Looking for non-Disney activity/attraction for arrival day.

[JrsyDebs]

We will be getting to Orlando some time around noon. First priorities will be picking up rental car, then getting some lunch, but after that, I do not know what we should do until it is time to check-in to our accomodations at 4 o'clock.

I figure we will have about two hours to spend...Any suggestions? The family is DH, DD13 and me. No shopping. (I would love to hit the outlets, but not with them!!)

Debs

 

[MiaSRN62]

Well, it's sort of a disney activity, but we like to go miniature golfing at either Fantasia golf course or WinterSummerland course. We feel it's a fun way to spend 2 hours. Not sure what time of the year you'll be there, but if it's during the summer/hot months you might want to choose Wintersummerland because it's a little more shaded than Fantasia. We've also just hung out at the pools ?

 

[spiceycat]

go check in first!

how about walking around FW or WL - no that might be considered WDW....

Old Town - no that might be considered shopping - although it is more.

How about Seaworld or US/IOA?

Gatorland?

Silver Lake? - this will take you about an hour and half just to get to it.

race cars.

outside WDW water parks - Wet n' Wild

happy days entertainment and attraction companies - laser Tag $5.00, slingshort vertical accelator - $25, Go-Karts $6.00, bumper cars $5.00 this is in Old Town

magical midway

 

[JrsyDebs]

Thanks for the feedback.

Staying off-site, cannot check in until 4 o'clock. Trying to find something to do just to kill time, for about two hours.

The amusements at Old Town sound fun.

Also considering Gatorland. Went there when DD was 4 years old. It was fun. We got DDs picture taken with a boa constrictor around her neck AND she was holding a baby alligator--precious! I want to go back just so I can get a similar pic of DD at age 13!

Any other suggestions?

Debs

 

[spiceycat]

as I say go check in - even off-site (especially off-site) if they have a room will give it to you.

you name will go on list - so you can get a room earlier.

every resort will (that Ihave used) will let you check in early - they may or may not will have a room ready.

some even use the method from WDW - give you a phone number to call. Sometimes you have to go back to the front desk to get the key, sometimes you don't - it depends upon the resort.

besides then you get to explore the resort - that can be a fun way to kill a few hours.

 

[JrsyDebs]

We are going to stay at a Windsor Palms private pool home, not a hotel resort. Do you think we would be able to do early check-in for a pool home?

DH thinks that we will not have ANY time to kill if we arrive in FL about noon and check-in is at 4:00, what with getting the rental car and having lunch...I just do not see how that would take four hours (okay, and getting our baggage, getting our bearings, and finding this resort may take a little time as well, but 4 hours?!). Who do you think is right? Oh, and by the way, we are not a family who takes a long time to eat!

Debs

 

[SammieG]

If I were you, I would phone the rental company and ask if you can check in earlier.

If they had someone in the night before, chances are they may not be finished.. if they didnt - the house will be ready when you arrive.

try it and see!

Otherwise I would go to Downtown Disney. Have a leisurely lunch. Take the shuttle boat to POR and have a look around there - and then head back. Or go to the boardwalk and take a surrey bike ride around (you can also do this at POR)

 

[gjw007]

Thanks for the feedback.

Staying off-site, cannot check in until 4 o'clock. Trying to find something to do just to kill time, for about two hours.

The amusements at Old Town sound fun.

Also considering Gatorland. Went there when DD was 4 years old. It was fun. We got DDs picture taken with a boa constrictor around her neck AND she was holding a baby alligator--precious! I want to go back just so I can get a similar pic of DD at age 13!

Any other suggestions?

Debs

Try checking in. If the rooms are ready, they will give them to you. IF not, they will tell you to come back later. Still, you have almost a full day ahead of you. I like to head to Downtown Disney and get a banana split. I then wonder through the stores to see what is new. I don't buy anything at this stage as I will have a week to wonder through the parks and the area.

There are a few other Disney activities that you may not have considered. Somebody mentioned miniture golf but you might want to look at activities such as horseback riding or maybe a quick trip to Gatorland. There are also some nice parks in the area. You have a lot of options.

 

[SusanDK]

I agree with your husband that you probably won't have that much time to kill. Where are you planning to have lunch?

I would suggest a visit to Celebration, the town that Disney built. You can walk around downtown, enjoy the dancing fountains, sit in the rocking chairs around the lake, have an ice cream.

If you didn't already have a place picked out for lunch, there are also options in Celebration for lunch.

Susan

 

[luvtoall]

It is fun for us to drive from airport to DTD and have lunch, walk around etc. it gets me in the FUN mood. If you can not wait to eat you could grab fast food and then stroll around w/ Ice cream or such.(my son just thinks he will DIE when he is hungry LOL) I would also do this in Celebration it is really fun, too. This is not REALLY shopping my family will not SHOP with me!

 

[powellrj]

I was going to suggest downtown disney too! You can have lunch, visit the shops (if you are just visiting it not really shopping!), if you still have time to kill, catch a movie!

 

[ttfn3]

If you absolutely cannot checkin until 4 and don't want to shop, - here are a couple of suggestions:

-- have lunch at a Disney resort on the monorail loop, such as Kona Cafe, and then hop on the monorail for ride to the resorts. You can check out the resorts and the shops, plus get a peak at the Magic Kingdom!

-- have lunch on International Drive and check out all the attractions.

-- drive directly from the airport to your pool home so you will know how to get there. Have lunch, and if you know you can get in at 4, time it and then hit the grocery store so that's out of the way. I feel much better when I get that out of the way early so then I can start to relax and enjoy my trip.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

In reality, I don't think you'll end up with much more than an hour to kill. If you have checked bags and need to pick up a rental car, it could easily take you over an hour to get out of the airport. It will take you about half an hour to drive (give or take ten minutes, depending on where you're staying), and even if you are quick about eating, you'll still have to decide where, and you'll still have to wait for the staff to serve you - so that will take a minimum of half an hour by my estimations.

Having said that, a really cool thing to do would be to do the indoors skydiving on I-drive. The men in our group loved it! You will need to call ahead to schedule a time, but you should be able to be there by 3:15, I would think.

We sent the boys there while we did girly stuff (Orchid World and groceries), and the timing worked out nearly perfectly. Which is not to say that the skydiving wouldn't appeal to women, but for us, Orchid World and groceries didn't appeal to the boys. After, we got to watch a video of the boys.
If you aren't getting major provisions, there is a Walgreen's with some groceries right next to the indoors skydiving place. If one of you opts out of the skydiving, then that person could pick up a few things while the others prep, and still get back in time to watch the actual skydive. Have fun!

 

[TSWJan78]

What about taking this time to stop and get what you will need for the house, Breakfast foods, Water, Juice, Soda ect... I know it is not the funnest thing but then you will be able to relax and enjoy the rest of you night either by the pool or with a strool at DTD.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Add me to the list of those that don't think you'll have much more than an hour or two to kill either---that's why I suggested mini golf many posts back. I felt it didn't take that long to get through a round of 18 holes. But if that doesn't interest you, in addition to the many other great suggestions I'm reading here, I thought of another......how 'bout renting a boat from say the Contemporary resort and sailing around the lagoon ? They have pontoon & canopy boats as well as the water mice ? I believe the canopy and pontoon boats range from like $25-$35 for each 30 min. We love doing this.

 

[cruisnfamily]

My suggestion:
The Titanic Exhibit! We went to this a couple of years ago and everybody really loved it (kids were about 7 & 10 at the time). It isn't too pricey and I think it only took about 1 1/2 hours to do.

 

[disneymom3]

We personally just love driving around for a bit and getting reacclimated. Maybe have lunch somewhere on 192 and then head into Celebration and get out and stroll about. Then hit the grocery store and head for check in.

 

[dgaston]

My suggestion is to do lunch at Sweet Tomatoes and then shop for the things you will need at Publix on 192 past the old Splendid China. You can also familiarize with where Sherberth Road is and the back entrance to WDW.