WHAT TO PACK (& BUY) FOR 12 MONTHS IN FLORIDA | DISNEY ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAM ADVICE SERIES

*ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN AND NOT OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY OR YUMMY JOBS*

Hey there, pals!

Finally, I've been able to get around to making another very requested posted about what I packed for my year abroad in Florida and it's my final post for the Disney Academic Exchange Program series. I had absolutely no idea what to pack for moving to Florida for 12 months and there wasn't really that much advice out there for a first-time international resident living abroad! So, I've done up a packing list for what I packed, so hopefully this will help those of you who are due to go on the Disney Academic Exchange Program (DAEP) very very soon!! So, here goes...

*PLEASE NOTE: this is my packing list and what I bought abroad and is only a guidance for you. You may need to pack more/less than what I did, so you'll have to take this all with a pinch of salt*

Packing - What I brought with me from the UK

1. Bedding - I recommend an all-in-one duvet from M&S (image below) and an underlying sheet

2. Pillows

3. Towels

4. Bath mat

5. Beach towel

6. Tea towels

7. Pyjamas

8. Clothes - plenty of casual and business casual

9. Swim/beach wear

10. Toiletries & cosmetics - for the ladies, especially

11. Any necessary prescriptions - medicine, eye care solution/drops

12. Tea bags - if you're a tea drinker like me, UK ones are better than the American recipe, trust me

13. A set of Disney ears for the parks - (optional) because why not!?

14. Shoes - casual ones for playing, and work suitable/business shoes

15. First aid box - contains bandages, plasters, paracetamol, ibuprofen and creams for those nasty insect bites

16. Ear plugs and eye mask - for a better nights sleep

17. Washing up brush

18. Potato peeler

19. A memory from home - something that you can look at to remind you of home (I took my leaving cards)

20. UK bank card reader - seems daft, but you can check any activity from your UK bank account while in the USA

21. Hair ties/grips or clips - ladies, you're going to want to tie your back so it's out of your face almost every single day in the humidity

22. Travel plugs and chargers for your electronic devices

23. Waterproofs - because a huge downpour in Florida is inevitable!

And, I managed to pack all of this in 1 large suitcase and 1 medium-sized suitcase!

Buying - What I bought in America

1. Bedding sheets - Disney recommend a company called Dormco, however I would say that it's easier and more convenient to buy bedding in Walmart simply because my order got lost and I had to catch the bus to a different housing complex for complementary bedding sheets!

2. Kitchen utensils - Disney housing provides the bowls, plates, pans and cutlery... the rest you have to buy yourself, including colanders, sieves, baking trays etc.

3. Bedroom decorations - I went for a notice board so I could write down all of my training schedules and work shifts, Command strips and hooks so I could hang up my lanyard with my IDs in, as well as all of my Disney ears and leaving cards on the wall. Plus, I got some fairy lights to make my room feel a little more homely

4. Food for the first week - unfortunately, you can't just live off of Mickey pretzels and Mickey waffles... sometimes, you have to cook your own food in your apartment

I know that quite a few of my readers had asked quite a while back what I was going to pack for moving to Florida. And, at that time, I had absolutely no idea! But, having worked around the things that I packed for moving to university and our previous holiday to Florida, we were able to secure everything that I needed!

Whether you're someone who was intrigued at the stages before I began my Disney Academic Exchange Program, someone who is about to go on the Disney Academic Exchange Program or someone who is researching about the Disney Academic Exchange Program, I hope you all have enjoyed reading my Disney Academic Exchange Program advice series and learnt something that you didn't know beforehand.

Thank you so much for reading and have a magical day!

-Hannah

DISCLAIMER: this blog is my personal experience on the DAEP 2019-2020 program and in no way reflects everyone's! Other programs and future participants on the DAEP may have slight adjustments which may not be reflected in my posts. That being said, if you do leave any questions, I will try to answer them as best I can or cover topics in blogposts :)