Packing tips for those that fly?

[augusta1]

I love all the ideas for packing tips.. I have gotten a couple things such as the Brita bottles, a tub mat, and I like the over the door organizer idea.

Wish I could do them all but can't with flying and I do not want to go over the airline weight limit. So for those that fly what are your packing tips? What are your must haves at Disney that you make sure you have room for in your suitcases to fly with?

 

[minnie mum]

What a lot of fliers do is NOT pack all those things. At least not in their suitcases. They box them up and ship them to their resort ahead of time.

 

[ZoZo]

What a lot of fliers do is NOT pack all those things. At least not in their suitcases. They box them up and ship them to their resort ahead of time.

That's correct. I almost always ship a small box of things like pop-up laundry hamper, disposable ponchos, food items, etc. to the resort ahead of time.

I'm a chronic over-packer by nature, but I've gotten better over the years about limiting what I bring down to Florida. I always plan to do laundry mid-trip, so I only need to bring half of the clothes that I would normally pack for a one-week trip. It onlly takes about 1.5 hours to do two loads of laundry simultaneously. Since the laundry facility at POR is located right by one of their "quiet pools," I take an afternoon break from the parks, do my laundry, and have a little pool time. Works great!

Final packing tip: roll your clothes in your suitcase. You can fit lots more stuff, and the clothes don't get wrinkled.

 

[aubriee]

I sleep with a fan on for noise at home. I use a white noise machine when I'm on vacation. I absolutely can not sleep without it. The one time I forgot it, I don't think I slept all week. Now I keep one packed all the time in my carry on. It never comes out.

I love packing folders and packing cubes. I can pack so much more and they keep my bags so organized. I used to roll my clothes in zip locks, but like the packing folders and cubes so much better.

I always put a couple of dryer sheets in my luggage to keep them (and my clothes) smelling fresh. Once I get home I throw the old ones away and replace them, then when I'm packing for my next trip, I replace them with fresh ones again.

As far as things I must carry with me:
1. roll some duct tape onto a pen--duct tape comes in handy for alot of things (fixing a hem, putting on hot spots that might blister, keeping a curtain closed, etc). With a little wrapped around a pen, you always have a pen with a nice padded barrel and neither takes up any room in your bag.
2. Body Glide to prevent chafing or blisters
3. sunscreen with a high spf
4. a good lip balm with spf
5. I have a soft shelving closet organizer I bought at Wal Mart several years ago. It hangs with velcro over the curtain rod and takes up less than a foot of space on the rod, but I can put 9 days worth of outfits in the shelves. It folds flat so takes up almost no room in the bottom or the side of my checked duffel. I always pack my clothes into a packing folder in the opposite order I plan to wear them, so they are already in outfits and in order when I place them in the shelving organizer. I hang up any dresses, but shorts/capris and blouses go on the shelves.
6. The Florida heat and humidity does a number on my already dry hair, so I bring my own shampoo and conditioner in travel size bottles. I don't like the shampoo/conditioner the resorts provide.
7. Peppermint lotion and Motrin for feet

 

[essom71]

We fly and only take hand luggage...my best tip....rent a car for less than $40 at the disney car care center on the first day and go to walmart and get what you need. With four of us it works out cheaper than buying 4 travel sizes of things or paying to check a bag. We also can pick up booze and snacks as well as a foam cooler if we don't have a fridge.

My favorite actual packing tip though is packing cubes.

 

[MidgeD79]

I bought a soft-sided cooler for $16 and plan on packing it. we usually drive and take a huge rolling cooler to put cold stuff in. I'm hoping to order ice and other stuff to be able to eat breakfast in our room.

 

[KyleeB]

The most useful thing I packed was a hamper and it took hardly any room. I used one of those mesh ones you can fold up. It helped keep our room neat and I did laundry once while we were there (8 nights) so I didn't need to pack as many clothes.

I also ordered a case of water and had it delivered to the resort before we arrived. That was awesome.

Good luck!