Help me pack 6 days in 4 suitcases!

[disneychard]

We are going to wdw in Aug, my husband, son which is 13 and myself. I always pack 6 bags, 3 carryons. But, with the prices of traveling with luggage is getting so expensive, I need some tips to downsize.

 

[scootch]

Wow, I travel mom and two girls(9 and 11) and get by with 2 suitcases and one carry on. I pretty much plan what we are wearing each day and that is all we take. Things like jeans or jean shorts can be worn more than once.

 

[TheTurners]

I reuse my shirts. For example, I'll wear a shirt all day and change to a new shirt for the evening. Since the evening shirt stays clean (barring any dining accidents) I wear it another evening and if possible during a day after that. By doing this a few times I reduce my shirt count by about a third. I also try to wear a pair of shorts over a two day period throughout the trip. For a 10 day trip I need about 7 shirts and 5 shorts. Plenty of underwear though! Comfy sneakers and a pair of flip flops for each of us. For 4 of us we take 1 large suitcase, 1 duffle bag and 4 backpacks (aka free carry-ons).

We also roll up all of our clothes when we pack to keep them wrinkle-free and to maximize space.

 

[disney1990]

I have no idea why you would being having a hard time with this. Each person should be able to travel with only 1 suitcase. I have seen DH and me go for a week and share a suitcase.

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

In order to not over pack, I put out my stuff on my bed and only pack half...if you run out of clothes, you can do wash there...

 

[calitook]

Summer clothes (shorts, ts shirts, etc.) really doesn't take up that much room. I don't see why on earth 3 people would need that many bags, especially since your son is old enough that I'm guessing you don't have to pack toys etc.

DH and I are leaving tomorrow and are going w/ carry-on only. The only thing that concerned me was bringing enough sunscreen due to liquid restrictions but he pointed out we'd have to buy more than $50 worth of sunscreen at WDW to make checking baggage the cheaper option...

 

[tina.tina]

Has anyone mailed sunscreen to themselves at Disney?

We drove and took 4 suitcases- 2 of which were carryon size. We took clothes for me, DH (whose cargo shorts take up a bunch of room), DD10 and DS5. The four suitcases held all of our clothes with room to spare. We were gone 11 nights and did laundry once.

 

[calitook]

I thought about having sunscreen mailed because we have Amazon Prime, but our resort (CSR) charges a package handling fee. I don't think every resort does though.

!!!And oh yeah, I'll be on my plane to WDW in less than 12 hours!!!

 

[3mickeymom]

but they are lighter. When we go in the summer, we get sweaty. So if we head back to our room at all during the day to swim or rest, we ALWAYS change EVERYTHING(socks and underwear too) Doing laundry is a necessity for us, but I don't really mind. It is much better than bringing home some very smelly clothing. I grab a cool drink and take a little rest doing laundry. I have three boys so they have quite a few basketball shorts which are easy to pack and don't wrinkle. Dri fit clothing is great for packing too. My husband has Nike dri fit golf shorts that are great for packing too. We wear our heaviest shoes on the plane but bring an extra pair of shoes and flip flops too. Now, we always try to bring an extra pair of shoes after a particually rainy vacation when our shoes just didn't dry out. Since we plan on laundry, we can usually just each bring a carry-on with maybe 1 checked bag for the entire family. You can DO it. Have a wonderful vacation.

 

[3mickeymom]

and do it ALL at the same time so I am sure that everyone has what they need. I yell, "Everyone grab 4 pairs of socks!" " Everyone grab 4 shorts and 4 matching t shirts." "Now your bathing suit!" Since my boys can get competitive, it becomes a race of sorts. I have a list ready and I read it off. They leave their stuff on the bed and I check to make sure it has no holes or stains and we are good to go. It makes it fun and takes alot less time. Then they add whatever electronics, books etc.

 

[fadingjamie]

Whaaa? There is no need for that many bags for six days!

Two-three pairs of shorts each
Six-seven shirts each
One-two dinner outfits (dress/skirt for ladies, nice shirt to be worn with shorts for guys)
A pair of socks for every day you think you'll be wearing socks
Two pairs of shoes each
One bathing suit
Undies for every day you're there plus one just in case
Two bras for you

Then the essentials.. deodorant, sunglasses, sunscreen, toothbrushes & paste, medications, etc. Even then.. get small versions of everything you're bringing.

When we went in May, we packed a large checked bag (great for packing full size sunscreen and such) and a carry-on 1/4 of the way full for souvenirs, etc. It worked out fine for the 2 of us (adults) for 6 days. Don't forget you get a "personal" item in addition to the carry-on so bring a medium sized backpack or a large tote bag to maximize your storage.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

The thing I love best is only packing clothes for half of our vacation For example on an 8 day trip I pack four outfits. I do laundry while on vacation. It simple doesn't take away from our vacation. Disney resorts have a lot of laundry rooms by the pools. I combine laundry with pool time. Just a few weeks ago I did 3 loads of laundry while at the pool and it only took me
1 hour and 10 minutes. I washed all 3 loads at once and dryed them all at once. I did the same thing the day before we left. That way we came home with clean clothes all I had to do was put them away.
I send away for laundry sample packets and stockpile them for our trips. Staying at a DVC resort we can do laundry for free so doing laundry cost me nothing.

I don't have to spend a lot of time packing. It leaves room in the suitcase to bring back things bought on the trip.

 

[Carmen NC]

I think it will be easier than you think and I do recommend the half-packing method. When flying I constantly do practice packs with everything I need to see where I stand. In August, plan on doing a couple loads of laundry so you may not need as much clothes as you think. You can easily pack the Purex 3-in-1 sheets in luggage since they're flat and not worry about liquids and powders (plus you may be able to get in the travel toiletry section say at Wal-Mart unless you want a whole box for future trips). We are getting ready to go in 3 1/2 weeks to WDW and we know it will be HOT. The Purex sheets are in the suitcase.

Have a great trip!

 

[aubriee]

We are going to wdw in Aug, my husband, son which is 13 and myself. I always pack 6 bags, 3 carryons. But, with the prices of traveling with luggage is getting so expensive, I need some tips to downsize.

Wow! That's alot of luggage for three people. I refuse to do laundry on vacation and still don't carry half that. This past May my husband and I spent 8 nights/9 days down there and shared one lightweight duffel bag, two carryons, and one personal item and we are both pooh size. I packed nine outfits (shorts/capris and tshirts/tanks in one 18" packing folder which easily fit in one side of my carry on. I then used a small packing cube for two swimsuits and a coverup, a slim packing cube for 9 pairs underwear and a nightgown, and another slim cube for 9 bras. Those fit on the other side of my carryon, along with a white noise machine. My personal item held our paperwork, a Vera Bradely makeup bag with mineral makeup and brushes, another VB makeup bag with battery chargers, a VB tech bag that held my camera and cell phone, two VB contact cases (one for contacts and one for my mp3 player), a VB sunglass case, and a book to read on the plane. We didn't even use a 3-1-1 bag, instead packing all our liquids in the checked bag. My husband's carry on held most of his clothes in an 18" packing folder, some room decorations, an extra pair of shoes, hairbrush, comb, and a box of pop tarts and two boxes of granola bars. Our checked bag was a rolling duffel that really had little in it--a 20" packing folder that held a few of my husband's clothes which didn't fit in his 18" carryon packing folder, two pairs of my shoes, a Vera Bradley hanging toiletry bag, and a waterproof VB bag with several cans of sunscreen in it. I carried one extra outfit and my husband carried two extra outfits, plus we each carried a nicer outfit to wear to the one signature restaurant we were dining at, plus we had two swimsuits each.

For our nine day trip we could have put a few more things in the checked bag and moved the stuff in the personal bag to one of our carry ons and made it with just one shared checked bag and one carry on each, if we'd wanted to. May '09 I used only a carry on and a personal item for a nine day trip and still packed nine outfits, plus two sundresses for signature restaurants. Why in the world would you need six bags and three carryons for three people for just a six day trip? I'd use packing folders and packing cubes and get everything in three carryons and one checked rolling duffel. I prefer duffels to suitcases, because they seem to hold more and are usually lighter weight.

 

[aubriee]

oops, duplicate

 

[sjaakie]

We are going to wdw in Aug, my husband, son which is 13 and myself. I always pack 6 bags, 3 carryons. But, with the prices of traveling with luggage is getting so expensive, I need some tips to downsize.

Wow what are you packing?
We, hubby and me, travel for a month in the US and we only need one suitcase.
Still I manage to come home with only one set of dirty clothes

The hotels have a laundry and irons so no need to be packed like a mule.

 

[nicki.momof3]

That is a ton of luggage for 3 people. We travel for 10 days in Dec. (much heavier clothes) for a family of 5 and we take 2 checked bags and 2 carry ons.

that many bags is a hige waste of $$$.

With 3 people (one being a child) we would take 1 checked bag and 2 carry one - 3 if you want.

 

[nkereina]

I am also an over-packer. One because I frequently change my mind about clothes I want to wear, two because I bring clothes for all kinds of weather and natural disasters, and three because I bring everything I think I could possibly need so I don't have to overpay for anything or be incovenienced. It's a curse!

Regardless, I always just bring my purse on the plane (granted, it's fairly large) and just have my purse items plus documents, a magazine and my iPod and maybe a book. I don't bring anything else other than stuff to do/read on the plane on with me. If you can do that too, that would eliminate one carry on. If you can combine your kid and husband's carry on into one backpack, then that would eliminate the other. You don't really need to pack in a carry on anything you need except for stuff to do on the plane. Unless you are deathly afraid of the airline losing your luggage, that's a different story.

My checked bag is always a 50 pounder. I bought a luggage scale and always use that and then balance it off by throwing some things in my boyfriend's so I don't have to pay for overweight charges. I invested in a large oblong style suitcase (brand name is Dakine) that helps keep me organized. As long as it all fits and is within the weight, I'm good. I can usually swing it. You could also do laundry if you want to bring less clothes, but I'm not fond of laundry on vacation!

 

[jjsmom]

Ha Ha! Follow the stardard WDW rule. 1) Pack your bags. 2) unpack at least 1/2 the clothes/toiletries/gadgets you originally packed 3) fill in empty space with cash

Seriously, don't overthink your day to day clothing needs. After 20-30 (even oppressive heat of summer) trips , here's what I can tell you:

-now is not the time to be a fashion plate. Rely on comfortable, functional shoes and clothing. EMPHASIS ON SHOES!! Leave the high heels home, there are many cute, comfortable styles that are completely acceptable for a nice dinner out ( possible exception, Victoria & Alberts). Make sure your shoes can serve more than one purpose (ex- a darling pair of flip flops looks chic by the pool and very, very acceptable with a sundress at dinner)

-pack neutral colored clothing that matches everything
-in an emergency, you can wash clothing in a hotel sink (wash with Disney shampoo which is way too harsh for my hair), and dry on a towel bar
-If the weather is not TOO stifling, you can get more than one use out of jeans/jean shorts/ dark colored shorts/ khaki bottoms
-roll your clothes in the suitcase. They will not wrinkle and look sloppy if done correctly. fill in all available space (in shoes, etc.) with socks, underwear.
-For me personally, a load or 2 of laundry in a resort laundry mat is not the end of the world. It's worth it not to have the hassle of several suitcases.

-Emphasis should not be on clothing. Rather, stuff like sunscreen, meds, and true necessities.
Good luck!

 

[disneychard]

Wow! reading everyone posts I think I am an over packer. I am going to take everyones ideals and see if I can slim down. I would love to have 4 suitcases and one carry-on this trip.