We are getting ready for our Disney trip, and I thought I would share with you some genius packing tips that have saved us time and sanity. If you would like packing tips specifically for a Disney trip, see our post Ultimate Disneyland Surival Kit or what to buy before a trip to disney.
Insanely Genius Packing Tips:
Store Earrings (and hair accessories) in pill containers. Use a tackle box organizer or bead box to store larger jewelry items (like necklaces).
At home with the kids? Instantly access any of these printable activity bundles to keep them learning!
Cover your shoes with a shower cap so that they don't get other things in your bag dirty. You can get them at the dollar store, and you can also get them on Amazon for pennies each.
Use a Clothes Clip to hang swimming suits when you are at a hotel. This will keep them from continually landing on the floor.
Use a BRA KEEPER for storing your bras (both at home and travel), so that they don't lose their shape or get lumps.
Make a Flat Iron Cover out of a hot pad. This will keep you from having to wait on your flat iron to cool down before you can pack it in your suitcase. It takes 10 min or less. Find a tutorial here: hot pad to flat iron tutorial
Use an Eyeglasses case to store cords and chargers. The picture below is not an eyeglasses case, it's actually a toddler utensil case, and it ended up not being big enough, so definitely use an eyeglasses case 🙂
Pack your kid's outfits in separate bags. If you don't apply any other tip, APPLY THIS ONE! it's a lifesaver. compartmentalize everything and you will get rid of so much chaos while you are traveling. Use packing cubes to keep things organized (socks, accessories, etc.) and pack outfits in separate bags (More about that on my post about packing for kids). It's also a smart idea to have a pop up hamper in your hotel room to store dirty clothes in. They store flat in your suitcase and then pop up as a hamper when you pull them out. When you are ready to pack things up, transfer everything from the hamper to a garbage bag. This will keep all dirty clothes far, far away from your clean ones. Trust me, you want them far, far away.
Other Great Travel & Packing Tips:
- Wear your heaviest items (tennis shoes, etc.) through the checkpoint rather than wasting weight in your suitcase.
- Umbrellas typically count as a carry on “freebie.” Don't waste space in your bag (but check with your airline).
- Take it easy on baby gear. Most hotels have cribs or pack-n-plays that you can use, and often you can find rentals for car seats if you are flying somewhere.
- Print off a packing list and don't forget anything! Commonly forgotten items: chargers, umbrellas, feminine supplies, medicines and neck pillows.
- If you are going to Disneyland, check out my Disney Travel Guide. There are some really awesome tips in there for making your trip extra magical.
- If you haven't booked your trip yet, I HIGHLY recommend going through Get Away Today (ESPECIALLY if you are going anywhere Disney-related, or on a cruise, or to Hawaii). After some unfortunate situations in the past with what I thought was a company offering me a “great deal”, they are the only travel agency I will use because they are honest and they really do get you the best deals. We are using them for our 3rd trip to Disneyland this summer. Tell them I sent you for some extra perks!
WANT MORE TIPS? See Round 2 here: Packing Tips for Happy Travels
What are Some of YOUR favorite packing tips?
You Check out some of our other travel posts:
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Amberly says
I love the jewelry idea! I would have never thought of that!
Kris says
You can get the plastic shower caps free at many hotels. why spend money? Also I use them to cover my casseroles and salads because not all bowls have lids….
Jesse Bowen says
That’s genius! Never would have thought about it
kerihouchin says
I love the shower cap for shoes idea! I’m such a germophobe that I usually pack all of everyone’s shoes together in a separate bag. Fortunately we never travel too far to drive, so a few extra bags doesn’t hurt.
Michele Wittwer says
How do I find what you did with the ikea backpack?
Cindy Bishop says
I always take baggies; gallon, sandwich, and snack size. I have never taken a trip where I didn’t end up using 2 or 3 of them for something.
Amyd says
If checking luggage, always pack an extra outfit in your carry-on. Also, if travelling with a buddy, put a couple of outfits in each other’s bags in case one is lost. I spent a week in Italy without my luggage! Not a happy camper!
Sioban says
Does anyone ever go shopping at the grocery store and forget to bring in their reusable bags and end up with … plastic bags? …Wouldn’t they be useful to wrap shoes in if they didn’t get dirty on the inside? Maybe you can save yourself from buying shower caps and just use what’s already in your house! 🙂
Lois says
I use these plastic shopping bags for shoes when I travel. I also bring a few to put dirty laundry in.
Alexandra says
Plastic shopping bags are exactly what I use. And. . . You can then loosely use the handles as closures, tying them around the shoes completely enclosing the shoes. Works great!
katie says
I use plastic bags for shoes too. But since the blogger is from America /Canada (I spotted the north American spelling of just one L in “traveling”) then this isn’t really a thing for them, as US supermarkets tend to give paper bags rather than plastic carrier bags.
K. says
US supermarkets default to plastic bags unless you expressly request paper, except in areas that have legislated against plastic bags (some cities in California, Oregon) 🙂
Darcy says
Instead of altering a hot pad, you could also use an oven mitt. You can buy them for a $ or 2 at a dollar store.
Tina M says
It’s a good idea… I tried an oven mitt first and it was too big & bulky
MythicSculptlore says
Love the shower cap shoe idea! Great tips!
linzperations says
I use plastic pencil boxes to store my make up and other toiletries. It keeps them from being crushed and they stay organized.
Dee says
Plastic tubular tooth brush holders work well to keep pencils and pens together and don’t take up a lot of space. I also use these to store my crochet hooks.
Tina M says
That’s brilliant Dee!
Comet says
We used the pop up hamper on a week long motorcycle trip after the prior one ended up in a muddle with–Was THIS t shirt clean? How about THIS one? Since we trailer the bike we just grabbed the hamper at the end of the week and took it home and washed all.
WE travel often and I keep all the “needs”—toothbrushs and paste; soap; shampoo; wipes; OTC meds; lotions; hair brush;. hair ties; band aids; etc in small zip bags or for stuff that is going IN the bathroom I use slider ziploc bags. These STAY in our suitcases and get replenished as needed; we even have smaller versions for when we just take the motorcycle for a weekend jaunt–I can pack for a weekend in a gallon ziplock! This means that we HAVE everything we might NEED. No last second trips to Walmart.
For our grand kids we have a folding cot that we pack in the car—folds flat so fits under or alongside stuff–and they have their own travel bags and sleeping bags. This makes it easier for them and they get to pick toys to bring. Our 7 yr old grand daughter has been traveling with us since birth and she particularly looks forward to our trips–just my husband myself and her–to a model train show with a two night stay. She knows how to set everything up and feels quite proud of herself and no homesickness!
One thing I do a bit differently—I am handicapped and slippery floors are a huge problem. So we pack a NON SKID BATHROOM RUG—we even have one stashed in a bike saddlebag!—This eliminates fears of wet floors and in winter works well to contain anyones drips when getting into the bathroom upon arriving at the room. I also take a folding BATH SEAT for longer trips.
Lisa B. says
I pack one of those fold flat shallow “drawers” to corral all of my toiletries. Martha Stewart makes good ones, but you can find them in the closet organizing section of all the big stores. Once I arrive at the hotel, I unfold it and throw all of my toiletries inside it. That way there is less clutter on the vanity, nothing gets wet, and housekeeping doesn’t have to move all of my stuff around. It takes up no space at all when I fold it back up to put in my suitcase.
Tina M says
What an awesome idea! Thanks Lisa!
Brenda Dal says
I use a vacuum bag for all my clothes…and another for toiletries so they don’t spill
MaryAnn says
When traveling on a cruise, we pack a clear hanging shoe organizer. We hang it on the back of the closet or bathroom door and it’s great for keeping all the miscellaneous items handy.
Regina says
I use the bags that sheets come in for shoes and the hangers the I feel when I buy pants for swimming suits.
Carole says
1. I always bring “s” hooks found at hardware or plant nurseries (used for hanging plants) to hang items that need to be dried. Also cases if there is no counter space in the bathroom. There is always a place to hook the hook! 2. Leakproof bottles found at the Container Store really don’t leak (for hair spray) and can be paired with a separate spray pump to then use once air travel is complete. I bring a second pump in case the first becomes clogged and stops working. Replace the leakproof top when flying again.
Bonni says
I use eyeglass cases to keep granola bars from getting crushed when I put them in my purse for a handy snack. I daughter uses them in the diaper bag for fruit bars for the grand kids.
Lilly Lu says
We use gallon size ziplock bags to pack underwear and socks and other small items. One per suitcase is marked “wash” so as items are dirtied they are added to the bag. It keeps them separate from the clean items. It also works well in case the zipper breaks or the bag is searched during a security check.
I always include 3-4 extra bags just in case.
Shirley says
I bring a couple plastic bags (Target, WalMart, whatever) on flights and place one in the seat pocket before putting my stuff in there. I’m not a germophobe, but who knows what kind of yuckiness has been put in there! End of the flight, I take my stuff out and throw the bag away.
Pam Wilkinson says
Many hotels leave complimentary shoe mitts in the room for travelers. These make great flat iron pr coruling iron covers
Joanne Downes says
I usually pack a couple of (completely) plastic hangers. They are useful for drip drying hand washed garments in the shower overnight. Also handy if you don’t have enough hangers in your hotel room.
Use large ziplock bags and in each bag pack one change of underwear and a t-shirt. Then you can just grab a bag every morning, rather than hunt through your suitcase. This is particularly useful when you are camping.
Abby says
I use a hanging shoe bag to put all my bathroom needs- hang it on the door and every thing is right there under 5$ great for cruising
DIANE SMITH says
Lovely blog here. My travel secret is to bring a package of denture cleaning tablets from the dollar store. Use them to freshen and clean the toilet. Especially after a travler reacts to strange water or strange food. A tablet left in the toilet when the room will be empty assures me of returning to a fresher smelling room without use of areosols and dangerous candles. Rarely is someone alergic to the fragrance of denture cleaner. It’s also generally sufficient to gently remove any taletale smear marks.
Recently I’ve discovered the many advantages of using dish soap in the bathoom. So carry a small/trail size when traveling. Use it in the toilet to flush large dry stools when suffering constipation. use it after flushing once to freshen and cleanse the bowl in the first flush after a b.m. too. Also use dish soap to hand wash itens, pretreat stains, clense the sink or tub without abrasives and lubricate tight lids and provde pleasant light fragrance without overpowering that small hotel room. Do’t foget it make great bubble bath too.