Essential and/or odd things that you pack?

[Marlea98]

Some great ideas - keep them coming.

I pack a little bag of laundry powder. Enough for a few washes
Plastic bags for dirty laundry, shoes.
I also like to take old shoes to then throw out when we buy new ones!
Pack less clothes so we have more room for new ones!

My boys are one size different so I pack the same style socks so I'm not wasting time trying to work out who's are who's once they are washed and packed. i do the opp. With undies - make them distinctly different.
I make sure they bring Velcro shoes. Much easier for them to put on them self when we are ins hurry.

A plastic folder/sleeve with all of my confirmations printed out in the order that ill need them.

Everyone is mentioning housekeeping. This is my first trip to the US and it hadnt occurred to me to leave a tip for them :O. How much are you supposed to leave? I thought the general rule was 15-20% based on the amount you pay, like for your meal. But what do you give for housekeeping?

I take clothes powder sachets too. I save up the freebies that come with magazine sample bags. I could probably put some of my own from home in little ziplock bags but is hate to feature on Customs or Border Security as a suspected drug smuggler

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Franrose]

Ohhhh I forgot sweet bread... Bagels it is then lol!

And yes to freebie laundry sachets! Though I do love me some 'bounce'! (Have that at home here too, lol.)

 

[Franrose]

Msminne - a $ or two per person per night? Some people pay as they go, some leave it to the end.

 

[sarefromoz]

I take clothes powder sachets too. I save up the freebies that come with magazine sample bags. I could probably put some of my own from home in little ziplock bags but is hate to feature on Customs or Border Security as a suspected drug smuggler

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

This made me giggle

Dh who is a stickler for packing lightly (he wants to take 2 suitcases for the 5 of us for 5 weeks...I'm hoping to bring another 2 home ), thought the tips were great. Keep them coming.

So weet bix are a definite, cornflakes can be bought there. Do they have wholemeal/whole grain bread? And if they do, is that sweet too?

 

[Marlea98]

This made me giggle

Dh who is a stickler for packing lightly (he wants to take 2 suitcases for the 5 of us for 5 weeks...I'm hoping to bring another 2 home ), thought the tips were great. Keep them coming.

So weet bix are a definite, cornflakes can be bought there. Do they have wholemeal/whole grain bread? And if they do, is that sweet too?

My DH and yours must be related. We are doing almost 8 weeks from the Caribbean to Montana and back to Anaheim so basically three different climates, and he insists on two suitcases for the 4 of us. I'll start with three then once we get to Seattle for the last leg of our trip where we will be driving back to Anaheim all bets are off, I've hired a mini van . But I have started op-shopping for cheap disposable summer stuff that we can ditch upon leaving Florida, plus taking some old clothes from home that I can wear and ditch. I'm probably only taking two nighties for Florida and no winter pjs for NYC/Montana etc. I'll sleep in track pants or leggings. I'll rotate them by wearing one pair during the days, another for nights then wash and swap for the following days. Last trip I left a jacket with a broken zip at a bus stop for a homeless person to find and keep and a pair of old boots somewhere else

Oh I've already started doing practice packing and looking for clothing with multiple uses. And I've got a stack of packing cubes to make packing easier

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[AussieCaribou]

This made me giggle

Dh who is a stickler for packing lightly (he wants to take 2 suitcases for the 5 of us for 5 weeks...I'm hoping to bring another 2 home ), thought the tips were great. Keep them coming.

So weet bix are a definite, cornflakes can be bought there. Do they have wholemeal/whole grain bread? And if they do, is that sweet too?

Alas, most every premade thing is sweet in the US! I can eat the bread toasted but avoid putting jam on it...

 

[australiankaren]

I also was going to warn about zip lock baggies and laundry powder.....not a smart move, unless you do enjoy a complete cavity search.

sample packets are fine.

also dont take bags that have been in contact with fireworks, fertiliser or any other thing that may set the swab machine off.

Dont garden at least 3 days before traveling, if they do a swab for explosives (as i always seem to get) it comes up positive

 

[Marlea98]

I also was going to warn about zip lock baggies and laundry powder.....not a smart move, unless you do enjoy a complete cavity search.

sample packets are fine.

also dont take bags that have been in contact with fireworks, fertiliser or any other thing that may set the swab machine off.

Dont garden at least 3 days before traveling, if they do a swab for explosives (as i always seem to get) it comes up positive

That's not gonna help me much with the vegetable garden, chickens, ducks...

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I take clothes powder sachets too. I save up the freebies that come with magazine sample bags. I could probably put some of my own from home in little ziplock bags but is hate to feature on Customs or Border Security as a suspected drug smuggler

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I'm also scared to take ziplocked laundry powder for the same reason. I always have the worst luck being 'randomly' picked for bag searches in the US. I must have a suspicious looking face. I don't want to give them anything to question (innocent or otherwise).

 

[australiankaren]

That's not gonna help me much with the vegetable garden, chickens, ducks...

just take a picture of said ducks , geese, squirrels with you to show the menagerie...here to help

 

[Marlea98]

I'm also scared to take ziplocked laundry powder for the same reason. I always have the worst luck being 'randomly' picked for bag searches in the US. I must have a suspicious looking face. I don't want to give them anything to question (innocent or otherwise).

I get nervous and get a twitch in my mouth and get giggly and ramble on. I am the guiltiest looking person at the airport I'm sure and I've done nothing to be guilty about!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Marlea98]

just take a picture of said ducks , geese, squirrels with you to show the menagerie...here to help

Okay. Shall do

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Feej]

Important stuff:
Eye-drops and Fess for the flight.
iPad for when the IFE breaks down
Claratyne and Imodium
Adapter(s) and power board.
Jambox

 

[hjd0411]

I hate the sweet bread too, and the best that I have found is that I buy sourdough bread. That is not sweet. It's fairly easy to find - I got it at Walmart in Orlando. Otherwise I don't do sweet spreads (ie jam, honey)
Also, make sure that your phone charger will work at 110v - last year my travel buddy didn't have a phone because the charger wouldn't charge at 110v..!! Right pain it was as we had planned to use the phones to keep in touch if we went our separate ways!!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Wilderness wash (from hiking stores) instead of laundry powder-multi purpose washing liquid-use for clothes, that cutlery set or cups or bowl you used in your room for breakfasting or picnicing in car, and at a pinch can use on yourself and your hair (that would be desperation only for us). Never had an issue with it leaking but we pack it in hold luggage in zip-lock for flights just in case. Only small so only good for small washes not big family washes.

Also hiking spork and knife, not made of metal, carry anywhere and hiking bowls that pack flat but pop out to form bowl useful too for meals/breakies on the go and much easier to pack - we're another who can't stand US sweet breakfast cereal and sweet breads. Also if we are travelling on the road, coffee bags (as used to take mini jar of instant coffee til it spilt open and all through clothes one trip), Twinings tea bags (love Lady Grey), and sugar sachets for all the motel stops where we can manage to get hot water but never enough supplies. Tube of vegemite, and packet of biccies as we are a family who wakes up with a cup of tea or coffee and a biccy to start the day. Small roll of duct tape like others for 101 uses, a couple of pegs and universal plug for smalls washing in sinks that don't have a plug, and extra zippy bags for all and sundry. Adaptor plugs for whichever continent (have 2 sockets so can charge 2 things at once).

 

[Lei]

Laundry powder - aren't provided at the resorts? Or do I have to bring them myself?

Things I'll be bringing:
Power strip
Weetabix or any mini cereals
Cup noodles
My own shower gel and shampoo. Can't stand the ones in Value rooms!
A kind of multi-pocket wallet, to separate bills. There's a pocket for 50 dollar bills, 20s, 10s, 5s etc. It's really handy when I'm not familiar with the foreign money (though in WDW, you can forget about wallets, of course. Thanks to KTTW)

Check out this thread for more amazing ideas (tho the suggestions are sometimes overkill )

 

[Melbourne5]

Cheaper if you take your own laundry powder or buy some off site. All those packets add up in those vending machines.

 

[dabecs]

Laundry powder - aren't provided at the resorts? Or do I have to bring them myself?

Last year we stayed at Saratoga Springs which has a washer and dryer in the room, every day mousekeeping would leave us more washing powder. So it depends on where you are staying

 

[MsMinne]

Bumping this up since there is now a few of us packing, or ready to go

I have nearly two weeks to go and I need more tips.
Keep thinking ill forget something...

 

[Caroline NZ]

Not weird, but I was planning on only taking warm weather clothes. But I have just checked Sedona and the Grand canyon at night and it could get down to 0 degrees!. So in go the polarfleeces and beanies as well.
I am 80% packed, just one case to compete.