If you are like me, you start your Disney packing in your head almost a month before any vacation. When it comes to a Walt Disney World vacation, this means thinking about what coordinating outfits I want us to have, what Minnie Mouse ears to bring and even what magicbands we will want to have with us. I start making my Disney packing list weeks before we leave for our Disney vacation just to make sure we have everything.
To me Disney packing and thinking this through is part of the vacation adventure; however, there are some major packing mistakes that you will want to make sure you avoid when heading to Walt Disney World. I hope my mistakes will help you be more prepared and better packed for your Walt Disney World vacation.
Carry-Ons Are Key
We learned quickly during this last Disney vacation to Walt Disney World that it is important to take time to carry on some essentials. I know this probably sounds like common sense and trust me I have always taken time to pack our medicine, magicbands, swimsuits and at least one extra outfit for each of us in our carry-on suitcase or backpacks.
This year however we were without our luggage for two days (landed Friday and didn’t get them until Sunday evening at 9:00 pm) which made me realize that there are some other items I need to have with us in the future.
Layers were the first items that we missed when our luggage was having a vacation without us. Although I had extra outfits and pjs packed in our carryon suitcase, I didn’t have our sweatshirts or layers at the Walt Disney World Resort with us. This is mostly because they take up so much room. This quickly became a concern though as the temperature during Sunday morning was supposed to be 35. Even from Iowa, that is cold and I went into panic mode because we didn’t have any sweatshirts or layers.
Learn from my panic and make sure that everyone has those layers with them. Not only can they come in handy in the cold airports, it will help you be ready for any weather even without our suitcases.
The other big mistake I made when it came to our carry-ons was that I didn’t double check our toiletries. Both my daughter and I wear contacts and although I always make sure we have our glasses with us on the plane, neither of us had a contact case or solution. If you wear contacts, you know that this is a concern as you don’t want to keep those contacts all day and night as your eyes won’t be happy.
My kids also didn’t have toothbrushes as they put those in their toiletry bag which I put in one of the checked suitcases. Even though there are toothbrushes and toothpaste at the Disney Resort’s, you can save yourself some stress and money by having these in your carry-on suitcase.
I always thought I was prepared when it came to packing our carry-ons as I will always have our swimsuits, rain coats and one set clothes, but this trip I learned that we needed to make sure to have a few other essentials just in case our luggage takes a trip without us for a few days.
Packing Too Much
This is something that I always struggle with when traveling to Walt Disney World. Because the weather is always changing I tend to overpack with backup clothes, layers and everything and anything else I can think of we could possibly need.
This is a major packing mistake as all it does when we arrive is cause the room to be cluttered and it hard to find what we actually need. If I would focus our packing more, it would allow us to have more room throughout the resort room as well as make it easier for us to find the items that we need for the day.
Because I pack so much, it causes me to have to dig through everything in order to find what I need. By digging through everything it then leaves our once organized piles a mess causing even more frustration.
Avoid this mistake by focusing your packing. Even though you might think that you need everything, by having less you can find things easier and keep the room less cluttered. Remember, all Disney Resorts have laundry services if you do find yourself needing something cleaned.
Not Being Organized
Another major packing mistake you will want to make sure you avoid when heading to Walt Disney World is not being organized with your packing. If you are traveling with a family, make sure that you have a method or system to keep everyone’s stuff organized.
I have started to use packing cubes to keep our clothing separate and organized. I have bought different colors for the four of us so everyone knows which packing cube their items are packed in.
Another tip that I have started to use on the packing cubes is masking tape. By writing on the tape and sticking it on the packing cube I can quickly see what is in the cube without having to open them all up. This saves time and keeps things organized throughout the trip.
We also stay organized by bringing cloth cubes around the room. We like to use these to toss the kids’ pjs in as well as clothes for the next day. We use another cube for our magicbands, sunglasses and other little things we want to make sure to grab before heading out to the Disney Parks.
By doing these little things, we can really keep our Resort room organized and it helps everyone know where items are throughout the trip.
These are three big packing mistakes that I have made when heading to Walt Disney World. I hope by letting you know about my mistakes and how I have adjusted will help you when you prepare for Walt Disney World.
Looking for more packing tips? Check out our Pack Like a Pro Article HERE as well as What’s In Our Disney Park Bag HERE.
