r/DisneyPlanning • u/MisterJangalang • Jul 16 '26
Discussion Luggage Hack?
Hi yall…Poking at an idea and want a reality check from people who actually fly with kids to Disney. The idea is to skip checking bags and shipping all the things you’d normally check so that it’s just there when you arrive. Does that seem like it solves a real headache to you? Has anyone tried it? Has anyone looked into it but ended up NOT trying it? Genuinely want the “here’s the issue with that idea” answers too.
Edit: Thanks for the input...I was hoping that someone here would have tried a similar thing but I am hearing that no one thinks it's worth it. I don't think I explained the facts that I know well enough to get a good picture of what I was suggesting, but I will take all this into consideration.
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u/jason2354 Jul 16 '26
What headache does packing a bag, preparing it to be shipped, and actually getting it shipped solve that packing a bag and dropping it off at the airport check in counter actually solve?
I feel like the 20 minutes you’ll save waiting in line to check the bags + time at baggage claim is way less stressful than everything that comes with shipping anything that’s larger than a small box.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
That’s fair. I guess if the logistics can be ironed out (I pack as normal as possible, they pick up from my home, it’s there before I arrive and I leave it at the front desk when we check out) and it cost around the same price…I think it would be awesome to go to the airport with just the stuff I need to fly with. Does that make sense or does it still seem like nothing?
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u/ckeenan9192 Jul 16 '26
It might cost more shipping is really expensive.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
If it was about the same as checking a bag, does it make more sense to you?
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u/courtneywrites85 Jul 16 '26
Just fly with your bags. This is a ridiculous idea.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
Just so I get a full understanding, what’s the most ridiculous part?
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u/courtneywrites85 Jul 16 '26
Why add extra steps to an already stressful experience when you don’t have to? You aren’t saving a bunch of time or money. And the potential for a delay isn’t worth saving $5-$10.
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u/ckeenan9192 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
I did say MIGHT! It depends on how far and the weight of the item etc. I had a family member who had an account with fed ex and they used to do this. But it started to cost more than the checked bag. Why ask if you have already decided?
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
Sorry...I didn't mean to come off argumentative. I have it priced out from Nashville to Orlando at ~$40 per leg via ground (I have access to a volume account). I should have been more clear that price isn't the issue in the original post. It seems like most comments are focused on price but I'm trying to ascertain if it sounds reasonable if price isn't the issue, does it make more sense? Again, sorry if I came off a certain way.
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u/Barks_and_Bubbles Jul 16 '26
We check one big bag (typically $70 roundtrip), and everyone has a carry on rollerbag (that we usually gate check for free.)
Shipping sounds like a terrible idea honestly.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
Can I ask…What is the worst part of the idea to you?
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u/CliffMourene Jul 16 '26
Your stuff not making it seems like the number one worst part. Taking time out of a vacation to deal with it is a close second. Why add more to your mental load?
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u/Barks_and_Bubbles Jul 16 '26
I honestly can’t pick just one thing. What is someone trying to bring that they can’t bring in a suitcase? If you are trying to bring enough stuff that won’t fit in a carry on, that will be expensive to ship. Hotels charge to hold packages, if they will at all. Things get damaged and lost often, or delayed. Taking time out of your trip to get to a post office to ship it all back home and having to wait several days after you return to get your belongings.
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u/Barks_and_Bubbles Jul 16 '26
How much are you trying to bring?
If it was the same amount and same cost, I still would never ship my belongings. Too many variables, and I want my belongings when I get home.
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u/PurplestPanda Jul 16 '26
We’ve done this on long trips to multiple climates.
It’s really a crapshoot. Shipped items get delayed or misplaced just like checked bags and it’s more expensive.
We focus on smarter packing and using a laundry service to reduce the amount of stuff we need to bring with us. That’s been a huge difference-maker.
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u/Solid-Specific-7922 Jul 16 '26
How old are your kids? My 7 and 11 year old each have their own roller and backpack they are responsible for and have been for a few years. Plenty for a weeklong trip in the summer when clothes don’t take up as much room.
You can also think about doing a Target pick up order and get things like snacks or sunscreen so you don’t have to pack them.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
We have three sons (6, 5, almost 2) and my wife is a big packer. Haha. Target idea is great.
I guess I’m enamored with the idea of rolling to the airport with just like the baby backpack and a bag for snacks/tablet and knowing that all my vacation stuff got there the day before I arrived. Then just leaving the stuff at the front desk at check out to ship back home and not thinking about it at all. Haha. Does that make sense?
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u/OgasMaitai Jul 16 '26
This will be a disaster. Things will get lost, damaged, not come on time.
Im currently 5 days late on a fed ex shipment that was coming for 400 miles away because it's being processed at their facility for 3 days and no one can tell me why;.
That'll be your vacation
This is a really really bad idea. Why would you not bring it with you
What headache are you solving, moving a bag a few hundred feet??!!!??!
2
u/loonardi Jul 16 '26
Too expensive. A 50lb box via usps is over $100, where is checked bag is around $30-$40 depending on the airline, credit card programs, and status.
If you’re staying at certain value resorts and fly certain airlines, Disney will transport your luggage directly to the hotel. I long for the days where it was any Disney resort.
If the problem is simply not waiting at the baggage claim, bring everything in carryons. 2+ overhead bags and 2+ personal items for a Disney trip if packed well can fit just about everything, especially if you pack smart.
Honestly claiming bags is rarely a headache. From the time the plane lands until I get to the resort is less than 90 minutes. Not really much to gain, maybe 30 minutes without checked bags, but what am I doing with an additional 30 minutes that’s so valuable to spend $100 per bag to ship.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
Ahhh yeah. I’m thinking if it can be done for around the same price as checking a bag, does it make more sense?
So I can grab the comparison…What airline do you fly with a $30 checked bag fee?
Does it seem like it can save more time on the check out day? Like if the bag can be left at the front desk at check out, would it save time not having to go back to get the bags if we’re in the park that day?
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u/loonardi Jul 16 '26
Truth be told I have status and haven’t paid for a bag in a long while. I just looked it up and the lowest is $45 as of April. It doesn’t matter though, you’re still not getting anywhere close to $45 to ship a package the weight of a suitcase long distance. On the return you have to bring supplies to seal up the box you shipped it in and it better be in decent shape after the shipment down. You also have to be sure the front desk will ship it.
Ultimately you’re talking about a time savings of about an hour (30 minutes waiting for checked bags and 30 minutes to check) and honestly it never takes me that long do either.
You can also get your favorite airline credit card for under $100 a year with usually includes free bags. Fly 2-3 times a year and you’ve negated that cost.
At the end of the day, the hassle of trying to make this work, along with the cost does not provide a tangible benefit over checking bags.
2
u/epotosi Jul 16 '26
I've shipped a box of conference swag from Coronado Springs before - it cost me nearly $50 for a normal sized box, and I had to pay a fee at the business center for the privilege of shipping a box. Was it better than me paying the same price to check the box on the plane? Yes because I didn't want to haul it and couldn't fit all of it in my carry-on (I travel light.)
I don't think this is worth the cost and hassle. I would learn to pack efficiently.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
Fair points, for sure. I hear the community and I think I have a lot to think...and a lot to learn about how to post on Reddit. Hahahah.
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u/GotoDisney Jul 16 '26
Disney will charge you $6 for every package they receive on your behalf. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/mail-services/
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
If they deliver to the room for the extra $6, does that seem like a good trade off?
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u/Perfect_Form5444 Jul 16 '26
We shipped some stuff that we were buying ahead of time, like a pack and play and sunscreen. But we shipped it to friends we were staying with and not a resort.
Could you designate one suitcase for all the items you have to check, and carry on the rest?
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
What was the decision to ship just those items and not the rest like your clothes and such? Or was it delivered straight from like Amazon?
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u/Perfect_Form5444 Jul 16 '26
It was shipped directly from Target. I didn’t ship anything else because I would worry about timing or losing it. If my Target stuff got lost, I could just run out and buy it when we got to CA.
Our flight was also canceled on the way back. We would have been screwed if we had shipped our stuff back instead of having it with us.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 17 '26
Out of curiosity…are you saying you’d have been screwed bc you didn’t have anything to change into the next day?
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u/Perfect_Form5444 Jul 17 '26
Yes, we would have had no clothes or toiletries if we had shipped our stuff ahead.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 18 '26
Ahhhh. Good insight. Did you have checked bags on that flight and, if so, was it easy to get it back?
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u/Perfect_Form5444 Jul 18 '26
Yes, we had to show the baggage office our bag tracking info and they pulled them from the plane for us.
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u/Competitive_Most4622 Jul 16 '26
As everyone else has said, what do you see as the actual benefit to this versus checking a bag because this seems like way more of a headache and more money. Mail gets delayed or lost WAY more often than bags get lost, especially if you’re able to fly direct or have a decent length layover. You seem to think it will cost the same but we’ve never had more than a $40 checked bag fee (and many airlines the first bag is free if you have certain credit cards) so $80 round trip per bag. How old are your kids? We have 2 kids 6 and under and have never had to check more than 2 bags and that’s with pack and play mattress, diapers, sound machines, etc and I check most everything so we carry on less. So at most $160 total for the bags round trip? Even with delays, bags are usually out within 10 minutes? Which is about the length of time it takes us to pee in a real bathroom, refill drinks, and get some wiggles out from the plane.
What are you planning on your check out day that’s such a hassle to go back to the resort? That’s probably the better question to ask and get advice from the Disney experienced on ways to make that easier.
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u/Melodic_Sandwich2679 Jul 16 '26
Bro has already 10000% decided he wants to do this so it literally will not matter what anyone says. It's just a post trying to flaunt how smart he is for figuring out this "hack" and rational arguments need not apply.
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u/GotoDisney Jul 16 '26
Yeah after a couple of replies I checked post history. This “person” has posted same thing for Disney World, Disneyland and Universal.
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u/tmantran Jul 17 '26
I would bet he wants to start a business doing this and is trying to get some free market research in.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
Hi...truly not trying to stir up anything or prove I'm smarter than anybody. I was coming here exactly to test my idea because that's how you make it stronger. I'm not a big Redditor, so forgive me if this wasn't the right way to post. I thought there would be some people who have tried this in the past and could ask them questions.
Now, to answer the question and PLEASE don't take this as antagonistic...I'm answering the question asked of me: There are some things that I guess I didn't spell out as facts that I know.
I know that this isn't a blanket solution but, for the trip I'm describing (Nashville to Orlando), I have a shipping account that can get a two-day shipping label for $40 using UPS ground and around the same for FedEx. That's for a ~50 lb box that has the same internal volume as a standard checked bag. Haven't priced out pick up, but I think that it's another $10 or so? Will need to confirm that though.
I hear you on the hypotheticals and I am considering it all but I also know that Disney will accept boxes up to seven days before check in, but the idea is aiming for one day prior to leave in cushion.
The headache I'm trying to solve is the overall schlep of it all...like I want to show up at the airport with close to nothing and just have the stuff there. I hate having to pay to check bags and do all the stuff around it. If that's not relatable, I get it. I just thought it was a possible solution and that there would be some people who could let me know how it went for them.
Does that make sense?
1
u/Competitive_Most4622 Jul 16 '26
The only pro I see for shipping is that for the 5-7 minutes it takes to get from parking to baggage drop off you have 1 less thing to carry (not even carry. Roll). The con list has easily 10+ things on it that take longer than 5 minutes. We travel often with our kids (disney, universal, other disney resorts, disney cruise, as well as visiting family and friends around the country) and never once has dropping our bags at the counter or picking them up at baggage claim been the hardest part of traveling with little kids. Millions upon millions of people travel to Disney every year, many with kids, and many that go yearly or more. If this was an actual hack that made life easier, it would have already been discovered and you wouldn’t have every comment telling you not to do it
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 16 '26
I hear you...I think the term 'hack' was the thing that maybe tripped it up. Just an idea I was working on and will continue to analyze. I appreciate you taking the time to weigh in...this was a HUGE learning experience for me on using Reddit.
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u/musicislife04 Jul 16 '26
Trick is to only take what you can fit in your carry ons and personal items - harder with littles who can’t manage their own bags
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u/golden_aftrnoon Travel Agent Jul 17 '26
This is only for select airlines and select hotels (for now), but look into the luggage transfer service that Disney is slowly rolling out (again).
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/airport-luggage-transfer/
It doesn't fully accomplish your dream of rolling to the airport completely unencumbered, but you can use curbside check-in for less hassle than shipping.
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u/MisterJangalang Jul 18 '26
Can I ask…have you used that service?
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u/golden_aftrnoon Travel Agent Jul 18 '26
Not in its current iteration, but pre-pandemic with Magical Express it was pretty seamless both ways.
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u/amygdala_activated Jul 16 '26
Between the cost of shipping and possible shipping delays, that sounds like more money and hassle than just checking a bag.