We are going to Disney April 17-24 for my daughter's 9th birthday! This is my first trip to Disney as an adult and only 2nd trip ever. It's my DH and DD's first trips! I am trying to figure out what all we need to pack. We'll be flying, so we want to minimize luggage, and leave room for souvenirs on the return trip. We'll also be there over Easter, but I plan to ship some candy to the resort ahead of time.
So veteran Disney-goers, what are the must-haves and what can we leave at home? Any tips/tricks are welcome!
We'll be leaving just as you're arriving, after celebrating our daughter's 10th birthday!
We also believe in packing/traveling light. This year I'm going to experiment a bit based on what I've learned in the forums and have a grocery delivery sent to our hotel from Garden Grocer. That'll include beverages/snacks for the room along with any toiletries, first aid items (band aids, blister band aids and neosporin) and sun block that we might need. I love the idea that we'll only need to pack & transport clothing. I prefer to bring mostly sundresses. It makes for less clothing to pack, keeps me nice and cool and looks nice at dinner. I don't find them to be a problem on rides. Just tuck your skirt under you when you sit down.
For my daughter, it'll be a combination of sundresses and shorts/t-shirts. I'll bring cardigans for each of us, which we'll carry onto the plane and use throughout the week for inclement weather. I'll wear my slide on athletic shoes when traveling and pack a pair of comfortable sandals and a pair of sneakers (I find switching shoes throughout the week saves my feet big time), same shoe plan for my daughter. Good wicking socks are important too. What I wear on the plane will be my outfit to fly home in. I usually ask the hotel to launder that outfit during the week so it's fresh for the flight home.
Honestly, I think the carry on bag is the most important part because if I forget a piece of clothing, I can always buy something @ Disney. Keeping the child occupied for 3 hours on the flight is far more important. Her carry on bag will include ear plugs (It's not uncommon for children to have ear aches from the pressure changes on the plane. My daughter gets ear pain for this very reason and I always get her special ear plugs that address this problem from
Amazon. A nurse recommended them), noise cancelling headphones for watching movies, her iPad (fully charged), her iPad charger, a book, and a stuffed animal that can also serve as a pillow. My carry on will have a couple protein bars, noise cancelling ear buds, my own tablet, ibuprofen, and eye drops (my contacts dry out on the plane), charger for phone and tablet. In my purse I'll have copies of all our reservations and confirmation numbers printed (in case my phone doesn't work).
