When do you actually start gathering stuff?

[Ms. WDW]

When do you actually begin to gather your stuff to take to WDW? I know some people who pack the night before they leave. Not me. I'm going in July and tomorrow I want to pull out "The WDW Bag" from the closet. I usually keep things there that I only use in WDW. Slippers, nightgown, special beach cover up, etc. Kinda helps me during the year; I'll pull the bag out and go through it when I'm having a bad day. It helps me think and dream about my next trip.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Usually the day before. DW - a truly organized "Franklin Planner-type" - has a spreadsheet with all the things we we have to bring and all the things that we might need (depending on season). I always make sure that I've done the laundry a day or so before, so packing is a simple as: print out the list, pull out the suitcases and load 'em up!

Of course, there're things like stopping the paper and holding the mail, but we gots a list for them, too!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We're leaving for Southern California (including DL), AZ, NM and TX next week. I have all my confirmations etc ready to go. We're going to DL in Sept for the half marathon (our friends have made all the dining reservations for DL already). I made our ADRs for Thanksgiving week this morning. Now we have to work on our cruise plans for April 07.

I have a box that I keep in my closet with all water park mug, ponchos, kitchen stuff, etc. When we get closer to going, I'll get that out, charge up all my camera batteries, and start to pack.

I made a packing list for each of us that I print out a few days before we go to make sure we have everything. Once I wasn't so organized and I was still packing minutes before I left to pick up my husband at work. I left all sorts of things behind. Major stuff at that.

 

[elijahpep]

We work on our list weeks before we leave. Everyone has a check list of things they are to gather up for the trip. One week prior to leaving, we have a staging area in the kitchen. The day before each kid has to go thru their bags and things, with their list to double check them.

We also have a box of certain Disney things, that we take each time, that goes into the staging area. The night before, we pack up the van and leave as early as we canthe next morning (which is usually before sunrise since none of us can sleep anyways, tOO eXciTeD!!!!)

~DW

 

[Ms. WDW]

After pulling out the "WDW Bag" I'll start making a check list. I was out of work due to major surgery for the last trip so I had all this time on my hands. But since returning to work, I find that unfortunately, there's not enough time in my day now for WDW planning. So a check list is definately in my plans today today; I'm off today In years past, I'd have everything set and inplace (on paper only) months before we even go! DH said I was "nuts"... He's not the WDW fanatic that I am.

 

[Disney-Kim]

I have a drawer in my dresser that has my "Disney" clothes in it...you know...all my cute Disney shirts/tees, etc. and I have
my "Disney" bag with Mickey ponchos, Mickey umbrellas, and all those little things we like to use there.

 

[TAKitty]

Like most of you I have a bag of Disney stuff that I already have ready for our trip. Just this past Saturday I was looking through the bag deciding what we still needed. This year I am sending a box down before us, so I am gathering stuff for that.

I wish I could start packing now...

 

[DonnaL]

I keep the insulated water bottles, ponchos, etc. in one of the suitcases ready to go. I usually start a staging area about a week before and add to it daily (for myself)for packing the day before we're leaving. My DH and two sons are the kind who throw stuff together about six hours before we have to leave for the airport!! On our last trip in December I was VERY glad I had my stuff together except to put in my bag because we ALL got a very bad stomach virus the day before we were leaving. No one else had anything ready but me. Our flight was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. which meant we had to leave for the airport by 9:00 a.m. at the absolute latest (we live two hours from the airport). We were all very sick the entire day and evening before. DH and DS's went to bed at 8:00 p.m without even considering packing a thing. I panicked and tried to switch our SW flight to a later afternoon or early evening.......couldn't ..... nothing available. I thought for sure we weren't going to make our first day and have to try for a flight the next day (thank goodness we were flying SW.....no penalty for last minute flight switch) and forfeit our points for the first day also. Well, anyway, fortunately the virus was a 24 hour thing and by 5:00 a.m. everyone felt "sort of" OK.....good enough to pack, have a light breakfast and get to the airport on time. We didn't do anything that first day after checkin though........just hung out at our villa and went to bed early that night. I think my guys learned a lesson though (at least I hope they did) about putting off the packing until the last minute.

 

[DisFlan]

I put a suitcase out about a week before and start tossing my cache of Disney essentials in that general direction. I do the carry-on and final stuff the day & night before we leave. We've gotten MUCH better at paring down to what we'll actually need and use. (I hate schlepping a big bunch of luggage to, through and out of an airport.)

It's SO much easier to use the W/D while we're there than cart lots of clothes with us.


DisFlan

 

[Disneyrsh]

We surprised our two daughters with a trip to Disney last week so I couldn't start packing until I had dropped them off at school that morning.

We also have what we call the travel box, where we keep the big sun shades we use on the drive down (easier to see the dvd and nap), ponchos, etc.

So, dropped the girls off at school, I pulled out the small suitcase and threw in two mugs, a roll of paper towels, various snacks, and swimming gear.

Pulled out the big suitcase, put in 5 pairs of everything for everyone. Pulled out the toiletries bag, threw in everything we'd used that morning, and boom, I was done in about an hour.

We've been practicing traveling light, and this was our first trip stroller and bag free, and it was a blast. We breezed past the bag lines because we had all our stuff in cargo shorts, and we took lots of ice cream breaks when the girls needed to rest.

They were totally excited when we picked them up in carpool and they said, why's Daddy in the car too? And the teacher loading them in the car said "Boy, you guys look like you're ready for a trip somewhere" and I said, "That's a great idea, how about we go to Disney World RIGHT NOW!!!" And they were screaming and jumping all over the place. It was great!

My mom, OTOH, is packing NOW for a trip in December!

I did forget to pack myself some socks, though. Happens every time!

We also picked up a stomach bug on the last day; my five year old started throwing up about half an hour after we left. That roll of paper towels came in *very* handy. Still a long 7 hour drive back. Sorta bummed about that; we washed our hands before we ate AND I had hand sanitizer! Next time we go I'm going all Michael Jackson and making everyone wear white gloves

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm leaving for Disneyland Next Tuesday night.... I'll likely pack during the day on Tuesday.

 

[lsutiggeratwk]

I start packing "in my head" as soon as the reservation is made.

We also have a couple of plastic tubs in the attic that contain a few items that go with us to WDW when we drive. I'll pull those out about a month before we leave and start dropping things in them. I pack individual bags of laundry detergent and a dryer sheet one day when I'm feeling like I really want to be someplace else and drop them in the go box. I make list ahead of time also then check things off as they get packed.

It is so much fun packing to go on vacation !!

 

[Ms. WDW]

I need to start "the list" soon. Like another poster, I mentally begin the list almost as soon as the reservation is made. But in all honesty, I need to begin the list. Before I know it the trip will be here and I'll still be talking about it on the board!!!

 

[mommyceratops]

We got back in Feb and I immediatly started packing to go back in December LOL!! I have a bag of the "stuff" we bought for WDW like ponchos, travel stuff so I do not have to rebuy when we go back.

Yes this is TACKY but I put up the light souvinears and some other things we bough while we were at the park and will take them back so I don't have to rebuy them every year. They wont play with them at home and be like new when we get back.

We are joined DVC and plan on returning every year.