Bringing home souvenirs during Covid times!

[Shelby Schroepfer]

So we arrive at AOA in 18 days and we plan on buying A LOT of holiday merch. What is the best, cheapest, easiest, way to get stuff home? Aside from bringing an extra empty luggage (we are entertaining that idea but haven't decided.)

 

[Tormania]

The cheapest way would most likely be bring the empty duffle bag with you and then fill it up for the return trip home. I assume you're flying so depending on the airline it would be about $25 to check that bag home. Shipping a box/bag that size home would most definitely cost more IMHO, especially if you buy some heavier goodies.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

Usually when we fly for vacation, each of us travels with one carry-on size suitcase and one backpack. We pack light. No checked luggage.

But last February, I was a sucker because I was out in the wilds of WDW without DH for the first few days (emergency work stuff came up). To cut down on crying, whining and tantrums - I just bought whatever they wanted and told them to be quiet. By the time DH met up with us a couple of days in, we had amassed a giant pile of cheap plastic cr@* that wouldn't fit in the existing luggage.

I ended up buying two Disney backpacks the last day while we were in the parks to bring home the piles of CPC that the kids accumulated during the trip. They were on sale, something like $20 with your $$$ purchase. On the way home, we ended up checking the kids suitcases and each kid brought on 2 backpacks as carry-on. Worked out okay.

The new Disney backpacks turned into the new beach/summercamp bags. All's well that ends well.

 

[sponica]

A mix of the empty bag and or just shipping the item straight home. We did that with a picture frame, ordered the frames on the app and then shipped them home (I'm not sure if this functionality still exists)

 

[yulilin3]

Ship it from the resort, might be the most convenient


Here are Disney's shipping fees
Shipping Rates for Shopping:
$0 - $25 …………..$4.95
$25.01 - $50 …….$7.95
$51 - $75 ………….$9.99
$75.01 - $100…….$12.95
$100.01 - $250…..$17.95
$250 - $500………$34.95
$500.01 to Infinity & Beyond ….$39.95

 

[Lehuaann]

Ship it from the resort, might be the most convenient


Here are Disney's shipping fees
Shipping Rates for Shopping:
$0 - $25 …………..$4.95
$25.01 - $50 …….$7.95
$51 - $75 ………….$9.99
$75.01 - $100…….$12.95
$100.01 - $250…..$17.95
$250 - $500………$34.95
$500.01 to Infinity & Beyond ….$39.95

Can you bundle items from various locations and ship from resort for a flat rate? I’ve had artwork shipped using flat UPS rate, but they were purchased at the same location/time.

 

[yulilin3]

Can you bundle items from various locations and ship from resort for a flat rate? I’ve had artwork shipped using flat UPS rate, but they were purchased at the same location/time.

Ues just make sure you have the receipts so they can calculate the shipping

 

[Lehuaann]

Ues just make sure you have the receipts so they can calculate the shipping

Thank you! This is what DH thought. He hates taking an extra suitcase

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I have long been in the practice of packing (or just buying) a reusable shopping bag to use as carry-on luggage. When empty, at least the kind that lays flat when empty, they take up almost no space at all. If you really want to protect items, you can enclose everything using two bags (put one inside the other upside down.)

Another trick is to bring/pack/use giant ziplock bags. The super (above 2.5gallon) ones are expensive, but the 2 gallon/2.5 gallon ones (if you can find them) are not expensive, and they hold quite a bit. (though the bigger ones fit more per bag) On your way down, you wouldn't need to use them, but on your way back, you can kinda use them like space-saver bags. The seal-top kind work better for this purpose than the 'slider' style ones. If you over pack them the zipper breaks, but they can help compact anything that is at all fluffy. (winter hoodies, stuffed animals, pillows). they are also useful if you have something messy like a wet bathing suit.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

It’s reading posts like these that I’m glad we drive to WDW; not that I need to bring any more Disney things home but I’d likely curtail my spending if I had to haul it home on a plane.

We always just leave space in our suitcases and pack an extra bag if necessary. We really like something flexible so a duffle is your best bet. If you will have a car when in Florida, you could plan ahead and find a nearby ups store if you don’t want to mess with packing it and just ship it home, likely cheaper than shipping from the resort. Either way, both will likely cost you more than packing and paying bag fees.

 

[LSUfan4444]

So we arrive at AOA in 18 days and we plan on buying A LOT of holiday merch. What is the best, cheapest, easiest, way to get stuff home? Aside from bringing an extra empty luggage (we are entertaining that idea but haven't decided.)

Extra luggage is the best, cheapest and easiest way if you are already going to be at WDW.

 

[Newbie500]

We leave some extra room in each of our suitcases on the way there so we can fill them up on the way back

 

[dachsie]

When I go on trips that I expect to buy a lot of things, I pack a carryon in my big suitcase and pack in and around it. Then when I come home, I have a carryon to take things home with. I did this when I went to Aulani in January. the funny thing was, even tho I filled the carryon with stuff, the big bag was overweight, so I was taking things out and cramming them in the carryon. Everything worked out fine.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

I pack oatmeal in boxes, granola bars, and two large plastic a margarita bottles in my suitcase. That is my souvenir space for the way home.

 

[Moliphino]

In the past I have packed an extra empty duffle bag in my suitcase on the way down or packed a smaller suitcase and then put that inside a larger suitcase if I thought I'd need a lot of space (I was planning on buying a Nautilus that trip). That way you aren't carrying an empty bag/suitcase on the way down.

We drove down last trip and I went a little crazy on the purchases because I knew I had room.

 

[Amunet]

Depending on your airline will depend on baggage charges. I usually fly Southwest and they give 2 free checked bags per person. I always travel at least 1 bag less than the full limit (so if 2 people were going, I'd only have 3 checked bags if I needed to pack that much) so I have space to bring souvenirs back home. I have done this in very much the same ways mentioned above:
1) Pack a large-ish duffle, no wheels, in a suitcase. The one we have folds pretty flat. When time to pack up, I just stuff all of our clothes into the duffle so the suitcase is free to pack in souvenirs that need more protection.
2) Pack a large suitcase with a smaller suitcase inside. Use the smaller suitcase to pack all my clothes/necessities. When time to pack back up, do the same as a duffle.

I usually only do option 2 when I'm going on a BIG trip (when we went on a DCL transatlantic) and/or when I know I'll be bringing lots back. We have this huge green suitcase that just fits airline dimension restrictions lol. When it comes to Disney, usually I do option 1 ... but this year, I'm bringing my whole dang car because I want to buy ALL the holiday merchandise and bring back a Mickey Balloon!

 

[Rockbro]

If I were you, I would just permanently move into the resort and decorate the room with the stuff you buy.

 

[flipflopmom]

I have long been in the practice of packing (or just buying) a reusable shopping bag to use as carry-on luggage.

This may be one of the most brilliant things I’ve read lately. I know we will need another bag coming home, but didn’t want to take it down. Was trying to figure out how to nest them. Or get one small enough to fit in another bag without sacrificing that space. Thanks for this thought!

 

[kitkat4622]

I always pack a smaller empty carry-on bag like a small weekender type in my large suitcase to bring home goodies

 

[guehomom]

I always pack a bag like this in my suitcase. It folds down to the size of a wallet but open its fairly large but can count as a carryon if needed