Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Peach. Enjoy the ride as we share what is on our must pack lists for our Disney vacations.
I was excited to get to pick the topic this month for Magical Blogorail! I know that on my site packing tips are essentials! So please do go and visit the other stops on the Blogorail Peach line to get more great tips!
For the Diva family there are some essentials that just must be packed at Disney World or else you’re going to have a miserable time! (or you’re going to spend a lot of money at the very least). So what are the top 10 MUST HAVES for ANY WDW trip?
Lets count them down together!
10. 
My perfectly packed WDW Backpack. See one of my most popular posts on Packing the Perfect WDW Backpack by clicking HERE. A smartly packed backpack can save you lots of money, time, and frustration! You have to balance your need for organization (lots of zippers) with the fact that you will have your bags checked at each park (and all those zippers have to be unzipped). Each adult in your party should have their own backpack in my opinion.
9 
My cell phone. I have a an iPhone and I love it at WDW. (It is a little irritating, however, that there doesn’t seem to be wireless in the parks. However, with 3G I can still get what I need). I love the iPhone because 1) The applications that tell me wait times. Such as TouringPlans.com “Lines” which is totally worth the inexpensive subscription. Its great to see what the crowd calendar is estimating for each park that day (especially in the afternoon after our nap when we do our park hop), and having people there update in real-time is awesome. You can read more about Touring Plans by reading THIS ARTICLE! 2) Being able to take and upload pics of my trip to Facebook and Twitter in real time. I have some friends who play “where in the world am I” with me when I go each time and is so fun to have them guess and experience my trip along with me. (plus, part of the fun of going to WDW is rubbing it in other peoples faces that you’re there and they are not, am I right?!) I also love twitter, especially funny tweets you can read/ post like the ones on Overheard at Walt Disney World which is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites.
8.
Excedrin migraine medicine. The sun, the heat, the constant squeals of children. WDW is over-stimulation at its finest. This Diva NEVER steps foot in the park without having some Excedrin Migraine on her. When I feel a headache just starting to come on I pop some of these and it helps. The reflective pavement really seems to bother me if I don’t remember to put on sunglasses also.
7. 
A camera that takes digital pictures and videos. Yes, you need a camera. No, it doesn’t really matter if it’s a DSL or just a pocket one. I would suggest ones that have a good zoom though (its how I pick all my cameras now) because you’re normally far off from shows and its neat to be able to zoom in and get CM expressions and details of the castle (also fun for people-stalking, wait, did I just say that out loud?) If at all possible get one that can easily switch into video mode (just by pushing a button) because occasionally you’ll have a magical moment you would just love to be able to catch forever. Many good cameras have this double function now and you can get a high quality one for around $300.00 (but again, you don’t have to). You just need a dependable camera and a card that can hold A LOT of pictures. Make sure you bring an extra SD card and Also, don’t forget that you can use PhotoPass and get many great pictures, so if its not in the budget to get an upgraded camera make sure you pre- buy the PhotoPass CD and use the heck out of it while you’re at Disney.
6. 
A lanyard to hold my fast passes/tickets. You can read my entire post about “fast pass pouches” by clicking HERE. I really highly recommend that you have something that you can get to quickly that will hold your tickets, cash, fast passes, etc with ease. I prefer the fabric pouches also as they are more discrete and more sturdy than the plastic ones. You can CLICK HERE to buy one similar to what I’m talking about. (PS please tell me that you know that fast passes are free!! Read more HERE if you don’t).
5. Disposable ponchos. “Pop up showers”, which are short rain showers that go as quickly as they come, are common in Orlando. A poncho can really come in handy. You can one at Target or Wal-Mart for around .99 cents that are packaged tightly and are relatively flat. We get the disposable ones because they’re just a pain to keep up with. You can also buy one in the park for about $7.00 PER PONCHO and they will be very similar to the ones under a dollar. Trust me, stock up on these and bring one per family member in your backpack daily.
4. 
A COMFY pair of sneakers. Research shows that in one day at Walt Disney World the average person walks somewhere between 6 and 13 miles (9.6 – 21 Kilometers)! It is imperative that you get the RIGHT SHOES. Don’t know what the right shoes are? You can read my post “Hoofing it”. Walking around WDW HERE for help on picking our the right footwear for your upcoming trip.
3. Some cheap sunglasses & a hat with a bill. Ok, technically this is two things, but I need to talk about both and I’m running out of numbers. You will most likely need sunglasses whether you’re at Disney World or at Disneyland, and they’re very expensive in the parks. They need to be 
CHEAP sunglasses as rides can easily sweep them off your face. You don’t want to lose your Ray-Bans on Big Thunder Mountain, let me tell you. Just make sure they’re not so cheap that they push on your temples too much and give you a headache.
A hat, WITH A BILL. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again “DISNEY WORLD IS NOT A FASHION SHOW PEOPLE! If you came to WDW to “hook a hottie” you came to the wrong joint. If its normal to wear a Goofy hat complete with buck-teeth with a fanny pack then its not about FASHION. I’ve got lots of tips to help you understand more about this if you read my post HERE. Humidity in Orlando is INSANE. Your hair will either go completely limp or, like my curly tresses, will have you being mistaken by some small children for “MUFASSA”. Get a hat, and make it a Disney one (like this Perry one, which is SO awesome!) Make sure it has a bill to help shield your face from the sun. WDW streets are very reflective and you don’t want the reason you’re going home to be because you’ve given yourself a “squinting” headache!
2. Suntan lotion. Speaking of expensive, Disney can REALLY sock it to you on suntan-lotion! And its very 
likely you will need some. I have seen some horrific sunburns at Disney. There’s no way those people are happy! In particular you will need it for little ones legs when they’re riding in the strollers and the back of your neck if your hair doesn’t cover it.
1. 
Band-aid Blister Block stick. My number one thing I dare not go to Disney World without is the Band-aid Blister Block. It puts a no-mess invisible shield on the skin and really works. I put it on everybody’s feet before putting on socks. Make sure to put it on the heels, the sides of the feet, between toes, and anywhere your shoes normally rub. Since I started using this I have not had a blister on my foot!! You can get it at pretty much any drug store. It’s usually near the band-aids.
So there you go. This Diva wouldn’t be caught DEAD in the park without these items. If you need more help with packing you can check out my entire section on packing and be sure to print my packing checklist!
What about you? What area things you wouldn’t be caught DEAD at WDW without? Happy packing!
T
Love, Love, LOVE your list!!!! If only half the people at the parks would take this advice, we wouldn’t see so many meltdowns (adults and children a like). I so like my ticket/fastpass lanyard. I have found, at some resorts, a small plastic case (just big enough for a few credit cards) on a lanyard that I use — key cards, tickets & money stay dry and can be taken into the water! They are hard to find, but are awesome! Also, want to add — an aqua towel as become my lifesaver essential in the summer. Use it to cool down, wipe off seats, and blot sweaty faces.
I didn’t know about the Band-Aid product! I’ll give it a try next time we travel!
Love the list! I had no idea about the blister block either. I’ll have to get some for my husband.
Love your list!!! It’s perfect! I used most of the same things when we went, but added a cooler bag with frozen water bottles wrapped in paper towels, for cold water when we needed and the wet towels to wipe faces and cool down with. Those blister things were a godsend! They have a spray and bandages, my daughter needed both! I thought your fb page was good, love your blog! Thanks for the lanyard link, they are soooo cute, already have the tab open to start shopping for our next trip!
Pack cold medicine! You think you won’t need, but last Aug, within a day of arriving at WDW, my dd came down with a horrible, nasty summer cold. The cold medicine I found at the resort was $$$ for a minimal amount, and I had to buy several. This year I am packing a whole container(costs around $5, I buy the no name from Walmart), plus antibacterial hand sanitizer that we will use from the moment we step into the airport on our way to WDW until we leave.