Disney Park Bags

There are a few things I want to post before I get into my trip report - the girls' park bags, which is this post, and pictures from our last beach day down at the Cape this year.  Those pictures will be up sometime this week.  Okay, now onto the park bags!

If you're active in the Disney sewing community, you know all about park bags.  If you've never heard of a park bag, well, it's exactly what you think it is - a bag designed to carry what you need for touring the parks.  During our trip almost two years ago, I felt like I was constantly rummaging through the bottom of the stroller, searching for the girls' autograph books or for a pen for character autographs.  I thought that the girls would be mature enough to carry their own bags on this trip and had planned to sew them each a bag.

I had planned to sew many, many things.

Here were my design requirements for their bags:

1. Should be big enough to carry their autograph books and a few small items but not any larger than necessary.  I didn't expect them to be pack mules.
2. Should have a zipper closure.  I didn't want any accidental dumping of bag contents.
3. Should be able to be worn easily and comfortably - preferably cross-body.

I looked for a pattern over the summer but didn't really find anything.  I figured I could pull something together but "pulling something together" usually means messing up and starting over again, of which I did not have time for.  August ended and I was way behind on my outfit sewing and had made zero progress with the bags.  Well, in my head, I had made some progress.  This is when I turned to Grammy to see what she could pull together.  She agreed with my requirements and ended up making the most perfect bags ever.

I'll start with Emily's Tink bag.



I wish that I could have photographed these in a whimsical manner but I couldn't so you'll have to deal with the cutting mat on the floor instead.



The front zipper pocket was just deep enough to hold items such as an extra hair elastic or an unworn Magic Band.



Apparently, my bag photography skills need some work.  There's the inside of the bag.

Anna's princess bag.





Allie's Minnie bag.





I added these little princess Minnie heads to their bags.  (Anna didn't want one.)  Emily called it "Disney spirit."



The girls loved their bags and carried them everywhere without being asked to.  I had feared that they would constantly take them off and toss them into the storage part of the stroller but that never happened.  It definitely made things a bit easier, especially keeping track of those important autograph books.  They even carried their (dry) rain ponchos in there as well.  My little kids are turning into big kids.