When do you all pack?

disneydreamer1980

disneydreamer1980

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
I have a big family (7 people) that I’m generally in charge of packing for, and we leave in 14 days (check in in 15 days) for a long universal/Disney trip. I asked DH to get luggage out this coming weekend so I could start gathering stuff together. He thinks I’m insane and we shouldn’t start packing til the day before we leave lol. This started a debate. I told him I’m sure lots of people like to get a head start on packing, am I crazy? When do people usually start packing?
 
I usually start "laying" things out a couple of weeks in advance. This way I can make sure we don't forget anything. And I check the piles a couple of times. We have a spare room, so we use the bed in there. But it is only my DH and I, so it's easy. We will usually take the suitcases out a couple of days before to start the actual "packing".

If I had a larger family like you, I too would want to start early to ensure I didn't forget anything. Good luck!
 
So we start buying stuff after we’ve booked. This goes for any trip. This includes toiletries, sunscreen, loofas, ponchos etc. We also start making checklists at this time so we know we don’t forget anything.

Then about two weeks before I start pulling what I definitely know I’m gonna wear (other family members vary in this especially my mom because she will wash something the night before if she wants to wear it) and either hang it up on my closet door or put it on top of my carry on. Starting the week before I start packing what I have and leave the suitcase open.

Then 2 nights before it turns into prep mode. We pack everything and double check everything, start charging everything we need charged, double check a lot. Leave suitcase and carryon open. Night before we finish minus pills/glasses/ anything we use on a daily basis to function and leave just our carryon open so we can quickly pack it and double check it in the morning. We also weigh our bags

Morning of (especially since we either drive or head to the airport early in the morning) we double check everything (if you read my universal portion of my trip report from last year you’ll know we had to turn back for my moms phone-thankfully wasn’t that far down the road from home when she realized it so from now on we will triple check).

Then we are off. Packing cubes have worked wonders over the past few trips but attempting to do just carry ons for anything more than a weekend is futile.
 
I usually start packing about a week in advance. We usually go when it's cold here, so it's not hard to pull summer clothes out, the hardest thing is just making sure everything fits since my kids are at the age where the summer stuff from last year could still work OR they've grown two sizes overnight and I need new stuff. Then the night before is a check for things like tooth brushes and regular brushes and things that we currently use but will need to bring. We're usually so frazzled in the days leading up that I want the majority of stuff done before then!
 
I'm going around the same time as you are and I packed all of my shirts, swuimsuits, Mickey ears and ponchos about a month ago lol. I usually do pants, other clothes and toiletries the night before as it's starting to get somewhat hot where I live so I'm using my shorts. I'm not planning on bringing checked luggage and instead doing a carryon that goes into the overhead so I'm currently playing Jenga in my bag to make sure everything fits xD

It's easier for me since I don't have kids and every person I'm going with packs for themselves, so I'm only responsible for making sure I have what I need. I actually like packing early, it gets me excited for the trip. Plus it gives me a lot of time to triple and quadruple check that I have everything. On my upcoming trip my group is planning on doing a stop to the Target near WDW property so if anyone does forget anything we can grab it there.

The night before I wash everything I didn't already pack so I'm all ready to go to hot/humid Florida in clean clothes. For bras, I hang them to dry on my bedroom closet door or put them on my carryon so I know for sure that I won't forget it.
 
disneydreamer1980 said:
I have a big family (7 people) that I’m generally in charge of packing for, and we leave in 14 days (check in in 15 days) for a long universal/Disney trip. I asked DH to get luggage out this coming weekend so I could start gathering stuff together. He thinks I’m insane and we shouldn’t start packing til the day before we leave lol. This started a debate. I told him I’m sure lots of people like to get a head start on packing, am I crazy? When do people usually start packing?
Click to expand...
did not ask as such but make sure you have clothes for everyone in each case in case one goes MIA if flying. do not ask why I say that. lets just say been there done that
 
As I begin accumulating things like shirts and stuff, I will grab one of the smaller suitcases and put it in there so it doesn't get lost. Then about a week before the trip I start setting outfits out and trying to get things sorted and packed. I don't like to do it the night before because I always forget stuff. If it was up to DH it would be an hour before we leave... I'm usually nagging him the night before to get me his stuff so I can pack it.
 
When we traveled with kids and I packed for everyone, I would start about a MONTH ahead tossing items in as I thought of them or wanted the kids not to have access to certain outfits so they wouldn't get too used looking. Now, with just us, I pack a few days before but my bags sit in the closet half packed and the only items I'm adding is outfits.
 
Oh that reminds me of a funny story of a last minute trip when my mom got married suddenly (another story)--I ended up throwing some stuff together for a quick trip to Ohio and THOUGHT I'd packed my husband's suit.

We get there late the night before the wedding. In the morning we go to get dressed and my husband is like "uhhhhh."

I'd packed his nice jacket and his nice shirt, but had grabbed a pair of MY dress pants and not his. SO he had to wear his jeans!
 
I'm an early packer, but I pack for 3 of of us (me, 5 yr old and 2 yr old), while my husband takes care of himself (and will pack day-of if he can!).

We leave in a little over a week, and I started packing last weekend. I'm aiming to have everything packed by the end of this coming weekend, with the exception of the last minute kinds of things. I hate rushing last minute and worrying that I forgot something, and I work hard to pack in a way that feels organized. Getting started early helps me think things through more clearly.
 
I start pulling items and putting them to the side about 2 weeks before I go to add to the laundry. I have super sensitive skin so I like to wash items again if I have not worn them for awhile (ie put away for the season). As I finish laundry, I pull those items out to the side and start organizing them for the packing cubes. The weekend before the items start going in the suitcase and being fully organized. I usually finish up the night before.
 
Smugpugmug said:
I'm going around the same time as you are and I packed all of my shirts, swuimsuits, Mickey ears and ponchos about a month ago lol. I usually do pants, other clothes and toiletries the night before as it's starting to get somewhat hot where I live so I'm using my shorts. I'm not planning on bringing checked luggage and instead doing a carryon that goes into the overhead so I'm currently playing Jenga in my bag to make sure everything fits xD

It's easier for me since I don't have kids and every person I'm going with packs for themselves, so I'm only responsible for making sure I have what I need. I actually like packing early, it gets me excited for the trip. Plus it gives me a lot of time to triple and quadruple check that I have everything. On my upcoming trip my group is planning on doing a stop to the Target near WDW property so if anyone does forget anything we can grab it there.

The night before I wash everything I didn't already pack so I'm all ready to go to hot/humid Florida in clean clothes. For bras, I hang them to dry on my bedroom closet door or put them on my carryon so I know for sure that I won't forget it.
Click to expand...
Packing a little early gets me excited for the trip too, and helps see what I still need to buy for the trip
 
I make a packing list about a month ahead of time, and identify anything we need to buy (like if we are low on toiletries for travel, if kids have outgrown swimsuits, etc). Then I start packing about 1-2 weeks ahead of time, and carefully check off what I've packed. We are driving, so I don't need to worry about losing luggage thankfully, but we are making a stop along the way, so I do a couple large suitcases and then pack smaller duffels/backpacks as overnight bags. The overnight bags i typically do the day before the trip. Electronics get packed day-of because we use them so much!
 
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