Hi Erica!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I'll never forget the time I visited an amusement park where we were forced to pay to secure a small purse in a timed locker for one attraction. That's one of the reasons why I love Walt Disney World Resort so much; the Disney Parks teams have thought of everything to make Disney Days truly family and wallet friendly.
The majority of
Disney's thrill rides do offer a storage area, usually a mesh pocket, in your actual ride vehicle for your small valuables like hats, purses, water bottles and phones. Bigger items like backpacks can sit between your feet; for added protection a lot of guests step through the bag straps. I'm even happy to report that crossbody purses can be worn without any problems. Attractions that don't have pockets on the actual ride vehicle do have a specially designated area for your personal items built into that rides loading area, such as
Avatar Flight of Passage in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Here your stuff is secure in a cubby just a few feet away from you during the duration of the ride.
Bonus Tips: All guests can send non-food souvenirs purchased throughout their Disney Day to
package pickup at that park so you won't have to worry about your treasures on rides. Guests of a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel can even have these items delivered to their Resort Hotel. There are also
daily locker rentals in all four of Disney's theme parks and both water parks should you need them for larger items, or all of your food souvenirs.
We'll See You Real Soon, Erica!
~Kristen