How do you keep your Resort Room organized?

[GSUJillybean]

Okay, this is the longest trip we've done in a single hotel room-- It's me, (messy) DH, and DS4, and normally, we stay 5 days, or do a non-Disney condo.

We're at CSR for 10 days, and I will go batcrap insane if the room doesn't stay neat and tidy.

So, give me your tips on how to keep two adults and one small tornado organized in a small space for so long.

Also, what time does Mousekeeping normally come in? We tried to do the "nap in the middle of the day" thing at the Contemporary and we always managed to bother housekeeping, and it felt like we had to choose between resting and having a clean room, you know?

I tried tipping the cleaning crew extra ( like, a LOT extra), to do our room kind of early, and they took the tip and our room wasn't cleaned at all the next day Like, at one point, I had to like, ask for the stuff to clean the room myself. And this was concierge level at a deluxe. So, in a regular room in a moderate, I'm kind of worried. Help?

 

[catheren]

First, unpack, and have bags hanging from the hangers to store your dirty clothing. Shower stuff, there is plenty of space in the shower to store. Just put away your shoes, clothing in drawers, and your packages on the shelves.

As far as Mousekeeping, once we get to our room we contact Mousekeeping via the room phone and request mousekeeping done at a certain time for the entire stay (i.e. 9am daily, and extra towels) DONE and not a problem!

 

[GSUJillybean]

First, unpack, and have bags hanging from the hangers to store your dirty clothing. Shower stuff, there is plenty of space in the shower to store. Just put away your shoes, clothing in drawers, and your packages on the shelves.

As far as Mousekeeping, once we get to our room we contact Mousekeeping via the room phone and request mousekeeping done at a certain time for the entire stay (i.e. 9am daily, and extra towels) DONE and not a problem!

Wait..... I can DO that? That is AMAZING. I had no idea.

 

[shannonstar]

Okay, my OCD will be showing on this one. I put an outfit for every day in a two gallon baggie for each family member. We use these baggies in the backpack each day to keep things dry in case of a water ride, rain, need to change clothes due to the above, etc. We also use them to put maps, extra fp's receipts, etc. (This comes in handy for scrapping later and I even write the date on each bag)

I put the suitcase against the wall by the bed in the back corner. Then every night I roll up the dirties and prepare the suitcase for home. When one is full, I put it aside and stack the next.

I know I have a problem, but it works for me.

 

[Starwanderer]

How do you keep your Resort Room organized?

Badly. Thanks for asking and thanks for those offerings tips. I think these will really help me!

 

[jpgpmpcp]

I don't have any special tips but I love your phrase "batcrap insane"

 

[cruisingkat]

I bring a pop-up hamper for dirty clothes. It has mesh sides, so damp clothes have a chance to dry out. When it gets full, I pack those dirty clothes in a suitcase - gives me a headstart on packing for when we leave. They are only about 8 inches square so they don't take up much room. And folded, they don't take up much room in the luggage and weigh practically nothing.
I started doing this on cruises so I didn't have to pull the luggage out from under the bed each day and cabin rooms are extremely small - especially when you are in there for 14 days or longer. I find that it works great for handling dirty clothes and organizing the room on trips where we stay longer than a couple of days.

 

[rascooby]

We had 5 in a room at CBR (2 of them were under 3, so no one freak out!) so I tried to be really organized. I had each day's outfit in a ziplock and put them in the drawers. We had an over the door shoe organizer where we put a bunch of stuff so we could see it easily (toiletries, medicines, etc). I also had a collapsible cube bin for each family member. All of our extra stuff went here (cell phones, camera, kid's toys, keys, etc. We used a pop up hamper for dirty clothes and my husband did laundry 1/2 way through our stay.

 

[minnie mum]

I have absolutely no idea how I ever managed to keep our family organized on vacations before the invention of the over the door shoe organizer. And I learned about it here on the Dis. All of those pockets means we can keep everything (that normally would have been spilling off the vanity) within easy reach and still easy to find. Fabulous invention.

And we bring a power strip with us to either power or recharge all our electronic stuff. Since it gets plugged into the outlet by the table, all the electronics, phones, cameras, extra batteries etc get stored on that table too. No searching frantically as you're trying to get out the door in the morning. All of the assorted cords and extraneous bits and pieces are kept in a nylon zipped pouch to minimize the clutter.

 

[bumbershoot]

Okay, my OCD will be showing on this one. I put an outfit for every day in a two gallon baggie for each family member. We use these baggies in the backpack each day to keep things dry in case of a water ride, rain, need to change clothes due to the above, etc. We also use them to put maps, extra fp's receipts, etc. (This comes in handy for scrapping later and I even write the date on each bag)

I put the suitcase against the wall by the bed in the back corner. Then every night I roll up the dirties and prepare the suitcase for home. When one is full, I put it aside and stack the next.

I know I have a problem, but it works for me.

OOh, love the baggie-as-scrap-saver idea. We use the Passporter pockets to keep stuff in, but then putting them into a plastic ziptop would make sure I knew that THAT baggie was already done, etc, without even having to look at the dates.

The suitcase/dirties/etc idea is great in the absence of a mesh popup hamper, or if you're not going to be washing clothes on that trip. LOVE it!

But I do love the mesh popups, since we generally do do laundry...

 

[fla4fun]

I take white trash bags to put the dirty laundry in. As a bag gets full, I tie it off and put it in the suitcase. I don't like to just put dirty clothes in the suitcase without them being airtight.

I usually use my largest suitcase as an extra "drawer" by placing it on a luggage stand. Anything that can't hang (lack of hangers or whatever reason) stays in there until used.

I have another white trash bag that the clean socks and underwear stay in, that gets placed in a drawer. Since I've heard about other people putting their dirty laundry in drawers, nothing goes in a hotel drawer unless it's bagged.

I think the big thing is to make sure the room is as neat as possible before you go to bed at night, so you aren't running around trying to find things in the morning. Waking up to chaos is not a good way to start the day!

 

[Caseystigger]

First, unpack, and have bags hanging from the hangers to store your dirty clothing. Shower stuff, there is plenty of space in the shower to store. Just put away your shoes, clothing in drawers, and your packages on the shelves.

As far as Mousekeeping, once we get to our room we contact Mousekeeping via the room phone and request mousekeeping done at a certain time for the entire stay (i.e. 9am daily, and extra towels) DONE and not a problem!

Seriously? I had no idea you could request timing of mousekeeping. COOL!

 

[GSUJillybean]

Okay, I ordered the shoe hanger and pop-up hamper from Amazon-- We're going to do laundry mid-trip, so that works well.

I have a hanging toiletry bag, and I decided that everyone is just going to share one shampoo, one conditioner and one soap. I bought regular size bottles, so for the three of us for 10 days, that should just be enough.

I'm going to have to do the baggie thing-- otherwise, my four year old will never, ever be able to dress himself because it's JUST SO HARD, MOM. I should probably do it for the hubs, too.....

Really, though-- the Mousekeeping thing? Genius.

 

[redrosesix]

My strategy is a little different because of the time that we go to WDW -- weather can vary greatly from day to day in Feb -- and because we are there for a competition every year. Our stays at WDW are usually about 2 weeks and we travel a lot throughout the year. We pretty much do the same thing everywhere we go so nobody really needs to be reminded.

We unpack everything within 20 mins of getting to our room. Suitcases go inside each other and get stacked in the back of the closet (but we leave 1 big suitcase open on top for things that we buy and won't use right away since they have to clear customs -- so much easier if everything is together -- and all receipts go into the front pocket of that suitcase). Our laundry bag goes into the front corner of the closet, since we always do at least one load of laundry during the trip.

Shoes line up by the connecting door and sweaters are folded and put on the shelf of the closet. We hang as much as we can and if we need more hangers we call mousekeeping and they bring a bag of hangers right away. Everyone gets their own drawer but the cupboard in the wardrobe is for everyone's swim things.

We have a couple of rules we follow -- nothing gets left on beds, especially before they're made...it's just too easy for things to get lost. The clothesline is always out, since the wet things get hung up right away. And when we're packing up for the parks we put everything we're taking below the window so nothing gets left behind. Once my DDs baton competition is done, everything she used for just that is packed and ready to go home. For us, it's the snack area that often gets out of control, but we try to keep everything in one place.

We always do a 5 minute tidy to get things where they're supposed to be before leaving for the parks -- it's nice to come back from a long day with nothing to do. And we've found that if you keep your room tidy and stuff up off the floor, mousekeeping does a much better job of cleaning your room.

 

[angierae]

I am reading this with interest, since we'll have four people in a room on this trip, two of them teenage girls. I'm usually a "live out of your suitcase" kind of person but I think we're going to have to actually unpack for this trip.

 

[Missytara]

Pop-up hampers.

Shoe bag hanger over door.

Consolidate luggage and get it out of the way; under bed, bottom of closet, etc.

Use a surge protector to keep electronics in one area.

Hang up coats and back-packs.

Store shoes out of the way.

Take as few personal items as needed; use travel size so you can throw away as used up. Less and smaller stuff taking up space in bathroom.

Don't overpack; I take half the shirts, wear the fresh one at night to dinner, then wear it next day to parks when you don't care if you get wet, dirty, spill, etc.

I am a neat freak myself......so I totally understand.

 

[kristie73]

I like this post. Interesting to hear what others do.

We are only there 7 days total (2 are travel days), so we tend to just live out of the suitcase, but I have never brought a dirty clothes hamper, but I may have to look into that. I don't like unpacking to the drawers, it just seems like more work. I do like to hang some items though.

I do plan outfits for the days for at least me and the kids. Dh does his thing. I usually just stack them in the suitcases in order of the days. We just pack on pair of jammies for everyone to wear each night in a separate pocket of the suitcase, same with swim wear.

Also I never heard of a shoe thing to organize the bathroom stuff. I usually again just live out of the toiletries bag except for stuff that can stay in the shower. And just leave some stuff on the bathroom counters. But I did see some bathrooms have just the pedestal sinks so maybe there isn't much room for that?

I also like the power cord idea. Because you are always looking around for where to plug things in. I left my phone charger in a hotel room one time and I think I just forgot I plugged it in somewhere not visible.

The kids have their carry on backpacks that usually have little toys or things to do and I just try to clean up each night to put things back in so you aren't searching for some Lightning McQueen car somewhere when you leave.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Abharmagic]

This is the best thread ever- I dream that I can do all these great things on my next trip- shoe organizer bag idea- LOVE IT!!!!

 

[nkereina]

Okay, this is the longest trip we've done in a single hotel room-- It's me, (messy) DH, and DS4, and normally, we stay 5 days, or do a non-Disney condo.

We're at CSR for 10 days, and I will go batcrap insane if the room doesn't stay neat and tidy.

So, give me your tips on how to keep two adults and one small tornado organized in a small space for so long.

Also, what time does Mousekeeping normally come in? We tried to do the "nap in the middle of the day" thing at the Contemporary and we always managed to bother housekeeping, and it felt like we had to choose between resting and having a clean room, you know?

I tried tipping the cleaning crew extra ( like, a LOT extra), to do our room kind of early, and they took the tip and our room wasn't cleaned at all the next day Like, at one point, I had to like, ask for the stuff to clean the room myself. And this was concierge level at a deluxe. So, in a regular room in a moderate, I'm kind of worried. Help?

Didn't read all the replies so I apologize if I'm repeating things. Never stayed at CSR, but I know at POR, our room was always cleaned by the time we came back for mid-day break around 1pm. It depends on the order they go in, so it could vary for times. But you can figure they'll most likely have all of the rooms cleaned by 3pm since that's check-in time.

One thing we did was buy toiletry bags that have a hanger on them. They're becoming more popular now. This eliminates us having to buy and bring an over the door shoe holder, and we can just unzip our toiletry bag and hang it over the towel rod or the closet rod with the hangers. No need to unpack it. I've read that some people use an empty suitcase for everyone's dirty clothes. This is a good idea if you do not need to do laundry. If you do need to do laundry, you might want to keep two laundry bags or two pop up hampers to keep colors separated. Although it would be easy enough to roll that suitcase to the laundry room, depending on how much you have.

Depending on how many electronics you have, you may or may not need the power bar. We brought one but didn't need it - there was a plug on my side of the bed for my phone, a plug on my BF's side of the bed for his phone, and a plug near the table for the camera. That was all we needed.

I'd also suggest bringing clothes pins to hang your bathing suits from the line in the bathtub. Since there was two of us, we could just drape them over the line but with 3 of you, you would need to conserve space more and clothes pins will do it.

 

[BarbieGal457]

Okay, my OCD will be showing on this one. I put an outfit for every day in a two gallon baggie for each family member. We use these baggies in the backpack each day to keep things dry in case of a water ride, rain, need to change clothes due to the above, etc. We also use them to put maps, extra fp's receipts, etc. (This comes in handy for scrapping later and I even write the date on each bag)

I put the suitcase against the wall by the bed in the back corner. Then every night I roll up the dirties and prepare the suitcase for home. When one is full, I put it aside and stack the next.

I know I have a problem, but it works for me.

ARE YOU MY LONG-LOST OTHER SISTER?! I thought I was the only one who did stuff like this! I actually do have OCD and I need to stay super organized. I also have bad anxiety and am always afraid I'm leaving things behind, so being this organized helps relieve that fear.

OP, I also buy these little mesh folding cubes from the Container Store that fold flat, so they're great for luggage. I take the smallest size which is $2.99, and pop it open when I get there. I put it in the middle of the desk/table, and that's where small loose items go when we're in the room - iPods, wallets, change, the like. That way I can keep it all corralled! When I take that stuff out to go to the parks, I then put my glasses, wallet, and InvisAlign retainer case in there (sorry to be gross, but those babies cost me my entire summer's pay!)

I then put my suitcase somewhere out of the way and immediately pack away souvenirs and the like. It not only keeps the room organized, but you don't have to waste precious time the night before departure packing and worrying if you got everything. This also helps me judge if I need to stow something in the DBF's bag, as I no longer check luggage and thus have a smaller space to carry home things. My one girlfriend didn't do this, overestimated her luggage while packing on our last night, and broke the zipper! We had to go buy new luggage in the gift shop which cost her a pretty penny. She was also over the weight limit at the airport, so we had to rearrange then too! What a nightmare! But I digress...

During the trip I take a smallish, easy folded into a teeny bag laundry bag with me, also from the Container Store (which is heavenly for OCD organizational people like me!). It has a drawstring so I can easily hang it up. All the worn clothes go in there as they come off, then at the end of the trip I can keep my dirty clothes contained and neatly separated from clean clothes and other items.

For mesh folding cubes: search "mesh folding cubes" - $2.99
For laundry bag: search "travel laundry bag" - $4.99