Sooooo excited :)

[nattyk]

Hello all,

Am soooooo excited - this time next week we will be landing in Orlando

Got the suitcases down from the loft this afternoon - and I now have the fun job of packing for a family of 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I hate packing!!!!)

Any packing tips - I always take too much with me!!!!! what are your essentials???

I have 3 lists on the go - things left to buy, things to pack in the suitcase and things for overnight bag (staying at Gatwick Sunday night for twlight check in)..

Right better get on with it, as it wont pack itself!!!

Nat
x

 

[ely3857]

I wish I was going next week!

Have no advice re' packing i'm afraid. I am from the 'take it anyway' club!

Hope you have a super time



Jodie

 

[Miffy2003]

I am in the "bare minimum club", LOL

My tip would be to roll everything into a tube shape rather than fold - I've found it creases less this way.

Have a fantastic trip!

 

[Cyrano]

We use those vac packs. As well as saving space, item are saved creases.

Just wish we had the opportunity to use them for WDW

Reid

 

[mandymouse]

Hi Nat

I know how you are feeling, we leave for Gatwick next Tuesday, and fly out on Wednesday. I've done about half my packing, just the 'going-out' clothes for our cruise to pack, I'll leave them for the weekend so they don't get too creased.

Have a great time

mandymouse

 

[wendye]

If I were you unless the things are buy are absolute essentials I would forget them and buy them when you get there. Don't put many dressy clothes in as you are unlikely to wear them. The same applies to shoes - stick to comfy shoes. I am assuming that you intend to buy some clothes and things out there so I would say only take enough clothes for a week you can always wear your purchases for the second week(we are going for over 3 weeks although staying in a villa, but I intend only taking a week's worth of clothes).

 

[wicket2005]

We just travel with the bare minimum now because we know we will be buying clothes other there, so we leave plenty of space in the suitcases.

 

[uktigger]

no tips on the packing i also pack more than i need just wanted to say have a great trip

eve

 

[Peebee]

Hi Nat,

We're always the same with taking too much - even this last time a couple of weeks ago when we *really* tried to be good

Our best purchase has been a travel bag for our Maclaren stroller. We take it to the gate and even after the stroller is packed away it still has enough space left for extra bits and pieces that wouldn't quite fit into the suitcases. It's also a useful way to carry a couple of car seats through a busy airport!

(You're more than welcome to borrow it if it would come in handy).

Paul

 

[nattyk]

Paul,

Tell me more about the Travel bag - we are taking 2 single pushchairs and 3 carseats (3 kids!!!) 2 boaster seats and one baby sit... not sure how I am going to pack all the carseats - will Virgin give me big plastic bags to put them in???

Nat

 

[Peebee]

So far as the double stroller bag is concerned there is a picture of it on the Kiddicare web site at http://www.kiddicare.com/invt/accmacbagdblkd - it has wheels at one end and a handle at the other so you can pull it along. I think we've also still got a single one somewhere that doesn't have the wheels but is essentially the same. They are very handy and stop the strollers from getting battered about in transit.

I believe Virgin do have some plastic sacks that you can use to wrap up the car seats but DW's mum has always been able to provide us with some polythene bags that we've used at the airport to wrap the seats up. When we got back to Gatwick at the weekend there was one car seat going around on the carousel that looked like it was covered in oil, so it's definitely worth trying to protect them if you can.

Paul

 

[VSL]

I don't really have any packing tips - only packing for me and boyfriend and I only ever take the 'essentials' (I suspect that you have to be a bit more careful though and pack a little extra with children) - just wanted to say have a great trip!!!

 

[MazdaUK]

I was paranoid about cases going missing, so once I'd got all the clothes out I divided them equally between the cases so that as long as at least one case turned up we would all have something clean to wear. Also, I bought some big ziplock bags (Lakeland do them in their craft catalogue) and put a set of swimwear inside one of these in each case (ready to grab and go). I also put in sets of nightwear, and put one set in our hand luggage, plus another bag with clean undies plus change of clothes for younger DS (in case of travel sickness). This meant that when we arrived at the hotel we just pulled the toothbrushes and PJs out of the hand luggage and could bath and bed without unpacking The ziplocks were also useful to put wet swimwear in (and socks still not dry from previous day's rain! ) for the return journey

 

[lenny l]

deleted

 

[trevorsem]

NattyK,

Know how you feeling. In 19 days time, I'll be there.

Mind you, I have a dilemma now Liverpool are through to the CL Final

Anyway, my tips for packing are:

1) Take an empty case with you as you'll need more luggage space coming back then going.
2) Roll everything and don't fold to help with creases
3) Share each Family members clothes over the different cases. This way, if one case gets lost no one will be without clothes.
4) Don't padlock cases as security may break into them . Cable tie them and put a small pair of scissors in the outside pocket of one case.
5) DON'T put your name and address on the outside of the case. This is an advert that your property is empty. Going out put the destination address. Coming back put your works address, family member, etc.
6) DON'T leave it until the last minute!

Trev