Holy packing

[DiSnEyF@n]

My husband and I are taking our two girls to Baltimore this weekend for 1 night (we live in Jersey) and all the things I need to pack for my kids is rediculous. lol

We have a 4 month old and 3 year old and for just one night my list of must haves is looong.

We're going to Disney is August when they will be 9 months and 3 1/2 years old and we're flying. How do I fit everything in all my suitcases?!?! Lol

 

[Schneewittchen]

I have a terrible idea for you.

Before we bought our RV and could literally bring the kitchen sink on vacation with us, we used to use our hotel's valet laundry service. You don't have to pack as much if you do laundry in the middle of the trip. Yes, it's expensive, but sometimes it's really worth it. I believe Disney does have this service. It just costs an arm and a leg.....

And when you pack, roll your clothes into logs. Resist the urge to over-pack.

All of your children's toys should all fit into one backpack that the 3 year old can carry as a "personal item" that fits under the seat in front of him.

If you're getting a car while you're there, maybe make a Target trip for diapers and baby junk so you don't have to pack it all.....

 

[TDGMedley]

the best idea i saw on online is putting the kids cloths in zip lock bags. It was labeled by day and organized it made it very easy for me. I knew what they were wearing each day. ( and so did everyone else with us). it helped me from my very over packing i do. and i had so much more room in the suitcase.

 

[BigRedDad]

Its much easier than you think. You are packing WAY TOO much stuff. The two kids can fit all their stuff in a single carry on. For the adults, limit yourself to 1 large suitcase and 1 carry on. Anything more than that is overkill.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

Its much easier than you think. You are packing WAY TOO much stuff. The two kids can fit all their stuff in a single carry on. For the adults, limit yourself to 1 large suitcase and 1 carry on. Anything more than that is overkill.

I'm a woman though!!! Lol - I need to bring everything, just in case!!!

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

the best idea i saw on online is putting the kids cloths in zip lock bags. It was labeled by day and organized it made it very easy for me. I knew what they were wearing each day. ( and so did everyone else with us). it helped me from my very over packing i do. and i had so much more room in the suitcase.

I am going to try this one... Especially for my 3 year old. The baby will be wearing cute Disney onesies so that'll be easy to pack.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

I have a terrible idea for you.

Before we bought our RV and could literally bring the kitchen sink on vacation with us, we used to use our hotel's valet laundry service. You don't have to pack as much if you do laundry in the middle of the trip. Yes, it's expensive, but sometimes it's really worth it. I believe Disney does have this service. It just costs an arm and a leg.....

And when you pack, roll your clothes into logs. Resist the urge to over-pack.

All of your children's toys should all fit into one backpack that the 3 year old can carry as a "personal item" that fits under the seat in front of him.

If you're getting a car while you're there, maybe make a Target trip for diapers and baby junk so you don't have to pack it all.....

I like this idea. With little kids (who mess their clothes up daily), we go back to the hotel anyway in the afternoons for rest and naps, but I don't nap (I usually sit on the balcony and partake in adult beverages), I could definitely plan to do a load or two of laundry at the hotel's laundromat - laundromat, to save an arm and a leg! I did this when we went for 10 days in August when my one daughter was 6 months old. Halfway through the trip I did all our laundry. It was nice to not have tons of dirty clothes when we got home too. Thanks for the advice!

Edit: Oh and the idea about renting a car to stop and get diapers is a definite must! Thanks

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

First - I work in Baltimore and I can't imagine why anyone would want to come to Baltimore and spend the night.
Second - the idea of the zip bags is great. Just got back from a trip to WDW and I used the bag idea for myself, kept me from over packing and I ALWAYS over pack.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

First - I work in Baltimore and I can't imagine why anyone would want to come to Baltimore and spend the night.
Second - the idea of the zip bags is great. Just got back from a trip to WDW and I used the bag idea for myself, kept me from over packing and I ALWAYS over pack.

Haha you're funny. There's a "light festival" there this weekend and we want to check it out. We are staying on the inner harbor. We've never been and thought that 1 night would be best for our 4 month old... Plus it gets me out of the house for the weekend!

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

Haha you're funny. There's a "light festival" there this weekend and we want to check it out. We are staying on the inner harbor. We've never been and thought that 1 night would be best for our 4 month old... Plus it gets me out of the house for the weekend!

FYI - there is a rash of grabbing cell phones going on around the inner harbor/downtown area. People looking at their cell phones for directions or social media and a 3-4 kids bump and take the phone. Happened right outside my building at lunch time and around 5:30 pm about 3 blocks from the harbor. Be careful, and keep your head on a swivel and have a good time.

 

[DryerLintFan]

I love the Inner Harbor <3

With packing for my kid, I notice that I save the most space taking only one or two "backup outfits" for the whole trip. I tend to take an outfit for each day, then a spare outfit in case toddler, then pajamas, then spare pajamas in case toddler. So what I try to do now is pack one outfit for each day, and then one spare outfit for the whole trip and if we need spare pajamas I'll just pick out the least smelly slept in set. If we use the spare outfit, we do laundry.

I also got my daughter one of those Skip Hop rolling backpack things as her luggage and I don't take more toys or books or tablets than can fit in it.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

FYI - there is a rash of grabbing cell phones going on around the inner harbor/downtown area. People looking at their cell phones for directions or social media and a 3-4 kids bump and take the phone. Happened right outside my building at lunch time and around 5:30 pm about 3 blocks from the harbor. Be careful, and keep your head on a swivel and have a good time.

Well that sucks. Thanks for the heads up though. I appreciate it.

 

[LeighM]

I'm a female and always manage to pack more than I need but still fit everything within 1 checked bag and 1 carry on while staying just under the weight limit. I pack extra just in case the weather gets cool (depending on season) or in case of stains or soaking rain, as well as 2 tennis shoes, my Teva sandals, and a pair of flip flops. Plus my make up and contact solutions, camera, power strip, etc. It can totally be done Rolling the clothes and strategic placement really helps.

 

[Schneewittchen]

First - I work in Baltimore and I can't imagine why anyone would want to come to Baltimore and spend the night.

them's fightin words

 

[LAKid53]

If you're not renting a car, then Uber to the nearest Publix. There's one at the Lakeside Village Center, about a 15 minute drive around the back of the MK...

 

[Weather_Lady]

To echo what others said...

If your list of "must haves" is long, I fear you do not understand the meaning of "must have."

Toiletries and toothbrushes. Clothes (1 outfit per day, + 1, swimsuit, undies, socks, PJs) and shoes (1 pair of sneakers, one pair of sandals). Prescription medicines. ID and currency. For a baby, a stroller or carrier and diapers/formula/bottles. These are relative must-haves. Everything else is a frippery (or can be borrowed or purchased on-site).

My family of four travels with a single 21" carryon suitcase per person (no need for checked luggage at all), which holds all of their clothes and sundries (PLUS breakfast foods for the hotel room) for a 5-6 day trip. We also bring a backpack or small tote per person for that person's entertainment items, sunglasses, and other things for the journey. If we're staying for longer, I add a laundry bag and detergent pods, and do laundry on our mid-week pool day. (WDW puts their laundry rooms right by the hotel pools, and you can effortlessly monitor the progress of your washer/dryer via a website, so you know the minute it's done. Genius!) I, too, used to pack everything but the kitchen sink, until I had a job where I needed to travel frequently, and quickly learned that there is more freedom and joy in what you leave behind that the amount of stuff you take, and that mishaps with checked luggage can practically ruin a trip, so it's a risk best avoided.

My best advice: make a packing list, trim it to the bare necessities, and stick to it when you pack! If, God forbid, you find you left something at home that you really need, you are in a major tourist area in a developed country surrounded by Walmarts - it's all there at your fingertips.

...another tip: others suggested ziploc bags for kids' clothes, which is a great suggestion. I'd add, make "outfit burritos" for the kids. (Fold t-shirts in thirds and shorts in half -- place short waistband on top of shirt neck, put socks and underwear on top, and carefully roll it all together with the shirt on the outside, smoothing out any wrinkles as you go. Then place the "burritos" side-by-side in a packing cube or gallon-sized Ziploc bags. To unpack - simply lay them in a drawer, and the kids can get out a complete outfit for themselves in the morning with no guesswork and no temptation on your part to throw in extra, unnecessary clothes when packing.)

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

I also vote for laundry. Not sure where you're staying but each resort has a laundry facility, typically near the pools, so then you can wash while you swim.

I brought a few Tide pods with me, I found a sample pack with about 10 pods at Harmon store and then I didn't have to buy detergent there.
Pack a clean plastic bag or two to transport the clothes back to your room.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

To echo what others said...

If your list of "must haves" is long, I fear you do not understand the meaning of "must have."

Toiletries and toothbrushes. Clothes (1 outfit per day, + 1, swimsuit, undies, socks, PJs) and shoes (1 pair of sneakers, one pair of sandals). Prescription medicines. ID and currency. For a baby, a stroller or carrier and diapers/formula/bottles. These are relative must-haves. Everything else is a frippery (or can be borrowed or purchased on-site).

My family of four travels with a single 21" carryon suitcase per person (no need for checked luggage at all), which holds all of their clothes and sundries (PLUS breakfast foods for the hotel room) for a 5-6 day trip. We also bring a backpack or small tote per person for that person's entertainment items, sunglasses, and other things for the journey. If we're staying for longer, I add a laundry bag and detergent pods, and do laundry on our mid-week pool day. (WDW puts their laundry rooms right by the hotel pools, and you can effortlessly monitor the progress of your washer/dryer via a website, so you know the minute it's done. Genius!) I, too, used to pack everything but the kitchen sink, until I had a job where I needed to travel frequently, and quickly learned that there is more freedom and joy in what you leave behind that the amount of stuff you take, and that mishaps with checked luggage can practically ruin a trip, so it's a risk best avoided.

My best advice: make a packing list, trim it to the bare necessities, and stick to it when you pack! If, God forbid, you find you left something at home that you really need, you are in a major tourist area in a developed country surrounded by Walmarts - it's all there at your fingertips.

...another tip: others suggested ziploc bags for kids' clothes, which is a great suggestion. I'd add, make "outfit burritos" for the kids. (Fold t-shirts in thirds and shorts in half -- place short waistband on top of shirt neck, put socks and underwear on top, and carefully roll it all together with the shirt on the outside, smoothing out any wrinkles as you go. Then place the "burritos" side-by-side in a packing cube or gallon-sized Ziploc bags. To unpack - simply lay them in a drawer, and the kids can get out a complete outfit for themselves in the morning with no guesswork and no temptation on your part to throw in extra, unnecessary clothes when packing.)

I totally get it. I have never used the ziploc bag approach and never really rolled my clothes before. We have been fortunate enough in the past to have flown Southwest and get 2 checked suitcases per person. We have never used the 2 per person, usually it's 1 per person for us, but when my daughter was 6 months old and we stayed for 10 days I packed A LOT. I was a first time mom and I didn't want to forget anything and man I didn't! Lol - no regrets of course, but I learned that I really don't need some of the stuff that I brought that trip, this time around. You live and you learn. With that said, I am still hoping to fly Southwest and I will probably use 2 bags for myself (only bc one will be the baby's bag- they don't get a checked bag if they're lap babies).

 

[DryerLintFan]

To echo what others said...

If your list of "must haves" is long, I fear you do not understand the meaning of "must have."

Toiletries and toothbrushes. Clothes (1 outfit per day, + 1, swimsuit, undies, socks, PJs) and shoes (1 pair of sneakers, one pair of sandals). Prescription medicines. ID and currency. For a baby, a stroller or carrier and diapers/formula/bottles. These are relative must-haves. Everything else is a frippery (or can be borrowed or purchased on-site).

My family of four travels with a single 21" carryon suitcase per person (no need for checked luggage at all), which holds all of their clothes and sundries (PLUS breakfast foods for the hotel room) for a 5-6 day trip. We also bring a backpack or small tote per person for that person's entertainment items, sunglasses, and other things for the journey. If we're staying for longer, I add a laundry bag and detergent pods, and do laundry on our mid-week pool day. (WDW puts their laundry rooms right by the hotel pools, and you can effortlessly monitor the progress of your washer/dryer via a website, so you know the minute it's done. Genius!) I, too, used to pack everything but the kitchen sink, until I had a job where I needed to travel frequently, and quickly learned that there is more freedom and joy in what you leave behind that the amount of stuff you take, and that mishaps with checked luggage can practically ruin a trip, so it's a risk best avoided.

My best advice: make a packing list, trim it to the bare necessities, and stick to it when you pack! If, God forbid, you find you left something at home that you really need, you are in a major tourist area in a developed country surrounded by Walmarts - it's all there at your fingertips.

...another tip: others suggested ziploc bags for kids' clothes, which is a great suggestion. I'd add, make "outfit burritos" for the kids. (Fold t-shirts in thirds and shorts in half -- place short waistband on top of shirt neck, put socks and underwear on top, and carefully roll it all together with the shirt on the outside, smoothing out any wrinkles as you go. Then place the "burritos" side-by-side in a packing cube or gallon-sized Ziploc bags. To unpack - simply lay them in a drawer, and the kids can get out a complete outfit for themselves in the morning with no guesswork and no temptation on your part to throw in extra, unnecessary clothes when packing.)

To add to this.... I read that there's also the option to pay a tiny bit extra and the laundry machines will text you when your clothing is ready so you don't have to be there to monitor the process. That may be specific to the AoA though.

 

[DryerLintFan]

I totally get it. I have never used the ziploc bag approach and never really rolled my clothes before. We have been fortunate enough in the past to have flown Southwest and get 2 checked suitcases per person. We have never used the 2 per person, usually it's 1 per person for us, but when my daughter was 6 months old and we stayed for 10 days I packed A LOT. I was a first time mom and I didn't want to forget anything and man I didn't! Lol - no regrets of course, but I learned that I really don't need some of the stuff that I brought that trip, this time around. You live and you learn. With that said, I am still hoping to fly Southwest and I will probably use 2 bags for myself (only bc one will be the baby's bag- they don't get a checked bag if they're lap babies).

I took my daughter back home to California for a visit when she was 3.5 months old and ended up filling the GIGANTIC suitcase that I'd bought for my 3 week trip to Italy. I had every single thing in there that I could think of that we could possibly need and I think it weighed somewhere close to 65 pounds. We live and learn

One of the things that really helps me pack light as well is making sure that all of the outfits I bring for the trip coordinate with each other (for both me and my two year old). She's really picky about her clothes (I thought I had another year or two before that started ) but this gives me the flexibility to reuse items that she didn't get dirty (i.e. if she gets her shirt all sticky I can switch it out for a shirt she's already worn that didn't get dirty). That helps me too in case I spill coffee on myself or something. (although I imagine in August everything will get dirty due to sweat)

And hit up the dollar store for travel bottles you can pour your toiletries into so you aren't trying to pack a huge bottle of the ONLY body wash you can find that doesn't have coconut or sodium benzoate in it