Last month, right before Thanksgiving, we surprised the kids and took them to Walt Disney World to celebrate Millie’s 7th birthday. Though we live in Florida, we have only taken Millie once (when she was too young to remember), and this was our first trip to the happiest place on Earth with the kids.
I learned a lot on this trip, from the ideal small bag to carry to the parks and what to pack inside to how to navigate Genie+ in the best way possible to the hotel that offers every Disney perk and a luxury feel after a long day.
The Travel Bags I Took To Disney
One of the areas in my life that I succeed in best is packing and planning. I blame my tendency to want to control all aspects of my life, but it also means that nothing is forgotten regarding a trip we take!
If you need something, no matter how random, my bag most likely has it. The drive is just about three hours door to door for us to arrive at Walt Disney World, and though it isn’t that long, with a 7-year-old and 4-year-old, it can feel far longer.
I had my Dior Book Tote handy in the car. It sat nicely by my feet and left me plenty of room to be comfortable, and inside of it, I had pouches that each served a different purpose. I always have a medical bag containing everything from Tylenol to Epi-Pens. Another pouch was for my personal effects.
A larger bag held our snacks, and then the rest of the bag was there to carry everything and anything the kids handed me. The more compact pouches I will switch from bag to bag, so it makes switching out my bags seamless and ensures I am not leaving something important behind.
Dior is constantly releasing new and updated versions of its bags, and the print on this Dior Book Tote is whimsical and ethereal. This iteration features Dior’s Beige Multicolor Butterfly Bandana Embroidery. Another plus: the beige body of the bag won’t show dirt and wear as much as a lighter color.
I also used this bag for our afternoon at the pool. Obviously, a large bag for all the items I need to carry for my kids makes sense, and this bag again was filled with other pouches and bags to keep my bag from getting wet but still carrying all of my necessities.
As this was a short trip, my clothes were packed in the new Louis Vuitton LV Colormania Keepall from the recent Colormania collection. This bag fits plenty, and I love the pop of color.
The red felt perfectly fitting for our Disney trip, and the kids wound up with more stuffed animals than they could carry by the end, so I packed them in my bag! Also, with rising prices, this $2,500 Keepall feels pretty affordable for its large and practical size.
The Compact Park Bags I Carried
The standout star of our trip was my Gucci Diana Small Shoulder Bag. I have already used this bag and adore it (plus, I am a big fan of the Diana line), but using it while traipsing the parks has reinvigorated my love for the bag. I used the optional shoulder strap the entire time, again a pop of red, which is very Mickey and Minnie appropriate.
The bag has an easy fold-over top, which is always secure but also very easy to get in and out of. Another plus was I could fit a water bottle in this bag; if you know me, you know I always carry a water bottle. I like to consider it an emotional support water bottle, but again, that may just be me!
This bag was small yet mighty in every way possible, and I was so happy to still be able to carry a bag I love that also didn’t weigh me down and made my already long days easy.
I also started carrying my Sézane Claude Bag on this trip. This was the bag that came to Hollywood Studios with us, and I took it out of the room while the kids explored the property. It is relatively compact, and though Vlad had a backpack with the actual weighted items (like water bottles and snacks), I always want our emergency items and necessities accessible and with me.
This bag fits my small pouch with medical items, my phone, and our Disney cards to swipe for all the rides and room. It was light, I could carry it crossbody, and it still gave me the comfort of having my own bag with my belongings – which is also essential to me (and my controlling nature, ha)!
Staying at the Four Seasons Orlando
As a hotel lover, I must share our incredible stay at the Four Seasons Orlando! This is my first time staying at this property, though I am an avid Four Seasons hotel fan, and I may forever use this as my go-to Disney resort hotel. This hotel is considered part of Disney Hotels, which includes perks like early park entry.
While our stay was not comped, the hotel knew we were coming to celebrate Millie’s birthday and upgraded our room to a suite overlooking the evening fireworks! We were greeted with lots of treats for the kids, delivered balloons for Millie’s birthday (I could order these to the room with the concierge), and had a memorable character breakfast with Goofy, Mickey, and Minnie.
Every trip I’ve ever taken to Disney has involved at least one morning or afternoon relaxing at the hotel pool, and we continued that tradition with our kids on this trip. It’s a reprieve for the parents and kids alike, and we must have gone around the lazy river about 54 times.
I have three major takeaways from this trip:
- Disney with your kids is amazing, expensive, exhausting, and memorable
- If you haven’t been to Disney in years, it is nothing like you remember, so you better research ahead of time and
- A small, usable, functional bag is out there, and I will keep testing them and finding which of my bags works for each situation!
