Is it possible to pack light for a trip to Disney?

[ZoZo]

Doing laundry at WDW isn't so bad at all. Most laundry facilities are located near the pools and quite a few of us schedule a pool/rest break in the middle of the day anyway. Throw a load of laundry in before hitting the pool, enjoy the pool and maybe have lunch and drink and before you know it your laundry is finished

Yep, that's what I do, too. I know most people say they don't want to do laundry on vacation, but to me, it's totally worth it.

 

[awoogala]

As a family of four, we generally bring 2 rolling suitcases. I do not do laundry on vacation.
1. We usually go in cooler weather, so we bring tshirts and shorts and we each bring one pair of pants/jeans, and one zip on sweatshirt. We also generally bring some gloves and Hats. I have never had it colder than needing that, even in Dec-Jan. If you fly, you wear this stuff.
2. Everyone brings 1 t-shirt and shorts and underwear per day,plus one extra t-shirt. everything gets rolled in a ziploc.
3. We don't bring any fancy clothes, ymmv. We don't do signature dining and have never felt the need to dress up more than tees and shorts/jeans.
4. My secret weapon is tide for the sink. IF we run through clothes faster than one tee a day, throw it in the sink and swish and hang. I don't consider this laundry, lol.
Obviously, if you go in sweltering weather, and change at midday, this would not work as well,or if you change into fAncy outfits for dinner, or your kids bring 10 princess gowns. We go simple, and it seems to work for us!

 

[Meetmeinmontauk]

I ALWAYS overpack for Disney... or any trip I managed to get all of my things into 1 decent size bag this time! I amazed myself

 

[nicki.momof3]

There are lots of youtube videos on packing as much as you can into a small bag without everything getting crushed.

The problem I have it always fits nice and tight in a suitcase on the way down. On the way back it just never seems to fit right. Maybe it is all the stuff I buy and the dirty clothes.

Happy packing

 

[dvc at last !]

Doing laundry at WDW isn't so bad at all. Most laundry facilities are located near the pools and quite a few of us schedule a pool/rest break in the middle of the day anyway. Throw a load of laundry in before hitting the pool, enjoy the pool and maybe have lunch and drink and before you know it your laundry is finished

ditto

I/we do not overpack anymore either.
Also, if we are at a DVC Resort that has atleast 1 bedroom - there is a washer and dryer in the room. Put a load in in the am and dry it at the end of the day - or put a load in at the end of the day and into the dryer when you get up.

 

[aubriee]

The problem I have it always fits nice and tight in a suitcase on the way down. On the way back it just never seems to fit right. Maybe it is all the stuff I buy and the dirty clothes.

Happy packing

I used to find that true too. What I do now that works, is use packing folders for my clothes. When I get to the resort, I just slide the clothes out onto the shelf in the closet. Everything is folded into outfits in the order I'll be wearing them. Then every night when I take off my dirty clothes, I zip all zippers and button all buttons and then fold them neatly back into the empty packing folder, using the clear packing guide, and then velcro the flaps tightly so clothes are pressed flat. I roll up the dirty panties and bras and put them into a small packing cube. It only takes a minute or two every night, but at the end of the week everything is all packed into the packing folder and cubes nice and tight and all I have to do is drop them into the suitcase. Makes packing up to go home a breeze and clothes are already compressed pretty flat. (Oh, I do always keep a fresh dryer sheet in my packing folders and cubes, to keep everything smelling fresh.).

I hate packing up to go home. Packing everything back into packing folders and packing cubes as I go means, I just have to drop the folder and cubes into my bag, then drop in my shoes, then put anything on the counter back into my toiltry bag, roll it up, and drop it in the bag. I can be packed and out of the room in about 5 minutes.

 

[moobar25]

Prior to having a baby I was the ultimate light packer. DH & I would take one carry-on each for a weeks stay but we'd check it in because of liquids. We perfected this after a couple of trips. First thing that was eliminated, and created tons of room, we're my shoes! I used to bring a few pairs: dressy sandals, flip flops, Tevas, sneakers, etc. That ended after a few blisters! Now we each bring only 2 pairs: Teva sandals get packed for walking in parks & we wear sneakers on way there & back (more bulky & save space). List of what else we'd pack:
Pair of jeans/long pants in case of cold
Few pairs of shorts (2-3)
Swimwear
1 shirt for each day + couple extra
Dressy outfit - night out
Undergarments
Shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, hairbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc
Plastic bottle of Rum - to make happy juice
Camera
Hat

That used to be...our last trip in may we were complete opposite of this.
DH & I fit in one medium suitcase and Baby stuff in the other (plus some in ours). We packed so much stuff for her its like we moved her room to Disney. First time parents overpacking! On top of that we had 4 carry-on bags: diaper bag, camera bag, laptop, & mom bag. Add to that a stroller & infant car seat. We were like a circus act. But hopefully we learned & our next trip will be more streamlined.

 

[dvc at last !]

Have also learned from others that if you roll your clothes
not fold them you can fit more into a suitcase
and they are less wrinkled. I take a few plastic hangers with me to hang a few things at the resort.

 

[caseyd66]

I became a convert to traveling with a carry on only after a 3 week trip with my daughter to England. I read Rick Steves' advice about light packing and watched a video about how to pack efficiently. For a week long trip to Disney in october/november, each family member packs 3 shorts, 3 tshirts, 7 undies/socks, 1 pj, 1 bathing suit. We wear capris (pants for hubby), tshirt & sweater/hoody on plane. We all wear crocs - not the cutest shoes but oh so comfy and dry out in no time if they get wet. My 2 girls share 1 carry on and the other has granola bars/snacks ... It's actually practically empty but we manage to fill it up with souvineers on the way back

I've never had an issue with not having enough clothes on bacation

 

[hsmamato2]

of course you can pack light! now....can and will are 2 different things,depending on YOU
I prefer packing less,there's lees to worry about! One memorable trip, the 4 of us each packed and carried one duffel bag for a 2 week trip. It was great one problem was we had a cold snap,so I had to get creative with the one sweater and sweatshirt I had brought.... I just changed my tee underneath daily,so every pic that week,I'm wearing the same sweater!
I also did laundry half way through,which is a very relaxing thing....toss in the washer,sit by the pool with a good book....oh my,I wish I had a laundryroom like this at home!
(I wasn't paying to check a bag,no way!)
one pair of Teva flip flops, one pair of good walking sneakers,we're set!
We're all older than 5,so we could rewear some jeans,etc before washing,and tee shirts can be rolled up very small,so easy to pack enough of those,+socks+undergarments....easy!

 

[jennylyn_b]

We always pack light. For our trip in May, we had one checked bag, one carryon and a diaper bag for DH, DD 18 months and myself. Our trip was 9 nights.


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[ZoZo]

I may have to do laundry. I don't mind laundry at home, just not my favorite thing to do when I don't have a washer/dryer close at hand. We're going when the weather could do just about anything, so I'd need some of everything, probably. Maybe the trick for me is to make my layers mostly lightweight (cotton capris instead of jeans, for example). I might be able to take more changes of clothes in the same space, at the same weight. Thank you!

The cool thing is, at most resorts, the washers/dryers are right next to the pool. It's a good excuse to take an afternoon pool break! Plus you can do multiple loads at the same time (versus doing only one at a time at home), so it's totally "doable" to get a couple of loads done in under two hours.

 

[pg0314]

On one of my first trips to Disney, my suitcase was so heavy the shuttle bus driver literally groaned out loud when he picked it up. I was mortified! And, of course, I never even used/wore half the things I'd brought.

There's still room for improvement, but I've slowly learned to pack a lot lighter over the years. For my upcoming 6 day trip, I'm taking 3 pairs of shorts and will wear each of them twice ... I just spray the heck out of them with febreeze and let them air out overnight and they're good to go! I take one shirt for each day and they're lightweight, silky t-shirts and tanks that roll up into tiny little balls and take up very little space. And in a pinch, I can wash one of them in the bathroom sink and it'll air dry overnight and be ready to wear again. I'll take one pair of capris to wear in the evenings but I probably won't take a jacket. If it gets unusually cold, I'll just buy a sweatshirt as a souvineer. One swimsuit, 2 pairs of sneaker, one pair of sandals, jammies, socks and undies and I'm good to go. I take the absolute bare minimum of toiletries .... I use the soap and shampoo the hotel provides. I've got super short hair that doesn't require much styling so I don't even take a brush, just some 'hair goo' and a sample sized hair spray. The only make-up I take is some mineral powder foundation and one tinted lip balm. And no jewelry except whatever pair of earrings I throw on the day we leave.

 

[VbChristy]

My DH and I went for a week and managed with carry-ons, the tricky part was the sunblock. We decided since we were saving on luggage fees, we would just pay too much to buy a bottle from the resort. At the end of the trip we donated it to a family just arriving.

 

[la79al]

I can easily pack a minivan FULL with 3 people and luggage for 3 people for a week at the beach. In March, I need to pack a double stroller, 7 people and luggage for 7 people in that same minivan. Should I bother asking for packing cubes for Christmas or is this a hopeless scenerio?

 

[tonya clayton]

I'd say beg for packing cubes, and ship half of what you need to Disney to arrive the day before you do. Just 7 people in a mini van will take up all available space.

 

[la79al]

I'd say beg for packing cubes, and ship half of what you need to Disney to arrive the day before you do. Just 7 people in a mini van will take up all available space.

The good news is that except for the double stroller, we won't need any other baby gear (hopefully not even diapers at that point). And technically, we could have just 5 people (2 in carseats) plus all luggage and then drop 2 off before we pick the other 2 up. The really great news is that I have almost 6 months to practice packing and come up with another plan if necessary.

 

[ABBMommy]

DH and I have been going back and forth on this for a few days. We're taking us and our two kids (5 and 7) Do we take one large suitcase to check and then maybe 1-2 carryons or just three or four carryons and four small personal items. I like just getting on and off the plane without worrying about baggage claim or paying fees! We're staying for 6 nights/7days and we'll have a w/d in our villa so we can easily do laundry everyday if we need to. Maybe 3 days worth of clothes for each, a bag for shoes, a bag for toiletries and random items, and then do laundry and repeat!

 

[DakotaRose]

Yes it's possible to pack lightly if one eliminates some of the "just in case" items you "might" wear. This is especially true if you're planning on doing laundry. If in a villa with access to your own washer/dryer every day, there's NO WAY I would take more than a carry on per person. However, every one is different.

On our last big trip (10 days) DH and I each took a carry-on suitcase and I had a purse. We washed two loads of clothes, one light and one dark. The other couple we were with had two large pullman bags, a carry-on suitcase, a duffle bag and two tote bags.

To pack lighter we:
rethink dressy clothes/shoes
eliminate some shoes
eliminate some toiletries
pack a light fleece jacket and long sleeved knit shirt rather than a sweater and windbreaker
eliminate beach towels
lighten up shaving kits and makeup bags - essentials only
take one purse and one belt that look OK with everything

 

[Julie521]

What I learned from my recent trip: take the clothes you have and cut it in half. I kept thinking "oh I want to bring some pretty clothes for when we go out and what not" DIDN'T where them once. LOL It was so hot I just wanted to be comfortable. Should of known I would need a sweatshirt, sweater, or pants. Same with toiletries, cut it in half and just bring the essentials.