Organizational tips for staying in a value room?

[kjpotter]

I just booked our first stay onsite

What are your items that you bring which help maximize the small space in a value room? For instance, bring a power strip of you have alot of electronics to charge each night.

We're driving, so we have plenty of room.

 

[bookgirl]

Zip locks are your friend.


Keep socks, undies, kids clothes, toiletries, pills, cords, etc in zip top bags. That way small things are not floating around or underfoot.

 

[bmoran]

The value resorts have pretty spacious rooms. I have stayed at them several times and never had to make concessions. If you are in a value room, then I'm not sure. I would definitely take a power strip and pack things in baggies like suggested. Have fun!

 

[john64]

We are staying in a studio at the Beach Club and its smaller then a value!

 

[minnierocks]

Buy a mesh organizer...they are a couple of dollars at the Dollar Store. We hang ours up and all the little pockets hold things like sunglasses, wallets etc. Each person has their own pocket to put their stuff in at the end of the day.

We take a mesh pop up hamper and set it in the corner by the sink. It packs flat in a suitcase and holds a ton of dirty laundry. Since I don't do laundry on vacation, at the end of the week we pack all of our dirty laundry in one or two suitcases and anything that is still clean in another.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Use all of the drawers, hanging hooks, luggage stands, etc. I often stay at a value with 3 other adult women and we have to be very organized so that we and all of our stuff fit! We usually assign spaces, drawers, and hooks when we arrive and keep to our own areas. We always find that we have plenty of room. The little shelf in the bathroom above the sink is great for storing toiletries too.

 

[pumba]

We have gone before with four adults in a value room. and as long as everyone keeps their own belongings neat...you shouldnt have any issues. We are going in May and plan on asking housekeeping for more hangers..I like to hang my clothes up ...at least part of them..
Best part that values did was put the curtain up that separates the sink area from the bedroom area...if one is showering..another can be dressing and the other getting ready for the next step..
we are organized .

 

[goofy4tink]

I take one of those over the door shoe thingies. That goes on the bathroom door and holds all sorts of 'stuff'. I also take one of those folding shoe hangers that go over the closest rod...it has little cubbies for each pair of shoes. It's great for shoes but also for smaller items of clothing as well. I tend to roll shirts so they fit in those cubbies nicely. I keep a suitcase open on the luggage rack...that way I can live out of the suitcase which allows others to use the drawer space..which is at a premium in a value resort room.
Get more hangers...that frees up a lot of drawer space.
Power strips help as well. And try not to overpack. People tend to play the 'what if' game when packing. And 'what if' seldom happens!!! So, now you've packed about 5 outfits too many and you go home with them still unworn!!!

 

[bigbabyblues]

We drive, and we take our suitcases back to the van, assuming you unpack. Also, anything we aren't sure we will need (jackets, laundry soap, whatever) stays in the van until we need it.

 

[kjpotter]

Thanks everyone, these are exactly the type of hints I was looking for. We're be 2 adult and 2 kids so I love the idea of a shoe hanger. I could layout the kids clothing in it so the just grab their clothes in the morning.

 

[bookgirl]

Thanks everyone, these are exactly the type of hints I was looking for. We're be 2 adult and 2 kids so I love the idea of a shoe hanger. I could layout the kids clothing in it so the just grab their clothes in the morning.

Use the ziplocks and put each kids clothing for one day in one gallon size zipbag.

Socks, undies, shoes, shirts, hair bows, etc. Then label them with kids name and date if you plan certain clothes on certain days. That way every morning you just grab a bag and hand it to the kid or the parent dressing the kid. Plus if you need to carry an extra outfit it's all neatly contained and you can just toss it in the stroller or bag.


Also I tend to get one big bag (either get a shopping bag from a store or if I plan to pack it up in a duffle or suitcase I use it) and everyday I condense my purchases into it. That way there are not a lot of little bags or souveneers running around and you don't forget anything when you go to pack.

I also like to pack consumable items in bags or containers that when empty can be refilled with stuff I'm bringing back. I have a rigid plastic box that I bring a few snacks in, when I leave that's where any crushables go for the trip back. (pb crackers come to the resort in the box, carmels or bakery treats go home in the box). Of course that only works with small amounts but it's big enough that a coffee cup could go home in it as well.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

The best tip I can give you since you are driving - unpack when you get there and store your bags in your car. Frees up soooo much space. Also, one thing we do is pack the bare minimum for everyone in a bag or two, but take a bag packed for extra clothes and leave in the car. Makes it easier for everyone to unpack into the storage spaces there.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Don't let everything get out of control. Try to put things away when you first get there, then spend a few minutes at night and before you leave for the day straightening out your stuff. Somehow when it's neat, it seems more manageable. We keep a trash bag in the closet area for dirty clothes, and they go in there. Shoes go in the closet, too. Dirty towels in a corner of the bathroom, not all over the place. Electronics stay together, usually on the table. Brochures and paperwork near the electronics or on the shelf of the nightstand. Clean clothes are in drawer, or suitcases - depends on the room and how long we're staying. Food items and snacks go in or near the fridge. Toiletries in the bath and sink area. It usually stays pretty neat for us until the end (most of the time ), but DH is good about helping and the kids are used to the routine as well (we're like this at home, too - or at least try to be), so we all pitch in. It's really not a big deal. DCL rooms are even smaller than value rooms, and we generally get the smallest available. It doesn't phase us.

 

[I Love Pluto]

We never unpack clothing in a value room. We go to the suitcase before showering & put the outfit on the bed.

We do unpack shampoos, etc. Each of us gets a space by the TV to put them.

 

[JennyDrake]

TRAVEL LIGHT. As you are going to have a car, if you don't KNOW you will need it, leave all your "just in case" stuff in the car. The values have lots of storage space, pegs, shelves. I'm not a pack rat and I've never had a problem.

 

[Crystal Brewer]

We drive, and we take our suitcases back to the van, assuming you unpack. Also, anything we aren't sure we will need (jackets, laundry soap, whatever) stays in the van until we need it.

Luv This!! I find myself stacking empties under hanging clothes Duh never honestly thought of storing them in the vehicle!! This shall be useful for many trips to come!! We've had experience with VERY tight fits where it def could have benefited!!

 

[disnut8]

I just booked our first stay onsite

What are your items that you bring which help maximize the small space in a value room? For instance, bring a power strip of you have alot of electronics to charge each night.

We're driving, so we have plenty of room.

Depending on how many electronic things you have, you might also want an extension cord or second power strip. For example, I have a video camera, a still camera, a laptop, and a smart phone. That's four plug-ins right there. Add in my husband's laptop and his smart phone and we are already looking at using the outlet next to the sink in the bathroom even with a power strip.

We "invested" in a pop up laundry hamper and never looked back. It's excellent in the corner next to the sink and under the "closet". No excuse not to put dirty laundry in there.

For shoes, I use the space under the nightstand. Just dump everything in there.

Unpack your luggage and then take the empty suitcases back to your car and store them there.

Get some cheap plastic tubs (dollar stores are great for this) and assign one to each child. Before you leave for the day, all their stuff has to be back in there. Also have one for your stuff like snacks. That way, things don't get spread out all over the room. AND, you clean up things so the housekeeper doesn't accidentally throw things out (you never want a favorite toy left on the bed). These tubs can go on the top of the "closet" area.

 

[kitkat324]

I always bring a bottle of hand soap (the kind with a pump from the dollar tree), I can't stand the mess the bar soap makes on the counter and I don't like digging the bar soap out of a plastic cup. Or I bring a soap dish.

A toothbrush holder (from the dollar tree)....I won't put our toothbrushes on the counter.

 

[DisneyGal24]

Here is a crazy tip for you... I brought a foldable drying rack for bathing suits and towels. This kept them out of the bathroom where they never seem to get dry. This is not for everyone but since we drive I had the room for it along with a box fan for noise and to help with drying. We had the drying rack, double stroller, 2 adults and 2 kids in a value room for 10 nights. We had plenty of room. I also brought extra hangers from home. That was a huge help.

 

[Gibbygirl]

Here are a few things I've done for our past trips (& we stay moderate, but it seems like space & staying organized with 4 people is always an issue.)

clothes pins for hanging wet swim suits up on the clothes line in the shower

baggies, baggies, baggies! For little kids, put an outfit in each bag. That way they can grab one & get themselves ready. I also use baggies for pressed pennies, pins, change, sharpies (to take to the park for autographs,) bandaids, extra batteries (for our portable fans,) etc, etc.

wire hangers--we fly so suitcase space is a premium, but want to be able to hang up what we can since drawer space is never enough. Our dry cleaner gives away wire hangers. I grab a couple dozen, use them while we're there then leave or put in trash. They don't take up much room on the way there, & don't have to worry about bringing them back.

for bigger kids (when their clothes no longer fit in baggies)--I pack by outfit. Put bottom, underwear, top, socks folded together in the suitcase. Yes, they can dress themselves, but if your child is like my DS, he would rip thru the suitcase looking for each item & would make a big mess in the process.

Last trip I discovered a new solution--the plastic "case" that comes on the sub sandwich Lunchables make for great storage containers. Each of us had one to put our stuff in at the end of the day (wallet, sunglasses, pressed pennies, trading pins, chapstick, etc, etc.) May sound silly, but they were great! Plus, throwing them away for the return trip freed up some space in the suitcase.

pop up hamper--I know this has been suggested before, but make sure it will fit in your suitcase. I bought one based on seeing it suggested many times. Problem was, it was to round to fit in our suitcase. Luckily I didnt' wait until the night before to find this out. Since I couldn't find a smaller one, I used a drawstring duffle bag style one. Hung it across a couple of hangers so it was easier to put stuff in thru the week. At the end of the week, closed it up & put in one of our suitcases. Easier to carry the whole bag to the laundry room when we got home (ugh! I hate that part of vacation! )

Always looking for new tricks & tips so keep 'em coming!