Wow! we could've used that...

[Ericandus]

We just returned from our first trip, and since it was in January (and the coldest January in 25 years...) we packed lots of things that were not used. pool toys, flip flops, sunscreen, etc.
BUT we did take several things that were WONDERFUL to have!
1) pop up hampers. SO nice to have one in each bathroom (we stayed in a family suite at ASMu) I got them at Walgreens for cheap and they fit perfectly under the sinks in the bathrooms. It kept us from piling the clothes in a corner somewhere and made it extremely easy to carry them to the laundry room for a quick wash!
2)a stool for in the kids bathroom. There is no way our 4 and 6 year old dds could have reached the sink to brush their teeth without it!!
3) a large plastic cup to rinse the girl's hair in the bathtub. Something we use at home, and would have been lost without one!
4)fold out shoe organizer for in the closet area. 5 people with at least 3 pairs of shoes each causes quite a mess! Was so nice to have a place to put them and keep them out of the way and off the floor!! Folds flat in the suitcase too!
5)LOTS of memory cards for the camera. We used a new one everyday. At least if something happened to one card, we wouldn't have lost all our pictures!
6) Purex laundry sheets!! Soap and fabric softener in a single sheet! No fear of spills in the luggage and very convenient to carry. A single load box of soap in the laundry area was $2!!
7) Febreeze. We used it to freshen our fleece and sweatshirts each night (we were wearing all of them everyday!!) and was also a great air-freshener.
8) a full sized in-expensive coffee maker and coffee. We loved making a full pot of coffee in the mornings (and even most evenings) rather than having to make 2 small pots. We used the small one in the room to heat water for hot cocoa for the kids.
9) a nightlight. It was wonderful to not have to leave a bathroom light on each night in case the kids needed to get up!!
10) a box of toys/souvineers/stickers/glow sticks,etc from home. Each day the kids got a surprise from the "Disney box". It sure kept them from wanting everything they saw at the parks!!
Hope everyone has a wonderful trip!!

 

[flipflopmom]

For dishwashing, cut sponges into 4 sections, squirt with dish soap, put in a ziploc, and voila! Wash your dishes (mugs) with no extra towels, toss when you are done!

I wish I'd had some way to organize shoes, since the shoe organizer was used for all the other crap!

Took magnetic clips to hang lanyards on door, but they were too heavy for the clips. Wish I had something better. Actually, wish I had 4 of them, so we weren't trying to find them.

 

[ZoZo]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is extra hangers. There is never enough in the hotel closet, and not enough room in the drawers for all of our clothes. We usually stay 10+ days, so I pack a lot of clothes. The best hangers I have found are Huggable Hangers. They are slim and light, for packing. I have used them for our last 3 trips. They have been very useful.

You can call Mousekeeping and have them bring you extra hangers - they'll give you as many as you need! I stayed at POR in October, and when I called for hangers, they even asked if I wanted "regular" or "skirt" hangers (the kind with clips). I think I asked for about 12, and they brought them right away!

Would save space (and weight!) in your suitcase if you don't have to bring your own hangers!

 

[smithmom]

Great tips!

Thing I'm glad I brought were Zip loc bags - I have two small boys and I packed each of their outfits into a zip loc bag - shorts, top, underwear and socks. Made the mornings roll so quick. Just tossed them a bag and they got themselves dressed!

I bought a blinking colored flashlight for each of them in their favorite colors. And one extra incase one got lost (which it did). This stopped them from asking for one of the $25 huge light up things Disney sells. They would have been devastated if they couldn't get it in their suitcase to bring home....

I brought little surprises - figurines, pjs, Mickey shirts, flip flops, bath toys etc. for daily surprises.

While we were there during our last trip we bought the Mickey Mouse squirt fans. The boys LOVED them... they will be coming back with us on the next trip. I'd recommend bringing one from home if you can fit it... they are expensive down there and they were great for the hot weather.

Mickey straws - I bought a bunch and brought them with us. This made keeping them hydrated much easier. Everything tastes better through a mickey straw.

If you're taking the Magical Express - pack sunscreen in your carry on. It has the be 3oz or smaller to make it through security - but you may not get your luggage for a few hours when you get there and then you wont have to buy a small bottle for 10.00 at the gift shop.

Stroller Markers - Decorate your stroller!! It will make it a lot easier when you try to find it. I made a sign and stuck it in a ziploc bag (to keep it from getting worn or wet) and attached it to the stroller with zip ties. Made it easy to find it in the parks and at the airport!

Disney trivia! - Helped keep everyone (including the adults) from getting antsy in lines, at the airport or waiting for dinner. I have a huge list if anyone's interested.

My order from Garden Grocer - we got breakfast things and snacks. Made a big difference eating in the room in the AM. Saved a lot of time and we got to use our dining credits for lunch and dinner.

Little things like: a cup to rinse soap out of the kids hair, flushable wet wipes for the bathroom, air freshener, sented airfreshener balls you can stick in the kids shoes, a night light, Clothes pins to keep the shades closed at nap time, cheap toothbrush holder for the sink to keep toothbrushes/sink clean, travel Shower caddy (canvas one from LL Bean) keeps things in the bathroom cludder free.

IPOD TOUCH!!! This is always a life saver no matter where I am. Load it with games for the kids, quick shows in case there's a long wait for dinner (even with reservations), a playlist to play for the kids (and Mom) at bedtime, movies for the plane, Applications that help with Disney Dining and Wait times. These are great!!!

ok, my fingers are tired.
Hope you all have a great trip!

After reading some of these posts I'm goig to need a new suitcase!

 

[smithmom]

Love this thread! We'll be in WDW in March and I need to start making my lists in order to make sure all is bought, packed, shipped, etc.
I kept reading all the tips about the over-the-door-organizer, not believing that we would really need this. However, the more posts I read stating how much it was used, I'm thinking of getting my tail over to the Dollar Tree for one of these. A family of 5 (3 being adults) surely would use it, right?

We brought one. Seemed like a great idea - but I couldn't find a place to hang it. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and there wasn't really a door to hang it from.

We're heading back down this September and staying in the Wilderness Villas with 9 of us so I put it in the pile to go (yes, that's right, I've already started a pile in my room of things I want to bring to Disney in 8 months - I need a hobby ). I'm thinking it will be a great resource for keeping all our things separate.

 

[eksb327]

One thing we brought on our last trip was Wisp Disposable toothbrushes. Great to tuck into the bag for after meals, especially some of the more 'flavorful' ones at the World Showcase!

Love the tip about the collapsible hampers---will certainly do that one next time!

 

[Praise2Him]

We brought one. Seemed like a great idea - but I couldn't find a place to hang it. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and there wasn't really a door to hang it from.

I actually hang ours on the clothing rod in the bathroom (at the values). It's right by the sink and very convenient. Not sure about the moderates or deluxes since it's been awhile since we stayed at one, though.

 

[Angel16]

For dishwashing, cut sponges into 4 sections, squirt with dish soap, put in a ziploc, and voila! Wash your dishes (mugs) with no extra towels, toss when you are done!.

I really like this idea. I am going to use this for our future trips. Thanks

You can call Mousekeeping and have them bring you extra hangers - they'll give you as many as you need! I stayed at POR in October, and when I called for hangers, they even asked if I wanted "regular" or "skirt" hangers (the kind with clips). I think I asked for about 12, and they brought them right away!

Would save space (and weight!) in your suitcase if you don't have to bring your own hangers!

Great idea, which I tried on our last trip. I called housekeeping (Mousekeeping ) However I was told they didn't have extra hangers, the only kind they had were the ones already attached to the rod. We just made due, but I will try asking again on my next trip. We were so excited about being there I didn't persue it. Wanted to unpack and start the Magic.

Great tips!

Thing I'm glad I brought were Zip loc bags - I have two small boys and I packed each of their outfits into a zip loc bag - shorts, top, underwear and socks. Made the mornings roll so quick. Just tossed them a bag and they got themselves dressed!

I bought a blinking colored flashlight for each of them in their favorite colors. And one extra incase one got lost (which it did). This stopped them from asking for one of the $25 huge light up things Disney sells. They would have been devastated if they couldn't get it in their suitcase to bring home....

I brought little surprises - figurines, pjs, Mickey shirts, flip flops, bath toys etc. for daily surprises.

While we were there during our last trip we bought the Mickey Mouse squirt fans. The boys LOVED them... they will be coming back with us on the next trip. I'd recommend bringing one from home if you can fit it... they are expensive down there and they were great for the hot weather.

Mickey straws - I bought a bunch and brought them with us. This made keeping them hydrated much easier. Everything tastes better through a mickey straw.

If you're taking the Magical Express - pack sunscreen in your carry on. It has the be 3oz or smaller to make it through security - but you may not get your luggage for a few hours when you get there and then you wont have to buy a small bottle for 10.00 at the gift shop.

Stroller Markers - Decorate your stroller!! It will make it a lot easier when you try to find it. I made a sign and stuck it in a ziploc bag (to keep it from getting worn or wet) and attached it to the stroller with zip ties. Made it easy to find it in the parks and at the airport!

Disney trivia! - Helped keep everyone (including the adults) from getting antsy in lines, at the airport or waiting for dinner. I have a huge list if anyone's interested.

My order from Garden Grocer - we got breakfast things and snacks. Made a big difference eating in the room in the AM. Saved a lot of time and we got to use our dining credits for lunch and dinner.

Little things like: a cup to rinse soap out of the kids hair, flushable wet wipes for the bathroom, air freshener, sented airfreshener balls you can stick in the kids shoes, a night light, Clothes pins to keep the shades closed at nap time, cheap toothbrush holder for the sink to keep toothbrushes/sink clean, travel Shower caddy (canvas one from LL Bean) keeps things in the bathroom cludder free.

IPOD TOUCH!!! This is always a life saver no matter where I am. Load it with games for the kids, quick shows in case there's a long wait for dinner (even with reservations), a playlist to play for the kids (and Mom) at bedtime, movies for the plane, Applications that help with Disney Dining and Wait times. These are great!!!

ok, my fingers are tired.
Hope you all have a great trip!

After reading some of these posts I'm goig to need a new suitcase!

I love all your ideas. You are very creative and a great Mom!

One thing we brought on our last trip was Wisp Disposable toothbrushes. Great to tuck into the bag for after meals, especially some of the more 'flavorful' ones at the World Showcase!

Love the tip about the collapsible hampers---will certainly do that one next time!

WISP is a new product for me. I am going to have to try them, great for a nice long day in the park and wanting to freshen-up before/after dinner.

The collapsible hampers are great. We purchased ours about 4 years ago, at Walgreens. It looks as good as new, even after many vacations, with trips to the laundry room at resorts, laundry mats. Great $4.00 purchase. I clean it and put it back in the luggage after each trip.

I Love This Thread!!!!



Angel16

 

[meeshkamooshka]

Powdered laundry soap (I pre-measured it and put it in the snack size zip lock bags) and dryer sheets. Buying soap at the resorts can get expensive. I underestimated how much laundry I would be doing. I figured 2 or 3 loads and it ended up being at least 6, for our 10 day stay.

A giant bag to put our dirty laundry in for storage and to take to the laundry room.

I know, who wants to do laundry on vacation? But packing for 5 people for 10 days, I couldn't help it. I would have had to pack so many clothes.

Along those lines, a roll of quarters. The change machine was broke, so I'm glad I had my own.

I second that !!!!

A ROLL OF QUARTERS...THE CHANGE MACHINE IS ALMOST ALWAYS BROKEN...although at the Contemporary I used my room key ( or was it a credit card) and it was much easier to deal with !

 

[kydisneymom]

The hamper idea came in very helpful! They also now make Purex sheets that have the detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheet all in ONE! Several come to a package and they fit perfectly in your suitcase. It was so easy just to take the laundry bags and throw the sheets in there. Saved so much time and space. I also just put dishwashing liquid in a travel size container and got a cheap sponge that I could throw away at the end of the week. Ziploc bags are an essential! I took several sizes since there are a million things they could be used for. Thanks to all my fellow DIS board pals, the tips I got were priceless

 

[kmccartney]

We brought one. Seemed like a great idea - but I couldn't find a place to hang it. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and there wasn't really a door to hang it from.

We're heading back down this September and staying in the Wilderness Villas with 9 of us so I put it in the pile to go (yes, that's right, I've already started a pile in my room of things I want to bring to Disney in 8 months - I need a hobby ). I'm thinking it will be a great resource for keeping all our things separate.

I love that you have a pile, I have a tote bin, and yes, it is already accumulating items that I intend to pack for our August Disney trip!

On another note, you said you really couldn't find a place to hang the over the door shoe organizer at WL? We are staying at WL in August and I have already bought one from Walmart to pack, will it fit over the top of the bathroom door?

 

[noahdove]

I guess I best get more note paper ready My binder will have lots in it once I keep taking these notes I'll probably need a new pen also Thanks for all the ideas

 

[gracielou]

One of the oddest things I ever read about on the DIS--and one thing I can never forget to bring--is aerosol deoderant. Spray some on your feet before hitting the parks and forget about blisters!

 

[jacksmom]

The purex laundry sheets are really great!

 

[dunbarfamily]

The purex laundry sheets are really great!

Agree! I bought some to use on our trip the end of the week!

 

[kmccartney]

One of the oddest things I ever read about on the DIS--and one thing I can never forget to bring--is aerosol deoderant. Spray some on your feet before hitting the parks and forget about blisters!

Does this really work keeping blisters away in the summer heat?

 

[gracielou]

Does this really work keeping blisters away in the summer heat?

In 10 years and 15 trips the only blisters I ever got at WDW were the ones I had before I read this tip on the DIS! And I once got blisters just walking around LAX!

 

[sdemore]

Dollar store ponchos. Brought regular ponchos for rain and disposables for the water rides. Ended up just using the disposables all the time. They were so much easier to slip in your pocket and have around if it rained
Also, moleskin for tender spots and Bomine for motion sickness on rides.

 

[dhiwannabe]

im mostly a day trip person, but ill share a few tips, mainly revolving around electronics:

1. Bring all of your charging cords--it sounds really obvious, but in the rush to get out the door, it's easy to forget. and it is very, very, very annoying to have to ration your phone, iPod, ect.

2. Charge everything the night before you depart and the night before you return.

3. Get a new book, a new movie on your iPod, or a new DS game to entertain everybody during line waits and such. for my last weeklong vacay, i downloaded a new swac, 2 new iCarlys, a a movie (fame) plus a new book, and used every cent i spent.

 

[balletmom97]

Took magnetic clips to hang lanyards on door, but they were too heavy for the clips. Wish I had something better. Actually, wish I had 4 of them, so we weren't trying to find them.

Have you tried the Command adhesive hooks? We use them for a lot of things and they really do come off without damaging the surface!