Arrival Question

[jdrasin]

We are very novice Disney visitors (it's been 15+ years since I was in the park and 20+ since I was there for more than a day). We are arriving Jan 31 for an 8 day visit and were curious if it was advisable to go to our resort (Wilderness Lodge Villa) and drop off stuff or head right to a park (Epcot will be our first). We are arriving by auto-train Jan 31 around 9:00AM and are supposed to get our car in the first 20 minutes so I figure we'll be at disney by 11. I'm guessing our room will not be ready, but I assumed we could drop off some stuff at the desk.

Thank you to everyone in advance. I'm sure I'll be asking lots more questions.

Joseph

 

[freshmanjs]

Sure. If your room is not ready, you can store bags with Bell Services. When your room is ready, just call them and they will bring the stuff to your room.

 

[jdrasin]

Sure. If your room is not ready, you can store bags with Bell Services. When your room is ready, just call them and they will bring the stuff to your room.

Okay, we weren't sure if it made sense to spend 30-45 minutes hitting the resort rather than just going right to Epcot and unloading in the evening.

 

[disneymayz]

I think it depends on what you are bringing. If there is something that you don't want to leave in your car while you are at the park then sure stop by the resort.If there isn't anything you have to drop off then I say go to the park.

 

[scrapquitler]

We are very novice Disney visitors (it's been 15+ years since I was in the park and 20+ since I was there for more than a day). We are arriving Jan 31 for an 8 day visit and were curious if it was advisable to go to our resort (Wilderness Lodge Villa) and drop off stuff or head right to a park (Epcot will be our first). We are arriving by auto-train Jan 31 around 9:00AM and are supposed to get our car in the first 20 minutes so I figure we'll be at disney by 11. I'm guessing our room will not be ready, but I assumed we could drop off some stuff at the desk.

Thank you to everyone in advance. I'm sure I'll be asking lots more questions.

Joseph

Your room may be ready by then. If you choose online check in, Disney will text you with your room number when it is ready. You can either go to your room right away, or wait until later, it's your choice. If your room is not ready, you can leave your bags with bell services if you wish.

 

[minnie mum]

We typically arrive before 8:00 am and always head to our resort first. If our room isn't ready, we ALWAYS leave our bags with Bell Services. First, there will be items that I don't want to be baking in the trunk all day, and second, we never leave anything of value (like electronics) in our car, no matter where we are. The whole process usually takes less than half an hour.

 

[EdmondD]

I vote for straight to the park. On January 31 the car won't be baking that bad, most likely, and just keep electronics out of sight.

You'll maximize park time and get all of the luggage stuff taken care of in one fell swoop at the end of the day when you get back to your resort.

If the room is ready I'd go to the resort, but barring that, head to the park.

 

[jdrasin]

Thank you everyone for your comments and insights. It sounds like if our room is not ready, we will head to the park and make sure valuables are hidden. We will have a van full of stuff, so that should be doable. Our first fast pass is at 12:30 (Spaceship Earth - yeah, probably not necessary), so we have some slack as long as the train isn't delayed.

 

[sharonabe]

will have a van full of stuff

Will things be visible? I'm not sure I would want a van full of stuff sitting in the parking lot. Yes, it is Disney, but there are those looking for an easy target. If you had a trunk where you could hide things, I'd say go to the park. With a van, I'd opt for the resort.

 

[jdrasin]

Will things be visible? I'm not sure I would want a van full of stuff sitting in the parking lot. Yes, it is Disney, but there are those looking for an easy target. If you had a trunk where you could hide things, I'd say go to the park. With a van, I'd opt for the resort.

I would imagine that we will have suitcases and such in the trunk. But since it's a van, I would think they'd be visible to anyone poking around.
Is it really an issue that cars get broken into a lot?

Joseph

 

[gap2368]

Will things be visible? I'm not sure I would want a van full of stuff sitting in the parking lot. Yes, it is Disney, but there are those looking for an easy target. If you had a trunk where you could hide things, I'd say go to the park. With a van, I'd opt for the resort.

I with sharonabe on this one a van with a lot of stuff sounds like the perfect target for someone to break into ( my parents car was broken into at disney when I was younger you want to take a bout a vacation ruined) I would drop it off at the hotel tell bell service you would like it delivers to your room do the online check in they will text you when your room is ready so you will not even have to go to the from desk spend the day at EPCOT and at the end of the day go to your room

 

[siskaren]

I would imagine that we will have suitcases and such in the trunk. But since it's a van, I would think they'd be visible to anyone poking around.
Is it really an issue that cars get broken into a lot?

Joseph

I don't think it happens a lot, but do you want to be the one it happens to? And like sharonbabe said, luggage in full view might be an easy target.

 

[Gina Starr]

Just wanted to add on that even if you don't get a text saying your room is ready, it might be. I checked in around 11:15am, room was ready but no text. I did online check in and said I would be arriving at 11:30.

 

[jdrasin]

Just wanted to add on that even if you don't get a text saying your room is ready, it might be. I checked in around 11:15am, room was ready but no text. I did online check in and said I would be arriving at 11:30.

Thanks for the tip. From what people have said, I now think we will certainly be stopping by the lodge to drop off our luggage before heading over to Epcot. I've never stayed in a Disney property other than a couple nights at the Swan at a conference - but we didn't go into the properties, so this is very new.

Joseph

 

[DSLRuser]

go to your room first. to me, the check into the hotel is the "start of vacation" and who wants to deal with unloading a car after a day at the park.