We are now at T minus 10 days until our next Disney vacation! The excitement is building and the suitcases have been rolled out. In this post I would like to follow up on what types of items are going in our suitcases and any last minute to-dos before we embark on our magical vacation.
Final to-do list
Below are some of the things I have been checking off my list as our vacation nears.
Notified school teachers of student absences. In the last post I discussed notifying activities coaches and social clubs instructors of my children’s upcoming absences. The same should be applied for educational instructors as well. I emailed all primary teachers and they ensured that the absence will be recorded at the school for all days of our vacation
Contacted Disney’s Magical Express due to change in flight information. For reasons of which I am unsure, both of our outbound and return flights had schedule and flight number changes. This means that the information that was sent in for our Disney’s Magical Express reservation was no longer accurate. In the email confirmation I received there is a phone number to call to update my transportation information. I made the phone call and the agent updated our reservation accordingly. You can also have your travel agent make this update. The important thing is to ensure that all changes are recorded with Disney ASAP.
Confirmed Airport Transport Information. Speaking of airport transfer details, we set up a round trip limo transport from our home to the airport. Just to ensure we aren’t waiting (and panicking) on departure day, I always like to confirm our reservation a few days before. It just ensures a smooth departure day; especially when it’s an early flight out.
Let the packing begin
Next, we needed to get to packing for our trip. While each family is different, here are the most common items I pack for my family, which includes two young children.
- Pants/shorts/shirts for each day of your vacation. Or at least enough for half of the time you are on vacation. Laundry services are provided at most Disney resort hotels.
- Depending on the season, jackets or sweaters for cool nights or days.
- Good pair of walking shoes and socks.
- If seasonable weather, swim gear and deck shoes/sandals.
- Necessary toiletries.
- Any necessary medications and vitamins; this includes Tylenol and pain relief items. We also pack band aids for the kids.
- Reading materials if traveling by plane.
- Snacks for plane or car ride. These also come in handy when in the parks.
- Speaking of food, I also like to pack easy eat and run breakfast items such as oatmeal, dry cereal, etc (you can purchase milk, pastries etc in most gift shops at your hotel).
- Chargers for iPads, phones, computers etc.
- Ponchos for rainy season…and for those attractions with lots of water interaction. I don’t advise buying ponchos at the resort, the cost is significantly more than what you can get at a local grocery store.
- If traveling with infants, its best to purchase formula and baby food and bring it in your checked luggage. It’s a bit harder to find the variance on baby items (including diapers) in the smaller hotel gift shops.
These are my necessary packing items. However, depending on your family needs this list will likely vary. Are there other items you typically pack or that you think are necessary when traveling while on vacation? Sound off in he comments below!
