Prepare for Chilly Weather! The Ultimate Disneyland Paris Backpack List for Winter – 10 Things You Need to Pack (Or Regret it Later)

You have been dreaming of your Disney trip for months, and now it’s almost here! But before you head to the parks, there’s one important task at hand: packing your backpack for Disneyland Paris in winter.

To ensure you have the most comfortable and stress-free day possible, I have compiled the ultimate Disneyland Paris backpack list for winter. I’ll also share my 5 favourite Disneyland Paris backpacks for all your park-hopping adventures!

The Ultimate Disneyland Paris Packing List for Your Backpack in Winter

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1. Be Prepared for Sun, Rain and Snow

The weather at Disneyland Paris in winter is a real mixed bag. While you can get gorgeous winter sun, it’s coupled with very low temperatures, especially in the morning. It is common to have cloudy days with spots of rain. Sometimes you can even get winter storms and – occasionally – snow! It’s best to double-check the Paris weather forecast 2-3 days before your trip as predictions often change at the last minute.

Protect your face

It probably sounds mad when we are talking about cold wintery weather, but don’t forget your sunscreen. A good SPF for your face is essential for being outside all day.

Stay dry

Another must-have item for your Disneyland Paris backpack is an emergency poncho. Showers happen when you least expect it and being wet is no fun. I like to take an extra-large poncho so I can pull it over my backpack, too.

Avoid Wet, Freezing Feet

My most recent GENIUS packing list item is shoe covers. They are so fantastic because they fold up, are lightweight and keep my shoes completely dry. It means I never have to pack our heavy boots when there’s only a small chance of rain.

I also make sure to pack an extra pair of dry cosy socks. My kids always find the deepest puddles! Having an extra pair of dry socks has saved us from hours of misery.

Keep Your Hands Warm

In snowy weather, or just when temperatures really dip, consider taking disposable hand warmers. These are so cosy to have warming your coat pockets and gloves on icy mornings.

2. Check Out These Tips for Staying Hydrated and Energised 

Sometimes we forget that wintery weather can be just as drying as summer sun. Here are my best tips for water bottles and hot drinks. And a list of my favourite snacks for Disneyland Paris.

Water Bottles  

Make sure to bring a water bottle with you (this collapsible bottle has served us well. Or these Sistema bottles – the 460ml size is big enough to get enough water and small enough to fit in the side pocket of most backpacks).

Where to Find Working Water Fountains at Disneyland Paris in Winter

🤓 GOOD TO KNOW: Most of the water fountains at Disneyland Paris don’t work in the winter because their pipes would freeze up. But here’s a list of the ones that do!

🚰Winter water fountains open – Disneyland Paris (Main Park) 

• Main Street: In the Arcades on the right side, near The Coffee Grinder
• Discoveryland: Inside Café Hyperion, near the toilets
• Discoveryland: At the toilets next to Autopia
• Frontierland: Inside the queue to Big Thunder Mountain (not the one at the exit)
• Fantasyland: At the toilets near Bella Notte restaurant

🚰 Winter water fountains open – Walt Disney Studios 

• Disney Studio 1: As you come to the end of the shops in Studio 1, there are toilets on the left side and water fountains
• Worlds of Pixar: Near Souvenirs of Paris (by Ratatouille) there are toilets with water fountains
• Avengers Campus: There is a water bottle refill point near the toilets outside PYM Kitchen
• Production Courtyard: Near the exit for Tower of Terror are toilets with a water fountain

⭐ You can also find the locations of all water fountains in the Disneyland Paris app. Go the ‘Map,’ scroll to ‘Services’ and select ‘Water Fountains.’

✏️ PRO TIP: Water is also safe for drinking from the regular taps inside the toilets

Hot Drinks

On cold or rainy days, I pack a flask for hot drinks.

You can fill it with a hot drink from your hotel if it has a kettle. Or some Disney hotels have hot drinks machines – ask at reception for details.

If your hotel doesn’t have one, you could take a travel kettle to make yourself a hot drink in the hotel room.

Sometimes I just grab an extra-large (Venti) coffee from Starbucks and put that in my flask for later. My flask can keep it warm for hours.

If you like herbal tea, bring a tea bag with you. The refreshment stands will usually oblige you with a cup of hot water.

Not brought anything with you? Don’t worry, you can buy hot drinks in the parks. The hot chocolate and crepes combo is a must-do at Disneyland Paris. It’s heavenly to enjoy in front of the castle. (So good, I named this blog after it!)

Snacks

Having a few snacks in your Disneyland Paris backpack will make those winter queues much more enjoyable.

❓FAQ: Can I bring drinks and snacks into Disneyland Paris?

Yes! You can absolutely bring refreshments and food into the parks.

You can’t bring anything that needs cooking, any alcohol or glass bottles. Cool boxes are not allowed either.

WHat snacks to Bring to Disneyland Paris (15 ideas!)

• Wrapped pastries (ie pain au chocolat)
• Protein bars
• Nutrigrain Strawberry or Blueberry bars
• Plain rice cakes, caramel rice cakes or chocolate rice cakes
• Popcorn or crisps
• Fruit Yo-Yo Bear
• Tiny bags of Haribo
• Graze boxes, flapjacks, corn nuts
• Dried mango, banana chips
• Fruit and nuts, macadamia and dried cranberry
• Maryland chocolate chip cookies
• Rice Krispy bars
• Small juice boxes
• Mini cans of soda
• Mini squeezy squash to flavour water

3. We Love: Tech, Apps and Entertainment for Our Phones

If you’re visiting during the busy Christmas and New Year season, you will no doubt find yourself in a sizeable queue at some point. Here are the things you need for your phone to survive the waits and navigate the parks.

✔️ A Sizeable Power bank

Taking hundreds of photos and checking the Disneyland Paris app frequently with your phone will seriously drain your battery.

So make sure you have enough power for everything.

Perhaps one of the most important things to pack in your Disneyland Paris backpack is a good power bank. I love this Anker battery pack because it can power 2 devices at the same time and has 20,000mAH (enough to charge my phone 4 times). In other words, it will really last your whole day!

✔️ Apps to help you at Disneyland Paris

Before you leave home, make sure to download these two essential apps to your phone:

• The Disneyland Paris official app. It has character meets, parade times, fireworks, shows, a map, mobile food orders and more. It’s your lifeline for visiting the parks.
• MagiPark app. This app is fantastic for wait times. You can also get wait times in the DLP app, but MagiPark is easier to use. Best of all, you can save your favourite rides as a widget. Then, every time you tap your phone, the ride times will come up. That saves me loads of time (and phone battery, too).

✔️ Games to play in line

There are sometimes when you’ve just had enough of talking to your family, right?

To entertain everybody, there’s a game app you can download called HeadsUp. You will definitely see other families playing it, too! It’s a popular and fun game with family-friendly categories.

Other classic games you can play in the queue that don’t require your phone:

• Rock, Paper, Scissors
• Eye Spy
• Alphabet Game
• I went to the shop. I bought…
• Fortunately/Unfortunately (make it as silly as possible for the best effect)

4. Don’t Forget Health and Hygiene Essentials for Your Disneyland Paris Backpack List

Let’s be honest – any place with crowds of people will also have plenty of germs. So be sure to bring hand sanitisers and wipes. And it never hurts to be prepared in case someone in your group has an accident or is not feeling well.

Headaches and Motion Sickness

🤓 GOOD TO KNOW: French law dictates that Paracetamol can only be bought from the Pharmacie, so you won’t find it in Disney parks or at your hotel. Be sure to pack headache tables and bring Calpol for the kids.

If you suffer from motion sickness, consider packing travel sickness patches to help with feeling queasy on the rides.

Mini First Aid Kit

My older children don’t fall that much anymore, but, when they were little, I always packed a little pot of Savlon, Arnica and a few plasters in a sandwich bag. Disneyland is so exciting and it’s easy to run along and scrap a knee or bump an elbow.

Keeping Clean

I always, always pack anti-bacterial hand gel, hand wipes and travel tissues in my Disneyland Paris backpack.

✏️ PRO TIP: I find that anti-bac spray is easier than hand gel for kids, especially as you’re coming off a ride or about to eat. You can usually find it at Ocado and on Amazon.

• My children love eating at the buffet restaurants, but you can imagine how many hands are touching all those serving spoons. Hand sanitiser helps us swerve some of those germs.
• My backpack is never without hand wipes; they are not only terrific for sticky fingers but for wiping up messy tables, too. I prefer the biodegradable wipes from Panda.
• And finally, travel tissues are another must-have. If only for dabbing my eyes that somehow become wet during the fireworks…

5. Fun Disney Stuff You’ll Want to Have

Much more exciting than hand gel and power banks – let’s talk about fun stuff for your Disneyland Paris backpack!

• Planning on seeing a few characters? Bring an autograph book and pens. There are some in the park but they are hard to find and often sell out. I like these personalised autograph books from Etsy. And don’t forget your Sharpies!

• My favourite item in my Disney park bag is my Minnie Mouse Ears. I collect them in all colours and designs, and they serve as a lovely keepsake when I get back home, too. In the parks they range from €18-35, depending on design.

✏️ PRO TIP: I love having a Mouse Ears clip for my bag. When my Ear Headband starts giving me a headache, I just use a Mouse Ears Clip (pictured above with ears and below without ears) on to my backpack, so that they don’t get crushed inside it. I had mine customised with my name and favourite colours.

• Another item to pack is a Disney Trading pin or two. They need to be authentic and there are only a few places that do trading in the park. But it’s so fun! The best place to buy and trade pins is Pueblo’s Trading Post (near Lion King) or the Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building. You can also buy pins ahead of time from the Shop Disney UK store.

• Plan on staying till after dark? Glowsticks are another fun thing for your park bag, especially for kids. We like to give away our extra glowstick bracelets when waiting for the fireworks.

6. More Bags!

Rather than having all my bits and bobs spilling out everywhere in my bag, I take a couple of smaller bags to keep organised.

• A ‘nice to have’ item for your Disneyland Paris backpack is an extra plastic bag. If there’s a shower, it’s great to put a wet poncho or hoody in it. You could also use it to keep things extra dry within your backpack.
• I also like to pack a few sandwich bags. They’re great for tucking away a half-eaten lollipop or some leftover snacks/lunch to eat later.
• It’s also nice to have an extra carrier bag to bring souvenirs back to your hotel.

7. Your Valuable Essentials

Don’t forget to pack all your valuables in a secure place inside your backpack (also see Tip #9 for personal safety hacks).

• Your mobile phone is (of course) absolutely integral. Wi-Fi is available for free in the parks. If you need to make calls, check with your mobile service provider before you leave home.
• Also pack a travel wallet with your ID, debit/credit cards, and a small amount of cash in Euros. If you are visiting from the UK, make sure to have your GHIC (health card) and travel insurance on you in case of any health emergencies.
• And it is important to have a printed copy of your Disney park ticket and park reservation (unless you have a Magic Card from your Disney hotel). Although electronic tickets work at the barriers, a paper ticket and reservation will move you through the cast member checks before the entrance much faster.

8. Personal Care

No backpack list is complete without those little daily essentials we use all the time to make ourselves comfortable – especially in colder weather.

• Pack a zip pouch with self-care items like lip balm, hand cream and a mini nail file. You won’t believe how dry it is in the parks! You can pop your makeup, passport or snacks in there, too.
• You should also add to your backpack list important items like spare contact lenses, medication and asthma sprays.
• Feminine hygiene products are an easy one to forget, so pack a few necessities if you think you might need them. If you get caught out, they don’t have any products in the restrooms, but you can buy pads from the stroller rental store.
• And finally, small children will need special items like changing bags, spare clothes, and comfort toys.

➡️ Check out my complete list of What to Pack for Kids

9. Backpack and Phone Safety

It pains me to say this (because Disney should be all about pixie dust and Mickey ice cream bars). But, once in a while, someone falls prey to a nasty thief while on their holiday. So be especially careful with your backpack in crowded places, such as watching the fireworks and boarding the hotel shuttles. Here are some items I like to take to keep my belonging extra safe.

• Make sure to tuck valuables in a zipped pocket inside of your bag. And consider backpacks that have two zippers so that you can use a lock to secure them together so the bag can’t be opened. I have this mini padlock for my luggage.
• You could also think about using a waist pack to keep your money and valuables hidden away. This money belt comes in different colours and has RFID protection for your credit cards.
• I really love my phone lanyard – it keeps my phone safely tight to my body. It’s also handy for grabbing character photos on the fly! I bought a phone rope from Primark and also this phone lanyard from Amazon.

Look cute in the rain! Everything You Need to Know About What to Wear at Disneyland Paris for Every Season

🌟 BONUS: The 5 Best Disneyland Paris Backpacks

Now that you know everything to put inside your bag, what about the backpack itself?

I am really fussy about my Disney park bag because I go to the parks so often. They have to be lightweight (for my aching back), have lots of pockets so I can be organised, and be big enough to hold everything on my Disneyland Paris backpack list.

These Are My Favourites

1. The best bag for charging your phone and keeping safe: This pink waterproof backpack has a USB port and double zips to lock it safely (it comes in black too).
2. The classic Fjallraven Kanken is the backpack my family buys again and again. We all have this bag (in multiple colours) because it has great pockets for your water bottle, it’s lightweight and the small handle is perfect for scooting it on and off the rides quickly. Plus, Kanken is such good quality and they last forever. I love it for flights, too, as it fits easily under the seat and opens nicely while flat.
3. This Korean schoolgirl backpack is what I’m using right now. I love its Kawaii style for displaying my Disney characters and pins. It has loads of pockets and is the perfect size for all my bits and bobs.
4. Best Mickey bag for kids: Asda always pulls through for a great selection of Disney apparel that doesn’t cost the earth. Their stock changes all the time, but currently, they have a Disney 100 bag that is too cute not to buy! 
5. For die-hard fans: The Loungefly Backpack. You will see sooo many of these at Disneyland Paris. And for good reason – they are so cute! I honestly can’t pick a favourite Loungefly; there are hundreds of thousands of designs in literally every movie, every character and every theme you can possibly imagine. I own three of them and would buy a dozen more. Except for the fact that they are a little small when I’m at Disneyland solo 😭 Not a problem if you have a partner with a bigger bag to hold more (my husband has extra room in his backpack) or perhaps take a second bag/carrier bag for your larger items. 

All That’s Left is to Get Packing for Disneyland Paris!

This concludes your ultimate Disneyland Paris backpack packing list in Winter. You are now fully prepared for a day of magic and adventure even on the coldest, wettest days in December, January and February.

With these tips in mind, you will keep warm, keep safe and snap a thousand photos. Your Disney winter adventure awaits – so get packing!