Family Packing and Pacing Guide
Age-banded packing lists and a park-day rhythm that works with children
The short answer
Pack less for Orlando than you think. Every WorldQuest suite has an iron, hairdryer, basic toiletries, coffee maker, full kitchen and a washer and dryer with detergent, so clothes for four or five days is enough. Pace park days as an early start, a pool afternoon and a nap, with a rest day midweek and breakfast in the suite.
Get the Family Packing and Pacing Guide or call (407) 387-3800
Start with what is already here
What can you leave at home when you stay in a suite?
Half of a typical Orlando family packing list is things the suite already has. Cross these off before you start.
Every suite at WorldQuest is a full condominium, not a hotel room, so it comes with the household items that usually fill a second bag. Suites are individually owned and fittings vary a little from one to the next, but the following are in every suite.
- Iron and ironing board. In the twin bedroom closet, so leave yours at home.
- Hairdryer. One in each bathroom.
- Basic toiletries. Soap and starter toiletries in each bathroom; bring your own preferred brands and anything for sensitive skin.
- Coffee maker with starter coffee. Part of the welcome starter kit, so no travel kettle needed.
- Pots, pans, crockery, glassware and cutlery. A full kitchen.
- Washer and dryer. In the suite, with a detergent starter pack. This is the item that changes how much you pack.
- Dishwashing powder. A starter supply is in the welcome kit.
- Televisions. Three in a two-bedroom suite, four in a three-bedroom, so bedtime cartoons do not stop the adults’ evening.
- Free Wi-Fi. Complimentary wired and wireless internet in the suite, plus Wi-Fi in the lobby and pool areas.
- Private screened balcony or patio. Table and chairs, screened, so a stroller nap or an early coffee happens outdoors without bugs.
Forgot something?
The 24-hour Corner Pantry in the lobby carries snacks, cold drinks, frozen meals, breakfast items and forgotten essentials. Publix and Walmart are about two miles away for anything larger.
Packing by age
What is on an Orlando family packing list for each age group?
Pack clothes for four or five days, not the whole trip, and run the suite’s washer and dryer midway. Everyone gets a small day bag for the parks and a larger bag that stays in the suite. Then add the age-specific items below. Orlando afternoons can bring sudden showers, so a light poncho per person goes in every list.
Babies and toddlers
- Lightweight stroller with a sunshade. A full-size travel system is heavy in a park. Check Disney’s site for current stroller size rules.
- Carrier or sling. For queues, shows and the walk back to the car.
- Diapers and wipes for the first two days. Buy the rest locally rather than filling a suitcase.
- Familiar bedding item. A sleep sack or a blanket that smells like home makes a strange bedroom easier.
- Portable blackout blind or clips. Naps in a bright Florida bedroom are easier in the dark.
- Sun hat, swim diapers and a rash vest. The heated pool has a shallow end and shaded loungers, but small children still burn.
- Sippy cups and a few small containers. The kitchen has glassware and cutlery, but not toddler-sized items.
Young children
- Broken-in walking shoes, two pairs. Park days are long walks. Rotate pairs so nothing is damp in the morning.
- Autograph book and a fat pen. If character meets are on the plan.
- Refillable water bottle each. Labeled, and clipped to the day bag.
- A small clip-on fan or cooling towel. Queues are the hot part of the day.
- Swimsuit and goggles. Pool afternoons are the reward for early mornings.
- Quiet-time kit. Crayons, a small puzzle or a book for the balcony after a nap.
- Glow sticks or a small light-up toy. Cheaper packed than bought inside a park.
- A change of clothes in the day bag. Water rides, ice cream and rain all happen.
Tweens and teens
- Portable phone charger and cable. Park apps, ride booking and photos drain a phone by lunchtime.
- Their own day bag. Ownership of the bag means ownership of the water bottle, sunscreen and poncho inside it.
- A say in the plan. Not a packing item, but the one that matters. Let each teen pick one ride, one meal and one late night.
- Swim gear and a pool towel habit. Teenagers will use the pool and hot tub more than the toddlers will.
- Cash or a card for their own spending. Set the amount before the trip and let them manage it.
Grandparents and multi-generational groups
- Medication for the full stay plus a few days. In carry-on luggage, with a list of what each person takes.
- Comfortable, supportive shoes. The parks are large and mostly on foot.
- Reading glasses and a phone with large text set up. Park apps are hard to read in bright sun.
- A plan for wheels. Walt Disney World parks offer wheelchair and ECV rental. Book or ask early on the day; do not wait until someone is exhausted.
- Their own bedroom door. A three-bedroom suite gives grandparents a master, queen or twin bedroom of their own and, in the three-bath layout, their own bathroom.
Accessible accommodations at the resort are limited and features vary between condominiums, so if anyone in the group needs a particular entry route or specific bathroom fittings, contact the resort before booking on (407) 387-3800 or wqreservations@worldquestorlando.com to confirm what is available. Service animals are welcome throughout the resort.
Pacing
What does a realistic park day with children look like?
The families who enjoy Orlando most are the ones who leave the park while everyone is still happy. A suite makes that possible because the pool, a nap and a proper meal are a short drive away. Here is the shape of a good day.
- Breakfast in the suite, early. Cereal, fruit, toast and coffee from the suite’s coffee maker take ten minutes and cost a fraction of a park breakfast. Nobody waits for a table. Our First Grocery Run List covers what to have in.
- Be at the gate before opening. Rope drop is the calmest, coolest part of the day and the right time for the rides with the longest lines later. For EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, reserve the complimentary shuttle at the Concierge desk at least 30 minutes ahead; for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, drive.
- Do the priorities first, snacks second. Two or three must-do attractions, then a sit-down snack in the shade.
- Leave after lunch. This is the step families skip and regret. Head back when the youngest starts to flag, not after the meltdown. The resort is a short drive from every Walt Disney World theme park.
- Pool, nap, quiet. Little ones nap in a dark bedroom; older children swim; adults sit on the screened balcony. A three-bedroom suite lets all three happen at once.
- Evening, your choice. Cook a simple dinner, go back to the park for the evening show, or let the teens go back with one adult while the rest stay in. One Disney parking pass is valid all day at all four theme parks, so a return trip in the same car does not cost a second parking fee.
A sample week
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Travel | Check in from 4:00pm, grocery delivery, reserve tomorrow’s shuttle | Easy dinner in the suite, early night |
| Day 2 | Rope drop, shuttle park | Pool and naps | Cook in, laundry load one |
| Day 3 | Rope drop, drive park | Pool and naps | Return for the evening show, or not |
| Day 4 | Rest day: sleep in, balcony breakfast | Pool, Tiki Bar happy hour 3 to 4pm for the adults in turns | Dinner out; Disney Springs needs no park ticket |
| Day 5 | Rope drop, shuttle park | Pool and naps | Cook in, laundry load two |
| Day 6 | Rope drop, drive park or Universal | Half day; split the group if the teens want longer | Pack the day bags away, late swim |
| Departure | Check out by 11:00am; luggage storage at the Front Office | Outlets, lunch, airport | Home |
Swap the order to suit park reservations and your dining bookings, and check Disney’s official site for current park reservation and ticket rules before you fix the days. The principle stays the same: never two full park days in a row without a pool afternoon between them, and a proper rest day in the middle of the week.
Suite logistics
How do you use the suite to make the pacing work?
Naps and bedtimes
The master, queen and twin bedrooms each have a door, so a toddler can nap while the rest of the family talks, cooks or watches television in the living room. Bring blackout clips if your child needs full dark. Some suites have a sleeper sofa for an extra body; call the front desk before arrival so it is noted on your reservation.
Splitting the group
Two or three bedrooms mean two or three plans. Early risers take the shuttle to rope drop while the late sleepers follow in the car; grandparents keep the youngest for a pool morning while parents ride the thrill rides. Everyone meets back at the suite for dinner.
Laundry mid-trip
Run a load every second evening. The washer and dryer are in the suite and the detergent starter pack covers the first loads; buy a small bottle on the first grocery run for the rest. Packing for five days instead of ten frees a whole suitcase, or lets you fly with carry-on only. There is no dry-cleaning service on site, but several dry cleaners are within two miles.
Mornings that move
Set the coffee maker the night before, lay out the day bags by the door, and eat breakfast at the dining table rather than looking for one. A quick suite breakfast gets you to the gate at opening rather than an hour later with the crowds.
Children with sensory needs, and accessibility in the parks
Walt Disney World parks offer wheelchair and ECV rental, service-animal accommodation, assistive listening, reflective captioning, sign language interpretation, TTY, handheld and video captioning, audio description, braille guidebooks and digital audio tours. Check Disney’s official site for how to request them. For a child who finds noise and crowds hard, plan shorter park visits, bring ear defenders, pick a quiet corner to retreat to, and use the suite as the calm base it is designed to be. All accommodation at the resort is smoke-free, with designated outdoor smoking areas (ask the Concierge), and the Walt Disney World theme parks are smoke-free too.
Keep a copy
Want the Family Packing and Pacing Guide emailed to you?
Give us your name, email and travel month and we will send the packing lists and the pacing plan so you can print them, plus rate news for the month you are traveling if you tick the box. The resort’s own team replies.
Questions guests ask
Packing and pacing questions
Do I need to bring an iron, hairdryer or laundry detergent?
No. Every suite has an iron and ironing board in the twin bedroom closet, a hairdryer in each bathroom, and a washer and dryer with a detergent starter pack. The welcome kit also includes starter coffee and dishwashing powder. Bring a small bottle of detergent, or buy one locally, if you plan several loads.
Can a baby sleep in the suite without a travel crib?
Bedrooms have a king, a queen or two twin beds, and some suites have a sleeper sofa. The resort does not publish crib or travel-cot availability, so bring your own travel crib or ask the reservations team on (407) 387-3800 before you book. A familiar sleep sack and blackout clips help in any case.
How do we split a big family group across bedrooms?
A three-bedroom suite has a master with a king bed, a queen bedroom and a twin bedroom with two single beds, sleeping six to eight, with either two or three bathrooms depending on the layout. Grandparents usually take the queen room, parents the master, children the twins.
How do naps work on a Disney day?
Go early, leave after lunch, nap in the suite. The resort is a short drive from every Walt Disney World theme park, so a real nap in a dark bedroom is practical in a way a stroller nap in a queue is not. Go back for the evening if everyone is rested; the parking pass is valid all day at all four theme parks.
What keeps teenagers happy on a family Orlando trip?
Choice and a little independence. Give each teen one ride, one meal and one late night to own. A Universal day suits most tweens and teens; a paid shuttle runs at $5.00 per person, per trip. Free Wi-Fi in the suite and at the pool, and a bedroom that is not shared with a toddler, do the rest.
How accessible are the parks for a grandparent who tires easily?
Walt Disney World parks offer wheelchair and ECV rental, plus assistive listening, captioning, audio description and other services listed above. At the resort, each of the seven buildings has one elevator serving five floors, but accessible suites are limited and features vary, so contact the resort before booking to confirm what is available.
WorldQuest Orlando Resort
A suite with a kitchen, a washer and three bedrooms makes the pacing easy
Two- and three-bedroom suites, 2.4 miles from Walt Disney World, with the resort fee included when you book direct.
Get the Family Packing and Pacing Guide Call (407) 387-3800
8849 WorldQuest Blvd, Orlando, FL 32821 · wqreservations@worldquestorlando.com