What’s in Disney Nerd Morgan’s Bag?

Have you ever wondered if you pack enough, not enough, or too much when you’re in the parks? I know I do! I’m pretty sure that I’m an over packer for the parks. If you’ve watched our live shows then you know that my fellow co-host Jimmy jokes about it too. Because of that, I thought I would go over what I pack and why. Hopefully, it’ll help give you tips and tricks on what to pack for yourself at the parks!

First things first, the bag.

I always have a backpack in the parks. Personally, I have a Disney themed one from Jansport that I got off Amazon years ago. I like having a backpack with multiple pockets for organization. A bonus, to me, would be a backpack with a side water bottle compartment. Also, I recommend one with padded straps since you’ll have this bag and weight on your shoulders all day in the parks.

A lot of people love the Loungefly mini backpacks. I love them too and have some I use. When I first wore my Loungefly bag in the parks, I found that I wanted more room than what the bag provided. Because of that, I usually wear my Loungefly on a Disney Springs day or a resort hopping day instead of in the parks. But any bag is fine as long as it’s comfortable for you to wear all day.

Next is the organization.

I admit that I love bags! I have a bit of a bag addiction.

I organize my everyday purse/bag with small cosmetic size bags and use that method in the parks. It’s so much easier to get things out of my park bag when I know exactly where it is. I don’t want to be in a line queue and need something out of my park bag and can’t find it easy. Knowing where everything is and consistently packing the same way helps make things easier for me when I need something out of my bag.

Inside my park bag, I have two clear bags to pack my stuff. I started using clear bags to try and make it easier going through security. None of us want to spend a lot of time having security check our bags. When I have to have my bags checked I found it’s easier for the security guards to be able to see through those bags. You can find clear bags anywhere online. I found a set on Amazon featuring Aurora (one of my favorite princesses). It came with two bags, one clear and one not but I use both for the parks. If I need another smaller bag and I don’t have any clear bags, I keep what’s in those bags minimal because of security checks.

Basically, I try not to have any items to just “float” around in my backpack. Everything has a home inside a smaller bag inside my backpack.

Now for checklist! Let’s talk about what exactly is in my bag.

As I mentioned, I tend to overpack. But I overpack so I have things that I might need during my park days within arm’s reach. I don’t want to have to find a first aid center or try and find a store selling whatever I need. We all know that things are going to cost more at Disney than at home. I try to plan to prevent having to buy what I need at those prices.

So here we go, my checklist of what’s in my park bag:

• Wallet (My wallet has minimal items: ID, Passholder Card, etc)
• Energy and Electrolyte powder/tablets (I don’t drink coffee or soda. So I usually have something to give me some energy and something to help refuel those electrolytes. Personally, I like Nunn and Advocare products but get whatever you prefer)
• Aspirin/Ibuprofen
• Tums
• Lactaid Pills (I’m lactose intolerant but sometimes I need that Mickey Bar!)
• Breath Mints
• Hand Sanitizer
• Hand Lotion
• Kleenex
• Lip Balm
• A Hair Tie/Scrunchie/Hat (If I don’t start the day with one on, I usually need it by the end of the day)
• Cooling Towel (depending on time of year)
• Personal Fan or Misting Fan (depending on the weather I have one or the other)
• Poncho and/or Umbrella (I check the weather every morning & I have a poncho for my camera & the umbrella for me)
• Snack like a pack of almonds, fruit snacks, or granola bar (a snack that is ok at room temperature or even getting a bit warm)
• Water Bottle (I always have an insulated refillable bottle to stay hydrated)
• Reusable straw (I don’t like paper straws)
• Reusable cutlery (I don’t like having to get a new fork, spoon, or knife when walking around the food booths at the Epcot festivals)
• Sunglasses & Sunglass Case (I make sure I have the case for my sunglasses so I can put them away safely on rides)
• Portable Battery for Cell Phone (I don’t want to worry about my phone going dead)
• Phone Stand/Mini-Tripod (It’s easier to go live, get photos, take videos for us at the Podcast with a handheld stand/tripod)
• Cell Phone Ring Light (If I’m going live at night, this helps a lot)
• Carabiner (to clip my popcorn bucket and/or shopping bags to my backpack to try and stay hands free)
• Refillable Popcorn Bucket (I usually attach it to the outside of my bag with a carabiner)

Now currently, Disney does require face masks while inside or buildings (dining, shopping, attractions) so I do have a bag where I pack at least 2 mask for myself. This will go away if/when Disney no longer requires face masks in the parks.

Camera Bag Add Ons!

Now you would think that is MORE than enough to pack in a backpack for a park day. Well, I usually have my camera with me so that adds a whole other level of what’s in my bag!

For anyone that takes a camera to the parks, you know that is a whole other aspect of what to pack.

I use the same backpack regardless of if I bring my camera or not. To accommodate my camera, I add camera bag inserts to my backpack. They are padded and depending on what you get, they can be closed and the dividers can be arranged however you want. I put one insert on the bottom of my bag and I have it divided into three compartments. One for the camera, one for the second lens (if I take one), and one for my tripod (again, if I take one).

My tripod usually goes in the middle because folded up it’s as tall as my backpack. I prefer for the tripod to fit inside my bag instead of secured outside like most camera bags. For me, I like this set up better than any traditional camera bags I found. During my camera bag search, I found that if I wanted to spend a lot of money on a bag I could get what I wanted. But none of the traditional camera bags that was in my budget I stayed in had space for non-camera items that I always have in my park bag. Plus, it’s an added bonus for me that my camera bag does look like a camera bag. If I do bring my camera in the parks, I do have another small bag inside for camera items. I usually have filters, lens cleaning cloth, camera remote, and an extra battery in that bag.

I don’t always bring my camera inside the parks, but when I do that does play a factor in how I pack my backpack.

Keep in mind that this is just an idea of what I pack.

This list could always change. If you are looking at what to pack for your own park bag this is a great reference. Make sure that you pack what you might need. For example, if you’re not lactose intolerant like I am then you don’t need lactaid pills. Or if you don’t want to pack snacks, then keep them out of your bag to save space.

So what do you pack in your park bag? Is there something missing from this list or did you add something to your list because of this one? Let us know at Morgan@thedisneynerdspodcast.com