Tuesday, November 25, 2008

How to pack for Disney World. ShallowGal style

Six months out:

Plan Disney trip. Immediately begin stressing about packing.

Here's the issue: Once ShallowGal has done something well, she expects the same results every time. For example, in 1996 she spent $50 a week on groceries. You cannot imagine how much it chaffs my ass to spend four times that now. And don't go justifying it because she now has 3 growing children. Or inflation. SG ain't buying it. (1)

So re: packing. Once ShallowGal went to New York for the weekend with a roll-on suitcase and a magazine. The bar has been set high.

Three months out:

Like I can remember what I did 3 months ago. Dude, if they weren't being so loud, I'd have forgotten to send my kids to school today.

One month out:

Download packing list off internet. Customize by deleting items like electric skillet , cribbage board, and tuna pouches.(2)


Page 1 of 6



One week out:

Start laying out clothes. You know how some people throw some clothes in a suitcase and hope for the best? SG has a name for them: lunatics.


Half of SG's readers are impressed and half are running for the hills.
When what they should be doing is buying ziploc stock.


Each bag contain one complete outfit; tee shirt, shorts, undies and socks. This prevents kids from suffering a PCSguy-related dressing mishap, like having nothing but a red shirt and green socks.

Bags are then dated to ensure that children match each other (3) and/or wear tee shirts that depict a character they will meet that day. Laugh now, but when I get the perfect picture of Jake with Prince Caspian wearing a Prince Caspian tee shirt, well, now that I put it that way, it does seem kind of lame.


Although SG may need to get herself a Prince Caspian tee shirt.
Or a tattoo.

1) The lame excuses. SG is buying the groceries for her growing children so back off, CPS.
2) But add crock pot and self promoting toaster. Because at this point, I've been so busy packing I haven't had time to see if Orlando has restaurants. And really nothing is more pleasant after a day in the theme parks than hunkering down in your 200 square foot hotel room with a big ol' packet of tuna.
3) But fun matching outfits, not cloying matchy-matchy crap. Here's the diff:

Left: Cloying & Dugger-like Right: Fun, except for the cow

7 comments:

Stimey said...

I'm totally unsure of whether to put you in the brilliant or crazy camp. Although when my friend went to Disney World she packed apples because they're apparently really expensive there.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the baggage x-raying section of the "to-Orlando" part of the airport.

vuboq said...

vuboq is buying stock in ziploc bags right now!

well, if the stock market were open.

and ... um ... if he had any money.

Prince Caspian is kinda cute. Is that what you brought VUBOQ back for his souvenir??? hm???

elisa said...

You are crazy and a genius! I love ziplock bags, I use them way more now than ever before the baby was born. Love the idea of putting each of their outfits in a bag, too. Cuts down on the crazy riffling and ransacking that usually happens several days into a vacation.

Ditto on taking snacks to DWorld. When we used to visit DLand it was nice to get a corndog and drink and possibly an ice cream cone but then we'd sit around wondering where that $20 bill ran off to. And that was per person! Oi. Vandals. Bandits! Have a great vacation!!!

I'm Julie said...

I'm sorry SG. I love you. Really. So I have to speak the truth.

Those Ziploc bags? Crazy Train.

Wooo Wooooo!

(Spoken from a bona fide member of the "throw everything you can reach into the suitcase and hope for the best" tribe. More than once my kids have worn pajamas into hotel swimming pools, because Mom screwed up. It happens.)

country mouse said...

Oh--this is part of that game "Optimistic or Just Plain Stupid?" isn't it?????

When my oldest were about 4 and 6 years old and went to church camp with their dad and grandparents (I refused to go--but that's a story for when you have a couple hours to listen to me rant and rave) I rubber banded each matching little outfit together so they couldn't possibly screw it up and walk around looking like their dad dressed them.

The kids came home with all the little bundles neatly intact. WTF? I think they wore the same outfit all week because everybody was afraid to mess up my beautiful packing job. And that's when I started drinking during the day . . .

Anonymous said...

I love their T-shirts!


peace
#2

The Jet Set Girls said...

Seriously zip lock for each outfit? Those better be generic! At least I didn't find out you voted for Sarah Palin...
but then I'd prob love you anyway!