Disney World Bag Policy: What Can You Bring?

There was a day that you could bring just about anything that you wanted into the Disney World theme parks and the Disney World bag policy was pretty loose. Those days however are long long gone. So what can you bring into Disney World?

I know a lot of you have questions about this and some of you realize that these rules have changed in recent years. So I’m going to take the time and try to lay out all of the different things that you can bring and cannot bring into the Disney World theme parks.

What Bags Can You Bring Into Disney World?

You can bring any style bag into Disney parks, however, they must be no bigger than 24″ long by 15″ wide by 18″ high. Most people bring backpacks or purses. Personally, I wouldn’t want to bring something that big into the parks. When we go I try and bring as small a bag as I can so that I am not lugging a heavy bag around all day. I do enough of that carrying all of the souvenirs that I buy…lol. I like a manageable size that I can have what I need and a little room if I need it.

On our last trip, I used my Lounge Fly bag and it was the perfect size for my wallet, phone, personal needs and even had room to stash my Minnie Ears once they gave me a headache. I know that families with small children will need bigger bags but for us that works really well being that my daughter was willing to carry her own Lounge Fly bag with her necessities. 

What Food Can You Bring Into Disney World?

It’s common for families to bring in snacks for little ones to keep them happy. Some people bring a bit more. If you are trying to save a bit of money on food it is possible to pack a small cooler with lunch and eat it in the parks. There are a few things to keep in mind of you are doing that though. 

From the Disney website 

Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers and do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors. Inform a Security Cast Member of any food items when you enter the park.

What Can’t You Bring Into Walt Disney World?

There is a long list of items that are not allowed into the parks. A lot of them are for good reasons.

• Firearms, knives, and weapons of any kind, including pepper spray. 
• Toys or objects that may look like a weapon.
• Marijuana or any illegal drugs/substances.
• Fireworks or any flammable or explosive objects.
• Alcoholic beverages. These are obviously allowed to be brought to the resorts as well as select restaurants in Disney springs that allow them to be brought in.
• Any glass containers. The only exception is baby food jars for little guests.
• Horns, whistles, megaphones, and noisemakers.
• Recreational toys such as drones, remote control toys, skateboards, scooters, skates as well as shoes with built-in wheels. The exception are bicycles in select areas at Disney resorts.
• Strollers that are larger than 31″ wide and 52″ long. Wagons are also not allowed. Also, any trailer-like object that can be towed behind a stroller or ECV. I know this may be a pain for some families but for the most part, I think everyone is happy to have those monster strollers and wagons gone from the parks.
• As stated above, any suitcase, bag, cooler, or backpack with or without wheels bigger than 24″ long by 15″ wide by 18″ high. Loose ice in any bag is also not permitted. Reusable ice bags are recommended.
• Folding chairs are not allowed in any park or Disney Springs.
• Selfie sticks, handheld extendable poles for cameras or mobile devices as well as flags or banners.
• Tripods are allowed as long as they do not extend beyond 6 feet and can be carried in a standard backpack.
• Balloons and plastic straws are not allowed in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In all other parks, they are permitted. 
• Non-Coast guard approved flotation devices or swim noodles are not allowed at any water park.

As with anything this list can be changed or modified at any time.

Why Can’t You Bring Ice Into Disney World?

In March of 2019 Disney World banned loose ice in coolers in the parks. Instead, you can use reusable ice bags or simply just fill plastic zip bags with ice. A lot of people were confused as to why this happened. Basically, it was implemented as part of Project Stardust.

In this project, Disney was trying to streamline bag check with the expected increase in visitors for Galaxy’s Edge. After the parks reopened in the summer of 2020 all four parks, as well as Disney Springs, have the new style bag checks where you don’t even have to take off your bags. It makes me curious if that was planned all along within that project or it was put in place because of the virus.

Can You Bring Animals Into Disney World?

Only service animals are allowed into the theme parks, Disney Springs, water parks, and on Disney Transportation. For limited time dogs (limit of 2 small) that are not service animals are permitted at select Disney Resorts as part of a pet-friendly pilot program. The rules of that program can be found here. While at those specific resorts the dogs are limited to the room and designated pet relief areas. Not all rooms in the resort are designated as pet friendly so that guests such as myself with allergies to dogs do not have to come in contact with them.

Can You Bring Costumes Into Disney World?

In Disney World children under the age of 14 can wear costumes however adults are not allowed to wear costumes of any kind unless they are attending a Halloween party. This so that very little guests do not get confused as to who the characters are and who regular guests are. A lot of adults like to “Disney Bound” to still feel like they are channeling their favorite character. Disney Bounding is putting together an outfit of regular clothing that is in the same color scheme and design as their favorite character.

Conclusion

I know that while planning a trip it can be tough to make sure you are bring the right items with you and not mistakenly bringing items that you shouldn’t. Thats why I started this blog in hopes to help people figure out trip planning.

If you still want more help planning your next trip I 100% recommend using The Vacationeer as a travel agent. They go above and beyond for the clients and they are the only ones that I can say that I would trust to plan my families travel.