Preparing for an upcoming DVC stay - What is your MO?

[DisDaydreamer]

Do you have a typical process or sequence? How far in advance to you start packing or grouping things for packing? When are you usally done and ready? Do you clean your house before leaving? Who's packs the suit cases and who packs the car? Do you use a checklist? Is this a stressful time, fun time, or in your element time? Do want help or do you want people to stand back and allow you to do it right? Any funny stories?

Just some of the questions that might show your modus operandi for preparing for a DVC visit.

 

[Safari Queen]

Truth is that we do almost no planning in advance. Sometimes I remember to cancel the newspapers and mail a couple of days in advance. Usually DH and I are frantically doing laundry, running errands (dogs to the vet, buy food to take to the villa, make a deposit, mail payments) and finishing work/chores until the wee hours of the morning. If there's time, I do like to make sure the house is tidy, all questionable food is thrown away, good leftovers are in the freezer, and the dishwasher is run. Around 11-12 midnight we throw clothes in our suitcases, pack a cooler, tote bag and our DVC back pack with food and books and, if we're really lucky, catch a couple of hours of sleep before the taxi arrives to take us to the airport bus at about 4:30 am. Last thing before we jump in the cab is to take out the kitchen trash. We do this 3-4 times a year and we're very good at it, but we do blow it sometimes. Once I forgot to bring any shoes other than the ancient flip flops I wore to the airport and on another trip my DH didn't pack any underwear. We also manage to forget one of our annual passes every time, but they replace those, thank heaven. We now leave a bunch of stuff like ponchos, fanny pack, detergent & dryer sheets, coffee filters, Equal, napkins, salt & pepper, etc in the back pack so we don't forget them.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We leave a week from tomorrow. Before we leave, we hope to have our new electrical panel (breakers vs fuses) installed. And we hope to have our estimate from the insurance company so we can select a contractor to get started replacing our walls while we are gone. It would be great to come back from vacation to a house with walls and, wishful thinking I suppose, floors.

But I will try to get the laundry done before we leave so we have clean clothes in our suitcase. Stop the paper, hold the mail.

My son wants to start packing now, but I told him we'd have to wait until a least Wednesday night.

Bill will drop the dog and cats off at the vets on Friday morning as soon as they open while I pack up the car. And I do have a checklist to help me remember stuff. Once, when we went on the cruise, I forgot all my jewelry at home as well as several other needed items.

Bad thing, though, I have to work late on Thursday night (we have a survey team visiting the hospital and I'm the main contact person for the survey).

 

[Disney_Villain]

Make a "practically perfect" checklist. My method for this is to travel once, making an intial checklist as you. Upon your return you append to the list what you missed the first time. Each trip after you keep appending your "practically perfect" list.

In the end, I always forget something! LOL. However, I am finding the major items are always remembered. Last time I forgot my water-proof watch (what a crime, eh).

 

[shortypots]

Villain, that is a great idea! I like it!

I have a timeshare goodie bag I bring with me if we are driving. It has all kinds of spices inc salt and pepper, dryer sheets, detergent, drink mixes, popcorn for snacking, olive oil, bubble bath. Things that I would rather not spend a small fortune on everytime we go. I will have to start making that into a list.

Although, I need to condense it. We are flying in Oct for our trip that week, so I prolly need to change the items from their original plastic bulky containers to plastic snack bags. They will pack a lot easier when they are flat! Funny enough though, I changed the detergent into 3 quart sized ziploc bags, and it works great! They fit nicely back into the box. I use about 1 quart of detergent each week depending on how much laundry we do.

 

[aDVCguy]

...I make sure I have brand new shades!
Nothing is worse than having a pair of non-polarized
scratched-up shades in Fla!
Some new clothes, new sneakers(I Highly Recommend
..."Air Nike" w/ Dr. Scholl's inserts...The sneakers are
well worth the cost ($60+?) and the inserts are a huge
plus...with all the walking we'll do it helps...also, a good
pair of sandles(flip-flops) for pool-side.

I purchased "Passporter's" guide to WDW back in 2004
and have used it to plan on all things but clothes. It's
well put together and quite honestly, my BIBLE for all
WDW trips..."don't leave home without it!"

A MUST: Add to your cell phone the following #'s...

DVC#...Home resort#...Dining#(WDW-DINE)...
MS#...Nearest Taxi service#...Closest food
stores(Winn Dixie, Publix)#...TTC(ticket and transportation
center)...etc., and anything else relevent to your stay.

77 days...and we're outta here! Woo-Hoo!

 

[psu4glory]

we're getting ready to leave soon...10 days away...and i've been planning for MONTHS!

11 months - reserve BWV standard view studio
approx. 180 days - make ADR's (8 for this 11-day trip) / layout budget
approx. 120 days - book flights
approx. 60 days - reserve rental car
approx. 30 days - make ressies for tours / Cirque
approx. 14 days - start 'piling up' clothes to pack
approx. 7 days - shop for essentials (toiltetries etc.)
approx. 3 days - pack

i'm one of those extremely anal planners...i do have checklists and spreadsheets and calendars and I&E lists. painful for some...but 1/2 the fun of a vacation for me!

as for our last day or two prior to leaving...we do (i should say my DW does) clean the house, wash the clothes, wash the dishes. no need to come home to chaos. if it's summer, i'll mow the yard one last time. drop the cat off at my parents - then it's into the car so my dad can take us to the airport...

 

[DisDaydreamer]

And we hope to have our estimate from the insurance company so we can select a contractor to get started replacing our walls while we are gone. It would be great to come back from vacation to a house with walls and, wishful thinking I suppose, floors.

Hope it works out. I rennovated our entire home recently (which took over a year) and I know how old it gets having floors and walls, and fixtures missing or torn up. Do you have someone to oversee things while you are gone?

I'm sure you know by this time in life that worrying about it isn't going to change anything. So when you leave for your trip, let it go....

Enjoy your trip

 

[Disneyaholic]

We have a few bins in the basement with DVC stuff already packed. Most of the stuff is for Hilton Head, because when we're there, we eat in our villa a lot. (I also cook a full Thanksgiving dinner there, so there is a lot of stuff I need for that "event"!)

For shorter trips, we just take the basics and when we fly, we take very little. It's easier to just buy it there than to pack it, especially with all the restrictions on baggage now! I do have lists, since we tend to take trips at the same time each year. (HH for July 4/HH for Thanksgiving/WDW if driving/WDW if flying.)

Each person is responsible for his or her own personal packing, although I do make little reminders to everyone.

I pack the car. DH is, in general, more organized than I am, but when it comes to the car, he just shoves it all in. I somehow developed a knack for packing the back of the SUV, where everything fits in like a jigsaw puzzle, LOL!!

It's my responsibility to arrange for boarding the dogs or getting someone to come in to care for them, but DH actually takes them to the vet if we are going that route.

I always TRY to remember to stop the mail and newspaper -- much easier to do since both can now be done online. If I forget, we just ask a neighbor to take care of it for us.

I also TRY to remember to put a few lights on timers a few days before we go so that we can test them out. That's probably the most-often forgotten thing.

 

[Starr W.]

I'm in charge of cancelling newspapers, holding mail and calling my cleaning service. I start to eyeball the weather about 10 days out(we go at times when long underwear might be packed). About a week out I check the "ditty bags" and my ziploc's and purchase toothpaste etc. refill my small bottles(reused).

I then make a list for the boys(7&11) what they are to bring. They then assemble piles of clothes for me to put in the suitcases. Packing is done the day before we leave.

DH handles shutting down the house and his own clothes.

We're already in countdown mode for leaving next Sunday for Park City.

 

[starbox]

I'

DH handles shutting down the house and his own clothes.

You are so brave! I shudder to think of the results if I left his packing up to DH.

We make ADRs about 4 months out. I don't need any "do or die" ones like Le Cellier or CRT that require the 180 + 10 days.

I've never left the house alone - DH works with college students, and we live in the city, so we have lots of people that want to house-sit (and dog-sit). It's really nice to not worry about the house or dog while we're gone.

I start actually packing about a week before we leave - seems like I always buy a new outfit apiece for the kids - and with growing kids - we have to try on everything to make sure stuff still fits!

And the closer I get to a trip, the more I hang out on the disboards!

We leave early in the morning and DH is loading the car right now. I can't wait!

 

[Starr W.]

You are so brave! I shudder to think of the results if I left his packing up to DH.

We make ADRs about 4 months out. I don't need any "do or die" ones like Le Cellier or CRT that require the 180 + 10 days.

I've never left the house alone - DH works with college students, and we live in the city, so we have lots of people that want to house-sit (and dog-sit). It's really nice to not worry about the house or dog while we're gone.

I start actually packing about a week before we leave - seems like I always buy a new outfit apiece for the kids - and with growing kids - we have to try on everything to make sure stuff still fits!

And the closer I get to a trip, the more I hang out on the disboards!

We leave early in the morning and DH is loading the car right now. I can't wait!

I've never packed for DH in almost 14 yrs of marriage, he has experience from his work life. He just got back from his MBA trip, 10 days in Europe with the smallest bag in his class.

My biggest headache is Spring Break, because the kids haven't been in shorts since the fall. I usually make sure they try stuff on about a month out, in case I have to do a clothes run.

Have a good trip! Where are you staying this time?

 

[starbox]

I've never packed for DH in almost 14 yrs of marriage, he has experience from his work life. He just got back from his MBA trip, 10 days in Europe with the smallest bag in his class.

My biggest headache is Spring Break, because the kids haven't been in shorts since the fall. I usually make sure they try stuff on about a month out, in case I have to do a clothes run.

Have a good trip! Where are you staying this time?

I am in awe of your DH's packing skills! I live with an adult with ADHD and let me tell you, he's more work than the kids. He'd forget his wallet if I did not remind him to bring it.

We always travel the very beginning of June - so I'm still not sure what fits and what does not. Had to get DD all new swimsuits this year - I'd bought her a size up at the end of last year but she went from an 8 to a 12 in one year. The kid's only 9 and I am already so stressed about next year because we will be out of girl sizes and into juniors. It was a nightmare trying to find appropriate suits in a size 12.

We'll be in a 2-bedroom at AKV w/my parents, then VB, then OKW with just the kids. 13 days total! DH just asked if I want to just leave tonight (the bonus of an ADHD spouse that does not think of planning anything ahead of time).

I'm so tempted to take him up on it.

 

[Starr W.]

I am in awe of your DH's packing skills! I live with an adult with ADHD and let me tell you, he's more work than the kids. He'd forget his wallet if I did not remind him to bring it.

We always travel the very beginning of June - so I'm still not sure what fits and what does not. Had to get DD all new swimsuits this year - I'd bought her a size up at the end of last year but she went from an 8 to a 12 in one year. The kid's only 9 and I am already so stressed about next year because we will be out of girl sizes and into juniors. It was a nightmare trying to find appropriate suits in a size 12.

We'll be in a 2-bedroom at AKV w/my parents, then VB, then OKW with just the kids. 13 days total! DH just asked if I want to just leave tonight (the bonus of an ADHD spouse that does not think of planning anything ahead of time).

I'm so tempted to take him up on it.

When I look at the Junior department, I just thank god I have 2 boys. It's tough to find age appropriate clothes that don't cost an arm and a leg. My niece is 13 and DH thinks his sister lets her dress like a "you know what".

 

[buzz5985]

I have a check list that I have been tweeking over the years. You can now hold your mail online at USPS.gov, click on receiving mail, then look for hold mail. Fill out the form.

I love coming home to a spotless house. So yes we clean before we go, and I wash all our clothes before we come home, So we can relax when we get home.

We usually buy new sneakers about 3 months before hand and break them in. We don't pack alot, so we pack the day before.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I love coming home to a spotless house. So yes we clean before we go, and I wash all our clothes before we come home, So we can relax when we get home.

Us too Don't want to have to come home and clean too.

 

[Anal Annie]

I am Anal Annie so I do it all...pay the bills due while we're gone, put the lights on timers, hold the paper, give the key to the pet sitter, pack. I have even done what I call "test packs" before! Like when I buy a new bag and want to be sure it holds what all I THINK it will hold (I just use stacks of clean laundry before I put it away). And I am the SUV jigsawler of our house too. Oh, and DH pack himself?! He doesn't even know where to find the luggage!!

About 2-3 weeks out I will start writing down my packing list. I keep it in the kitchen & add to it and cross off as I go. Most of our toiletry stuff / sunscreens etc. are already together so that stuff just needs checked for refills. Clothes. Hummmm....I iron absolutely everything before we go and fold/pack it with tissue paper. I don't want to bother with ironing while I am on vacation. So I will start pulling clothing out & making stacks on the bed in the guestroom about 10 days - 2 weeks ahead. Stuff that I know I want to pack and don't want it to be worn (i.e. dirty) when I AM READY to pack it. Everybody gets new undies before vacation too - that way I just drop the new packages in the luggage! LOL... This year we leave on a Thurs. so I will try to pack the luggage on the weekend before.

Oh, and yes, I like to leave a clean house so that I know I am coming HOME to a clean house. That's always a killer to do along with everything else but it's a must be done.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I am Anal Annie

Indeed...

 

[Anal Annie]

Indeed...

Hey Rob - we're going camping on the weekend of the 20th...guess what I'm doing this week?! Yup...printed out my camping supply list & goin' thru my camping supply bins!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I am Anal Annie so I do it all...pay the bills due while we're gone, put the lights on timers, hold the paper, give the key to the pet sitter, pack. I have even done what I call "test packs" before! Like when I buy a new bag and want to be sure it holds what all I THINK it will hold (I just use stacks of clean laundry before I put it away). And I am the SUV jigsawler of our house too. Oh, and DH pack himself?! He doesn't even know where to find the luggage!!

About 2-3 weeks out I will start writing down my packing list. I keep it in the kitchen & add to it and cross off as I go. Most of our toiletry stuff / sunscreens etc. are already together so that stuff just needs checked for refills. Clothes. Hummmm....I iron absolutely everything before we go and fold/pack it with tissue paper. I don't want to bother with ironing while I am on vacation. So I will start pulling clothing out & making stacks on the bed in the guestroom about 10 days - 2 weeks ahead. Stuff that I know I want to pack and don't want it to be worn (i.e. dirty) when I AM READY to pack it. Everybody gets new undies before vacation too - that way I just drop the new packages in the luggage! LOL... This year we leave on a Thurs. so I will try to pack the luggage on the weekend before.

Oh, and yes, I like to leave a clean house so that I know I am coming HOME to a clean house. That's always a killer to do along with everything else but it's a must be done.

OMG....there is another person who does EXACTLY everything I do for the trip!! And she lives in Maryland! Hmmm....yep hubby can't find that suitcase either. Wonder if they both went to the same college?