I have learned a lot of different things about cruising being that I have been on 4 Disney cruises already.  I have recently offered my help in being the group leader for both of our upcoming Disney Dream cruises.  I will be the person that organizes the spreadsheets, and comes up with the group pins for wearing around the boat.

I learned a valuable lesson on our second cruise.  That was to put a laptop in a laptop case, and not use things like briefcases.  I used a briefcase originally because I felt it was more structurally sound than a laptop case.  I was originally under the thought that a passport wasn’t needed.  According to the passport site you don’t need one for most cruises.  Disney wants passports for all their cruises.

When planning for Fish Extenders be sure to check over your groups spreadsheet.  Miscounting one person could be a bad thing.  Having a group t-shirt for your family is a good thing because you will be able to find your party easily.  For those that like to decorate their rooms there is some important information for you.  Disney has mentioned imposing fees for damaging stateroom doors.  Use magnets when possible.  They will not damage doors.

Disney World is only a few days away, and we are all getting anxious.  We have reservations for some of the best buffets around, and being we are on Annual Passeswe can go in, and out of the parks as much as we want.

I forgot to give my wife our “Packing List”, and she has made it abundantly clear that anything we forget is my fault.  I got her the list so that we can get this done without incident.  The listwas put together so that we can be sure to have everything.  She has added a few things to our list this year.  She is concerned that they may be needed.  We haven’t needed them before, but she has added things like day creams, curling iron, and some dress clothing.  The dress clothing I understand in case we go to a nicer restaurant, but the creams…?

When we make up the list we make our little one write down what games she is bringing for her DS, and PSP.  This is so that we can keep track of the games when we pack to leave for home.  We have limited how many games because we know that kids have a tendancy to lose things.  Last trip to Disney World we forgot a dvd that we had brought.  The things that the maids find in a Disney hotel at cleanup time is probably amazing.

When going on a Disney Cruise, or any cruise there are some things you need to make sure you have when you pack.

Here is a listing of a lot of things that are must haves…

• Reservations, Airline Passes (If applicable)
• Passport, License, Digital Camera, Video Camera, Video Tapes / DVD’s
• Money, Travelers Checks, Credit Cards, etc..
• Sea Sickness Tablets, etc., Tretinoin gel, Diet pills
• Feminine Personals, Male Personals 
• Dress clothing for “Formal” dining
• Shorts, T-Shirts, Flip Flop type shoes
• Pants, Shirts, Sneakers
• Make-up for the women, Cologne, Perfume
• Books, Laptop, Walkie Talkies
• Pins for Trading, Autograph Books

Side note… Take a day bag with you when boarding.  This is because you will not get to see your luggage till much later on, and you may want to go swimming, or whatever, and need a change of clothing, or whatever might be necessary until you can get to your luggage.

This is only a preliminary listing, and your packing list should be unique to you, and your family.  One of the last times we went I forgot my passport, and had to have a friend go back to my house, and immediatelly fax it to the port.  This is not allowed anymore from my understanding.  Try to keep it light, as you will need to lug these bags through customs when getting off the boat.

When you go on a Disney Cruise don’t forget to tell them if you have cruised Disney previously.  This is so that you can get the Castaway Club gifts that are given to past cruisers.

When we go to Disney we are more than likely going to drive like we have for the past bunch of years with the exception of a few flights because of the drastic price drops.  When we drive to Disney we have some must have car accessories for the trip.

Having a plug in cooler for the car is great, as you can keep drinks cold for the trip.  A backseat dvd player to keep the little ones, and wife busy is another great thing.  For me I need to have my Sirius radio.  I put on the comedy channel, and drive.

One last thing I take is a bumper mountable hitch carrier.  I don’t eat as much gas because there is no wind resistance doing it this way, and having a roof carrier is very inconvenient.  Once we get to Disney I will usually take the hitch off, and store it in the hotel storage, or in the room.

Over the past 10 years I have learned what items need to be packed when going to Disney World for vacation.  I am going to give a brief rundown on the list that I have compiled.

Based On Weather…

1. T-Shirts / Tank Tops / Long Sleeve Shirts
2. Shorts / Pants
3. Bathing Wear
4. Socks
5. Shoes / Flip Flops

Cosmetics…

1. Hair Dryer
2. Nail Clippers
3. Razor
4. Hair Brush / Comb
5. Makeup
6. Specialty Items

Medical Stuff…

1. Syringes
2. Contact Lenses
3. Aspirin

Misc…

1. weight loss supplement items
2. Portable MP3 Player
3. Laptop
4. Cell Phone Chargers

This list is only a starting point.  Please feel free to comment about anything that you think would be helpful to pack for a trip to Disney World.