What’s In Our Stroller and Diaper Bag Visiting Walt Disney World With Kids
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There are certain things in life that I’ve come to accept are unpredictable, and therefore out of my control. Examples include foods my toddler is willing to eat from one day to the next, whether nap time will be 3 hours or 3 minutes, and what the weather will be like in Florida from the morning to the afternoon. All this unpredictability can make the idea of packing for a day at Disney with little ones sound nearly impossible. My approach: plan ahead, expect the unexpected, and when all else fails, there’s nothing a Mickey Premium Bar can’t solve.
I’ll be honest with you, the first time we took both of our kids to Disney, it was nothing short of a disaster. I packed like we would be gone for weeks instead of hours, and found out the hard way that I didn’t actually bring a lot of the things we needed. Disney is such an important part of my life and I really wanted our trips with the kids to be something we all looked forward to and enjoyed. I spent a great deal of time researching and testing products and have compiled a list of all our favorite diaper bag and stroller must-haves. These are all things that we use on a daily basis, including when we’re visiting the parks. I hope that they help to make your trip just as magical as they do ours!
Diaper Bag and Stroller Recommendations
We’ve always utilized a backpack style diaper bag, mainly because I love the option of being hands free. It allows me to focus more of my efforts on taking care of the kids and carrying the 14 other things they hand me instead of the diaper bag.
I purchased this Skip Hop bag 4 ½ years ago and I’m glad that I made the investment. The bag has held up remarkably well to the test of time, which we all know is multiplied tenfold when you’re including toddlers in the mix. The fabric feels like a good quality and I’ve not experienced any issues with rips or tears. The zippers still work great and help keep everything secure. I love the buckles on the shoulder straps that allow me to clip the bag to the stroller as we’re walking around. I wouldn’t consider it waterproof, but we haven’t had any issues getting caught in Florida summer rain showers.
I’d like to preface my stroller recommendations by explaining that I believe strollers are a necessity when you’re visiting Disney with little ones. Are there added logistics involved in getting/renting a stroller, yes. However, very little prepares you for the amount of walking that comes with spending a week (or even a day) in Walt Disney World. Combine that with the fact temperatures in Florida often exceed 100 degrees during the summer and nap time might not go as planned, and you’re going to have some really, really tired tots.
We still bring a stroller for my 4 year old to use when we go to Disney. He doesn’t use it the entire time, but it gives him the option of sitting down to rest, having a drink of water and cooling off under the fans whenever he needs it.
I initially invested in the UPPAbaby Cruz V2 & Mesa V2 Car seat combo. It was expensive, but we’ve been able to use it with both of our kids, and our 18 month old still fits in the toddler seat. The Pros: it has an extremely smooth ride, adjustable foot rest, reclines fully and has a large storage area underneath. The Cons: the toddler seat attachment does not allow the stroller to fold up easily. When you’re trying to get on and off the parking lot tram, Disney bus or other mode of transportation, this is definitely an inconvenience. It also doesn’t have a ton of great options for places to clip a fan onto that my little one can’t reach.
The second stroller we purchased, which is the one that my 4 year old uses, is the Baby Jogger City Tour 2. There were 2 features about this stroller that caught my eye: the fact that it easily folds flat and that it has an extra large canopy with UV protection. The back lies nearly flat to help with naps and there’s an adjustable leg support that helps my toddler, who is quite tall, still fit comfortably in this stroller. It’s lightweight and makes getting on and off Disney Transportation easy. There’s less storage underneath compared to our UPPAbaby, but it’s enough to fit a lunch box or shopping bags.
Walt Disney World Stroller Policy: Regardless of which stroller you choose to bring or rent, it is important to keep in mind that Disney has certain restrictions on the size and type of stroller that is allowed into the theme parks. You can review the policy in more detail on their website.
Strollers larger than 31’’ (79cm) in width and 52’’ (132cm) in length are not permitted inside of the parks or Disney Springs. There is also a restriction prohibiting stroller wagons as well. If there are specific reasons why you might need to bring a type of stroller that falls into an otherwise prohibited stroller category, contact Walt Disney World support prior to your trip.
Diaper Changes & Potty Breaks
Our two tots are in the stage where we need diaper changes for my younger son and trips to the potty for my older son. Public bathrooms are not high on my list of places to visit, especially with toddlers that feel compelled to touch everything within a five mile radius of themselves. However, I’ve found some pretty great products that help us tremendously and easily fit in the diaper bag.
Start with the essentials:
Diapers (including swim diapers if applicable)
Wipes
Diaper Cream
Changing Pad - This padded, washable mat helps make diaper changes on hard surfaces a little more comfortable and sanitary. It folds up small enough to fit inside your diaper bag, and can easily be wiped down afterwards.
Disposable Diaper Bags & Dispenser - For the times that you find yourself changing a diaper without a garbage can nearby, these disposable diaper bags come in handy.
Extra set of clothes (including socks and a back up pair of shoes) - I always bring an entire outfit for each of my kids for those just in case moments that happen when you least expect them to.
Wet/Dry bag - Whenever we need to make an outfit swap, having a wet/dry bag to put everything in afterwards is a game changer. It also works great for water shoes or sandals if you visit the pool/beach. When not in use, it folds up very compactly and has a snap if you’d prefer to clip to the outside of your bag rather than place it back inside.
Toilet Seat Covers - These are not your average seat covers. They provide additional coverage because of how long they are, providing me with a little more peace of mind in public bathrooms.
Travel Potty Seat - The Frida Baby Fold-and-Go Potty seat is great for toddlers. I use it in combination with the toilet seat covers mentioned above. It comes with its own storage bag and folds up small enough to easily fit into the diaper bag. Super easy to set up and makes a trip to the potty more manageable.
Portable Child Potty Urinal - Believe it or not, this has been so useful for our toddler. It’s great for long car rides, or even in restrooms when you’d prefer they don’t sit down or more likely they refuse to sit down. It locks securely and has leak proof design.
Food/Snacks/Drinks
As any parent of a little one will tell you, snacks are critical to the success of your day. If your snack and drink game is not at 110% at all times, it will make for a very long day. I like to bring a variety of snacks because you never know what your toddler will choose to eat that day, and we always bring reusable water cups with us. It is so important to stay hydrated when you’re spending the day in Disney World, especially during the summer. My toddler is extremely picky and won’t eat any of the food offered in the parks. I bring food for him from home that he is more likely to eat. And lastly, I found some great products for little ones using bottles and formula.
Snack Cups - I’ve tried a few different snack cups, but this set from Munchkin has always been my kid’s favorite. The lid fits securely and the design allows them to easily access the snacks without them all falling out. They come in a few different colors, and are dishwasher safe.
Reusable Drink Cups - As I mentioned, it is vital that everyone stays hydrated during your trip. We like bringing cups for the kids that won’t spill and save us some money with refills. Located throughout the parks, and many of the resorts, are water bottle refill stations for guests to use. You can also ask for a cup of ice water from the quick service locations and transfer it into your toddler’s cup.
My older son loves this one from Simple Modern. It is leak proof so long as the straw is closed and since it is insulated, the cup keeps his drinks cold even during the warm summer weather. My younger son likes the weighted straw cups from Munchkin. They’re leak proof and you can buy them with or without handles in a variety of colors and two different sizes.
Placemats - These sticky placements are great for sitting down to eat while in the theme parks. They have a layer of sticky tape on the back that can be removed and secures the placemat firmly to the table. They come in a variety of designs and help contain messes. My little one really likes to eat with his hands and these placemats make it easier for me to put his food down without worrying about it ending up on the table.
Lunch Box - My toddler is extremely picky and refuses to eat anything offered in the theme parks. We started packing a lunch for the kids that has taken the stress out of finding something for him to eat. We love this lunch box from Simple Modern. It’s large enough to fit multiple items, juice boxes and ice packs, but slim enough to fit underneath our stroller easily. It comes in almost 30 different patterns including some great disney options like Bluey, Cars, Mickey and Minnie.
Ice Packs - You are permitted to bring reusable ice packs into Walt Disney World. This set of 4 ice packs that I purchased are great. For approximately $12 you get 4 extra large, but very slim ice packs. They are the perfect size for the Simple Modern lunch box we bring. After a few hours in the park when it’s time for lunch, the packs are still pretty frozen and cold. We’ve never had any issues with leaking or maintaining temperature.
Formula Dispenser Cups - For parents needing to bring formula with them to the parks, we’ve found a few different options that allow you to pre-measure and only bring what you need. We’ve tried this Dr. Brown’s dispenser cup that works fine, especially for the price of $5. it has 3 different compartments in which to measure out your formula. We’ve also tried one’s like this Stackable Formula Dispenser that comes with 6 different containers.
Travel Bottle Cleaning Kit - This was something we brought with us if we had a hotel stay and more recently, on our Disney Cruise. Depending on the length of your stay and how often your little one needs a bottle, it would be challenging to bring enough clean bottles for the entire trip. This portable bottle cleaning kit is awesome! It has a folding dryer rack, a full size bottle brush, nipple brush and straw brush. There’s also a small pump bottle so that you can bring your own soap. Its compact size fits easily in the diaper bag or your suitcase and makes the logistics of bottle feeding a little easier!
Prepping Against Florida Weather
For most of the year, Florida is hot, humid and it rains basically every day during the summer. We’ve found some great products that have helped us to prepare against Florida’s weather. We apply sunscreen as soon as we arrive and set an alarm on our phone to reapply. It’s easy to get distracted having fun, so setting the alarm helps us to remember. We bring multiple fans, reusable water bottles to ensure everyone stays hydrated and make frequent stops in places with AC.
Sunscreen Applicator - Before we take the kids out of the car, we all put on sunscreen. We’ve found this sunscreen applicator a great way to help in that process. You fill the inside up with your choice of sunscreen, and the roller ball/sponge combo helps to evenly spread the sunscreen on. There’s a lid to cover the applicator and it’s small enough to fit in the diaper bag.
Fans - We have tried a handful of different fans and our favorite by far is the Ryobi Cordless Clamp Fan. It has two speeds, the top rotates and tilts and the rubber clamp is really strong so you won’t need to worry about it falling. It uses lithium ion rechargeable batteries that will last for the entire day (and possibly even more than one day depending on what speed it’s set at.) For those really hot Florida days, these were the best fans we found to actually keep the kids cool. Another great feature, when not clipped on the stroller, they can stand up flat on a table so we use them when we’re eating if it’s outside. I cannot recommend these enough; we currently have 4 of them so the kids can each have two or we can each have one.
Sunshade - These are a great way to keep little ones out of the direct sun, while still allowing for some airflow to keep them cool. The canopy on our Uppababy wasn’t quite long enough to keep our little one completely covered. Even with sunscreen on, I didn’t want to take any chances with him being in the direct sun for extended periods of time. We found this sunshade to be easy to use, easy to fold up and it still allows for great airflow so he didn’t overheat in the process. There’s also a zipper along the top so that you can look in on them.
Miscellaneous
These last few items didn’t really fit into any of the other categories, but we always carry them with us when we visit the parks. My 18 month old no longer uses a baby carrier, he likes to sit on our laps when we go on rides. However, I cannot express how much easier it was taking him on rides when we used the carrier compared to the few times we didn’t.
Pacifier Straps - If your little one uses a pacifier, i recommend finding a strap that will allow you to clip it to them, the stroller, your carrier etc. My youngest loved his lamb Wubbanub. We did not have a pacifier strap when we went on a ride, and let’s just say his lamb will forever be Living with the Land in Epcot. The collective “Oh No” from the other guests on our boat as they watched the lamb float by will always serve as a reminder for me to pack extra pacifiers and extra straps to secure them when we’re on the move.
Baby Carrier - The first time we brought my youngest son to Disney, he was 6 months old. We did not have a baby carrier with us that visit because I figured it wouldn’t be that hard holding on to him while we were waiting in lines or on rides. I was wrong. It’s very hot, and he was very squirmy and it was not ideal. The next trip we brought a baby carrier for him and it was a game changer. You could tell how much more comfortable he was, to the point that he often fell asleep, and it was so much more comfortable for my husband and I as well.
Stroller Organizer - Many strollers that I’ve seen come with an organizer that hangs just below the handle with cup holders and storage pouches. Our strollers never did, so this was something that I would always purchase separately but it is really helpful to have. This organizer fits most strollers, has 2 cup holders, a pouch in the middle that is covered and comes with an detachable pouch if you need more storage. If you don’t want it, you can remove the additional pouch. A must have when visiting the Disney parks!
Final Thoughts
We’ve come a long way since that first family Disney trip and these products that we bring with us in our stroller and diaper bag have contributed to that success. Some planning the night before your park visit and a quick check of the weather the day of can make all the difference. I’m always on the lookout for new products and will share any that truly help to make our trips more magical. Be sure to check out my post on Disney’s Baby Care Centers that are located within each of the four theme parks. They provide a really great place to feed, change, and nurse the little ones while taking a break from the heat! They have places to sit, a small kitchenette with a sink and microwave, and a small store with items like wipes and diapers thar are available to purchase.