. I purchased it at the local Von Maur and I cant tell you how great it is. I will be taking it in sept. when we go without the kids.

[beksy]

I've been wondering about what bag to take too. I'll be in an ECV and will have the basket but want something to keep everything together (and dry if it rains!). Plus I thought with a bag I could use a lock I have for my computer and lock it onto the basket to prevent someone "accidentaly" lifting it. Usually my sister just uses a fannie pack and I have a small camera bag for that stuff and we're set but she won't be with me this time and I can't see Dbf wearing a fannie pack! :blush:

[Mrs Bus Driver]

The best advice I can give is to do your research before you buy. Intercot has a wealth of info which I used before my last trip. Do a few searches on handbags and such (I'm sure someone will come along with the right words to use) and figure out what you "must" have with you then go shopping and have fun. For myself I have a small leather purse, purchased on sale at target for $5. The strap is long so I can wear it from the shoulder to opposite hip. The strap is long enough and the purse small enough so that I can leave it on, on most rides. Which is a plus as far as I'm concerned. There is enough room for my camera, cell phone, meds, and tickets. I could have gotten a strap for my water bottle, but found I didn't mind carrying it since that was all I had to deal with. Hope this helps :mickey:

[disneymom15]

I have a small cross body bag. It's made by Tignanello. Mine is leather but i've seen them in fabric. It's got a front gussetted compartment that doubles as a wallet and it also has room for my cell phone. the main compartment holds a camera, my reading glasses, my husbands reading glasses, sunglasses, tylenol, pair of gloves and other misc small things. I love it. I don't have to take it off my body when I go on rides.

[VWL Mom]

I picked up a small nylon messenger bag at Wal-Mart for under $10. It measures 8 x 12 and holds water bottle, wallet, camera, and glass case. Has long strap to wear cross body, zipper pocket on outside flap, and another inside. Best part is picture of Eyeore on the front.

[PrettyMinnie]

I'm running into the same problem!! I want to use a back pack but am nervous I won't be able to take it with me on rides...
:minnie:

[Tink#64]

I know alot of people hate them, but I'm a huge fan of the fanny packs! All 4 of us, myself, DH & both DS's each wear one. That way we are hands free & don't have to remove them for rides, etc. Everyone carries their own small snacks, camera's, disposable poncho, sunglasses, etc. DH & I also each strap on a refillable water bottle. I also tote the tylenol, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, etc. All of these are the tiny travel size that I refill as needed. Ours are all nylon, mine is WDW & the others all bought at Walmart, from the luggage dept each about $10.00. Before last trip, DH decided that he wanted one of the small sling type of backpacks, that just goes over one shoulder, it's nylon & I purchased it at Target for about $20.00, & I think I found it in the luggage section.

When I bought my WDW pack, DM bought the matching tote bag. She carried it one day & decided it was a pain for her & the next day she switched to the fanny bag that she had packed. All of our bags have at least 3 seperate sections for stowing your gear. I love mine, it has a zippered compartment on the back side (the part that's next to my body) where I keep cash, cc's, park tix, etc. We sport a backpack sometimes in the evening if we think we all might want jackets, but we find it kind of cumbersome after being used to our small packs! Just my :twocents:, but these work great for us! :thumbsup:

[tjstrike]

We carry a Jan sport back pack and it works great !! We carry it on all the rides, holds snacks and ponchos for 5, plus a camera and some walkie talkies. :thumbsup:

[kakn7294]

I just bought a great bag from Avon - it's 2 shades of green stripes with black trim and Mickey on the front. It's actually bigger than I like to carry but it's so cute and I love it!

[peemagg]

My mother, sister, and myself use an Eagle Creek fanny pack called "Sidekick". It it quiet roomy.

I have even been known to use it as a diaper bag. There is enough room for a diaper, wipes, bottle, and my things. It was great.

I have had mine for over 20 years and I have abused the heck out of it and it still looks great. There is no real signs of wear anywhere on it. It has 2 big zippered pockets, 1 smaller one, and a spot on the front that you can put a park map into without having to fold it. I know it sounds huge, but once you see it you will find out that it isn't.

Pm me if you need a site that has them.

[TinkerbellT421]

I just bought a great bag from Avon - it's 2 shades of green stripes with black trim and Mickey on the front. It's actually bigger than I like to carry but it's so cute and I love it!

You have no idea how many people had these in the parks when we were just there in January...Every time I saw one, I was like, oo Avon bag, OO Avon Bag...I'm a rep so I always notice those things. :blush:

[TinkerbellT421]

I'm running into the same problem!! I want to use a back pack but am nervous I won't be able to take it with me on rides...
:minnie:

We bring a back pack, a regular, full sie one like the ones kids take to school. We have never ever had issues with rides, at all....You should have no problems if that is what you want to bring.

To the OP we personally use a backpack, and I know you said you did not want to use one. So really the only thing I can think of is the use a crossbody type bag maybe. I find nylon bags with the thin straps to be painful to the shoulders after awhile. But thats me. I would recommend the cross body bag.

[kakn7294]

You have no idea how many people had these in the parks when we were just there in January...Every time I saw one, I was like, oo Avon bag, OO Avon Bag...I'm a rep so I always notice those things. :blush:I sew so I made a few barely noticeable modifications to mine. The velcro on the back pocket has been replaced with a magnetic snap and one side of the strap has had a clip added so I can unsnap it and clip my hat onto it. I really like the design and to have it in some of my favorite colors and Mickey on the front was just the icing on the cake.

[DakotaDisney]

For my second trip I purchased a small bike messengers bag or shoulder sling bag from Target. I don't remember the brand name. I now use it on all my trips.

It wasn't that expensive, but it is well made. It is small, (not the larger sling bags) but holds just enough stuff and would certianly hold all that your talking about bringing.

I love it becuase it isn't heavy or hot to carry. I can also slide it around to the front when I need to sit down on a ride and on most rides I can even where it and not worry about it falling off. If I need to take it off it easily comes off and fits in the compartments on rides.

It also isn't big like a backpack where it can bump into people. Sometimes people wearing backpacks in amusement parks aren't always watching where they are moving. I can also slide it around to the front to easily put things in it or take things out without having to take it off. I can also wear it in front when in crowds if I am concerned about pick pockets.

No matter what type of bag you have I would suggest bringing some zip lock bags for camera, money or anything you don't want to get wet on water rides.

[TinkerbellT421]

I sew so I made a few barely noticeable modifications to mine. The velcro on the back pocket has been replaced with a magnetic snap and one side of the strap has had a clip added so I can unsnap it and clip my hat onto it. I really like the design and to have it in some of my favorite colors and Mickey on the front was just the icing on the cake.

Oh cool! That sounds awesome! Hmm my moms a seamstress I am going to have to see if she can make changes to mine as well...HEHE! Shes very creative so I am sure she will be able to make some! I bought myself the matching Mickey Earrings too! lol.....I have bought more disney stuff...Im my own best customer! lol....

[AXOAlum]

Another fanny pack person here! I don't like anything on my arms/shoulders, so the fanny pack works perfectly! I keep my camera and a credit card case that holds my key to the world, one credit card, and ID in it. I also throw some chapstick in it and a pack of small tissues. That's all I need "on me" and we can leave the bigger bag (with no valuables in it) in the stroller (if anyone wants water/snacks/sunblock that much they can have it). The fanny pack sits on my waist all day and is completely unobtrusive (even on rides).

[Genie1953]

Thank you all so very much for all the great ideas. On my other trips I wore a fanny pack but thought I would try something different this time. Of course I will still bring my fanny pack along just in case the bag doesn't work out. Also I am a huge KU (Jayhawk) fan and we have a drawstring KU backpack that my husband wore last time. We will probably still use it when we go to the parks in the evening as we can stow lightweight jackets in it. On our last trip it was so handy for carrying our refillable mugs. We filled them at the resort in the morning before we left and then took them with us to the parks. Once the cups were empty we rinsed them out and put them away in the backpack filling them up with water later in the day when we got thirsty. It worked out really well.

:thanks:

[wildernesslady]

I like using Vera Bradleys mini hipster or regular size hipster. They are very lightweight and have seperate compartments to hold your id's and such. I works like a sling bag.

[scooterca42]

I actually bought my Disney bag at Disney - Animal Kingdom, the big store just as you get off the Rapids, there was a nice canvas bag that carries across your body, it had a phone pouch, it's moderately flat but still big enough to carry the wallet and cel and all that good stuff. The length of the strap can be adjusted, and I had no problems wearing it on rides. I kept our Keys cards in the zippered pouch on the top flap.

Love it.

[Dream'nDisney]

My teenage kids won't be seen with me if I wear a fanny pack. LOL So, the last time we went to WDW, I just bought a small canvas backpack before we went. I sprayed it with waterproofing to help against rain and water rides. It worked out really well. Recently I just purchased a purse/backpack that is lighter material, and somewhat waterproof, so hopefully that will work out well. Good luck. :mickey:

[PETE FROM NYC]

I've been wondering about what bag to take too. I'll be in an ECV and will have the basket but want something to keep everything together (and dry if it rains!). Plus I thought with a bag I could use a lock I have for my computer and lock it onto the basket to prevent someone "accidentaly" lifting it. Usually my sister just uses a fannie pack and I have a small camera bag for that stuff and we're set but she won't be with me this time and I can't see Dbf wearing a fannie pack! :blush:

DW and I are both ECV users.We use a fairly large nylon shoulder bag in the parks,just adjust the strap so it will hang off the seat back.Never had any problems with someone trying to swipe anything.The nylon shell repels water nicely.

[thumperbug]

I think I have tried every combo of bags/backpacks.

When my DS was younger it was the full backpack...carrying time shared b/w me and hubby.

Ive tried the messenger across the shoulder bag.

I can keep going.

What I find that works best for me at this time...is a mini back pack (walmart). I can wear it, or do 1 shoulder and it holds the bear necessaties, and a water bottle and doesn't kill my back or shoulders.

As for the rain ponchos....we have my son's travel stroller which has a basket underneath and organizer on the back so if we think we may need the ponchos, we stick them on the bottom. Only have to carry them on the bus. No biggie.

My advice is to try a bag or 2 out you may have at home already.

[Tinkerbelly84]

I have always just brought my Jansport bookbag. I call it old faithful because it was been everywhere with me.

[crazygoalie39]

We use those little backpack things that aren't really backpacks. They have strings for straps and they're nylony? haha I'm not sure what they're called. Anyways, those seem to work great for the amount of stuff we bring to the park.