Overpackers Anonymous

Hello I am Jami and I am an over packer. When I went on vacation last summer it was for three weeks 12 of which were at Disney and I brought four suitcases, a duffle, and a carry-on. Luckily we drove but I wanted to be prepared for everything. I would rather have too much than not enough. This was even after we did laundry twice. I as other previous posters have stated shower more than once a day and will not put on yucky sweaty clothes.

My dilemma is that I am doing the Disney College program in a few weeks and I'm so worried that I'm going to overpack for this occasion. I will be in Florida for six months, but am trying to limit myself with the amount of things I bring with me. If I brought four suitcases, the duffel bag, and the carry-on for three weeks I can't even imagine how much I am going to bring for this experience.

 

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Well, I drive, so I can take a lot of bags if I want to. For a ten day trip, I usually have two carry on size, one large (maybe 30") suitcase and a medium duffle bag, plus a 24 pack of bottled water and a 12 pack of soda. One carry on bag is just my electronics (camera, laptop, travel alarm, assorted wires, power strip) with my temperature sensitive toiletries in the outside pocket. That bag stays with me until I get a room - it goes into the office with me if I'm checking in after work, and if my room isn't ready it stays by my side until I do. The other carry on has my comfort items - the small box fan, a couple paperback books, baggies, laundry bags, rain gear, any grocery or snack items, etc. The other two bags are clothes. The other three bags and the drinks stay in the car until it's time to check in. I've pretty much got it down to a science now, and other than the "just in case" meds, I use everything I take, but I still have a check list so I don't forget anything.

I don't consider it overpacking if you use what you take. Some people just like to bring the comforts of home with them while others would rather travel lighter and make do with what the hotel offers. My sister would say she travels light with just a carry on, but she also ships a big box of stuff in advance wherever she's traveling - so I'm not sure I would classify her as a light traveler, lol!

 

I am a member as well! Every year I promise to bring less stuff but still we bring 4 large suitcases and tons of carry on for 3 people. then we have to buy an extra suitcase in Flordia because we can't fit everything we buy But try to rationalize to DH that we are coming for almost a month and we have to bring winter and summer clothes because it's January We arrive at CR tomorrow and I've already bought so many new clothes in FL that we are definately going to have to buy another suitcase

 

As a former Girl Scout and daughter of a Girl Scout Leader -- This makes SO much sense! All my years of overpacking finally make sense! (*It is a really great motto! Just also possible to over-do it at times)

 

I am already packed- we leave on Thursday. I am trying soooo hard not to overpack. I usually bring tons of stuff- and use it. When we drive the minivan, we can fit whatever we want/need. But this is our first time flying, so we really have to cut back this time.

It shouldn't be hard to pack lightly this time. It is an adults-only trip, so I don't have to fit anything for the kids in our bags. And we are only going for four days. But- in the winter at WDW you never know what the weather will be. So I have to pack a little of everything.

Now I just ned to resist squeezing more and more into the suitcase everytime I think of something. I am done- I need to be done and stop fooling with it!

 

So here's my percentage of fun theory:


Being at and enjoying WDW........ 50%
Planning for WDW....................... 25%
Shopping & packing for WDW is... 25%
= 100% Fun!!!!

I just love the anticipation and all that goes with it. If over-packing is wrong I don't want to be right! :lol

 

this is fab!

as its another snowy day here,I've been looking through my summer wdw wardrobe in preparation for our August trip.

 

The first time I went on a long weekend with my DH he said, "Good Lord, you pack like a Howell!" (Remember Thurston and Lovie from Gilligan's Island?)

Adding two kids to the mix didn't help my over-packing, but after 4 trips to disney as a family of 4, I am getting better! The last 2 trips we've managed to do one checked bag for the family, along with a carry-on for each of us. I'm trying to get that down to maybe 3 carry-on's for the 4 of us... but that might be pushing it!! We are now past the diaper/pull-up stage, so that might help a little!

 

I pack too much and never have what I need.
Lisa

 

love it.

 

Ok, I'll bit.....I am an over packer!!!!! I have a love/hate relationship with packing. I hate doing it, but I feel a compulsive need to make sure that I don't leave anything we may possibly need out. We all need enough clothes for each day, what if we spill something o the weather changes or we end up going somewhere really nice so, we need "what if" clothes too. You can't pack one pair of shoes and expect them to work with every outfit and what if you do and they make your feet sore = lots of shoes. What if someone gets a headache, stomach ache, bee sting, allergies, a cut, a cough, sunburn etc., that will be ok if I pack a small pharmacy, make that two pharmacies because the kids can't take the same meds as adults. Then their are all of the hygiene items, diapers, hair dryer, flat iron, makeup, and misc. beauty items. We need snacks and drinks for the room, entertainment for the kids, and travel itinerary and confirmations. Add to it the Disney element and then I have to add autograph books, pens, pennies and quarters for pressing and the books they go in, trading pins, extra SD cards, extra money, etc., etc., etc.!!!! Then there is all the other stuff I haven't mentioned. So, I end up packing for a full day then I am exhausted and think about how much I hate to pack. Yes, I am an over packer. I feel better now that I have confessed I think. :

 

I think i need to join this. I'm so bad . I've allready started packing for my september trip,i'm taking two checked bags plus a red mickey carry on and a bag for my lap top. I went to wdw last september left with two checked bags came home with 3 checked bags. This year i will be staying for seven nights and plan on having two outfits per day. A small coffee pot,tolities shoes a least two pair and extra pair of glasses. My princess travel blanket and my Belle and Beast soft dolls and my Duffy Bear. I'm thinking of buying a new disney week ender bag i saw last night on the disney shopping websight. My DBF said that i should take a secound bag

 

Oh my goodness... I'm an overpacker. I'm a bad overpacker, in that, I forget important things and remember silly ones.

I once went on a 2 week long business trip to San Francisco. I had 8 books and 0 pairs of socks. I had to stop and purchase socks on my way to the office my first morning!

My families first trip to WDW in 2006 - we had a uhaul. Granted, we were renting a house and driving from Toronto to Florida with 7 people in a 7 passenger van, including a 6 month old baby, but it was still more than a little bit ridiculous.

This year - one bag per person. I've learned to rent my stroller and have it delivered to the resort, have bottled water delivered in the same way, limit the kids to small toys only they can carry themselves......... and roll my clothes up veeery tiny, so i have room for my shoes.

 

Count me in too. I am usually the one that needs to take stuff out of the suitcase to make the 50lb weight limit! But.....I had the lightest suitcase when we went in November. I couldn't believe it. We even had to pack warm and cold weather clothes.

Just found out we are going back this June! I am so excited. We fly, so paying for luggage isn't fun. I will pack what we need and then do laundry on our pool day. I can do this!

I will have a delivery service for our snacks and water. In November I shipped a box of "stuff" down to our hotel. I'm glad I did, the stuff came in handy. What we didn't use, I just threw out.

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I bring at least 2 outfits per day and way more shoes than any one person needs - although they tend to be of the sandal variety, which is much smaller than multiple pairs of sneakers - and I can still pack for 4-5 days in a largish roller carryon and an additional bag that holds my toiletries/ipad/phone wristlet.

That said, I do not sweat leaving anything at home and will buy it if needed on property. I travel for work 3 weeks of the month so its just not a big deal for me.

 

I tend to overpack as I pack for all kinds of weather - I never rely on forecasts since we were caught in FL one trip when a cold spell came up (wasn't forecasted) and all we had warm was one pair of jeans and one long sleeve shirt for each of us. It was hot the day we arrived and the day after, but that night a rain storm came through and temps plunged for the next few days. It seems that Murphy's law seems to follow me - if I plan on it being warm and pack mostly shorts, it is cool, if I plan on it being cool, it is extremely warm. So I bring an equal amount of all types of clothing.
We are also gone for a month at a time so I do pack a lot of clothes - I hate to waste time washing while we are on a trip. Luckily we do drive, so we can do take a lot more.

 

My husband complains that I'm an overpacker, so I've agreed to try his way and we are flying carry-on only, we leave in 12 days! My strategies are
- I got some quick dry clothes that will dry overnight in the room
- we are leaving from a very cold climate, so we will wear heavy sweaters, warm pants and running shoes on the plane and that way we will have them with us
-pack clothes that will be easy to layer.
- my husband has agreed to do the laundry at the resort
- we will each(2adults and 2kids) will bring a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. I plan to travel down with the backpacks basically empty so that we have room to bring back souvenirs.
- I am placing an order from garden grocer and will include any possible item that I can, so that I don't have to travel with it. Toiletries, sunscreen, etc.

It's going to be an interesting experiment. I've decided that if its colder than expected, I won't be too sad to have to buy a Mickey sweatshirt

 

My husband has called me an overpacker for a long time. As soon as I seen this thread I told him, he said "join right away"

 

Hi OA, I feel like I should be the leader!! I can bring three pairs of shoes and three outfits all for one day!! (Outfit for the morning, one for the night, and a back up in case I change my mind, get too sweaty, get caught in the rain, or spill something!) I find that if I keep changing my shoes, my feet don't hurt! And then don't forget a bathing suit (you can pretty much count that if I don't being it it will be warm enough for a dip), light jacket, heavy jacket, rain coat, pillow and blanket (for the car ride), rain poncho to cover the stroller incase it rains, humidifier for my sons asthma, cooler with drinks and snacks for the room and parks.....all for a one night stay at POP!! Talk about those rooms feeling tiny! My husband gets frustrated! He can pack in a brown paper bag, or even just bring a toothbrush! I've been able to cut stuff down now that my son is older and no longer needs 'baby' things. Imagine a value room with a pack 'n play, stroller, bigger cooler and more gear and luggage! Talk about tight! They know families with kids bring lots of stuff. Maybe its a conspiracy yo get you to stay delux! We felt tight in WL sometimes but not the Poly! Those rooms are huge! Means I can bring more stuff!!