Disney Road Trip 101 | What's In The Bag?

Keeping the little kids occupied in the car for two days can be a chore. Some trips are just better than others, and there is no way to tell which day is going to be good, and which day you will need reinforcements. For this very reason, I over pack the goodies I take on the road to WDW. I do it on purpose. I like to have things to bribe the kids with, be it on the road, while we are in the hotel room, or on the return trip. I have found that being ready with something new heads off a confrontation. And especially when we are all trapped in the car together, this can mean the difference between a car full of foul people and a car full of eager-to-meet-Mickey travelers.

So, here's what I packed for the two-day there, two-day back road trip this October:

For The Toddler Set

I collected most of these things from the Dollar Store or the Dollar Section of Target. I found coloring books, activity sets, mechanical pencils, stickers, jewelry, stress balls, Disney themed board books, dry erase boards and color wonder books all for just a dollar each!

I picked up a new set of color wonder markers as ours were all getting dried out, and new small packages of crayola crayons, as I like each of them having their own set, and I hate the flakiness/waxiness of the dollar store brand. Also, we've had the dollar store crayons melt in our van from the hot Florida sun. The Crayola brand holds up much better!

I added to this some Frozen magnet books I found at Gordmans (for $5 each), some fake key toys ($2) and a Mickey bracelet for the boy that I brought back from a previous trip to WDW. I also included some free lanyards we received from a friend who'd kids were no longer interested in the Cars lanyards!

For Everyone to Enjoy

I found these great Disney themed light sticks at the Dollar Store too. We love to have them at the night time parades. I also found these small tissue packs and hand wipes for our park bags. So helpful!

As an aside, the hand wipes are serious business for those of us dealing with peanut and tree nut allergies. They are the best way to get rid of nut proteins on tables and hands!

For Teens & Tweens

I've collected a lot of this over the years, but all of it was used by the teenage boys on our road trip. As it turns out, your phone has to get charged every once in a while, and you still need something to keep you busy! I also made sure to put some of the tissues and wipes in the bag they kept in the way back seats to try and curb some of the mess. It was a valiant effort.

You can find the Phineas and Ferb Look and Find book here, and the National Geographic Kids Road Trip Atlas here. We love the Imagineering Field Guides (they are available for all the parks in Florida and California) and the Hidden Mickeys books too. Lots Of Fun On The Go seems to be out of print, but there is something similar on Amazon for those who would like to find it. The On-The-Go Game Pad in a new addition and I wasn't sure the kids would use it, but they did! You just never know.

Perhaps this will spark some creative ideas for you for your next trip! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!