Post your best organizational, space saving and trip making secrets here!!

[momsavealot]

Another organizational tip --

I'm always forgetting things to bring to the parks, so I plan on making a morning list to check off (as suggested by a previous poster). Included in stroller bag: water bottles, mini mister fans, sunscreen, antibac gel, tissues, snacks, and gum. Carrying: phone, room key, credit card, and camera case.

But I'm also making a 'pack' of things that we (hopefully) won't be using but should bring. I found some plastic curtain bags (you know, the see through ones that bedding and curtains come in, with zippers). In one I put our stroller cover, 5 ponchos, first aid items, ziplocs, shout wipes, glasses wipes, a change of clothes, and a chamois. This will go under one of our strollers. Easy to carry and waterproof -- and we won't have to repack it all every morning, just add to it if we took something out the previous day. Plus since it fits under the seat of our umbrella stroller, it won't tip it over.

Kathy

Great idea!!! Hey everyone, I bought at D ring while cashing out at Auto Zone today (for only 99 cents) but now I forgot why I needed one?! What do I put on the D ring again? TIA And if anyone needs one, they are right by the registers at Auto Zone in many different colors.

 

[Melani]

Great idea!!! Hey everyone, I bought at D ring while cashing out at Auto Zone today (for only 99 cents) but now I forgot why I needed one?! What do I put on the D ring again? TIA And if anyone needs one, they are right by the registers at Auto Zone in many different colors.

"D ring"? is that the same as a carabiner clip?
If so, I hook them on everything. Tote bags, belt loops, lanyards. I even put one on the handle of my refillable mug. Then as the day goes on you find stuff to clip to them. Like toys the kids had to have but won't carry. We had so much stuff hanging from our stroller we looked like a rolling band of gypsies. (Only it does make it hard to fold up to get on the bus.

 

[northriver]

Another organizational tip --

I'm always forgetting things to bring to the parks, so I plan on making a morning list to check off (as suggested by a previous poster). Included in stroller bag: water bottles, mini mister fans, sunscreen, antibac gel, tissues, snacks, and gum. Carrying: phone, room key, credit card, and camera case.

But I'm also making a 'pack' of things that we (hopefully) won't be using but should bring. I found some plastic curtain bags (you know, the see through ones that bedding and curtains come in, with zippers). In one I put our stroller cover, 5 ponchos, first aid items, ziplocs, shout wipes, glasses wipes, a change of clothes, and a chamois. This will go under one of our strollers. Easy to carry and waterproof -- and we won't have to repack it all every morning, just add to it if we took something out the previous day. Plus since it fits under the seat of our umbrella stroller, it won't tip it over.

Kathy

Instead of making a list, I just park my "park" bag at home, and bring it with me on the plane as my carry on. To be honest, I keep this bag pretty much packed most of the year and use it for trips to the zoo, day hikes, etc. The only thing I don't bring with me on the plane is my m&m container of pennies and quarters, security doesn't like that. And sure enough, for the past two trips, I forgot the penny container the first day in the parks. In my bag, I keep baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, a change of clothes for my preschooler, disposable ponchos, a small "blister" kit with bandaids, mole skin and a few odds and ends. I also carry tylenol, baby tylenol, sunscreen, chapstick, a mini flashlight, etc. Good stuff to have any time we are away from home all day, right? I can just toss in my camera, snacks and water and we are out the door. Our local zoo and historical society both have pressed penny machines, so it doesn't hurt to carry around the penny container, either.

 

[thebeesknees]

Gotta agree with those who suggested the over-the-door shoe rack. I tried it on our last trip and it worked GREAT to keep everything organized and easy to find. I also packed the kids' stuff in Ziploc bags. That worked really well, too. Thanks for those suggestions!

 

[Mom2Capnhook]

We just returned from a week in Disney World, and one of the best things I read on these boards before going was to put my kids' clothes in ziploc bags, labeled by day. I was able to get the extra air out, and it was so easy to get them ready in the morning. I would suggest adding an extra bag for extra clothes to take to the parks for EVERYONE!

Thanks for the ziploc bag suggestion to whomever first posted it. Truly appreciated it.

 

[java]

One thing that worked great for us was using those days of the week kind of hangers for your closet
this kind
http://www.target.com/dp/B001RF0F3O...=target&rh=k:6 shelf hanging organizer&page=1

Only I found them at Walmart for about $5 each.

I brought 2 and it helped with the lack of drawer space in the hotel. I was able to use one for each of my youngest boys- held all their clothes for the week.

 

[msminniemouse]

Has anyone used packing cubes instead of ziplock bags? I was wondering how they were and they don't seem to carry in stores only online.

 

[MKB419]

bump I love this thread

 

[TinkerbelleAbbysMom]

This has had sooooo many great ideas!! Hope I can remember them all!!

 

[yeller85]

I always wondered if you could ship things ahead to the resort. Do you call Disney and ask? Do they hold it for you or do you make it so the box arrives after you do?

 

[Melani]

I always wondered if you could ship things ahead to the resort. Do you call Disney and ask? Do they hold it for you or do you make it so the box arrives after you do?

I've never done it, but I have read on the boards that you can.
I believe there is a small fee though.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

I check a piece of luggage with consumables, such as Pop Tarts, Granola, Juicy Juice, etc.

At the end of the week, when we have far too many purchases, and I am not in the mood to pack as neatly, we have plenty of suitcase space because the food has been eaten, and the extra suitcase is ready to accept all the overflow.

I bring a small tin of disney themed magnets (purchased at Wal Mart) which we play with on the plane flight and play with on our exterior door, which just happens to be metal at the Value and Moderate resorts. My princess magnets were almost ten dollars, but have provided hours and hours and hours of fun.

 

[thelionqueen]

Bump,

 

[disneymarie]

Has anyone used packing cubes instead of ziplock bags? I was wondering how they were and they don't seem to carry in stores only online.

I had the cubes and the zip lock XL I used, But the cube did not work so good for me, It was too tall and would not lay. I wanted to put food things in not to spill in the collapsable cooler with swim gear. Unpacked it and used seperate large ziplocks.

I love traveling with hugable hangers too, they lay so flat and all I do is take out and hang them. I turn in sleves if any, fold up once. I also have to storage shelfs Joy had with the set I bought and hung it on the rod. WONDERFUL,
Fit the cosmetics, toys, swim gears, shoes...

 

[thelionqueen]

I always wondered if you could ship things ahead to the resort. Do you call Disney and ask? Do they hold it for you or do you make it so the box arrives after you do?

I ALWAYS ship a box to our resort. I use Fedex ground (cheapest & most reliable).
I go to www.fedex.com and enter the information about my box, where I'm shipping it from (home) and where to (resort) and figure out when I need to ship it so it arrives the day before we do. I have read that some resorts charge a fee to hold the box, this has NEVER happened to me at over 9 different resorts!!!!

I then take my box on the designated day (according to arrival time from fedex.com) and ship. On the outside of the box, I write, on all sides "Hold for guest arrival on (date) and my last name"

Its always there when I check in and is SO easy!

 

[MScott1851]

I know lots of people have listed the over the door shoe organizer, but we haven't gotten very much use out of it. DH and I always just put our stuff back in our toiletry bags when we're done.

What I HAVE gotten a lot of use out of was one or two of the hanging sweater organizers (or shoe) for the closet. I use them to store stuff I don't necessarily want in the floor, and I don't usually like to use the drawers in hotels. I always take them on cruises, too.

 

[cassidyk]

We will be taking our daughter for her first trip to Disney in October so I have found this thread to be endlessly helpful--especially since traveling with a little one opens up a whole other can of worms.

Thanks for all of the tips thus far and please keep them coming!

 

[MKB419]

Hi all,
I am at the 30 day mark away from WDW and starting to get things ready for packing. Just wanted to bring back a really helpful thread. Happy reading.
Mary Kay

 

[Karpkg]

One thing I didn't know that I'll bring for next year's trip is a sturdy milk crate- My son and daughter age 5 and 6 could barely see over the bathroom counter to brush their teeth and it would have come in handy not only to carry things but mostly to use as a step stool.

I've thought about putting bike reflector tape on the back of the kids' shoes so I can keep track of them at night; it's dark near splash mountain during EMH hours. and the crowds after the Wishes fireworks! The glow bracelets helped, though.

 

[vleeth]

I've thought about putting bike reflector tape on the back of the kids' shoes so I can keep track of them at night; it's dark near splash mountain during EMH hours. and the crowds after the Wishes fireworks! The glow bracelets helped, though.

One thing that really helped was to put glow bracelets in my dd4's shoes. She actually did this herself just playing around. She put two glow bracelets into the velcro part of her shoes. It was always easy to find those, whereas the ones on her arm might be out of view if she was facing the other direction.