Summer Park Bag Essentials for Disney World with Toddlers

The summer in Florida brings a new challenge to traveling with toddlers thanks to added heat, humidity and daily thunderstorms. It is important to not only make sure everyone stays in a good mood, but also keep everyone hydrated, rested and dry. That’s why its so important to be prepared with some summer essentials for your trip!

If you are traveling to Walt Disney World in the summer months (June-September), expect some rain. Daily thunderstorms typically occur in the afternoon and, while it doesn’t always rain everywhere, it is always important to be prepared. When it does rain you can get a lot in a short period of time. Getting caught in the rain will leave everyone soaked, but rest assured the sun will return and everything will dry up quickly.

A few well thought out preparations will help to make a week of summer park hopping with toddlers enjoyable for all!

Aside from the obvious diapers, wipes, change of clothes, here is a list of things we have found useful to have in our park bag during the peak of the summer months.

This post contains affiliate links – meaning Disney with Toddlers gets a small commission for your purchase at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions and reviews are my own. For our full disclosure click here.

1. Pack Protection from the Sun and Rain

It is imperative that you equip yourself and your family with protection from the elements, especially in the summer months. The weather in Florida in the summer is pretty predictable: hot, humid and a chance of rain daily.

Sunscreen, hats and sunglasses are all a good idea to have on hand for each member of the family.

Some parts of Disney have plenty of shade while others are wide open to the elements. Whether you are walking through the parks or sitting by the pool, you can expect to be in the sun – and nothing ruins a magical trip faster than a painful sunburn.

It’s a good idea to bring a poncho for each member of the family and one for your stroller as well. If it looks like rain as you park your stroller, it’s not a bad idea to throw a poncho or rain cover over it to protect your things from getting soaked.

I like to stock up on $1 ponchos from the Dollar Tree so that I can throw them away when we are done with them, but Disney also sells reusable ponchos for around $9. They even have child size, which may be big for toddlers but still a better fit than adult size.

2. Stay Hydrated on Disney Park Days

Staying hydrated is a must and it is something we often have a hard time remembering in the parks. It’s important to always have water on hand or you can easily forget to keep yourself and little ones hydrated.

First, we recommend grabbing these straps available on Amazon to attach a water bottle to the stroller within reach of your toddler. These straps can also be used for toys and are perfect for keeping dropped items from going unnoticed and being lost forever.

Having easy access to ice cold water all day is imperative. It is easy to refill throughout the parks at soda stations and water fountains. Most quick service locations will have free cups of water available as well.

A great water bottle option, and the one that we use, are YETI Ramblers because they keep water cold all day long, even in the summer. We like the 12 oz. Rambler Jr. for the kids and a larger size for ourselves. The handle can easily be attached to the stroller straps and the spill proof lid and straw make it perfectly toddler friendly.

3. A Stroller Fan is a MUST Have for Disney in the Summer

A definite must-have for summertime in Disney World is a stroller fan. More often than not there will be little to no breeze during the summer months. You’ll want to keep the stroller covered to protect from the sun, but that can block air circulation further.

A fan is sure to keep your toddlers cool and most are chargeable – just remember to plug them in when you get back to your room. A portable charger is also useful to have for many reasons, including a midday recharge.

This Momcozy Stroller fan is our current favorite. It can attach to various parts of the stroller and is rechargeable. For double strollers it might be a good idea to get two. We tried to make one work for both kids but there were times where they both really needed one.

4. Pack A Cooling Towel

These cooling towels are great for anyone in the family. We like to keep ours on the kids while they nap to make sure they stay cool. Disney sells their own in the parks for about $10 each.

Strollers usually do a great job of blocking the sun, but air circulation isn’t always the best so toddlers can get quite warm if they fall asleep in there. Draping one of these cool towels over their legs or around their shoulders helps keep their body temperature down.

I do recommend keeping it in a ziplock or a wet bag when not using it to keep it from drying out but you can easily wet it again at water fountains throughout the park.

5. Wet Bags are Useful for Your Disney Park Bag

I always recommend carrying wet bags with you in your park bag. These ones are my favorite, they’re small but hold a lot. These bags serve many purposes, including carrying your cooling towel, keeping wet clothes after being caught in a rainstorm or splash pad and are also just great for staying organized.

6. Puddle Jumpers for Disney Pool Days

If you plan to spend a day or two by the pool or at one of Disney’s water parks I suggest making sure your toddler is safe and prepared for a fun day without worry. All of the pools have vigilant lifeguards and life jackets available for guests to use.

Puddle Jumpers are far better suited for young toddlers, in my opinion and experience. I would recommend bringing one or ordering one on Amazon to be shipped to your hotel.

7. Water Shoes for Disney Water Parks and Pools

On the subject of swimming days, you may also want to have a pair of water shoes for your little ones. Pool decks and water park walkways get incredibly hot in the Florida sun and running from shade to shade can be a painful experience for tiny feet (and adult feet).

Shoes that can go in and out of the pool are also great for the water parks and splash pads you may encounter around the resort.

It’s also not a bad idea to have a change of shoes for those afternoon rainstorms. Nobody wants to walk around with soggy feet or wet socks.

Plan Ahead for A Magical Trip

The summer heat can add an extra layer to your planning, but if you come prepared it will ease any extra stress. Adding these few items to your park bag during the summer months will help to keep everyone in the family cool and more comfortable. For the full list of items we recommend for your park bag you can check out this post: Must-Have Items for Your Disney Park Bag with Toddlers: FREE Checklist

If you do forget anything important it is very easy to purchase it at the parks or nearby. Each park has a Baby Care Center where you can find baby essentials. Outside of the resort there are plenty of grocery stores and even a nearby Target and Walmart that are a short drive away or may even deliver to your resort.

Most importantly, keep it simple, stay hydrated and have fun!