The Ultimate Disney World Packing List for 2023 | the disney food blog (2024)

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Are you visiting Disney World in 2023? If so, you’ll want to see which restaurants will be the BEST choices next year, when you should start planning that trip, and which days will be the most expensive. Once you’ve sorted out some of those details, you can get started on that packing list!

Packing for Disney World is unlike any other vacation packing you’ve done so far. There are some things you’ll need to bring that aren’t usually staples for a vacation, but we promise you’ll be miserable without them. To help prevent any disasters on your upcoming vacation, take a list at our ULTIMATE Disney World packing list for 2023.

For your convenience, we’ve sorted our list into a few different categories, like what you’ll need in terms of technology, staying cool in the parks, and being prepared for the weather.

Technology

Mobile Charger

Gone are the days when you could visit Disney World without your smartphone. Now, you’ll need it to Mobile Order food, use Genie+, and find directions on the interactive map, all using the My Disney Experience app. To make sure your phone doesn’t die in the middle of your parks day, you’ll need a portable charger handy.

We found a 2-pack of portable chargers, which have fast-charging power banks. Each has 2 USB ports and carries 2.4 charges for iPhones and 2.2 charges for Samsung Galaxy phones.

Click here to buy a portable charger from Amazon.

MagicBand+ Charger

If you use one of the new MagicBand+ bands, you’ll need to pack the charger that came with your band. Normal MagicBands don’t need to be charged, but the new version that has lights, haptics, and other special features should be charged nightly for the best results during the day.

You can buy MagicBand+ chargers at several Disney World gift shops if you forget yours at home.

Power Strip

With all of the devices that you might need to bring to Disney World, there may not be room to charge everything in your hotel room. So it’s a good idea to bring your own power strip for extra outlets.

This Anker power strip has multiple outlets and USB ports. You can get a 5ft cable on Amazon, and the small design makes it easy to pack in your suitcase or carry-on.

Click here to buy the power strip from Amazon.

Travel Alarm Clock

With Early Theme Park Entry offered to Disney World hotel guests, your day might start very early! To make sure you don’t miss rope drop, you can bring your own digital travel alarm clock.

There’s a simple alarm clock on Amazon that folds down to be very small. It has an alarm, snooze button, and an on-demand light switch. It takes 2 AAA batteries to power.

Click here to buy a travel alarm clock from Amazon.

Staying Cool

Cooling Towels

Even during the spring and fall, the Orlando heat is no joke. And if you’re going to be outside for most of the day (as you likely will be in Disney World), you’ll need some help to stay cool. We like to use cooling towels to find relief from the hot sun.

There’s a 4-pack of cooling towels on Amazon that use a breathable mesh material to draw sweat away from your skin and keep you cool.

Click here to buy a 4-pack of cooling towels.

Portable Fan/Neck Fan

Another option for beating the heat is to use a portable fan or neck fan. Amazon has this hands-free bladeless fan that you can recharge during your stay.

The fan rests on your neck like headphones and has 78 little air outlets to keep your entire face and neck cool.

Click here to buy a neck fan from Amazon.

Sunscreen

Of course, you can’t forget the sunscreen! We like Neutrogena’s mineral face sunscreen lotion with SPF 50. It’s oil-free and hypoallergenic.

You can get a 2 oz. bottle (perfect for travel)now.

Shop for sunscreen on Amazon here!

Collapsible Water Bottle

Last but certainly not least in the “staying cool” category, you’ll need a water bottle to stay hydrated. To preserve packing space in your parks bag, it’s a good idea to find a collapsible water bottle.

You can get this leakproof collapsible water bottle from Amazon. There are several different options for colors, and it holds 20 ounces of liquid.

Find a collapsible water bottle on Amazon here!

For the Weather

Poncho

Those inevitable Orlando storms won’t hold you back if you’re prepared! You can usually buy disposable ponchos in Disney World, but if you buy your own at home, they’ll likely be much cheaper.

On Amazon, you can get a 5-pack of clear ponchos. These fold down small, so they’re good to stick in your bag.

Click here to buy rain ponchos on Amazon.

Rain Jacket

For more protection from the rain, you can get a rain jacket. This one on Amazon folds down pretty small, and it’s also quick-drying.

You can get it in a variety of colors.

Click here to buy this rain jacket on Amazon.

Sunglasses

But the rain isn’t the only kind of weather you’re likely to see! You’ll want a good pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun. Ray-Bans are certainly a pricier option, but they’re also very high quality.

We found these Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses.

Click here to buy the Ray-Bans on Amazon.

Hat

You should also stick a hat into your pack for more protection from the sun or rain. Amazon has a cute Mickey Mouse baseball hat.

The adjustable hat comes in a variety of colors!

Click here to buy the Mickey Mouse hat on Amazon.

General Preparedness

Sanitizing Wipes

There are a LOT of people in Disney World, which means that most surfaces have been touched by many hands. To keep things as clean as possible (whether that’s your hotel room or lunch table), you can bring along some Purell Hand Sanitizing Wipes.

There’s a pack of 6 travel-sized hand sanitizing wipes (with 20 wipes in each pack) on Amazon.

Click here to buy the travel-sized sanitizing wipes.

Hand Sanitizer

And to keep your hands clean along the way, you can also pack some hand sanitizer.

There’s a pack of 8 travel-sized Purell hand sanitizers, with each bottle being 1 ounce. They also come with jelly wrap carriers so you can attach them to your bag and have them easily accessible.

Click here to buy the travel-sized hand sanitizer from Amazon.

DFB Guide

Of course, another important element of your trip is where you’ll eat! If you want to do some planning before your trip (or even on the way!), check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining. We’ve compiled all of our BEST tips and tricks from years of Disney World travel into one eBook that you can download to your tablet or smartphone and take with you.

We’re offering our readers 25% off with code WDW2022.

Click here to purchase the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining.

Staying Comfortable

Comfortable Shoes

One of the most important things to pack is very comfortable shoes. Our readers have lots of suggestions for which shoes you should wear in to the parks — take a look at those suggestions here — but one of our favorites is these Hoka One One shoes.

Hokas have quickly gained popularity and a reputation for being incredibly comfortable.Whichever shoes you decide to bring, be sure to break them in before your trip.

Click here to shop for Hoka shoes on Amazon.

Comfortable Clothes (DFB shirts)

You’ll want to pack clothes that match the weather when you’re visiting and that will be comfortable for walking around in. Need some ideas?Check out our DFB-exclusive graphic tees and merch! It’s super fun stuff to wear to the parks, and there are lots of different designs.

You can find tees and sweatshirts for both adults and kids so that everyone in the family has something fun to wear into the parks.

Click here to shop for our latest designs.

Slip Shorts

When it’s warm outside, we like to swap out our pants for a skirt to stay cooler in the parks. To avoid chafing, we’ve found that slip shorts or biking shorts are absolutely invaluable.

These Bestena slip shorts from Amazon are under $10and will seriously save the day if you’re planning on wearing a skirt or dress.

Click here to buy these slip shorts on Amazon.

Lots of Socks

It’s possible that we tend to over-pack when it comes to socks, but there’s honestly nothing worse than walking around in wet socks after an unexpected rainstorm soaks our feet. So we always throw an extra pair into our parks bag, just in case.

You can find this multi-pack of Saucony ventilating socks on Amazon.

Click here to shop for socks on Amazon.

Anti-Chafing Cream

Those slip shorts can help with thigh chafing, but chafing can happen anywhere, and it’s a nightmare. So grab some of this Body Glide anti-chafing balm to help prevent any painful rashes.

You can get a stick of Body Glide on Amazon right now, which is on sale from its normal price of $22.45.

Click here to shop for anti-chafing Body Glide on Amazon.

In-the-Parks Bag

Backpack

Before you can stock your parks bag with all the essentials, you’ll need a bag to stock! You can use any kind of bag, but we think getting one that can be used outside of the parks as well is a nice option.

This backpack is a good size, comes in multiple prints, and has a water bottle holder. Your kiddos can also use it as their school backpack.

Get the Mickey Mouse Backpack here!

Fanny Pack

If you’re looking for a lighter, hands-free option, you might want to bring a fanny pack instead of a backpack. Check out this Petunia Pickle Bottom Mickey Mouse fanny pack.

It has a crossbody strap along with a waist belt so you can wear it a couple of different ways.

Click here to buy the Mickey Mouse fanny pack.

Ziploc Bags

We’ve got you a poncho and rain jacket for the rain, but you’ll also need some protection for your technology. That’s why we always pack a few Ziploc baggies in our backpack.

We use them to store leftover food or to keep our phones and charging cords dry during the rain. You can get a 34-count of Ziploc quart-sized bags on Amazon.

Shop for Ziploc bags on Amazon here.

Chapstick

Is there anything more annoying than chapped lips and no way to fix them? We always make sure to have at least one chapstick on hand, just in case.

One of our favorite brands for chapstick is Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, and you can get a 4-pack with the original scent, strawberry, coconut & pear, and vanilla bean.

Shop for Chapstick on Amazon here.

Lotion/Hand Cream

You’ve taken care of your chapped lips, but don’t forget to have some moisturizing lotion available for your hands as well. We like to use this Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion.

You can get a pack of 3 2.5-ounce tubes on Amazon.

Shop for lotion on Amazon here.

Miscellaneous First Aid

Moleskin

If you’ve brought the perfect, most comfortable shoes to Disney World, you hopefully won’t need any moleskin while you’re there. But even with your best pair of sneakers, you could still get a blister after walking 10+ miles in the hot sun and pouring rain. That’s why we always bring Moleskin Pads — just in case!

This roll of Dr. Scholl’s Moleskin Pads can be cut to any size needed on Amazon.

Click here to buy moleskin on Amazon.

BandAids

For those blisters or any other accidents, it’s great to have a few BandAids on hand.

You can get a 100-count of flexible BandAids on Amazon to help solve those minor scrapes.

Click here to buy BandAids on Amazon.

Any Other Medication You’ll Need

Of course, make sure you pack any other medicine that you’ll need during your trip, potentially including ibuprofen, prescriptions, and Tums. All the Disney World hotels have some basic non-prescription medicines available for purchase, but they’ll definitely be cheaper at your local pharmacy than at the hotel gift shops.

This list should help you get a great start on packing for your upcoming trip. If you’re looking for more resources to help you have the best vacation possible, check out these links:

• These Will Be the Hardest Disney World Dining Reservations to Get in 2023
• What to Expect from the Rest of the 2022 Hurricane Season in Disney World
• The Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip
• 5 Ways to Save $1,000 on Your Disney Trip (Really!)
• What to Do When Your Phone Dies in Disney World
• What to Do If You Can’t Get the Disney World Hotel Reservation You Wanted
• 3 Terrifyingly Easy Ways to Ruin Your Disney World Vacation

Stay tuned to the DFB blog for more of the latest updates from Disney World!

Will the Disney Dining Plan return in 2023? Here’s everything we know.

Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know

• The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney World Vacation

• A Month-by-Month Guide to Planning Your Disney World Trip

• Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip

• Learn About the Disney Park Pass System

• The Ultimate Disney World Packing List

• Everything You Need to Know About Genie+

• Insider SECRETS for Your First Trip to Disney World

• A Complete Look at the Current Disney Discounts and Deals

• The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!

Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click Here to Subscribe

What else do you always pack for a Disney World trip? Let us know in the comments.