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Its that time of year!   We just got our season passes to Carowinds (our local amusement park) and that reminded me… I need to tell you how we stay PREPARED when we are there, because with four kids, we need to be ready for anything.

So, today… 5 things you do not want to forget to to take to an amusement park.

A view of a roller coaster with text above it.

1- Pictures (FunPix
I am not one of those people to take pictures of our family on rides, but thankfully the parks do that for you.  Have you noticed how there are camera on all of the best rides that seem to capture you right when you are closing your eyes, screaming out loud, or throwing your hands into the air in anticipation of that giant rollercoaster hill?   Now we have a way to share them.  Yep!   … and our kids are ALL OVER IT.     We signed up for FunPix and now we have unlimited downloads of all of our Carowinds photos.   We have already shared ours with 3 of our son’s friends and my parents (yes, leave it up to a 9 year old to share the one of you hiding your face in his shoulder!)
Plus, with our FunPix car, we can have professional photographs all over the park or use our Park app to take our own pictures at their FunPix Photo Spots.    All of the photos go onto the app & I can download them as I please. 🙂
Pictures will spark memories, so while my kids may not want to stop & pose for me, I am making this a part of our memories and they will remember how much fun we had when they look back on these.

carowinds1

2- Antibacterial hand wipes
I keep a container of them in my car (the container fits in the cup holder) and I keep a little to-go pouch in my purse and another in my diaper bag. Four kids times eight hands = a lot of messes!    Plus, there is something about an amusement park that makes you hungry, so keep these on hand to use right before you eat.)

2- Drinks
Pack water bottles, but FREEZE THEM the night before- they are now ice packs & melt as you will need them.   If you go to a park often, it might be worth the investment to just buy a refillable park water bottle.   At Carowinds, we spent the extra money to just get a bottle that we can take back every time and refill as much as we need to, which ends up being a LOT throughout the day!  (They drink most of it while we are waiting in lines for our favorite rollercoasters!)

carowinds2

3- Put your kids in bright colored clothing.
While we spend a lot of our day in swimsuits (the kids play for a few hours at Carowind’s water park), when they aren’t in the water park, they are wearing BRIGHT shirts.  We pick shirts that are so bright & comfortable so they are cool, but we can find them anywhere.  We have neon green and orange at home, so I have them pick the same color and it makes them easy t spot when we are at an amusement park.

bright green

4- Wear shorts or a running belt to carry things. 
I usually ask Mickey to wear shorts with button pockets or I use my Fitletic Running Belt. It is supposed to be for running, but it is actually the perfect thing for a trip with kids.  You can’t see it because your shirt covers it, but it can hold your keys & cash while you are on a ride.
I hate taking our wallets, in case we would lose them, so Mickey just carries our Carowinds Season’s Passes into his pocket or I will put them in our Running Belt, along with one prepaid card with enough money for snacks and we leave the rest at home.    Plus, I won’t lose anything on a ride…

carowinds3

5- Make sure your kids know your cell numbers.
Have a plan for separation- we lost other grown ups, but thankfully we were able to pair one child per grown up, so they were always safe.   We did see lost children and they were scared and crying.  If your child does not know your number, get an Uh-oh band, or even a arm band (they are a dime a dozen) and write your number with a permanent marker.

disney tips - in case you get separated from your child

 

 

 

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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3 Comments

  1. Thanks for these tips- we are going away soon, so this would be great to get this info. now rather than later. 🙂 I always love your posts, Becky.