I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of bags--tote bags, suitcases, purses, I don't discriminate. I just love finding the perfect way to carry around the things I need. I do quite a bit of traveling each year at this time in my life, including to Europe with my students, so I've had the opportunity to really hone my bag repertoire. These are some of my favorite bags for travel of all kind, including trips to Florida or California for some Disney magic! 

I have several bags from Lo & Sons, but the Catalina Deluxe is my favorite. The rigid insert for the bottom compartment helps it to not droop, a malady many tote bags suffer from. It has plenty of pockets inside and out, including a slip-through for your luggage handle. I refuse to buy a carry-on bag without this component, now. 

It's roomy enough to pack for a 1-2 day trip, but I like to use it as my carry-on for trips to Walt Disney World. It is more than big enough for my plane-essentials, but it also gives me some spare room for souvenirs on the way home! 

There's a lot of preparation that goes in to a trip to Walt Disney World. After you've finished all the booking and itinerary planning (which we can help you with!), then comes some of my favorite parts of the pre-trip activities! When your trip is coming up and you're itching to prepare, here are some things you need to do. 

The Magical Express service itself operates from the Orlando International Airport (MCO)  and can be found on Level 1 of the B-side baggage claim. This service will take you to your Disney resort hotel with just a tap of your magic band!

When booking your resort, your agent can add your flight information to you reservation, and you will receive yellow luggage tags in the mail for Disney's Magical Express. If you do not want to have to retrieve any checked luggage from the carousel after de-boarding, these yellow tags will allow Disney to get your bags for you and deliver them to your resort room later that day. If you would rather handle your bags yourself, or if you need access to your luggage quickly upon arrival to your resort (it usually takes about 3 hours for your bags to magically appear in your room), you can pick your bags up yourself and bring them with you as you board the Magical Express.

Thanks to the wide range of temperatures that can occur November - February at Walt Disney World, it can be hard to know what to pack when your list for any other time of the year would be a simple as some shorts,  sandals, and a whole lot of sun screen. Although it's always important to double check the weather before you leave in case the temperatures will be out of the norm for your trip, here's what we suggest you bring in your suitcase; this list is tailored for women, but it can be easily adjusted for men. If you're looking for a packing list for your park bag, you can find ours here! 

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If you're prepping for a trip to Walt Disney World, there's some extra things to pack that you might not consider for a normal vacation. Before you head off, hit up Amazon for these essentials! 

If you plan on meeting any characters on your trip, you'll need something for them to sign. If you want to go the classic route, check out this Disney autograph book. It's similar to a photo album, just with paper pages instead of picture slots. If you're looking for something a little more "usable" in the future, we recommend this encyclopedia of Disney characters. Each character has his or her own detailed page, which you can have the character sign. We think this is a much  more practical use for character signatures, as an autograph book may not be looked at much later on, but the encyclopedia could facilitate a trip down memory lane each bedtime! 

Fumbling with lids to dangerous permanent markers is not a think you want to do. Winnie the Pooh will thank you. 

I'm the kind of person who loves to pack. I love making a list, I love planning out exactly what I'll bring, and I love pre-vacation shopping. This is even more true when I am packing for Walt Disney World. It can be a difficult task, though, thanks to the insane amount of walking and sporadic rain showers that occur at the most magical place on Earth.  Whenever I would pack for a trip to my real home, it's shoes I used struggle with the most. It's hard to find the right shoes to stay comfortable in with all that walking, while also trying to avoid trekking around with wet socks or sneakers lacking in style. But never fear! I've compiled a list of the five types of shoes I most recommend for getting your Magic Kingdom on, whether in the cooler winter months or the steamy, wet summer! ​