Shipping stuff ahead of time to your resort?

[Eyore4Ever149]

I seem to recall reading at some point about shipping a box with items from home to your resort.

Has anyone done this? How exactly does this work? I was thinking it might be nice to ship baby items ahead of time, What if it gets there early, will they return it?

Do you put your check in dates on the front of the label?

 

[lovesdumbo]

I often ship things ahead of time. I was at POR for 10 nights in August with my family of 5 and I had just 1 checked bag. My DH doesn't like to travel so shipping a box helps us get through the airport easier. I ship the box to me at the resort with an arrival date on the box. I think the resorts will only hold a package for 2 weeks so don't ship it too early. I also have the resort send a box back home to me.

 

[CathrynRose]

I have a coffee pot and a box of toiletries, etc, etc on its way via UPS as we speak!!!

You have to ship it UPS - for it to arrive AT the resort itself...

Address it TO YOURSELF, c/o (your resort) then, on sides of box put:

PLEASE HOLD
Res # ________________
Your Name
CHeck in Date


I have never had a problem with stuff, doing this.

 

[Hootch]

also delivers directly to the resorts. I have had things shipped to me and they were placed in my room. Following is a thread that tells you how to label a shipment to yourself for arrival.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1573575

 

[jumoo044]

What about USPS?

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

Thank you very much for the info.

id love to hear what people ship.

Im thinking diapers, wipes, some of the gerber graduates and canned veggies I know I can get DD to eat.

maybe cosmetics?

 

[Chrissie-riel]

We seriously looked into this option....yesterday I got so far as putting everything in the box, taping it up, labeling, etc. Then I realized that it will be around 35 pounds - which equals $30+ for shipping. Since I am so good at packing our "regular" vacation items for the plane, I have us down to just one suitcase for hubby and I to share. (Kids have their own.) Since we are allotted two "free" suitcases each by the airlines, I reconsidered the shipping idea. I will now be putting a suitcase for me on the plane with clothes, sunscreen, shoes, etc. for both of us and a suitcase for hubby which includes the soda, bottled waters, pretzels, PopTarts and everything like that. Just something to consider.....

 

[mamazaz]

We ship all of our clothing, toiletries, shoes, anything really. This trip we'll be shipping diapers, wipes, etc. All we take to the airport is our ID, credit cards (basically a small wallet) and our laptop computer. It makes traveling sooo much easier. We shipped UPS last year and our things were waiting at the front desk when we arrived. It's the very best way to travel IMO. Especiallly if you're traveling with young children or babies - you need so much stuff. Also you can order food from goodingsonline.com. It's a local grocery store and they'll deliver to your resort and the resort will deliver the food to your room. We do that when we stay at OKW because we have a kitchen and like to have snacks and breakfast available. There's a charge for delivery (I think $20.00) and a minimum order (I think $50.00). But it's so worth the extra bucks and the $50.00 is easy to reach - especially if you're buying diapers and the like. They will even deliver frozen items and the resort will keep them in the freezer if you're not available to take delivery of them. It's awesome!! We'll be placing our order about a week before we travel and look forward to groceries when we arrive!!!

 

[mamazaz]

Oh and also, I pack a pre-printed return label and put in in the box and also a roll of packing tape so we can pack it back up and ship it home again. This year I'll be packing a box inside the box so we can send it home as last year we ended up with an extra carry on bag since we bought so many last minute souveniers. As posted above, yes it can get expensive to ship, but the thought of taking 6 children into an airport with bags to check and then having to pick them up at the other end is worth the money to me. I just want a "no hassle" trip (well as little hassle as can be expected with 6 kids in tow.)

 

[GotFids]

This is such a great idea!!! I think it is worth the $$ to not have to worry about going over your checked luggage weight and having to carry less luggage!

How many days prior to your arrival do you schedule the shipping to be sure it gets there on time... without being too early?

These great ideas are why I just love the Disboards!!!!

 

[mamazaz]

We live in Arizona - so last time we shipped 5 days in advance and the boxes arrived the day we did. I'm going to ship 6 days ahead this time just to play it safe. But also - we shipped during December, so it was holiday time also and I'm sure that played a part in our boxes taking the full 5 days to arrive.

It is so nice at the airport to just take off your shoees and put them along with your wallet/purse on the conveyor belt and walk through the security check. We always print our tickets prior to leaving home and so we just go straight to the gate - go through security and we're ready to board the plane. When we arrive in Orlando, we get off the plane - get into our transportation to DW and when we check in, our box(es) are waiting for us. We have the bell persons deliver them to our room - unpack and we're set.

The night before we leave DW, I start packing the box(es) with things that we're not wearing the next day. Then I finish packing them the morning of the day that we are to depart. I use the pre-printed label that I packed and the packing tape I packed and seal the box(es) up and have the bell person take them to the front desk. They will ship them out that day UPS/FedEx and within 3-5 days of you returning home, here come the boxes.

Again, on the return flight - it's the same nice experience - we print our boarding passes at the resort (most resorts offer this option) then we go straight to the gate - go through security and we're ready to board the plane home.

Like I mentioned before, last trip we ended up buying last minute souveneirs and had to purchase a bag at the resort to actually carry on the plane home. I won't make that mistake again, and that's why this trip I'm packing a flattened box inside my packed box and taking an extra label along so I can ship those last minute things home as well.

Oh and did I mention that I love goodingsonline.com. If anyone is staying at a home away from home, you have to love them. If you don't see something on their site that you want, you can call them and they usually have it. They just don't list absolutely everything. It's so nice to have breakfast every morning before heading to the parks. Cheaper too! Even when you figure in the delivery charge.

I love planning for our trip!! Having so much fun!!

 

[lynninpa]

What about USPS?

I have read that the USPS does not recognize street names in Disney so things must be shipped either UPS or FedEx.

 

[mamazaz]

I did not know that about USPS, but would ship UPS or FedEx Ground anyway since the cost would be much less. I called OKW just a few days before we shipped just to verify what exactly needed to be written on the label. I would recommend this as I was told one thing by a reservation specialist on the phone and then something entirely different from the CM at the resort. i trusted the CM at the resort since they actually deal with the packages directly. I did as they said and everything arrived with no problems.

Do call ahead to the resort and find out for sure what information needs to be on the box label. We needed our confirmation number and also our date of arrival.

 

[lovesdumbo]

I won't make that mistake again, and that's why this trip I'm packing a flattened box inside my packed box and taking an extra label along so I can ship those last minute things home as well.

Oh and did I mention that I love goodingsonline.com. If anyone is staying at a home away from home, you have to love them. If you don't see something on their site that you want, you can call them and they usually have it. They just don't list absolutely everything. It's so nice to have breakfast every morning before heading to the parks. Cheaper too! Even when you figure in the delivery charge.

I love planning for our trip!! Having so much fun!!

I send a box inside my box. I don't flatten it though-I figured it would add a bit of padding to the stuff inside that box. In the end I didn't need it but it was nice to have.

I used gardengrocer.com for the first time last month and their service was great too.

 

[mamazaz]

Thanks for the gardengrocer.com site. I'll check it out and compare it with goodingsonline.com. Do you remember if they have a minimum order and a delivery fee?

 

[lovesdumbo]

Thanks for the gardengrocer.com site. I'll check it out and compare it with goodingsonline.com. Do you remember if they have a minimum order and a delivery fee?

I don't know if there is a minimum. Delivery is $12 or free if your order is over $200.

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

Mamazaz, and anyone else considering gardengrocer, please check out the DVC boards and read the reviews there. As I recall the owner from GG even came on the boards to defend himself- and was still rude. I would go with Goodings- I also believe this is for DVC resorts only, but you can confirm that.

How do you ship the box back? Can you do it at the concierge desk? Or do you have to physically go to a UPS location and drop it off?