Arrival Day

[eeyorefanuk]

We are flying into Sanford, and arrive at 14.05.

Cannot decide whether to book a TS for this first evening or do you normally feel so tired a CS will do at maybe DTD?

What do you normally do on your first day of arrival .... just unpack and get to sleep or go into the parks or ????

Many thanks

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Very little to be honest, Joshua is usually too tired.
If we stay in a villa for the whole holiday, which has often been the case, we just unpack and I go to Publix. That's about it.

 

[catherine]

It really depends on what time we arrive. If we're arriving mid afternoon, which we usually do, we book a TS meal. This time we're going to Rainforest at DTD.

 

[wayneg]

All depends what time we arrive, August it was around 10pm so unpack and sleep.
If we are direct and arrive mid afternoon we unpack, nip to Publix and DTD to collect any tickets and a wander around.
Last Xmas we arrived on Xmas day so dropped cases at hotel, called at Walgreens for a few essentials and into Magic Kingdom, stayed until fireworks.
I never goto bed before midnight on arrival or I would be up at 5am, staying up late gets me onto Florida time.

 

[disneyholic family]

we usually arrive mid-afternoon....
check in, change clothes (after traveling for 24 hours straight - since we come from a lot further than the UK), then head for DTD for a sandwich at Earl of Sandwich......

however, DD did the free dining last year and i scheduled her differently...
she arrived midday (since they'd done 3 days in New York first), so she and her friend had a dinner ADR at the Crystal Palace.
It was her friend's first time ever at WDW, so i figured they should head straight for the MK after checking in....and since her friend is a pooh-bearaholic, i thought the crystal palace would put her over the moon - which it in fact did

so i guess the answer is, it depends...

 

[T16GEM]

We usually arrive at about 8pm so a quick trip to Publix to get the essentials and then bed as the kids (and me) are usually so tired!!

Up and at 'em early the next day though!

 

[Jets fan]

We usually have counter service somewhere, it gives us greater flexibility as by 9pm (2am our time) we are shattered, especially in the summer months. Would love to have the energy to go out to a park, but unfortunately we never have. Mind you we are always up by 5/6am!

Tina

 

[Neoshoegal]

We go for a CS, there's plenty of nice ones (POR is our favourite). You just never know how you'll feel on the night or suffer with flight delays. Seems like table service can be a bit wasted.

 

[orangetiggs]

we normally get a cs the first night as after the flight and getting to hotel I am normally tired so grab something at hotel and head to bed early around 9pm

 

[Elise79]

We always grab a CS - usually at DTD. Would want to waste a TS on the first night when I wouldn't be hungery or awake enough to enjoy it properly.

Our fave is Earl of Sandwich

 

[jackieleanne]

Last time when I went with bf we were delayed a few hours so as off site and shattered we just unpacked and looked around the hotel and used the Fairfield Inn foodcourt. Previous years with parents we have had villa and usually just unpack and make a trip to Walmart to stock up then usually a swim in the pool before an early night.

Next year hopefully getting virgin flights and staying SSR for our first onsight stay. Virgin flights from Manchester usually get in about half past 2, usually magical express so once checked in I think we are just going to chill around the pool and look around the hotel/DTD and grab a counter service as knowing what Ive been like in past not usually up for eating a full table service meal and I wouldn't want to feel like I was missing out if the flight was delayed.

 

[team harris]

We normally have a swim and a walk around the resort, find out where bus stops are etc.. and then have an onsite CS before bed. We have a delay of 6 hours before now, so I would be too nervous to plan a TS on the first night which could leave us with an extra credit and no space to use it!

 

[natalielongstaff]

We always grab a CS - usually at DTD. Would want to waste a TS on the first night when I wouldn't be hungery or awake enough to enjoy it properly.

Our fave is Earl of Sandwich

And us

 

[scottishgirl87]

We arrive at, I think, 4.15pm-ish in May and all I have planned is for us to explore whatever resort we end up in and if we've got any energy go to DTD for an hour or 2

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

We have made ADR's in the past but never got to them - always too tired. Now we spend the time exploring the hotel, unpacking and maybe a swim - we always just have counter service at the hotel that night, or get a pizza delivered!

 

[eeyorefanuk]

We leave england at 9.45 which would make it 7pm our time when we arrive.

I agree we will all be shattered but as a back up, we are staying at saratoga, if wanted counter service where would you suggest that is easy to get food from and good counter service?

Assume one would be DTD.

Where else? Just want somewhere easy to get to from saratoga but nice counter service - doesnt look like much at saratoga

 

[disney_princess_85]

I agree we will all be shattered but as a back up, we are staying at saratoga, if wanted counter service where would you suggest that is easy to get food from and good counter service

I'd go to Earl of Sandwich or Wolfgang Puck Express at DTD if I were you.

We arrive in Orlando at 2.30pm and we expect to be at SSR for 4pm. We're going to book an ADR at the Turf Club for 6-6.30pm and then we'll either chill at one of the pools or wander around DTD, depending on what we feel like.

 

[fav_is_tink]

We land at Orlando International at 1755 [too late imo] so I'd imagine we'll be doing the same as usual when we arrive.

Have CS, unpack, have a look round the shop, a wander round the resort possibly, maybe a qick swim [if we're not feeling too tired] before getting to bed cause we know we'll be exhausted from travelling.

How could I forget.........we'll NEED a iced cold beer and glass of vino from Singing Spirits before we settle down for the night, it would be so rude not to

We'll be up at the crack of dawn as usual I'd expect; I get so excited for my first full day

 

[eeyorefanuk]

We land at Orlando International at 1755 [too late imo] so I'd imagine we'll be doing the same as usual when we arrive.

Have CS, unpack, have a look round the shop, a wander round the resort possibly, maybe a qick swim [if we're not feeling too tired] before getting to bed cause we know we'll be exhausted from travelling.

How could I forget.........we'll NEED a iced cold beer and glass of vino from Singing Spirits before we settle down for the night, it would be so rude not to

We'll be up at the crack of dawn as usual I'd expect; I get so excited for my first full day

Thats what I said to the family that alot of people are up really early so we have booked crystal palace for breakfast.

Think the only "downside" to saratoga is does not look like much on site at CS - where as POP etc there is quite a big menu.

 

[The Eighth Dwarf]

Last year we arrived around half six and jumped on the bus to downtown Disney, got a walk up at T Rex. To be honest though it was wasted on us though cause we were so tired. Do.t think any of us managed to finish our meal and in fact the server actually commented on the amount we left.
This year we are flying indirect via Newark so I can't see us leaving old key west on the first night .
Were slightly worried about having a limited choice of cs but we'll just have to manage.