Packing Items - What strange/helpful items do you pack???

[Disney Ron]

Nightlight
Toss and go disposable spoons
Bibsters
folding hampers (2)
variety of bags (trash, ziplocs all sizes great for snacks, wet cloths, dirty diaper on plane)
Mini boxes of raisins (DS loves these)
Medula Microwave bags (great for sterilizing little ones bottles)
Stroller Bag (keeps stroller clean when gate checking at airport)
Sunshade Extension for stroller (kept my little guy protected)
Stroller rain cover
Clothes pins
Grocery store bags to pack dirty shoes in

Mrs. Disney Ron

 

[Terry36]

Plug ins - I like to walk into a nice smelling room after a long day.

 

[juliana_sd]

We leave in 2 days and I packed yesterday. Whew that took longer than I thought! Anyway my idea was this:

I got a plastic pitcher with a lid and filled it with crushable snacks like crackers. I also put some Crystal Light "pods" in there. So now in the hotel we can use the pitcher to make lemonade to have in the room AND our crackers won't be crumbs when we get there

 

[mom2aredhead]

I read this tip on here somewhere...Take a regular sponge; get it wet; saturate it w/ dish soap; let it dry out; cut it into smaller pieces; pack in ziplock baggie: diswashing equipment w/o the liquid mess.

That's a great idea. We're done with bottles and sippys now, but I wish soomeone would have told me that one a few years ago!

Bring a BABY SPOON! It's sometimes hard to find spoons in the park restaurants, and even if you do they're huge.

They're huge and sometimes have really sharp edges. My son cut the side of his mouth on one. Before that, it never occured to me to check them.

portable dvd/tv.its a godsend for flights and even can be hooked up to the tv in your hotel room.

Or if you have an i-pod that has video, that works great and takes up a lot less room. I have the Nano (the new one that came out a few months ago) and its TINY, but the screen is surprisingly nice and clear. My son is older (4.5) but I always dump a few new songs, TV shows and maybe a movie on mine before we go away....works great on the plane and (in a pinch) in a restaurant or on a long line.

For diaper changes (it's been a while, but I remember this one) - I'd put a few wipes in a cheap sandwich bag, then put that bag, a disposable changing pad, and a diaper in a larger ziploc bag. When it came time for a change, I only had to take that small ziploc into the restroom with me and the big diaper bag could stay outside with my husband.

The only other things I can think of that haven't been mentioned is an extra memory card for your camera...'cause you'll be shocked at how many pictures you end up taking. And an empty duffel bag...'cause you'll be shocked at how much stuff you buy while you're there and you'll need to get it all home.

 

[Jakesmom504]

I LOVE THIS!!! Not going til Aug but getting so many ideas! I read on another thread to pack one outfit for each person in your carry on just in case your luggage is lost, at least you have something right away. Although I like the idea of distributing the clothes in each persons suitcase too! That's a great idea. Another one at least for me is those immediate relief UTI meds. Uristat I think it's called. Nothing is worse than having that burning feeling of a UTI and WDW is the last place I want that problem!!! Just one more tip, cable ties for luggage if you don't want to buy the TSA locks. They are cheap and easy to cut off if they decide to search your bag.
Have fun planning!

 

[MinnieMouse73]

I read on another thread to pack one outfit for each person in your carry on just in case your luggage is lost, at least you have something right away.

My DH has always laughed at me for doing this - of course we've never needed it so he thought it was a waste of time. Until last year, when our luggage went to a different city than us! When we knew it was missing I said "well, DD and I will be fine for tomorrow because we have spare clothes with us". Very sheepishly, my DH asked "er, did you pack any for me?".

Of course I did, and suddenly he thought it was just the best idea!

 

[Jakesmom504]

My DH has always laughed at me for doing this - of course we've never needed it so he thought it was a waste of time. Until last year, when our luggage went to a different city than us! When we knew it was missing I said "well, DD and I will be fine for tomorrow because we have spare clothes with us". Very sheepishly, my DH asked "er, did you pack any for me?".

Of course I did, and suddenly he thought it was just the best idea!

That's great! Bet he won't second guess you again!!!

 

[adell557]

bump

 

[disneynan]

~Lysol wipes The pack n play that was in our Disney room had tried peanut butter from the previous user on it! Yuck!]
We only needed a pack n play once thank goodness. We opened it up and it was full of vomit! Had never been cleaned. We dragged it out of our room into the hallway before calling for a clean one. So glad we are taking our trailer this year.

We like to take Brita water bottles into the parks. We refill them throughout the day with cups of water from CS restaurants (free). We used to fill them at the water fountains until I read a thread about what other people were seen using the fountains for.

When we drive I also always take my own pillow. Otherwise I have back/neck pain all week. And the family has a grumpy mom!

 

[disneymarie]

I love the area at checkouts in Walmart with the small packs of Clorox wipes, snaitizer, first aid kit, big tissues, Any of the beauty isles that have the .99 isle, A pouch of disposable bags, great for sick kids on rides, and disposal of trash, store wet clothes.

Dr Sholls insoles, foot srpay, or a powder to put on feet mid day. The blister patches for pre blister sorness. I love the Orange can (Arm and Hammer?)of body powder, especially for under ****'s, inner legs.

A good check list.
Emergency pone no. one night a gal came on when the front desk o was on and she needed medical help at Disney.
A spare pair of glasses! Never can tell when a drop, or break will happen. Glass repair kit. Sams amd Walmart have great clip on polorized sun covers for glassses, nice styles!

Tide stick, clean up for dropped mustard etc. mini sewing kits, safety pins.

Sting relief pen
watch at pharmacy counters for samples of antacid, melt away meds. We needed soft tab tylenol, benydryl, and excedrin for adults while at the park,

Spraymister bottle, less expensive at Walmart, one with fan is best.

Those gel candy, Welches and others make, the flavor powder to add to water and get water at stands.

I made lables on the comuter like address labels with home address and hotel and cell info for camera's, strollers. kids toys, hats, blankies....AND KIDS!
Make sure all cords, car adapters, extra batters, I found recharable From SAMs club and reg as back ups are great for the cameras that eat them.
Chap stick. No rub spray sun block.

If you have a back disability and have a toddler, in a stroller you can not carry or chase around lines, get a GAC pass for the stroller to keep the child in during lines. This really helped at Epcot. Like Norway and Mexico.

On the plastic baggies, take snack size, sandwhich size and the larger. The snack size is great for an unfinished portion of food to keep a snack later, sandwhich size for an uneaten lunch. ( I take a small cooler pack)

Just never know when a small bag is needed too.
dianne

 

[tchrrx]

Tell me more about the Downy wrinkle release. Will one bottle last a family of 4 for 10 days? Do you saturate the fabric with it or does it work with just a few squirts? I really don't want to iron, but I don't want to end up with dripping wet, wrinkled clothes either!

 

[TSMAMI]

 

[familyfirsttimer]

Tell me more about the Downy wrinkle release. Will one bottle last a family of 4 for 10 days? Do you saturate the fabric with it or does it work with just a few squirts? I really don't want to iron, but I don't want to end up with dripping wet, wrinkled clothes either!

You can use the travel size bottle and it will be fine. It is just a few squirts, pull at the materail a little and let dry. you don't have to saturate it. Also, remember to roll your clothes when you pack and there shouldn't be too many wrinkles.

 

[familyfirsttimer]

oh, thought of seomthing else:

Command hooks (you know the ones 3M makes). This way you can hang the shoe holder wherever you want it, ony any open wall space. They hold a lot of weight and the adhesive is totally removeable with no damage. I bring these on vacation for anything else we might want to hang too.

also re:hangers: Just call mousekeeping when you get in your room and ask for as many as you want. They will defnintely bring them up. I ususally get 10 or 15 and then we hang everything up that we can, makes it easier to find clothes too

 

[mavslab]

These are all such great ideas, I can't wait to pack

 

[lpoeppelman]

I found a little shoe organizer for shoes, not one of the pocket ones for toiletries, but one that looks like little cubes stacked on top of each other for actually controlling the shoe population in the room. They were $2 and hold 6 pairs of adult shoes. I figure I could probably put three pairs of DD's shoes in one, I usually have one pair of tennis shoes and several pairs of flip flops and DH has two pairs of shoes with him. That it would be good enough to keep us from tripping over the shoes.

When we go down, I have a large rolling duffle bag that I use to put in things like the shoe organizers, etc. By the end of the trip the amount of stuff in that bag has decreased enough that I have extra space but we have a smaller folding duffle that we bring down empty so that we had an extra bag just in case we need it, and if we don't it folds flat and just goes back into the duffle.

I also bring a small IKEA step ($3) for DD so she can reach the sink to brush her teeth, it's just a little plastic rectangle and when I turn it over I just put things in it so it doesn't waste too much space. It just beats having to here her ask to be picked up to wash her hands, brush teeth etc.

I'm another one folks who has a binder with all my information in it. It is affectionately known in our house as "The Great Big Book of Everything." Thank you Stanley! I also have little 3 x 5 cards with our daily information on it, ADR's etc., that I carry in my bag.

Thanks to this board I have a great Baggalini bag that I use in the parks. I love it.

We also do a lot of the above mention things like outfits in ziplocks. I also have little bags that live in our vacation box (it's just a plastic tub that lives under my bed) like a laundry kit, dishwashing kit, travel games kit, pressed penny books, special sharpies, a light spinner we picked on a previous trip, clip on fans, mister fan, just to have everything we only use on vacation at hand. A few weeks before we leave I check to see if anything needs replacing or replenishing. This is all the stuff that goes in that duffle.

I want to thank some of the PPs for new ideas, like the pop up laundry bags, I went and grabbed a couple at the dollar store so we didn't have a messy room! Great ideas! Keep 'em coming!

Wanted to bump this up.

Tell me more about your Bagallinni. Thanks!

 

[myrsfmly]

Happy to find this list!!! Amazing what you forget when it's been awhile....

Last years tip... Bodyglide, saved me. I'll never leave for Disney without it again!

 

[dzneelvr]

trail mix, snacks or sandwiches and empty water bottles in carry-on so you don't have to buy the airline food for mucho bucks to start out your trip. Fill the water bottles prior to boarding and AFTER security. Our teenage DD and DS used these bottles in the parks throughout the trip
clothes hampers, over the door shoe hangers, plastic hangers to hang most clothes upon arrival; also to hang your colorful tops so you don't have to put them through a strange dryer cycle, powder laundry soap, dryer sheets, night light, glo-in-the-dark jewelry--you'll be amazed how expensive that stuff is in the parks but you get to wear several pieces for a fraction of the cost , small Disney toys to surprise the kids each day (all these can be found at DollarTree for $1).

 

[enya1973]

subbing...would like to know too!

 

[myrsfmly]

I brought a bottle of rum from home and a few empty travel size bottles... like you would buy to put shampoo or lotions in... and would fill a few up in the morning with the rum which made for a pretty inexpensive rum & coke later in the park... my DH thought I was nuts but was happy for the sneaky cocktail on our MK day!!