Laundry services or overpack? Which do you recommend???

[kellera]

Hi! I am getting ready to make my first trip to WDW with my family. We are staying at the POR, and I am trying to pack. Should I pack a TON of everything (kids are 11, 5 and 6 months)...OR, would it be better to pack less and use laundry services?

Any pros and cons would be great!

Thanks,
Amy

 

[BlakeNJ]

I have done both. Most recently, laundry. I got up one morning at 6:30am foolishly thinking I was the only one who would want to do laundry at that hour. I was wrong. All the machines were full! I didn't have to wait long--about 45 minutes. So I showered and ran back down. Now, this was a "late" morning for us. We weren't leaving for the parks until 9am. Our room was also close to the laundry facilities. I was able to get everything washed and dried in time but it was a hassel. The machines remained full the whole time I was washing/drying.

If you have an off day and can keep checking for free machines, I say go for it. Otherwise, I say overpack. I thought one night I would do laundry but by the time we got back to the room and put the kids to bed, I was exhausted and the last thing I wanted to deal with was laundry. With Magical Express, it's not really a hassel to bring that extra bag overpacking sometimes incur. It's $2/load to wash, and $2/load to dry. I am sure you ahve read that is usually takes two cycles to dry the clothes or split them into two smaller loads to dry. Well, it's true! Our darks (with jeans) took two cycles. Glad I had the extra quarters.

I did pack a small pop up hamper which was great for keeping clothes off the floor without having to keep a suitcase out. I have heard some bring two--one for clothes and the other for toys (if you have little ones). Good luck. Have fun overpacking!

HTH, Blakely

 

[Pixiedust34]

Do laundry. It's not that bad to do it on vacation, and it's better than packing a whole lot of clothes. You can pack quarters in a 35 mm film container and bring travel sized Tide (sold at Target) to make your laundry time a little easier. I also bring dryer sheets in a zip-lock baggie and Shout Wipes for stains.

ETA: If you are going during the summer, count on using 2 outfits/day, each. It is extremely humid in the summer, and we showered and changed clothes mid-day nearly every day. This made us go through twice as many clothes as we anticipated using. We were already planning on doing laundry, but we ended up doing it more frequently than we thought we would. Even if you overpack, it's best to have that laundry option in the back of your mind just in case you use more outfits than you anticipated.

 

[dana1003]

well - i said i wasnt gonna do laundry down there but i did. i was exhausted also though. we put the kids to bed then i went down and did it. it was about 9pm and there really wasnt to many people there. i got a machine and dryer right away. i wonder if during the day while everyone is at the park if its the slowest? then of course youd have to come back for a little break and leave again...maybe that wouldnt be too bad. also- dont know how you are but the extra room i had went to all the souvenirs we took back. stuffed animals are very bulky and can take up lots of room.

 

[monorailsilver]

I'd do laundry too. Less to carry, less to deal with & less to forget at the mouse's house.

And like the pp said, if you go in the summer or even when it is hot, bring 2 outfits per day.

We take mid day breaks which include a swim & shower (most days) so putting on icky clothes is not a thing we do.

I do the laundry mid-day on our break & I have never had a problem with finding a washer or dryer

 

[susykt4]

The laundry areas at POR are right next to the pools so assuming it's warm enough, your kids can swim while you do laundry. I've always "intended" to do laundry but have never actually gotten around to it. This year we're going in February so I once again will "plan" to do laundry so I don't have to pack as much stuff.