1st night at WDW - Fri. ... FW fun night?

LSUmom4kids

LSU Graduate and Mother to 4 Kids!
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Feb 21, 2006
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In early August we are driving straight thru (10 hrs.) to WDW - reservations at the Swan for 7 nights. I'm trying to plan something non-stressful for the first night (Friday night) - the drive will be stressful enough!

If we arrive in Orlando around 3-4 p.m., check in to the hotel, then I thought DH can take the kids to explore our hotel area while I unpack, and then we can all head over to Fort Wilderness for dinner, movie, campfire, smore's, then a hayride to watch the fireworks. Then, we can go back to the hotel to TRY to get some much needed sleep for the upcoming busy week!

I know getting to FW is fun by ferry, but I need suggestions on how to get to the ferry from the Swan. I'd rather not use my Park Hoppers that first day to just pass through to get to the ferry. I know we could drive to FW, but that wouldn't be as fun for the kids.

QUESTIONS: do I need reservations for: (1) dinner at Trail's End? (2) hayride? (3) is Friday a crowded night at FW?
:confused3
 
From the Swan take a bus to the MK(you will not actually go in the park), walk to the boat dock and catch the launch(not the Ferry boat it goes to TTC) to FW. From the FW boat dock, walk to Trails End and enjoy dinner, after dinner walk to the bus stop, check the sign for the internal FW bus routes and catch the right color bus to get to the movie, 800, 900 down the center or sorry I'm not sure the number but it's Bigbear Littlebear path(1500 I think) each of these stops has a path to the campfire program. While you are at Trails end, check to see how late the Hayride runs, no reservations a required it runs when it is full. Have a great time and don't forget to look for the "Lawnmower Tree" as you leave the dock.

Depending on what time you want to eat you won't need res. 6-8 is typical busy but if you don't mind a 30 or 40 min wait, then no big deal, there is a very nice playground for the kids while you wait.

I don't know about watching fireworks from the hayride but the beach is a very nice place to watch then from.

Always check times for things like fireworks, hayrides and the campfire show, you may find that they overlap and you will have to choose.
 
Another fun thing to do while at FW is catch the Electrical Water Pageant from the beach/dock area. I believe it goes by somewhere around 9:45? Really neat to see!
 
The Electrical Water Pageant does go by FW at 9:45 and while we were there last week the MK fireworks were at 10:00, so everyone just stayed on the beach to watch both.

On another night we did the Fireworks wagonride which left Pioneer Hall at 9:30 and went thru several of the camping loops and then arrived at a different section of the beach just in time for the fireworks at 10:00 so the EWP was not seen from the wagonride.

As another posted said, you may have to pick which things to do as some times may overlap, I believe the campfire and sing-along started at 7:30 and the movie at about 8:40.

Have fun!!!
 

You may find the movie is too late. Before the actual movie starts they have cartoons, so the movie starts kind of late. I think it often ends after 10. Well, it did when we were there in late April & I know because we could hear it from our campsite!

But you could eat, go for the campfire and sing along, then go back to the marina for the fireworks. You can leave the campfire area whenever you want.

Bring bug spray for the beach area.
 
Gillian said:
You may find the movie is too late. Before the actual movie starts they have cartoons, so the movie starts kind of late. I think it often ends after 10. Well, it did when we were there in late April & I know because we could hear it from our campsite!

But you could eat, go for the campfire and sing along, then go back to the marina for the fireworks. You can leave the campfire area whenever you want.

Bring bug spray for the beach area.

I have the bug spray and I think we'll bring a little flashlight or two. Since this will be the first night of our vacation and the kids will be very antsy (their first trip to WDW), I can't imagine we'll actually sit and watch the movie. Maybe we'll cook some smores... then maybe do the wagon or hay ride (WHICH IS IT?) and watch the fireworks - so MAGICAL, the perfect ending to our first day in the best place in the WORLD!!!

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! :thumbsup2
 
LSUmom4kids said:
In early August we are driving straight thru (10 hrs.) to WDW - reservations at the Swan for 7 nights. I'm trying to plan something non-stressful for the first night (Friday night) - the drive will be stressful enough!..........
QUESTIONS: do I need reservations for: (1) dinner at Trail's End? (2) hayride? (3) is Friday a crowded night at FW?
:confused3

Ressies for T.E. would be advisable
Ressies for hayride, not sure
Friday night should be one of the more crowded nights

P.S. Just want to say have a great time and more power to you for wanting to do all this the night you arrive and feeling that this is a non-stressful endeavor. I remember when we drove 10 or 12 hours the 2nd day to get to WDW and all we did was check-in, eat and do The Village, now DTD. This was with only 2 kids and we pretty much chilled so we could get going super refreshed the next day.

ENJOY
 
LSUmom4kids said:
I have the bug spray and I think we'll bring a little flashlight or two. Since this will be the first night of our vacation and the kids will be very antsy (their first trip to WDW), I can't imagine we'll actually sit and watch the movie. Maybe we'll cook some smores... then maybe do the wagon or hay ride (WHICH IS IT?) and watch the fireworks - so MAGICAL, the perfect ending to our first day in the best place in the WORLD!!!

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! :thumbsup2


It's a wagon ride, there is no hay. but there are bench seats in the wagon.
 
proudmomof4 said:
It's a wagon ride, there is no hay. but there are bench seats in the wagon.

Thanks for clarifying the type of ride - no hay - yaah! :thumbsup2

ANY ADVICE ON WHAT TIME I SHOULD MAKE MY TRAILS END DINNER RESERVATIONS - FRIDAY NIGHT???? WE DO WANT TO CATCH THE CAMPFIRE AND THEN THE WAGON RIDE TO WATCH FIREWORKS. WOULD 7 P.M. BE GOOD OR IS THAT TOO LATE???

I'm thinking we'll also bring our little fans (misti mates?) - August in New Orleans is probably just as hot as August in Orlando! We'll probably have to all jump in the pool when we get back to the hotel!!! (I'll have to check to see what time the pool closes at the Swan and all wear our swim suits under our clothes that evening!!!) :banana:

52 days and counting! :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:
 
If you want to catch the campfire show 7 is probably too late if the show starts at 7:40. 6or 6:30 would be better just in case they are running a bit late with seating.
 













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