Packing for 8 yr old son and 14 yr old daughter - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I'm sorry if I'm asking a question that's already been asked. I've looked...but can't find.
Much like others - I have a tendency to overpack. I'm not so much worried about packing for myself and hubby. I'm really wondering how/what I should pack for the kids.
We are going to be on the 6 night Western Caribbean Holiday cruise (23-30 Dec).
Are you planning to do laundry? I think that would really figure into it. For our last cruise (which was a surprise we sprung on our kids) I packed and outfit for each day including underware and socks into a gallon (or 2 gallon) ziplock bag. I also included a couple of bathing suits and a dinner outfit for each night (for your longer cruise you might want to see if you can mix and match some of these pieces so you can pack fewer). The think I liked about the bags, is that they layed flat in the suitcase, but gave them a place to put the dirty laundry and keep all the pieces together. That way you don't lose socks and undies. It can also help contain the smell if they have gotten sweaty.
Chronic overpacker here! I find that I pack too many "day" clothes for our cruises since we wind up spending so much time in our bathing suits. So I have learned to pack more bathing suits and less shorts for my son!
We are soon to be first time cruisers and I have the same questions about how to pack for our 3 night Bahamas cruise next week. I found this website: Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground : Weather Underground where you can type in the name of the port city and when it brings up the week's forecast click on "View Calendar". The calendar shows the historical high and low for each day as well as the record high and low. While it isn't a perfect weather forecast (when is it ever?) it will give you a better idea of how to pack.
When we sailed to the Mexican Riviera in March, I found that we actually wore just what we would wear on the weekends - so 7 days of 'casual wear' was definitely needed! Plus bathing suits, underthings, jammies, evening wear and a couple extra changes of clothes. I don't normally overpack, so I felt the amount that I brought was just right.
__________________
Saturday, October 9, 2014 - Kaitlyn and I before the Happy Haunted 5K at ESPN Wide World of Sports
frommers.com has an article this week about packing for a family. I haven't checked it out yet but it might provide some tips. I always take a couple of bottoms for both day and evening with 3/4 tops to mix and match. For you and your daughter, looks can be changed up a bit with accessories/jewelry. I'm also a fan of rotating items and reusing/re-wearing. For the most part, your clothes aren't going to get that dirty and who cares if you're seen in something twice. Laundry on board is an option but for me laundry and vacation are 2 words that just don't mix.
__________________
We Luv WDW
Last edited by modisney; 11-16-2011 at 08:29 AM..
Reason: forgot a word
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Chronic overpacker here! I find that I pack too many "day" clothes for our cruises since we wind up spending so much time in our bathing suits. So I have learned to pack more bathing suits and less shorts for my son!
Ditto.
My 14 dd has discovered that she just wears an outfit for dinner and then her shorts and t-shirts for Vibe right after dinner, so her dinner outfits are on for about 2-3 hours. For longer cruises, she has started just packing a couple pairs of pants and some different tops and mixes them around each night for dinner. She does similar for the shorts and t-shirts, as they don't really get dirty in the 4 hours or so she has them on. the rest of the time is in bathing suits.
Similar for the 8 year old. a few outfits comfortable to wear for play in the kids area.
I have learned I don't need near as many day clothes. Just bathing suits and few items to wear at night for dinner/show.
I dont know if you have seen this on the website, but here is the dining dress code for 7 days and I am just assuming you have one less formal or cruise casual dinner!
On 7-night cruises:
First night: cruise casual—no shorts, swimwear or tank tops
Three additional "cruise casual" nights—no shorts, swimwear or tank tops
One pirate or tropical night (deck party)
One formal and one semi-formal night—formal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for women: gown or dress; semi-formal wear for men: suit/jacket; for women: dress or pantsuit.
__________________
Disney Magic - 3 day '00, 14 day Med. '11, New Years '11
Disney Wonder - 4 day '04, 4 day '05
Disney Dream - 2 night Boys & Girls Club pre-inaugural
Disneyland - Thanksgiving 2010
DisneyWorld - WAY TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT!
also living in orlando, it can get chilly once the sun goes down so jeans and sweaters are a must! i would def check the weather right before you come down here. the weather can be very unpredictable. one day it can be mid 60s in december but then in the low 40s the next.
__________________
Disney Magic - 3 day '00, 14 day Med. '11, New Years '11
Disney Wonder - 4 day '04, 4 day '05
Disney Dream - 2 night Boys & Girls Club pre-inaugural
Disneyland - Thanksgiving 2010
DisneyWorld - WAY TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT!
For day time : One casual outfit for each day. Plus 2 or 3 swimsuits and a cover up.
For Dinner: For my girls, I will bring 5 dinner outfits (usually dresses). For my boys, usually 3 dress pants and 5 shirts & one tie for formal or semi formal night.
I try to only bring 3 pairs of shoes (dress shoes, causal sandels & some flip flops). for each child.
Thanks again! I'm probably crazy, but we are about 2 weeks from leaving and I'm getting ready to start laying out suitcases, making lists, and packing. I figure that will give me plenty of time to pack, unpack and re-pack.
How do I find out if my 6 night cruise has a "semi formal" or "formal" night? I haven't seen anything in any of the literature or cruise documents that mention it. (Showing my newbie cruiser status here!!)
How do I find out if my 6 night cruise has a "semi formal" or "formal" night? I haven't seen anything in any of the literature or cruise documents that mention it. (Showing my newbie cruiser status here!!)
Don't worry, newbie or not, this is a challenging question, since there are no other 6-night holiday itineraries on the historical record, and DCL normally does not mention formal/semi-formal/dress-up nights in the cruise docs.
To be sure, contact the cruise line. I can make some predictions, though. At the least, there will be a "dress-up night," a term they use on the shorter itineraries - I guess they don't want people to stress-out about formalwear. Since the six-nighter is a special holiday cruise, I do expect there will be at least one gala dinner - whether it's the evening you board (Christmas Eve), or on Christmas Day... Tough call. Normally, they don't do dress-up/formal nights first night of the cruise, because folks are just settling in and there's not much time to dress/prepare for a 6:00pm Main dinner seating. I suspect they'll do a semi-formal/dress-up Christmas Night, and mark Christmas Eve with something other than a meal - probably a show of some sort.
Will there be a second formal/semi-formal/dress-up night? Harder question. You have one fewer night than the typical seven-night itinerary. Will they eliminate one of the two dress-up occasions, or eliminate one of the casual occasions? I lean towards having two dress-up evenings, as it's a holiday cruise. That would normally be the Captain's Gala, next-to-last night of the cruise.
__________________
Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Thanks Dave!! I will give them a call. I'm sitting here making my packing lists for the WDW part of the trip and then the cruise...good thing we are driving that way I can pack one set of suitcases for WDW (little bit warmer clothes for the unpredictable weather) and then one set of suitcases for the cruise!!!
Found out that night 1, 5, and 6 are cruise casual. Night 2 (Christmas) is Formal night. Night 3 is Pirate Night. Night 7 is Semi-Formal. Whew - glad I called them!!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I find that I pack too many "day" clothes for our cruises since we wind up spending so much time in our bathing suits. So I have learned to pack more bathing suits and less shorts for my son!
Plus bathing suits, underthings, jammies, evening wear and a couple extra changes of clothes. I don't normally overpack, so I felt the amount that I brought was just right. 
Linear Mode
