Packing for a spring-time theme park vacation used to give me nightmares. I would over-pack clothing and completely leave out necessities. 
This resulted in paying full price for things like sunscreen and having to unpack and put away clothes we never even wore. To save you from packing nightmares, here are my spring packing tips…
Clothing
Average springtime temperatures in Orlando are in the mid 80s, but it can get blistering hot! Light clothing like shorts and t-shirts are good choices. Light colors and lightweight fabrics are even better. That being said, this is Florida we’re talking about, so throw in one light sweater and one pair of pants for each person in the group. That should be plenty.
Sun Protection
I’ve had to buy so many over-priced tubes of sunscreen
over the years by forgetting to pack this seemingly obvious item. (Tip: waterproof aerosol sunscreen works best.) I also pack hats or visors for the kids. They are lightweight and if they get dropped or lost, they aren’t as expensive as sunglasses to replace.
Heat Relief
Leap loves those cooling scarves. They pack easily and don’t weigh anything at all, so if they make him happier, they’re going in the suitcase. I also bring misting fans for the kids. As much as they drive me crazy, I’d rather pay less by buying them in advance from an online store like Oriental Trading.
Swimsuits
Of course you’ll pack the swimsuits, but make sure to pack one-pieces that don’t have any hardware, clasps or buckles. These types of suits stay in place much better on the fast slides (if you know what I mean) and don’t get snagged on the way down. I usually bring two suits for each person so we don’t have to put wet ones on in the morning.
Water Park Necessities
- Water shoes – They are recommended for the water parks and I always feel better when Tad and Lily take off hopping over the wet surfaces with their little booties on. Plus, it’s much more sanitary for their little frog feet when they use the bathrooms.
- Towels – I pack one or two beach towels for safe measure,
![Typhoon Lagoon]( "Typhoon Lagoon")
but we usually just rent them at the water parks. This way you won’t have as much laundry to do when you get home! - Cooler – As long as you can safely carry it, any type of cooler is typically permitted at water parks. I prefer the soft-sided ones that I can stuff in my luggage though.
- Wet bag & a change of clothes – I use the fancy wet bags (aka garbage bags) to throw our wet suits in at the end of the day. A fresh change of clothes makes the trip back to the room much more comfortable.
Read more about planning your visit in our Orlando Planning Guide.
Happy Planning!
