Sending Packages Ahead of Stay?

[kristenrice]

I think you can go to the UPS website and it will show the delivery date based on when you ship it. I did this in January and just worked the dates until the package was to be delivered on the Friday before our arrival. Since we arrived on Sunday, bell services held the package for us and delivered it to our room after we checked in.

Besides the laundry stuff, I am sending our costumes for MNSSHP, glow sticks (they are fun trying to explain to TSA at the airport!), dry goods (granola bars, cereal, PB&J, etc.), water bottles, fitted sheets and our camping dishes. We're staying in a studio and I don't want to deal with paper plates and plastic utensils all week. This way, we can ship down knives, forks and dishes which would add unnecessary weight to our checked bags. We also pack the shipping tape and send the box back home with all our souvenirs.

 

[DeeCee735]

thanks for all the info. i think we are just going to order some stuff from wegoshop and call it a day. i don't need to store things there, when i travel without my family they are short trips and travel size toiletries are fine, when i travel with my family, we'll each pack our own cosmetics/toiletries in our own suitcase, we're checking luggage anyway. whatever else i find we'll need i'll order from wegoshop.

happy planning

 

[ascardino]

Just curious: if you ship clothes, how do you get them back? Sunscreen, water, detergent, etc I understand you will use it so you may not need to repack it. But how do you handle clothes and other belongings? Do you just go to the front desk and ask them to ship it for you? Is it cost effective?

 

[Nanajo1]

I'm lucky. We ship from my DH's company and the shipping manager(myDS) prints a return label to use on the return. You can go to the concierge desk and ask them to prin a shipping label.

 

[DonnaL]

You can go online to both FedEx and UPS to estimate both weight and shipping times from your area. I've used both to ship ahead of time......I prefer FedEx Ground.
From PA it usually takes about 4 business days to get there......if we're arriving on a Saturday or Sunday I try to make sure I send it the previous Monday morning and 4 out of 5 times it has arrived late Thursday afternoon, one time it was signed for on a Friday morning. My packages usually weigh between 20/25 lbs and cost is usually about $15/16......haven't sent anything since January, though, so with fuel costs it may be a bit more now. I would not send it two to three weeks ahead of time, especially if you're going in early January, simply because the resorts are so booked over the Christmas/New Year holiday and something arrives that far in advance of you, chances are very likely it will get misplaced before you get there. Only once did I have problem with the resort finding my package and that was at the Boardwalk on New Years Day. It had arrived two days before us and since the Boardwalk is also a convention hotel it was inadvertently placed in the package room at the convention center. When we arrived on New Years Day, the front desk had no idea where it was, even though I had confirmation from FedEx that it had been signed for. Someone from Bell Services suggested maybe the package room, but, since there were no conventions or meetings on NYD the place was locked. Anyway, the Bell Captain got Security to open the door and sure enough, that's where it was. I ship all sorts of stuff......coffee, detergent, napkins, paper plates, premixed spices in Ziploc snack bags for any meals I plan to make, sugar, a few different cereals (not whole boxes.....since the entire box of one kind doesn't usually get used during the week we're there) put in Ziploc's and then light wrap in bubble wrap so it doesn't get all crushed up. Also, I take some precut pieces of plastic wrap and foil, alternating layers so the plastic doesn't stick to itself. I've found sending a package to be a huge money saver because we only need to purchase fresh items from the grocery when we get there and most everything I've sent has been purchased at home when items are BOGO or on sale, not premium price at a resort area grocery store......well worth the $15 cost to send.