Top 5 items Every family needs at disney

When you conduct a search for the items you'll need to bring to Disney, you'll find what seems like a million opinions.  Our family went to Disney for the FIRST TIME in May, and we had lots of items with us that we never used.  Here's what we did use:
1. A backpack.  My husband carried a backpack every day of our five-day visit.  In it, we kept some of the things we'll mention below.  We found that if only one person carried a backpack, it was much less to keep up with than if all of us carried something.  While our 9yo did have a cute Loungefly mini backpack, the adults frequently had to carry or hold it for her.  The heat also made carrying a backpack strenuous, so my husband definitely took one for the team by being the designated backpack-wearer.
2. Water bottles.  Every single morning, we'd fill our water bottles with water and ice and pack them in the backpack.  The heat in Florida (even in May!) meant that our bottles were drained in the first two hours.  Fortunately, you can refill your water bottles at many refill stations or even at some restaurants, so we were able to drink all day long!
3. First Aid items.  Again, the backpack came in handy for carrying extra bandaids and other first aid supplies.  You'd be surprised at how quickly you'll find you need a bandaid for a blister (all that walking!), a chafing stick for weary legs, or a children's Tylenol for tired little feet.  
4. Portable phone chargers (like FuelRods).  All of those pictures you're taking on your phone at Disney quickly drain your phone battery.  There are kiosks throughout the parks for FuelRods, a portable phone charger that can be swapped out for a freshly charged charger at the kiosk.  We swapped ours a few times, so whether or not you invest in FuelRods, you'll definitely want to bring a portable charger, regardless.  Why not just bring a phone cord?  Well, you certainly can, but who wants to sit around waiting on a phone to charge?  We didn't have time for that, and we're betting you won't, either.
5. Non-perishable snacks.  A lesson we learned on the first day at Disney is that no one has fun if one of the kids is hungry.  We also learned that ordering food takes time.  Keeping non-perishable snacks in the backpack helps bridge the gap between the time you've realized you need to feed your kids and the time when the food is in front of them.  We kept items like beef jerky, nuts, and even fruit snacks in the backpack for hangry kids (or their parents!).  
HONORABLE MENTION: While our kids were too old for a stroller, we can definitely see the benefit in having a stroller at Disney.  This could eliminate the backpack completely or accommodate the extras that littles truly need.  Additionally, a stroller can cut down on the exhaustion levels of your kids, and extend the enjoyment for everyone in your family!

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