Hey Everyone! Thanks for checking out my blog! If you haven't already, I would suggest reading Parts 1-5 about the Disney College Program. There is some very helpful information if you are considering doing the program. Today's post will cover things to pack, and how to pack when doing the DCP. I know that packing was my biggest problem when preparing to do the DCP, and there wasn't many places online where I could find specifics of what was included in the apartments, etc. Well worry no more! I'm here to tell you.
Flying
If you are one of the brave souls who are deciding to fly to Florida (or have no choice) then packing is probably your worst nightmare at this point. I myself flew to Florida and yes, it was hard. I will tell you how I did it. Now I know you might not do the same thing I did, but for the most part it worked out for me.
I flew in 3 days before my scheduled check-in date. My parents decided to fly with me, and it was nice having the company before I started my program, but they were essential in my packing strategy. My family has always flown with Southwest, and the nice thing about Southwest is you can have 2 suitcases for free (up to 50lbs). As much as I tried to squeeze what I could into 2 bags, it was nearly impossible. I didn't want to have to buy everything when I went to Florida, I wanted to save my money. I probably had enough stuff to fit into 6 suitcases, but with the help of Space Bags (which I highly recommend using) I was able to fit it into 4. So since my parents tagged along, they also got 2 bags fly free, so I just split the suitcases between myself and my parents, and we ended up having no extra costs with our flight.
Now if you prefer to fly with a different airliner, you may have to pay for extra luggage, or ship the luggage down to Florida. So however you decide to do it, know that you will have extra costs if you decide to fly. Going down to Florida was the easy part for me, but coming home was more difficult.
A couple months later, my parents came down to visit me, and in doing so, I told them to bring an empty suitcase with them, so I could fill it with a bunch of souvenirs and things I didn't need, so that I would have more room in my suitcases when coming back home. This really did help me in the long run.
But like I said, coming home was the hard part. My parents weren't there with me, because I decided to fly home by myself. Which meant that I had a lot of stuff I had to fit in 3 suitcases (with a 50lb limit) So again I used my space bags to help squeeze everything, but I had a lot of souvenirs that I had bought, since my parents left that wouldn't fit in a suitcase, so I bought a big box and had some stuff shipped home a few days before I left. And again I did manage to fit everything into 3 suitcases, but the problem was that only 2 bags fly free, so I had to pay an extra $75 for an extra bag.
Driving
As I mentioned in previous posts, if you have a car, BRING IT! It may or may not save you more money than flying (depending on how far you have to drive) but it will definitely save you the struggle of figuring out what to pack. The sky is the limit (well the backseat of your car is the limit) but regardless, you can fit so much more into a car than a suitcase can.Flying and Shipping
Now this is the smart way to travel to Florida, if you can do it. I'm not sure what the costs were, but I knew a few people who flew to Florida, and had their car shipped to them. This way you save yourself time, you save miles on your car, and you can pack your car with whatever you want! People have also taken trains down to Florida, that carry your car with you. So with whatever way you go, know that it is possible! You just have to be smart about it.Go on to Part 2, where I talk about what to pack!
Thanks!
-S
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