Welcome to planDisney, Mike!
As the mom to three little ones, including a tiny princess that we just welcomed into our family, we've carried backpacks and diaper bags for many miles around the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. And trust me...a great way to ensure you have an awesome theme park day is to ensure you have all of your essentials with you in your park bag throughout your day!
The attractions at Walt Disney World Resort all have different ride vehicles that will accommodate bags and backpacks differently. Many attractions, such as
"it's a small world",
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and
Haunted Mansion, have plenty of room to fit your backpack with you in your ride vehicle on the seat or the floor. On fast attractions where you need to secure yourself during the ride, such as
Expedition Everest or
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, you will need to secure your backpacks more carefully. Generally, you'll find a netted bag for smaller belongings on those vehicles, which may not fit your backpack. I like to put my legs through my backpack straps so it securely hangs from my lap as we ride. Cast Members can also direct you to a location to leave your bag if it can't be accommodated with you in the ride vehicle. There are a few attractions, such as
Soarin' Around the World and
Avatar Flight of Passage, where you can't hold your backpack during the ride. These attractions have specific storage locations for all of your belongings and Cast Members will direct you to those locations as you are boarding.
Mike, keep in mind that if you are riding water attractions that include any splashes, such as
Pirates of the Caribbean, the floors of the boats are often wet and I recommend that you avoid putting your backpack on the floor to keep it dry. Also, you can always
rent a locker in the theme park to enjoy some time in the park without your backpack, while it's securely stored in your locker. Finally, per
Walt Disney World Resort Property Rules, your backpack must be smaller than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high (61 cm x 38 cm x 46 cm) to be admitted into the parks.
Feel free to come back to see us if we can help you again! T-T-F-N, ta ta for now!
~Crystal