In a few weeks we will be driving to Disney. I haven’t made that trip since I was about 12 and now I am taking my own kids to the most magical place on earth. I grew up watching Disney movies on Sunday nights on CBC. My kids well they love everything from Zootopia to classics like Sleeping Beauty. In fact my daughter is more of a Princess fan than I ever was. I am excited to see how different the parks are since the last time I went was before Aladdin or the Lion King were released. I am used to classic rides like Pirates of the Caribbean whereas my son is excited to see Storm Troopers! Either way I know we are going to have a great time as a family. This is what to pack for Disney. 
Outfit 1: bag / swimsuit / Minnie tee/ romper / dress / sandals
Outfit 2: bag / boho top / dress / beach bag (ON SALE) / shoes
Outfit 3: bag / Mickey tee / sneakers / shorts / shirt
Unlike most of our other trips where we are confined to one suitcase each, we have a bit more flexibility since we are driving to Disney. That doesn’t mean we want to go crazy and take everything we own but at the same time we can pack things that usually would be out of scope.
I have been watching the weather and Orlando is looking like it will still be a minimum of 25 degrees celcius or High 70s low 80s temperatures. Which means for us as Canadians when we are thinking about what to pack for Disney it still means shorts and t-shirts. Still we will be packing long pants for evenings.
What to Pack for Disney
For my kids I went through their summer clothes and pulled out all their Disney tees. These are easy to find before you go if you feel you need to stock up. Watch at places like H&M, Old Navy and even Gap. Buying these liscensed tees are much more affordable than buying a souvenir tee at the park. I have also pulled out multiple shorts options from their closets. At this point even though we are not expecting high 80’s and 90’s for temperatures, the day time highs still mean shorts weather. Even if we might start the day with long sleeve tees or sweatshirts.
For dinners just like how I usually pack dressier outfits for say my all inclusive vacation packing, I packed some dressier options for my kids as well. I have some dresses and cardigans for my daughter. Polo shirts and slacks for my son.
I will be mimicking the same packing techniques for myself and my husband. Shorts and tees for day, a few bathing suits plus slacks or dresses for dinner. Light sweaters and long sleeve tops for layering.
For the drive to Walt Disney world we will starting out in much colder temperatures and getting progressively warmer. Which means layers. Coats and hats and mittens will be in the car but lighter jackets will be what we wear for most of the drive. It doesn’t make sense to pack for weather we will be driving out of within the first day of driving.
The shoes I will be packing for Walt Disney World are practical. Sneakers for everyone. These are a comfortable driving option but also good for all day at the parks. Sandals will also be packed for dinners and days by the pool. I will also pack boots even if they are a worst case scenario option.
So far our forecast looks really sunny but I will also be packing rain coats for everyone. They double as a light jacket so really a practical choice. I know most Disney packing lists talk about the light easy to pack rain ponchos but when you are packing for Disney in the Winter months it makes sense to have an actual rain coat just for warmth. The light poncho makes lots of sense for the summer when you don’t want to get wet but also don’t want to be hot and sweaty.
As for technology we will be packing our cameras. I am probably not going to bring my DSLR but will bring my mirrorless camera. It is much lighter and takes just as good of pictures. Plus it has wireless capabilities so I can share fairly quickly with other devices. Plus I will have my phone which has a pretty awesome camera too.
Speaking of phones we want to make sure we stay charged. I bought two car phone chargers each of which can have two devices plugged in at a time. So that means all of our family could be charging something at the same time if we wanted. We will also be packing our portable batteries. While usually I find my Kobo indispensable for travelling I will not be packing it for this trip. Kids need to be supervised in the pool and I can’t read in the car without feeling sick.
What do you think? Do you have more to add to this What to Pack for Disney list?