Arrival day plans?

[georgedean]

Hello to all,
We are going to Disney in June and are staying at the WL. I am wondering if anyone has advice on the best way to kick off the Disney experience with only a half day really to work with. We arrive in Orlando at 12:30 pm and assume it will be around 3:30 by the time we are checked in and luggage in the room. We have never stayed at the WL before and am sure we will want to explore a bit. Figured maybe dinner and then fireworks or show?
Does anyone have any advice , I am all ears? hahaha
We want to start the Disney magic in the best way.

I will be with my DW , DD and Dmotherinlaw.

Thank you all for the help!!!
George

 

[dmure]

We are going to go into a park and then have a character meal for supper. The character meal at Crystal Palace is an excellent way to get into the Disney spirit !!!!!!!

 

[mmeb144]

You don't even have to leave your resort to enjoy this awesome eating establishment! Be sure to ask for ketchup.

Marie

 

[jeleebeene]

If you do not want to enter a park on the day of arrival, visit downtown disney or the boardwalk for a couple of hours, and then find your favorite restaurant (outside of one of the parks) and have dinner.
It will get you in the spirit right away!!!

If you don't mind going to a park, pick your favorite and have a great time! Watch Wishes, Fantasmic or Illuminations - this is always a good way to start your vacation!

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

In the past, we used to run to MK right after check in. Last year for the first time, we spend a relaxing day by the pool (also at WL). Then we headed to Chef Mickeys for dinner. The kids got to go on a boat and the monorail (we had time to spare) and saw mickey and the castle.

It really worked out great for us.

 

[MNRMommy]

We plan on having dinner at Chef Mickeys the first night we are there and then going to play mini golf. We will also be staying at the WL so our plan is to take the boat to CR, eat, monorail to TTC (hopefully up front cause kids will love that) then bus over to Swan. It is easy to walk to mini golf from the swan. When you are done you can go over and see the sights of the boardwalk.

 

[DWSCLS]

Well, with our son being part fish, we find it necessary to check in and then head to the pool. After spending a while there we head to the Disney Marketplace and usually have dinner out at The Rainforest Cafe or Planet Hollywood. Then we call it an early night so we can wake up early and head to one of the parks.

We are leaving for our trip Tuesday at 4 AM so we should be at Disney by noon. We will probably be calling it a night REALLY early that night so probably a quick dinner at our resort this time.

 

[CharlesandCamilla]

What kind of passes do you have? We're arriving at 1p and plan on going to MK that evening. We have UPH. It also happens to be an E-ticket night. We're looking forward to starting our vacation with a character dinner, fireworks, and Space Mountain.

My plan is to be in the park by 5 (have a 6:40 PS for CP) but I'm hoping we can get there earlier. We've got a town car so that we don't have to worry about whether or not Mears is good to us. I also hear that checking in at WL isn't always too time consuming. We might even hit the pool first if everything goes smoothly.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We started off our Oct. 2001 vacation with dinner at Chef Mickey's at 6:45 is (that would give you time for an afternoon swim at WL). What a GREAT way to stary off the week with a BANG! Then we rode the monorail (lucky enough to ride up front, just ask when you get on) over to Poly, browsed the shops, the grounds, and took our seats out on the dock for the EWP, which is beautiful. You can also see Wishes from here. (You could make it back to WL in time, too, I think EWP is at around 10 there.)

 

[airhead]

We checkin about 1:30-2pm,we have to go to a park to activate our AP's and AK will be the closest for us. Then back to AKL for dinner,maybe a park for fireworks or the lounge for drinks(ooh,I think I like that one!)

c'mon 6/28!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

If you have passes that allow unlimited access to the parks, then hitting the park that day is okay. When we travel using 5 day php's, we tend to not do a park on arrival day. We always go to Chef Mickey's for dinner tho. Then you could take the monorail over to the Polynesian, watch the EWP, and the fireworks, take the monorail or boat from there to MK and grab the boat back to WL. But, if you have passes then grab a swim, grab some lunch and head on out to a park.

 

[disneyterri]

All those responses sound great.

We stayed at Ft Wilderness. We checked in, went to the playground, petting farm, kids road the pony and walked along the marina. After that we went to Chef Mickey's for dinner (a great way to start a vacation), went to the observation deck at the Contemporary to see the castle from a distance and then took a ride on the monorail. It was fabulous.

Whatever you decide, it'll be a blast. Have fun.

 

[mansionfan]

We always start our MAGICAL vacation at the Magic Kingdom....what a way to start it off!

 

[TINKERBECK]

We either hit Chef Mickeys or DTD!

 

[Stiff]

our plan is Ohanas for dinner, then to MK for fireworks and general "magic"

 

[yasuern]

Two options

1. the stay at the resort option

Enjoy the pool(have a drink poolside )
Eat at Whispering Canyon Cafe - right at the resort
Do a Hidden Mickey hunt - ask for the list of hints at check in
Get a snack and head down to the beach area and watch the
water parade(just ask at checkin what time it floats by)

2. the hit the ground running option

Make priority seating ressie at either Chef Mickey's or
The Crystal Palace for supper.
Go to the MAGIC KINGDOM ENJOY!
As someone mentioned if its an E ride night - buy a ticket at
check in and you'll have 3 extra hours to enjoy the park w/very little waiting for the better attractions if any. To my
knowledge e ride nights are every M W F through August 22.


No matter what you decide have a MAGICAL TIME

Sue

 

[Chicago526]

My last trip 1 year ago was with my extended family. We went to MK around 4pm for a few rides, dinner, and then fireworks (followed by spending over 1 hour trying to get the boat back to WL, oy!).

This trip is just my BF and I. So we are getting in around 5pm to the hotel (staying at the CR). We'll check-in, explore the hotel a bit, then change clothes and have dinner at the California Grill at the top of the CR tower. Hopefully we'll catch the fireworks over dinner. Then it's bedtime so we can get an early start for our first full day at MK.

 

[KimR]

That is about the time we usually arrive as well and here is what we do: Once we get checked in, I like to take time to unpack and get everybody's clothes ironed so as to get it out of the way and not have to do any more ironing the rest of the trip. It takes a while, but I'm always so happy and excited to be starting our trip, I don't mind it at all. While I do this, DH will take the kids out to explore the resort or to swim in the pool for a while. Afterwards, we go to Downtown Disney for dinner at Portobello Yacht Club and then look around the Disney Store and pick up autograph books and pens and other souveneirs. Then we get a hot fudge sundae at Ghiradellis and if we're lucky, they'll have music and dancing out by the lake. Only 10 more months! I can't wait!!!

 

[airhead]

More arrival day plans,please!! I love reading what everybody does!

 

[Magic2000]

On our arrival day, we don't usually hit the parks. Its about a 12 hr drive for us, so we relax at the hotel and then we used to hit the Boardwalk for dinner and some souvenir shopping.

Last Oct, we made a PS at Ohanas for our first night and we had a great time!!! After dinner, we went to the beach and watched the fireworks! What a great night!!!

We've decided to make Ohanas a first night at Disney tradition!! So, we'll be back July 2!! Can't wait!!!