How many days away before you start packing?

[Jimmy Mouse]

I won't start packing till 9/4 because the day we leave, after work on 9/5, I will come home from work and go straight to bed so I can get up at 1:00 am. We will leave at 2:00 am so we miss traffic and the wife and kids will sleep. If I pack any earlier I'll just unpack to double check everything anyway.

 

[Goofy'slady]

We travel fairly often and over the years with many trips tucked under my belt I can pack in 1-2 days before a trip. When my girls were younger I was more involved in their packing but now my oldest is 20 and has been packing her own bag since she was 16. My youngest is now 13 so while she gathers her clothes and shoes together I still go over her items to make sure everything is there, in good condition and the like. Last weekend she left to visit dad in Albany NY for two weeks and won't be returning until the day before we leave for Disney. I had purchased her cute things especially for our vacation so I had her get those things together before she left so she's the only one who is mostly packed at this point. I believe I will start to pack when I come home from the office on Friday and we leave on Sunday.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

1 day. I hate it!

 

[disneyseniors]

I packed for myself about 60 days out but I cheat. Got to have socks buy new ones and toss them in. Same for underwear and since I wear t-shirts in the park lets buy 14 new ones and toss them in. Buy new shaving gear and toss in. I drive my daughter crazy she asked me if anything in my bag was old. Nope

LOL, I had to laugh at this! I do the same thing. Always buying new things to throw in. That's probably why I always have too much!!!!!

 

[MousetersInc]

I don't know about any 60 or 48, but if life doesn't get in the way I do plan to do a "trial packing" two weeks in advance, just to see how things fit, and then pack for good 1 week in advance.

 

[buzznina]

Start the day before and finish the day of, since we normally leave after I get off of work to drive to WDW.

 

[monica9]

Start the day before and finish the day of, since we normally leave after I get off of work to drive to WDW.

wow you are brave!

 

[buzznina]

wow you are brave!

Never understood why people pack days in advance We have a packing checklist, all laundry will be done by then, we have a travel bag that has a bunch of stuff always in it (zip lock bags, plastic ware, ponchos, closet organizer, hamper bag etc.). I pack my suitcase, DW packs hers and youngest DD into one, oldest DD packs hers, both DDs will pack a small suitcase with the Disney stuff animals/characters that they want to take. I have a small bag that I have a multi outlet extension cord and my power inverter, that I use to pack all our electronic cords/chargers in to take. I pack a plastic bin with snacks and food items and I buy a case of water for the trip. The outfits in a ziplock hasn't worked for us in years, once our DDs could pick their own clothes, they would not want to wear this or that. We found it easier, faster and less arguing to just tell them that they have (this much time) to get ready or else they will lose something that day like a treat etc. Now at 9 & 14 we really have no issues with them getting ready, AT DISNEY, normal days at home is different

 

[DISNEY1975]

About 60 is normal for me to start. I gradually put outfits and piles together. Figure out what we are missing. Order stuff online when it goes on sale (pool shoes, ponchos, new bathing suits, Disney apparel etc...) Buy sunscreen, sundries.....Then about a week in advance it all goes into suitcases. Work on the carryons the last week and off we go!

 

[tgree9369]

About 60 is normal for me to start. I gradually put outfits and piles together. Figure out what we are missing. Order stuff online when it goes on sale (pool shoes, ponchos, new bathing suits, Disney apparel etc...) Buy sunscreen, sundries.....Then about a week in advance it all goes into suitcases. Work on the carryons the last week and off we go!

You took the words right out of my mouth! We pre-perpare, then prepare and the check things again!

 

[Bjkandma]

Just started today, 45 days out. Have list of things I "need" to buy. Added the things I want to buy. Working on getting clothes organized, etc. Will have suitcase completely packed and by front door at least 3 days before!!

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I will pack in 19 days. We leave in 19 days.

 

[lore]

I remember my first (technically my second but I was 2 the first time) my mom had the suitcases put in the spare bedroom like 4 months outs and then bought a pack of socks to through in at 3 months. It was mostly for fun but the excitement was contagious! But honestly, the month before our flights, we started to pack so they were ready the week before excluding last minute things like toiletries, medications, etc.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I don't actually start packing until the week of our trip. But I do have a box in our spare bedroom that I use to hold the things that I start gathering prior to the trip. Things like hand sanitizer (I've always been a hand sanitizer fan prior to COVID so I had a supply), wipes, snacks, etc. We leave on November 13th and I feel like I'm a little behind and unorganized right now.

 

[aussiejen]

Our trip isnt until September 2023 and i have started pre filling a suitcase with little things like ,activities for the little ones for the flight over (18hrs) plane pal, convertable plugs, etc.
My hubby is the last minute packer, on our last trip there the night before we left he started packed and we had a blackout - no electricity half the night so he had to pack using a flash light in the middle of summer lol

 

[mickeystoontown]

My husband and I started taking road trips every month in 2020 (the pandemic made us change up the way we traveled, of course) and I now have one bag that I never unpack. It has all of our toiletries, over the counter medications, etc. and I simply replenish when needed. This makes packing for our Disney trips (and weekend trips) much easier because I can just pick it up and not worry about forgetting anything.

 

[Dizzy Lizzie]

For trips in general I like to start packing a couple of days before the day we leave. Wash any clothes I want to wear on said trip. I think I will do the same strategy for Disney. I have a list going of items I need to buy. I'll get to it in May.

I always remind myself. It's okay to forget certain things there are stores everywhere! We aren't going to a deserted island. lol

 

[JBRB828]

I start laying out what clothes I'm bringing, about a week before. I start to pack 2 days before we leave, I always do a list of what to bring and check off when I'm packing. The day of my flight, I pack hairdryer (bc I like my own), toothbrush, brushes and makeup.

 

[mickeystoontown]

My husband and I started taking monthly road trips a few years ago. I always hated waiting until the last minute to throw in the toiletries, wipes, hand sanitizer, lysol, etc. So, we now have a permanent sundries bag that I can pick up and take with us. It's full of everything that we need (or may need). I simply replenish what we have used after a couple of trips and we are good to go. Oh and I throw away the toothbrushes after every trip because I don't like them staying in the bag for a month or more. I bought a lot of Colgate toothbrushes at Dollar Tree and when we get home, I put in another set of toothbrushes.

 

[wdw4rfam]

TODAY!! We leave in a day and a half