I need a packing intervention.

[BensWife]

We are leaving in 6 days! WooHoo!! So, I am doing laundry this weekend and thinking about packing us all tomorrow. I always want to pack more than we need. We are staying at SSR in a 2 bedroom villa, so we will have a washer and dryer if we need it - but I am one of those types of people who do not want to do laundry on my vacation. Anyway... How do you "pack light" when traveling with a 6yo & 3yo, DH and myself? Any hints would be great!! Thanks!

 

[disnut8]

We are leaving in 6 days! WooHoo!! So, I am doing laundry this weekend and thinking about packing us all tomorrow. I always want to pack more than we need. We are staying at SSR in a 2 bedroom villa, so we will have a washer and dryer if we need it - but I am one of those types of people who do not want to do laundry on my vacation. Anyway... How do you "pack light" when traveling with a 6yo & 3yo, DH and myself? Any hints would be great!! Thanks!

Quite honestly, I would pack ONE outfit per day. Unless you are planning on a signature dinner and want to dress up for it. Even for the little ones. Like you said, you have a washer and dryer so if the kids get something on their clothes, just wash them. Take premeasured detergent (or the singles) Just in case (maybe for two loads).

Put that in the suitcase(s) and if you have more room, then pack a few extra things. Our rule is one suitcase per person and that's it. And you have to pack it yourself.

 

[trishadono]

We are leaving in 6 days! WooHoo!! So, I am doing laundry this weekend and thinking about packing us all tomorrow. I always want to pack more than we need. We are staying at SSR in a 2 bedroom villa, so we will have a washer and dryer if we need it - but I am one of those types of people who do not want to do laundry on my vacation. Anyway... How do you "pack light" when traveling with a 6yo & 3yo, DH and myself? Any hints would be great!! Thanks!

Well I am probably not the best person to ask because I usually have an average of 3 outfits a day just in case Dd18and I bring extra because we wear one outfit in am and one at night. We bring extra because weather hard to predict so we bring extras.

At BLT I found I did do laundry for ds and dh. They would go through their "whites" pretty fast and really was easy to do at lunch time. I would throw in washer, go to pool, return and put in dryer and then by the time I was dressed and ready for evening outing they were dry. I brought dryer sheets from home and premeasured detergent.

We do only bring one suitcase pp. When kids were little I would put ds and dh stuff just in one. For guys and younger kids you can do 2 tops for each bottom. If hot do a sleeveless and a short sleeve packed for each bottom should help save space.

I thought doing laundry on vaca would be a pain but the machines are so convenient that it was really easy to do. I would throw our towels in before leaving each morning too so dry when we got back at lunch.

 

[bszoo]

Bring the pods of detergent. Throw a load in at night before you go to bed. In the morning throw it in the dryer when you get up. This is what we do to make things easier. It really doesn't feel like you're "doing laundry".

 

[bdink921]

It's hard to pack light and not do laundry, especially in hot weather. We always end up doing laundry half way through the week. The one time we had a condo with a washer/dryer was actually the easiest. We packed very lightly and just threw in a load when needed. It was very easy and not nearly as much as a pain as it is to do at home. We ended up coming home with all clean clothes and I didn't have to do any when we got home.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

If you are leaving in 6 days then you are probably going to be sweating all day and your clothes will be damp by afternoon. That means if you put on a set of clothes after your shower you will need 2 outfits a day. I can't see a way to pack light AND do no laundry on vacation.

If there is a washer and dryer right in the room I would definitely do a load of laundry. I would even wash all our dirty clothes the night before going home so I would not have all that laundry once we got home.

 

[francie57]

I was always one who would not do laundry while on vacation also - that all changed when we started staying at the BW and BC villas. I will either throw a load in first thing in the morning, go to the parks and throw it in the dryer when we get back. If not I will throw it in at night and then dry it in the morning. We go in Aug. so we go through clothes at a good pace. We still don't pack as much as we used to and I take some detergent when me but since we have always rented through Disney we are given a small box of detergent as soon as we use one. I just pack dryer sheets.

 

[mousefan73]

I am forced to pack light as I go nuts shopping while on vacation. Make sure you have room for sourveniers!!

 

[Marthasor]

Use the washer/dryer! The cycles are quick - you could throw a load in when you get up in the morning or even at night when you've returned and are getting ready for bed. It makes packing so much easier. If we stay in a villa for, say 6 nights, I pack enough for 3 days and just do 1 or 2 loads of wash during the trip. I can also do laundry before we leave and I have clean laundry when I get home! Makes unpacking a lot easier. I agree - buy the laundry pods. Super easy!

 

[bumbershoot]

If you are leaving in 6 days then you are probably going to be sweating all day and your clothes will be damp by afternoon. That means if you put on a set of clothes after your shower you will need 2 outfits a day. I can't see a way to pack light AND do no laundry on vacation.

If there is a washer and dryer right in the room I would definitely do a load of laundry. I would even wash all our dirty clothes the night before going home so I would not have all that laundry once we got home.

I agree with the whole post. Every bit of it!