Ship or pay for extra luggage

[nkereina]

I always order items from gardengrocer, or as the above poster suggested, get a uber to Publix.

Both viable options, but considering the cost of the Uber and/or the markup Garden Grocer has, isn't it just more economical to bring travel sizes in carry-ons or fitting the full sizes in your suitcases? I'd take out a pair of shoes or an outfit just to fit the toiletries if need be.

 

[sponica]

My question is, unless you're shipping foodstuffs, won't you then have to run around to ship everything back when you leave?

 

[AngiTN]

4 people should be able to fit a weeks worth of stuff for disney in two backpacks and carry ons. If money is this much of a concern, pack lighter.

This 4 person family can not. We take 4 full sized checked bags, at least 4 carry on bags, 1 personal item each and usually 1 additional bag (coming home for certain). This is why we fly Southwest
Some of us simply do not have it in our genes to pack lighter

 

[DisneyHardin]

Also remember if you ship a box, you will have to pay a $5 handling charge to the resort.

 

[Canesfan3234]

This 4 person family can not. We take 4 full sized checked bags, at least 4 carry on bags, 1 personal item each and usually 1 additional bag (coming home for certain). This is why we fly Southwest
Some of us simply do not have it in our genes to pack lighter

and how much of what you bring never gets used or is worn for one dinner and never again? I know your struggle. I come from a family with this affliction. Then I met someone who was the opposite and found a middle ground.

 

[drwadadli]

We are staying at AKL Kidani the week of July 4th. We are a family of 4 but only paid for 2 bags to be checked. My original plan was to ship everything else, but I am nervous that box may not be Aviña le as soon as we get there or that it may get lost. Would you pay for extra luggage with the airline or go ahead and ship to resort?

A question back to you. You stated that you are a family of four but only paid for 2 checked bags. Why? Why not check 4 bags? At $25.00 a bag, that would be cheaper than shipping the bags. If you had already planned on checking 4 bags but wanted to take "EXTRA" bags, then I could understand the option of shipping or paying extra but you haven't even checked your minimum number of bags allowed. Do that first, then consider if you want to pay for extra bags.

 

[dansdad]

and how much of what you bring never gets used or is worn for one dinner and never again? I know your struggle. I come from a family with this affliction. Then I met someone who was the opposite and found a middle ground.

This family packs like @AngiTN. I can honestly say for us, nothing never gets used and with 80-90 degrees with 90% humidity there's not a single item of clothing that gets worn more than once.

 

[AngiTN]

and how much of what you bring never gets used or is worn for one dinner and never again? I know your struggle. I come from a family with this affliction. Then I met someone who was the opposite and found a middle ground.

Me? Everything I pack gets worn.

 

[DisneyHardin]

This family packs like @AngiTN. I can honestly say for us, nothing never gets used and with 80-90 degrees with 90% humidity there's not a single item of clothing that gets worn more than once.

That's us too. We never come home from Disney with clean clothes. Even in the fall when we go, we sweat through everything.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Both viable options, but considering the cost of the Uber and/or the markup Garden Grocer has, isn't it just more economical to bring travel sizes in carry-ons or fitting the full sizes in your suitcases? I'd take out a pair of shoes or an outfit just to fit the toiletries if need be.

When it was 4 of us, two adults and two teenagers. We need full size of everything. I would purchase many Health and Beauty products through gardengrocer, the mark up is not that much more than my local store. This saves us a lot of weight and space.

We do laundry as we sweat through two complete outfits per day. Depending on how long we stay, we can do two loads per stay. Everything gets worn x2.

Our space and weight is taken up by shoes; tennis, water, flip flops, sandals. So anything I can have delivered is a space/weight saver for me.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Tide pods are your friend. Pack a few of them, do a few loads of laundry half way though your trip, and you can pack half as much.

We're going in November as a family of 3, and plan on no checked bags at all. It's a semi-budget trip, so I didn't want to spring for an upgrade. We'll make it work with just carry-ons.

 

[AngiTN]

Laundry?!? On vacation!?!? Bite your tongue! Next thing I know you are going to suggest I cook too

 

[BrookieM2001]

Not everyone can pack light, especially if your kids are like mine. I am bringing an infant who obviously requires diapers and wipes, formula and baby food. Never mind the burp cloths and carriers and miscellaneous accoutrements that accompany a baby. Yes, we have looked into adding these things to our Prime now order but options are limited and the types we use are exorbitantly more expensive than just bringing our own.

Then, I have 2 little girls. They sweat like grown men but also INSIST on being princesses and wearing tutus to the parks. So more than one outfit allotment per day is a must, nevermind the space those fluffy items take up. I guess I could tell them no, but this is their vacation too, and if you can’t be cinderella in the MK, where the hell CAN you be her?? So we need every single inch of our 5 suitcases and carryons.

 

[AngiTN]

Besides, in the grand scheme of the cost of a Disney vacation, what's $25 for a suitcase? To be able to bring the clothes you want (and makes you happy) and not cram EVERYTHING in to one bag? Just to keep from paying for a suitcase? It's just not fun to play suitcase tetris for vacation.

A business trip sure, an impromptu trip you don't plan for, sure. But I'd rather give up a Mickey bar or two than fight to fit everything in my bag. Not to mention fighting with the liquid rules.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Laundry?!? On vacation!?!? Bite your tongue! Next thing I know you are going to suggest I cook too

Ha ha! Laundry is probably the only household chore I enjoy. A washer/dryer is pretty high on my amenity list because I HATE packing up dirty clothes. It's not rational, but it grosses me out, and I always worry about stains setting if I can't wash quickly. Last trip we stayed at Sheraton Vistana, and I loved having a washer/dryer in the unit. We mostly used the kitchen for heating up take-out, though. I also use cloth diapers, and that washer/dryer saved me from having to buy disposables for DD that trip, too.

I seriously love reading this forum because of all the different ways there are to have a Disney vacation. It's so interesting to see what different people prioritize when they plan.

 

[AngiTN]

Another problem with washing clothes on vacation, everything I wear has to be hung to dry. And most of what DGD wears. Simply no room to do that in the hotel room. We can barely do it at home. We have to stage it

 

[Marionnette]

Besides, in the grand scheme of the cost of a Disney vacation, what's $25 for a suitcase? To be able to bring the clothes you want (and makes you happy) and not cram EVERYTHING in to one bag? Just to keep from paying for a suitcase? It's just not fun to play suitcase tetris for vacation.

A business trip sure, an impromptu trip you don't plan for, sure. But I'd rather give up a Mickey bar or two than fight to fit everything in my bag. Not to mention fighting with the liquid rules.

I'm very much in line with your philosophy. But everyone has their own limits. That one extra suit case is not $25 more, it's $50 because you not only have to pay for the trip down, you also pay for its return trip. That's a lot of Mickey Bars! Or it's a character breakfast for 2 kids.

Since the OP is staying in a DVC villa, there are certain, so we say concessions?, that DVC guests make. No daily housekeeping is one of them. Which means no fresh towels unless you want to pay for them or launder your own. And no one makes your bed for you, wipes down your bathroom counters or vacuums the crumbs off the rug. It's a different kind of vacation and not one that everyone cares to take.

It's like they say, different strokes...

 

[bumbershoot]

and how much of what you bring never gets used or is worn for one dinner and never again?

That matters to some and doesn't matter to all. I like having choices, so even if something isn't worn I'm generally glad I had it as a choice.

Then, I have 2 little girls. They sweat like grown men but also INSIST on being princesses and wearing tutus to the parks.

Oh gracious that's a visual. (I sweat like a grown man, too, FWIW...)

 

[Farro]

This 4 person family can not. We take 4 full sized checked bags, at least 4 carry on bags, 1 personal item each and usually 1 additional bag (coming home for certain). This is why we fly Southwest
Some of us simply do not have it in our genes to pack lighter

Yeah. I almost passed out when I read one carry on and backpacks!

There are two of us. We did 2 checked suitcases, one carry on suitcase (a total set of 3 - big to small) and 1 personal item each for plane, beach type bag for me. This was for 9 nights. I used all of it!

I bought a luggage scale to make sure I didn't go over 50 lbs in the big case!

 

[Farro]

and how much of what you bring never gets used or is worn for one dinner and never again? I know your struggle. I come from a family with this affliction. Then I met someone who was the opposite and found a middle ground.

I bring enough for two outfits a day, using interchangeable pieces. Makes me happier that way. I never end up in the clothes I start the day with - we always change before dinner.

I always pack a couple pairs of pants, may or may not get used. Thank god I brought them last October, a few days on our trip we needed to wear pants and jackets during the day.

And shoes...well that can explain the carry on.

And...(I came back) - I never can tell what I may want to wear when. Depends on my mood that day...I like options!

I do this for all vacations, not just Disney.