Best Packing Tips!

DisneyPrincess5

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hi all!!

I wanted to start a thread sharing information with each other on our best packing tips. What do you pack to make your trip great and comfortable for you? How do you pack to save room and weight?

Some things we like to do:

-Pack old items to throw away after using them. For example, I got a new after shower robe for Christmas so I am bringing my old, ratty one on our honeymoon, then chucking it when we depart for home. I also usually bring, use, then toss an old hair brush and razor.
-Pack a refillable, filtered water bottle. This saves us money on water bottles as I just fill it at water fountains and the bottle filters it. Surprisingly, it also filters the horrific taste of Florida water.
-Roll, not fold, clothing to save room


What tips do you have for packing effectively?

Thanks!
 

The Mighty Tim

Well-Known Member
I leave plenty of space for souvenirs. I can't get American snack treats easily over here so I like to bring some back with me.

I've also recently started putting some stuff to freshen up with and an emergency change of clothes in my hand luggage, in case my luggage disappears, or I get stuck somewhere for a while. I'm not going through that again!
 

DisneyPrincess5

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I leave plenty of space for souvenirs. I can't get American snack treats easily over here so I like to bring some back with me.

I've also recently started putting some stuff to freshen up with and an emergency change of clothes in my hand luggage, in case my luggage disappears, or I get stuck somewhere for a while. I'm not going through that again!
That's one big reason why we bring old things to toss-make room for the new stuff!
 

Figgy1

Premium Member
Hi all!!

I wanted to start a thread sharing information with each other on our best packing tips. What do you pack to make your trip great and comfortable for you? How do you pack to save room and weight?

Some things we like to do:

-Pack old items to throw away after using them. For example, I got a new after shower robe for Christmas so I am bringing my old, ratty one on our honeymoon, then chucking it when we depart for home. I also usually bring, use, then toss an old hair brush and razor.
-Pack a refillable, filtered water bottle. This saves us money on water bottles as I just fill it at water fountains and the bottle filters it. Surprisingly, it also filters the horrific taste of Florida water.
-Roll, not fold, clothing to save room


What tips do you have for packing effectively?

Thanks!
Agree with all of the above! Ialso pack gum(not available anywhere on property), tea and hydration packs to add to the lovely Florida h2o and an empty suitcase Gee it's always full on the way home. I also take out my packing list from my last trip and make modifications as needed ( no more stroller) and get out the suitcases as soon as I'm booked this keeps me organized.
 

NYwdwfan

Well-Known Member
I pack Purex laundry sheets and do laundry midway through the trip. It's an excuse to spend a quiet afternoon by the pool while the clothes is washing/drying. Then we only bring half as much clothes as we would have. Although - being a girl - I always bring enough shirts. No need looking like I wore the same thing every day in all the photos!!!

I also stockpile samples of stuff I receive in the mail (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, sometimes even deodorant) since they are easy take and toss items.
 

BigRedDad

Well-Known Member
We have plenty of room when we go. SW allows to checked bags each and a carry on. We let Disney handle our bags for us. We usually only check 1 bag each though. My daughter is only 7 so her bag is barely full with her things. We pack snacks, bagels, and other consumables in her bag. We also pack a small duffel in her bag in case we have so much new stuff we need a new bag. My wife's and my stuff fit in another checked bag each. We also pack our medical kit: prescriptions (necessity), general cold meds, aspirin/aleve, mole skin, sunscreen, etc. Anything we need that we forgot we simply pay the premium at the resort or park.

The one thing that I do not leave home without is Runner's Glide (or one of its many alternatives now). If you chafe in the wrong places, walking around Disney is not pleasant or enjoyable and sometimes not possible.
 

DisneyDude10

Active Member
We always put a change of clothes in each others checked bag as well as a change of clothes in our carry on. That way we have two to three changes of clothes if a piece of luggage gets misplaced during our travels. Luckily we haven't had to deal with the issue before but better safe than sorry right?
 

DisneyDebNJ

Well-Known Member
bandaids, advil, pepto bismol tabs, tide pods and dryer sheets for laundry, 2 bottles of beringer white zinfandel!! LOL, one suitcase with barely anything in it (Southwest allows 2 checked bags per person) so we can bring home souvenirs!! Toilet Paper!! (dont laugh LOL) Just wish I had a suitcase big enough to pack that 6 ft giraffe at the African kiosk!
 

Figgy1

Premium Member
bandaids, advil, pepto bismol tabs, tide pods and dryer sheets for laundry, 2 bottles of beringer white zinfandel!! LOL, one suitcase with barely anything in it (Southwest allows 2 checked bags per person) so we can bring home souvenirs!! Toilet Paper!! (dont laugh LOL) Just wish I had a suitcase big enough to pack that 6 ft giraffe at the African kiosk!
Only 2????? What's your dh going to get never mind that's my poor dh that's not getting any! LOL
 

The Mighty Tim

Well-Known Member
I take a photo of my suitcase with my phone camera just as I'm heading out. That way, if it goes missing, or if I need to take it off the plane for whatever reason, I can show people what it looks like, which could speed things up a bit.

Fortunately, I've never had to use it for that purpose. On the plus side, I do have a nice collection of suitcase photos on my phone! :p
 

annawilliams

Active Member
I use a LOT of plastic bags. I also roll everything. :) Things like socks and undies go in plastic bags to keep them all together. I pack disposable razors to toss while I'm there. Also, if I have any items that snag easily, those go in a baggie as well. Ha! Plastic bags are just wonderful for Disney! I keep hair things pinned to a ribbon so they are not thrown everywhere in my bag. Also earrings on a ribbon to keep them together. :)
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
- Packing tip #1: make a packing list ahead of time and stick to it!

- We do not check bags (bad experience in the past), so we go light on the clothes: we pack one swimsuit, one pair of walking/swimming sandals (e.g., Tevas), and EXACTLY as many tops, shorts, undies, socks, etc. as we'll need (one per day). I pack some detergent in case we need to do laundry at the resort or in our room sink, but we've never had to wash anything yet. By doing this and wearing our bulkiest items (e.g., a lightweight jacket, pants, sneakers) on the plane, we can fit 6 days' worth of clothes for one adult and one child in a single 21" carryon bag.

- For a trip of 7 days or more, we simply bring half the clothes we need and do laundry mid-week. We always plan a "lazy pool morning" in the middle of the vacation, so this works out perfectly. We pack a laundry bag (I could even dispense with that and use the in-room dry cleaning bag instead), a dryer sheet and a detergent pod -- FWIW, two detergent pods fit perfectly into a standard-sized translucent plastic prescription pill bottle, which can then be popped into a 3-1-1 bag for easy, mess-free transport).

- To save space, keep things organized, and make unpacking a breeze, I use packing cubes, which are color-coded zippable mesh bags in various sizes which can be packed, Tetris-style, into your suitcase. (I happen to have eBags brand, but there are several brands of packing cubes out there that are similar.) They're also great in the event your bag gets selected for inspection -- no random undies getting tossed around! ;) I also roll the clothes before placing them in the packing cubes, which reduces wrinkles and maximizes space. For the kids, I actually stack and roll entire outfits together, so they can simply grab a "roll" each day and get dressed without help.)

- 3-1-1 bags (ziploc bags w/liquids and toiletries, per TSA regulations) go in the outside pocket of our carryon bag, so they're easy to remove and put in a bin when going through security.

- I pack minimal make-up and jewelry. What toiletries we are bringing go into an eBags "pack-it-flat" toiletry kit, which magically seems to make them occupy less space. (I'm sure putting them one-layer-deep in a gallon-sized ziploc would have the same result.)

- I try to pack as many things that do "double-duty" as possible. My sundress (for a nice dinner) doubles as my swimsuit cover-up. I pack one pair of sandals that can be dressed up or dressed down. My moisturizer lotion is fortified with sunscreen, so I don't have to bring a separate bottle. DH and I share a sample-size can of shaving cream for his whiskers and my legs.

- We pack no soap, shampoo or conditioner, and simply use the ones provided by Disney.

- We bring all of our own breakfast food, which I put in my "personal item" tote for the plane, or (next time) in the extra space in the kids' suitcases. This consists of things like cold cereal, oatmeal, Pop Tarts and fruit. I "decant" everything I can so that it takes up less space (e.g., I dump the Pop Tarts into a gallon-sized ziploc bag instead of taking several bulky boxes of them, and pre-measure single servings of oatmeal into sandwich bags).
 
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