Things to Bring Along for a Day at the Amusement Park

Packing light is the secret recipe for a day packed with fun at your favorite amusement park. Indeed, ignore this essential rule and sooner than later, you may end up regretting you have carried so many useless items with you. Carefully handpicking the essentials will allow you to enjoy walking in the park, hopping from one ride to another without carrying a heavy burden along the way. Following is a list of the essentials you should pack for a day full of fun without getting that annoying shoulder pain derived from carrying a heavy bag.

• Cell Phone

On the top of the list should be your cell phone. Your cell phone can come handy in various situations. At the park entrance take a picture of your child with your cell phone. You will have a great memory of the park and a helpful fresh picture should your child get lost. If possible have  other family members bring their own cell phone as well, this choice will be remarkable in case you accidentally split from one another. Cell phones are also great for asking for directions, using the calculator to have an idea of how much a dinner will cost, checking the time and contacting your hubby at the other side of the park waiting in line to hop on the next ride. 

• Swim Suit

More and more amusement parks offer water rides for visitors to enjoy. This is a great idea for those scorching hot summer days. A good idea is to wear your swim suit under your shirt and shorts so to not carry it around and then go change in a rest room. A great piece of advice is to leave the water rides for last: this way you will avoid having to wait to get dry in order to ride the traditional rides and you can head to rest room to change just before heading home.

• Waterproof Wallet

You will be thankful you have taken this with you. Waterproof wallets are a great idea for those folks heading to parks where water rides are present. This is a great solution to hold all your essentials such as  ID cards, cash, credit cards, keys, tickets and even pagers. These wallets will avoid the annoying cliche' of having to look for a friend or family member to hold your stuff while you go on the ride.

• Fanny Packs

If you need to bring along some more items then a fanny pack is the ultimate solution to store your stuff without worrying about carrying a purse around. Here you can keep some of your essentials while having your hands free and no annoying straps around you. if you are planning to go on water rides, look for some water proof specimens.

• Sun Protectors

Most likely you will visit the amusement park right at peak season when the sun is high in the sky and sending all those harmful UV rays. Make sure you arm yourself with a strong, waterproof sunscreen. sunglasses, a nice hat to protect yourself from the scorching heat. It is not uncommon for many park visitors to report serious burns from walking all day and standing in line! 

• Map

Amusement parks cover more and more space and most of them include several acres. Bringing along the map may be very helpful in case you get lost. It is a good idea to mark on the map your favorite attractions and points of interest. Make sure you also mark the toilets, first aid stations and missing children areas. You can always store your map in your fanny pack when not in use.

• Child Locator

These are essential for parents over worrying about their child getting lost in a crowded place as an amusement park. These handy gadgets work by emitting a loud sound as soon as you notice your child is amiss.  Many work for up to 150 feet away. 

Of course, do not forget to pack medication if you need them around the clock and inhalers if your child suffers from asthma. It is useless in most cases to bring lunch along as many theme parks prohibit this (always check first).  As seen, you can really pack light for you amusement park trip, after all, you are there to have fun and do not want to deal with the pain of having a heavy bag to carry around all day.