What do you do on your arrival day?

[mollybeasley]

What do you like to do on your arrival day?

I joined Tour Guide Mike and he recommends staying AWAY from the parks on your arrival day because you need your rest to get up early the next day. I agree with him that a lot of people don't get enough rest the night before a trip (sometimes I'm still doing laundry at midnight). But we're arriving at 9am and I don't want to waste the day. After the airport, check-in and a quick lunch, We could make it to a park by 12pm or 2pm at the latest. I was thinking we'd spend 4-5 hours touring a park, then pick up something fast for dinner on the way back at our resort, and get a good night's sleep.

Epcot and Universal are the lightest parks for the Monday (Dec13) we're arriving. Epcot seemed like an easy choice, but we'd miss the advantages of arriving much earlier or staying through to Illuminations. I was going to go with HS, but it's a Fantasmic night so the whole park will be busy, and I think we'd be too tired (and irritable) to put up with long lines or to stay till closing. I want to get everyone in bed early.



What do you think?

What do you usually do on your arrival day?

[Suellen]

Sleep! We always get in late at night. So when we get there we sleep and get up late and then hit a park for a few hours.

If at 9AM I would definitely hit a park!

[Pixie Princess]

We generally don't get in until 3:00ish. We check in, drop our stuff if time permits, and head off to the 5:15 HDDR! Great way to kick of the trip! If we are feeling froggy afterwards, we might head to MK. Usually we hang out for a bit at Ft. Wilderness, or perhaps check out a couple of the monorail resorts before heading back to our resort for the night.

[mollybeasley]

Originally Posted by Pixie Princess

We generally don't get in until 3:00ish. We check in, drop our stuff if time permits, and head off to the 5:15 HDDR! Great way to kick of the trip! If we are feeling froggy afterwards, we might head to MK. Usually we hang out for a bit at Ft. Wilderness, or perhaps check out a couple of the monorail resorts before heading back to our resort for the night.

I lost my abbreviations link. I'm usually able to figure them all out by now, but HDDR? These things strain my brain.

Out of curiosity, what do you check out at a resort? Do they each have their own activities? Decorations? Parties?Bars?

[carrie1626]

We always fly out at around 7:00am central time. If all goes well we're at our resort by noon everytime. It's MK for us all the way. We always plan the next day to sleep in.
Of course, we try to leave as late as possible our last day.

only one time did we decide to fly out in the afternoon- never again. We're very fortunate to live in an area where there's lots of flight choices!!

[Hallowishes]

we go to downtown disney! who doesnt wanna shopping spree when they first arrive?!

[*ThinkTink*]

I and my "troops" arrive at 10am at the Orlando airport, take the Magical Express, check in at POR, have lunch at the resort, unpack, then gather the "troops" and head to DTD by boat. We check out the stores, relax and wonder around. Have dinner at a restaurent at DTD, usually Captn' Jack's or Wolfgang Pucks Cafe. By the time dinner is finished, it's dark outside. Enjoy the lights, the rest of the stores and then make our way back to the resort, by boat. Change into swimsuits and hang by the pool, if it's warm enough. We all go to bed fairly early that first night to be able to hit the ground running early at the first park the next day. We are there for 2wks, so we have time to relax and take our time. I won't go to the parks the day I arrive. I did that once, never again!

[ScarlettDarling]

Originally Posted by mollybeasley

Out of curiosity, what do you check out at a resort? Do they each have their own activities? Decorations? Parties?Bars?

Each resort always has some kind of activity going on and I love just walking around and enjoying the scenery. Each resort is so unique and just being at one of them makes me happy. I've been to DW so many times so I'm not in a rush to get to the parks. I get excited just by being at the hotel.

[Elliesmommy]

I have always had an early flight to WDW. Often I am checked in by 12:30 so I go to MK until about 7pm or so. Then I go back to the room and crash.

I take WDW very casually and usually get to a the parks at 11am so 12:30 is not much of a late start in my book.

[Pixie Princess]

Originally Posted by mollybeasley

I lost my abbreviations link. I'm usually able to figure them all out by now, but HDDR? These things strain my brain.

Out of curiosity, what do you check out at a resort? Do they each have their own activities? Decorations? Parties?Bars?

HDDR= Hoop Dee Doo Revue. It is a dinner show over at Ft. Wilderness. It is fantastic! Cheesy as all get out, but the food is great, and I die laughing each time. And after 8 hours of driving the fact wine is included with the meal doesn't hurt either!

My DD loves hanging out at the beach at Ft. Wilderness and playing tetherball. We also like to go over to the stables and check out the horses there.

Each of the monorail resorts is very different. The resort I like to go to is the Grand Floridian. I love just sitting in the lobby and taking it all in. They have a jazz band that plays in the lobby, so we'll just sit and listen to them. We also like to go and hang out on the beach there. DD also likes the Contemporary. We'll take the boat from Ft. Wilderness over there and just walk through and visit the shops. Then go take the monorail around to the other resorts. Honestly, the monorail is a big part of the fun. We almost always will take the bus to MK from our resort, so this is our monorail time.

The resorts may activites going on, but we really just walk around and take in the ambience and relax. If you want to make a night of it you can hang out on one of the beaches and watch the Electrical Water Pageant go by. But that does make for a rather late night.

[csjordan]

Originally Posted by Suellen

Sleep! We always get in late at night. So when we get there we sleep and get up late and then hit a park for a few hours.

If at 9AM I would definitely hit a park!

Our flight gets in at 8 pm...any ideas? We're staying at POFQ. I figure by the time we land, take ME, get checked-in, it will be around 9:30. I usually need to wind down after our flight, so any ideas are welcome.

[OB1]

Originally Posted by csjordan

Our flight gets in at 8 pm...any ideas? We're staying at POFQ. I figure by the time we land, take ME, get checked-in, it will be around 9:30. I usually need to wind down after our flight, so any ideas are welcome.

Just chill out at your resort. There is a nice bar, a pretty good food court, good pool, and nice walk ways through the 'French Quarter". You are close to the river and may want to walk along it. As late as you get in, I would not push it. Your luggage may arrive 1-2 hours later, so have a carry on bag for what you need when you arrive.

[grovsnerguy12]

We usually arrive mid afternoon - 3 in the afternoon so we always have time to go to the parks. I never feel right unless the first thing I do at Disney is walk under the train station at MK and head down Main Street USA.

I know when we do that, the Disney vacation has "officially" started.

[csjordan]

Originally Posted by OB1

Just chill out at your resort. There is a nice bar, a pretty good food court, good pool, and nice walk ways through the 'French Quarter". You are close to the river and may want to walk along it. As late as you get in, I would not push it. Your luggage may arrive 1-2 hours later, so have a carry on bag for what you need when you arrive.

Do you happen to know what time the pool closes and whether or not there is a pool bar? That might not be a bad option. I doubt the pool bar would be open that late, but you never know!

Thanks for the information!

[JimmyV]

Over the past decade or so, we have stayed in the Epcot area more often than not. (Swalphin, Y&BC, BW). So if we arrive early enough and with enough energy, after check-in and a bite to eat, we head over to World Showcase and stroll. It's good to stretch the legs after being on a plane, and getting to WS at 2:00 or 3:00 doesn't put you behind the crowd curve at WS. You aren't missing out on any FPs, (except maybe Norway), and everything that you can possibly do from the UK all the way through the American pavillion can be done by walking in to the next available show. Add in a few drinks or glasses of wine, a mid afternoon pastry at France, some movies, live performances, a dinner and maybe Illuminations, and I'd call that a successful day that has me in bed by 10:30 ready to hit a rope drop the next morning.