For your 45th Birthday - you really are "Denali Bound" - Complete w/final thoughts - 2/17/2013 - Page 3 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Good luck with the packing! Alaska was definitely a challenge! We normally take 2 bags to WDW, but it was 3 carry on bags and 3 suitcases to Alaska (and we came home with one more)!
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Good luck with the packing! Alaska was definitely a challenge! We normally take 2 bags to WDW, but it was 3 carry on bags and 3 suitcases to Alaska (and we came home with one more)!
Marnie - I am actually thinking about packing an empty duffel bag to check on the way home for stuff we may buy... since SW doesn't have bag fees - that is fine. Its limiting the departure baggage that has me stymied...
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A quick packing update - Chris didn't find the chips. SO - we bought more chips, and I just ordered a new chip storage case for him, as well as a new powerstrip that swivels to allow larger chargers to be plugged in, and a new quick release for his tripod so we can use the video camera with the tripod (his idea...). I also ordered 5 travel spacebags since Target only had the ones that you have to vacuum - which is great at home, not so great when you don't have access to a vacuum cleaner... SO Amazon.com and I bonded this evening - and to make sure it all gets here quickly - I upgraded to the Amazon Prime... OY! Can you tell that I am STRESSING out? I should have done this stuff WEEKS ago - but I couldn't do that because if I did... someone might have figured out all the details and I couldn't let that happen.
In addition to all of that - I bought a bought a new bathroom organizer and cleaned the bathroom counter top - and I like it so much and it freed up so much space - I am buying another one tomorrow for hub's stuff.... Amazing how packing for a trip (and not being able to find important things) leads to house cleaning and organization... OK - back to cleaning and packing.... (UGH - this is the part I hate about travel. PACKING).
Marnie - I am actually thinking about packing an empty duffel bag to check on the way home for stuff we may buy... since SW doesn't have bag fees - that is fine. Its limiting the departure baggage that has me stymied...
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I admit defeat....
at least when it comes to luggage that is. We have 3 full sized suitcases between the two of us heading to Alaska - and I have an empty duffel packed in the 3rd suitcase in case we do some shopping and want to bring things home (as if that won't happen....).
Some of the items I ordered have arrived - one pair (of 3 ordered) of the Columbia pants. Hoping the others arrive tomorrow... The new powerstrip that you can arrange in a circle to allow for more adapters/larger adapters, the quick release for Chris' tripod so we can mount the video camera on it - and my SPACE BAGS!! The ones you can roll instead of needing a vacuum cleaner. I love these things! They do make packing so much easier. I had thought about ordering some packing cubes, but I never got around to it... . Still waiting on two more pair of pants to arrive, as well as the chip holder I bought for Chris' SD chips... I am hoping all of this will arrive tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. When all of that arrives - then I can finish packing and I will be SO happy that is done!
We went to Walgreens this evening to get a vacation refill on one of DH's rx. He has to call the insurance tomorrow to get this approved... they were closed by the time we got there. While he arranged for that, I did some snack shopping to avoid having to buy things in the airport in Atlanta...
3 days... and 3 nights... before we leave for ALASKA!!!!
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Sometimes you just have to face reality! I'm trying to keep my packing down to ONE bag for a 2 1/2 week trip to DLR and DCL Alaska and don't know if that'll happen. I can only imagine that your packing must be more of a challenge. You'll be out in the weather and hiking around a lot and need all that outdoor gear that's so bulky. At least I don't need to pack hiking boots or real camera equipment. Hope all that you need arrives tomorrow so you can finish up!
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
Hope the final items all arrive today or tomorrow so you can finish up your packing. I think the space bags are much better than the cubes, as they shrink everything down so much. The cubes just make them neat - not smaller (at least I think so?).
You both must be SO excited!!
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Last PTR update!!
The bags are packed, we're ready to go - just need to head out the door (tomorrow, tomorrow - we love you tomorrow) - Alaska you are just a day away!!!
The new pants arrived yesterday - and they fit! SO I have 5 pairs of hiking/colder weather (non-jeans) pants for the trip . All of Chris' stuff arrived. We cleaned up the video camera memory last night (finally got all the Yosemite stuff off!) and organized all the camera and video camera chips, as well as charging all of the camera and video camera batteries. We are ready to go.
My 2 bags are packed. And Chris' 2 bags are packed. And the 2 camera cases are packed and the 2 carry on laptop back packs are packed. yep - 8 bags for 2 adults.... (hubs decided he didn't want to share the 3rd suitcase with me - he wanted two of his own....). I checked our bags with Delta today - and they have raised the checked bag fee - from $25/bag to $30 a bag... so I spent $120 to check bags. YUCK!!! Then I decided to just ask Delta about how much would it be to upgrade our seats from Atlanta to Seattle (5.5 hr flight) to first class. The agent came back and said it would be less expensive to upgrade the whole trip... I asked how much - and she said $1,100... I asked "for both tickets?" - She said - "nope - each...". Now when she said $1,100 - had that been for both tickets - I may have actually done it... I already paid $1300 for the two one way tickets to Fairbanks... but to pay $1950 for each one way ticket - $3,900???? Uh - PASS!!! We will just suffer through the cattle car in the back of the plane. I love hubs and want this trip to be special for his birthday - but $3,900 for two one way plane tickets.... NOPE!!!
I printed our boarding passes this morning and got us all checked in - we start boarding at 8:05am with a 8:45am departure. I want to leave home around 645am - which looks like we are waking up about 6am. Way too early - but I am afraid neither of us will sleep well tonight because we are both too excited.... like that Disney commercial where the little boy and the dad are too excited to sleep before they go to Walt Disney World...
Plans for tomorrow is a grand tour of 4 airports - Jacksonville - Atlanta - Seattle and Fairbanks. Then to find the hotel and sleep. That's it. Just survive the trip to Alaska. I have a notebook to try to take notes in - but I am not sure what my internet access will look like for much of the trip - so live updates may be few and far between (SORRY....)
We come home on the evening of June 3- and I hope after we get laundry done and suitcases unpacked - I can start cleaning up the photos and posting all the details of the trip.
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. All of Chris' stuff arrived. We cleaned up the video camera memory last night (finally got all the Yosemite stuff off!) and organized all the camera and video camera chips, as well as charging all of the camera and video camera batteries. We are ready to go.
Now when she said $1,100 - had that been for both tickets - I may have actually done it... I already paid $1300 for the two one way tickets to Fairbanks... but to pay $1950 for each one way ticket - $3,900???? Uh - PASS!!! We will just suffer through the cattle car in the back of the plane. I love hubs and want this trip to be special for his birthday - but $3,900 for two one way plane tickets.... NOPE!!!
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