First night??

[ShellyG]

I am back off to WDW on 31st March next year with my husband (our 3rd trip there) his parents and his sister. It is the MiL, FiL and SiL's first time at WDW.

On our previous 2 trips together my husband and I have been so tired on arrival that we have ended up not knowing what to do with ourselves.
We are getting the 11.30am flight from Gatwick.

The first year we went we went straight to HS to try to find some food, but we both ended up too tired to do anything, I think we grabbed a CS meal and went back to the room. On our last trip we unpacked and grabbed a beer in the AKL bar the in bed at 8pm Florida time as we were so exhausted. I think because we went to bed so early we made our jetlag linger even longer!

How do you all spend your first evening? How do you get over the Jet Lag?

 

[wayneg]

On our last trip we unpacked and grabbed a beer in the AKL bar the in bed at 8pm Florida time as we were so exhausted. I think because we went to bed so early we made our jetlag linger even longer!

How do you all spend your first evening? How do you get over the Jet Lag?

Probably worst thing you can do.
Firstly avoid alcohol, both on the flight and arrival, you need to stay awake as long as possible, alcohol will not help. We never goto bed before 11pm, not easy to stay awake but if we go before then we would be up at silly o'clock.
Thankfully we don't get jetlag on arrival, sometimes coming home we get it but never going out.
Welcome to DISboards

 

[chmurf]

Arrival day report last february :

Touched down in Orlando at 5:30pm. Immigration and Customs already cleared at Newark

6pm we were in the Alamo garage, trying to choose a car.

7pm after a very long drive, including taking the grand tour of WDW property when we were staying just north of Hotel Plaza (somehow the closest to Orlando International ...) we finally ended up at Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista (on palm parkway) We always take one or 2 nights offsite to recover from the trip and jet lag before going to our Disney Resort Hotel

8pm : back with the car and off to 7/11 to buy a gallon of water and a few snacks

8:30pm : we are sitting in that McDonald's on 535 (apopka vineland at crossroads) but we're not really hungry

9:15pm : we're back at the hotel. We take a much needed shower and put DS(4) to bed. I turn on the TV checking for the next day's weather forecast.
Then I catch some CSI episode while DW and DS have already fallen asleep.
by 10pm I must have blacked out too for a while

4:00am : we're all up. I actually dozed on and off all night. Too much excitment I guess.
DS notices I'm up, and decides it's time to get up and running, which means that DW has no other choice than waking up or getting trampled upon by our very own little tornado ...

5:00am : we wander around on the hotel grounds ... breakfast buffet only starts at 6 ... still 5 parties are already waiting in line to enter the restaurants (I guess we're not alone to have a hard time shaking off that jet lag)

8:30am : we're finally starting with our vacations. We don't have our Disney tickets yet (since we have one more night offsite before doing Disney) but we're strolling down DTD marketplace waiting for WOD to open


pretty uneventful I guess

 

[amacspad]

We usually go to the Disney village marketplace for a chill out and something to eat!

Debs x

 

[jtlover]

We have been using Jetease tablets for the last 5 years and they are really good. British Airways cabin crewe use them. They are just vitamin tablets which you can buy from certain chemists in the UK. We take them before we fly and a few hours apart during the flight and when we arrive too. Like Wayne says avoid alcohol as well

They help us stay up a lot longer and get into the pattern of Florida hours.

We then take them on the way back too as well as during the day when we are back in the UK.

 

[queendisney]

I think its one of those situations where the more you do this trip the easier it becomes. Don't get me wrong we are still tired but not in the 'I must get to bed NOW' league. I think it helps us that we always book a hotel the day before we fly and do a twi-light check in if we are with Virgin so we have those extra few valuable hours in bed the next morning. We try and nap on the flight (never slept yet but manage a shut eye session) and when we arrive we never just go to sleep but stay up as long as possible, normally until about 10pm, by going to DTD and having a bite to eat and a walk around. But yes it can be a killer...we are far worse coming back home with the jet lag.

 

[loobzuk]

It remains a dream of mine to get to our accommodation (villa) before dark! Thought we would do it last year but DH got lost (as usual) and it was around 10pm before we found it! We only found it as a result of DH taking another wrong turn - I think we must have gone round in a circle. Believe it or not this was actually an improvement on the previous visits in 2007 and 2009.

In 2007 it was just after midnight - DH would insist on going on and on and on down a road that was so obviously wrong. Thank God there was a petrol station and he finally admitted defeat otherwise I dread to think where we may have ended up.

In 2009 it was around 10pm again after a very long road trip including a toll road twice (at $0.75 each way)! Once I binned the Sat Nav and took over navigating we eventually found our way.

So, my aim for 2013 is for DH to get us to our villa in daylight with perhaps enough time to arrange a pizza delivery. To this end we have chosen a named area as opposed to our allocated on arrival and DH will eat, breathe and sleep the map until he can drive there with his eyes shut!

 

[torsie24]

We have arrived at our resort at 5/6pm after the 11am Gatwick flight.

We tend to just take it easy, walk around, grab dinner at the hotel CS, unpack, have a nice bath etc.

Normally make it to 10/11pm.

We're always up before the sun on the first day, but last trip MK opened at 8am, so we only really had 2 hours to kill before getting the bus across, so that was fine.

 

[2Tiggies]

I'm with Wayne's approach

No alcohol (or keep it to a minimum - I do have one glass of wine on the plane with my meal)
Drink plenty of water
Eat and sleep in accordance with the timezone you've just arrived in.

The last point applies to both arriving in the US and returning to the UK. The return is much harder as you have to keep yourself awake a lot longer if you don't sleep on the plane, but the mealtimes are so important.

I must admit, we don't often notice how tired we are when we arrive as we are usually high as a kite. Last year we were severely delayed so only got to our resort after 10 pm (instead of at 4 pm) but the plan had been as with previous years to head off to Downtown Disney for a walk around and dinner.

 

[disneyholic family]

we usually go to DTD for dinner, but this year, DS and DDIL were delayed getting in - they arrived several hours after us, so instead we ate in the hotel food court and then headed over to MK to catch wishes (and buy our APs - convert our tickets into APs)..

 

[dixonsontour]

In May be landed 2pm ish so drove to resort, unpacked, went out for dinner and walmart.

Usually we fly indirect so don't land until 6.30pm ish. By the time we have got the car and checked in will have a quick bite to eat then bed.

We've never woken stupidly early. I like the early start the next day - we usually do a character meal. One year did chef mickey 7am and last year ohana at 7.30am.

 

[starrysky]

We normally get to resort, unpack and go and get some food. Try to stay up but by the time we have been up early for the flight (normally depart EDI around 8:20am so thats about an early morning) and then we land at MCO at 16:50 its been a long day. I have been up and had a nice swim in the quite pool closest to our room by 8am.

Last year I was determined to be in MK for the 40th birthday. We made it in time for the fireworks. We got some food in Cosmic Rays but to be honest by the time we got to the food we were so tired we looked drunk. So back to OKW and bed but guess what 6am wide awake.

This years plan is to get to resort dump the bags, head to DTD and go to the Hess garage for some snacks etc and then get some food. If that plan fails then we will get some bits from the Conch flats store and then order a pizza in the room.

 

[Elise79]

This time we arrived at MCO at 4.30 took ME to BLT arriving around 6.15pm.

Checked in went up to our room and unpacked.

Walked over to MK around 7.30 and got a hot dog from Caseys (as an aside was pleased to find white buns ) and watched the Castle show.

Walked back to BLT around 8.30pm and put DD(4) to bed (usual bed at home is 8pm and she hadn't slept all day)

We grabbed the iPads and browsed the net and watched TV for a while - went to bed at 10.30 as normal. Woke up at 6am which was fine as we had breakfast booked for 8am in the Castle

On the return we try to sleep on the plane but never manage much. When we get home DH stays awake till normal bed time however I literally pass out (yep - actually keeled over standing up once although I do have a tendency for it at other times too) in the afternoon if I don't go to bed. I have found a 2 hour nap works perfectly for me - with waking no later than 4pm.

These routines have been our standard for some time - if we are OKW on arrival we will go to DTD rather than MK and hit Earl of Sandwich. When we stayed at the Epcot resort we went into Epcot and ate in WS.

 

[Queen-Bee]

we normally spend the evening going to Walmart, grabbing food and maybe a dip in the pool to make sure we're ready for MK ropedrop!

 

[Disney Princesses LW]

Arrival day report last february :

Touched down in Orlando at 5:30pm. Immigration and Customs already cleared at Newark

6pm we were in the Alamo garage, trying to choose a car.

7pm after a very long drive, including taking the grand tour of WDW property when we were staying just north of Hotel Plaza (somehow the closest to Orlando International ...) we finally ended up at Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista (on palm parkway) We always take one or 2 nights offsite to recover from the trip and jet lag before going to our Disney Resort Hotel

8pm : back with the car and off to 7/11 to buy a gallon of water and a few snacks

8:30pm : we are sitting in that McDonald's on 535 (apopka vineland at crossroads) but we're not really hungry

9:15pm : we're back at the hotel. We take a much needed shower and put DS(4) to bed. I turn on the TV checking for the next day's weather forecast.
Then I catch some CSI episode while DW and DS have already fallen asleep.
by 10pm I must have blacked out too for a while

4:00am : we're all up. I actually dozed on and off all night. Too much excitment I guess.
DS notices I'm up, and decides it's time to get up and running, which means that DW has no other choice than waking up or getting trampled upon by our very own little tornado ...

5:00am : we wander around on the hotel grounds ... breakfast buffet only starts at 6 ... still 5 parties are already waiting in line to enter the restaurants (I guess we're not alone to have a hard time shaking off that jet lag)

8:30am : we're finally starting with our vacations. We don't have our Disney tickets yet (since we have one more night offsite before doing Disney) but we're strolling down DTD marketplace waiting for WOD to open


pretty uneventful I guess

Ive been in that 5am queue

 

[ben1993]

Last May, arrived at the Hotel on I-drive at about 5pm, relaxed by the pool as the sun went down, grabbed some snacks and fell asleep in the room.

Last November, arrived at Kidani around the same time, headed to Epcot for fish & chips went on Soarin and almost fell asleep in the queue, went to sleep about 11pm.

 

[scoobydooby]

I always take the children to the bathroom at MCO prior to immigration which gives us a long queue to wait in. Basically using up time. Pick up car, drive to WDW, check in. Not long as we know the where are you? Now! Then DH takes the children to the pool while I unpack and ready the room. That usually gets us to about 8pm. Load in showers and food and we can generally get till 10pm before collapsing. Then we go to the park with EMH, generally arrive a good 40 minutes before rope drop and park storm. I now know by 3pm latest that first day the children will be on their knees so plan nothing for the first evening. By day 2 we are straight.

Coming home we have not cracked it. We are all sleep wrecks for at least 3 days on our return. Always worth it though!

 

[scoobydooby]

I'm sorry that should read we know where to go now. Predictive sentences on i phone. Sorry.

 

[irenep]

Our first night we are usually staying at the Beach Club Villas and its a tradition of ours to have something to eat at Beaches and Cream after we have checked in.

We also usually have a really early start that day catching a flight around 6.30am from Aberdeen to London or Amsterdam, so we are always exhausted by the time we get there. I always try to stay up late but never manage it- usually in bed listening to the Epcot fireworks going off.

I don't mind the early night on arrival day though as it means we will definitely make rope drop our first morning and we soon adjust to Florida time

 

[starrysky]

We also usually have a really early start that day catching a flight around 6.30am from Aberdeen to London or Amsterdam, so we are always exhausted by the time we get there. I always try to stay up late but never manage it- usually in bed listening to the Epcot fireworks going off.

I don't mind the early night on arrival day though as it means we will definitely make rope drop our first morning and we soon adjust to Florida time

Yeah we get to the airport all pumped and ready to go by the time we get off the flight in orlando its not a pretty sight. Think last year with time zone changes and going to MK for the birthday celebrations etc we worked it out that we have been up 27hrs by the time we went to bed