[00:00:00] Dana Stanley: Let’s skip the part where I tell you to pack sneakers and a poncho, because you’ve heard that before. What I wanna walk you through today is a very specific kind of packing list. These are things that I’ve added slowly over the years, and not because they look good on paper, but because they actually work.

[00:00:17] Dana Stanley: I like versatile things in Disney World that I’m definitely going to be using a lot and not just lugging around. For like just in case scenarios. I am definitely more of a minimalist, but the reality is that I have three kids and kids do need a lot of things. These are the things I keep packing trip after trip, and we’ll continue to be packing them on a next trip.

[00:00:39] Dana Stanley: Let’s get into it. Hello and welcome to the Laid Back Magic Way podcast. I’m your host, Dana Stanley, creator of Laid Back Magic. As a mom of three, I know how tough it can be to find time to plan a Disney World trip. That doesn’t leave you feeling stressed or overwhelmed. That’s why I’m here to help moms like you create Disney vacations that feel even better than they look on paper here.

[00:01:01] Dana Stanley: We’re not chasing perfection, but creating our next favorite memories. So whether you’re brand new to Disney or looking to go deeper into the details, this podcast is your go-to for simple tips, mindset shifts, real life trip recaps, and expert insights to make your trip magical and manageable. New episodes drop every Monday.

[00:01:19] Dana Stanley: So be sure to subscribe so you never miss a moment. Okay, let’s dive in. Let’s start with something that surprises me that I’ve been packing, because when you Google this, it seems like you can get it and that it’s available at all of the resorts, but true cough medicine like Robitussin D, Mucinex d.

[00:01:42] Dana Stanley: Dexter morphine, I wanna say the medicine that you need to show ID to buy because you have to be 18 or older to buy it. You can’t find that anywhere on Disney World Property. And I know this because on one of our trips, and I can’t remember who it was, but one of us had. One of those pestering coughs that would not go away and especially was at night, like, you know, those types of coughs that just you cannot get rid of unless you bring out the big guns.

[00:02:08] Dana Stanley: That was what we needed. So I immediately went down to, I think we were staying at the boardwalk at the time, so I went down to the boardwalks gift shop and they do, they have a lot of over the counter medication, usually in a pinch. It’s fine. But they didn’t have like the serious stuff, so I was going to Instacart it, but the timing wasn’t working because again, I’d have to show id.

[00:02:31] Dana Stanley: So in all four parks across Disney World, there’s a first aid center and they have Band-Aids. Like if you ever need a free Band-aid, go to the first aid center. I’ve done that many times with blisters and cuts and things like that. So I thought certainly they will have true cough medicine, like a Mucinex D or Robitussin or something like that, but they did not.

[00:02:52] Dana Stanley: And the girl told me, you’re not gonna find that anywhere on property. Like you need to go to the store or an urgent care, or have it delivered and wait for the driver. And truthfully, if my memory is serving me correctly. We just dealt with it. I think it was like maybe one of the last one or two nights, and we just used what we had and we survived.

[00:03:15] Dana Stanley: But now I’m sure to bring just a travel, like a chewable Dexter Morphin target sells it like a Mucinex chew of Dexter Morphin. That is like the only thing that I have found that like truly takes away a cough and we’ll only use it if it’s dire. But coughs are one of those things that they always come up like in the middle of the night.

[00:03:36] Dana Stanley: You know, it’s like midnight and someone can’t stop coughing. And I believe we were sharing a studio when this happened. So we had five people all sharing a room. Coughing is going to wake everybody up. So lesson learned on my part just to have on hand when we’re not like quite sick enough to, you know, have a doctor’s appointment or anything.

[00:03:56] Dana Stanley: We just have this annoying cough. I want this in my bag. Speaking of things, you’re going to be glad you brought a wet bag is one of those things that I use way more than I think I will. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It could literally just be a like gallon sized Ziploc, just something to keep your wet things and gross things away from your not gross things in your bag.

[00:04:18] Dana Stanley: So imagine you’re at the pool and maybe your room isn’t ready yet, and you guys all wanna change and go get lunch. Like, what are you doing with those sake swimsuits? Make sure that you have somewhere to throw them. It could also be like those little to go diaper pale bags. I actually bring those with me everywhere I go.

[00:04:39] Dana Stanley: Like a dirty diaper I need to dispose of and maybe can’t for a few minutes. I need to get to a trash can. Obviously I don’t want that sitting in my bag. Super gross. Even those wet swim diapers that are just soggy. And I’ve also even put like a t-shirt in a wet bag, like someone spilled a soda and they need to change, or my kid dropped ice cream down the front of their shirt.

[00:05:02] Dana Stanley: You get the idea wet bag for sure. And then there is my treasured. Packing item, my bandanas, which earns its keep in. I would say like five different ways my friends make fun of me, but tying a bandana onto our stroller is one how we find it. Because when you are coming off a ride and just see a hundred strollers that look just like yours.

[00:05:28] Dana Stanley: We actually have a green stroller now, which helps a little bit. It’s like a dark green and it helps it stand out. But for years we just had a black stroller and everyone else mostly has a black stroller, so I’ll tie a bright red bandana onto the handle and it helps us spot it. But when I’m walking in the parks, I will also use that to like clean my sunglasses or clean my camera lens off of my phone.

[00:05:53] Dana Stanley: One time I used it to tie my hair up when I forgot a hairband or hair tie and we were going on a ride. If you’ve seen those little handles that you can attach to strollers for big kids to hold onto, like maybe they want a break from the stroller or you have a third kid that likes to hold on. It’s called a tag along and it’s great, but I forgot it for like two trips in a row.

[00:06:18] Dana Stanley: And I literally just like slid my bandana to the side, looped it on both ends, and my daughter like hung onto the bandana and it seems so silly, but it’s the equivalent, I think, to the kids of like holding her hands. I. But we can’t hold their hands ’cause we’re like pushing the stroller and we’re booking lightning liens or whatever.

[00:06:37] Dana Stanley: It’s just something for them to hold onto. I had a real go like kind of viral on Instagram, which is always such a joy reaching the depths of the internet. But one of the comments was really funny because they said that the baby could rob a bank afterwards. So there’s that too. The next thing I bring is deceptively simple, because the amount of mini sketchbooks I have bought from Amazon throughout the years is probably scary, but things like this when they’re like really versatile.

[00:07:09] Dana Stanley: I love, and that’s what this is. So this is not anything glamorous. It’s just a spiral bound sketchbook. But a sketchbook when you’re traveling with little kids can be for tic-tac-toe to draw a picture. Like, Hey, draw a picture of something we did today. My kids love when I take a black crayon. And draw anything like a flower or a character and then they get to color it in.

[00:07:34] Dana Stanley: But the best use I have found for this is one year I forgot an autograph book and by forgot I mean that I just like straight up didn’t think we needed one. My girls weren’t really into characters and never said anything about getting autographs, but imagine how awful I felt when we were at a character dining and my daughter looked around and saw all the other kids with autograph books and pens.

[00:07:58] Dana Stanley: And when she asked if we had one, I like all good parents do. Lied and said, yes, of course we have an autograph book. And I just took the sketchbook and I flipped to a blank page in the book and had a crayon. And we were at Crystal Palace at the time. So she got an autograph from Poo and what happened next was actually the best part because after he left, she drew like the sweetest drawing around his name, like a little beehive and a honey pot.

[00:08:29] Dana Stanley: With a tree and then a little poo bear. And I think there was a piglet. It became her thing that year. I wanna say she was. Between six and seven and she, we did that the whole trip. She got snow white and decorated around her name, and I still have that sketchbook all saved because it was so sweet. And I just have that tucked away for next time.

[00:08:51] Dana Stanley: And the crayons that I bring for said sketchbook. Are actually triangular shaped so they don’t roll off the table. They don’t roll like on the airplane. If you have your tray table down and they’re coloring, they don’t roll. It’s like so amazing. It sounds so stupid, but these. Crayons are just the best at restaurants and traveling in general.

[00:09:15] Dana Stanley: Because like if you drop a crayon on a plane like it’s gone, you know it’s rolling to the back or to the front, you’re never gonna find it again. So I love these for that reason. Here’s one you wouldn’t necessarily think to pack until like you’re in the moment. And there are some places in Disney World that have the same straws that I bring with me, like actually my favorite spot in Epcot, Laina Desant and gel.

[00:09:40] Dana Stanley: Which gets actually bonus points for having this, but I notice that they have the same straws. But generally when you’re in Disney and you’re handed a straw, it’s going to be just a paper straw. There’s some places that are changing over to. The more biodegradable straws that feel like plastic, with the exception of animal Kingdom, which literally has no straws or lids, they’re just gonna hand you a cup with a drink in it.

[00:10:07] Dana Stanley: And if you have kids like mine that a love like slushies, like frozen drinks, and B, chew the heck out of their straws. You have to bring a handful of these straws. I’m gonna link everything that I mentioned in the show notes, but these ones are compostable, but they feel like plastic. So I buy a hundred pack and keep them in the drawer of my kitchen and I will just grab a handful, like a dozen or so.

[00:10:32] Dana Stanley: And I always have them in my bag for like, not in Disney World. And I have a one and a half year old. Like he’s always throwing straws and chewing straws and whatever. So I always have them and if and when I forget them. There’s always a moment where I’m like, uh, I wish I had a straw. Now, there was a time when I packed reusable straws, like the metal reusable ones.

[00:10:54] Dana Stanley: I’ve gotten collapsible ones. I don’t know. I like to just throw away the straw when we’re done because then I’m worried about figuring out how to clean it and maybe I’m dumping some water on it and then I’m wasting the water, and if I don’t clean it, it’s like sitting in my bag getting gross. Something that you’ve heard me not pack in past episodes is a poncho.

[00:11:15] Dana Stanley: I prefer more of a raincoat rain jacket situation with a hood, but an umbrella I will pack because you never know when you’re going to get caught in like an actual torrential downpour and want an umbrella and a jacket, and I always have room for it. They don’t take up a lot of space. I just leave it in the stroller and it doesn’t move until I need it.

[00:11:37] Dana Stanley: But going into the summer too, I love it for the sun too. My husband makes fun of me. But if you’re standing in line. For food or a ride, and it’s just straight sun. It’s nice to just pop that open. Epcot, I’m looking at you. I want you to have more trees. You know? Now we’re getting into more of the practical must haves, especially if you’ve got a stroller fan.

[00:11:58] Dana Stanley: And I’m gonna be candid here because for years I recommended and loved fuel rods because you can swap them out. They’re a portable charger that you don’t have to worry about charging because in the parks and at the resorts. You can go to the little kiosks and swap them out, but for some reason, ever since adding a third kid to the family, it feels like such a burden to swap them out.

[00:12:20] Dana Stanley: And I know that it’s easy. I know that it’s simple, but the easiest thing for me is to just have a portable charger that clips right onto my phone. Easy breezy. But the thing that’s most important for any portable charger. Is I have to make sure that it will charge our stroller fans, and then I have to make sure that I remember to bring the right cable with us because we can have those fans running a lot, and while I do charge them at night, sometimes one will just need a little bit more help, and I need that charger to be able to work with my phone and also the fans.

[00:12:54] Dana Stanley: You can tell I have somewhere on the mind ’cause I’m going right from an umbrella for the sun, a charger for the fan, and now like drinks and water bottles. My go-to has been our Stanley Thermos and this is the Stanley Ice flow with the flip straw. It’s 30 ounces, which is like just the right amount of water without it being massive.

[00:13:17] Dana Stanley: And if it’s closed correctly, ask me how. I know it won’t leak. It’s indestructible. We’ve dropped it a bajillion times. And that’s what we bring into the parks. I fill that Stanley with some cold water, and that’s our main thermos. Now, I used to bring three different bottles, like one for me and Cole, and then one for each of the kids.

[00:13:39] Dana Stanley: But they started taking up so much room and they’re pretty heavy. Like even when they’re empty, they’re heavy. So on a travel day, I didn’t love that either. So then I went to like the lightweight plastic ones for the girls, and you know, they were like. BPA free, but I don’t know. I just don’t love the plastic ones.

[00:13:56] Dana Stanley: They always seem dirty and like I can’t really get them clean and they don’t keep anything cold, which stinks too. Now, this is not to sound like I am trying to be like quote unquote sustainable. We go through so much more plastic than I would like, and at home I never buy bottled water. We just have like a filter that we drink out of.

[00:14:17] Dana Stanley: Sometimes I’ll drink out of the tap, like I’m not picky, but in Disney, the free water or like the water that is given to you at the parks. A doesn’t feel like enough, like we are chugging water. I just feel like it’s not enough and sometimes they just don’t taste good, I should say all the time. The Starbucks free water is wonderful.

[00:14:37] Dana Stanley: If you go to Starbucks, always ask for an ice water, but they’re a little funky and I’ll drink them. But after being in Disney, like while I’m pregnant or breastfeeding and or during the summer, I need a ton of water. I wanna be able to bring as much water as I can without having to hold literally five.

[00:14:54] Dana Stanley: Water bottles, like that’s wild. So our setup now, I fill my Stanley Thermos and that’s what I’m gonna keep refilling throughout the day. Like if I do get a free ice water or water when we’re sitting down at a restaurant, I will pour that in there and this might gross you out. Because we are sharing this bottle when we’re going between meals, when we’re walking in the stroller, and then when we’re sitting down and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I am, you know, shelling out all the different drinks with our non soggy straws and everyone’s hydrating on their own and we’re good.

[00:15:29] Dana Stanley: But everything in between, we’re sharing that bad boy. And I’m sorry if that grosses you out and if it does. I completely understand. It kind of grosses me out too, but it is worth not having to lug five different water bottles for all of us clinking together and having to wrangle them when we’re getting on the buses.

[00:15:48] Dana Stanley: For me, that’s just too much work and the cons outweigh the pros. Now, to carry all of this, I have one answer and that’s Walker Family Goods. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re a family owned company. They have like the coolest family and travel all over the place, but because of that they know like how to make good bags.

[00:16:08] Dana Stanley: I love their bags from the material they use to like the really hardcore zippers. I can throw them in the washing machine. They’re not flimsy, like they’re more structured, which I really like. One of my pet peeves is like putting a bag or tote on the floor and it just falls over. They’re more structured, but they’re still comfy.

[00:16:27] Dana Stanley: I almost have all of their bags. I have their sling, which I love. I love their tote bag for Disney. I love their backpack for Disney. I like their carry-on for the plane. Everything has just the right amount of pockets. Just the right amount of zippers and compartments. I have their packing cubes. I could go on and on, but if I’m going on a trip, you’re going to see me with at least two of Walker Family Goods.

[00:16:53] Dana Stanley: Mix and matched bags. That’s what Colton uses. Sailor recently just got her own backpack ’cause she’s getting a little bit bigger. I love them. Moving on from bags, let’s talk about shoes for a second. When we travel, I usually stick to only two pairs of shoes, some type of sneaker, and then a sandal or a slide that will mix and match with everything that I’m wearing.

[00:17:16] Dana Stanley: But for Disney, I’m always going to bring a third bonus waterproof shoe for the pool first, but also because it rains so much, you don’t wanna be wearing your cute like vans or Adidas when you’re trudging through like actual puddles. It feels so disgusting. You want something lightweight that’s not going to add a lot of bulk to your bag.

[00:17:36] Dana Stanley: So some type of like rubber, waterproof shoe. I personally like my Freedom Moses. They’ve really been holding up. They look like the rubber version of the Birkenstock slide, so it’s like two bands and it’s open on the back, which I do really like. Just in case your shoes are starting to bother you. It’s nice having something with an open back because let’s talk about blisters.

[00:18:01] Dana Stanley: One of the first places, if not the first place, you’re going to get a blister or your kids are gonna get a blister, is on the back of your heel from rubbing on your shoe. I’m going to link my favorite blister bandaids, and I’m telling you, they have to be like the bandaid brand. Okay? Like bandaid with capital B, none of the Amazon knockoffs or CVS knockoffs, okay?

[00:18:25] Dana Stanley: And I’m saying this ’cause I’ve tried so many, but the Bandaid brand once, if you put them on. When your skin is super, super dry, so make sure you’re nice and dry before you put them on. These things will not budge. Like if you get in the pool or it’s raining or you’re sweaty or you take a bath like that, bandaid will not budge.

[00:18:44] Dana Stanley: I pack them, yes, but I don’t leave them in the room. These are the types of things that I’m going to have in my sling bag. Because I know that someone is going to need one of these band-aids at some point. You may not think that you have to bring any type of layers or sweaters or jackets because it’s going to be so hot in Florida.

[00:19:04] Dana Stanley: But I will always bring. A sweater or cardigan that will work for all of my outfits. I don’t wanna bring a bunch of things to wear if it gets cold. It has to be one thing that’s going to work with everything. Colton and I both know that when we’re walking out the door, we need five sweatshirts. It doesn’t matter if it is 104 degrees because the bus is going to be freezing.

[00:19:28] Dana Stanley: And I’m telling you, some of the indoor rides like the Finding Nemo Ride, I actually feel like I’m going to freeze to death. So while I don’t bring like a specific sweatshirt for each park that we’re going to, I will bring something that will work in any scenario from like a fancy dinner at Citric Coast.

[00:19:46] Dana Stanley: To Epcot to a chili night on the boardwalk. So like this trip for example, I think I’m going to bring like a white cotton sweater, kinda like a fisherman sweater that I know I can throw over a sporty tank top during the morning or the day. But also a dress. Like if we’re going out to dinner and I’m worried that the restaurant’s gonna be chilly, I don’t want it to be something like very sporty or a.

[00:20:11] Dana Stanley: I don’t know, like Star Wars sweatshirt to a nice dinner. It has to work with everything. And I’m gonna wear this on the plane too, so it’s not taking any space in my bag. And the last thing I’m always going to pack, I’ll admit, took me a while to finally nail down, but if you can imagine, you are collapsing your stroller to get on the bus and you have.

[00:20:31] Dana Stanley: Just chaos in the bottom of the stroller, like bubble wands and ears that were bothering somebody and they took ’em off and threw them in. All five of those sweatshirts, all those water bottles we’ve been talking about, you wanna have some type of bonus bag that you can throw all that stuff in there. So the best thing that’s not gonna take up any room or space are one of those collapsible totes, kinda like the bagu style.

[00:20:58] Dana Stanley: The one I used was like a free gift from something that I ordered and is like five years old, but it does the trick, like it folds up to probably like a golf ball size. I just shove that in the corner of my bag and then when I need it, I can pull that out and fit a ton of stuff in there. Like it’s really big.

[00:21:16] Dana Stanley: I actually just used this. Today because we were at the beach and my daughter wanted to stay back with one of her friends and get dropped off, and I was able to pull it out of my bag, open it up and throw like her towel and her hat and her sunscreen in there as just an extra bag to leave while I had my regular bag.

[00:21:38] Dana Stanley: But just remember when you are using the transportation on Disney property. You’re probably going to be closing your stroller quite a bit and you don’t wanna just close it with all of that stuff in there ’cause things are gonna fall out and you’ll have like a bottle rolling somewhere when you’re trying to get off the bus and it’s just a mess.

[00:21:54] Dana Stanley: Put it on the bag and you’re good to go. So there you have it. My actually used maybe a little odd but can’t go without it. Pecking list, nothing too fancy. Just what works for us. If you’ve got something that’s not on the typical list but you swear by it, send me a DM on Instagram ’cause I’d love to hear.

[00:22:13] Dana Stanley: What year? Oh my gosh. I’m so glad I brought this item is, and if you’re looking for a full breakdown of everything that I mentioned, head to the show notes, I linked everything there, and I will see you next week. Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of the Laid Back Magic Way podcast. If you enjoy today’s episode and it was helpful for you, it would mean the world to me if you’d write a quick review, your reviews, help more moms like you find the show, and I read every single one of them seriously.

[00:22:41] Dana Stanley: Thank you in advance. You can find me on Instagram at somewhere worthwhile, and I’d love to hear from you there. DM me if you have any questions about this episode or what you’d like to see in future ones. Until then, keep planning for your next favorite memory and I’ll see you next time.