What I packed for a 10 day trip in March

I will be honest, packing for me has always been a bit of an ordeal. The problem is that I am an over planner and as a result an over packer. I don't like to be unprepared especially while away so my nature is to pack as much stuff as I can carry. With the new charges on extra baggages, not to mention the hassle of carrying too much stuff, I have learned to pulled back the reins on what I pack for my travels.  My suitcase might not be as streamlined as I would like but I think I have managed to attain a good balance over the years.

The idea is to bring a variety of functional pieces that can be mixed and matched to create numerous outfits in a similar colour scheme. Since I am traveling to Disney World, I need pieces that are comfortable and lightweight for park touring and that can be layered if the temperature changes. The most important thing is to bring good walking shoes.

I am leaving for Disney World in less than a week for a 10 day trip. I will share with you what I packed for my trip. Packing for beginning of March in Orlando can be a little tricky since the weather is variable at that time of year. Morning and evenings are usually cooler and daytime temperatures are usually warm with rainy days not uncommon. That means I needed to pack a varied wardrobe for both cool and warm temperatures. If packing for a summer trip I would most probably have gotten  away with packing much less. Nevertheless, this is what I ended up bringing on this trip:

5 TOPS
I packed five top that I plan on wearing twice during the trip and on my travel days. I tried to choose tops that were lightweight, comfortable and flexible to go with all the other pieces that I was bringing.

6 BOTTOMS
I packed 2 pairs of shorts and one skirt for warmer temperatures and 3 longer pants for cooler temperatures. I usually keep the leggings for my travel days as they are the most comfortable on the plane ride. I tried to choose bottoms that are comfortable and appropriate for the rides at the WDW parks.

4 SWEATERS
I brought one sweatshirt for those chilly evenings and 3 lightweight cardigans that I can layer over my other clothes but still remove easily at a moments notice. The cardigans are light  and small enough that I can carry them in my my bag when I am not wearing them.

1 OUTERWEAR
I brought a raincoat /windbreaker for those rainy days in March. I like that it provides an extra layer over my clothes for those late nights at the park when I am watching the fireworks. Honnestly, I prefer wearing a raincoat  to those plastic ponchos when the weather calls for rain all day, it is much more comfortable to tour the parks.

3 PAIRS OF SHOES
Comfort is the most important thing when choosing your shoes. I like having two pairs of runners in case one gets wet and a pair of sandals/flipflops if the temperatures are warm. I also use my flip flops to go to the pool. I usually choose a good quality surfer flip flop that provides cushioning and an arch for the foot so that I can walk all day without sore feet or blisters.

1 SWIMSUIT
In March, I don't know how much swimming I will do so I just brought one swimsuit. I will most probably swim once or twice during my 10 days trip.

2 BAGS
I like to carry a sling bag while at the park because it is big enough to carry all the essentials without being too heavy. I usually can fit my cardigans in there when not wearing them which is perfect. It has a bottle holder on the outside too so I can carry it to the park and refill when necessary. I also like to pack a nicer shoulder bag if I get tired of the sling bag or if I go out at night to a nice restaurant. It is still big enough to carry all my stuff in the park but small enough not to be cumber sum.

5 ACCESSORIES
I bring a few accessories to dress up my outfits while still being functional.

Here are the combination of outfits I can make with the selected wardrobe. I have divided it into two categories showing you the warm weather outfits and the cool weather outfits I can make with the pieces I chose for maximum versatility.

As you can see the pieces selected gave me a wide range of varied outfits. It gave me 9 outfits  to wear if the temperatures where warmer and 9 outfits if the temperature get cooler. I have packed enough clothes to last me my whole trip but can still fit in a carry on if need be. Since I am traveling with the kids and since I don't pay for checked bags (because of my Air Canada status), I prefer just checking in my suitcase. I usually pack my clothes with my oldest child's and my husband's clothes with my youngest child's. That way I end up with two medium suitcases that I can check in and not have to worry about. Disney's Magic Express picks them up for us and delivers them to our Resort room which means less hassle for me.

Another thing I want to mention is that I carried enough clothes so that I can wear each piece a couple of times but still not have to do laundry half way through the trip. If you need to cut down on luggage even more, than doing laundry at WDW is maybe a good idea. I have done this in the past and it worked out well except for the fact that it eats up vacation time and is a bit of a hassle. There are laundry facilities at each of the Disney Resorts that take credit or debit card. Honestly, I have enough laundry to do at home so on vacation I prefer not to have to lift a finger.

Happy packing!

Update: Just got back from my trip and am happy to say that I had packed perfectly for the trip. I used every single piece of clothing since it was cool in the evening and hot during the day.