The Great Packing Experiment of 2014

Packing.  UGH.

I LOVE to vacation, that's no secret.  I get giddy as I mentally cross of the days in my mind until I am back in my happy place. I love nothing more than the anticipation and excitement that goes along with a trip. But packing is the pits.  Unfortunately, I typically wait until the night before I leave to pack, and then I end up forgetting things.  Grr.

Not to mention, I always get slightly annoyed when I check in for my flight and then have to pay for my checked bags.  It's lunacy to me that after paying $100s of dollars for a plane ticket, I have to shell out another $50-60 minimum to take more than the clothes on my back. Plus, we've all been in the delightful situation where we arrive before our bags do, and that's no fun at all.

So in light of both of these issues, today I undertook what I am calling "The Great Packing Experiment of 2014" - also known as "How I Packed for 1 Week at Disney World and on Disney Cruise Line in One Carry On Bag."

Those of you who know me personally are probably on the floor right now.  You've vacationed with me, and have been a witness to the sheer volume of (mostly) crap I bring with me when I go out of town.  But those days are gone, and the days of packing smarter, not harder, are upon me.

To get started, I went online and found articles and blogs from people who have packed all in a carry on.  Some people were packing for WEEKS in a carry on.  Now that is impressive; if they can do it, I have no excuse.

One thing that has SAVED me with packing are packing cubes.  You MUST get some, if you don't use them already.  They're a great way to consolidate your items and keep everything nice and cozy. I have 6 of them, in various sizes, and they have been a lifesaver.  I use them for clothes of course, but also for makeup, charging cables - anything that I want to consolidate and not having rolling around my luggage.

To get started, I laid out exactly what I was taking with me (exact shoes, outfits, etc).  I also got out my carry on suitcase, and the backpack I am using as my personal item. I started by laying out what would go in the carry on, and what would go in the backpack.

So you know what went in the carry on bag, here is what I packed:

* 5 tee shirts
* 5 pairs shorts
* 3 cardigans and 2 camisoles for dinners on cruise
* 1 pair capris
* 1 pair long dress pants
* 1 pair PJs
* Undergarments
* Swimsuit and coverup
* 3 pairs shoes (I am wearing one pair on the plane)
* Jewelry
* DCL hoodie sweatshirt (wearing this on the plane - they get chilly!!)
* Cruise items: Fish Extender, magnets for cruise door, docs, etc
* Two purses: my Vera Bradley Disney cross-body for the parks, and then a smaller purse for dinner on the cruise.  I like to have a smaller purse for the cruise, to carry my phone, room key, etc.

You'll notice I don't have a brush, or hairdryer, or even items like sunscreen.  Something that has saved my packing bacon is the Owners Locker - it's a purple plastic tote that you rent, and the OL folks store it for you in their warehouse in Orlando.  You simply let them know when you're arriving and when you're leaving, and they will drop off and pick up your tote from a large list of Disney (and non-Disney) resorts.  It's a wonderful option if you go to Orlando regularly, as you can use it to store items you want to have with you but don't want to pack every time.  I use mine to store shampoo and conditioner, my hair products, sunscreen, a small medicine kit, and more.  Check them out at www.ownerslocker.com - you'll be glad you did!

The remaining items (laptop, Kindle, toiletry bag, etc) go in my personal item, and I'm using a Disney Cruise Line book bag that I received as a Castaway Club gift a few years ago.

I started out by using two of the larger packing cubes, one for the cruise / dress clothes and another for the shorts and tees.  I then used another large cube for my PJs and swim suit + cover up, and then a medium sized one for the undergarments.

It's INCREDIBLE how much you can fit in those packing cubes!  All of the packing tips I read said to fold your luggage, but I would be you can save even MORE room by using the cubes.

I also have an awesome suitcase that has 2 compartments, so you can fit LOTS of items in this bag. I placed the two largest packing cubes on the bottom, and then on top of that placed my shoes and the purses.  I still have room to spare!  

Then, in the second compartment, I placed my undergarments packing cube, the bag with the computer / Kindle / phone, etc chargers and cables, my jewelry container and the other larger packing cube that holds my PJs and swimsuit.

In the clear zipper pocket went my cruise packet and paperwork, my Fish Extender and magnets for the Disney Cruise Line doors.  My FE gift is a bit heavy and I knew I couldn't place it in my suitcase, so I am mailing it to my Disney World hotel.  It'll all go in one of the "if it fits, it ships" USPS boxes and is cheaper than having to check a second suitcase.

Here are a few more pictures of the packing process:

I was then able to zip it up, WITH room to spare!  No sitting on it or praying for the zipper to work.  Everything fits great, and I am certainly not straining the bag at all.  I even have the two outside zipper pockets still available!  I will probably use the smaller one on top for my 3 oz or less toiletry bag, so that's easier to get to when going through airport security.  I might use the larger one for my sweater on the plane.

So there you have it!  A successful packing experiment.  After I took these pictures, I removed the clothes from the suitcase because A) I am going to wear some of them this week, and B) I didn't want them to wrinkle in the suitcase for 6 days.  However, having run through the packing, I will be able to pack "for real" very quickly on Friday night, and be ready to head to the airport on Saturday morning!

Thanks for coming along on this packing adventure!  Just a few more days, and I'll be headed down to Orlando - I can't wait!

Have a magical day!