Arrival Day Plan

[BethanyRichardson]

Help me work out my plan, please!

Staying 2 nights at AoA pre-cruise in September, with one day at MK. Kids are 3 and 1. Little one has multiple allergies, so that's a dinner consideration. We will be flying in and should arrive at the resort by 3 pm. Would like to be back in the room by 8 pm to start bedtime. This is the kiddos' first trip of this sort. We're using Disney transportation.

Upon arrival, would you:

a) Get acclimated, spend the afternoon exploring the resort and swimming, then eat at the resort and have a quiet evening. (This is the same as our plan for the next day, when we"ll likely be leaving MK around 3.)

b) Short swim/ get acclimated, then take bus to DTD for dinner and a little walking around. (How long does this bus trip take?)

c) Short swim/get acclimated, then go to Boardwalk area (things are a bit quieter there than DTD, right?) for dinner and a little exploring. We'd have to take the bus from AoA to Epcot then walk/ferry to Boardwalk.. how long does that take?

Other thoughts? We don't want to over-plan for a short stay, but don't want to end up twiddling our thumbs after dinner either! We'd also like to make sure the kids feel like we/re really AT Disney that first day, even though we're not in a park.

Thanks!

 

[sayheyrenee]

I would suggest either hitting Fort Wilderness and go to the campfire and sing along or over to Animal Kingdom Lodge and do their activities and view animals with night vision goggles

 

[Alesia]

Keep in mind that option C will require a park ticket if you transfer at Epcot. Transferring at DHS won't require a ticket.

Out of the 3, option b would probably be my choice, but I'm not crazy about any of them. Fort Wilderness would probably be a good option if you were willing to stay out later.

 

[BethanyRichardson]

Oh wow, I didn't even know about these other options! Glad I asked!

How late does the campfire usually go? It sounds fun. but I don't want the kids too tired to enjoy MK the next day!

If I went to Fort Wilderness or AKL, I'd have to take a bus to a park then another bus to the resort, right? How do I knwo which connectiosn require park tickets? Why would the Epcot transfer require one, but not HS?

So much to know!!!

 

[Alesia]

Why would the Epcot transfer require one, but not HS?

The only way to get from the front of epcot to the boardwalk is by walking through the park. That's the only situation where it's going to be an issue. If you need to get to the boardwalk area, transfer at DHS and then walk or take the boat.

 

[Spunky946]

Getting from resort to resort takes time because there are no direct buses and you have to transfer at a park. Just so you know it takes time.

If you want to get them in the mood, you could try to get an ADR at chef mickeys for dinner. It's at the contemporary, so it's a bus to magic kingdom and then a walk or monorail to the resort.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Personally, I would stay at AoA the first night and consider doing your exploring on your second night. On your arrival day, that's A LOT of traveling with two small children in one day. WDW recommends allowing 90 minutes when traveling between resort destinations and they aren't joking. We once did the "easy" bus ride from BC to MK and then walked to CR for Chef Mickey's and the wait for the bus was so long, it did take us 90 minutes. By the time we got off the bus to walk to CR, my DS5 had already had it.

Getting to BWI from AoA will require a bus from AoA to DHS and then walking (about 15 minutes) or taking a boat to BWI. You will then have to reverse this trip to get back to AoA. Getting to Ft. W will require a bus to MK, then a boat to Ft. W, again reverse to get back to AoA. You won't need park tickets for either of these options as the transportation is outside the entrance gates. You would only need park tickets if you took the bus to EP and walked through the park to the back entrance/exit where BWI is located (not a recommended way of getting to BWI) Your most direct option would be to take a bus to DTD and eat and explore there.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from doing Chef Mickey's or the Campfire Sing-a-long (there is also O'hana at Poly, which is fun and you could even eat at Trail's End or Mickey's Backyard BBQ and visit the WDW horses if you go to Ft. W for the sing-a-long. Another suggestion is Sanaa or Boma at AKL and then see the animals on the savannah), I would just save it for your second night if you want to do it at all. I have traveled multiple times to WDW with DS7 since he was 1 and it's always been better for us to stay close to "home" if we arrive later in the afternoon on our first day especially if you want to hit a park bright and early in the AM.