What type of luggage do you use for your trip?

[cooniez]

Sorry mods I wasn't sure if this should go here or on the community board. Was curious what type of luggage everyone uses? I love the structure of suitcases, but we really don't have storage space for after the trip.

 

[jenpace]

I guess it depends a lot on how you're getting to the DLR. We drive and just use a couple of large duffel bags. They hold a lot and after the trip they collapse to a manageable size for storage.

 

[ykmom]

A few years ago we bought 3 smallish very inexpensive hockey bags. We also have one duffel bag on wheels which is great, and then we can stuff the hockey bags into the one on wheels to store. We took the hockey bags all the way to Antarctica and they stood up fine. I love the idea of nice luggage but don't have the room to store and can't justify the cost when my $9.00 hockey bags last so well! Sadly today I have to pack one and it's not to go to disney :-(

 

[darph nader]

I can stuff all I need into a tool/gym bag. 4 day trip that is. Used to be a Boy Scout 1000yrs ago,so you learn to pack 'tight'.
Now my mom on the other hand took 17prs of shoes for a 5 day trip years ago.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We got some hand me down suitcases from parents. My parents gave our boys each a nice new reg. sized wheeled one. All of them have wheels and that has been great for stacking duffle bags on top. Uhm, yes, we use both bags and suitcases. It is a good thing we drive down because I could never fit everything in one suitcase. Not 17 pairs of shoes though- maybe 2 or 3. At home we put the duffle bags inside the suitcases and the largest suitcase can hold a smaller one inside.

 

[BELLEDOZER]

If we are driving down to DL, and will be stateside for more than a week, I use a combination of my 29 inch Delsy slime green suitcase and my 22 inch London Fog. If I'm flying down to DL, due to a bad back, and the fact that I know that I'm going to be purchasing alot of souvies, then I pack the 22 inch Slime Green Delsey suitcase, with the London Fog inside of it on the way out, then both suitcases on the way back.

 

[iKristin]

I purchased a large suitcase from a place called Accessory City (cause it was only 30 bucks!) and I use that, it even expands outward about two inches for those REALLY full suitcases...room for merchandise and more lol. Oh and don't worry, they may be cheap in price but the piece itself is not cheap. I've been using mine for 4 years, it's been to 28 different states and airports and is still just fine!

They don't have any of the big suitcases on sale on their site but they sell really big duffles for cheap! so if you're looking for some good luggage:
http://www.accessorycityonline.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6

 

[Eeee-va]

I normally drive but I bought a couple expandable suitcases from eBags.com (one very small, so it qualifies as a carry-on, and one large enough that I think a small child could fit in it ). Expandable suitcases can be a pain because they're unbalanced, though.

When I'm driving, I just cram everything into the big suitcase and then keep my souvenirs in their Disney bags. But even when I went to WDW (short trip but I had clothes for I think 5 nights) and just had a small carry-on suitcase and a carry-on bag the size of a good-sized backpack, I managed to bring home a few souvenirs.

You can try rolling your clothes to make more room, too.

 

[cooniez]

I guess it depends a lot on how you're getting to the DLR. We drive and just use a couple of large duffel bags. They hold a lot and after the trip they collapse to a manageable size for storage.

A few years ago we bought 3 smallish very inexpensive hockey bags. We also have one duffel bag on wheels which is great, and then we can stuff the hockey bags into the one on wheels to store.

We'll be driving down there from SJ. That's the reason I was looking into duffel bags so I can just wash & store 'em! I would love one on wheels, but I think that limits my ability to machine wash them.

I can stuff all I need into a tool/gym bag. 4 day trip that is. Used to be a Boy Scout 1000yrs ago,so you learn to pack 'tight'.

My dad's in the military so he taught me a few tips on how to pack things. I'm sure I can't do it nearly as well as he does though!

We got some hand me down suitcases from parents.

If we are driving down to DL, and will be stateside for more than a week, I use a combination of my 29 inch Delsy slime green suitcase and my 22 inch London Fog.

When I'm driving, I just cram everything into the big suitcase and then keep my souvenirs in their Disney bags.

I purchased a large suitcase from a place called Accessory City (cause it was only 30 bucks!) and I use that,

I did find a Samsonite burgundy suitcase that I love, but I just don't have the storage space for it right now

Kristin - thanks for the link! I'll check it out anyway!

 

[canadadisney]

We just bought the 4 piece hard side luggage set from Heys On Line Site. Each piece can "attach" to the other so my DH can haul them all around the airport togther.

 

[heatherleigh]

I have a rolling Tumi bag that we've had for almost 10 years. It has held up the best out of all our luggage. One of these days I plan on buying another. I just ordered my daughter a 3-piece Disney Princess luggage set from the DisneyStore that was $20 off. I do not have high expectations regarding the quality. We are going to AK next week, so we will see how it does on that trip. I just ordered my oldest son a suitcase from Pottery Barn Kids. I hope it gets here before we leave. If not, he'll just have to take it to DL this fall.

 

[DizMe]

I have tried all kinds of things, from full-on giant suitcase that must be checked to a purse (that's right--I packed everything for 3 days into a purse). I have found that for me, something on the light, carry-on side is best. I usually fly so I don't want to mess with checked luggage and I prefer not to have to wrestle a bag into the overhead bin (I'm too short to reach it very easily). OTOH, something too small is a pain in the neck. My favorite bags, therefore, are lightweight backpack or sling-type bags. I don't want wheels because it makes them too heavy and cumbersome plus it takes away the usable space, so I need something that is well balanced when I carry it. I look for inexpensive, oversized purse-type bags rather than duffels because I find them easier to maneuver when carrying.

However, when I drive I like duffel bags. I go with cheap ones from Ross. They expand a lot, hold a ton of stuff, and have nice compartments for various articles of clothing.

I am good at packing light but that's fairly easy to do with DLR as the destination. The biggest weather fluctuation, generally speaking, does not require much more than packing a sweatshirt and making sure you have a pair of shorts AND a pair of jeans.

 

[Tikestoublie]

I can stuff all I need into a tool/gym bag. 4 day trip that is. Used to be a Boy Scout 1000yrs ago,so you learn to pack 'tight'.
Now my mom on the other hand took 17prs of shoes for a 5 day trip years ago.

I am sooo glad I had swallowed my tea before I read that! Thankfully my mother doesn't need that many shoes - but I am pretty sure she has different top for every hour of the day!!

 

[tink2dw]

Kmart has some of the best Luggage around!!!!!!

Plus Lime Green tags!!

 

[kristie73]

We just bought the 4 piece hard side luggage set from Heys On Line Site. Each piece can "attach" to the other so my DH can haul them all around the airport togther.

Oh neat site. And they have a Nemo bag.

 

[Mugglemama]

We use duffel bags. A couple of years ago I bought red duffels with black straps (mickey colors, ), and those are our "Disneyland" luggage. We drive down in a minivan from the Auburn area. The duffels stack up nice and neat in the back of the van. I'm going to go back and look for more before our next trip because the kids really each need their own for this longer trip. Since I pack each of the kid's outfits in gallon size Ziploc bags for each day, the clothes don't get all scrambled in the duffel bags, so it's not a problem.

I just got a sewing machine that embroiders, so I *may* just *have* to download some mickey designs and embroider some fun stuff on their bags, woohoo!

 

[bumbershoot]

I have one enormous suitcase that I inherited from my mom, and we use that for car trips.

But all of our other luggage (apart from a rather useless structured garment bag that my mom gave me a million years ago) is from the Rick Steves travel store. Which means that even the "big" suitcases are officially carry-on size (unexpanded, un-absolutely-stuffed, for MOST airlines).

DH did just get one of the RS roller bags, b/c he keeps finding himself lugging all his stuff for a mile from train to hotel in the middle of the night (travels for business and sometimes he gets bad info on how to get from point A to point B), and he felt that just one roller bag would be nice.

But the rest of it is soft-sided so it just collapses into a nice smallish pile that fits in the bottom of our small linen closet.

 

[DizMe]

I have one enormous suitcase that I inherited from my mom, and we use that for car trips.

But all of our other luggage (apart from a rather useless structured garment bag that my mom gave me a million years ago) is from the Rick Steves travel store. Which means that even the "big" suitcases are officially carry-on size (unexpanded, un-absolutely-stuffed, for MOST airlines).

DH did just get one of the RS roller bags, b/c he keeps finding himself lugging all his stuff for a mile from train to hotel in the middle of the night (travels for business and sometimes he gets bad info on how to get from point A to point B), and he felt that just one roller bag would be nice.

But the rest of it is soft-sided so it just collapses into a nice smallish pile that fits in the bottom of our small linen closet.

Oooooooo, cool stuff!!!! I WANT the convertible carry-on! I just wish I had $69

 

[aliceindisneyland]

1 giant suitcase for DH & me; kids have their own small character suitcases. 1 large soft-side suitcase w/lots of pockets for toiletries, hair dryer, extra room for dirty clothes, etc. This works for up to 5 days (longest we've been anywhere so far). For 1-2 day trips we put everyone's stuff in the 1 giant suitcase.
We just nest all the suitcases in the giant one & keep it in the side corner of a bedroom closet.

 

[cooniez]

Hmmm I really don't want to keep the FUL suitcase/backpack combo DH bought from Costco (zero storage space here), but I'm thinking a duffel bag might not be a good idea for DH. He will be flying into LAX and I think a duffel bag might be more trouble since it won't be on wheels & won't be padded.