So many clothes, so few suitcases

[jjarman]

We are going the middle of March and I have been monitoring the weather in Orlando. Gee, what a wide range of temps. Anywhere from the 40s to the 80s. I have jeans, capris and shorts for me, t-shirts, tank tops and a hoody jacket, sandals, keds, running shoes, swimsuit...The more I pack the more I think I need. I am notorious for over packing. Anyone else having as much trouble as I am deciding on what clothes to take?

 

[sweetpeakaris]

Yes, I overpack, but better to overpack than underpack, kwim? I love to take more because you just don't know what it will be like once you arrive.

 

[frannn]

We used to go to WDW every March for our anniversary. It was always still hot, but not too hot, and not too humid. To save myself from packing my entire wardrobe, I packed light capris instead of shorts, several tshirts, a sweatshirt jacket, several mid length sundresses, and a very light sweater. This worked for all the March FL we encountered (chilly in the AM, warmer as the day progressed, then somewhat chiller at night). I would tie my sweater/sweatjacket around my waist when it got warmer, and put it on when it was cold. It was also comfie to sit on while waiting for Fantasmic to begin! Almost forgot- I also usually take two long sleeved tshirts for travel days. They are not so heavy that they weigh the luggage down, and I can always throw one on if the weather gets blechy.

 

[lovinwdw]

My DH laughs at me because when we pack, he has a tiny suitcase (almost as small as a carry on) and I have this huge suitcase (filled by the way) along with a carry on. I have a bad habit of pretty much packing all of my summer cloths. I keep thinking well what if it rains and I have to change...well what if it is really hot and I want to change in the middle of the day. It never fails, I always pack a lot of cloths and end up going home with more than 1/2 of the cloths never worn. But, I believe, better safe than sorry! There will be that 1 time that you don't pack everything, and that is when you really need it. Just don't go crazy with the shoes. I always pack 1 pair of sandles and 1 pair of sneakers. You really don't need more than that. Have fun!!!

 

[jjarman]

Probably the only time I don't overpack is when we rent a house at the beach with my brothers and their families. I usually end up wearing 1-2 pairs of shorts and 1-2 shirts the whole 5 days. We do wash some but I am in my swimsuit the entire time. Otherwise, I take everything but the kitchen sink.

 

[MrsPete]

I'm just the opposite. I take one outfit per day, and I rarely ever wish I had something else. I don't like to deal with excess stuff on vacation. We went on a four-day cruise with one suitcase for our whole family.

Here's one hint to keep your packing in line: Keep a handle on the shoes. An extra tank top or swim suit takes up very little room, but extra shoes take up a good deal of space. Take one pair of basic, comfortable sandles instead of several pairs of colorful ones.

 

[mmeb144]

Doing laundry at Disney isn't cheap, but it's better than packing too much. I plan on doing the laundry at least once per week (while at Disney). If there are problems, I wash again. Just pack your favorites and plan on wearing them 2 or 3 times.

Marie

 

[Mama2jasminANDcaitie]

For our 6 day trip in 3 weeks i am planning for each of my two dd and myself

2 pairs of jeans
2 pairs of capris
a pair of denuim overalls
6 tshirts
1 long sleeve hoodie zip Disney fleece
1 sun dress with a sweater for a nice dinner
2 swimsuits ( i dunno if we'll even need one.. but two is a luxury.. one dries while you wear the other)

one pair of sandals
one pair of tennis shoes

anything matches with jeans and the capris are mix and match with all of the tees. They are also cotton. I can wash them in the sink and hang them to dry in the hotel room if I need to.

i also have one outfit of shorts and a tshirt that compacts very small for dd4... i dont go anywhere without an extra for her.. she is a very messy child.

 

[Ilovestitch]

I used to pack a lot of clothes, but I've really cut down. We are going in May for 10 days and I think I will take:

1 pair long pants
1 hooded sweatshirt jacket
Maybe 4 pairs of shorts
1 skirt
Maybe 6 or 7 tops
2 bathingsuits
1 pr sneakers
2 or 3 prs of cheap Old Navy flip flops (i throw them away)

 

[dizprincess717]

I'm going crazy with deciding what to pack. This past summer we took our motorhome that has a huge closet in our big bathroom in the back so my sister and I took basically our whole wardrobe! J/K But I did take a lot with me, more than I needed to. But it's definatley better to overpack than underpack. And sometimes an outfit just doesn't look right and you have back-ups to wear. For my trip in a week (!!!) I went shopping and this is what I'm taking:

- 2 pairs of jeans
- 2 pairs of capris, one jean and one sweat-pant material
- 2 pairs of shorts
- 1 skirt for our sit-down dinners (I can't help it, I like to look nice for our big dinners)
- 3 or 4 tee shirts, the polo kind
- 1 3/4 length shirt
- 1 long sleeved tee shirt
- 1 hooded sweatshirt that I'll wear on the plane and back since we're flying out of Philly
- 1 pair of white sneakers and 1 pair of flip flops
- 1 bathing suit, just incase!
- ...And don't even get me started with my bathroom bag. That's a whole other story!

 

[seashoreCM]

I can bring (usually wear on the plane) one sweatshirt and one long pants and not need any other long clothing.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[uva185]

I usually bring 2 sets of clothes per day because I like to change before dinner. But then again I am notorious for overpacking....I just can't help it

 

[safetymom]

Just be sure to check how many suitcases you can take and the weight allowed. It can get expensive at the airport if your suitcases are overweight.

 

[klmall]

We'll be in Florida for 9 days this trip (six at WDW and 3 at a convention) so I will need a variety of clothing including something for a fancy dinner one night. I'm packing 4 days worth plus 1 fancy outfit and then doing laundry using XClaim dryer type sheets. These weigh less than a laundry bottle etc. but cost a fortune in S/H from the only supplier ($6.88 s/h for a $4.99 product if I remember accurately.) I will still need a big suitcase but with airline weight restrictions ranging from 50 pounds max to 70 pounds it's won't be like the old days where we packed the closet!!!!

 

[Jockaroo]

OK, confession time. For one of our Disney trips, I actually brought home an entire suitcase of clean clothes--the large suitcase at that! So I really learned a good lesson.

Now, typically plan on bringing one T-shirt per day, plus an extra just in case. I also bring a chambry (denim-look) long-sleeve button up that I can wear as a light weight jacket if needed. I also pack a couple of pieces of denim (jeans or shorts) that can be worn 2 days if needed. Then I add a couple more pairs of comfy pants/shorts depending on the length of the trip. I leave the white pants/shorts at home. 2 pairs of tennis shoes and two pairs of socks per day. For our Demember trip, I took a few more shirts, since I added some long-sleeved tees. Very glad I did this since it was COLD. But you really need to pack for the weather. You need to overpack a little during the chilly times, unless you just want another $40+ Mickey Mouse sweatshirt.

My goal now is to try to prevent my hubby from getting a hernia when getting the luggage in and out of the car!

 

[Donalds#1Fan]

My packing list for last March/April
2 prs. shorts(both jean as khaki tends to stain easier)
1 sweatshirt(for the MN weather)
10 prs. underwear
10prs. socks(both of these you can never overpack for...underwear and socks are small and fit nicely. Have more than you think you'll need as you don't want to run out and sweaty socks really are not fun)
1 pr. sandals(most worn, they had straps and absorped a lot of shock, I wore them the most and found my feet to be happier).
1 pr. tennis shoes(my tennis shoes were really hot and uncomfortable so I rarely wore them)
6 t-shirts(it was warm, but not enough for a tank top IMO, and I bought three t-shirts so I always had extra).
1 pair of pants(for the flight home and to WDW as my legs can take temperatures down to 40 degrees and I knew we could always throw them in the wash).
Toiletries

I made sure to roll my clothes up tightly and pack them. I had half my suitcase emty, which came in handy as the water bag was over weight so half had to go into my suitcase. The souvenirs fit well too as we got rid of the water, snacks, and such and had room to pack the stuff we bought!

Oh I have to mention: the suitcase I used was a 22" upright. And the for shorts, I alternated wearing them as I tend to favor these two pairs and figured I'd never wear the others except at home.