Thursday's Tip

If you're a parent of young children, you're probably used to lugging around tons of extra stuff. One of the happiest days of my adult life was when I could stop bringing along the diaper bag on every outing--ahhhh, freedom! And it seems with each passing year, the backpack we take into the Disney Parks gets a little lighter too. No more diapers and, sadly, our girls are almost over wearing costumes to the Parks too (sniff). But when you're forced to lug around everything a family of four needs for a full day at Disney, you get really good at packing efficiently. So here are a few of my favorite packing strategies for a bag to take into the Parks. Keep in mind, this isn't about what to pack (I've addressed that in previous posts) but really about how to pack.

• We love using a clear backpack. It might sound risky--everyone can see what you've packed!--but we think the convenience outweighs the risk. We are generally waved right through security with a glance. And when we need an item, it's so much easier to spot and retrieve. Obviously, we don't pack cash or credit cards in the backpack.


• If you are taking Disney Princess costumes, the fabrics are quite forgiving...which means you can cram them into a gallon-sized zip bag when your little princesses get hot or tired of wearing them.


• If you like taking quarters and shiny pennies for the pressed penny machines, the tubes that miniature M&M's come in are great for holding those.


• A good way to keep various cards in order--park tickets, room keys (if separate from tickets), Fastpasses, credit cards, etc.--is using a wallet-sized photo holder. Stick each card in the plastic sleeve, just like you would a photo, and it's easy to find exactly what you're looking for when you need it.


• And, finally, my secret weapon for packing just about everything is zipper bags. We put our cameras, autograph books, and anything else that might be damaged by water in them. This helps not only in the event of a pop-up shower (quite common in Florida), but also when you encounter the "wet seat" on Kali River Rapids or Splash Mountain.