Family of 4- do you check a bag or do carryons?

[Gorechick]

DH is paranoid about losing luggage. I had planned on checking 1 bag and bringing 2 carryons. Now I wonder if we can just each bring a carryon. Need advice.

 

[maxiesmom]

How long is your trip? How many people are going, and how old are they? To me, that all makes a difference. As does what time of year you are traveling.

In the summer I could probably get away with carry-ons only, as the clothes are smaller. In fall/winter you need shorts and jeans, so there is no way I could get away without checking a bag.

Keep in mind too that with having to pay for checked bags, carry-on space is at a premium. You might be forced to check a bag at the gate anyway.

 

[Gorechick]

We're going for 10 days in less than 2 weeks.

 

[maxiesmom]

Can your kids each manage a carry-on and a personal bag? Can you pack enough shampoo and such in your quart bags or are you happy enough to use what the hotel provides? Are you willing to pack a lot of small bottles of sunblock, or pay Disney prices for it? If you answered yes, then I think you can get away with going carry-on only. Provided you don't mind doing a load of laundry or two.

 

[Gorechick]

I'm sending a box of toiletries, etc...beforehand. We'll only be schlepping clothes in the luggage.

 

[vacationclub]

I'm sending a box of toiletries, etc...beforehand. We'll only be schlepping clothes in the luggage.

How much is it costing you to send a box ahead of time?

 

[Gorechick]

I don't know yet, but the box will come in handy to ship stuff back too. I'm a souvenir shopper and this is my twins first trip so we'll be getting stuff like Build a Dino, light sabers, princess wear, pirate gear, potato head parts, etc...

I'm not worried about checking a suitcase. DH is paranoid about it. This is our first family trip flying.

 

[maxiesmom]

Honestly, I would just check a bag. The odds of your luggage getting lost are very low. And it is less hassle than trying to pack things up and ship them home once you are at WDW.

 

[vacationclub]

I don't know yet, but the box will come in handy to ship stuff back too. I'm a souvenir shopper and this is my twins first trip so we'll be getting stuff like Build a Dino, light sabers, princess wear, pirate gear, potato head parts, etc...

I'm not worried about checking a suitcase. DH is paranoid about it. This is our first family trip flying.

Why is he paranoid? It will probably cost just as much to ship the box but you'll have to deal with sending and picking it up separately, both ways. And, it won't get there when you do unless you send it early. Airline bag fees might seem expensive buy no freight company can move a bag that big, that fast for that cheap.

The chances are low that luggage will get "lost". And it's not usually "lost", it's delayed and will just get delivered later. 10 days is a long time to live out of a carry-on bag. One large checked bag for the whole family will be very useful.

 

[Gorechick]

We travelled to WDW during Hurricane Charly. Got in a few hours before MCO closed and our main bag was delayed. He's also paranoid about another hurricane. I can't win.

 

[vacationclub]

We travelled to WDW during Hurricane Charly. Got in a few hours before MCO closed and our main bag was delayed. He's also paranoid about another hurricane. I can't win.

Hmmmm. So, one bag was.....delayed....during a hurricane 8 years ago, and that's driving a decision to take a family of 4 for 10 days with no large suitcase?

We were there during Hurricane Jean (same year as Charley). Every park was closed for a day, we were stuck in our room. But that in no way affected our decision to go back to Florida. He should be as worried about a hurricane, or a delayed bag, as he is about getting food poisoning, or losing his cell phone, or any number of random things that could happen but are not likely.

 

[Gorechick]

We have a severe thunderstorm warning right now with dark skies and a chance for tornadoes. He's watching the weather channel like a hawk.

 

[smitch425]

We are a family of 4 and we stay 10 days. We checked 3 suitcases last year and had 2 carry on suitcases and 4 personal bags. This year we plan to check 4 bags. Of course, one carryon was for just our MNSSHP costumes.

 

[vacationclub]

We have a severe thunderstorm warning right now with dark skies and a chance for tornadoes. He's watching the weather channel like a hawk.

Yea, but....... that's in Michigan....now. You're going to Florida....in 2 weeks. I'm not making the connection here.

 

[Gorechick]

He's obsessed about weather. Wanted to be a meteorologist when he was a kid. After our Charly experience he said he never wanted to go to Florida again during hurricane season.

 

[vacationclub]

He's obsessed about weather. Wanted to be a meteorologist when he was a kid. After our Charly experience he said he never wanted to go to Florida again during hurricane season.

What happened exactly that it was so traumatic? As a rookie meteorologist he should know the statistics of a hurricane hitting Orlando.

 

[Gorechick]

I don't know that it was traumatic, just a PIA trip. He'd never been in a hurricane before and is very concerned when there is a tornado warning.

 

[Missytara]

I don't know that it was traumatic, just a PIA trip. He'd never been in a hurricane before and is very concerned when there is a tornado warning.

Quite frankly, I would tell him the same thing I would tell a child that was acting up before we left for the trip.

"Either get with the program, stop worrying about things that may never happen or stay home."

 

[vacationclub]

I don't know that it was traumatic, just a PIA trip. He'd never been in a hurricane before and is very concerned when there is a tornado warning.

How was it a PIA? What happened? (besides the delayed bag)

Hurricanes and Tornadoes are completely the opposite in terms of their immediate danger level. Tornadoes give you seconds of warning, Hurricanes give you days or even a week. Tornadoes don't happen in Central Florida. (perhaps a waterspout here or there off the coast)

 

[Gorechick]

Hanging around at the airport to see if our bag was in the next flight, driving in the heavy rain when they closed MCO, getting sick in our hotel room half the night ( we think from the Chili's at MCO). They weren't sure when we would get our bags so we had to go out to a Target that was running in generators and taking cash only to get more clothes after the storm. We ended up getting our bags at 3 am the next morning. Kinda put a damper on the start of our vacation.