Is it possible to pack light for a trip to Disney?

[housetomouse]

I was thinking about trying to have us take one rolling carry-on per person, then check a bag or two with other stuff. Maybe I am just kidding myself, I am not known to be a light packer, but I wish I were.

Have any of you successfully packed light for Disney, and do you have any tips for doing it?

I should add that I won't have a washer/dryer in our room and would prefer not to do laundry for the week's trip.

Thanks!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

We are DVC members so we have a washer and dryer and always keep the bags down to 1 per person and that is often a carry on size!

AKK

 

[lizabu]

I'm one of those people who will wear a pair of jeans at least 3 times before washing them provided I haven't smeared anything on myself so for a week I would need 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, a bathing suit and a couple T-shirts (I will probably buy more as souviners). Clean undies are a must. Throw in a stick of deoderant and a baggie with some makeup items and I'm good to go. The outfit I'm wearing counts as one outfit and I wear one pair of comfy shoes everywhere. The hotel provides the hair dryer, soap, shampoo, towels etc so you don't have to worry about any of that. Definitely do-able.

ETA- even if you forgot to bring your toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant don't worry, most hotels will give you some for free as a courtesy. Don't stress.

 

[lucyem]

There are lots of youtube videos on packing as much as you can into a small bag without everything getting crushed.

 

[housetomouse]

We are DVC members so we have a washer and dryer and always keep the bags down to 1 per person and that is often a carry on size!

AKK

I definitely won't have a W/D in the room, and I hate to go to the laundry on vacation, but on the other hand I hate hauling (and paying for) a lot of luggage. Thanks!

 

[housetomouse]

There are lots of youtube videos on packing as much as you can into a small bag without everything getting crushed.

That sounds interesting! I will look for them, thank you!

 

[housetomouse]

I'm one of those people who will wear a pair of jeans at least 3 times before washing them provided I haven't smeared anything on myself so for a week I would need 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, a bathing suit and a couple T-shirts (I will probably buy more as souviners). Clean undies are a must. Throw in a stick of deoderant and a baggie with some makeup items and I'm good to go. The outfit I'm wearing counts as one outfit and I wear one pair of comfy shoes everywhere. The hotel provides the hair dryer, soap, shampoo, towels etc so you don't have to worry about any of that. Definitely do-able.

ETA- even if you forgot to bring your toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant don't worry, most hotels will give you some for free as a courtesy. Don't stress.

I am impressed! I need to get into this mindset, it must feel great to travel so light. Thank you!

 

[ZoZo]

I think some of it depends on what time of year you go. Wintertime? Long-sleeve shirts and long pants take up more room than shorts and t-shirts. But in the warmer months, you get much more hot and sweaty, so you might need to change clothes more often (I hate wearing sweaty clothes!).

I know you said you don't want to do laundry, but for me, it's worth it to take a two-hour break mid-trip and pack half as many clothes. I'm an over-packer by nature (and OP, it sound like you are, too!) and love the convenience of doing laundry mid-trip. Totally worth it to me.

 

[JenSop]

Length of stay and time of year make all the difference.

For example, I usually go in the summer and it is HOT! My outfit pieces are very small (I wear a very small size), BUT I have to bring two outfits per day because I completely sweat through my clothing.

My last trip down was this past October - I got by with my wheeled carry-on, and a back pack as my "personal item." It was only a five day trip, so it totally worked. Didn't need heavy clothes, but it wasn't so hot that I had to worry about two outfits per day. It was perfect!

I haven't traveled to Disney in the winter, but I went to Vienna for almost two weeks last winter and got by on just a suitcase and carry-on. That's with full winter clothes, a few pairs of shoes, some nice clothing, and my music. (I was there to work on music at the opera house.) I made sure to re-wear my two pairs of jeans over and over and I wore my heaviest items on my body when I was on the plane.

 

[aubriee]

Packing folders and packing cubes are a packers best friend. May 2008 I decided to see if I coud do carryon only for 8 nights/nine days. I was able to squeeze 8 pairs of shorts and 8 thin blouses into one 18" packing folder which easily fit into one side of my Hey's 20" carry on. The other side of my carry on held a pair of flip flops, a pair of sandals, two sundresses (and a swimsuit) rolled into a med packing cube, 8 pairs of underwear and 8 bras in two slim packing cubes, along with a small packing cube that held makeup remover wipes, sunscreen towelettes and a few other odds and ends like a small solid lip balm, stick deodorant, small hairbrush, small comb, etc. My personal item was a small barrel shaped duffel bag which held my camera, cell phone, folder with itinerary and tips, chargers in a small Vera Bradley makeup bag, another small Vera Bradley makeup bag that had a few brushes and tiny screw together jars of mineral makeup, and my 3-1-1 bag. I had travel size bottles of my own shower gel, lotions, body sprays, etc in my 3-1-1 bag. My 3-1-1 bag also held three small screw together jars that I had put moisturizer, night cream and eye cream in, a tiny travel size mascara, and a couple of tiny travel size lip glosses. I carried makeup remover wipes and sunscreen towlettes so I didn't have to waste space in my 3-1-1 bag. It was tight but doable.

 

[HappyontheLake]

DH can do a two week trip to China with only carry-on luggage, but then again he is expensing laundry and dry-cleaning service.

 

[ccgirl]

I am able to go with 2 suitcases for a family of 4 (2adults, 2children) and 1 carryon. Shorts get worn multiple times.

 

[VanessasMom]

We have a family of three and use three carryons for Disney. For dh & I, we pack two pair of shorts, four tshirts, eight pair of undies and socks, one pair pj's and a bathing suit. For dd, we pack the same but increase shorts and shirts to eight pair because she always goes thru more outfits per day than one and I make custom ones for her. I usually do a load of laundry halfway thru and find it quite relaxing. I use space bags for our clothes. We also pack the minimum size toiletries and get double use out of some things--like we share a razor and dh uses hair conditioner as shaving cream (he says it actually works better as a moisturizer). We use one carryon for gifts from tink, toys, and snacks.

 

[mytripsandraces]

I usually go for a long weekend, so packing light to get there isn't a problem. My problem is not buying so much stuff that I can't get it all back!

 

[CandyHead09]

I was thinking about trying to have us take one rolling carry-on per person, then check a bag or two with other stuff. Maybe I am just kidding myself, I am not known to be a light packer, but I wish I were.

Have any of you successfully packed light for Disney, and do you have any tips for doing it?

I should add that I won't have a washer/dryer in our room and would prefer not to do laundry for the week's trip.

Thanks!

It is but the trick is to not stress out!!! Make a list of essentials dont over analyze and just bring the basics! Clothes, shoes, phone, phone charger, camera, money, makeup, bandaids, papers for check in or magical express.

 

[maxiesmom]

Packing folders andpacking cubes are a packers best friend. May 2008 I decided to see if I coud do carryon only for 8 nights/nine days. I was able to squeeze 8 pairs of shorts and 8 thin blouses into one 18"packing folder which easily fit into one side of my Hey's 20" carry on. The other side of my carry on held a pair of flip flops, a pair of sandals, two sundresses (and a swimsuit) rolled into a medpacking cube, 8 pairs of underwear and 8 bras in two slimpacking cubes, along with a smallpacking cube that held makeup remover wipes, sunscreen towelettes and a few other odds and ends like a small solid lip balm, stick deodorant, small hairbrush, small comb, etc.

How do the packing cubes help? Can't you just roll your clothes and get them into the same amount of space?

What brand of packing cubes/folders do you buy?

 

[noahdove]

I know I will be packing different on this trip as I usually go in August...so, I do wash once I am there and take as much clean stuff home as I can, however, this time, I am cruising first, then WDW and we may need jeans/sweatshirt..so..I won't pack as light as I usually do...

 

[carrie1626]

Packing for summer trips is so easy: shorts, tanks, sandals, flipflops, sunscreen A cold-front passing thru will never happen.

On the otherhand, I've been in NOV when Florida had an "usually cool" week of temps and all anybody had ,at best was 2 thin sweatshirts and the jeans we wore on the plane. I can laugh at it now thinking about all the people we saw that week with the same sweatshirts on that were all purchased on WDW property. Obviously the memo about the weather was never sent

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

I'm one of those people who will wear a pair of jeans at least 3 times before washing them provided I haven't smeared anything on myself so for a week I would need 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, a bathing suit and a couple T-shirts (I will probably buy more as souviners). Clean undies are a must. Throw in a stick of deoderant and a baggie with some makeup items and I'm good to go. The outfit I'm wearing counts as one outfit and I wear one pair of comfy shoes everywhere. The hotel provides the hair dryer, soap, shampoo, towels etc so you don't have to worry about any of that. Definitely do-able.

ETA- even if you forgot to bring your toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant don't worry, most hotels will give you some for free as a courtesy. Don't stress.

I could never wear a pair of any pants three days in DW, too sweaty. Even in winter having them on and walking in them all day, well they just get dirty and yucky. I don't know how you do it, wish I could pack light. Sure as I don't pack two outfits per day we will need them.

 

[housetomouse]

I could never wear a pair of any pants three days in DW, too sweaty. Even in winter having them on and walking in them all day, well they just get dirty and yucky. I don't know how you do it, wish I could pack light. Sure as I don't pack two outfits per day we will need them.

I'm the same way. I don't know if my clothes are, in reality, that dirty or sweaty, but they always seem that way to me after one wearing.