Packing for Disneyland

Packing is not my favourite thing, let’s just get that right out in the open.  Packing for a 13-day road trip for a family of five is only made bearable by keeping the destination in mind, but packing while trying to keep that destination – DISNEYLAND – a secret?!!  Let’s just say it was tricky and required a box ounce or two of wine patience. I have been to Disneyland in December once before, three years ago, so I felt fairly confident about my packing decisions.  Based on my previous experience, I figured dresses, leggings, light sweaters and comfortable shoes should do it…  I was wrong.  So wrong.

Aside from having to buy umbrellas (!), I packed more than enough…

• 2 black dresses with pockets – ENTIRELY DIFFERENT
• polka dot dress
• pink dress
• Soya concept dress
• navy shift
• Moulinette Soeurs dress
• green dress
• grey Lolë dress 
• raspberry, teal and mustard cardis
• Tinkerbell, cobalt and grey wool sweaters
• navy leggings, Eileen Fisher leggings and black Icebreaker leggings
• blue, navy, black, floral and printed scarves
• one pair of skinny jeans
• pj’s
• denim jacket, teal light jacket, London Fog jacket
• a whole lotta shoes including Miz Mooz boots, Saltwater Sandals, and Skecher Go Walks

All of that fit easily into a mid-size suitcase along with my toiletries, accessories and hair tools.  I tried to wear everything but I mis-packed.  You see, I looked at the weather reports and just assumed it’s like Alberta where the forecast changes hourly so I didn’t believe it would be so chilly.  Consequently, there were a few dresses I didn’t wear (in red) and I wished I had brought more jeans and long warm tops.  Living and learning!  (Next time, I’ll do that and it will be gorgeous!)

Like last time, I tried to take a pic daily so amidst my OOTD shots below, find twenty tips for packing for a road trip to Disneyland!

1 – Start thrifting for Disney gear as soon as you decide you’re going.

2 – Travel in dresses.

3 – Check the weather report – and believe it.

4 – Check out Pinterest for all kinds of Disneyland advice.

I didn’t do this the last time we went and felt much better prepared this time.

5 – One suitcase, one backpack per person and put a headlamp or book light in everyone’s bag for the trip.  

6 – Take a separate bag for shoes and another for outerwear.

No, I did not feel bad for taking several pairs of shoes!!  I had no idea how my feet would hold up and wanted to have options.  As it turned out, I wore boots until I hit warm weather, changed into my yellow sandals for one stroll through Downtown Disney, and wore my Skechers the rest of the time.

7 – Got more than 2 kids?  Take a Thermarest-style mattress and sleeping bag.

8 – Keep all the movies in one bag.  Make a trip to the library before you go (or thrift movies before and during).  

We are lucky to have a sweet sweet 2007 Honda Odyssey with a DVD player – HALLELUJAH!  I coached the kids to thrift each other movies for Christmas, borrowed some, had some from the library and thrifted some “new” ones for the ride home.  My kids were thrilled to watch hours of screen time without mommy telling them to stop!

9 – Carry-on suitcases are the right size for kids if you roll your clothes

I Santa debated what size of suitcase to get the kids but it turns out the carry-on size is perfectly fine even for boy children larger than the average supermodel.  You wouldn’t think rolling clothes rather than folding would save that much space but it does.  Try it, you’ll see.

10 – Empty the trash at every gas stop and keep a small garbage up front along with a box of tissues.

Is this a no-brainer?  Just in case it’s not, I include it to ensure no one suffers from PVD (Premature Van Demise).  Near the end of your trip, your vehicle will resemble the aftermath of a tornado, but this can be stayed by emptying out all the debris at each stop.  I might have given them their own garbage receptacle but there wasn’t really room.  By handing it up to me, it was contained and easily emptied.  As for the tissues, lots of Pinterest links recommended having wipes or wet ones but for my fam, tissues were adequate.  No tissues would have been a disaster.  #kidsrgross

11 – Stop when you need to, not on a schedule, and use Yelp when you do.

My kids surprised me by being able to go for a LONG time without a driving break.  I monitored the sitch but had we stopped every 2 hours, the trip would have taken a whole lot longer because every stop is at least 15 minutes and usually twice that.  Just wait till all hell breaks loose your kids give cues that they need a break, then stop.  I LOVE Yelp for finding off-the-beaten-path restaurants.  In my experience, Yelp reviews are pretty accurate…

12 – Take a toaster

This was perhaps our most brilliant move – not seen on any Pinterest packing lists because who travels with a toaster?!!! WE DO!!

13 – A collapsible laundry hamper will save your life.

I’ll spare you a photo of our dirty laundry but this was a Pinterest tip and now, I’ll never leave home without it.  Way better than a plastic bag.  I should also note that we planned from the get-go to do laundry midway.  Let me clarify, *we* didn’t do the laundry; we dropped it off and picked it up the next day, neatly folded in the hamper which is PRICELESS.

14 – Parade blankets are worth their weight in gold.

I got these waterproof pocket parade blankets from Amazon and they were invaluable.

15 – Skechers Go Walk shoes are my new BFF.

16 – If you take only one piece of outerwear, make it water-resistant.

17 – In the park, rent a stroller.

18 – Backpack essentials: concentrated water flavour drops, glow sticks, large baggies, portable chargers, Rubix cube.

We took refillable water bottles and a couple of containers of concentrated water flavour drops – way cheaper than buying drinks all the time.  Glow sticks are amazingly engaging plus they help you spot your family in a crowd!  Large baggies hold Disney autograph books, wet clothes, snacks, etc.  The portable charger is obvious and my kids spent a ton of time in line playing with their Rubix cubes.

19 – Personal essentials – nice shampoo, flat-iron, perfume, travel mug, shower cap.  A few accessories go a long way.

Given my over-packing tendencies, some things were nonetheless indispensable including small over-priced bottles of my salon shampoo, travel sized perfume, a Contigo travel mug, and shower cap because hotel shower caps are about as effective as disposable ponchos.  I took a few accessories including my She Does Create build-your-own pendant.  There’s no reason not to be stylish and finished!!

20 – Lower your standards.

Everyone is excited and tired and not eating normally and staying up way too late AND NOT SLEEPING IN THE VAN! (Why?  Why.)  Your road-tripper will get messy, you will run into a few glitches – like your husband losing his park ticket – but you’re still in the happiest place on earth!  Leave your usual habits and standards at home and just enjoy yourself! (Except your manners, take those.)

Something happens at Disneyland.  You think you’re not a ride person or a princess person and whatnot, but you get there and everything changes.  Hopefully these packing tips will help YOU the next time you go an adventure!  What do you think?  What is YOUR top packing tip?!