Definitely leaning towards a cool bookbag for the 3 y.o
Our DH sounds very similar! Iām about to show mine this thread and I know hes going to say cubes too!
No car rentals and non stop flights but yes thatās a great idea about different color packing cubes! The organizer in me loves that! And that set at cosco is so cute too!!! Thank you!
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āHerd of elephantsā is a perfect summary !!
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Great advice! Especially about the caribiner clip!!
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Yes I would love to find them gently used. Great idea!
Genius!!! Best of both worlds!
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All of my girls got their own Samsonite rolling carry-on bag when they were 4, 7, and 8. They were thrilled and love to use them when we travel. If you buy rolling bags make sure the wheels go all around so they can be rolled sideways down an airplane aisle.
Donāt pack everyoneās stuff in any one bag and check it. If the bag gets lost then that person is completely out. Pack some of each persons stuff in each bag. My girls also have their own backpacks that they carry small things in for the plane. Theyāve all flown close to 100,000 miles or moreā¦we know all about airline travel. 
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Always good to have balance haha!!
When we went I got A
Mickey back packs filled with fun stuff for the airplane. And less to lug when my daughter was over holding it.
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Well, first Iād need a guy, then 9 monthsā¦ then kidā¦ maybe Iāll just pack for myself.
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This was actually my DHs idea. He has an answer for everythingš¤¦āāļø
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This, 100%. Iām an engineer, so I definitely like planning out how things will work in reality. I always look at the luggage we are taking and think about can we move it all from point A to point B in one trip. When the kids were in strollers it was a lot bigger issue, since one parent might only be able to handle a backpack and a stroller with kids.
Iām all about the wheelie bags that can be attached to each other. Otherwise, how can one person pull 3 at a time? For the kid bags, I like to just use school backpacks for carryons for them and everyone shares a couple big checked bags. My standard packing protocol is everyone has a change of clothes and any absolute necessities in their carry on. I will not be at the mercy of airline baggage service when it comes to enjoying a trip.
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We made the shirts ourselves using this SVG file. (We have a Cricut/Silhouette and a heat press)
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Yes. Especially swimsuits. They are tiny, essential and yet horribly expensive at destination resorts.
The other thing we used to do is mix up clothing in the checked luggage, i.e. everyone had outfits in someone elseās suitcase. We did this especially when traveling with a lot of connections. While it only takes 1 to get to Orlando, it can take 3 or more to get to where we want to go in HI or on another continent, increasing the chance of a lost or delayed suitcase considerably.
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Does anyone have this Costco set?? Itās super cute but Iām used to exclusively Samsonite luggage and am curious if these would hold up! And is this a good price?
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I have no idea but theyāre cute!
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It has great reviews and Costco generally has a really generous return policy. My sister says it is a good travel brand and she is a flight attendant and lives from and around suitcases All the time. I generally listen to her opinion on the subject.
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Ok! Sisterās word sounds good to me. All purchased! I hesitated last time and then the other print sold out. I actually prefer this one so itās a win-win. My DS4 will love it.
I agree with the other parents that I wouldnāt ever pack more suitcases than me or DH had hands to pull with young kids. But I think 8 would probably be old enough to pull your own!
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Thank you everyone! I searched and researched and decided on these cute suitcases at Target that will be the right size for my kids to use now and later, and they arenāt character-themed but I like that because I feel like they will use them longer than once Minnie isnāt their favorite 
I might find cute luggage tags for them though. The oldest will roll theirs and the youngest will have a bookbag/rolling one so she can be big and roll it but I can wear it if she getās tired of rolling with her siblings 
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We have small suitcases (carry-on size). We can use them to give the kids rides, which is great when they are slow or the airport is huge and they get tired of walking. Our kids are 4 and 7.
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