I Spent Weeks Prepping My Disney World Packing List—Here’s What I Brought
To quote Scar from the Lion King, be prepared

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I booked my March trip to Disney World almost a year in advance, but the day we confirmed our stay at the Polynesian Resort was the same day I launched a shared Google doc with my husband titled, “Disney World packing list.”
I’ll admit: I’m a bit Type A—hence the advance planning. But at the same time, my brain started flashing back almost immediately to past trips as a child (like in seventh grade when my fam all wore cute matching ponchos) and to more recent Instagram carousels posted by friends who were dressed on-theme (hey, if there’s one place to shout your love of Moana from the rooftops, it’s Disney World—and more specifically, Epcot, but more on that later). These memories and observations helped me realize: Disney World is a place where photo ops abound and core memories are made every minute. The last thing I wanted was to be caught on a search for sunscreen or without a character T-shirt. So, without further ado, a list of the things I’m so glad I carried—and the Disney World essentials I’ll be sure to bring back for future trips.

Rachel Bowie
Senior Director, Special Projects and Royals
- Writes and produces family, fashion, wellness, relationships, money and royals content
- Podcast co-host and published author with a book about the British Royal Family
- Studied sociology at Wheaton College and received a masters degree in journalism from Emerson College
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