Packing - 6 Months 1 Bag

I spent most of Friday packing. It's one of those things I always look forward to doing and then when it actually comes to it... I hate it. Too many decisions, too many questions as to what to take... and then to add in the strict DCL Disney Look rules makes it even more complicated!!

So basically, this has been the hardest thing to pack for out of all my travels. I started by working out what I was going to wear for my first three days as they are "business casual" days - including Traditions. Whilst the Disney Look rules are stricter onboard (more on that later), weirdly the Disney Look for Traditions is more relaxed than for the ICP or CRP programs. You don't have to wear suits or formal trousers ("dress pants" as the Americans call them) so I'm opting to wear my navy blue linen trousers and a smart top. For guys you don't even have to wear a button-down shirt... you can even wear jeans as long as they don't have rips or tears and they look smart. So... traditions outfit decided, I moved onto what I was going to wear for the paperwork meeting on the Thursday morning and what clothes I was going to wear to board the ship on the Sunday. Again, I went for my linen trousers and also a white smart summer dress I bought from Marks and Spencers (with my discount obvs!).

Then I packed in a dress for the daytime Thursday which I'm hoping to go into Magic Kingdom for some play time as well as a pair of heels for Citricos in the evening with Nick. Therefore, that was the first three days decided... and I also killed two birds with one stone because those outfits also came within the rules for "onstage in guest areas whilst offduty" clothes.

This is the hardest thing to pack for. Basically, if you're not working but you have "guest privileges" which Merchandise Cast Members do, you can go into the guest areas. Awesome. Except you have to dress a certain way to uphold the image of the Cast should a Guest realise you are a CM. Also, to blend in with the Guests I'd imagine. So therefore... no shorts after 6pm, no jeans after 6pm, no tops without a collar at any time of day, no t-shirts, no vest tops, nothing "too short, too tight or too casual". Doesn't leave much does it!

Basically, I decided that dresses were the way to go so I have the white dress and a maxi dress with short sleeves as well as a formal LBD (Little Black Dress, of course!), the linen trousers and a couple of tops with cardigans which I hope will pass the rules seen as they don't have collars. But I don't own shirts really and I don't have polo shirts which I think look more casual than  my tops anyway. Meh.

Then of course you need a few clothes for when you're just in Cast areas (I should probably start referring to this as Crew areas now... old habits die hard) which can be shorts and t-shirts thank God. I'm only taking one pair of jeans which I'll wear on the plane and a couple of cardigans... no jackets or even hoodies because it's just going to be too warm.

I also decided on shoes (this was hard for me!) - I ended up with 8 pairs. Black work shoes, white work trainers, my normal workout trainers, two pairs of flip flops, two pairs of ballet pumps (as they come in as business casual) and one pair of heels. Not bad for me.

Talking of heat... there's been a full-on, no denying it, scorching HEATWAVE in the UK for the last two weeks... and it's set to continue past when I've left. To start with it was nice to feel and see the sun... but now, not having Air Conditioning is starting to wear thin. Especially when it's been the same temperatures as Florida around here! Today it was 31 degrees! Also I've been living in the same pair of shorts for several days because I don't want to wear the nice clean, new clothes I've packed for DCL. I never thought it was going to be this hot in the week I left the UK!

So... after packing about 75% of my clothes, 7 out of the 8 pairs of shoes and a few other bits and bobs my bag weighs 14kg. The limit is 23kg so I'm doing well! I am taking mini toiletries and buying full size versions in Walgreens once I get there because I don't want it to add to the weight of the bag. I know after packing these final things (including my hair dryer and hair straighteners... vital when you have as frizzy hair as mine is!) my bag will probably hit 23kg. I also spent a fortune in Tesco the other day on cereal bars and chocolate to take... but we'll have to see how much space I have left after the more essential items!