Packing

[jenna1212]

I'm packing for a family of 4 (adult male, adult female, 2 tween girls). The best I've ever done is a 29", 26" and a checked duffle bag (plus carry on) but that was summer. We're doing 10 days in December. What is realistic? Advice on getting the number of bags down further? Laundry is possible but staying onsite.

 

[kwdw]

With the variety of clothes you need in December, it’s hard to go super light then. Obviously, you can pack for 5-6 days and that will help.

 

[kwdw]

Duplicate

 

[Mischievous Daisy]

I'm packing for a family of 4 (adult male, adult female, 2 tween girls). The best I've ever done is a 29", 26" and a checked duffle bag (plus carry on) but that was summer. We're doing 10 days in December. What is realistic? Advice on getting the number of bags down further? Laundry is possible but staying onsite.

Hi,
IMHO...
I would send a parcel to my resort with many items, so that you don't have to be bringing so much. Also plan for 5 mix and match outfits that you can switch on and off over the 10 days.
Also have backpacks for everyone so that they can carry-on their swim apparel, electronics, tees, etc. Whatever you stuff in these will not have to go under the plane. I would really try for only one checked bag. Less if possible.
Bring a mixture of pants. Leggings are great and can be packed up small. Add a few stretchy capris and 5 long sleeve and 5 short sleeve tees. Underwear and socks, of course.
We used to carry so much, and now it has become less and less. And since you will not see the same people every day, outfit matters are minimal. If your planning MVMCP or Hollywood Studios Holiday party, you could make sure these outfits were what was sent in the parcel.
Good Luck!

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

If you haven't already, invest in packing cubes - they are a gamechanger. And also layout each day's outfits(s) prior to packing so you can see what is needed vs. nice to have.

Also since you're going in Dec - while you may need a few extra pieces, you can reuse layers easily vs the summer when the heat almost always requires two outfits a day.

 

[sponica]

We don't pay for luggage so we always bring 4 suitcases

 

[Rory607]

Are you trying not to pay for bags? We are a family of four and typically check three suitcases and each person has a carry-on backpack. I am admittedly not a light packer, but a 10 day trip in December will require a variety of clothing. When we went at Christmas we had weather ranging from 80 degrees to 50 degrees and rainy. I got each person a packable coat and we definitely used them. For 10 days I would plan on packing for 5 days, then do laundry halfway through the trip.

 

[NickC]

Don't forget to leave room for souvenirs on the way back!

 

[weather_lady]

We're a family of 4 (2 adults, a teen son and daughter), and have never packed more than 1 22" carryon and 1 personal item (backpack or tote bag - bonus points if it doubles as a park bag or beach bag after arrival) apiece. We love the ease of traveling carryon-only, and once you get the hang of it, it's really easy.

If you're each entitled to bring a carryon size bag (22") for free, pack 1 carryon for each person.
If you're not entitled to bring free carryons, and it's the number of bags and not the size that is the issue, try to fit everything into two bags instead of three by packing lighter, using the tips below.

My suggestions:
1 - Pack clothing for half the trip length, plus one extra outfit (or at least an extra t-shirt) in case of a dining mishap -- that is, for 6 days. Add a laundry bag, lingerie bag, a baggie of wooden clothespins, and a baggie with detergent sheets and dryer sheets, and plan a relaxing pool/laundry afternoon midway through your trip. Every Disney resort has guest laundry facilities, and you'll usually find them conveniently located near the pool(s). If you're staying in a DVC villa, laundry is free: otherwise, bring a credit card.
2 - In each person's carryon (or in whatever luggage you decide upon), pack 6 warm (or slightly cool - check forecasts before you go) weather outfits, swimwear if needed, 1-2 nightgowns/PJs, socks and underwear, and extra footwear -- depending on the season, either 1 extra pair of cool-weather walking shoes that can be stuffed with smaller items like socks, or 1-2 pairs of sandals. Add each person's toiletries and meds in a small pouch, plus their 3-1-1 bag, keeping all contents to a minimum and decanting anything bulky into a smaller container. Each person should wear all of their bulkiest clothing items (pants, sneakers, a hoodie or jacket that matches the other outfits they're bringing, hat, other outerwear, etc.) on the plane. When selecting items to pack, try to pick things with a similar color scheme so you can mix and match them after laundering, and opt for breathable, lightweight "tech" fabrics wherever possible, as they tend to fold down to nothing and don't wrinkle easily. Do not pack extra clothes: that's the quickest way to derail a carryon-only objective.
3 - If your budget allows, purchase color-coded packing cubes (a different color for each family member) and pack each person's clothes in them. (If you really want to get wild, make your own DIY folding board with some cardboard and duct tape that will fold each item to the exact dimensions of your packing cubes. Not that I've done that, but... yes, I have totally done that!) Not only will this conserve space, keep bags organized, and allow clothes to be unpacked and placed in a drawer in moments, but when you go to do laundry, you'll be able to fold each person's clothes right back into their cube(s), so they can be put away effortlessly when you get back to the room. Also - and this is a matter of personal preference - I like to layer clothes in packing cubes as complete outfits (shirt-shorts-undies-shirt-short-undies) rather than as types (1 cube of shorts, 1 cube of shirts, 1 cube of underwear). That way, when I'm getting dressed each morning, I can simply take what's on top of my packing cube, instead of rooting around in multiple cubes to put an outfit together. YMMV.
4 - Don't pack or bring anything that the hotel already provides (e.g., shampoo, hair dryer, coffee), and share what you can between family members so you're not all packing multiples of the same thing (e.g., toothpaste, sunscreen, facial cleansing wipes).
5 - Use your "personal items" for the plane (backpack or tote: either use them as your park bag after you arrive, or nest your pack bag inside of them for travel) to hold: (1) things you'll need easy access to, during travel or in the parks (e.g., rain poncho, sunglasses, mini First-Aid kit with Tylenol, Band-Aids and blister covers); (2) electronics, earbuds, and chargers; and (3) any snacks or breakfast foods you're bringing with you. Since the food will be gone by the time you head home, the vacant space can be used for souvenirs on the return trip. My son typically doesn't even bother to carry a personal item or a park bag, so I bring a packable tote bag in my carryon (folds down to sandwich-bag size) that can be pressed into service, and travel with him on the homeward trip as his personal item, if we have a greater-than-usual amount of souvenirs.

 

[sponica]

Don't forget to leave room for souvenirs on the way back!

I always back an extra duffel bag in my luggage on the way down

 

[MICKIMINI]

We ship OTC, personal care products, snacks and anything heavy (shoes) in fixed price usps boxes to the resort. Make sure you put your name on the box and arrival date. Pick up at check in.

We use cubes and zip bags to compress clothing.

Make sure everyone wears the heaviest outfits (jeans, jacket, sneakers) on the plane and pack the flip flops and light clothes in the bags. We always wear fleece jackets which are double as a blanket on the plane.

Have a great trip!

 

[pterp]

Packing cubes have been a game changer for us (get ones which can be zipped to compress, they save about an additional 20% space compared to the other ones). Also, for bulkier items, getting the vacuum seal bags which you just roll to get the air out is very helpful.

Do you know where you are staying yet? If you have in room laundry (like DVC resorts or other condo style places), then you can plan to take fewer clothes and just do some laundry. Throw a load in to the wash before leaving, dry when you get back.

 

[danceintherain]

I did a 9 days for a cruise for 6 of us in just carry-ons and personal items. Alaska cruise, so we had to pack layers. We actually only did 4 carry-ons. Everyone got half of one, then there was a 4th for "extra" stuff (puddle jumper etc). We couldn't do laundry, because it was Royal Caribbean. I would have packed less and done laundry.

Last year for Disney in December, it was 2 checked bags, two roller carry-ons and personal items. The second checked bag was actually only about half full on the way down (I think....I might be confusing that with my Ireland trip in May). We could have checked everything, because we flew Southwest, but we had a stroller with us, and DH gets super stressed while traveling. We also had limited space in the rental car, especially once we added my parents' stuff to the mix.

I started reading the Travel Fashion Girl website/blog last year. She has some awesome packing lists for various trips. I think there's even a Disney one. The main thing is to pack intentionally, and re-wear stuff and/or do laundry. My younger kids still reliably have accidents, so laundry is a given. Once I accept that I WILL be doing at least one load of laundry, I can leave stuff behind more easily.

Packing cubes help. The compression ones can save space to some degree, but that's more work IMO. I have enough regular ones that each of us can have a different color. Then it's something like 5 or 6 tops to 3 or 4 bottoms. That's good for probably 5-10 days, because I will end up doing laundry. If my kids start overflowing an XL packing cube, then they're overpacking. I give DH and I more space to account for the larger clothes.
I do give us a little leeway for shoes, but only comfortable shoes. I try to change shoes every 6 hours or so. We take a midday break, so that's not a big deal.

I only allow my kids to bring one stuffy, unless it fits in their personal item (which also has to carry entertainment for our travel time, and a full change of clothes for them, so that space is limited too) and even then push them towards the smaller options and remind them that they can buy something new on the trip. They ALL carry their own personal item, and it's as close to the limit as possible. They also have either a scarf or microfiber towel that they can use as a blanket or whatever on the plane. So, that's an extra layer we could take into the parks on chilly evenings. I think I did bring some "one size" gloves, and a couple beanie caps "just in case," but the scarf or towel would have worked in a pinch.
Again, we take breaks, so we can wear/bring something different in the evening than we do during the day. There's typically always a towel or scarf stuffed in the bottom of the stroller....for whomever is "freezing to death," at the moment.

I also realized when DD was 4 that I have less control than I'd like to have. She had two Rapunzel dress options to wear for Trattoria al Forno. She refused to even get dressed that morning, and wore well-loved dinosaur shortie pajamas, then hid under the table when the characters came around. We drove that time, so space was pretty much unlimited. But, now, I don't fuss as much over perfectly coordinated outfits. We may even skip the matching shirt thing next time.