Our Disney World vacation is only a week away and I’ve been planning it for about 6 months now. I even started packing 3 weeks before our departure date because it’s winter here and a girl’s gotta dream! Having been to Disney World with our family of 5 previously, I had a pretty good idea of what to pack and checked my trip notes from our most recent trip for things I wish we had brought. Our boys are aged 8, 12 and 14 and we’re flying to our destination and will be using Disney transportation and Lyft during our stay. In my packing guide for a one-week Disney World vacation, I share my packing strategy for the whole family. I also go over packing needs for families with babies and very young children, as we travelled quite a lot when our children were younger.
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Airline Baggage Allowances
The main thing to consider when packing for a trip that involves a flight is luggage size and allowable baggage. It’s important to understand if baggage is included with your flight or if you are paying out of pocket for each bag. For our trip, each family member is allowed one checked bag and one carry-on bag, plus an additional personal item like a purse or camera bag. With five family members, we could technically carry a lot of bags, and we have done that in the past. However, my strategy is a little different these days. Additionally, don’t forget to consider maximum weight limits on your bags. This is usually only a concern if you are using bags near the upper size limit and are bringing some heavier items like textbooks.
My Baggage Strategy
Checked Bags
I recommend only buying suitcases with wheels and handles that extend- trust me on this one! Hardbody or soft body both seem to work well for us. I make sure to use luggage tags for each of our bags. And on each tag, I include my cell phone number and the contact information for the hotel we will be staying at.
Each member of our family will bring one checked bag- my husband and I will bring suitcases near the upper limit of the baggage allowance, while the boys will bring slightly smaller suitcases typically used for carry on. This works well since their clothing takes up less space than ours and I tend to need more space for shoes! Each child will be responsible to wheel their own suitcase along. Even very young children can pull a suitcase and I do recommend giving them this responsibility when they’re young. When we travelled with babies, we would have used a larger suitcase for the children, combining the clothing for two or more children in one bag. Then the oldest child could pull this suitcase and the babies/young toddlers wouldn’t have to carry a bag.
Our Suitcases
- Adults- Samsonite Winfield (27” by 18.25” by 10.75”)
- Children- Samsonite Winfield (21.5” by 14.5” by 9”)
Larger Items for Babies and Toddlers
If you have a baby or toddler, you may choose to bring the following extra items from home. Airlines are usually very accommodating for these items, but make sure to check the regulations beforehand to avoid any surprises.
- Pack and play
- Stroller
- Car seat or booster seat
- Portable high chair
Carry-On Bags
My advice for carry-on bags is to limit them! Check as much as you can and then have each person bring only one small- to medium-sized backpack to carry personal items, including a sweater or light jacket, water bottle, phone or iPod with earphones, wallet, and comfort items like books, magazines, and stuffies. Have one adult carry all the passports and tickets. We also include hand sanitizer and tissues in both adult carry-on bags.
Ensure that you check out your airline’s size/weight restrictions as well as banned items for carry on.
Another great option for carry-on bags is to purchase a carry-on bag/suitcase combination that links together. This is great because then it feels like you’re only carrying one item, but can separate them when the suitcases are checked.
Same Day Park Visit
If you plan to visit a park the same day you arrive (we will, and likely won’t be able to check into our room beforehand), you might want to add any park essentials to your backpack or have them in an easily accessible pocket of a checked bag (see section below on Park Backpack Tips). Our carry-on backpacks will be used as our park backpacks when we get to our destination. Only the adults in our family will be bringing a backpack to the parks.
Park Backpack Tips
My packing guide for a one-week Disney World vacation wouldn’t be complete without a discussion of the park backpack. This is the bag you bring to the park each day and it contains all the essentials needed to make your days run smoothly. I find it much more comfortable to carry a backpack than a purse, especially when lugging around water bottles.
Since our children are eight and older, we find that travelling with two smallish backpacks works best for us. We divide up our supplies so that even if my husband and I split up to visit different attractions we each have the essentials.
Park Backpack Essentials
*Each of the two backpacks will include these essentials
- Empty space to allow for children’s sweatshirts or light jackets
- Wallet (purchase a smaller wallet containing only the essentials)
- Phone
- Camera (if this is important to you)
- Two water bottles
- A few snacks like apples, granola bars, and crackers (ordered from Instantcart)
- Water-resistant sunscreen
- Hand sanitizer and hand lotion
- Disinfectant wipes
- Sunglasses
- Travel-sized umbrella
- Clear plastic rain ponchos (ours haven’t arrived yet)
- Glow sticks (purchased from the Dollar Store) for evening activities
- Travel-sized Tylenol or equivalent pain killer
- Any medication you or your children need to take during the day (including epi-pens if applicable)
- Band-Aids and medicated ointment
- Travel-sized tissues
*Note- Each adult and child will be wearing a magic band and a sunhat
For babies, you may also need:
- Portable change pad
- Diapers, wipes, and diaper cream
- Bottles (if baby is bottle fed)
- Nursing cloth (if baby is nursed)
- Spare outfit
- Baby food, spoons, and cutlery
- Sippy cup
Packing Lists
List for each child for a 7-day trip in mid-March
*Note- I try to pack fairly lightly, bringing only slightly more than is needed for each day. Worst case scenario, we will have to wash something by hand or purchase something new (which we will be doing anyway).
- 8 sets of undergarments
- 3 pairs of pajamas
- 8 pairs of socks
- 2 bathing suits (including sun-resistant tops)
- 1 hooded sweatshirt
- 2 long-sleeved t-shirts
- 7 short-sleeved t-shirts
- 2 short-sleeved button-up shirts
- 5 pairs of shorts
- 3 pairs of pants (1 jogger, 1 denim, 1 dressier pair)
- 1 pair of comfortable, broken-in running shoes
- 1 pair of beach shoes (flipflops or crocs)
- Sunglasses if your children wear them
- Swim goggles (for pool time)
- 1 sunhat (we will likely purchase a new hat or baseball cap while on the trip)
- 1 light jacket
My Style
My style when I’m in the parks is summery and light and breezy. I always wear a hat and sunglasses and I love a good cardigan.
My Packing List
*Note- I don’t pack for my husband and I’m assuming most husbands can pack for themselves, so no list here.
- 8 sets of undergarments (2-3 bras)
- 3 pairs of pajamas
- 7 pairs of socks
- 2 bathing suits- one bikini and a one-piece suit
- 1 pair of shorts designed to go over bathing suit bottoms
- 1 bathing suit cover-up (dress or wrap)
- 3 cardigan sweaters (oatmeal, white or light grey, navy)
- 2 tank tops (I’m more of a t-shirt person)
- 7 short-sleeved t-shirts
- 2 short-sleeved button-up shirts
- 4 pairs of shorts (white denim, blue chambray, pink and white stripe, distressed light denim)
- 1 pair of distressed light jeans
- 2 pairs of capris (1 black, 1 white denim)
- 1 casual dress, 1 fancier dress
- 2 pairs of running shoes (white Keds, and very comfy blush runners)
- 2 pairs of sandals (one comfy black pair, one pretty and airy blush pair)
- 1 pair of beach shoes (flipflops)
- 1 sunhat (natural) and one foldable bucket hat (tan)
- A light jacket
- Hairband, scrunchies, hair ties and clips
- Jewelry (in a travel case)
- A belt (thin and black)
*Note- my travel wardrobe loosely follows the capsule wardrobe model in which most thing work really with other items in the capsule. This means that sweaters and other items can be worn more than once by combining them in different ways with other items from the capsule.
Shoes
Are five pairs of shoes too many? I don’t think so- on our Disney trip four years ago, I only brought 3 pairs of shoes- new runners, crocs, and flipflops. After the first day of walking over 10 kilometers, my feet were so sore and blistered and I absolutely could not put my running shoes back on the next day. As a result, I ended up wearing my crocs for the remainder of the trip. Luckily, they turned out to be the most comfortable shoes and didn’t rub me the wrong way. This was entirely my fault because I hadn’t properly broken in the running shoes prior to the trip. So, if you’re bringing new shoes, make sure to also bring an old favourite too. Uncomfortable feet are no joke!
Personal items
Because everyone’s morning routine is so different, I’m not providing a list for that here. My advice is to go through your morning routine from teeth brushing to the final touch of makeup, making a list. Then, pack smaller sizes of your favourite items. You can go through this for your children too- have them pack their own bathroom bags if they’re old enough.
Final thoughts
Packing for your trip can be a lot of fun, especially if you plan ahead and feel prepared. I usually treat myself to a new outfit or two and a new bathing suit. I actually love shopping and packing for a trip because I’m anticipating the fun of the trip. It’s the anticipation of the trip that’s half the fun I think. I hope you have enjoyed my packing guide for a one-week Disney World vacation.
If you happen to have noticed the wallpaper and want to find out more, you can read my post, Home Office Refresh with Wallpaper.
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