If you fly and stay on site....

[Allison]

Of course as I would never pack prescription medication, electronics or valuables in checked luggage.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Yes, I absolutely carry on 1 days worth of "emergency supplies" for everyone in the event that our luggage gets lost...which has happened before.

 

[GatorMama]

Don't forget your Magic Bands!!!

 

[twodogs]

And imput in park shoes for all since we wear flip flops on the plane but need tennis shoes for the park. We go straight to the parks, so we carry on essentials, medications, park clothes (usually kpjust shorts as we wear longer pants on flight but keep on same t shirt from flight), mini sun block, sunglasses, park backpacks, swimsuits, Magic Bands (great that OP said this as I almost forgot them!). Hat for my husband.

 

[nat8199]

I don't worry about it, bumbershoot. If that would ever happen, I would get a cab to Walmart and pick up a few sets clothing, no big deal.

Having to take a cab to walmart to buy a bunch of stuff would pretty much ruin the start of my vacation. I am dreaming of the moment I get to relax at SAB with a fruity adult drink.

 

[busymommy2pink]

We are a family of four. We USED to travel each with a carry on and a personal item. And then only check on bag ($25 fee per way per bag adds up too quickly for our liking).

This trip we are checking two bags..both equally split with items in case one wanders off, everyone will still have clothing. Our set up this trip will look like this:


Carry on suitcase: one outfit per person, one swim suit per person, medication, chargers, camera, kids security blankets (yep they both still have them!), each child's one stuffed animal, disney pins, sunglasses, one pair of sandals per person (we will be wearing shoes since we leave in November from Canada)

Backpack (carried by DH): kids ipads and headphones, snacks, empty water bottles to fill through security, liquids, notebook and pencil crayons..leaving room for the hoodies we will be wearing to come off upon arrival. Anything above 50 and my kids are hooooooooooooot (canadian blood lol).

My larger purse: all travel documents, candy for take off and landing (one child's ears), homeopathic calming medication vile (sensory issues for one DD..this keeps her calm the whole flight) and a book.

This will beat 4 backpacks and 4 rolling suitcases coming with us through the airport this trip. We could probably still do one checked bag, but November weather is so unpredictable that we need to bring several types of clothing. We will always bring at least 24-48 hours worth of clothing and items on the plane with us in case the suitcase takes a detour. They aren't lost as often as they are delayed, so we do like to prepare for that just in case.

 

[Julylady]

We don't take any wheeled luggage on the plane. I am short and can't lift it into the overhead bin, anyway. But, we each take a tote bag or a backpack with the following: change of clothes, swimsuit, all prescription meds, all electronics and their assorted chargers, a book or magazine for reading, basic toiletries (travel toothbrush, small hairbrush, etc.) We all also carry a hoodie or sweater since airplanes are notoriously cold. The trick is, however, to not take too much in the carryon so it isn't too heavy.

In addition, I take all of our "paperwork" containing reservation numbers, confirmations, etc., as well as a few select cosmetics. I also carry a pretty large purse that has some essentials in it. If we plan to go to the pool before our luggage arrives, I might toss in a small sunscreen. If the weather report is for rain, I might take an umbrella. Remember that WDW is not a 3rd world country. In the unlikely event that your luggage did not arrive, they have shops that carry all the essentials.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

That's what I do.

 

[AngiTN]

On the way down yes we carry on the things I feel we'd need for our first full day there. Last trip we arrived late enough at night that I also included items for 1 night.
Going home I check it all.
We fly Southwest so we get 2 bags checked, we check 1 down and 2 home.

 

[niffer5150]

oh goodness yes, we take anything irreplaceable in a carry on. each one of us has a small bag with one light change of clothes, our planner, magic bands, phone chargers, money, and medications. anything that would seriously damage our calm if lost, we carry.

 

[agavegirl1]

No matter where you're flying to, your carry on should have everything you'll need for the first 24 hours, all valuables, all medications, and anything that can't be easily replaced.

This. I have had my luggage "rerouted" to Chicago and it took 20 hours to arrive.

 

[Alesia]

This. I have had my luggage "rerouted" to Chicago and it took 20 hours to arrive.

I had a bag bounce around the country for 2 weeks once. Fortunately, it disappeared on the way home from WDW, not the way there.

 

[cyndiella]

My DH and I.... seasoned packers... each have a duffle bag with the appropriate dimentions to carry on. We also bring a small backpack/tote bag that fits under the seat. We stay at WDW for 6 nights and pack light.. NO EXTRA stuff we won't end up wearing/using. I use those large Ziploc bags and squeeze out the air and it really saves space. I realize with kids not everyone can do that but I'm cheap and don't want to pay extra for checked bags and fear they will be lost.. cause once the airline sent my checked bag to neverland and I got it 2 days later..

 

[MataHari22]

If you fly and stay on site, do you carry on anything?

I am thinking of getting a small (21in) rolling suitcase to bring as a carry-on. I would put things that I would really miss if our luggage got lost, plus items we could use on our arrival day. (We would also have a computer bag, camera bag, and kids' backpacks with us.)

Basically I would pack 1 change clothes per person, bathing suits for everyone, pajamas, a travel sunscreen, the costumes I have to surprise my kids with for the week, pressed penny supplies, autograph books... etc.

The rest of our toiletries, clothes, sunscreen, etc I would pack, check, and let DME deal with. Everything but the camera bag will be left with the bellhop if our room isn't ready in time.

What do you do?

I take 8 night trips and only take a carryon and my Jansport backpack as my personal item.

 

[mummabear]

We carry on because we are on a 1 hour flight then a 12 hour flight then another 5 hour flight, with 3 young kids.
We take about 3 bags worth of clothes, diapers, snacks and entertainment to last the flights as well as anything valuable like cameras or the childrens things that are irreplaceable (like special teddy bears)

 

[karly05]

I haven't read all the answers, but: On any trip involving a plane (not just WDW), I pack a carryon bag with anything I'll need for the first 24 hours plus anything valuable or irreplaceable. I'm like a PP, I'm short, plus "non-athletic," and I have trouble getting anything too big/bulky up and down from the overheads. My plane carry-pm is a smaller "boarding bag" that can actually hold a good amount of stuff. This year I also invested in an "Adidas sackpack" (string backpack) that fits under the seat and helps a lot with maximizing my carry-on ability.

I haven't used DME as often as a lot of people here, but I always let them handle my luggage and have never had a problem. This year, I was in the room when they brought my bag and I wish I'd noted the time, because it seemed very quick. Normally once I'm settled in I head for Epcot, and I just know my bag's always been there when I came home.

As a PP mentioned, I would rather have Disney deal with my bags, so if they get delayed, I'm not the one who has to hang around the airport waiting for them.

 

[Nohal]

Like everyone else I pack what I will need for 24hrs. Plus just me and DH so 2 extra sets of clothes and undies.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We have a family of four and we each take a carry on with a small set of our own clothes as well as a swimsuit, extra socks, etc. On our trip to Disney in May 2014 our checked luggage was left on the tarmac in Orlando during a rain storm before being shipped to our resort (Yacht Club). When the checked luggage arrived at the resort around 8 p.m. every single item of clothing was soaking wet (like dripping water). Yacht Club paid to have the clothes laundered but we didn't get the clothes back until the next day around 5 p.m. If we didn't have our carry on luggage we wouldn't have had a change of clothes for the day. So yes, we always take a carry on.

 

[AngiTN]

My DH and I.... seasoned packers... each have a duffle bag with the appropriate dimentions to carry on. We also bring a small backpack/tote bag that fits under the seat. We stay at WDW for 6 nights and pack light.. NO EXTRA stuff we won't end up wearing/using. I use those large Ziploc bags and squeeze out the air and it really saves space. I realize with kids not everyone can do that but I'm cheap and don't want to pay extra for checked bags and fear they will be lost.. cause once the airline sent my checked bag to neverland and I got it 2 days later..

I'm in awe of anyone who can do this.
I get all twitchy at the thought of having to decide what I want to wear before I leave on vacation and pack just those items and no others.
DH is probably worse than me but for different reasons. He has to pack for every possible scenario, even a sweatshirt for Disney in August, because you just never know......
If Southwest ever starts charging for bags we'll be in big trouble.

 

[Magpie]

Family of four here, with teenagers, though my husband and I also often travel with just each other:

ALL we ever bring are carry-ons. We do not have any checked luggage. Each family member gets one carry-on bag (properly sized roller suitcase - we double check the measurements before we fly), and a large purse/shoulder bag/backpack. It's really not difficult to pack for up to 14 days... though, for any trips over 8 days, we will want to arrange for some time to do a load of laundry.

We also pack instant porridge, dried fruit and nuts for breakfasts in our room. Once that's all eaten up, it makes room for souvenirs!

Having our bags with us at all times really speeds up getting through customs and it's lovely not having to wait for DME to deliver our bags to our room, or wait for them at the luggage carousel. We've made sure to put very bright, noticeable tags on them all, so we can spot them easily when they're being retrieved from under the bus to our resort.

Important note - always show up early and board as soon as your seat class allows, as overhead spaces fill up quickly. And - lesson learned! - never, ever agree to "sky check". On the surface sky checking sounds like the best of both worlds - luggage checked through to your destination and no fees - but I personally witnessed workers pitching (!) luggage from the top of the boarding ramp into the bins below to be loaded into the belly of the plane. And when I got my bag back, the metal reinforcement strip along the side had been bent. It was easy enough to fix and nothing inside was broken (I know better than to put any breakables in my suitcase), but I'll never sky check another bag again.