Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in this section, we'll advocate wearing a hip pack. Each layer should be sufficiently
compactible to fit easily in that hip pack, along with whatever else is in it.
ACCESSORIES
I (BOB) WANTED TO CALL THIS PART
“Belts and Stuff,” but Liliane (who obviously
spends a lot of time at Macy's) thought “Accessories” put a finer point on it. In any
event, we recommend pants for your children with reinforced elastic waistbands that
eliminate the need to wear a belt (one less thing to find when you're trying to leave).
If your children like belts or want to carry an item suspended from their belts, buy
them military-style 1-inch-wide web belts at any Army/Navy surplus or camping-
equipment store. The belts weigh less than half as much as leather, are cooler, and are
washable.
SUNGLASSES
The Florida sun is so bright and the glare so blinding that we recom-
mend sunglasses for each family member. For children and adults of all ages, a good
accessory item is a polypropylene eyeglass strap for spectacles or sunglasses. The
best models have a little device for adjusting the amount of slack in the strap. This
allows your child to comfortably hang sunglasses from his or her neck when indoors
or, alternately, to secure them fast to his or her head while experiencing a fast ride
outdoors.
HIP PACKS AND WALLETS
Unless you are touring with an infant or toddler, the largest
thing anyone in your family should carry is a hip pack, or fanny pack. Each adult
and child should have one. They should be large enough to carry at least a half-day's
worth of snacks, as well as other items deemed necessary (lip balm, bandanna, anti-
bacterial hand gel, and so on), and still have enough room left to stash a hat, poncho,
or light windbreaker. We recommend buying full-size hip packs as opposed to small,
child-size hip packs at outdoor retailers. The packs are light; can be made to fit any
child large enough to tote a hip pack; have slip-resistant, comfortable, wide belting;
and will last for years.
Do not carry billfolds or wallets, car keys, park tickets, or room keys in your hip
packs. We usually give this advice because hip packs are vulnerable to thieves (who
snip them off and run), but pickpocketing and theft are not all that common at Walt
Disney World. In this instance, the advice stems from a tendency of children to inad-
