Advantages of arriving at DC at 8am?

[kathyclownfish]

We will be closing the Magic Kingdom (11pm) the night before our DC day. We probably won't get to bed until at least midnight. Even though we are early risers, I hate to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to DC since we have the whole day there. Could we arrive more like 9am or 9:30am and still get an appointment to swim with the dolphins before noon? Does everyone come around 8 am? What are the advantages of getting there before everyone else?
thanks!

 

[happymommy]

I'd like to hear someone's reply to this as well. We're going next week, and I'd rather have my kids' do the swim when it warms up a bit. We probably won't arrive super early, since they assign the swim times according to the arrival time.

 

[JLR]

It depends on what time of year and how crowded they are. When you arrive you check in like at a hotel. You have some say about when your dolphin swim is depending on availability. The later you arrive, the less flexibility there will be. If you are not going on a packed day then arriving later won't be a problem, but if you are going on a capacity day, then you might not get a time you like.

 

[SmallWorld71]

As PP mentioned, it depends on how crowded it is that day. In August, an 8:00am check-in time landed us a 9:25am swim time. There were TONS of people behind us. (We got to the park at about 7:50) But, the park sells out in the summer.
The only other advantages that I can think of to arriving early are:
1) Getting all the little things out of the way such as: lockers, life vests, masks (DH had to go get a prescription one), breakfast, sunblock... By doing these things early we didn't feel like they took away any of our park time.

2) Avoiding afternoon showers if traveling during hot weather. We were fortunate in that our DC day was the ONLY day of our trip where it didn't rain at all.

3) It maximizes park time. We were the family that stayed from open to close and wished they didn't have to leave. But, all the kids love to swim and love animals. Throw in the free beer and a nice lounge chair and DH didn't want to leave either. But, you hear reports of some people who are happy with just a few hours. I think it depends on your group.

 

[2tink4u]

Sincerely, I would like my makeup and hair to be somewhat intact before my pictures are taken with the Dolphin. Therefore I will arrive early. I guess I'm vain. Cause I'll look horrible if my time is much later.

 

[kathyclownfish]

We are going mid May when the park won't be very crowded. Thanks everyone for your posts. I guess we will get there early and rest in a lounge chair with an umbrella drink. The clencher was the hair and makeup post!!! no really it was!!! We are 3 females going...a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter. Its always about the hair and makeup

 

[happymommy]

We are going mid May when the park won't be very crowded. Thanks everyone for your posts. I guess we will get there early and rest in a lounge chair with an umbrella drink. The clencher was the hair and makeup post!!! no really it was!!! We are 3 females going...a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter. Its always about the hair and makeup

Do they have these? I thought it was just beer?

 

[Violet Crayon]

I will also throw in that with an earlier swim time you are at the advantage if you choose to get a Photo CD. Many people who end up with a swim time after 1pm only have time for their dolphin photos on the disc, but with a morning swim you have several hours to collect more photos until the 3:30pm island photo cutoff.

Most guests do arrive between 8am-9am unless it is a cold winter day, then arrivals are mostly around the 10am-11am time slot. On a summer day almost all guests have arrived by 10am.

 

[Brook1099]

get there at 8 and enjoy the WHOLE DAY, we go every year and get there early every time, dont want to miss a moment. This is the day of R&R baby.

 

[kathyclownfish]

Do they have these? I thought it was just beer?

I really don't know, but I'm on vacation, so I may imagine an umbrella in my beer

thanks everyone for your replies. We will def get there early. We are staying at the Springhill suites right down the road (the hotel may even be across the street), so we shouldn't have too much trouble getting out of bed and to Discovery Cove by 8 or 8:30am.