Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

When you’re packing up to go to the theme park, you want to be sure you are taking everything you need, but you don’t want to lug a suitcase around all day.

Here are Theme Park Mom’s top tips for packing your bag for a day at an amusement park:

1. Choose the right bag. You need a bag that has plenty of pockets for organization. It also needs to have a zipper closure so that you don’t drop things when getting on and off the rides. Theme Park Mom’s favorite bag is the Vera Bradley Villager. I got a compliment once from one of the security guards at the Walt Disney World bag check because my bag was so organized. The pockets on the Villager are the key. The other reason I recommend it is because it’s washable.

2. Downsize your wallet. We moms often have jam-packed wallets. You don’t need your checkbook, grocery store discount cards, warehouse club membership cards, library card or voter ID at the theme park. All that plastic can weigh your bag down. So switch to a smaller wallet that just holds the essentials — ID, health insurance cards and a credit/debit card, plus your cash. (more…)

Photo by CKramer

Many of the most popular theme park attractions contain 3-D elements. And they probably sound exciting to you, but 3-D can be terrifying to a child who has no idea what it is.

So the simple solution is to get them ready in advance. To avoid meltdowns on the big day, you should be talking to your kids about the different experiences they can expect to have at your chosen theme park, and 3-D is one of them. (more…)

Photo by mollypop

Martha Stewart’s Organizing Tip of the Day today is about packing.

A couple of things I thought were especially useful:

1. Martha says to pack clothes within other clothes to protect them. For example, place a pair of pants in your suitcase, lay a sweater on top and then fold the pants over.

2. When you think your suitcase if full, you can pick it up and drop it flat on the ground. The clothes will settle and you’ll get a little more room. (And the image of Martha throwing a suitcase around in her bedroom makes me chuckle.)

3. A couple of the commenters have suggested that you take old undies and socks on your trip, then throw them away to make room in your suitcase for souvenirs. I’d heard this tip before for European travel, but it makes just as much sense for theme park trips. You could also bring Dad’s old T-shirts for the kids to sleep in and then pitch them when packing.

Photo by Tigerzeye

Yes, here at Theme Park Mom we love making lists of things to take to the park. But there’s one thing we often see in the parks that really shouldn’t be there… denim.

Never wear denim to a theme park, and don’t let your kids do it either. No jeans, denim shorts, skirts and the like. No denim button-downs. No denim jackets.

Why? Denim is heavy, and it gets even heavier when it’s wet. Denim takes a long time to dry. And denim causes chafing.

So, you say that you’ve worn jeans to theme parks on numerous occasions, and you’ve always been comfortable. So be it. But get drenched once and see how you feel.

Your best bets at the theme park are lightweight, natural fiber clothing like woven cotton or linen. It will dry faster if you get wet, and, let’s face it, there’s usually a point in the day when you get wet.