Activity recommendations for our first night there?

[stormyR]

We'll be getting in about 1pm. We plan on checking in at the hotel, probably doing a bit of time at the pool. We'd like to spend a few evening hours doing something instead of sitting at the hotel.

It'll be me, my husband, my mom (in her 70s), and 2 yo DD. I thought about doing something like 'Ohana, but I'd really prefer to save that money and do a character breakfast instead. I wouldn't mind a nice meal experience somewhere but don't want to spend $50+ per person on it.

Any suggestions on activities or meals to check out at any of the resorts or DTD are welcomed.

 

[kmb584]

I'd recommend using that evening for DTD. For dinner I'd recommend either Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich - both are relatively inexpensive options and you can bank the savings for a character meal on another day!

 

[Ladcassidy]

Go watch the Irish dancers at Raglan Road. My daughter lives them.

 

[Tikiman]

Trails end was one of the best buffets I have had at WDW and it was fun heading over to Ft. Wilderness area for the evening. Not knowing where you are staying I would suggest driving there or taking the monorail to the MK and taking a boat over. Its a nice ride.

Another suggestion is Boma and head over around 5:00 to watch them feed the animals at the AKL before dinner from one of the viewing areas.

 

[aaarcher86]

I'd recommend using that evening for DTD. For dinner I'd recommend either Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich - both are relatively inexpensive options and you can bank the savings for a character meal on another day!

Agree with this. We go to DTD and get our known expenditures out of the way (Christmas ornament, ears, etc) and grab dinner. We'll usually do T-Rex or Rainforest. Our 2 year old was fine with both, but some might think it's too loud. Lots of eating options there though!

 

[PictureJumpr]

I'd agree with the Fort Wilderness idea - you can have dinner at the Trail's End buffet for a very reasonable (by WDW standards) price. Beforehand, there are animals to visit and pet, and playgrounds, and checkers to play on the porch, and other things going on - you could even take a "cruise" on the boat to MK and back, and get a peek at the castle/front gates of MK.

After dinner, there is always the Campfire Movies with Chip and Dale's singalong, a classic cartoon, and a Disney movie. All of that is free, although if you want to purchase smores stuff it'll cost about $8.


DTD is a good place to start a vacation, too, with the aforementioned Wolfgang Puck Express being a reasonably-priced dinner option. I am not a shopper, at WDW or otherwise, so I always get a bit bored at DTD, but if you want to check out the shops and explore, it's a pleasant atmosphere to do it.


The Boardwalk is a fun place to spend some time in the evenings, and with the new menu items at the Boardwalk Bakery it can be an inexpensive casual dinner spot. There is also Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club on the opposite shore of the lake, if you wanted to start your vacation with an ice cream party... The Boardwalk has its own entertainers, and the peoplewatching is great. The Beach Club has movies on the beach after dark, and later in the evening you can see the fireworks from Illuminations at Epcot.