A portable charger
This is the battery pack we'd actually bring. Your phone is your map, your camera, your tickets, your line-time tracker — it will not survive to 2pm on its own.
When it earns its spot
Every single day, all day
What we'd pack
The things we'd actually bring.
We skipped dozens of options. These are the nine we'd buy again — the ones that quietly hold a park day together.
A Sunshine pick
Ponchos, one each
Buy them before you leave — inside the park they cost four times as much, and you'll still be soaked by the time you find one.
When it earns its spot
Summer afternoons, hurricane season
A cooling towel
Soaked, wrung out, and worn around the neck, it drops how hot you feel by ten degrees for an hour. It's a small kind of magic.
When it earns its spot
Any day above 80°F
A compact fan
This is the fan we'd pack for our own family. Small, quiet, clips onto a stroller — and utterly beloved by the time you hit the parade curb.
When it earns its spot
Summer, humid days, long queues
A lightweight park blanket
Curb-sitting for a parade is so much lovelier when the ground isn't sticky and warm. Doubles as a nap surface, a stroller cover, a picnic mat.
When it earns its spot
Parades, fireworks, character meetups
A wet bag
For the poncho you just wore, the swimsuit you just changed out of, the diaper you can't find a bin for. You'll be glad you have it.
When it earns its spot
Rain days, pool days, potty-training kids
A tiny first-aid kit
Blisters, small scrapes, a headache — three things you will absolutely have, and the park store is very far and very expensive.
When it earns its spot
Every trip, tuck it in the stroller
A snack container
Loose crackers become dust. A small compartment box keeps snacks findable at the bottom of a bag when you really need them.
When it earns its spot
Toddlers, picky eaters, long ride days
A backpack organizer
You'll dig for wipes six times a day. Inserts turn the bag from a black hole into something you can trust.
When it earns its spot
Anyone with more than one kid
A small note: some links may earn us a little at no cost to you. We only ever share things we'd genuinely pack for our own family's trips.