How crowded do the laundry rooms get?

[missypie]

In my dream trip to the World, we will arrive on a Thursday night and leave two Sundays later, meaning that we will need 10 days of clothes for a family of 5. I don't think any of us will want to wear the same thing more than once after walking around all day in Florida in June. So we can either pack some huge suitcases or do laundry. Do the laundry rooms at the on site resorts get super crowded, especially in the evenings? I'm willing to spend A LITTLE time doing laundry, but not much! Any tips or strategies would be appreciated!

 

[WoodMan]

Go during the day or late at night. We stayed at CSR and if you let it get to 3pm forget getting close to the machines. Also in the afternoon if its nice people will put clothes in washer then come back 3 hrs later to get them out. Much eaiser to go when no one is there.

 

[jel0511]

The evenings are the most popular times for the laundry rooms. The best time to get in the laundry rooms is early in the AM. My sister once tried to get into the laundry room at ASMo at 10PM and the place was PACKED!! She had to wait almost 45 minutes to get a machine!! You're best bet is to try to laundry once through the trip. Plan it in the middle and get up early to head to the washers. Plan this day a resort day, at least in the morning, so you can get the wash done and put away. I got up at 5:30AM (DS had gotten sick) once and the laundry room at AKL was hopping. There were still machines available, but not dead as you'd think. It did take me until 7:30 or so to finish, since it took those darn driers so long to dry!!! So, if you try to get there by 7 or 8, you should be alright, even with a wait, and then just hang out by the pool, heading back to the laundry during loads.

 

[catheren]

Depends on where you are staying most deluxe resorts offer a laundry service. Of course there is a fee.

Since you are staying 10 days, did you think about a WDW home-away-from-home resort?? These include a washer/dryer in the unit.

 

[catheren]

Depends on where you are staying most deluxe resorts offer a laundry service. Of course there is a fee.

Since you are staying 10 days, did you think about a WDW home-away-from-home resort?? These include a washer/dryer in the unit.

 

[sue1013]

When my kids were young and we'd stay for 10-12 days I always had to do laundry also. We always stayed at POR so can only answer about there. By day 5 I was more than ready for laundry day. The laundrys are next to the quiet pools. DH would take the kids for an afternoon I would get to have some great quiet time by the pool with a book then meet up with them for dinner. During the day the laundry was never crowded. Now that DH & I are usually on our own seems I don't have to do that anymore. For little people its amazing how much dirty laundry kids can make.

 

[goodferry]

Our experience at the CBR was similar. Packed at night, dead during the day when everyone was at the parks.

 

[madalex]

We usually stay at YC and I do laundry there once during the trip. Although I have done it at night, I usually do it in mid-afternoon (we are people who do parks in the morning and are back at hotel by early afternoon in order to spend the afternoon at the pool). I'll get everyone situated at the pool and then spend the afternoon going back and forth to the laundry room. It's kind of a pain, but only for me and the rest of the family gets to enjoy the pool while I "work." Have never had a problem getting a machine.

 

[Disney Debbie]

I did laundry at POR the day after we'd been up very late for an E-Night. My DD and I put two loads in about 10:00 a.m. and hung out at the quiet pool. There was one other lady in there the entire time we were there.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I saw people about to come to blows over washers and dryers during the evening hours at the Contemporary. I decided then and there that I wouldn't be subjected to that behavior. Boy was I ever glad about that decision.

I get up early, so I went to put in a load at 5:30 am. There was myself and a man. Imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw my COUSIN! We had not seen each other in about 5 years. I vote for going early while everyone else in showering.

Lori

 

[pumpkinboy]

Our startegy is to stay in a 1 or 2 bedroom at a home-away-from-home resort, since we are DVC members. That way we have laundry right in the unit.

"what's that? Junior spit up all over himself? and you too? Well just change on out of those barfy clothes and I'll do a quick load, OK honey?"

Yeah, when you have a kid with reflux, it really pays to have laundry right there.

 

[Irish9697]

I was worried about laundry too (didn't want to have to spend the time to do it), so I really tried to overpack, but within reason. We are a family of 4 gone for 9 nights (Friday through the following Saturday)...and yes, we did drive which helped a bit with the overpacking. Well, my overpacking was a success and we never needed to wash and actually came home with some clothes that were still clean and unworn!!! We did re-wear some bottoms and jackets. The weather was nice though (mid 60's-low 70's) so we never got too hot and sweaty, so that helped...

This was interesting to read though for future laundry reference!!

 

[mkymouse4ever]

I have actually found that I had better luck at the moderates when it came to the laundry. They seem to have way more machines and many more locations! I even thought last time at the poly about throughing it in the car and riding over to the CBR to see if it was as crowded. I know the worst experiences for myself have been at the poly and cr. There rooms are small & not many machines. Seems since the advent of the disney cruise line, and many people doing the cruise / land portions at these 2 resorts that they are doing much more laundry. And I have seen people verbally fighting over machines. We have tried the 2am, 5am, and evening, mid day, you name it. seems always crowded? We have even just walked in to check, the look see just in case. Did do the Villa once which is nice BUT the machine is small and you have to do it constantly or you spend all day doing laundry in the room. Last year, we threw it in the car, drove around looking for a large laundramat, (had list from computer) found several I would not try, and finally gave up, went in one we were a little unsure about, But went pretty quick, and came back, all in all I won't try that again. Was an enoroumous amount of time, and a little nerve wracking, just so, we would not have any bad confrontations with unhappy people in the polynesian laundry room?

Wish there was a better answer, or a list we could sign up ahead of time for reservations in the laundry.

MKY (looking for answers too)

 

[KathyTX]

You can have my spot in the laundry room.

I'd go buy more clothes in the resort shops to avoid doing laundry on vacation.

 

[tiggersmom2]

KathtyTX,
LOL, you are so funny!
Those were my thoughts exactly! As a matter of fact, I have bought my DS a new infant outfit! When he spit up on his last one at 'Ohana's, I trekked right on down to the gift shop because I didn't want to do laundry on vacation!

 

[princess angel]

when we stay for 2 weeks, we do laundry once in the middle of the trip, just makes life easier...
it's just dh and I, we go down in the morning, (usually stay at the YC)
once in a while we have seen one other person in there, but usually it's just us.
we hang out in the pool / hottub while doing the laundry. no biggie

I like to have my favorite clothes to wear again

 

[Janet2k]

Originally posted by missypie
Do the laundry rooms at the on site resorts get super crowded, especially in the evenings?

Missypie, my husband wears the pants in my family, and also just so happens to be the one who washes them. He has done laundry in almost every WDW resort we have stayed in (we've stayed in 14 of 'em so far). His experience is that for the most part, the laundry rooms are almost always empty (meaning, it's usually just him and another person). Only once or twice has he ever found the laundry rooms busy (and that was during Peak Season -- Christmas/New Year's).

To make you feel a little better about doing laundry, I do have some laundry room photos to share (I have the most obscure photos, I tell you):
CBR Laundry Facility Photo
AKL Laundry Room Photo # 1
AKL Laundry Room Photo # 2
AKL Laundry Room Photo # 3

What you can't see in the AKL photos is that only one other person was doing laundry at the same time as my husband (and that person wasn't even in the laundry room -- they put their clothes in the dryer and then disappeared before my husband arrived).

 

[HRCCrazy]

All the times we stay at Dixie Landings (now POFQ), never had any trouble or waits, stay at WL and spent over 3 hours doing 4 loads. With only one room at WL it busy at all times of the day and night, with some many at DL never waited.

HRCCrazy

 

[sherry8253]

Hi - Laundry is at the bottom of my like list out of all housekeeping chores. So I sure don't want to do laundry at Disney nor do I want to come home with lots of dirty clothes. SO, if you have a car and are willing to spend about $20 you can get your clothing washed and folded for you. Last Dec we dropped off 8 days of dirty clothing (this included heavy sweatshirts, jeans, etc) in the morning and voila it was nicely folded and in the empty suitcase I left with them. The charge was $22.00. The laundry is located in a little strip mall about 5 minutes from Disney on Apopka Vineland Rd a few doors down from the Steak and Shake there. The strip mall also has an Eckerd's. Heck, I wish these guys had a shop close to home and for the price I would NEVER do laundry again.

 

[Grumpy'sMom]

We usually stay at WDW between 10 and 12 days. I do laundry halfway through the trip. I am an early riser, especially on vacation, I am always ready to start the day. I do the laundry when I get up, about 5-6 am. We stay at mods, and the laundry factilites are by the pool. I get my coffee, do the laundry, and sit out and enjoy the quiet while I read. I go back halfway through, wake everyone up to get ready for whereever we're going that day, and go back and finish it. This is usually the only "alone" time I get at WDW, so I actually enjoy it, plus it's useful, lol.

Missypie - if you are planning on doing laundry, you might want to pick up some wisk tablets, they travel well. The packs of detergent in the machines there are pricey.