Shipping Clothes to Resort

[ThisIsTheWay]

Do you use packing cubes? I won't go anywhere without them. I would just plan to pay for 1 or 2 carry-on bags and use the rolling method & use the cubes. You'd be surprised how much you can fit in a large cube. I'm assuming your kiddos are smaller so their clothes shouldn't take up much space. You can easily get 2 Large packing cubes into each carry-on size bag. Paying for 2 carry-ons surely cannot cost anywhere close to $600. We also like to skip checking luggage when we can BUT we fly planning to each have 1 carry-on regardless of the airline. Upcharges for luggage suck BUT they're a fact of life these days if you want to fly. We usually fly SW but I just booked 1 flight on JetBlue and it was annoying to have to pay for a more expensive seat in order to bring a carry-on but there's no way we're going for 6 days without at least that much stuff pp. The problem is coming home - no room for souvies.

I do use packing cubes! I talked to DH last night, the plan is to try to do 1 carry on and the rest backpacks, and go to 2 if needed. It's $60 each way per carry on so even $240 for 2 is better than $600 (it pays for our BCV cabana and then some!). Our 6 year old is small and his clothes are small, my DD10's clothes aren't too bulky, and mine aren't too bad but DH and DS13's are a bit bulkier with their cargo shorts and man sized clothes lol. But as others said we can just bring 2 or 3 shorts and do laundry. I think we can make this work!

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

To directly address OP's question and not offer other advice about airlines and packing tips:

I have shipped to and from BCV.

I have not done it since COVID, so forgive me if the procedure has changed. When I did it, anything shipped UPS or FedEx was delivered to the Yacht & Beach Club conference center's business office. Retrieving the box from the conference center was a bit of a pain in the neck. You can call the conference center business office and ask them to have someone bring it to your room. That might work, if they have an employee around who is willing to do that. You can walk over to the conference center yourself, if you will be able to carry the box yourself. The only problem with doing that is if they only have one employee around and that employee decided to deliver a package to another guest, so you get there and nobody is working in the business office. Also, the conference center business office is only open certain hours. If you want your package before or after that, it might be closed. If you are in that situation, you can try going to the Beach Club front desk and asking them to have someone go over and get the package for you. I did that at BoardWalk but I haven't tried it at Beach Club.

One time I arrived and my room wasn't ready. I walked over to the convention center, retrieved my box, and gave it to Bell Services to hold until my room was ready. That way, I knew where it was and that I could have Bell Services bring it up to my room with my luggage when I was in the room.

It's not a long walk from BCV to the conference center, but I seem to recall reaching a point where there are no signs and I wasn't exactly certain where I was supposed to go. The walk back from the conference center to BCV was confusing. One time I accidentally ended up walking over to the Yacht Club. I think I went out a different door from the one I used to enter the building.

The business office is supposed to charge you a fee for receiving your package. Use the link below to see the fees.

The business offices are not run by Disney. They are run by an outside company.

I shipped FedEx, not UPS. I only did that because the FedEx near my house is easier to get to than the UPS. The first time I did it, the FedEx employee happened to be someone who had family in the Orlando area to whom she had shipped stuff in the past. She said my box would get there fast even if I didn't choose overnight delivery. I think I paid for cheaper 3-day delivery and it arrived the next day.

I also have shipped stuff home from the Yacht & Beach Club convention center. I had packed a clear trash bag. I put the stuff I wanted to ship in that, and took it over to the business office. I did not have a box, but they boxed it up and shipped it home for me.

Oh, yeah, another tip I read on here years ago: have the kids decorate the box with crayons. Or put your name on each side of the box. One time I checked the FedEx tracking and saw that my box had been delivered. But the person in the business office looked and said they didn't have it. I made them look again. My name only appeared on the top of the box. They had set another box on top of my box. So when they glanced in the back, they didn't see a box addressed to me.

Here is the link to the info about the conference center business offices:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/business-centers/

Thank you so much, this is the information I was looking for! Sounds like a bit of a hassle. This thread had me thinking I should just try to get down to 1-2 carry ons. I think it's doable. But this is great info to know, and in case we need to ship stuff back (which is a real possibility since we'll have no room for extras!)

 

[sarah4770]

Just a thought. What if you shipped down one box, and while you are there , get another Owners Locker? I don’t know how frequently you go? I guess it would be difficult since your kids are still growing, but maybe you could at least keep your husbands and your clothes in it. Then you could pack just one checked bag with the kids stuff for the round trip flight.

 

[tom1944]

Our plan is one 7/8 day trip a year. I have not decided if I want an owners locker. I worry that I will buy it and my wife who overpacks will defeat the purpose of having it by insisting on bringing suitcases anyway.

If I knew we would do away with luggage I would get an owners locker immediately

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

Just a thought. What if you shipped down one box, and while you are there , get another Owners Locker? I don’t know how frequently you go? I guess it would be difficult since your kids are still growing, but maybe you could at least keep your husbands and your clothes in it. Then you could pack just one checked bag with the kids stuff for the round trip flight.

Thanks for the thought, that wouldn't work for us though as we bring clothes that we wear at home (shorts, pants, swimsuits, etc). It wouldn't be worth it to pay another $10 a month for the OL and also buy another set of those clothes to keep down there.

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

Our plan is one 7/8 day trip a year. I have not decided if I want an owners locker. I worry that I will buy it and my wife who overpacks will defeat the purpose of having it by insisting on bringing suitcases anyway.

If I knew we would do away with luggage I would get an owners locker immediately

For us it's worth it, but it doesn't eliminate the need for luggage for us (hence this thread lol!). We keep full size toiletries, ponchos, miscellaneous park junk including fans, magic bands, and ears, hard liquor for cocktails on the cheap, an electric kettle for my morning tea, an air mattress (for times when we're in a 1BR that accommodates but doesn't sleep 5), fleece throw for lounging, and paper plates and plastic cups for when I don't feel like doing dishes. Having the toiletries and park junk does help us to be able to travel with just carry ons and backpacks.

 

[Best Aunt]

I put a note on the top of the box showing the confirmation # and arrival date. There was no room for either on the FedEx label.

I know people say you should put your confirmation number and arrival date on the shipping label, but I never have. I have shipped to Disney resorts a few times (when I first got my Owner's Locker, when I was attending a conference in another State immediately before a Disney trip and didn't want to drag my stuff for Disney around the country, when I ordered something online at the last minute...).

 

[CarolynFH]

Our plan is one 7/8 day trip a year. I have not decided if I want an owners locker. I worry that I will buy it and my wife who overpacks will defeat the purpose of having it by insisting on bringing suitcases anyway.

If I knew we would do away with luggage I would get an owners locker immediately

Our OL does away with one “condo” suitcase of items that make it easier to live in our home away from home, like a good frying pan, our preferred laundry detergent, full sizes of our preferred shampoo, body wash, etc., and other items similar to what @ThisIsTheWay describes. We’re now down to one full size suitcase and one carryon for the two of us, and we’re packing less every time. Having in-room laundry means we really only need two or three outfits each, including what we wear to travel, if we fly!

 

[sarah4770]

I love my owners locker. I had 2 leftover bottles of wine that I did not have to throw away, my laundry detergent, some kitchen things., including salt and pepper, a few outfits and an extra pair of flip flops, pajamas, etc. all I really need to pack now is a couple outfits. It’s so convenient.

 

[Nursemanit]

It's so easy for men, Orlando has great shops all within one hour. One rental car and a "Resort day" and I could fill an owner's locker with summer stuff.

 

[sethschroeder]

I did consider that, but we would only need to ship maybe one big box, and even if it's as much as $75 each way, that would be $150 total vs. $600 in bag fees so still good amount of savings!

I dont buy that the total volume of the baggage fees is the same as that shipping.

Have you looked at a big checked bag instead and combining everything like you would with the box you are shipping.

What exactly is the breakdown of luggage being taken? Have you weighted it all as well?

 

[sethschroeder]

Are we talking about Frontier?

Their checked bag fees are cheaper and you could likely just do a single checked bag. If you don't already have one buy a cheap one that is the max size they allow even.

 

[motherof5]

I just had a friend who shipped clothes and items to resort and they held it for them as it arrived a day before them. Great idea

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

Are we talking about Frontier?

Their checked bag fees are cheaper and you could likely just do a single checked bag. If you don't already have one buy a cheap one that is the max size they allow even.

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We don't check bags, we prefer to get off the plane and go. Going to bring 1-2 carry ons and fit the rest into personal item bags.

 

[crisi]

Checking luggage and grabbing it in Orlando is pretty easy - it doesn't create a huge delay. Orlando is one of the airports where baggage handing is really efficient - its probably less hassle (and less time) to get it from the airport than to deal with it at the resort each direction. (Unlike Boston Logan - I've waited 90 minutes for bags to show up at Logan). We live in Minneapolis and fly Delta where we get a ridiculous number of free checked bags through their AmEx card and the numbers of miles my husband flies every year, and the entire family knows how to pack in a small duffle each for a week if we want to do carry ons - but Orlando is one airport I don't hesitate to check luggage for.

I've stood in line at a Disney resort for 45 minutes to get a package before. I'm more patient at the airport than I am at Disney.

 

[_19disnA]

If you fly out an airport served by multiple airlines, this is a good time to compare the TOTAL prices. Budget airlines sell low priced tickets then generally add a LOT of extra charges for things that might already be in the ticket price of another airline. Paying to ship some items would be an extra cost to consider. Even if some major airline has tickets that are more expensive but include 1-2 free checked bags, you are probably further ahead using them.

Can't you just go to a local store once you arrive and buy some of those things for less then it cost to ship them in both directions?

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

Checking luggage and grabbing it in Orlando is pretty easy - it doesn't create a huge delay. Orlando is one of the airports where baggage handing is really efficient - its probably less hassle (and less time) to get it from the airport than to deal with it at the resort each direction. (Unlike Boston Logan - I've waited 90 minutes for bags to show up at Logan). We live in Minneapolis and fly Delta where we get a ridiculous number of free checked bags through their AmEx card and the numbers of miles my husband flies every year, and the entire family knows how to pack in a small duffle each for a week if we want to do carry ons - but Orlando is one airport I don't hesitate to check luggage for.

I've stood in line at a Disney resort for 45 minutes to get a package before. I'm more patient at the airport than I am at Disney.

For us personally, we've done it enough that we'd just prefer not to check bags anymore. I have no interest in standing around looking for our luggage, we'd rather just get to the car and go! Not to mention how much it sucks coming home at 11 pm with 3 exhausted and cranky kids to wait around for our bags. There always seems to be a decent lag between getting off the plane and the conveyor belt starting up with the bags. Even when we go to Jamaica this summer wtih the kids we plan to bring only carry ons, even if it means that I have to rebottle sunscreen into a dozen 3 oz containers!

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

Thank you all for your ideas, we've come up with a plan and sticking to it lol! Bringing 1-2 carry ons and the rest in personal size bags. That will save us money. We're not checking bags (personal preference), and we're not flying other airlines due to the reasons stayed in the original post. Thanks again!

 

[crisi]

For us personally, we've done it enough that we'd just prefer not to check bags anymore. I have no interest in standing around looking for our luggage, we'd rather just get to the car and go! Not to mention how much it sucks coming home at 11 pm with 3 exhausted and cranky kids to wait around for our bags. There always seems to be a decent lag between getting off the plane and the conveyor belt starting up with the bags. Even when we go to Jamaica this summer wtih the kids we plan to bring only carry ons, even if it means that I have to rebottle sunscreen into a dozen 3 oz containers!

Generally, that is how I travel as well - I've done weeks overseas out of a carry on duffle - but I wouldn't pay for a carryon for each passenger, especially not going to Orlando where baggage is handled well. If it were cheaper to check luggage than pay for a carry on, I'd check luggage, since I can fit the whole family in a single suitcase of checked luggage, but need four carryons.

 

[CrystalClear82]

Thrilled to see this thread at the end of a long week.
We are recent DVC purchasers. In the past we have traveled with just our backpacks. (I can fit a weeks worth of clothes in a bag with the help of a space seal bag.)

Much like the org. poster we're debating on whether or not to ship things down or just buy them when we get there to store in our owners locker.
My DH is team buy it there. I'm team full on panic and rather ship it. lol