Leaving in *1* week, should I pack now?

[sydprincess]

We leave in 2 weeks and I started packing 1 month ago. I still have a TON of things to buy!! I went shopping today for some new outfits for myself (FINALLY, after buying everything under the sun for the others in the family), but the list is still long and overwhelming. I'd start now if I were you, just to eliminate any potential surprises. You may come across something you need, so I'd say it's a smart decision to start. Have fun!

 

[rsine]

You all are scaring me! We leave next Friday and I am planning on starting to pack next Thursday night! And I'll STILL leave a few things for Friday. It would drive me insane to look at packed bags with nowhere to go for weeks!

Now, a list on the other hand...well, I've been building that for quite a while. So I'm not completely crazy, right?

OMG you are waiting till the night before? What strong will you have! I started packing near the end of March and then every couple of days I add something else to what we are taking. And you are completely right, looking at those bags packed for so long have been driving me nuts. I should be more like you!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

You all are scaring me! We leave next Friday and I am planning on starting to pack next Thursday night! And I'll STILL leave a few things for Friday. It would drive me insane to look at packed bags with nowhere to go for weeks!

Now, a list on the other hand...well, I've been building that for quite a while. So I'm not completely crazy, right?

You're scaring me , there is NO way I would leave all that to do the night before. We wouldn't be ready to leave on time if I did. Something always come up or happens at the last minute and I don't want to be unprepared.

I did wait until almost the last minute to put my clothes in my suitcase in Dec and that was a bad thing for me to do, but I didn't want my clothes to be wrinkled and I wanted to sort of match things up, and I had new bags and no idea how to pack them appropriately. Needless to say, I won't do that again. I didn't even have 1 hour to sleep.

This time, I do have the day off before, but I have a list of things to do and we plan to leave at 4:30am to drive down, so I still need to sleep, so I don't have to take a nap when we get there.

Suzanne

 

[vcgirl925]

YES!

We usually go in the fall, so it's right about when we should pack up all of our summer clothes. Instead of packing our shorts and stuff away i put them in our suitcase so when it's time to pack for disney everything is there already! But i usually start packing for real a week before and only have few things to pack the night before.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I am bringing like....hmmm I guess 16+ juicey juice juice boxes for DD, do you think they will break open and our clothes will be full of juicey juice? What's the best way to pack them?

Also how many pieces of luggage do you suggest for a party of 3 (our DD is 4 so I imagine she'll change at least once a day) for 8 days? I also do not plan on doing laundry while there.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

We go next month. I'm starting to make my list now. I am desperate need of summer clothes. It's better to start early and make sure you everything then get there and realize that you forgot the underoos. I can tell you it's no fun to get to the happy place and not have underoos.

 

[froggygrrrl]

OMG you are waiting till the night before? What strong will you have! I started packing near the end of March and then every couple of days I add something else to what we are taking. And you are completely right, looking at those bags packed for so long have been driving me nuts. I should be more like you!

You're scaring me , there is NO way I would leave all that to do the night before. We wouldn't be ready to leave on time if I did. Something always come up or happens at the last minute and I don't want to be unprepared.

I did wait until almost the last minute to put my clothes in my suitcase in Dec and that was a bad thing for me to do, but I didn't want my clothes to be wrinkled and I wanted to sort of match things up, and I had new bags and no idea how to pack them appropriately. Needless to say, I won't do that again. I didn't even have 1 hour to sleep.

This time, I do have the day off before, but I have a list of things to do and we plan to leave at 4:30am to drive down, so I still need to sleep, so I don't have to take a nap when we get there.

Suzanne

LOL to both of your responses! I will be the first to admit that I am a notoriously horrible packer! It's guaranteed that I will have twice as much as I needed to bring (but I don't usually forget anything, either, so I guess that's a plus). I also have a problem with doing things too early...I'm not quite a procrastinator, but my time-management skills seem to be a bit lacking.

In my defense, I have finals next week and I really want to focus on them first before my attention narrows onto our vacation. My last final is Thursday morning, so that leaves me around 24 hours to get everything done. Plus, one of our dogs gets freaked out when she sees suitcases, so we try to limit the amount of time the suitcases are in her line of sight. I don't know what that's all about with her.

 

[MnMomW3Boys]

I am bringing like....hmmm I guess 16+ juicey juice juice boxes for DD, do you think they will break open and our clothes will be full of juicey juice? What's the best way to pack them?

Also how many pieces of luggage do you suggest for a party of 3 (our DD is 4 so I imagine she'll change at least once a day) for 8 days? I also do not plan on doing laundry while there.

I assume you are flying??? I would not take juice boxes in your luggage, I had yougurt explode in my carry on once from the change in cabin pressure.

Assuming once again you are flying most airlines you have to pay to check you bags, you may want to chekc with your airline to see if they are charing. ( I didn't know this until last week) We are taking 2 suitcases for 5 people for 8 days (plus a backpack a person)
I would take 10-12 shirts and 4-6 shorts and mix and match if you can.
I would rather do a load of laundry instead of lugging 16 outfits to WDW.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[scotas]

Definitely start packing. I always pack early. Funny story about why.

We go every fall with the same group of people. We head to Hartford CT on Friday afternoon and stay overnight to catch a early flight on Saturday. Last year I get a panicked phone call from my friend at 3:00 that she can not find a single pair of her shorts anywhere and she was going to have to go shopping. (We were leaving at 4) WE ended up leaving them behind, and they had to meet us at the airport the next morning. That meant leaving their house at 2 am. I told her to start packing as soon as she made her reservations this year.

 

[TheWog]

I was going to say, you haven't started already? Luckily we were in the transition from Winter to Spring so it makes it easier, but we start packing weeks before we leave.

 

[mcsele]

We are also leaving on Thursday. I am going to start the packing today

 

[DisneyMagicMommy]

I always wait until the night before we leave to pack (and do everything else needed). It gives me plenty to do or I'd go crazy waiting for the day to be over!!! Such as out trip in 3 weeks. on the 28th at 7am i'll check in for our southwest flight...then give the dog a bath...then the kids and i will take the dog to my mom's (who is watching her while we are gone)...and then after DH gets home from work that night and after the kids are in bed he and i will pack (around 9pm...we need to make sure the kids don't see the luggage because this is a surprise trip for them.)...then i'll attempt to sleep, get up at 3am on the 29th...get everyone ready and head off to the airport for our 7am flight. I just like to have that last day full of plenty of things to keep me busy busy busy.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I pack the night before of the day of. I make my list, go through it and pack. Takes me about 30-60 minutes. If I pack sooner my kids like to get in it and ask me 1000 questions and try to take stuff out, dig through it and mess everything up. Plus I have too many things i use on a daily basis.

This coming trip I'm going to pack while DS is in school and I'll leave DD with my grandma. It's a surprise so they have NO idea and I don't want to spill the beans.

 

[toledo13]

I generally pack a month ahead of time.... or more.....

 

[Mickeygolf]

I generally pack a month ahead of time.... or more.....

Yeah, I was just going to say what are you waiting for. We usually start our packing a month or so in advance and most bags are completely packed 3 to 7 days before our trip.

Good luck!!!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I leave in 39 days and while not completely packed I have all the suitcases and carry ons in one room open and I am putting stuff in them all except the last minute clothes/shoes we are still using. About 1 week out I will organize all the stuff and close up ready for departure.

So yes, 1 week out be packed up. This way as you go along your day you can realize if you need something else.

 

[JPN4265]

I can't take the excitement anymore and I just want to start packing now, do you think this is a wise decision? haha. I have one more final on Tuesday (we leave Thursday) and fiance's parents will be here this weekend so I wonder when I will have time?

You mean you are not packed already.....

 

[Anelise]

I'm leaving in 4 days - next Tuesday, and started packing today. My boyfriend says he'll pack only the day before. And I thought I was behind schedule!

 

[SpectroMax]

Rather than packing months in advance. . .
I keep a packing list on excel with 2 colums. 1 colum says "packed" and I will check items off as I actually stick them in my suitcase. The other column says "got" as in once I've "got" the item and it is at my house I can check it off. I've gone over the list 100 times since December!

I am making myself wait until 21 days out to print it and go shopping for whatever I haven't "got" by then.

 

[richmo]

I've stopped packing in advance. I find that if I do, I wind up going thru it again the night before to make sure I have everything.

I do have a spreadsheet that I used a few years ago with stuff I wanted to bring. I've found that I use that same spreadsheet for just about every trip, Disney or not and I know I only need a half hour or so to get almost all of it together.