Collapsible Cooler?

[Kevenswife2]

Anyone know where I can find a good, inexpensive collapsible cooler? Something which will hold melting ice without leaking.
I have a hard time shelling out $110 for a fridge in our room.

 

[mjh8955]

I bought one at Walmart and kept the ice in ziplock bags, that way they didn't leak all over the place.

 

[Lilo312]

You could get a cheap foam type cooler and put the ice in zip lock bags.
Toss the cooler when you leave.

 

[kaitlin-n-mom]

Sams Club had a nice collapsable cooler that had wheels and had seamless double lining on the inside to ensure that it would not leak. It also had velcro straps to hold it when it was folded up so I can pack it in my luggage. I think it costed about $24.00. I am picking mine up this weekend for our January WDW trip.

 

[Wigit12]

We used the Sam's Club one last year. It worked fine, but had to really dry it out to repack it. We also had wegoshop deliver water, beer, etc along with one of the disposable styrofoam coolers. I liked this better.

We're going for the disposable one again this year. We just gave it to someone else the morning we were leaving.

 

[SLDL]

I have never found a collapsible cooler that did not leak. On our last trip, we used one of those Sam's Club/Walmart freezer bags. These are the big ones w/ handles that are made to keep your food/ice cream cold on the way home from the store. We filled it w/ ice and left it in the tub...it leaked but we only had drinks in there. This time, since we need to keep milk cold for our 1 y.o., we will probably check on an empty cooler and use that in the room. As far as I know, this should be acceptable on Southwest.

 

[Mousemom]

I got a nice collapsible cooler at the end of summer one year really cheap but it always gets soggy and leaks from the ice. My in laws went to Wallmart and bought a styrofome cooler their last visit (December 05) and used that and left it when they went home. It worked out much nicer and was very inexpensive. We are going again Spring 07, staying at ASmovies, and intend to do the same thing. I don't want to deal with the leaking and a wet cooler when we come home.

 

[Kevenswife2]

I bought one at Walmart and kept the ice in ziplock bags, that way they didn't leak all over the place.

Duh! Why didn't I think of putting the ice in ziplock bags? On vacation I put EVERYTHING in ziplock bags. With ziplocks and ice, almost anything would work as a cooler.

We are flying this time and won't be renting a car, so it needs to fit in our luggage. I had wondered if I could fill my Playmate cooler with my crocs, and check it.

I've never heard of wegoshop so I'll have to check them out. We are wanting to purchase some bottled water and snacks.

Sam's Club really isn't an option as we don't have a membership.

Thanks all for your ideas!

 

[kaitlin-n-mom]

We used the Sam's Club one last year. It worked fine, but had to really dry it out to repack it. We also had wegoshop deliver water, beer, etc along with one of the disposable styrofoam coolers. I liked this better.

We're going for the disposable one again this year. We just gave it to someone else the morning we were leaving.

Do you have any contact information for wegoshop?

 

[Kevenswife2]

I found it by going to www.wegoshop.com.

 

[dare2dream]

When I travel I place a new plastic trash can liner from home in the cooler and pour in the ice. The cooler will sweat but I have never had any leaks.

Brenda

 

[Mousemom]

I did put the ice in zip lock bags and most of the water leaked out of the bags. Maybe I was using the wrong zip locks but after two trips and a wet, soggy cooler to bring home, I won't be doing that again, especially with all the security issues at the airports now.

 

[pooh2001]

We are bringing an old collapsable cooler in a suitcase - check in the suitcase at the airport. Use the cooler at WDW. Then dump (throw away) the cooler before we go home and have an extra suit case to place WDW goodies in on our return trip home.

 

[tpholland]

there was a problem getting our fridge for the first couple of days on a trip 2 yrs ago due to hurricanes. anyway, we didnt have a choice but to fill a sink with ice & go wth that. it wasn't too bad for drinks & even kept our milk cold.

 

[amberdansmom]

Sams Club had a nice collapsable cooler that had wheels and had seamless double lining on the inside to ensure that it would not leak. It also had velcro straps to hold it when it was folded up so I can pack it in my luggage. I think it costed about $24.00. I am picking mine up this weekend for our January WDW trip.

Don't the security check your bags and coolers before allowing you to enter WDW? How do you get your snacks and drinks inside the park?

 

[Kevenswife2]

Yes, they do check your bags before you enter the park. I've never had a problem with taking snacks and bottles of water into the park. I was wanting the cooler for in my room. We're on the dining plan and thought I could save some leftovers for breakfast.

 

[Mousemom]

I just remembered how we kept our cooler from getting wet from melting ice when we went on vacation this summer. I got wide mouth drink bottles and filled them with the ice, screwed the lid back on and just replaced the ice every AM/PM. Kept things cold and nothing got wet.

 

[amberdansmom]

Ahh. I guess if they don't hassle you about bringing that sort of thing in the park I will probably do the same. We are on the dining plan as well and that's a good idea bringing leftovers back. Because of my son's eating issues we have invested in a portable fridge/cooler that plugs into a car port and has an ac adapter to plug into the rooms. We've used it a lot and it works just like a frige when in the room.. We got it at Wal MArt.

 

[kaitlin-n-mom]

Don't the security check your bags and coolers before allowing you to enter WDW? How do you get your snacks and drinks inside the park?

We don't take the cooler in the park, it is for our room. A collapsible cooler is great to pack in your luggage than you can use it in your room to keep your drinks and such cold.

By the way the coolers were marked down to $14.31 from the original $24.00.

 

[englishteacha]

I have a cooler bag by California Innoventions that works really well. It's like a small tote bag and is fully lined with plastic, so even if something leaks it won't make a mess. I think it holds 8 gallons. I found it at a local discount store, but my SIL has one from BJs. It fit nicely in the outer pocket of my luggage, and if I had needed another bag on the way home, it would have worked fine as a tote. I bring it grocery shopping and pack all the perishables in it, too.