what disposable items to pack in suitcase to make room for souvies coming home

[imgoingtodisney]

Ok how would you make more space for souvies coming home? Im planning on packing hangers and the over the door shoe holder which can be left if I need space in the luggage to return home. Would DCL leave these items in the room for the next cruiser or toss them?
I have 2 foldup/collaspible bags which I will pack in one of our suitcases to be used once we get to FL. They will hold the soda/pineapple juice we are bringing onboard. If needed I can pack our laundry in them and put souvies in our larger suitcases (more cushioning).
How do you make space for returning home?

 

[Cruise]

If you're not already maxed out on your luggage allowance, you can always put a smaller suitcase (packed with clothes) into a larger one for the trip down. On the way back, pack both.

Julie

 

[4crusinransiers]

If I remember correctly, your on the eastern. Either way, take along shorts and thirts, tank tops and the such that your son has outgrown to donate to the familys in the ports of call that could use them. Take items from the dollar store, bottles baby supplys and first aid items and drop them off at the red cross in the ports of call. Not only will it give you room for stuff to bring home, but it gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling to give to the people who need it. We do this EVERY vacation and my kids collect all year!
They love giving, in fact my son who will be turning 12 in November started this FAMILY Tradition when he was 7 when we were in a very remote village in So. Mexico.

 

[Ashley24]

We crammed a duffle bag in the front zippered section of our luggage and then used that for our dirty laundry so left lots of extra room for the fun stuff!
Ann

 

[donnabres]

A girl I used to work with said that she would always bring her older underwear, and t shirts on a trip. then she would just throw them away to make room.
I haven't done this, mine would be the suitcase that they searched!!!
Donna

 

[mcnuss]

Im planning on packing hangers

Can't you just call and get more hangers from the stateroom host if you need them?

 

[imgoingtodisney]

sure you can mcnuss and i was planning on it - but it only cost 88cents to get a package of 13 - and it takes up space that will be used for souvies on the way home -lol

 

[Scratch42]

As Cruise suggested, the nestling suitcases are great for this.
I did it our last trip to WDW and it saved me from buying another bag that I would later donate to the Sally Ann! And this way it is one wheels, therefore, easier to get from point A to B!

Have fun!

Scratch

 

[westjones]

After our packing headaches from our last 7 night cruise (trying to fit everything BACK into our suitcases), I went out and bought 4 backpacks that will be packed in the suitcase next time. THEN on the last night we will pack up our suitcase to leave in the hall, but everyone will have their backpacks to fill up the next morning with PJs and sundries and stuff.

They had backpack on clearance this month (because everyone has bought their school backpacks already), so got some for $4 at Target!

Of course, NOW that I am prepared, we have decided to do 2 three day cruises next year instead of a 7 day (we always go at our twin daughters' birthday but we also wanted to go at Christmas time to see the decorations). But in 2004 we are hoping for a 7 night cruise (just waiting for the schedule to come out!).

Debra

 

[cottoncandy]

Last year we took MIL to Disney with us and when she opened her suitcase it was almost empty. Had to move in and get a closer look. Well, she had packed everything for a weeks stay in those vacuum bags that you see on TV. She even had room for some of our souveniers. How cool.

Needless to say this is how we are saving space for all of our goodies this trip. She sent me to Bed Bath and Beyond for them. I bougt 3 packs of 4 for 14.95 each. I thoght this was a great deal until I went to Walmart yesterday. They were right near the registers for only $3.00 a box of 4.

Now I must go return the first ones. The way that I see it is an extra $48 to fill tat suitcasee of mine.

 

[Target]

Cottoncandy-that is great! However, how do you shrink them for the return trip home? They are used with a vacuum hose, right? Sounds like a great idea, but let me know how I handle the return part......

 

[Cruise]

I think I've seen suggestions to ask housekeeping to borrow the vacuum for a few minutes. Hopefully they'd have the hose attachments.

Julie

 

[SC Minnie]

Take a larger suitcase than you actually need or one that expands and don't pack them full for the trip down. Leave at home half as many clothes as you originally set out- you will never miss them.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

How can you possibly travel without a full suitcase? Dont the items flop around? What do you use for filler?

 

[peg2001]

Hmmm. . .my suitcases have little straps that can be tightened to hold items in place, no filler needed!

We've had to buy a new duffle to get new items home from a vacation. Then we gave the duffle away. Now I plan to pack an empty bag that can be used for any new stuff.

Peggy

 

[SC Minnie]

Our suitcases have the straps too. They also can be expanded to add an extra inch or two. This last trip I didn't stuff every nook and cranny on the way down and just loosely packed out clothing. I didn't pack so full that someone had to sit on the suitcase to close

 

[cruisnfamily]

I bought these "spacebags" as well. I bought the kind you just roll to get the air out of....didn't want to deal with tracking down a vacuum cleaner. We didn't pack our stuff in them going down, just packed normally. What I did was each night I pulled out a space bag and packed all of the dirty laundry into it along with "clean" clothes that we knew we wouldn't be needing or wearing again. These filled vacuum packed bags stayed in the closet and when it was time to pack up on the last night, we just tossed them into the suitcases. Everything fit (and that's a first for us) and we even had room to pack the small amount of onboard purchases without it being too overcrowded.

 

[cottoncandy]

I also bought the kind that doesn't need a vacuum. Sorry forgot to mention that.

 

[JODIELYN]

Does WalMart carry the ones that you don't need a vacuum for??? Two years ago when we sailed 4 days we had an older suitcase that we packed all of our dirty clothes in. When we got off the ship and had to claim our luggage for the customs thing... This suitcase was split! Looked like it had gotten caught on a conveyer belt of a sort. Disney was great about it... duct taped it up and payed us hansomely to replace it...

These bags would be very nice!

 

[cruisnfamily]

I bought mine at www.spacebag.com online. They're probably not the cheapest ones around but I was having trouble finding them locally. They sell the vacuum ones and the the roll ones. The roll ones are listed under "travel" or something like that.