On my August trip to Disney I managed to fit everything in 1 backpack and 1 duffle bag. I couldn't believe it lol! Growing up I was the princess of overpacking (behind my mom who was the ultimate queen). I have become so dependent on flying Southwest that I don't even worry about how much I'm travelling with. On Southwest you can bring 2 suitcases, 1 carryon item and 1 personal item for free which is SO nice. My brother and I had to fly JetBlue and I was seriously so stressed. Checking bags was an extra fee so we decided to only use a backpack (personal item) and duffel (carryon) each.
When I tell you how shocked I was that I fit everything... oh my goodness, I was so proud. On trips I tend to think I will wear more outfits than I end up wearing, use more accessories than I actually do, and always bring a lot of random stuff (tripod, purses, extra ears, etc.).
After five trips this year, I've figured out what I always need on trips and the things I can leave behind. In this post I'm sharing my 5 tips for how I pack lightly on vacation... specifically Disney vacations. Now I know if you're going for a weekend, you're not going to need as much as if you were to go for a week. But hopefully these tips will help you pack even just a little bit lighter on your next trip!
Here are my 5 tips for how I pack light for a Disney vacation:
1. Lay out outfits before. This is my number one packing tip in general whether you're packing light or not, this is a game-changer when packing. When I lay out my outfits, it makes it so that I don't add any extra clothes to my suitcase. Obviously an extra t-shirt and shorts is okay but there's no need to bring three extra jean shorts and four extra tops for a weekend trip. In this blog post I shared how I outfit plan for Disney so check that out if you'd like some tips!
2. Use a small suitcase. In my luggage set, I have a carryon size suitcase and a very large suitcase. When I use the big one, I bring SO many unnecessary items with me "just in case". When I use my smaller suitcase, I'm forced to not bring as many things! This 21" suitcase from FUL was the perfect size for me on my recent September trip!
3. Only bring what I can't live without. Many times I've brought various tripods, extra pairs of shoes, extra magic bands, extra hair accessories, extra park bags, the list goes on. I know I need a magic band when I'm in Disney so I now only bring one with me. Same goes for park bags. I love having options especially if my park bag doesn't match my outfit. But that's why I plan my outfits out before I leave; so that everything matches and I don't have a reason to bring anything extra.
4. Make a packing list. When you write what you need/want to bring beforehand, it makes it a lot more difficult to add random things when they're not on your list! This is my WDW packing list that I swear by for Disney and regular trips as well!
5. 1-2 pairs of shoes is perfect. Again, I love having options but shoes take up sooo much space. When I decide all my outfits ahead of time, I make sure my white sneakers (my go-to shoes) can be worn with everything. Sometimes I will bring a pair of sandals too that I can wear with a lot of outfits!
Bonus Tip:
I wanted to include one extra tip because this one reallyyy saves me! I love to mix and match my outfits on vacation. I know it's hard in Florida in the summer when you literally sweat through your clothes but when it's not super hot, I try to rewear bottoms if I can. I will usually wear jean shorts multiple times on trips as well as skirts since those don't get as sweaty/gross as tops do!
Using all of these tips is exactly how I managed to pack in just a duffle bag and backpack on my trip to Disney in August! If you have any other tips on how you pack lightly (or what not to pack) I'd love to hear them! I will also be sharing a reel on Instagram later this week so be on the lookout for that featuring my super cute luggage from FUL!! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a magical rest of your week!
See ya real soon,
Danielle
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