What to bring? Florida is known for it’s hot, humid, often rainy afternoons, it’s beautifully comfortable nights and mornings that vary from comfortable to hot, depending on the time of year. For me, it’s easy. I grab my suitcase and tees and shorts. Last time, I brought a few nicer shirts for a nice dinner…a pair of jeans and a pair of slacks. Not needed. Almost everything at WDW is resort wear. There’s a few exceptions. But when I’m packing, it’s multiples of things. Two tees, two pairs of shorts a day. Seems excessive, but when that humidity is 95% and the temp is also registering in the 90s…you’ll be glad you did. There are days where you walk outside and within ten minutes you’re already feeling clammy. But that’s why you want some loose fitting clothes. Light colors.
Back in Michigan, where I’m from, I never really think about the colors I’m wearing. But in the sweltering heat of Florida, I try to get light colors…you’ll regret the black shirts. You’ll regret the fancy, the tight, and you’ll regret layering, except a few times of the year. For my wife, packing is much harder. She needs the latest accessories and the cute t-shirts to match each land. Because she knows she’s going to be in photographs.
About two weeks out, I’ll start making a list. Usually it’s not the clothing, but just what I think I might I need on my trip. This helps me decide what I need to buy ahead of time. Even though there’s tons of shopping in Disney, we usually purchase everything ahead of time for our trip. The list lets me remember thing like – a poncho (a must for any Disney trip), an umbrella, and I even purchased some water “friendly” shoes this time around.
These are all things I rarely use and kind of need that reminder for. Then, usually a week ahead of time, I do the laundry and start picking out what I’m actually going to bring. I try to ensure I have things I can mix and match. And then, I have my travel outfits (usually for cold weather) and some extras just in case. When it’s hot and humid in Florida, sometimes you want to go back to the room and just get out of those “day” clothes. Moisture wicking seems to work the best. Here’s a sample of my list:
5-Night Trip
12 Tees 10 Shorts 12 pr. Socks 12 Underwear 2 pr. Swim Trunks 2 pr. Sneakers 1 pr. Sandals 1 Button downs 1 pr. Jeans Poncho (a must!) Umbrella Toothpaste Toothbrush Razor Shaving Cream Trimmer Contacts Backup contacts Glasses Contact Solution Kleenex Pain Reliever Hair Spray Hair Gel Vitamins Portable Chargers (if you have an iPhone, try this one)
Personal Air Conditioners (we found these to work nicely) Charging Cords (Perfect if you're like me and have iPhone and Apple watch) Foldable backpack Cold Medicine (just in case. They don't sell it anywhere on property) Most places I travel light. Disney is not one of those places. The weather can be unpredictable, hot and sticky. It’s best to make sure you have options. Even after doing all of this and usually packing 3-5 days ahead of time, I inevitably have to open my suitcase back up on the morning we leave to recheck everything. I do find a physical checklist that you can cross off when you place it in your suitcase works the best. This way you have visual confirmation you put it into your luggage and you’re ready to go. But packing isn’t the only thing to have ready. You need a plan.
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