Check-In @ 4pm - Then What?

sfb0415

Steve
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
We're planning to stay at the Polynesian in October. We'll be arriving to Orlando and the hotel just prior to the 4pm check-in time. But, we're wondering what to do that first evening - is it worth getting a park pass, or should we just wait until the next day? We've got kids 9/6/5. Thanks!
 
You can:
  • explore your resort
  • swim at the resort
  • play mini-golf
  • go to Disney Springs
  • take a "monorail tour"
  • watch the MK fireworks from the Polynesian
Considering it's your travel day and you're not arriving until the late afternoon, I'd skip dining reservations and parks for that evening. You may be tired from traveling, and you don't want an ADR hovering if you encounter travel delays.

You could maybe get Disney After Hours tickets for that night, although travel delays are a potential, and that would be a really expensive activity miss.
 
Helpful. I like the "monorail tour" idea! Think we could try to couple that with watching fireworks from the resort. Good ideas! Thanks
 


We never plan a park for the arrival day, but if everyone feels up to it after traveling, we’ll add a day to our tickets when we arrive. That way we don’t waste the money on it if we run into travel delays, if the kids are overtired from travel, etc.

My recommendation is to play it by ear and add the day if you feel like going once you arrive.

If you don’t want to do a park, I’d do a monorail tour, have dinner at Capt. Cook’s, get a Dole Whip, watch the electrical water pageant and/or HEA from the beach and go to sleep to rest up for the big first park day!
 
For me it would depend on the cost of adding the additional day. We get AP's so it doesn't matter but we want to head to the parks as soon as possible.
 


If it doesn't cost you much (or anything) I would get FPs for MK that evening. Then you can decide what to do when you get there. If it does cost you a lot, I wouldn't bother, just swimming and resort activities could easily take up the evening.
 
We like to go to Disney springs and get some souvenir shopping out of the way so we don’t have to shop as much in the parks. :)
 
We usually arrive early afternoon. The plan for arrival day is swimming and a TS restaurant. We do DS often, this time we did dinner at Boma.
 
When I stay moderate, I'll take the bus over to DS for dinner but you're in a great location with lots of dining choices close by. I'd unpack, explore the resort and then catch dinner at either O'Hana at Poly or Grand Floridian Cafe at GF. If you would prefer QS, we love Capt. Cooks at the Poly. Then I'd watch the electric water parade and fireworks from the beach.
 
Your level of tiredness might be impacted by how long you have been traveling. If you have a direct flight and can good sleep the night before, you might have more energy to hop a monorail to a park. If you are up and start the day early on arrival day, it might be relaxing and fun to stay put at the resort. You can swim, eat at Captain Cook's, watch the torch lighting ceremony, catch the outdoor movie and watch fireworks and the electric parade from the beach or even your room. It's a long day for your 5 year old, and the resort activities will still be really fun for the older kids. Then you will all be better rested for your adventure the next morning.
 
I 'd see how the day turns out with 3 kids. It would be nice to just explore your resort, so the kids can become familiar. Then if you still wanted to do something, I'd suggest Disney Springs. A stop at the Lego store, they have a big display of Legos to play with. The entertainment is free including music (look for the Living Statues (We actually spent over an hour there). At a cost (inexpensive, considering its,Disney) are a few rides. Then nothing ends the night better than ice cream.
 
I would definitely stay and explore/enjoy the resort. You are paying a premium price to stay there, so go ahead and enjoy it! I’ve never been there except for monorail resorts hopping, but the pool, the game room, the activities, the EWP, the beach.... I’d soak it all in!
 

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