Carowinds: What to PACK

This year we opted to purchase season passes for everyone. If you are like me you don't have $400 and some change just lying around to be spent on anything. I decided to do the "Easy Pay" option which breaks the balance down into easily affordable monthly payments. The best thing? You can USE them while you are making making payments! How awesome is that?

My down payment was a little more than my monthly payments because of taxes and fees, but my monthly is just $62. That is for THREE season passes and THREE all you can drink cups. 

So with that in mind, we are spending a ton of time at Carowinds. (Parking is also included in that Season Pass!)

We've learned really quickly what to pack and what to leave. 

Tristan in his stroller, it works for when he gets tired and wants to nap.

1.) Do pack your own Stroller or Wheelchair. The rental for one of these is over $15 and the manual wheelchair is SKETCHYYYY. It tipped me forward a few times, on multiple chairs. (Side note: I have a bone disease and most days I cannot walk long distances.) An Electric Wheelchair is $50 to rent and a $10 refundable deposit. The strollers are ok if you don't have one but if you have your own the storage underneath the stroller is perfect. You are going to have a lot of things that you are going to be toting around if you are at the park with children.

2.) Ziploc Baggies. They fit easily into the bottom of anything and you will use them for a lot of stuff. If you are at the water park put your electronics in a baggie to keep them dry. Of course you aren't swimming with them but there is a ton of people and kids running around so accidents can happen. We also used a ziploc baggies to put leftovers in. If you are spending $13 for one plate of food and don't finish it you do not want to throw that away. Just bag it for a bit and trust me, the kids will be hungry again within a few minutes. 

3.) Sunscreen. LOTS AND LOTS of sunscreen. I am going to write a post in regards to the Dollar Tree sunscreen as that is what we've been using and it's great and cheap. 

4.) Sunglasses and Goggles. The sun is hot and bright and the water has chemicals in it. Eli and Lexie have sensitive eyes and they water up pretty easily under the chemical onslaught of the different attractions. I do recommend that you take something to cover your little one's eyes.

5.) Cinch Packs for the children! These are a MUST. You can buy them anywhere from the Dollar Tree to Hollar to fancier ones at Walmart. We started out with Dollar Tree cinch packs but realized they were a little too thin and had started to break in a few spots so we bought some from Hollar.com that were fun and had Disney Characters on them. $2 EACH!! I bought one for each of the kids and inside you will find their Sunglasses, their beach towel, flip flops and a hat. This can easily be carried like a backpack so they always have their stuff. And when it's time to go on a ride we store them underneath Tristan or Cadence's stroller.

6.) Camera. Don't forget to take photos! There are MULTIPLE places throughout the park to take some fun photos and you wouldn't want to miss that. 

7.) Flip flops. I would definitely recommend wearing your tennis shoes through the park. Flip flops are easily lost on the Roller coasters, but I do recommend you take a pair with you. Simply because if you are at the Water Park the cement is so hot it will burn your feet. You don't want to walk into the water wearing tennis shoes so I would suggest either water shoes or flip flops. I bought mine at the Dollar Tree. They aren't the best ones but they work for what I'm using them for.

I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting but this is our go-to list!