Is there a such thing?

[emtmom0104]

As packing too much???? We have 5 people going for 9 days. DH and I each have a big suitcase and the 3 kids have a small suitcase. We also have 2 medium suitcases with food and extras and a bathing suit bag and a bag with the kids sweats, jeans and jackets. So a total of 2 large, 2 medium, 3 small suitcases and 2 duffel bags...too much to take??? This is our first trip EVER to WDW or even FL for that matter. I can't help but to think that I'm maybe over packing.

 

[Amyhoff]

I guess it depends on when you're going... if you're leaving soon, it's not going to be swimming weather, so you may not need those particular items. I think it's a lot, but I am a light packer by nature. I will probably wear the same jeans for two days, so I don't need a pair for each day. I will do the same with a sweatshirt, so I will really just need a few of them.

I learned when traveling abroad that less is more. You can always find a laundry if needed!

 

[surfgirl]

another subscribed to the 'less is more'.

I hate hate hate overpacking. How long is that trip for ? How are you going to manage all that ? How much will you pay in luggage fees ?

If you are there that long, you can afford an afternoon off to sit and do a few loads of laundry. Or better yet, rent a place with a w/d !

We go for a week with 5 people and take 3 carryon sizes bags of clothes with backpacks filled with airplane entertainment. Do you really need THAT many shoes ? How do bathing suits take up an entire bag ? They are the smallest thing packed!

You have 9 bags packed. huh? What are the medium bags with food and extras ? They DO sell food down there... are you really saving enough money buying it at home that you can afford to pay to check it ?!? You won't be able to fit this luggage in a car. Where are you staying ? You do realize that it won't fit in a standard size room, don't you ?

I just returned from a week in London alone with only a carryon bag (and a backpack with books and camera). And it is a lot colder there than Florida. I would seriously re-think your plans.

Remember the sage advice. Lay it all out. Only pack half of what is laid out (and that is usually too much!). Then take twice as much money.

 

[davis65]

I was wondering the same thing. We are going for 5 days, and we are staying at port orleas riverside. My husband and I have a big suitcase of clothes between the 2 of us. (e everything except PJ's are in it) We have 1 medium sized suitcase of all my sons clothes, 1 medium sized suitcase for all my stepsons clothes, plus 1 small suitcase for my stepsons sleep clothes, socks, and underware. Plus we will have a duffel bag for my husband's and my sleep clothes. Then we have 2 backpacks of stuff to carry in the park ( autograph book, pins, lanyards, DSLR camera, first aid kit, wipes, germ x, sunscreen, and bug spray.) My son has asthma and battles with motion sickness so I have his inhaler and motion sickness pills and his allergy medicine in my first aid kit. Will Disney allow this? I am beginning to think that I might be over packing. Is 1 big suitcase, 2 medium suitcases, 1 small suitcase, 1 duffel bag and 2 backpacks too much for a family of 5? Also do you think that I would need to pack my kids jeans duuring the first week of April? My kids are hot nature and hat to wear jeans when it is warm. I did get them some windbreakers just in case.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

You can always do laundry!

Basic rule, don't pack any more than you can carry. Are you going to be able to haul all of that?? Are your kids old enough and willing to carry their own?

You don't need to take your house with you. You are going on vacation, not moving. Try to consolidate your outfits. Multiple tops for 2-3 bottoms. The only thing I refuse to skimp on is socks and undies. You will only need 2 pairs of shoes (unless you are doing any fine dining). 1 good walking pair and sandals/flip flops. Can you all share bath products? 1 thing of shampoo/conditioner/body wash for everyone?

Lay everything out on your bed and re-evaluate what you really need to take.

Good luck.

 

[emtmom0104]

We are a Family of 5 staying at AKV and are staying for 9 days. I have only packed 2 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of shorts, 4 shirts, undies, socks, an extra pair of sneakers, any meds the kids need and myself, jammies, a sweatshirt and a sweatjacket. Bathing suits and towels are in another bag but we may not be taking them with the weather being so iffy. We are sharing body wash and shampoos. The kids suitcases are the toddler size. I'm sure I will unpack and repack the stuff a hundred times before leaving, but having never been there it makes it hard to pack when you have never been there and don't know what to expect.

 

[MariDisney]

I'm in the less is more camp. If you're driving and have room in the car, I suppose it doesn't matter. If you're flying and have to pay for baggage (like we do) it matters. It's DH, my DD 10, and myself. We go with 2 medium sized suitcases total plus each of us has a small carryon for the plane (and I mean small, not even back pack size). I basically plan 3 days of clothing and then do wash twice while there. It's no hassle for me as the laundries are convenient and I either do it on early nights or during afternoon breaks. There is no way we need a whole suitcase for each person. Back when you could fly with 2 bags each we tended to pack more, but learned that in the end we didn't need most of what we brought. We share most toiletries and only bring 2 pair of shoes each (so one will be on our feet and one in the bag).

 

[Amyhoff]

We are a Family of 5 staying at AKV and are staying for 9 days. I have only packed 2 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of shorts, 4 shirts, undies, socks, an extra pair of sneakers, any meds the kids need and myself, jammies, a sweatshirt and a sweatjacket. Bathing suits and towels are in another bag but we may not be taking them with the weather being so iffy. We are sharing body wash and shampoos. The kids suitcases are the toddler size. I'm sure I will unpack and repack the stuff a hundred times before leaving, but having never been there it makes it hard to pack when you have never been there and don't know what to expect.

I don't think anyone is trying to make you feel badly. We're just trying to help.

I don't think you need to bring towels, even if you decide to pack the swimsuits. Most hotels will have towels for you. Also, if you aren't too picky about toiletries, the hotel will provide soap and shampoo. I can understand if you are. I have to use my own shampoo, so I get that.

If you've narrowed it down to just the essentials, then I guess you don't have a choice but to bring all those bags. I can fit my stuff in a small bag, but my husband's clothes are larger, so he needs more room.

You may want to invest in one of those straps that attaches to a larger suitcase and hooks around the handle of a smaller suitcase. That way you only have to pull one suitcase and the smaller one is attached. I used this to carry my briefcase before baby when I worked and traveled a lot. This way you could attach some of your baggage together to help move it.

Good luck to you!

 

[surfgirl]

We are a Family of 5 staying at AKV and are staying for 9 days. I have only packed 2 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of shorts, 4 shirts, undies, socks, an extra pair of sneakers, any meds the kids need and myself, jammies, a sweatshirt and a sweatjacket. Bathing suits and towels are in another bag but we may not be taking them with the weather being so iffy. We are sharing body wash and shampoos. The kids suitcases are the toddler size. I'm sure I will unpack and repack the stuff a hundred times before leaving, but having never been there it makes it hard to pack when you have never been there and don't know what to expect.

I'm not trying to make you feel bad - please don't take it that way.

I'm confused. How are you packing the above stuff and have 9 total bags ? Also, are you prepared if one of the bags is lost ? (ie. do you spread stuff out among bags ?)

Are you renting a car ? If so, I would eliminate the bag of food.

You are staying at AKV. I would just plan on doing laundry every night. Instead of packing 2 pr. jeans, wear 1 pr. and pack 1 pr. I would take 2 pr. shorts - that gives you 4 things to wear on the bottom. I would just plan on throwing in laundry every night - when pj's go on, the clothes get thrown in the laundry. Wash in cold. Socks and undies... 4 pr. max if you have laundry. Instead of taking 'pj's', wear something comfortable on the plane and wear that to sleep in.

Instead of 3 toddler sized bags, why not combine those into the medium duffels ? Make sure you and dh can carry EVERYTHING at once!

Why are you taking towels ? Aren't they provided ?

 

[katied]

Pack what you're comfortable with. I'm generally a light packer. I fit DS and myself into a single suitcase and a single carryon for all our trips (including 20 days to Europe). However, I know what I'm happy with would not work for all.

The key is - can you and DH handle your luggage - i.e., get to the airport, get checked in, etc? If not, you have too much stuff. My travel is governed by the reality that on most trips, I fly on my own with DS. That means I have 1 rolling suitcase, DS in either a stroller or a car seat with wheels, and 1 backpack carryon. That's all I can manage and safely keep and eye on DS, so I just have to plan the trip based on what can fit in that space.

 

[dougsmom98]

You have a family of five, so you are going to need some stuff. I want to suggest backpacks! We are a family of 6 (2 adults and 4 kids ages 11, 9, 9, 4). We didn't check any baggage on our recent flight. Every person had a small carry on sized rolling suit case with their clothes in it. We also had 3 backpacks and 1 canvas reusable shopping bag (for snacks for the plane). If we had more stuff, we could have skipped the canvas bag and instead of 3 backpacks, we could have done 6 backpacks. The suitcases go in the overhead bin and the back packs under the seat in front of us. Everyone rolls their own suitcase and everyone can put a backpack on their back. The backpacks leave your hands free to pull the rolling suitcases and for my DH to carry my daughter's stroller and for me to carry her booster car seat.

 

[RumpleMom]

Sounds like too much stuff to me.

Try to eliminate some of the clothes you and your husband are packing and put some of the kids' clothing in your suitcases. If you are going soon you both can wear pants twice. I understand needing more clothes for the kids especially if they are messy eaters. We plan to do laundry on day 4 when we need a break from commando touring.

DH hates to drag too much stuff, so if yours is like mine, make it easier on him and pack lighter- that way he might be willing to go again

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Have you taken a peek at the Ultimate Packing List on mousesavers.com? It may help you with your packing decisions. You can save it as a Microsoft Word file then tailor it to your family's needs.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

YES.

I know it's a popular thing to do, but I don't understand people who pack or ship food or bring multiple pairs or shoes and other things of that sort. If I am going on vacation, I don't want to feel like I'm moving in somewhere.

All my family needs is a few days worth of clothes, allergy & asthma meds, sunscreen, camera, cellphones, and bathing suits.

 

[Disneyadore]

Wow if I would packed that much my husband would cancel our flights.

We tour Florida for almost a month and for the two of us I only pack and need one suitcase. I always pack also evening clothes for our dinner at Victoria & Albert's. When I come home I have no dirty clothes only the ones we are wearing that moment. You can wash all your clothes in almost every hotel and I really thing you are packing way to much stuff.

 

[dizneechic]

As a family of 5 and having just got back on Thurs I think you have WAY too many bags to travel easily with. We had 2 medium sized suitcases, 1 carry on, and each kid had a backpack that carried 2 changes of clothing (in case luggage was lost) and their travel entertainment and snacks, and even that was a challenge to get through the airport with (while keeping tabs on the kids!) We made a pit stop at the grocery store, spent $100 on food for the house (included shamp, conditioner, paper goods, etc), and managed 10 days doing laundry every 2-3. Honestly, we could have even eliminated our carry on, but we wanted to bring down an extra suitcase to bring back goodies in.

I would put together 2-3 outfits per person, bring a long sleeve shirt to layer under in case it's cool, and bring a pair of shorts or 2 that could work for all shirts and call that done. 1 Sweatshirt to layer over per person and the jackets you wear down should suffice for cooler days/nights. For our kids we put each outfit w/ socks/undies in a gallon ziplock, squished out the air and zipped and then they took up a lot less room. Plus the kids just pulled a bag and got dressed. I would also bring 1 swim item per person, just in case, but we never used ours because it was too cool, they will provide the towels.

Good luck narrowing down. Just remember, all you really need is a few changes of clothing. Anything else outside of prescription meds can easily be bought there so it's easier to buy a box of crackers (for example) than lug it through the airport.

 

[a1tinkfans]

As packing too much???? We have 5 people going for 9 days. DH and I each have a big suitcase and the 3 kids have a small suitcase. We also have 2 medium suitcases with food and extras and a bathing suit bag and a bag with the kids sweats, jeans and jackets. So a total of 2 large, 2 medium, 3 small suitcases and 2 duffel bags...too much to take??? This is our first trip EVER to WDW or even FL for that matter. I can't help but to think that I'm maybe over packing.

Oh MY! Sounds like Overload to me...but you are not alone...
heres My suggestion, consider laying out your clothes with the main piece on the bottom, like your Shorts, then lay each top over it that matches/goes with it. Do the same with skirts jeans/etc.....By laying out your mix/match you can then Cut out the "5" pairs of shorts and maybe go with three/mix those tops and bottoms and wah la you have cut some out. I think people over pack because they choose random pieces rather than matching.. I do...a color theme, since I travel in summer usually and I am from the NE, you Know I always have black shorts (1 long and 1 short) One beige pair, and then black capri's, one denim skirt, and a myriad of white/red/blue/blac/pattern tops to mix and match. I bring No sneakers (too sweaty) but wear sandals, ( I live in Traps: QVC, so light and cool, colors!, comfy!!) then a nice heel for evenings/dinner. I wear the heel when I fly (and the capris) and do not pack that...I often bring one casual dress for evening, something I can wear more than once with a little shrug........a small wristlet for evening, my small sack for parks and we're off...Of course the undergarments, etc....I usually use 1 large for dh and I and a small for my ds. We carry 1 carry on. We go for 10-12 days...I have found that I throw a load of wash in, read a book and relax by the pool and pack less overall....I was one of those that said, laundry, No way...but honestly, I look forward to the "rest"...
As for kids, they are easier IMHO, pick shorts/tops to switch, Grab a Pop up laundry hamper at Walmart for $3 and have then throw the dirty in there instead of all over your room or the suitcase. Hang one of those double sided shoe things and take each days outfit and roll into one pocket...works like a charm, especially with girls and hairbows, socks, etc etc...it is all coordinated and easy each day!
I ziploc each of our toiletires separately...name on and we toss toothbrushes.and toothpaste, mouthwash (all the trial sizes), we come home with even less!
Have to say, last year I shopped like crazy...Nuts, that I had to BUY another suitcase right at POR, got the expandable Disney one with the embroidery, such a rip off but it is cute I have never done that before and had no idea I bought so much, even After I shipped stuff home, a crazy fun trip!!!
have a GREAT trip!

 

[emtmom0104]

I'm not taking anything personally just getting everyones opinion. Having never even been to Florida before, let alone with 3 kids under 9 and DH, I'm just curious. We are driving down and do have a minivan. Forgot to mention that earlier. I have managed to bring just the essentials. I didn't know that the towels were provided for the pool so now I can eliminate them I'm bringing some food with us so that we are not buying food constantly since it is a rather lenghty trip with 3 kids. I have ditched 3 suitcases so I'm getting better. The kids only have the small suitcases so I'm trying to mix clothes between them and see what happens.

 

[Chelley00]

I'm not taking anything personally just getting everyones opinion. Having never even been to Florida before, let alone with 3 kids under 9 and DH, I'm just curious. We are driving down and do have a minivan. Forgot to mention that earlier. I have managed to bring just the essentials. I didn't know that the towels were provided for the pool so now I can eliminate them I'm bringing some food with us so that we are not buying food constantly since it is a rather lenghty trip with 3 kids. I have ditched 3 suitcases so I'm getting better. The kids only have the small suitcases so I'm trying to mix clothes between them and see what happens.

If you are driving, pack it all!!!! We're are a family of 6 and when we drive, we take a TON of stuff. Then I don't have to do laundry on vacation, we don't have to buy snacks etc. We have the back loaded with suitcases, plus 2 big storage totes of food and necessities.

When DD and I flew, I still packed too much. I'm a "rather have it" then "wish I would have packed it" kinda gal If you were flying, I'd say lighten it up, but since you are driving, it's not so bad to overpack since you don't have to pay checked baggage fees

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

As packing too much???? We have 5 people going for 9 days. DH and I each have a big suitcase and the 3 kids have a small suitcase. We also have 2 medium suitcases with food and extras and a bathing suit bag and a bag with the kids sweats, jeans and jackets. So a total of 2 large, 2 medium, 3 small suitcases and 2 duffel bags...too much to take??? This is our first trip EVER to WDW or even FL for that matter. I can't help but to think that I'm maybe over packing.

Are you driving or flying?

Whoops seems your flying.......I always overpack.
Are you staying in a one bedroom villa where you could wash clothes mid-week?