What to pack

What to pack/take

When you're off on holiday, you're exicted about everything and you think you've packed it all, but, have you??

Yes, this will cross your mind a lot, you'll even second, third and forth guess yourself if you packed the passports, the snacks, the spending money.

The best thing to do is: 1, take deep breath and make a list of what you need/want to take, then tick off as you go. So long as you have the main things, then anything else you can buy out there.

We always have a small plastic folder to put all our holiday documents in and sorted in order for when you need it. We've put together a list of the items that we take with us which you may find useful to help plan your own packing and planning.

Passport/s, Esta/s - print a copy out as you never know if you will be asked to show it.

Hotel confirmation/s, car confirmation/vouchers

Insurance confirmation - you don't need to print the whole document but it's always good to have the letter with your reference number and any emergency numbers you could need.

Ticket/s confirmations with the ticket numbers on - whilst you may have added them to the MDE or Universal app, it's good to have a copy should they disappear from there and you have proof of purchase so they can be added back on by guest services.

A debit/credit card - we personally use a credit card that has no overseas charges and use that. You can find credit cards that have no overseas fees and also offer a promotional period where you can make purchases without any interest. (It's always wise to read the small print in case the card company has certain limitations however this hasn't been the case with the cards we use, Barclaycard and Virgin Money) This also covers you for anything over £100 should anything happen. Using a credit card can also protect you should your card get stolen/cloned as you can then notify the card company as soon as you know, whereas a debit card, if this is stolen/lost and is used, all the money you have in the account will be taken and could take quite some time to sort out and you could find you're left with no money whilst out there. (We've done before and learned from it)

Spending Money - It's always good to take a small amount of Cash with you alongside your cards, ie, for Tipping/house keeping or even small purchases like a drink or snack. How much you take is going to be completely upto you but be sure to get different dominations, ie $1 (these are notes, not coins) $5, $10, $20, $50. Some travel money companies will try and give you $100 dollar bills but personally we'd say to change these are whilst accepted, it's not easy to get them changed. We typically take around $1000 in cash for about 3 weeks and have our cards as well.

Camera/case/chargers/batteries, phone chargers/watch chargers - Most hotels do now have USB/USB-C sockets. If you're taking anything that requires a plug, you will need an adapter - a 3 point adapter, note: some electronics do not work in the states as the voltage is different - USA - 120V and 60Hz whereas UK is 230V and 50Hz so it's good to check before you go.

You don't need to take your whole wardrobe with you but it's always good to have options as Orlando weather can change in 5 minutes and it depends on the time of year you are going.

Winter isn't like the UK in Orlando but it can still become a little chilly at night or if the day has some clouds. Winter for Orlando, December, January and February. Spring is, March, April and May. Summer is June, July and August and Autumn is September, October and November.

Below is a list of clothing items to take with you, though not exhaustive, but depending on how long you're going for will determine how many of each you take. Over the years, we've taken lots of clothes however we have found that we don't tend to wear most of what we take so bear that in mind and keep the spare space in your suitcase for all the stuff you'll bring back! We do wash some of our clothes whilst we are out in Orlando, you can either use the Washing facilites on site or just use the bathroom sink as we do. The detergent there is different and if you have sensitive skin, take your washing powder/tablets with you which is what we do. Normally for example, for a 3 week holiday, we would take:

M - 4 pairs of shorts, 8 - 10 T-shirts (in the summer months it can become very hot, and you could be changing your T-shirt twice in 1 day), fresh pair of underwear for each day + fresh socks.

F - 4 pairs of shorts, 3 Skorts (for those not in the know, a Skort is a skirt with shorts underneath which are already attached), 2 dresses, 1 Cardigan, fresh pair of underwear for each day + fresh socks, 2 - 3 bras (different colours for different tops)

We also take some drinks/food out with us as it can be much cheaper do it this than buy over there, for example, Red Bull is imported to the USA so therefore they charge $11+ tax for a pack of 4, whereas the UK, on offer you could easily buy for £3.50! Cereal, whilst not overally more expensive in the USA, the ingredients are not the same and therefore you might wish to take some from the UK.

Buying bottled water in a supermarket over in Orlando is a must as it will save you sooo much money than buying in the parks which you are allowed to take in with you. Water bottles can be around $5-7 a bottle in the parks, whereas at Walmart, you can buy a whole case of 24 bottles for less than $5 and tastes the same!

Adults/Teens/Children

T-Shirts
Skirts/Skorts/Shorts - material also plays a part depending on the season you go in, cotton is better for colder months and lycra/loose fitting is better for summer.
Socks/underwear
Good worn in trainers - don't take a brand new pair as you will end up with blisters!
Flip Flops
Sandals - for those nice dinners
Leggings - if you're going in the winter months
Longer trousers - if you're going in the winter months
a light jacket or cardigan - this we'd recommend for any time as sometimes it can be chilly in places that have aircon
Swimsuits/armbands/goggles
Bumbag (fanny pack) - This is useful for holding your phone close to you or tickets when going on rides
Swimshoes - very useful for the floor at water parks at they can become very hot

Baby/Toddler items

Nappies/wet wipes/nappy bags/nappy rash cream
Formula - in the USA, the formula can differ to the UK so it's always best to take what you feed your baby with you.
Dummies (Pacifier) - if you use them
Swimsuits/armbands/swim nappies
T-shirts/shorts
Leggings - if you're going in the winter months
a light jacket or cardigan - this we'd recommend for any time as sometimes it can be chilly in places that have aircon
Pram/car seat - if hiring a car, you can sometimes hire a car seat or you can take you're own but you should check wether or not your own car seat will fit.
Travel Cot - if you're taking one
Bottles/ travel sterilisation kits

Toiletries

Shower Gel
Shampoo/Conditioner - save money by buying the normal sized ones you use at home and buy the travel bottles to squeeze them into as normally the travel sized versions can be the same price or more!
Sun Lotion/Aftersun
Aloe Vera - this is very handy to have if you get sunburn as it cools the effected area and heals
Hair ties/slides/bobbles
Hair Brush
A small first aid kit, you can buy these from places like Boots/Superdrug or you can build your own like we do as sometimes it can be a cheaper way to do it as most of the time you already will have these items in your home you can take - Plasters, small scissors, tweezers, nail cutters, bandages, tape, cleansing wipes, eye wash.
Deodorant
Painkillers - the USA have different names for their pain relief and when in need, you don't want to be worrying about trying to find an alternative there
Sanitary products
Toothbrush/paste/floss/
Mouthwash
Any other creams/medication you might need

Food items

Pringles/Crisps
Cereals/Cereal bars
Squash - this isn't sold in the USA and it's nice to freshen up your water every now and again. In the UK you can buy very small bottles of Squash which are compacted perfectly for taking with you and create 20 drinks
Drinks - ie Red Bull/Tea/Coffee
Chocolate - whilst they sell chocolate in Orlando, it's not the same at all and is more confectionary as it's full of sugar rather than Cocoa. You can buy cadburys/snickers etc but they are very expensive as they are imported, 1 Snickers can set you back $2-$3!
Pot Noodles - if your hotel has a coffee maker/kettle, you could easily make a quick bite to eat for very cheap.

Taking a very small bag which can go against your body can come in quite handy whilst going onto rides where you cannot take large bags on but you might wish to still carry your tickets/phone whilst in the queue. (Some rides you cannot take anything on at all but do have small lockers once you get to the front of the queue where you can put your bag)

If you're wanting padlocks for your luggage, ensure you get padlocks that have the TSA approved logo on them. These padlocks feature a universal "master" key that allows TSA agents to open and relock your luggage without having to cut open the lock. This not only ensures the security of your belongings, but also saves you from the inconvenience of having your lock permanently damaged during a routine security inspection.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse