Help please, first time flying family of 5 budget packing tips

[mom4graceandlogan]

Hi everyone, I really need the help of those budget minded families to help with my trip in 2 weeks. the trip is to Seattle/British Columbia, not Disney, but related because 1. I know many of you fly too Disney and 2. We picked Victoria as our first International trip as a family because of the Oh Canada Epcot movie and 3. Need to save $ for our September Disney trip.

We have driven on all of our family vacations since my 13 year old was born. We now have a 13, 10 and 5 year old. We cashed in frequent flyer miles for 4 tickets and purchased one to get to Seattle and British Columbia, our first flight as a family.

Packing is freaking me out! We are there for two weeks so we will eat alot of meals in ( we will have a cooler and mini fridge for a state park the first few days and have a full kitchen in Victoria. We will be making a Walmart stop once we get to Seattle. Breakfast is included our first 3 days.
Normally I have packing down to a T because we drive. I have everything from laundry detergent, peanut butter, food, sunscreen, shampoo etc. We are good with sandwiches fruit, simple meals etc. may eat out once a day. Looking forward to getting some fresh produce at Seattle markets. We are taking a ferry to Victoria.

How do I pack for such a trip? We will have three checked bags and 5 carry ons flying on Delta. What can I take safely in my checked bags, what do you usually bring in your carry ons? Please give me your tips to save money. I hate the idea of just getting everything at walmart and throwing out what we don't use, when I have things here. What is your best advice?

 

[dpswift]

I usually only pack snacks for trips when we are flying. This past weekend at Disneyland we only had carryons. So I packed 3 gallon sized bags of snacks and we stopped at Target and picked up soda, water and beer for the hotel room. Our breakfasts were free at the hotel.

When we do trips such as yours we buy most of our food when we get there. I also heard a woman being told her bag was over weight and that there was a huge additional charge.

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

Thanks for reminding me if the weight limit!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Just a reminder, make sure your passports are in order!

You should have fun; there's a lot to do in that area.

 

[ChasingTheMagic]

Hi I'm new to the boards here but I am Canadian. I would take a look at the Canadian Customs site. I'm pretty sure you can't bring fruit or meat in to Canada. You will need a full size tooth paste for 5 people but not in a carry on in an international flight. No bottles of water in your purse or carry on. Make sure all your passports are in order.

 

[dunningdisney]

we bring empty water bottles thru security at the airport and then fill up at water fountain before we board the plane--we eat also before boarding so tummies are full for flight

in carry on--we carry crackers/pretzels, water bottle, gum, an extra outfit (in case luggage gets lost or delayed), ipod/phone/coloring book w/colored pencils/book (something to keep busy), motion sickness pills,rx meds

if you can do a couple of loads of laundry on your trip--pack half of what you need and wash clothes for the second half of trip

not sure of ages, but best tip I ever read was to put kids complete outfits in a ziplock bag for kids (socks, underware, shorts, top, hairbow) leave in bags in hotel room drawer and kids are good to go each day with a complete matching outfit

we use large ziplock bags (2.5 gallon) for undergarments for adults--that way if security is checking your bag--they are not touching all of you under garments

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Hi I'm new to the boards here but I am Canadian. I would take a look at the Canadian Customs site. I'm pretty sure you can't bring fruit or meat in to Canada. You will need a full size tooth paste for 5 people but not in a carry on in an international flight. No bottles of water in your purse or carry on. Make sure all your passports are in order.

OP is taking a ferry to Victoria, not flying, so liquids aren't a problem.

You can bring fruit and meat into Canada:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/in...to-canada-/eng/1389648337546/1389648516990#a1

 

[mmbl]

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/PDn9l20NlWw

 

[hsmamato2]

hmmm, this reminds me of our trip last year,where we camped/cabin'd around Yellowstone and Tetons....and flew out there.... I packed a largish soft cooler bag with an electric kettle, packets of instant oatmeal/grits, Starbucks via, lots and lots of granola bars and fruit leathers, and lots of jif to go pb cups,and 1 oz bags of almonds,and string cheese. I fit a LOT into that bag,and checked it. This way I could be sure that we'd always have enough to eat, though not full meals. We used just about every item in there. And then you'll go to WM for the 'big' foods you'll need. Pack one suitcase pp, and stick all those 'little' items in around clothing. Sounds like you can wash and rewear, so pack clothes for 1/2 your trip,max. Best packing advice I've ever heard was 'put everything you think you'll need into your suitcase. Now take 1/2 of it out,and put it away.' If you have a WM nearby, you can stop and get anything you forgot. easy.

 

[sk!mom]

We normally only do carryons if we plan to make a grocery stop once there- one per person. With your family, I would only be packing for myself and the 5 year old. I would help the 10 year old make a list and double check with them after they have packed. 13 and DH would be on their own. Once my kids could pack their own, it was so much less stressful.

If we do not plan a grocery stop, then we will pay to check one bag for the sunscreen, hair products, and liquids. Unless we're on Southwest and then everyone can bring whatever they want.

For Disney this Summer we will not be making a grocery stop and we're on SW so we will check bags with plenty of Sunscreen and such. I will then take a carryon Vera Bradley with a few boxes of Pop Tarts, cereal bars, cheezits, and Pringles to have in the room. We don't eat in the room much but it can be nice to have a few things for deadhead teens in the morning or late night snacks.

 

[ChasingTheMagic]

I suggest you look at the link re what fruit can be brought into BC and the link Re what can specifically be brought into canada from the USA. I'm sure it will be no problem at all. I live in canada and I was stopped coming back into canada and my uncooked frozen wieners fruit and potatoes were taken before I re entered canada. It doesn't generally take long to get through the boarder crossings.

 

[Disneychick75]

I'd pack at least 1 change of clothes in your carry on, just in case. We use 2 gallon ziplock bags to pack both carry ons and checked luggage. Put 1 outfit/ day with accessories in each bag. You can push down to get the air out so clothes take up less room. After the outfit is worn, repack the dirty clothes in the same ziploc bag. It also gives us peace of mind if we want to put our clothes in hotel dressers because bedbugs can't get through the plastic.

 

[danygirl]

Also if you want to swim when you get there put suits in the carryon. Makes it so you don't have to unpack immediately and is a lifesaver if the lose your luggage

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Also if you want to swim when you get there put suits in the carryon. Makes it so you don't have to unpack immediately and is a lifesaver if the lose your luggage

OP is going to Seattle and BC in May; probably won't be doing too much swimming,

 

[danygirl]

Lots of places have indoor pools

 

[leebee]

Remember- they have stores in Seattle and BC :good vibes This was the best piece of advice I ever got when I was in the middle of a packing frenzy. The other was to think about what you want to have with you, as opposed to what you can buy there. I would wait and hit a Target or SuperWalmart when I got to my destination rather than pack and ship food.

 

[jsmith]

Okay do not even bother with taking groceries and a cooler on the plane-expensive and heavy. SuperTarget and Walmart are abundant in Seattle-and they have Trader Joes ..Take only the snacks you need ON the flight. Once off the plane in Seattle hit one of the abover grocerers and purchase a styofoam cooler for your perishables and what ever grocery items you will need. you can purchase only what you will use and when you are ready to come home you can recycle the cooler. Even if you have to stop for grocery items briefly each day the saved space in luggage will benefit you. I am sure there are grocers in Victoria as well so if the fruit into Canada thing is an issue just be sure there is none in your car when you get to the doc at Anacortes or where ever you are leaving the states from and purchase it there. While the idea of taking it from home instead of purchasing it is appealing-unless you are flying southwest you are going to be paying 25 to 50 dollars for checked baggage and you can make better use of that cost purchasing items in smaller packages in seattle. Also for laundry-get those little soap pods-they dont take up a lot of space and they dont weigh much.
3 bags and 5 carry ons should be more than adequate space for clothing and toiletries-just keep the weight evenly distributed, pack some things for each person in each checked bag and remember that you can only carry liquids smaller than 3oz in your carryons.

 

[Sandi]

Lots of places have indoor pools

And hot tubs.

DH and I had a great dinner at LeCellier in March of 2013 and had the best server who was from BC. We asked her what she loved about home and she sold us on BC. She even wrote down a list of everything we needed to visit. We (me, DH, and DD) then went to Vancouver and Whistler last June and it was wonderful. We flew out, rented a car, and stayed at places with full kitchens and laundry facilities in both Vancouver and Whistler. There are lots of stores (Walmarts, etc.) where you can get food at very reasonable prices, so I wouldn't bother packing anything like that in your luggage. We did laundry a few times, so we didn't feel the need to pack too much. We mostly wore jeans and sweatshirts.

You might check with your credit card companies to see whether they charge a foreign exchange fee or not. Also check on the exchange rate and get some Canadian cash for when you're in Canada -- either before or when you're there. We found that the banks in Vancouver were more than fair. (We live in Michigan and cross the border a lot, so we always have Canadian currency, but that's not the case for most US residents.)

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

OP here. Really great ideas everyone, thank you! We are hitting a walmart when we get there, glad to here there is a trader joes, looking forward to trying outdoor markets also. I think I am most nervous about the things I don't want to be wasting money on buying an entire item when I only need a little. ANd thanks for the tips r: credit cards. I emailed Chase, and the Disney premier visa DOES charge the foreign exchange fees. But my Amex does not so guess I will be using that. Any tips on cell service while there? We have AT&T. It is on my list to figure that out this weekend.

Also re: checked bags, we all get one checked bag free with my Delta Platinum amex. But I will be sure to weigh them. Normally I would never check a bag but I am nervous about trying to keep up with all the bags, the five year old etc. SO that is why I will check the main bags. Fingers crossed nothing gets lost.

 

[jsmith]

Seriously-loosing luggage is one of those things people get way to wound up about becasue you only hear about people who do-Not everyone looses luggage and generally when you do it catches up with you-there are of course exceptions but for the most part that is not something i would get concerned about-in fact i usually check bags rather than hassle with dragging them around after me on layovers. Flying can be enough of a pain without having to keep track of extra baggage and since i have medical equipment i HAVE to tote around, why make it worse.