Top 10 Must-Have Disney Vacation Items

Hello, dear readers! By now, you’ve probably seen (or watched) a handful of Disney packing lists reminding you to bring essentials like a phone charger, extra socks, and bandaids for those painful blisters you’ll inevitably get. While those are all important, I have found that these top 10 must-have Disney vacation items have helped me (or my friends) have a more enjoyable Disney experience, especially with climate change, making things more intense no matter where you travel.

Now, I’m all for minimizing our consumption and NOT influencing ourselves to purchase things we don’t need spontaneously, so don’t get the wrong idea. However, if you yourself have had to deal with things like feeling sick from dehydration or perhaps you’ve missed out on an incredible nighttime show because of the weather, you may want to consider some of these:

1. Compression Packing Cubes

As someone who travels rather frequently, I’ve been on a mission in recent years to pack less because lugging a gigantic suitcase around gets annoying, and these compression packing cubes free up extra space in my carry-on.

You can also keep one of the smaller packing cubes in your personal item bag (a.k.a. your purse) and use it as a pillow if you’ll be traveling via plane since some airlines now weirdly charge extra if you walk around with a neck pillow attached to your luggage. I don’t understand it, but I don’t understand many things about airlines these days.

2. Collapsible Duffle

I’m not a huge souvenir person myself unless I’m traveling internationally, but if you are or if you’re traveling with a family, it helps to have a collapsible/foldable duffle that you can tuck away in your suitcase. These barely take up any space but come in handy if you need to bring more things home than you anticipated.

3. Hanging Toiletry Bag

I love my skincare, shower time, and all of the typical self-care-ish stuff, so I tend to have a bunch of crap scattered on the bathroom counter. This is fine if you’re traveling alone, but when you’re sharing a room with others, leaving some space for them is better.

4. Water bottle cleaning tablets

Ideally, if you’re staying somewhere away from home, you’ll have a sink to clean your water bottle, but I’ve used these before on camping trips when things weren’t so convenient. They’re also great to keep in your park bag when your water bottle gets stinky throughout the day. Just fill it with water, let it stand for 15 minutes, rinse it thoroughly, and voila!

5. Reusable Straws

I don’t use straws since they’ve started giving me smoker lines (and I don’t even smoke!), but I know many people prefer them. The reusable ones at Disney parks break down so quickly that they stop working before you’ve even had a chance to finish your beverage, so pack these if you’re a straw person!

6. Liquid IV Packets

These are essential for TWO reasons! 1) I swear they keep me more cool; I’ll often drink the sugar-free ones before doing a hot barre or a heated sculpt class, and I don’t have to adjust to the heat and humidity the way I usually do (I live in a super dry climate). 2) They make your water taste delicious. I love plain water and don’t need it to be flavored, but Disney World water is known for tasting gross, so this helps to mask the nastiness.

7. Gum

I only chew gum when I’m on flights to help with the ear popping, but if you are a gum chewer, please note that you can’t buy gum anywhere on Disney property (it was Walt’s rule!), so it’s best to bring your own.

8. SHOWER WIPES

Keeping a travel-sized deodorant in your park bag is great and all, but these are even better. When I went to Epcot in November, when the weather was supposed to be a little milder in Orlando, I still left the park feeling like I had jumped in a lake of sweat. Sorry, I know that’s repulsive, but that’s why I love me some good old on-the-go shower wipes! 😅

9. Long Johns

This is mainly for Disneyland guests, but although Orange County weather is very bearable during the day, it can get very cold at night because of the humidity seeping into your clothes. I used to pack an extra pair of sweatpants and would keep them in a locker to throw them over my leggings before the nighttime shows, but now I pack Long Johns instead. These keep me warmer than sweatpants ever have, and they stop me from being tempted to buy overpriced pants at the Disney gift shops out of desperation.

10. Toe Warmers

These also make a difference when walking around the OC at night. The last thing you want is to miss out on that amazing fireworks show (my favorite part about Disneyland) because your poor little toes can’t handle it!

Do you pack similar things in your Disney vacation suitcase? What are some essentials that you recommend?

*Disclaimer: I earn a small commission when you purchase stuff through these Amazon links but there is no extra charge for you. All proceeds go to my Dole Whip fund. <3