The perfect bag?

[sainter]

It seems I am always on the lookout for the "perfect" bag to carry when we are at Disney World. I would like a small cross body bag that zippers closed (so nothing can fly out on RRC) and that is light weight. I bought one 2 years ago that is a great size but it is leather and too heavy. I carry only a few things: cell phone, chap stick, small bottle of sunscreen, tiny hand sanitizer, purse-size brush, money and tickets/cards. Not much else.
Any suggestions??

[PirateLover]

I have 2 bags that are exactly as you describe. The only thing is I can shove my camera in mine as well if I choose. But they are definitely small enough that I can fit them in rides with me without even taking them off.
One is by "Concourse" although upon googling I can't seem to find anything on that brand. The other one is a really plain bag from Travel Smith. I was just on their website and I found it a bit hard to navigate. Maybe you could request one of their magazines. There is also a website called ebags. They carry designer purses and some can be on the expensive side but there is a large selection of cross body bags. There is a bag on there by Fossil called "Reagan Traveler" that is $35 and seems to be the right size for what you need. The front pouch appears to snap but the main pouch is zippered. Good luck on your search!

[mrsgaribaldi]

I had bought a Baggallini Messenger sling bag. It was really nice but to small for me. It might be just right for you. Go to ebags and look from there. They had alot of nice colors too. The bag had alot of pockets and places to stash things and it was light weight. I think I had the nylon. I prefer a bigger bag since we stick alot in the bag by the end ofthe day. They are having a sale so check it out

[kakn7294]

I bought a small, cheap canvas bag at Target and modified it to fit my needs. It only cost about $6.00. I haven't used it yet but it seems like it will work out well for me. I have a Baggallini large wallet bag and hate it - it's heavy and awkward and my stuff doesn't fit. I'm in the process of reworking it to see if I can make it suit my needs a bit better but it might work out well for you since you don't carry much. Just a tip on the Baggallini bags - the microfiber is heavier than the nylon and it is a noticable difference in the weight - I wish mine were the nylon.

[sainter]

Hey, I forgot, I usually do have a camera too -- thanks for reminding me PirateLover! Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

[Disney Dad of 2]

I think you should check out the bags made by Maxpedition. They are expensive, but it will most likely be the last bag you ever own. They are a little rugged looking but look great on both men and women.

For the ladies out there I would suggest the Fat Boy ($70) or the Jumbo Fat Boy ($90) (includes bottle holder).

For the men I would suggest the Collossus ($120), which is what I carry at the parks. It is both stylish and roomy. I can even carry my DSLR W/lens in it when I feel like having a more capable camera with me.

You can purchase them at the previously mentioned E-Bags.

[poeticeclipse]

I had bought a Baggallini Messenger sling bag. It was really nice but to small for me. It might be just right for you. Go to ebags and look from there. They had alot of nice colors too. The bag had alot of pockets and places to stash things and it was light weight. I think I had the nylon. I prefer a bigger bag since we stick alot in the bag by the end ofthe day. They are having a sale so check it out

I bought a Baggallini and I love it. I got the lime green. It's really a nice bag and i've never had a problem with it. I love it because it's super lightweight and has lots and lots of compartments. Ebags.com is a good place to go to and you can go through google and get a discount. I got my bag for about 24 bucks including shipping. It's smaller than your average backpack but much bigger than a fanny pack. I was able to store my cell, camera, sweatshirt, water bottle (there's a side holder), papers with our ADR times, chapstik, blah blah blah. There are two different kinds. Rip stop and nylon I think. I do believe I got whichever was cheapest. haha.

[brownie]

I did without a bag on our trip to Disneyland this past summer, and used convertible cargo pants. I only really needed to carry an emergency rain poncho and my camera (a Canon Powershot that easily fits in a cargo pocket.) It worked out well for me, and helped speed up going through the bag checks to enter the park.

In the past I've used a very small fanny pack.

[AuntDJ]

Well, I too am eternally on the "best" bag for Disney quest....

After I saw the pics of poeticeclipse trip, I bought the Bagallini messenger bag. Except I got a blueish/purple color...VERY lightweight LOVED it!!!

Have Fun~
DJ

[poeticeclipse]

Okay, I found some pictures of my Baggallini. The only complain I would have would be that the buckle part that tightens and loosens the strap sometimes becomes loose. Some days it was okay but other days I felt like I was pulling it up and down too often. I think I may have just been doing it wrong. haha. Also, on the strap there is a spot for your cell phone, or chapstik, or park tickets. We used it for our park tickets so it was super easy access. The strap compartment zips... its not just open. Another side compartment is where we normally stored our cell phone.

http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x...urrent=RnR.jpg

http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x...rent=Darth.jpg
You can tell that it was loose in this picture! haha

http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x...urrent=622.jpg

[Checkers]

A few weeks ago I bought a very lightweight cross-body bag that zips across the top. It is by The Sak (it is a crochet) and I got it at TJ Maxx and paid $12.99 for it. It is lime green and has palm trees on the front. The inside has a place for a cell phone and credit cards plus an additional inside zip compartment. I plan on using it for our Oct. trip and think it will easily hold everything I take to the parks (including a camera).

[poeticeclipse]

I'm dumb and forgot to mention something else.

The reason why I got the lime green is because if I ever loose anyone in my party in a big crowd, i'm pretty easy to spot. I've seen families all have bright Baggallinies on before. I suppose it doesn't even have to be bright.. but if you do it for your family its nice if they're all the same color.

[TIdoubleGR]

I think the perfect bag probably comes down to how much exactly you want to carry around with you. I like to have a bag on me just in case, but I usually try to minimize what I've got especially in the morning when I'm walking through the gates. I start out with everything in pockets and just carry a folded up drawstring knapsack (adidas) and then onces through the gates I put my stuff in it and away I go...really easy to swing in front of you when you're riding more of the active rides, easy to carry, open/close, waterproof...works out to fit my needs quite well. I usually end up putting in a few ziploc bags inside the knapsack just in case I want to have an extra layer in between my phone and Splash Mnt, but either way it works out pretty well.

[felix18]

I have a small bag like you described that holds everything I need and more. It is made by Travelon and measures 4.75 by 6.25 and is 2.5 deep. It can be used cross body or with the strap removed will go on a belt. It is leather and very light weight. The only thig is that I don't know for sure where I got it, might even have been QVC. Good luck with your search

[iloveupstateny]

I have used a medium size lightweight travel backpack on past trips and while it holds all we need for a family of 4, it is a pain taking it on and off to sit down on rides.

For our upcoming trip I got a medium sized cross shoulder bag called Juno made by Overland Equipment. The REI website has many nice bags and good sale prices. The bag is nylon and has a main zippered pouch, front zippered pouch, outside open pouch and place to hold a small water bottle on the side. It looks like it will be big enough to hold everything we need including a few snacks and ponchos if we want to bring them. Size is approx 11"x10".

Jen

[mickey&missy]

I have a bright pink Baggelini that some other posters have mentioned. It's a great bag! A WDW info site says its the best disney bag.

[LauraF]

I use the Eagle Creek guide bag and got it at the Container Store. It's convertible between a shoulder sling and a fanny pack style in about 5 seconds. It's made from water-resistant fabric (It survived the Kali River Rapids) and has several zipper pouches and velcro fasteners. It's big enough to hold one bottle of water and a paperback, along with several smaller items.

[Jaycee's Mom]

I bought the Turquoise Baggallini after reading poeticeclipse's trip report. I will be using it in 26 days!!!!

[Jen C.]

My very favorite bag that fits all of your requirements is the Vera Bradley mini-hipster . It is very lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and come in very pretty patterns. Check them out at the Vera Bradley's website, or your local Vera dealer. They are FABULOUS!

[princessjojo]

During one of my interviews, they gave me a zip-around neoprene sunglass case. It is formed, kinda stiff, but not hard. Anyway it has a clip on the side and I found in desperation that it's the perfect size for a small camera, and some money. Anyway, I was able to get my hand on several of them, so I decided that at least 2 of us could carry one and we would have it all covered. They're kinda big like some of the newer hard sunglass cases are now, but it isn't bulky or anything. And we can fit small sunscreens in there as well as any batteries or eyeglasses. If 3 of us carry one, we will have plenty of storage.

Not exactly what it was made for, but it works well for this. Then we don't have to worry with a back pack or fanny pack.