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A trip to the amusement park is a fantastic way to create lasting memories with family and friends, and as your foodie-friendly theme park website, I know a thing or two about packing for the parks.

A day at the theme park isn’t only about thrill rides and magical moments, it’s about food and snacks! But between corn dogs, churros, and butterbeer, it’s easy to forget the essentials that make your food-focused adventure smoother (and tastier).

So, this isn’t your average packing list. I’m sharing foodie-approved hacks to help you:

✅ “Sneak” in snacks without breaking park rules
✅ Keep leftovers fresh within reason (yes, you can take that giant turkey leg home)
✅ Navigate allergies safely
✅ Eat like a pro without overspending

Grab our free Ultimate Foodie’s Packing List below—it includes bonus park snack hacks!

Table of Contents

Food-Specific Packing Tips

I used to be a big eater, but I no longer can eat big portions so I had to find ways to not waste food when I was in the parks. So, if I know that I’ll be eating a lot in the park for content, here are ways that I try to mitigate food waste:

Snacks:

Duh! Bring in some snicky-snackies to tide you over in the lines.

A pack of gum (or tic tacs) to freshen your breath and have fun flavors to experience
Variety of granola bars and a pouch of goldfish
Fruit leather, or whatever else holds your fancy

Need ideas? Check our guide on Perfect Snacks to Bring Into Theme Parks.

Collapsible Containers for Leftovers: Theme park portions can be huge. Pack a silicone collapsible bowl (like this one) to save half that $20 BBQ platter for later. Only bring in what you need and leave the rest at home!

Pro tip: Use it to store pre-cut veggies and hummus for guilt-free snacking for snacking in line.

Ice packs: If you’ll be storing food as you walk around the parks for a while, you’ll want to keep it cool, and you’ll need to do that with an ice pack. I recommend the soft gel ice packs as they can double up as a cooling pack against your back if you’re wearing a large enough crossbody bag or backpack to ward off some of the heat – they start off as rock solid and soften as they defrost over time.

The set I’m recommending has done my family well in a cooler for at least 8-9 hours in a cooler or an insulated bag (can’t stress that enough), so in something that is not halve that. But when you’re at the park where you won’t be there for that long, this option is great for not only your food, but also for yourself!

Reusable Utensils & Straws

Trying to help the environment or sick of disposable everything? Bring in bamboo utensil sets and metal straws to you enjoy Dole Whip, milkshakes, and salads sustainably. Just remember to bring the cleaning brush for those straws in between drinks.

Some parks may or may not allow you in with the knife in the set, but if you’re wary about that simply leave it at home.

Amazon

Spice Kits & Condiment Packs:

Add flavor to bland fries or pretzels with –

Mini hot sauce bottles (to my fellow millennials, remember the obsession with those little sriracha bottles? yeaaah)
Everything bagel seasoning in a tiny container
Special sauce packets from home (you’re certainly not going to find sweet & sour sauce packets at Six Flags, so bring it if you’re gonna crave it)

Allergy Defense Kit:

For food allergies, pack –

Custom allergy cards
Reusable utensils and straws to avoid cross-contamination
Single-serve nut-free snacks (or whatever allergy / dietary-friendly snack you need)

To find the custom allergy cards, you can find them on our Navigating Theme Parks with Allergies Guide.

Must-Haves for Everyone

There are simply some essentials that you’ve gotta have with you–kinda like your keys, phone, wallet situation before you leave the house, y’know?–before heading out.

Tickets & ID: Don’t forget your park tickets or passes, and bring a valid ID for any age restrictions or purchases (like alcohol). Consider downloading the park’s app for easy access to maps, wait times, and show schedules (see below for links to some popular park’s apps).

⟶ Walt Disney World / Disneyland

⟶ Universal Orlando / Universal Hollywood

⟶ Dollywood

⟶ Six Flags (Apple / Android)

Comfortable Shoes

The average theme park goer walks roughly 10 miles daily. That’s a lot of pressure on joints, heels, and your body.

Opt for supportive, closed-toe shoes you can walk in all day. Consider water-resistant shoes if there’s a chance of rain or water rides.

Why I love these shoes: I recently bought Hoka’s and if you want to walk on marshmallows and be part of the trend you get these shoes. Yes, they’re incredibly expensive, yes, they’re not the prettiest shoe on the market, but they have lasted me for quite a long time as someone who has to walk 20,000 steps every single time I step into a park. So take that as you will!

Pro Tip: Get inserts for these shoes as the inserts originally made for these are not the greatest.

Amazon L.L. Bean

Cash & Cards: While most parks accept credit cards, it’s always a good idea to have some cash on hand for smaller purchases or lockers (if those parks are not 100% cashless). Consider bringing quarters for arcades or games.

Tip: More parks are moving away from cash, for example – Knott’s Berry Farm and all the parks under the Six Flags umbrella are 100% cashless and you’ll either need to convert cash to card at one of their ATMs or bring in your own card. When in doubt about where your park stands, call.

Sunscreen & Sunglasses: Protect yourself from the sun with broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) and a comfortable pair of sunglasses.

Recommendations: My favorite sunscreen is from Alba Botanica. It’s a spray-on, dark-skin friendly, coral reef safe, and smells like coconuts! However, I also love Black Girl Sunscreen‘s Moisturizing Sunscreen as it’s infused with moisturizing oils jojoba and avocado, melts into the skin like butter, smells like nothing, and is easy to apply without feeling like you’re spraying this all over others or around your food.

Reusable Water Bottle

Stay hydrated throughout the day! Bring a refillable water bottle to avoid buying expensive park drinks and reduce plastic waste.

Why I love to use reusable water bottles at the parks: I don’t like to contribute to environmental waste as much as possible, so this is a great way to mitigate against that. And there’s peace of mind being able to stash my thin water bottle in my crossbody and not have to worry about it is great as I don’t have to carry it around and worry about leaving it behind (which I have done on the monorail ???).

Tip: I will always speak highly of any steel, insulated water bottle as it keeps water cold for hours. Personally, I have used everything from Contigo to Hydro Flask to Owala brands. Just remember to bring it!

Amazon Stanley

Hand Sanitizer & Wipes: Keep clean throughout the day with hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. As you can probably imagine, theme parks are dirty places, so getting those hands clean in a jiffy in between meals is an easy way to go when you’re rushing around.

Pro tip: Clip a mini bottle of hand sanitizer to your backpack so you always have it when hopping off of a ride!

Phone & Charger

You don’t want to miss out on the memories, so stay connected with a fully charged phone and a portable charger for extended use.

Why I love bringing my own charger: I carry around a flat pink charger that can do roughly 4 full charge cycles on my iPhone. It’s slim enough to stash in my bag next to all of my snacks, keeping my phone alive not only for mobile food orders, but also for those iconic Butterbeer photos.

Fun fact: Some parks offer portable chargers for use (at Walt Disney World they use Fuel Rod, which you can buy in-park for $30 + tax and recharge for free, but if you buy outside of WDW you can get it for roughly $15), while others do not.

Fuel Rod (2) Slim Power Bank

Sun & Weather Protection

Hat: A wide-brimmed hat protects your face and neck from the sun. A baseball cap also works, anything to keep the sun’s rays out of your eyes, especially if you’ve got 4 eyes like me and don’t own prescription sunglasses. ?

Rain Gear / Umbrella: Pack a poncho or a small umbrella for unexpected showers. If you do pack an umbrella, I highly suggest you pack a specific kind–I know, I know, but I promise there’s a reason for this. Recently I brought in a regular umbrella to EPCOT vs an umbrella that blocked out UV rays and the difference was day and night.

I felt far cooler with the UV-blocking umbrella and it’s worth the extra money if you’re able to pay for it (the umbrella I own is from totes, but you don’t have to buy from them as they are a more expensive brand for absolutely no reason, haha).

Tip: You may scoff at this, but if you’re heading to Universal or Disney you’ll be paying roughly $10-15 for a poncho in the park (which is actually quite reasonable if you’re looking to buy a poncho you can reuse multiple times).

The benefit to the poncho is:

People retreat to the nearest locations where they won’t get wet
- under awnings, nearest restaurants, nearest indoor ride line
If it’s raining early on in the day, there’s less people in the park as they’d rather come in later when it’s dry (which means your food will be less rushed when you go to order it! yessss!)
They come in handy on water rides (e.g., Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom)

– that people will retreat to the nearest location where they won’t get wet; anywhere that isn’t a nearby ride line, giving you the run of the park while it’s raining. That means shorter lines for rides! Go with the poncho! It also comes in handy on water rides like Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom.

Cooling Items

A small, handheld fan or a cooling towel can be lifesavers on a hot day.

Why I love these cooling towels: When I went on my first planned out trip to WDW with my then-partner in 2018, these cooling towels were a life-saver in the disgusting, humid, hot Florida weather. I still have a set from Frogg Togg’s (which was recommended to me by members over at Disboard) and it has come in handy on numerous occasions since then.

Here’s how you use them – simply wet them under cold water, wring them out, and rest them across your shoulders. The towels will hold that cool feeling for hours. Then you top it up whenever needed. Much better than buying batteries for a handheld fan, but it wouldn’t hurt to have that on hand either.

Amazon Dick’s Sporting Goods

For Your Comfort

Alright, now, these aren’t necessarily things that you need, but they make your life a whole lot easier if you happen to be bringing a lot of the above items. I don’t think you want to be carrying any of those items in your arms, right? Right!

Cash Stash / Fanny Pack: You’ll want to keep valuables like your ID and cash close to your body with a money belt or fanny pack. Remember I mentioned earlier that most parks are going cashless? You won’t need to bring in a lot of cash anyway. Don’t take that to mean that you shouldn’t though, parks like Universal and Disney still take cash (especially during festival season), so just make sure your money is secure!

Sunglasses Case: Protect your sunglasses from scratches with a sturdy case, especially when you need to stash it in between rides.

Backpack or Bag

Choose a comfortable backpack or bag to carry your essentials throughout the day. Opt for a crossbody bag for added security on rides.

If you’re going to be bringing in those collapsible containers, you’ll definitely want to bring in a bigger bag than what I’m recommending (i.e., a Loungefly mini backpack or regular sized backpack)!

Why I love this crossbody bag: I used to use a purse, but it’s bulky. I finally decided to buy myself this sling crossbody bag at my local TJ Maxx and it was the best decision I made for my theme park trips. It carries my tall thin steel water bottle in the main pocket, snicky-snackies for when my stomach gets the rumblies in line, and any larger extras like my sunscreen.

Plus there’s a small pouch around the breast that carries my charging bank, phone, lip balm, and several cards, and it fits within the free lockers at Universal Orlando. Win-win to me! ?

Amazon lululemon

Lip Balm: Sun and wind can dry out your lips, especially when you’re waiting outside in line for that rollercoaster (and not hydrating yourself with water!). Pack a lip balm for on-the-go hydration (and bring extras). And if you’re all about looking cute while doing so, don’t forget to pack your cutest ones (my fave right now is Eadem’s Le Chouchou) while you’re at it.

Hair Ties & Headbands: Keep your hair out of your face during rides with secure hair ties or headbands (and yep, bring extras).

Pain Relievers: Pack a small amount of pain relievers in case of headaches or minor aches.

Extras for a Fun Day

Of course, there are some extra things you can pack to make your day go over better, especially if you’re tugging along the kiddos. You’ve got far more things to pack after all.

Wet Wipes: You’ll definitely want to pack these to clean sticky fingers or spills. Plus, they come in handy if you want to wipe down any surfaces that may not have been cleaned immediately by staff and you really need a place to eat and your kids are super fussy.

Ziploc Bags: Packable and versatile, Ziploc bags can hold wet items like swimsuits or protect your phone from splashes. Pack a variety of sizes (snack, sandwich, and freezer-size) so that things aren’t left out without a place to go.

Cash for Arcade Games: If you’re heading to a small hyper-local park (think Lake Compounce), they’re more likely to have an arcade as part of their offerings. Bring some extra cash or a card loaded with a specific amount to enjoy arcade games without breaking the bank.

Small First-Aid Kit: You don’t ever think anything is going to happen when you’re out having fun, but be prepared for minor scrapes or blisters with a small first-aid kit containing bandages, antiseptic wipes, and extra pain relievers.

Camera (Optional): If you prefer a camera over your phone, bring it with a comfortable strap. Just be prepared to go through security with it!

Change of Clothes (Optional – especially for young children): Pack a change of clothes, an extra pair of underwear, and an extra pair of shoes in case of spills or unexpected weather changes. To my adults, you may not think to pack an extra pair of underoos, but … think about it the next time. It comes in handy a lot more times than you realize. All that sweat? YEAH. ??

Small Towel (Optional): A small, quick-drying towel can be useful for drying off after water rides or wiping away sweat.

Things to Consider Leaving at Home

There are some items that simply do not belong on your personage when you’re at the park. I highly suggest you leave these things at home, not only because the parks forbid them, but because they’re either annoying but you would probably hate to lose them and there’s nothing that the park would be able to do about it if you were.

Large Bags or Bulky Items: Large bags or bulky items can be cumbersome and may not be allowed on some rides (or if you do choose to bring it, you’ll have to pay for those large-sized lockers at rides or within the general park area).

Expensive Jewelry: Leave valuable jewelry at home to avoid losing it on rides or from being stolen.

Glass Bottles or Containers: Most parks don’t allow glass bottles or containers for safety reasons. This goes especially hard at water parks! Imagine walking into the wave pool and stepping on broken glass? Yeah! That’s why they don’t allow it into the parks, because that sucks!

Selfie Sticks: Many parks restrict selfie sticks due to safety concerns, but also … that’s ridiculously annoying. Don’t be that person, puhhhh-leeeeaseee. Check the park’s website for their specific policy.

Conclusion

Remember, this checklist is a guide, but it will help you plan and pack ahead. Adapt it to your specific needs and preferences for a fun-filled and unforgettable amusement park adventure!

Additional Tips:

Check the park’s website for any specific restrictions on what you can bring inside (recommended: Food Policies at Theme Parks).
Pack light and wear layers to adjust to changing temperatures throughout the day.
Apply sunscreen generously and reapply every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating.
Stay hydrated by sipping on water.

And if you haven’t as of yet, please follow us on our other social media channels (YouTube, Instagram & Tik Tok – @themeparkbites) to stay up to date on food reviews. Thank you for allowing us to be your tasty theme park companion!

Theme Park Packing List: Foodie-Approved Essentials + Free Printable