Plan on bringing a bag you can comfortably wear all day, such as a backpack or sling bag to ensure you can be hands-free — HGTV recommends the Fjallraven tote — or if you have people in your party to split the load, go for fanny packs. If your bag gets too heavy, most theme parks have storage locker rentals.

A Comfortable Bag

Save some money by bringing an insulated, refillable, non-glass, water bottle. Some parks like Disney Parks will happily give you cups of ice water at certain food kiosks, so be sure to check with the park ahead of time to see if that is an additional option outside of water fountains.

Water Bottles

At first glance, cooling towels might just seem like a gimmicky buy, but once you use one for a long, hot park day you'll never go back without one. Just get it wet, wring it out, and put it around your neck for up to three hours of comfort, or wrapping the towel around leftover ice from water cups will help cool you off as well.

Cooling Towels

No matter what outdoor theme park you're heading to, you're going to want to bring sunscreen, so try opting for spray-on sunscreen to avoid the messiness that SPF lotions can create. Keep your sunscreen at or near the top of your bag for easy access to reapply throughout the day.

Sunscreen

If you're headed to a park in a locale that’s known for midday downpours, you're going to want to bring a poncho. Parks sell them, but it’s much more cost-effective to bring your own. They’re light and easy to pack and you can purchase a five-pack on Amazon for half of what one poncho will cost at Disney.

Ponchos