First and last day at Disney, What do you do???

[mom2brats]

Trying to decide what the best things to do on our first and last day. Our flight arrives at approx 10:30 so by the time we get to our hotel and get settled it should be around lunch time. I'm thinking this would be a bad time to try a park as they will prob be getting pretty crowded. ALso our flight leaves about 4:30 on our last day so I'm guessing we will have till about 1 or 2 to do anything before we have to head to the airport. Anyone have any ideas to plan these short days???

 

[AJKMOM]

You can hop a bus to the Boardwalk or DownTown Disney Marketplace if you are onsite. Drive to DTD if offsite.

We were told that we should arrive at Orlando International Airport 2 hours prior to check-in. Longer if you have a rental car to return.

 

[MickeyMouth]

On your arrival day, you could get settled at your hotel, have lunch and then swim in the pool for a few hours. Then you could have a nice dinner somewhere, go to bed early and wake up refreshed the next day.

 

[westjones]

Trying to decide what the best things to do on our first and last day. Our flight arrives at approx 10:30 so by the time we get to our hotel and get settled it should be around lunch time. I'm thinking this would be a bad time to try a park as they will prob be getting pretty crowded. ALso our flight leaves about 4:30 on our last day so I'm guessing we will have till about 1 or 2 to do anything before we have to head to the airport. Anyone have any ideas to plan these short days???

The first day we use the resort pool and make a PS for dinner at a restaurant outside the parks (like Chef Mickeys or 1900 Park Fare at the GF). On the last day we sleep in, and then go to Downtown Disney for shopping and to eat at the Rainforest Cafe.

DJ

 

[swilphil]

We do the pool, a fun meal and go to bed early on arrival day. We do get up early and go the park on our departure day.

 

[ncbyrne]

On our first night we always make a special non-park PS for dinner - we have seen the Luau, and this next trip we're going to HDDR. We'll arrive at CSR around noon. After lunch at the Pepper Market, we'll swim in the pool for a couple hours too. On our last day, we're going to rent speed boats at FW and then tour the monorail resorts and have lunch in the GF before heading to the airport.

 

[pongoperdigirl]

Well last year I flew in on a Sunday around 10:30 and was all settled in around 1, my Mom and I went to the MK for the rest of the day. We actually got a lot done and the crowds weren't that bad. As for your last day, if your flight leaves at 4:30 I would say that you need to be headed to the airport around 12. If it is as bad for you leaving there as it was for me, you are going to need the extra bit of time. But I think that the other people have made great suggestions as to what to accomplish. This year I am driving and myself and contemplating on what to do on the day we get there. I personally couldn't resist being so close to the MK and having tickets to go in and not seeing it just for a little bit

 

[lclark0621]

First day we always go to the MK! I just cant wait to get into the park. And it never matters what time we get there. This year we land at 12:00pm. So I figure we will get to the Park by about 3:00ish. This year though we are doing Epcot first day, because our first day there is a Grad Night so the MK closes early.

The last day totally depends on what time our flight home is. If we take off in the afternoon, we will pack up the room in the morning, do a character meal, and if we have some extra time, explore a new resort. This year our flight does not take off until 7:00pm, so we are doing a parkt the last day.

 

[PaulaMurf]

First day, like most of the others, we check in, and visit the pool where we are staying, or if the weather is not good enough for swimming then we go to DD, or resort hop. We also try to have a PS for an early dinner some place we have never been before (this year, it'll be BOMA at AKL)

Last day, we have a outside the parks character BF (this year will be CM's) then depending on flight time and weather we swim for a couple of hours or visit the Boardwalk and then head home.

Is it time for my vacation yet?? LOL

Paula in CT

 

[experiment626mom]

We arrive about the same time you do on our first day. The plan is to eat lunch, hit a water park. Wander around AKL, dinner, and then either catch the storytellers at the resort or maybe head over to WL for the campfire and s'mores. Then the heads will hit the pillow for our first full day.

We usually spend the last day hopping park to park riding things one last time, making sure we didn't miss buying anything and feeling kinda sad.

 

[sheri236]

first day--can't stop smiling last day--can't stop crying

 

[maxaroni]

First day, we usually head to MK and last has been going to MK for 'one last ride'. However, we've had the UPH's and this year we don't have tkts for first and last day. I've been reading other suggestions on this, too. We were thinking of doing the pool thing and taking the day as it comes, on the relaxed side. We have 7 days of parks so figure the last day we will relax a bit before our drive home. The drive will be about 15 hrs for us, heading down the first day will be the big drive with the 2nd day less time driving and getting to WDW. We will do this in reverse on the way home...the shorter drive the first day, giving us some extra hours in WDW. We were thinking of a character bf the last day, perhaps CM.

 

[fanofdisney]

Do a character meal at one of the hotels; swim; maybe visit the other hotels to decide where you want to stay next time!

 

[lfama]

When we arrived at WDW on our last trip (just a little under 2 weeks ago, wow time sure does fly!), we arrived at our hotel at around noon, and we went to MK at about 1:30/2. We stayed at MK all day, went on rides, then ate dinner at CP, and then went to MGM and caught Fantasmic. As for the last day, it's always nice to end your WDW stay with a trip to the MK and DTD to buy those last-minute souvenirs at WoD.

 

[donnajon]

Last year, we checked into the hotel and my DH took the kids to the pool while I unpacked and got settled. We had a 7pm dinner PS at 1900 Park Fare with Cinderella. We finished just in time to go around to the beach and watch Wishes and see the Electric Water Parade. We finished up our trip with a late morning character breakfast at O'Hana's and then went to DTD.

This year we are having dinner at Chef Mickey's on our first night followed by a Wishes Cruise (a surprise birthday present for DH!) and ending our last day with breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. My DD2 is a Mary Poppins freak! She is so funny and knows all of the words to all of the songs! It is so funny to see a 2 year old sing Spoon Full of Sugar (which she calls "Snap" - because "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and SNAP! The jobs a game...") and Let's go Fly a Kite" (which is "Up".) I don't know how to spell what she calls "Supercaliofragalisticexpialidocious!" I just know it when I hear it!

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

We'll be flying in very early this trip (arrive MCO at 9:15 AM! Sat, June 11) and won't leave until 7:30pm on our last day (Tuesday, June 14), its for me and my son, a Star Wars weekend trip.

We plan on going to the hotel, check in, stow luggage, and get to MGM as soon as we can to get in as much as we can, both Saturday and Sunday will be at MGM, with a possible night trip to MK to see Spectro and Wishes.

The last day will start with a breakfast at Chef Mickey's (his idea! and he is 14!) and most of the day at MK until we have to head back to the resort to meet our transport to the airport.

 

[Aidensmom]

Last time we went for a long vacation: first day we explored the resort, went to the pool, and then to Ft Wilderness for petting zoo, Mickey's Backyard BBQ, and then there is a campfire and movie (which we were too tired to do). Last day we always do DTD - we try to wait till the end to buy our souveniers so we know we are getting what we liked most, so the last day is our shopping spree day.