Disney Packing — Pink Glitter Pumpkins

Packing for Disney can be quite a challenge. The challenge becomes even more difficult when a baby/toddler is involved. I had to make quite a few lists in addition to my usual travel checklist. I wanted to share some of the packing tips/tricks/advice I have. I am certain my advice isn't perfect, but I know every little bit helps!

Food

Food was a key element in our packing. One big pro about driving was that we could bring our food without dealing with checking it on the plane, plus we could easily drive to the grocery store if needed. The food was primarily for Melody. We did pack ourselves a bit of food, but it wasn't as planned out as Melody's food needed to be.

I made a list of each day of our trip and what all she would need each day for the parks or for travel (food, cups, bibs, etc.). Luckily most days were pretty similar. I should note that since Melody is under 3, she did not have a dining plan like we did. Instead, she was able to eat off our plate as needed. I wasn't sure how often she would do this, so I planned accordingly when planning food. My general list is below:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we had planned to eat breakfast in our room. However, we would eat lunch and dinner in the parks, plus we would need snacks. For Tuesday, Thursday, and travel days, I had planned for all meals to be eaten outside of our room. I made a grocery list from the lists above.

I made an assembly line in our kitchen of all the food. I also included things like bibs and placemats.

I did not include her cups, utensils, etc. because I would pack those after we would wash them each evening in our room. I had one ziploc bag that I used each day. I re-used this bag since I would refill it each day with clean dishes.

Each day was packed in its own ziploc bags. Each bag was labeled so that I could easily grab it for each park day.

I also had one ziploc bag for each day for dirty dishes/bibs. This would keep me from dirtying any other bags, and it would also keep our backpack cleaner.

Park Bag

Our park bag is one backpack that I normally use as Melody's diaper bag. A park bag is pretty much a requirement with a toddler. In addition to the food above that is already pre-packed, I made lists for what else was needed for each day.

For the most part, I was able to pack all of the items without removing them daily [or having to replenish them]. The exception to this was some of Melody's stuff. Each night I did have to pack her things. I had a bag just for diapers and wipes. This made changing her much easier in the parks. I just reached in the bag for the one ziploc bag.

I also had to repack her toys because she played with them in the room too. The last thing was her spare clothes. I only had to change this out if she used her spare clothes at the park. Luckily we only had one "bad" day where Melody's diaper leaked onto her pants, but she just went pantless since she was wearing a dress.

Suitcase

Because we only had so much room in the back of my car, we had to limit ourselves to two suitcases total. We had a few duffels bags as needed, but pretty much everything but our electronics, park bag, food, and my toiletries had to fit in them. I pack as I normally do, but most people do not pack this way, so I wanted to share.

First, I line the suitcase bottom with our jeans.

Next, I pack our shirts, underwear, pajamas, etc. by rolling them. This seems to save a lot of space because it makes everything the same size. Otherwise, you are left with some gaps.

I continue this method using all available space. I stuff small things, such as socks, in all the "extra" space I can find.

Once finished, I fold up the ends of the pants.

I do one suitcase like this entirely. The other suitcase [unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the other suitcase] was packed like this as much as possible. Then I filled in with our shoes and other odd shaped things.

Tips with a Toddler

Plan out their food before you go - this keeps you from overspending or buying stuff you don't need
Buy as much food as possible before you go - this will save you money and meal credits
Bring disposable placemats - this is for a MUCH easier cleanup at meals [just scoop up the placemat and throw it away!]
Only bring one cup/kid/day - I washed out her cup after each meal; this made our bag much lighter
Bring utensils/plates that you aren't attached to - you don't want to risk leaving a nice one behind on accident [we almost left some at restaurants by mistake!]
If you need cold items for your room, either go to a grocery store on your way into town or go to a deluxe resort marketplace and use a snack credit for said item [if they sell it]
Bring scented bags for dirty diapers or even dirty clothes. Even if your child is potty trained, he may have an accident or spill something smelly on him. It is much nicer to pack in a scented bag rather than have your park bag stink all day
Bring disposable changing pad liners - we rarely changed Melody outside of the Baby Care Centers, but we had a changing pad liner for the other restrooms just in case.
Bring something to protect your stroller from the rain - we bought a stroller rain cover and have yet to use it, but it was only $10 to know if it rains, I don't have to put Melody in a wet stroller!
Bring wet wipes/anti-bacterial gel - we use the wipes to wipe down highchairs, tables, booths, etc.
Bring lots of extra ziploc bags - you can pack extra snacks you buy at the parks, wet clothes, extra MagicBands, etc.
Bring things for your toddler to do - we brought an iPad with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse pre-loaded on it; play packs from Target that contains a coloring book, crayons, and stickers; a few toys, etc.
Bring a way to contain your child - we brought a wrist-to-wrist leash, and Emily and Justin brought a backpack one; we both used them on occasion. We didn't use them as often as I expected, but it was still nice to have when we needed them.
Check out my tips for going to Disney with a Baby!