First day?

[Aliceacc]

We got an early flight out of JFK and will be at MCO by 10:30ish am. So I figure we'll be at the Poly by noonish.

My question: then what?

My 3 kids will be blown away by the volcano pool, so one option is to hang around the Poly for a few hours, wait for the room to be ready, have a quick lunch there. We could head over to MK for a counter service dinner and make a night of it, including fireworks. My one remaining TS meal could be spent on the last day-- maybe a character breakfast. (Our flight home leaves at 7:30 pm.)


Plan B: Drop off our stuff, head right over to the MK. Maybe do dinner at Crystal Palace or something.

Plan C: Hang out at the Poly, do an early dinner at Chef Mickey's (on our ADR list at some point anyway) and then go right to MK.

My kids are 10,8 and 5 and have never been to WDW before. They'll probably have to be up at 5 am, so I'm not sure how realistic a late night will be.

The reason I'm obsessing about this 8 months early is that I'm trying to get an idea of our ADR's.

Any comments/ suggestions/alternate ideas?

As always, thanks for your input!!

 

[wendy darling]

You and your kids will have a great time...it's never too early to plan a WDW trip

It might be fun to do a character dinner your first night. Maybe your kids could swim and look around the poly and then do a character meal for dinner- it's always a fun way to start your trip IMO

 

[Aliceacc]

Wow, you're up early

Thanks for the idea... any suggestions? (Our last trip was in 1990, long before the kids.)

 

[wendy darling]

Yes I am up early!! LOL
Kids usually like Chef Mickey's...it's a short hop on the monorail...it's at the Contemporary Resort...if you time it right you may be able to see the fireworks either while your eating or right after...

The Crystal Palace is also a great character meal if you wanted to go to MK the first night...

Which do your kids like better- Mickey and his friends or Pooh and his friends? Maybe that will be the deciding factor...

 

[wendy darling]

Random question- how far away is Long Island from New York City?

 

[MRYPPNS]

It's never too early to plan for Disney! My suggestion would be to not go to a park for your first day if you are doing a week long vacation. Better to get a good nights sleep the first night in Florida and hit the ground running the next day. Wendy Darling had a great idea to go to Chef Mickeys for dinner. Hang out at the Poly, swim. You could tour the other resorts on the monorail line. Then a dinner at CM will be a nice introduction of Disney and the characters for your kids.

Another idea is to go the Broadwalk area for dinner. We do this the first night on every trip. There are so many places to eat over there. One of the mini golf places in is walking distance. In the evening there are carnival games on the broadwalk and strolling entertainers. Oh and I almost forgot... they have those surry(?) bicycles for families to rent. Everyone looks like they have fun on those.

Good luck with your planning

 

[TinaLala]

My family can't wait to see that castle...it doesn't matter what time it is or how long it's taken us to get there they want to go straight to Mk to see the castle.

We actually have a family tradition..we go directly to MK the first day and sing "Walking right down the middle of main street usa" as we walk down main street through the castle and then we ride on Cinderella's carosuel. It's a first day tradition for us.

Maybe you need to start making some first day traditions of your own.

 

[Elmo888]

Last year, our first time with kids, we arrived at MCO around 12:30, and we were at the resort by 2:30 (using ME). We ate lunch (late lunch - about 3 pm)at the resort, and we didn't go to a park. We swam and rested, and it was very enjoyable and relaxing. The kids were tired (they were up at 6 something, so not nearly as early as yours), and I think that they needed the rest.

It was so nice that I have the same plan this year.

I would get lunch first thing after you check in, either at the Poly or nearby (if you aren't having lunch at the airport or some place in between the airport and the resort). And then enjoy some time at the Poly.

I definitely wouldn't plan on a late night in any case. If you do go to the MK, I would plan on returning to your resort for dinner or right after dinner.

I realize that I didn't pick plan A, B or C!

 

[GothTink]

We're staying at the Poly (first trip!) this July, and our flight gets in around 11am. That first day is dedicated to DTD (and Disney Quest!), the volcano pool, and dinner at OHana's before retiring to the beach to watch Wishes.

Have fun!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

I would second just hanging out at the hotel the first night if you are doing a weeklong trip. If you do venture out...I would not suggest planning to stay for the fireworks. Do that later in the week. You will be tired from traveling (if you are arriving at MCO from JFK at 10:30 you must be leaving by about 7:30am which means you've been at the airport since 5:30am and up by what...3:30-4 am?!?!?) It's better to start the first full day fresh and well rested. Remember that Disney is a LOT of walking and can be sensory overload for a lot of kids (and adults!).

Can I also make a suggestion for your last day? Don't do a character breakfast on the last day. Since you will be checking out that morning, you'll want to be able to sleep in, pack up all your stuff, check out of the hotel, into your airline at the resort (if you can) and check your bags with bell services. It's way too chaotic to try to squeeze a breakfast into that as well (unless you go with the Lilo one at your resort).

 

[logansmummy]

We usually go straight to Downtown Disney as soon as we get there, right after dropping of luggage of course.

 

[Aliceacc]

Random question- how far away is Long Island from New York City?

Parts of LI include Queens ( a boro of NYC-- only a tunnel ride away from Manhattan.)

I'm in central Nassau county-- about a 40 minute ride by train from Manhattan. If you're a hockey fan, I teach down the block from the Nassau Colliseum, home of the NY Islanders.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

 

[Disneychix]

I would also recommend doing the pool thing and then DTD. IT's a good way to ease into WDW mania! A character dinner is good b/c then the kids can see character without the waiting in lines in the Fl heat.
I would watch out if renting the surrey bikes on the first day. There is one massive hill you have to climb if you go around the lake at the BW and if you're not used to biking you may be hurting for the rest of your vacation!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

we also arrive at MCO around 10:30 ish. We check in, put our swim suits on, eat lunch at the pool, wait for our room get ready and head over to Chef Mickey's for dinner.

After dinner we ride the monorail to MK, sit out it front and watch Wishes. Or we just watch from the 4th floor deck at the Contemporary.

We tried 2 times to head straight to the parks, but the kids wanted no part of that. It took them a couple days to unwind.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

I would suggest not doing a park the first day. Especially if the kids are up early.

If you think they will be excited and want to walk around a bit, maybe hit Downtown Disney or the Boardwalk. If you think they might "melt down" from being overtired, I would stick closer to the hotel with Ohana or Chef Mickeys. Maybe the Luau? Or, if you head out to walk around, maybe only go out for a little while, grab food, and return early to swim/ hang out. Then whoever is tired can go to sleep...and get ready for a day at MK!

 

[Epcot Mom]

I'll go a different way and say that my kids are among those that want to head straight to the MK on a day we arrive that early. Your room may well be ready, but that really doesn't matter. Pack what you want on the top of your suit case, get out what you need, pack what you don't need from the airplane and give bell services back your bags. (You'll need to remember what you may want with you when you consider what to send with Magical Express.) I do pack bathing suits on top, in case they change their mind, but they never do. We traditionally hit the MK then Chef Mickey's for dinner the first night. Somewhere in there lunch, just when we're ready. Sometimes that's in the resort, other times we just grab something in the park, knowing we're heading to Chef Mickey's for a big dinner that night. By eating at CM first night, if the line for Mickey goes on forever in the park the next day, the kids know they saw him last night and can move on past.

I would keep the option open to get to bathing suits, you know your kids best. My best advice at Disney, expecially if it's the kids' first trip, is to keep your options open. Don't worry too much about your "plan", just follow what they want to do, even if that's stop and watch the ducks. That's a recipe for a relaxing vacation!

Epcot Mom

 

[Aliceacc]

we also arrive at MCO around 10:30 ish. We check in, put our swim suits on, eat lunch at the pool, wait for our room get ready and head over to Chef Mickey's for dinner.

After dinner we ride the monorail to MK, sit out it front and watch Wishes. Or we just watch from the 4th floor deck at the Contemporary.

We tried 2 times to head straight to the parks, but the kids wanted no part of that. It took them a couple days to unwind.

That sounds ideal!!! Chef Mickey's is one of the restaurants on my list anyway.....hmmmmm food for thought!

 

[Aliceacc]

I'll go a different way and say that my kids are among those that want to head straight to the MK on a day we arrive that early. Your room may well be ready, but that really doesn't matter. Pack what you want on the top of your suit case, get out what you need, pack what you don't need from the airplane and give bell services back your bags. (You'll need to remember what you may want with you when you consider what to send with Magical Express.) I do pack bathing suits on top, in case they change their mind, but they never do. We traditionally hit the MK then Chef Mickey's for dinner the first night. Somewhere in there lunch, just when we're ready. Sometimes that's in the resort, other times we just grab something in the park, knowing we're heading to Chef Mickey's for a big dinner that night. By eating at CM first night, if the line for Mickey goes on forever in the park the next day, the kids know they saw him last night and can move on past.

I would keep the option open to get to bathing suits, you know your kids best. My best advice at Disney, expecially if it's the kids' first trip, is to keep your options open. Don't worry too much about your "plan", just follow what they want to do, even if that's stop and watch the ducks. That's a recipe for a relaxing vacation!

Epcot Mom

...or that.

So I guess I'll go with making the ADR for Chef Mickey's that night, then play it by ear (or plan and re-plan from now till August!!!)


You're right of course. I'm just trying to get a handle on the ADRs so I can phone them in in 3 weeks!!

Thanks one and all!