Going to park on arrival day? Good idea?

[mshanson3121]

It also probably depends on how long you’re staying. We usually only stay 5 or 6 nights, and this year only 4 nights. So I like to feel like I’m seeing as much as I can.

Good point. We have 7 nights, with 5 day base passes. The last night HAS to be an early night (like back to the hotel by 4 or 5) as we have to be up at 3.

 

[Gandalf_Greyhame]

I'm going to cheat and say we are doing both major things suggested in the thread so far. We arrive on 9/21 around 11am. We mainly plan at chilling at our resort (POR) and going to Disney Springs. However, we can't pass up the opportunity to see HEA and since it is party season our opportunities are limited. It might not be the "best" use of park tickets, but financially we are lucky enough to make it work.

 

[mydisneyanytime]

I would go to the park and leave before you get tired. I hate Disney Springs as it is just about as crowded as the parks so we don't make it any of our days. On arrival we usually go for a few hours until we think we need to rest before the next day. I have kids, 12 and 13, and this works well for us. We do have AP so that helps too.

 

[trubgerg]

I never used to go to the parks on the day of arrival, but now that my parents are retired and spending winters near Disney World things have changed. We have annual passes, and since I stay with them I don't have to worry about check in times.

I prefer early flights on the way there... so about a year ago I had a flight that left at 6 AM from Providence, RI, landed in Orlando by 9 AM. I was able to pack everything I needed for the week in a carry on bag so I didn't have to wait for any checked luggage, my parents picked me up about 15 minutes after the plane landed, and we were in Epcot before 10 AM.

 

[webcreatrix]

I am in a similar boat. Our plane gets in at about 3:40. We also didn’t have to pay much more for the extra day. Since we are staying at Poly, we will go to Epcot that evening for dinner and to take advantage of the 3 FP+s.

Our flight arrives at 3pm. We are staying at Boardwalk and plan to go straight to EPCOT when we arrive. We may not close the park, but we will have dinner and hopefully get a FP+ or two done.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

My family used to arrive the Saturday night before, so no we didn't go to the park. We drive and weren't getting to the hotel till about 10 or 11pm. This time, we'll be leaving super early Sunday morning, putting us into Orlando around 10am our time 11am their time. So we will DEFINITELY do a park on that day. We'll stop at the resort to see if can be lucky enough to check into our room...if not, we'll grab a bite to eat in the food court and then head over to AK and stay till about 6 or 7 that evening.

 

[SG131]

I have done it before arriving even later than 2. Once you have longer tickets adding a day is so cheap it’s hard to say no. And it usually ends up being an Epcot day. With the tiered FP at that park it’s so much easier to have an extra day to squeeze another tier one FP in.

 

[mshanson3121]

We've decided to do it. We have decided on doing almost all afternoons/evenings in the park this time to make it easier on my daughter, so there won't be any worry about a long day/late night, and then having to get up early to get into a park.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Our flight often lands 130/2 ish. We usually decide what we’d like to do once we arrive at the resort. It depends on many things. How sleepy we are (travel days are exhausting), whether or not our room is ready, weather in the area etc.

We usually opt to unpack, rest and/or got to Disney Springs for dinner. Sometimes we kick our vacation off at Chef Mickey’s. Nothing quite like the fab 5 to start your vacation right IMO.

Also, not to be “that person” but your $15 is actually more like $20+ with our horrible exchange rate

 

[Princess Mulan]

Every trip we go to a park on arrival day, and every time I say we’ll never do it again.

No matter how smoothly the travel day has gone, we still discover that we are too tired to fully enjoy the park. However, we haven’t yet been able to resist the temptation of Epcot or Magic Kingdom on arrival day!

 

[nkereina]

Question 1: if your flight lands at 2, is that too late to go to a park that evening? (Normal wake up time for us, so no insane early morning). Or would you just hang out at the resort?

If your flight lands at 2pm and you are taking DME, you can reasonably expect to be at your resort 3:30-4pm. Figure you check-in, go to your room to drop your bags, take the bus to the parks - you could be in the park by 5:15 or so. Since the cost for the extra day of tickets is negligible, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. Epcot would be my choice, even though it would be the most crowded with EMH. I think you could have a good dinner there and just stroll the World Showcase, which would make for a nice night on your arrival day. I wouldn't supplement this for another park day, however. I would just consider it a bonus.

 

[kwdw]

I think about it this way - at home - a movie ticket ticket costs about $12-17 dollars for an evening showing - and that's just about 2-3 hours of my time. If I am willing to pay that on occasion - then $15 to enter a park for 3-5 hours is clearly worth it. Especially because you said you aren't getting up extra early that day - so you won't be exhausted.

I've got an AP this year - and I'm planning to go to EPCOT around 5-6 pm on arrival day JUST for dinner at a couple of food kitchens for F&G - with the goal of being in bed by 9 pm as the next day is a long one.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We always go to the park on arrival day, even if only for a few hours. So I say yes.

 

[Park Pirate]

I think it does depend upon your family situation. We tend to get to Disney World in the early afternoon (driving) and always go out into the parks. In fact, one of my favorite feelings is finally (after a year of waiting or whatever) getting inside a park the afternoon of arrival. It is easy for us now as my kids are middle/high school aged, but even when much younger, everyone was too excited to rest. However, we always referred to it as a bonus time in the park, as if the planned park time did not start until the next day. I am not sure why, but that made it seem like anything we did was extra, without that nagging thought that your time in the parks was limited. There are many things I do not like about FP+ compared to the old system, but I will say that this is one of the great things about FP+. If you know you are going far enough in advance, you can guarantee that you can get on some of your favorite rides that evening.

 

[Beer Me]

Given how cheap tickets are beyond 5 days or whatever I like to have tickets for every day on property. Partial days still give you 3 fast passes so knock out a few big rides on the days you arrive and depart. Also arrival day evening is a good opportunity to see one of the nighttime shows.

 

[cindyfan]

We'd absolutely go to a park! As someone else said.... if staying at a MK resort... go to MK. If at an Epcot resort.... go to Epcot. Otherwise, we'd pick a nice place to have dinner and a more low-key evening... such as to watch MK fireworks, Rivers of Light, or Fantasmic. Worth the extra $15!
But... we are also the people that run to the parks as soon as we are off the Magical Express and hit everything we can!! haha!! It would totally be worth it to go to AK and do the safari, Everest in the dark and maybe even get on FOP (never know, you might get lucky with the lines dying down in the evening!)

To us.... 3 or 4 hours is a lot of time to see attractions or do dinner plus shows!

 

[dominiondad]

I would head for the park. We arrive at 2:30 and will be headed in. Even if we don't get a full day, we do get at least three FP+, which is three big attractions I can possibly skip when I hit that park for my full day. Especially with the expanding tier system, I can get an "A" attraction booked.

 

[fla4fun]

For the small financial cost, I would definitely do it, and I would choose Epcot due to the extended hours. It sounds like you feel you would have enough stamina to do it on a travel day, so why not? I usually don’t go to a park on my arrival day, but I am arriving after working a 12 hour day, so my stamina is pretty much zero. I just have an early night and get a good start the next day. But if I had the energy, I would.