Help! I Always Overpack for Our Vacations!

[fifidanon]

We leave for Disney Friday morning and the suitcases are getting packed over the next couple of days. We are a family of six, DH and Mom (me), two teen DDs, and nearly-3-year-old twin DSs. We are driving to WDW in our Toyota Sienna minivan (over 12 years old so no fancy hidden storage compartments or anything snazzy like that lol) so storage space is at a premium!

I am allowing everyone one duffle bag (twins will share one of course) that we can "squish" down into the small back storage area typical of most minivans. (We did purchase a soft-sided car top carrier that holds 15 cubic feet just in case we need it, but hoping we really won't!)

We haven't been to Disney in 7 years, and when we went before we took the train round-trip from NJ (we live in eastern PA) and went in late January/early February. With weather so changeable that time of year, we had so much luggage it looked like we were taking a 3-week cruise on the QEII and we were only staying for 7 days!!! We actually tipped the bellhop at the train station 50 bucks (each way) for lugging and loading our 7 or 8 substantial pieces of luggage! (And we were only a family of four at that time lol!) Of course, we used about a quarter of what we brought.

We mostly take shore vacations, which require so much extra gear for the beach as well as sweatshirts, sweatpants, etc. for cool evenings strolling by the ocean, so that is what I am used to packing. So, help me with a reality check, please!! I/we have never been to Disney in summer before, so do we need ANY clothing that is warmer than shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, etc.? Do we need to bring ANY long-sleeve shirts, long pants, sweatshirts, sweatpants, jackets, or the like? (The way my brain works, I will think we need something warmer for the air-conditioned cabin.)

I know from the boards that we will need rain ponchos and an extra pair of shoes if the first pair gets drenched in a downpour. I think we may need beach towels because we are staying at FW cabins and I read in a thread that they don't provide towels at the pools there (correct me please if I am wrong).

Of course with the twins we will need diapers and wipes and desitin (no, they are not potty-trained yet lol) and a few toys and books and stuffed animals etc. . . . I am already envisioning a hefty bag just for all that gear, yikes! We are on the fence about the double umbrella stroller because we plan on renting in the parks but are concerned about needing our own for the FW grounds (we are not renting a golf cart).

I am NOT a savvy packer and always feel completely overwhelmed by the task. Even with lists and plans and preparation, it always seems that there are several unanticipated hours gathering so many items in the final stressful hours! And then there are the car snacks and drinks and sippy cups and dvds for the twins to watch during our 18-hour, 2-day drive . . . I can feel the sweat gathering on my brow just writing this post!

Can someone grab my shoulders and give me a good shake and set me straight on what a WDW vacation in mid-June requires? What I absolutely can't leave behind and what I can do without? Thank you so much for any help you can provide!!

 

[Missy13d69]

Do they have a laundry facility at your resort? If they do, you might want to think about packing very light, and doing some laundry while there. I'm the queen of over packing, so I have no advice beyond that. We once went on vacation with my oldest DS when he was 3. 9 days, but I had 37 outfits packed for him...I had every mix of possible weather accounted for. This is why I'm glad we are staying off site and have a full laundry in the town house we are renting. We will be there 7 nights, so the 7 outfits I take for each kid, WILL be enough. (See me trying to convince myself?)

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We've found that we pack far less for summer trips vs. winter trips. We drove last summer - something like a 9 day trip - had to go w/o my SUV due to a last minute accident - and still managed to fit everything into the trunk and footspace areas of a mid sized sedan.

Here's what helped us...
- we stopped for the night along the way, so I had backpacks with everything for the road trip portions
- everything in the backpacks and suitcases were organized in ziplock bags. Each bag contained a full outfit sans shoes.
- devoting packing focus to one thing at a time...i.e. one night I'd only work on clothes, the next night it would be in car entertainment, the next night- toiletries/first aid/and other related things, I had a random night to tie up loose ends like cameras- chargers- computers- little surprise elements, and then the final stage involves food/drink for the ride and travel docs.
- I always make a very thorough checklist and organize it by these categories...but before I pack a thing I always let someone else review my list to make sure there's nothing missing that I should consider packing (or leaving home)

I highly recommend the ziplock bag strategy w/clothes. It allows you to count out outfits for each day of travel- as well as back ups for accidents. Before me doing this- I used to pack enough for weeks. i.e. the bags forced me to see just how many outfits I'd already packed and kept me from overdoing it.

 

[MrsTeddy]

It's our first real Disney trip so I'm not sure how helpful I will be but here's some thoughts.

If your driving I wouldn't bother PACKING tons of diapers/wipes/desitin just do a Walmart run once your there! (we are flying so must pack luckily it looks like my DS just may be trained!)

Did you consider renting a double jogger from an outside supplier such as Orlando Stroller or Kingdom strollers? They are durable for around the cabins, hold a good amount of weight, fully recline, etc. They aren't that pricey and would go back to the resort with you at night. We are doing this for our little ones.

Look into the possibility of doing laundry. It sucks while on vacation but I plan on us possibly doing it once on our trip. I'm going to bring 12-14 outfits per child but luckily they are kids so the clothes are small! If we have lots of opps (or sweat) moments I will just do some part way thru the trip, I'm bringing detergent in case!

I will likely bring a hoodie for each of us, more so because of the plane to be honest but DH likes to crank the air in hotels so I want to make sure we are warm while he's busy trying to freeze us. Otherwise nothing warmer.

My DS will be wearing crocs for the trip, they are versatile can get wet and are comfy. He will have the option of the stroller as well so won't be expected to walk long distances.

Good Luck! We are bringing 3 full size suitcases for the 4 of us and my ILs are just sharing one!

 

[ADisneyQueen]

We're leaving on Weds. and I already feel like I am bringing so much stuff! But, we won't have a car so I need to make sure I have everything. There is always the gift shop (pricey) and a taxi to a store( too time consuming).

I am not bringing any cold weather clothes, unless the kids want a coat for the airplane which I doubt. Can you get towels for swimming from housekeeping? We are staying at POP and they don't have towels at the pools but HK will give you extra. Also, are your shoes waterproof? We got stuck in a bad storm at MK once and there was inches of rain on some parts of the pavement. My shoes were soaked ( it was Jan. 1st and I was not wearing waterproof shoes). I'm going to Dollar tree to get more ponchos.

 

[miami305]

We leave for Disney Friday morning and the suitcases are getting packed over the next couple of days. We are a family of six, DH and Mom (me), two teen DDs, and nearly-3-year-old twin DSs. We are driving to WDW in our Toyota Sienna minivan (over 12 years old so no fancy hidden storage compartments or anything snazzy like that lol) so storage space is at a premium!
Do we need to bring ANY long-sleeve shirts, long pants, sweatshirts, sweatpants, jackets, or the like? (The way my brain works, I will think we need something warmer for the air-conditioned cabin.)

NO. You do not need any cool weather items! Don't drink a giant ice filled soda at the restaurant and you won't freeze in the a/c.

I know from the boards that we will need rain ponchos and an extra pair of shoes if the first pair gets drenched in a downpour. I think we may need beach towels because we are staying at FW cabins and I read in a thread that they don't provide towels at the pools there (correct me please if I am wrong).

Shoes dry out quickly in 94 degree weather so don't stress to much about that part. Get the $3 rain jackets from Walmart. They are sturdy enough to reuse. You'll need a rain cover for the stroller. It often rains sideways in Florida. There is no way to keep a stroller dry for an extended time during a Florida rainstorm without a cover.

Of course with the twins we will need diapers and wipes and desitin (no, they are not potty-trained yet lol) and a few toys and books and stuffed animals etc. . . . I am already envisioning a hefty bag just for all that gear, yikes! We are on the fence about the double umbrella stroller because we plan on renting in the parks but are concerned about needing our own for the FW grounds (we are not renting a golf cart).

Don't pack a mountain of toys! Back a small backpack for them with little matchbox cars and McDonalds type toys. Leave the stuffed animals at home. Leave the books at home. You can get an audio book. Best investment ever for us was a splitter for earphones. The teens or twins can watch a movie without everyone else being forced to listen. Color Wonder sets are great if they enjoy that sort of thing. DVD player and Leapsters provide a lot of entertainment.

BRING YOUR OWN STROLLER. I have not stayed there, but all posts I've seen say you need a golfcart.

I am NOT a savvy packer and always feel completely overwhelmed by the task. Even with lists and plans and preparation, it always seems that there are several unanticipated hours gathering so many items in the final stressful hours! And then there are the car snacks and drinks and sippy cups and dvds for the twins to watch during our 18-hour, 2-day drive . . . I can feel the sweat gathering on my brow just writing this post!

Have the teens pick out 10 movies. Place the dvds in one of those cheapo plastic CD carrying cases. No need to have a stack of movie boxes.

WDW site says there are washer and dryers at Ft W. Woohoo! No need to pack a mountain of clothes! I'm not sure how many days you're staying. I'd pack 5 days worth of clothes and do laundry on day 4. Pack the twins 7 outfits. You know how accident prone they are. Pack 1 or 2 outfits with you to the parks.

I'm guessing even though they aren't fully potty trained that they urinate on a fairly regular schedule? I'm also guessing you won't do more than 8hrs at the parks with them. So, pack 6 pullups in your park diaper bag? Sounds like you will need 2 big packs of pullups for your trip. As someone stated, you can always buy more during your trip at Walmart. You will also need swim diapers.

Can someone grab my shoulders and give me a good shake and set me straight on what a WDW vacation in mid-June requires? What I absolutely can't leave behind and what I can do without? Thank you so much for any help you can provide!!

We're going for 5 days. Possibly 6. We also have onsite laundry. I'm a natural packer so I don't make lists, but here's what we're taking for each person:

5 short outfits, underwear, and socks
(pack the twins' complete outfits in gallon ziplock bags)
(bring lightweight, 100% cotton shirts)
1 pair of quality sandals and 1 pair of sneakers
(no flipflops for the parks! No hard leather or things that crisscross your pinky toe! StrideRite, Skechers, New Balance, Tevas, and Merrels work well for us )
hat
sunglasses
bathing suit
swim goggles
toothbrush
deodorant


We will share:
soap
toothpaste
shampoo/conditioner
brush/comb
ziplock bag of hair scrunchies and whatnots)
lotion
sunscreen
OFF
(I know WDW is supposed to be mosquito free, but I'm a mosquito magnet)

Misc. junk:
Tiara for 7yr old to wear at MK
Meds for DH
Nebulizer and meds for DS in case of allergy attack.
Liquid Benadryl, Mucinex and Childrens Motrin.
(Kids are prone to sinus troubles from allergies)
Bottle of Excedrin Migraine for me.
Small, insulated lunch bag to take snacks to park.
Small, insulated one shoulder bag to take water bottles to park.
Plastic hangers with clips to hang up wet swimsuits in shower. They won't dry in our air conditioned room.
Cheapo pop up hamper to use for everyone's dirty clothes.
Lysol and Clorox wipes. (Yes, I'm a germaphobe)
Our brand of laundry detergent in a squirt bottle. Pack in 2 ziplocks in case it opens!
camera and cord
cell phone charging cords


In the car:
DVD player, cord, car adapter and movies
One small bag of toys that will remain in the car.
Small cooler.
Camp pillows and small blankets which will remain in the car.
(Carry bedding stuff in a giant ziplock bag. I think they are $6 for 3 at Target. You can also use one to carry dirty or wet clothes.)

Snacks for Disney:
Case of water
trail mix
bagels
apples
grapes
pretzels
bottle of premade margarita mix

Park bag:
Hand sanitizers clipped to bags
The small, insulated lunch bag with snacks, handtowel.
(I find the small towel is better for big messes than 20 paper towels)
Small, shoulder bag for water, babywipes, and ponchos.
(You don't have to carry the heavy tub. You can place a stack in a ziplock bag.)
small ziplock bag with some excredin and a couple bandaids.
DH will carry passport holder with our cards and cash.
sunscreen

I'm not sure about WDW, but waterparks and public pools often make kids wear swim covers over the diaper so there is no chance of poop in the pool. Might want to call Ft W about that and ask if they provide towels at the pools.

Can your twins drink from a regular water bottle? I can see a lot of sippy cups being lost. Get a pack of the cheap ones at Walmart.

Since you will have the stroller all the time, you can easily pack
8 pullups
4 sippycups (Hot weather and a bellyful of milk are a bad combo. If you must, pack a cup loaded with icecubes)
water
2 outfits in ziplock bag
sunscreen
snacks
ponchos.

I would use 2 bags so you carry only what you need with you into the bathrooms.

Pack meds, hair stuff, makeup, snack items, electrical cords, sunscreen and ponchos in separate ziplock bags. Instead of digging through piles of stuff, you can pick up a bag that will have what you need. Also, the clear bags make it easy to see if one of the kids forgets something.

DO MAKE YOUR TEENS RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING WITH PACKING! There is no reason they can't help. I do all the laundry 2 days before we go anywhere. The night before, everyone picks out what they want to wear and places it in the pre designated area. This can be as simple as placing a sheet on the floor somewhere. I check to make sure the girls haven't picked any favorite ratty tshirt. I then fold everything because the 12yr olds folding skills are still a bit rough. The girls know not to pack too many toys or books. I will dump the backpack out and make them start over. Oh, and be SURE not to let the teens go crazy packing hair supplies and jewelry. The humidity and fancy hairstyles do not go together. Imagine the hottest, muggiest August you can imagine and THAT is summer in Florida.

I think that is everything! Remember, that you can always buy any forgotten item at a store in Orlando. If not for our allergies, I wouldn't dream of packing so many meds with us. Pack what you NEED, not what you might use or might like to have. All the "might need" items are what bog you down.

Hope you have a fabulous time! I wish we were going now!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

^^^Good tip about the movies. We take all ours out of the case & put them in a zip up CD case. We also RedBox along the way.

 

[mobesfamily]

Hey twin mommy, notorious over packer here too! No big deal when going to my parents house at the shore but flying will be a different story. The only long pants, socks & sweatshirt/jacket we will have will be what we wear on the plane. We will wear sneakers and pack one pair Crocs & one pair Keens for each of us. For the twins I bought all lightweight/nylon/wick-dry clothing, a few of the shorts are "soccer" shorts with panties built in. Hubby & I also have several outfits of the same material. I don't care what we look like as long as we are able to keep cool and the clothing bulk is kept to a minimum. I don't mind doing a load of laundry 1/2 way through the trip and I also figure that this type of material could be washed as we shower & hung to dry in the bathroom. This way we are only bringing 5-6 outfits for 9 nights/10 days (7-8 for the girls). I am gate-checking my BJ City mini double stroller so I have it for the airports, I really think you should look into renting the same from someone like Orlando Strollers. I agree with the PPs that you should probably just pack enough diapers & wipes for the ride and hit Walmart when you get down there (don't forget enough for the ride home
The PP's list above is really good! My problem will be all those "just in case" items like Benadryl, kids & adult Tylenol & Motrin, Q-tips, Pepto, Imodium, ear drops etc (based on previous travels, haha).
Good luck & safe travels to you!

 

[usd2bmd]

Luckily for us, we only have the one DD16. So that made it easier when packing, but I too tend to overpack. When my daughter was small, I packed one outfit for everyday, plus an extra shirt (she tended to spill things). I would take pictures of each outfit before left and that went into the vacation binder. This way every morning she could pick an out fit to wear.
DD loved to pick out her own clothes and doing this allowed her that freedom without her being mismatched at the end of the week.

We have always flown (my husband doesn't want to do the drive) so space is really at a premium. We also packed a small makeshift first aid kit, sun screens.and things like that.

Good luck!

 

[sk!mom]

I'm an under packer who can pack for a two week trip in an hour.

First advice, the teens and DH should be packing for themselves. That will ease your stress.

I've been many times in the Summer, and do not think you will need any warm clothing. Just take, shorts, tanks, and tshirts. I do not like to do laundry on vacation so we pack one outfit per day with a few extra shirts and extra underwear. Sometimes we like to shower and change to fresh underwear and shirts after an afternoon break. If someone runs out of clothes you can do a load of laundry. I never have at WDW, though.

 

[Belle1962]

Over packer here. I plan for two outfits per day (on ein the a.m. and then fresh clothes for after our afternoon break). I plan to do laundry during the trip as DGS will want pool time and at the resort the laundry is next to the pool.

One tip I heard awhile back but have never used: Pack your suitcase and then take 1/2 of your stuff out.

 

[nadira36]

I pack one medium suitcase and place that into an empty larger suitcase. I then use diapers and such around the medium suitcase so it doesn't bang around.

( we fly) then I pack 1 carry on full of nothing but snacks, one with travel docs, medications, electronics, and an emergency stash of diaper and some wipes. The girls have a change of clothes in theirs, swimsuits, a book, a stuffie and a change of shoes.

In the summer we bring one pair of pants for each person and nothing else for cool weather. We bring one nice outfit for signature dining. Then we plan on the girls wearing costumes most days. We still pack 3 pairs of shorts, 6 tops. Enough undies for the entire trip.

For the adults we pack an extra top and an extra bottom each. We each bring a pair of runners, sandals, and nicer shoes.

We don't bring our towels, instead we just use room towels at the pool. I do bring our own swim diapers and a full pack of disposables bc they'r so expensive at the parks. We also bring our own sunscreen. BUt we use the hotels toiletries so we only worry about make-up and facial care, toothpaste/brushes, and shaving stuff.

While there we usually buy the girls each a dress (maybe two if it's really cute), or a tops/bottoms outfit. DH and I usually buy 1 shirt for ourselves and 1 stuffie of a max value for each girl. We end up with piles of things they collected through various experiences. On the way home we need the extra suitcase space, but not not he way there. We do laundry if needed, at the very least we rinse out clothing so it'll be refreshed for the remainder of the trip. We do bring clothes that are cotton or whickable so that it's easy to quickly rinse out, they're also very light weight.

 

[fifidanon]

Thanks to everyone who posted here in response to my desperate plea!! lol I cannot tell you how helpful this has been to me for information and for reducing my stress level!!

There have been so many good suggestions and tips and loads of helpful advice and I wish I had time to respond to each and every one of you to thank you for all your help and giving up of your OWN valuable time to respond to this thread but I still have so much to do getting us ready to leave Friday morning for our week-long Disney Vacation!! lol

The DISboard has been such a godsend for so many of my Disney questions and just reading through various posts started by others has given me so much help . . . it has been more valuable than any other resource out there. Only problem is I think if I had spent a little less time poring over info on DISboards I might be a whole lot more packed by now!! lol!

 

[mom2girls1974]

I have not gone to WDW (yet) but we did to a Disneyland trip that was over two weeks long -we drove from Canada- and have lived from a school back pack for over a year I like to pack LIGHT.... I am more than happy to wash out undies and socks in the sink at night -shorts can be worn way more than once on vacation as far as I am concerned (though not my youngests probably LOL) and maybe not in Florida's summer heat..... I will not be doing wash on my vacation, but that is only because I do EVERYTHING at home, and I will honestly be doing it all there to - we will go for 2 weeks and I will pack for 7 days, because we have to fly. We will wear everything twice, I will hand wash out undies and socks (hubby can do his or not ) we are going in December so it should be OK. We will also each get one shirt there and wear it.
Great tips here, I love the idea of packing outfits ready to go -great idea!

 

[Nicolepa]

Of course with the twins we will need diapers and wipes and desitin (no, they are not potty-trained yet lol) and a few toys and books and stuffed animals etc. . . . I am already envisioning a hefty bag just for all that gear, yikes! We are on the fence about the double umbrella stroller because we plan on renting in the parks but are concerned about needing our own for the FW grounds (we are not renting a golf cart).

Someone said a golf cart was a must. I have been to FW many, many times (starting back with the original tree houses). Before we bought DVC is was our go to resort. We have never needed a cart. You may or may not want the stroller. If you are planning on renting one in the parks I probably wouldn't. The only time I would use the stroller at FW is going walking around FW or taking the boat to MK. From the cabins to the bus is not a very long walk.

 

[starsweeper]

We try to pack as light as possible. I put together ziplocs of daily outfits for each family member (shirt, shorts, socks, hairbows) for each day of the trip plus 2. One of the extra ziplocs for the kids will go in the diaper backpack for the parks. My kids and I wear Crocs so rainshowers aren't a problem (remove socks until Crocs dry/pull out extra socks in ziplocs). I do laundry midway through the trip and again the night before we leave, so I have less work when we get home. I took a taxi out to a store and bought a lot of things once we arrived--sunscreen, snacks, etc. I carry a small purse with my cosmetics, mints, tickets, camera, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, etc. and DH carries a small backpack with diaper items, snack baggies, toys/books, etc. We are able to carry everything onto the rides easily.