Needed: LIGHT PACKERS!

[AKL_Megs]

I travel for work, so I am a very good "light packer".

If I will be gone for 5 days at WDW, this is what I pack...

4 shirts
2 "dinner" shirts (that can double as "emergency shirts")
4 pairs jeans (I wear jeans year long)
2 pairs shorts (one to wear to the pool, one to wear in case it is too hot to handle jeans)
2 pairs sandals (I don't do shoes. They take up too much room, and I get too hot. I wear "fancy" flip-flop sandals to the parks.)
5 pair undies
1 extra bra
2 sets of pajamas
1 jacket/sweater/fleece (black, it goes with everything)

 

[Princess Steph]

My problem is not clothes, it all the other "stuff". Water shoes, toys, ponchos, spray fans, flashlights, power strip, 4 cans of sunblock, the list goes on and on. I bring a whole OTC medication kit incase someone gets a stomach ache. I'm afraid I'll need something and won't have it. I have a whole suitcase filled with non-clothing items. I could use some help.

 

[d's do disney]

Princess Steph ITA with you. I have the same problem. It's all of the "little things" that when you add them up aren't so little. I get sooooo excited when I get a new idea from these boards, but it's getting to be tough to find room for all of these "MUST HAVE's". How do other people do it? Do you limit them or do you have some brilliant packing ideas I can get excited about instead adding to my packing list.

 

[DisGirl23]

A lot of people ship a box of "must haves" down to their resort so it's there when they arrive. And some people will purchase a pre-paid shipping box, bring that with them to ship stuff back home as well. There's definitely a science to it!

 

[dyna]

Traveling on a harley to disney for 2 weeks an having to get everything I need for 2 weeks in 1 saddle bag that is smaller than most carryons has me packing very lite. It does not help that we need jeans for riding but shorts for parks an its at least a 2 day ride to disney. We have learned to stuff extra shoes an to take advantage of our space. DH can pack tighter than I can so all I do is lay my stuff out an DH packs. Even got my basic make up in there an a book to read.

In August we going to disneyland be ridin for 4 weeks total guess I better like those clothes huh?

 

[Sagginit]

i learned to pack light going to live in europe for three weeks with one suitcase. i wore the same things over and over again, i also bought extras there so i really didnt even need all i brought. i found when i went to disney i overpacked shoes, snacks, and extras. flip flops did not give the support needed for long park walks so i found i really only needed one pair for the pool. i too made a list and try to pack lots of neutrals and often pick either brown or black so things dont clash. think about what you wore on your last trip and what you did not. i also use those mesh laundry bags to keep small items organized. fill any empty space, shoes with small items, bra cups with socks help them keep their shape. books are heavy, you are better off getting a magazine and tossing it since you prolly wont spend hours reading at disney.

 

[disneychard]

I think I need lessons, we go to wdw every year, and there are three of us, and I have six suitcases and three carry on bags. My husband always tells me what are you bringing?

 

[Missytara]

I figured out a few years ago, I didn't need to bring 16 polo shirts - two per day. The theory was I wore one during the day and a fresh one at night.

After a trip overseas, I cut back to 9, just in case one gets stained. I wear the fresh one at night, and then wear it again during the day when I don't care if it gets wet, sweat-stained or just plain dirty.

I also pack basic colors, so I can wear something in the evening twice. Like I can wear my capris twice usually. Pack plain colors like khaki, white, navy, etc.

I pack one sweater for the evening that matches everything. Last year, I got a black/grey sweater and it looked nice with just about every color shirt I had - red, purple, white, rose, yellow, etc.

I always wear my heaviest pair of shoes on the plane, so it is my sneakers usually. I bring one pair of sandals (white) and one pair of topsiders (tan) and that is it.....

 

[Missytara]

I think I need lessons, we go to wdw every year, and there are three of us, and I have six suitcases and three carry on bags. My husband always tells me what are you bringing?

OMG - my friend went on her first cruise a few years ago and she took...... are you ready..... eleven pair of shoes. She was only gone for seven nights.

 

[perfectparanoia]

OMG - my friend went on her first cruise a few years ago and she took...... are you ready..... eleven pair of shoes. She was only gone for seven nights.

I have packed seven pairs of shoes for three days before. One of the benefits of having small feet. I love my shoes and I wear them all!

I only bring four to Disney though: two pairs of sandals, one runners and flip flops for the pool. Disney is definitely not a fashion show.

 

[NotUrsula]

The best tip I have for packing for a family is NEVER put anything in the suitcase until you put everything in the suitcase (and yes, that is ONE suitcase! We check one 27" for the 4 of us, plus one small rollaboard with one days' emergency clothes and our toiletries kit in it. There is also a backpack containing electronics, etc., but that's small.)

Lay everything you plan to pack out on a large bed or table so that you can inspect for duplicates and pieces of clothing that will not cross-match at least one other item. Pick a color family for each person and stick to it, because that way you'll only need to bring 2 prs. of shoes at the outside, and that only if you need a nicer pr. for a fancier dinner. My entire family wears sports sandals at the parks, and the since the guys wear TEVA Dozers, they can get away with them at dinner, and the baby is cute in her pink crocs.

If you have a habit of overpacking, stop when you have everything laid out, and put half the stuff directly back into the closet. This lets you mentally say, "There, I chose it, it looked great, but not great enough -- I've got a better choice for that day." Never pack more than 4 days' worth of outfits except for a small child; you can bring 2 more spares for them. Plan to do laundry once every five days; if you have 4 or fewer in the family then 2 loads should be sufficient to get everything clean again -- consider that in your color choices.

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Here's what we each took last time for a whole week, and we made out just fine: (and I'm one of those people that always seems to drop bits of food...)

We wore on our flight down - a golf-style shirt (with collar) a pair of light blue jeans and sneakers ... we carried a hoodie-type material zip up sweater (although sometimes the flights are cool and you may want to wear it on board).

In a small bag for carry-on we had 2 toothbrushes, 1 small tube tooth paste, a bathing suit and pair of flip-flops for each of us..(we could still swim even if our luggage didn't arrive right away), our meds and our lanyards with see-through pouch for KTTW and our camera. Although some people don't like the soap, shampoo, conditioner provided, we know our hair won't fall out from only using it for a week We took turns "baby sitting" the carry on during airport stop overs, on the ME, etc....

In our other bag (which technically could have been taken on board due to it's size but we chose to pay to check it in to avoid the "over head bin scramble" we each had.....
3 tops
2 pr shorts or capris (make sure all the tops go with all the bottoms)-remember you are wearing a pair of long pants enroute so you have them to fall back on as well).
4 pr undies
1 pr p.j's
1 pr sandals that weren't flip-flops
4 pr socks (for the sneakers on park days)
copies of our passports and travel docs just in case
When you pack the clothes, lay them flat, or you can roll them REALLY tight -
Between the 2 of us we also had:
4 Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets
4 rain ponchos from the dollar store
2 packages of Crystal Lite just in case we had to "disguise" the taste of the water - we took them out of the box and they took up a lot less room....
1 extra memory card for the camera (takes up space about the size of a book of matches.

So, how does this work ????- there's were two afternoons during our stay that we spent at the pool, and the laundry was right beside the pool area at our resort - so mid-week, we threw the clothes in the wash (one dark load and one light load) while we swam, after a bit went over and moved them into the dryer...and lounged and swam some more....plus most people always end up buying a t-shirt or something during their stay anyway....and we still had two of the laundry sheets if we needed to wash again......

We were on vacation, so the cell phone stayed home (plus those roaming charges).
Over the years, I've learned how to pare down the list/what I need for different types of trips - sometimes I need to take more but I know what I need for Disney and the types of restaurants, etc I'll be in....of course with this list, you can see that I don't plan on doing any fine dining...but that's just my style.

 

[jenn-n-okla]

There are 4 of us in our family. My goal is to pack as much as possible in backpacks and carryons. We use L.L. Bean luggage and backpacks. I seriously think some survivor guy like Bear could live out of them for weeks on end.
Lots of stuff can be shared like someone else said. (toothpaste, hair brush)
We use the soap and shampoo from the hotel (staying at Poly).

For 10 days here is our basic list:
jeans or capri pants (wear on plane)
bras X 3
undies X 5
socks (we have a rent a car so I plan to buy from Wal-mart and then just trash them)
crocs (wear them and use them for the pool too)
T-shoes (one pair)
3 jean shorts (go with everything and you can wear them more than one day)
4 shirts
2 night shirts
bathing suit
rain coat (ours are Disney ones we bought several years ago...not the ponchos but the coats)
Hat (wear)
sunglasses (wear)
phones (wear)
cameras (in backpacks)
fanny packs (wear and load them down with FAA acceptable items sunscreen lotion, toothpaste ect.)
all RX meds
I use the makeup/face powder all in one. I don't wear much makeup anyway so this will get me fy for a whole week.

I have in the past rolled everything super tight but I am going to practice the bundle folding I saw online as it is said that gets things even tighter.

I have a more detailed list with check marks if anyone is interested.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

My tip is very simple. Pack for reality not imagination.

I will explain. First, I used to be a huge overpacker, now I am a reformed medium-packer so as to comply with all the airlines' new regulations. Here is my before and after:

Before:
- This dress is beautiful and tropical. It would look so nice at dinner at the Polynesian! These green shoes look gorgeous with it, too. Let's pack those!
- These 10 t shirts are all Disney shirts! I love them, extra t shirts are always great to have. I will take aqua sandals to go with the aqua top and these pink ballet flats to go with this pink one . . .
- Ooh, we're going to Jiko. This skirt looks African print, let me get that out, but the four pairs of sandals I've already packed aren't really the best look with that, let me get these black strappy heels, oh, they're perfect. Oh, and I should bring my copper eyeshadow to bring out the tones of the skirt!
- 7 days, 7 pr shorts, 3 pr capris, just in case.
- Flat iron, curling iron, etc.
- I should bring sneakers just in case.
- Cute sarong to go over bathing suit.

After:
- Last time I only wore 3 of the 10 t shirts because I bought 3 new ones that I *had* to have in the parks, never wore the sneakers, never flat ironed my hair once. I didn't wear the sarong, I just used a towel to cover myself on the way to the pool. I only wore 2 pairs of the sandals because all the other shoes were too uncomfortable and that cute dress never got worn because I didn't feel like going back to get changed before dinner that night. And, I only used brown eyeshadow, mascara, lip gloss and concealer. All those coordinating eyeshadows and sandals just sat in the room. I never wore all 7 shorts, I wore 3 pairs twice each and my capris!

Reflect on what you packed last time. What did you use and love? What got dragged to FL and dragged back unused. Use that info to plan for the next trip. It sounds simple, but it has really helped. I would often imagine how what I would be like, not think about what I really did. And remember you will buy things, so if you plan on buying shirts, don't bring extras or you'll have a lot of extras traveling with you.

Now I would bring 2 capris, 3 pr shorts, a beautiful sundress or two, 2 bathing suits, undies and 2 pairs of sandals, one dressy one not. I stick to brown OR black each trip, so I never have to think about if my sunglasses, belt, shoes, bag, etc. match.

Oh, and no you will not have time to paint your nails in FL and you will not read 4 books and 8 magazines by the pool or on the plane/in the car.

 

[mickmouse08]

Great ideas everyone! Thanks!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

DD7 and I go 2 weeks in July and she wears all customs so our large shared suitcase is 80% HERS!! LOL
I buy 5 pair of NEW WHITE CAPRIS and pack 5 tops to match them, and then I do laundry once while we are hanging at the pool. We are commando parks so pool time is rare...........my DD7 LOVES laundry day cuz it means she gets to hit the pool fo

r 2 hours!!

 

[LisaCat]

My problem is not clothes, it all the other "stuff". Water shoes, toys, ponchos, spray fans, flashlights, power strip, 4 cans of sunblock, the list goes on and on. I bring a whole OTC medication kit incase someone gets a stomach ache. I'm afraid I'll need something and won't have it. I have a whole suitcase filled with non-clothing items. I could use some help.

LOL! I see we have the same packing motto, "I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it!". I've gotten better over the years, but still have a LONG way to go! And I can get a LOT of stuff into a small space, but then the bag goes over weight.

 

[metsno1]

Great thread, and some helpful hints!

We're going in August for 14 nights. Me, DW, and two DD's (12 and 10). Our bottom line is that each of us will get a rolling carry-on and a backpack. Fit whatever the heck you want into it, but we're NOT NOT NOT paying for checked luggage!!

I figure that for 14 nights/15 days, we'll pack for 5 days and plan on doing laundry twice.

For me personally, I tend to wear swim suits that look a lot like regular shorts. I have four great pairs of super lightweight North Face shorts that all have swimsuit liners in them that I'll wear to the Parks and/or to the pool every day.

I'll pack about a half dozen shirts;4 or 5 of my fav t-shirts, and 1 or 2 polo shirts.

1 "dressier" pair of shorts.

Undies.

Wicking socks.

Crocs. Leather sandals. 1 pr. sneakers.

Poncho (3rd trip for our Disney ones!).

Two hats (one baseball and the other for heavier rain).

PJ's (long pants and long sleeve, cuz we like it **cold** in the room when we sleep).

1 long sleeve mid-weight shirt. Sometimes in the Summer, I'm really glad to have that in my pack when we go into an AC'ed restaurant. It's **freezing** in some of them.

And that's about it in the rolling carry-on (and oh yeah, if I'm feeling skimpy, I'll just choose what I wear on the plane from the above list rather than adding another outfit into the mix).

In the backpack, I'll throw my sunglasses, camera equipment, a few snacks, computer and the necessary stuff that goes with it, maybe a deck of cards, and any OTC meds that we want to bring.

The girls lists will look pretty similar. DW's carry-on will be the challenge, but she's even cheaper than me and the notion of paying for a checked bag hits her the wrong way too !

As I type this, I find myself really going into "backpacking" mode when creating my list. This list looks an awful lot like what I take on a decent length hike in good weather! Maybe those experiences have prepped me for being a Disney Ultralight kinda guy!!

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Here's my tip on OTC medication. I once took a cosmetic bag filled with different kinds and when I got a headache the tylenol was in that bag in the room not in the parks, anyway. Having that huge bag made me more likely to leave it behind, so it wasn't there when I needed it. So, I take a sample size pack of headache med and stomach med that fits into my wristlet. That's it. If I need something else, if I get an earache or sore throat, etc. I will have to get the medicine from the resort gift shop or call a drug store that delivers.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I did my first round of packing my suitcase for our trip.

In additon to my own clothes, I also have all the extras in my suitcase - so that means it's a suitcase that is really overstuffed.

Next Thursday (my day off work), I'll be going back thru it all and making myself narrow it down.

Then the Thursday after that, is the final go thru of my suitcase and then pack everyone else.
Luckily we are driving so weight doesn't matter but I still want to get that suitcase under 50lbs.

I can do it - yes I can!