First day advice needed

[erin1715]

My husband and I are WDW vets. We are planning our first DL visit in July. We will arrive on a Tuesday and our flight is planned to arrive at SNA around noon. I was planning to do DL Wed, Thurs, and Friday but I'm wondering if we should also go to the parks on arrival day. We will have a long flight from NY and the time change is going to mess with us, so I don't know if we should just relax on arrival day and wake up ready to go the next day or if we should maximize our park time and hit it the first day.

If we didnt' go to the parks on arrival day, I think I was just planning to check out Downtown Disney and wander around.

Also, are DL park tickets refundable if we need to cancel? I was looking to purchase them either through aRes or Parksavers.

 

[agamble]

I do not think park tickets are refundable. But they can be saved and used at a later date unless you buy them from a seller that says they must be used during certain days. We always buy direct from Disney.

Arriving at noon (3pm your time) and then getting to your resort 1-2 hours later makes it kind of late for you. Also, mornings are much less stressful. Afternoons are pretty busy and you'd be lucky to get to the parks by 2 PM local time. I think it may be better to take the day to relax and enjoy being on vacation. You can have a good dinner and get a good night's rest. Then you'll be ready to get up and go the next day. Ultimately it's up to you, some people just can't wait to get in the parks and have fun. It's hard!

 

[figment_jii]

I would go to the parks on the first day, but it really depends on how tired you are and what works best for your family.

I highly doubt the tickets are refundable, but you'll have to check with each re-seller to see their policies. For example, aRes states: "All tickets are non-refundable and non-returnable" in their terms & conditions.

 

[hlbtimes2]

Park tickets are not refundable. However, they are easy to add on to. So, if you bought 3 days tickets based on your original plan, and decide when you get there that you aren't that tired, you could add on. I think the difference between 3 and 4 day hoppers is $25 each. You could use that first evening to watch fireworks or world of color. You do not need to add one before you use them. You could add on any time during the those first 3 days you use your hopper. Just don't wait and come back the 4th day and try to add on!

 

[DLRExpert]

If I was arriving in the afternoon, I would wander through the Downtown Disney, hotel, and pool areas. Then get a good night sleep wake up early and get to the entrance 30 minutes before they open.

If you need a theme park fix check out the Disneyland Hotel's Trader Sams Enchanted Tiki Bar.

 

[tdhickey]

It's like $20 a ticket to add a 4th day, I'd do it even if you only spend a few hours exploring the parks. It would be smart to hit Disneyland, do a few things and get a decent spot to watch the parade/fireworks and take it easy if you are tired.

 

[hsmamato2]

I was wondering the same thing... except we arrive on a Thursday min-December, and leave on a Sunday.... is it worth buying 2 or 3 day tix for this? and is is smarter if we do 3 day tix, to use them that first afternoon,or that last morning?

 

[figment_jii]

Just note that DLR does not necessarily bridge ticket prices like they do in WDW. So you may end up paying the difference between what you paid and the price of the new ticket, not just the difference between the two gate prices. It's probably not a lot of money (there doesn't seem to be a lot of really good discounts for DLR tickets), but it's something to keep in mind.

In terms of when to use the extra day, it really depends on whether you want to see the night shows or do attractions. The morning hours tend to be the least busy in the parks, so you stand the best chance of getting in a fair number of attractions. On the other hand, having an extra night to see the shows is good because there are lots of shows to see and it gives you one more night in case fireworks are cancelled (due to weather, usually).

 

[hsmamato2]

thanks.... I've been doing some reading of Hydroguys thread and links.... I think night shows are more exciting overall...so we may do that first evening in the park....looks like with my dates any park time before that Saturday is going to better anyway....

 

[Indiana Scott]

I think it's very doable to enjoy the parks the same day. It takes about an hour to get form SNA to your hotel and into the parks (last time it took us 45 minutes). You'll have lots of hours left in the park but I would add a day so you'll still have the entire time in the park.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I like the idea of adding that 4th day as well- after all you're coming from NY! One evening in DL/DCA is worth $20/pp to me. (And as a vet of WDW you might find DLR's version of Downtown Disney... underwhelming.)

 

[hsmamato2]

I like the idea of adding that 4th day as well- after all you're coming from NY! One evening in DL/DCA is worth $20/pp to me. (And as a vet of WDW you might find DLR's version of Downtown Disney... underwhelming.)

I like this thinking...is one evening worth 20 pp? yes indeed it is! any idea how long it should take us to land at LAX, get our bags, get our rental car and be in DL area to check in? we are supposed to arrive midmorning I think.... I was thinking maybe 2-3 hours? Ok after looking at map I see airport is about an hour away, so more like 3-4 hours to be realistic? I'm hoping I can convince the whole party to head straight over,and not stop for lunch till we check in and get settled....if we land a bit before 11-maybe 2 o'clcock-ish? to maximize our 3 day tickets..... then plan on whatever night show is playing that night and dinner in the parks...

 

[erin1715]

I'm also strongly leaning towards adding on that fourth day. This is our first visit and I don't really know when we'll be back, so we'll caffeinate up and hit the ground running! Plus I do want to make sure I see some of their shows. Fantasmic will be closed I think, but I definitely want to see World of Color and I think Paint the Night. I'm not sure how the fireworks compared to MK, but I'd guess its worth seeing those as well.

 

[DollBabyKG]

We drive to Cali, but usually end up in Anaheim and checked into our hotel by 2 or 3:00 pm arrival day. For the first few years, we would just do Downtown Disney, and a nice sit down dinner that night, and then our 3 day passes. But when we realized how affordable it was to add an extra day, we've been doing 4 day park hoppers, and headed straight into the parks that first day. Especially on the busy season. Also that first day ends up being our most relaxed and magical day since it's a "bonus day." I definitely think it's worth the extra day.