Fun question: How early do you start packing?

[californiamomof4grls]

I start purchasing things for our trip as I find things on sale. I have 5 girls and I like to buy things for them to have when we get there so for instance when the Disney beach towels went on sale I got them and new swimsuits. Old Navy had a huge $5 sale a few weeks back so I bought the kids new shorts and shirts. So my closet is starting to overflow. We are 26 days out and I started packing last week. I like to be completely packed a few days before we go. Then I clean up the house before we leave so that we have a clean house to come back to. LOL! I find also that if I purchase things a little at a time that they will need anyways I can find great sales and save a lot of money that way!! So to answer your question. The spread sheets and doing an inventory of who fits in what summer clothes was probably started in March!! LOL!! I figure if they need swimsuits this year anyways I might as well get cute Disney ones!! I'd say I'm 75% done and I've bought all of out dry food that we bring with is too. I'm a planner!!

 

[HeyThatsMyBike]

We will be leaving on 9 May (driving from Phoenix). I'm making my list tonight, but I just can't pack yet. I probably won't bring too much since the drive is so short and my girls are older (10 and 13). Thankfully, I don't need to haul all the crap I used to when they were little. What a load off!

 

[AndreAggie]

I'm a planner too. We're not going until January or February 2015, but I'm already making lists and coming up with ideas of things we need to pack.

We use packing cubes and those things are a life saver! I pack for myself and our son, hubs is on his own. I've found that packing outfits for my son is easier on everyone (son can dress himself) so I'll take a shirt and wrap the pants/shorts around it, the stack them in the packing cubes (I might consider the baggie idea too. Plus, that'll help with dirty clothes.). I pack enough outfits for each day, then throw in a couple extra shirts and bottoms in case of accidents (usually spills!).

 

[Susie63]

I have a Disney 5"x8" zippered travel binder, with individual sections for airplane tickets, car rentals, hotels, other reservations. I also have sections for packing lists, shopping lists, places and addresses of places we are going. As I print stuff out they go right into the binder sleeves. This fits in my purse.
I also have a two Hey's hanging travel bags. One for toiletry and one for medical. These are never emptied and I just restock them as I use things up. Other than our clothes and personnel travel items,everything is always packed.:
For clothing items like heavy sweaters or mitts, I just keep a laundry basket in my room and add things to that as I get them ready. Packing is always the day before we leave.

 

[Grizzle Bear]

Night before for us...however it was a surprise trip for the kids so packing early would have ruined the surprise.

 

[lalasmama]

A few months ago, someone asked a similar question, and someone "diagnosed" me with OCD... I start packing about 6 weeks ahead of time, grabbing things that we only use rarely (like travel-size shampoo/conditioner/soap, pin lanyards, etc). About a month ahead of time, I start packing whatever clothes I can. Then I unpack and repack as needed over the next several weeks. Afterall, weather may change. Or I may want to wear something I already packed. Or, I just like getting ready for vacations, over and over again. The day before we fly out, we repack everything one last time, putting all the clothes in the ziplock travel bags, getting the liquids in their bag, etc.

 

[zanzibar138]

As it is coming into winter here and I won't need my summer clothes, I will be able to start packing for our September trip very soon I always pack light and ridiculously early.

 

[Collmal]

I already have some things packed for our trip the first week of December! And a list going. Right now, it's mostly things like detergents, lanyards, bibs, table mats, glow items, books and activities for the trip, etc. I start packing in earnest a month or so before.

 

[Pesky]

We have a spare room so we stick the suitcases on the bed in there at least a week out. I have a packing list that I modify for the then-current trip (for example, princess dresses to Disney but not to the beach) which I usually do starting a month to couple weeks out. I will start throwing things into the suitcase as I wash them or don't need them. Which means a lot gets packed last minute. But if I didn't start early, I know I'd miss something as I pack for the kids and me. DH is on his own (and yes, always forgets something).

 

[Pesky]

I have a Disney 5"x8" zippered travel binder, with individual sections for airplane tickets, car rentals, hotels, other reservations. I also have sections for packing lists, shopping lists, places and addresses of places we are going. As I print stuff out they go right into the binder sleeves. This fits in my purse.
I also have a two Hey's hanging travel bags. One for toiletry and one for medical. These are never emptied and I just restock them as I use things up. Other than our clothes and personnel travel items,everything is always packed.:
For clothing items like heavy sweaters or mitts, I just keep a laundry basket in my room and add things to that as I get them ready. Packing is always the day before we leave.

You had me in awe starting with "travel binder". Could you tell me where you picked yours up? Thanks!

 

[wvnative]

I also keep a packing list in excel. It only changes by the number of days and time of year.

I pack the weekend before we leave when I do the laundry. That way, I'm not having to wash something someone HAS to wear during the trip again the day before. lol

It's generally just me and DH. He's easy. I try to put us in shirts from the same movie each day so when I pack, I roll mine and his together. He usually decides which movie we are that day. He just grabs a pair of shirts.

I shop for the cold food type stuff the day/night before. I prep anything I need to and pack the coolers right before he starts to pack the car. I collect non perishable stuff for our trips over the couple of months before our trip. I keep it in a Disney bag in the closet.

The stuff that always goes (nightlite, surge protector, etc) stays in my suitcase because I always travel with them. The stuff I keep in my park backpack stays in the backpack.

My mom is a prepacker. My sister and DD both pack last minute. DD does pack from a list though (mine...lol).

 

[KeKy4]

I was just thinking of starting a thread like this a couple of days ago!

We booked our trip 6 weeks ago, we leave in 2 weeks. Right away I brought in the big duffel bag and started collecting the kids Disney stuff in it and anything I knew we'd take with us but not use before then. The kids Mickey ears, Mickey baseball hats, all their Disney shirts/pajamas as I come across them in the laundry, new packs of socks, etc. It's not in the way, it's just up against the wall in our room. Plus we only take 3 bags - the big one for the kids to share then DH and I each have our own smaller ones.

A couple of days ago I packed our toiletry bag (sunscreen, shampoo, soap, air freshener for the room), everything except DH's stuff because he doesn't know what he's bringing.

I'll stop wearing the clothes I want to pack the week before and make sure it's all washed and start stacking it up.

We bought the snacks for the trip this weekend! I packed away a bunch of the kids Easter candy for the trip too!

We leave on a Sunday so I'd like to have everything totally packed by Friday night/Saturday morning so we can load up the car Saturday and leave first thing in the morning!!!

 

[Susie63]

You had me in awe starting with "travel binder". Could you tell me where you picked yours up? Thanks!

lol here is a link to a thread I posted earlier this year. I made it for some friends who were travelling with us.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3211818

 

[Californiacicle]

I would totally pack now if we had everything clothes wise we needed or didn't need to wear any of it until then. Waiting is so hard.

 

[aijj]

oh my goodness, i am shocked reading all the responses..... i guess i'll be the outlier here and say we just pack the day before. Not last possible minute or anything.. but almost always the day before. Never thought to do any different and it works for us. Come to think of it, we rarely forget anything important. We do laundry few days in advance and that's it. We are leaving for our first family trip to Disney on Sunday at the crack of dawn, and we have not packed anything yet..I have a really busy week at work (presentation on Wednesday), meeting family for dinner on Thurs, and probably won't get to pack until Saturday afternoon.

My mom and MIL are very different and always pack for trips weeks before..it amazes me..I just cannot do that. I think what makes it hard to pack in advance is if i pack something, then i can't use it in the meantime (like certain clothes, camera, etc). I don't know. I do not think its weird to wait until the day before, I thought that was normal!

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

Right before.... Day of if later flight, day before if morning!!!! I really need to unpack, wash and repack since I always take the same stuff!!!!

 

[Sally_fan]

I used to start packing early but now I pack the day before I leave. I always ended up taking things out to wear/use & those would be the things I'd forget. I do all my laundry & then pack it all as I fold it. I DO however start a pile of "stuff" I need for the trip (sunscreen, baggies, gum, etc) about a week or so before. This sits on my dresser until the suitcases come out.

 

[krispin41]

I pack the week before the trip, however I have a list that I am constantly tweaking weeks before.

 

[kitayama]

I pack for any vacation the day I leave...
Everything I own matches, so I rake a pile of black polo shirts, and a pile of kaki pants and/or shorts, socks, underwear, and something to sleep in. Oh, and all necessary cables and chargers.
My wife makes sure I have all the necessities like toothpaste, soap, etc. The first tine we traveled together she was a little upset when we got to the hotel, I unpacked, and looked up where the nearest a Target was because I never pack any of that stuff. I never saw the point of it because I just bought new ones wherever I go.

 

[rjlopez]

Were driving to anaheim. Leaving 12 am this sat. Started packing last week. My daughter has goodies and luggage at the door.