Tips about Packing and Planning

Contact lens solution, glasses, and a spare set of contact lenses. (I forgot 'em a few trips ago and had to spend two days with one eye, since my prescription is so bad that most eye facilities don't stock them). - Michele

We took a nightlight for the room, and we brought a toddler toilet seat (our son would fall through otherwise). - Stephanie

I also bring on of those pop-up hampers that you can get for like $4. That way we can keep the dirty clothes separated. They have nice handles so I can take the whole hamper to the laundry room and throw a load in when the kids are swimming and then bring them back to the room. - Jamie

My entire crew is used to sleeping with a sound machine. On our first trip, I forgot to bring one, and needless to say we did not sleep well (there is no way to keep the bathroom fan or air conditioner running nonstop). So, if you are used to having one, make sure you take one along. They also cut down on the "traffic" noise from the hotel. - Heather

Clean out your closet! When we travelled to Walt Disney World (we now live in Florida), we would take clothes we never really wore. The clothing we brought, we disposed of after its use. Here are the benefits: We did not care how wet or dirty our son got; we had room for our souvenirs without adding baggage when we departed; and we had much less laundry to deal with when we got home. Also, it gave us a reason to buy an extra Disney shirt or two. - The Bornsteins

I like to line the front and back of my suitcase with scented trash bags. That way, if it is raining when we leave and luggage is exposed to the elements, the clothing stays dry. Plus, I can put dirty clothes in the scented trash bags during the trip. - Michelle

Here is a tip to save on luggage fees, if flying, or trunk space, if driving, to Disney. We ran into a "space" problem when plans changed and we were transporting luggage for nine people in one van. Not to mention the six people who were riding in the van. I found that if you pack each persons clothes in a vacuum "storage bag" (as seen on TV!). I was able to fit three bags into one large suitcase. So instead of having nine suitcases, we only had three. Be sure that the suitcases have wheels. It does make them a bit heavier. When your vacation is over and you are ready to repack, call room service and ask to have a sweeper with a hose attachment sent to your room. They are more than happy to oblige. - Amy Williams

I pack a travel French Press to ANY Walt Disney World resort hotel. The inability to get fresh-brewed coffee at WDW is frustrating to a coffee drinker like me! I only need one good cup in the morning for me and it makes my day. You can get a travel coffee press from online retailers for $20. It's only slightly bigger than a soda can and easily fits in a carry-on. Simply put the grounds in the bottom (you can buy Mickey coffee at the hotel), add hot water, wait 5-10 minutes, press, and pour a great cup of coffee!

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you don't want to bring your own, AllEars.Net maintains a page of places to get fresh-brewed coffee around the World: http://allears.net/din/coffee.htm

Going to a sit-down, outdoor presentation on a cold winter's night? Here's a simple, easy-to-carry way to keep your rump from freezing: bring one of those bubble-wrap filled envelopes of an appropriate size to sit on. The bubble-wrap insulates your nether regions from that cold, cold seat, is light as a feather and is easily carried in one of those many Disney World plastic bags you've acquired. It makes quite a difference! - Mamayama

As a Floridian I'd like to suggest to visitors to check the weather for Walt Disney World/Orlando before packing for their trip, especially December through February or March. While this seems like a "no-brainer", it's amazing to see folks dressed in shorts or sleeveless tops, even on chilly days. While "winters" in Florida are generally mild, we can experience some "cold snaps" (or at least it's cold to us!). We are frequent visitors to the Disney parks, and, I get upset when I see young children in shorts or sleeveless tops even when the weather is "chilly" by any standards. The parks are wide open spaces, and folks are generally outdoors most of the day. Even with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s, the evenings can be chilly when the sun goes down. Dress in layers or, at least, bring a jacket for the evening. You'll be glad you did! - Marian in Florida

Free Dining is sometimes offered with a resort package. My trip dates didn't include all of the free dining dates. I called Disney reservations to ask how I could take advantage of the free dining that is being offered and got a wonderful agent who checked into it for me. When she came back on the line, she had booked my trip for free dining for all 10 days. My tip is even if your dates are only partially covered, CALL! You may be able to get the whole trip included. It definitely made for a magical day in my house. - Stefanie

I had only visited WDW in January, November or December, so when I made my first hot summertime trip I didn't realize just how hot I would get. So here's my tip: pack twice the underthings you think you should. Coming back from the parks to rest midday may mean a quick dip in the pool or a quick shower and nap, but one thing is certain, you don't want to put on those same wet undergarments you just took off and they won't have had time to dry. So by the third day you have to do a load of wash already. If I had packed twice as many, I would have been able to wait until the sixth day of the trip to do some laundry. And laundry is not something that is high on my priority list when I'm in the "World." - Cheryl Hotard

I always pack extra large plastic zipper baggies to bring home wet bathing suits. I also pack plastic hangers, the ones that come with items from the stores, regular ones for bathing suits and ones with the clips for trunks. These let bathing suits dry quicker than flipping them over the shower rod. - Sue Pletsch

Pack a 4-cup coffee pot and folding cooler in your suitcase if staying at a value resort, saves a lot of money. We love the magic of staying at a Disney resort. We like to go every two years and look for ways to save money. - Bev

I just returned from chaperoning my son's band trip to Walt Disney World. I shared a room with another mom and, between the two of us, we had NUMEROUS gadgets (cell phones, iPods, cameras, batteries) that needed recharging. I wish I had packed a power strip or two so we could charge things without hunting all over the hotel room to find outlets. We had to unplug several lamps in order to get everything of ours plugged in. The power strip would make it less likely to leave behind a charger cord, too, if the power strip was located in a prominent location where it would be easily seen while packing at the end of the stay. - Debi Koehn EDITOR'S NOTE: You can also purchase electric outlets that allow 2 or more usb connects.