Need Arrival day advice please

[ZoeysMommy0308]

Our check in day is March 23rd, we will be driving through the night and getting there after midnight. So early the 24th. I added the extra day so we could check in as soon as we got there vs. 3 pm. Plus we get some extra meal credits to use too. So we plan to sleep a bit and get settled in, maybe swim and look at the resort. That evening as of now I have a reservation for Chef Mickeys but after reading horrible review after horrible review. I plan to change it. I was deciding between eating somewhere at downtown Disney(Suggestions please!) Then letting our daughter pick a dress for BBB the next day at World of Disney and shopping. Then coming back to our room to prepare for a 7am rope drop at magic kingdom. Or I considered doing World of Disney earlier that day, then going to whispering canyon and chip and dales camp fire. Would the 2nd option be to much traveling? Im in need of some serious help here. Planning this trip has been stressful!! I know it will be worth it though.

 

[csjordan]

Our check in day is March 23rd, we will be driving through the night and getting there after midnight. So early the 24th. I added the extra day so we could check in as soon as we got there vs. 3 pm. Plus we get some extra meal credits to use too. So we plan to sleep a bit and get settled in, maybe swim and look at the resort. That evening as of now I have a reservation for Chef Mickeys but after reading horrible review after horrible review. I plan to change it. I was deciding between eating somewhere at downtown Disney(Suggestions please!) Then letting our daughter pick a dress for BBB the next day at World of Disney and shopping. Then coming back to our room to prepare for a 7am rope drop at magic kingdom. Or I considered doing World of Disney earlier that day, then going to whispering canyon and chip and dales camp fire. Would the 2nd option be to much traveling? Im in need of some serious help here. Planning this trip has been stressful!! I know it will be worth it though.

After all that driving the day before, I think WCC and the camp fire would be too much traveling. Not sure where you are staying, but I would choose a restaurant at DS and pick out a dress, or eat at a restaurant at your resort and head to DS to pick out a dress for BBB. That will build your daughter's excitement about MK and BBB the next day and get you to bed at a decent hour for rope drop the next morning. Have a great trip!!

 

[Hi Pluto]

I don't think it would be too much traveling. You will spend the morning sleeping in and relaxing. I'm sure by the afternoon you'll be full of Disney excitement and ready to go, go, go! I'd say both options sound pretty wonderful, so choose whichever one you would rather do.

~Cari~

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm with pp #1... after traveling all night, you should rest a bit, then go to disney springs maybe for an early dinner somewhere nice,and let your dd pick out a dress. depending on where you are staying, a quiet day by the resort pool is always a nice option also,followed by an early dinner- I say this since you plan on rope drop the next a.m.-and I personally don't like running around too much.... there are many great choices at Disney springs....

 

[AFwifelife]

I would do shopping and dinner at DS after a day relaxing at the pool and checking out the resort (which one??). There is a ton of shops to go through if you wanted to fill out the afternoon and get everyone excited for hitting the parks the next day, but not exhausted like staying out later for the campfire.

 

[jimmytammy]

Even though you will sleep in, you may still feel exhausted from the drive once you start to do a few things. Keep it minimal so the reason you went there when it arrives on park day, you will feel refreshed and ready to go

 

[ZoeysMommy0308]

Were staying at all star movies! Thanks for the advice!! Any recommendations on dining at disney springs?

 

[happymommy]

Just wanted to say, "Hi!" and that I'm at Pop for two nights on the 24th! Just me and DD (flying) and then moving to AKV.

Even though we're flying, we will be exhausted. Plus, she suffers from a genetic disease that among a million things causes fatigue.

We usually do go to a park the day we arrive, only because we're like - we're here! Woo hoo! Then, after a couple hours, we're like, okay, let's go rest!

We did DTD one time last trip, and we don't think we'll be back (now that Disneyquest is gone, I'm not into shopping and the dining is fine but not worth the trip - although the Goofy's Candy Company is so fun for a snack credit!).

If it were me, I'd keep the evening open. Just in case you're too tired or change your mind, I'd plan on a CS meal. Of course, if that afternoon, you find that you all feel like a TS meal, you can always check on MDE app - something is bound to be available, especially at DTD (there are some new choices) or Epcot. I agree that after driving, even if you rest up and swim, you may not feel like going far. I understand the popular places will be booked, but sometimes last minute openings make for nice memories! We've eaten at places we never thought of doing so, and found them to be delightful (like the TS one in Morocco and the olds Bistro de Paris that's now a different one and cost us an arm and a leg but was amazing).

 

[Nancyg56]

Our check in day is March 23rd, we will be driving through the night and getting there after midnight. So early the 24th. I added the extra day so we could check in as soon as we got there vs. 3 pm. Plus we get some extra meal credits to use too. So we plan to sleep a bit and get settled in, maybe swim and look at the resort. That evening as of now I have a reservation for Chef Mickeys but after reading horrible review after horrible review. I plan to change it. I was deciding between eating somewhere at downtown Disney(Suggestions please!) Then letting our daughter pick a dress for BBB the next day at World of Disney and shopping. Then coming back to our room to prepare for a 7am rope drop at magic kingdom. Or I considered doing World of Disney earlier that day, then going to whispering canyon and chip and dales camp fire. Would the 2nd option be to much traveling? Im in need of some serious help here. Planning this trip has been stressful!! I know it will be worth it though.

I would not make hard plans. You need to be up early to make 7 am rd do I would check in and relax, swim snd have CS dinner. Early to bed. I know that the first day is always exciting but you can really start off rough if you begin too tired

 

[LBlovesM&WDW]

There are a few DS restaurants on opentable.com. This way you could make a reservation at one of those and then cancel without the Disney cancellation fee. Raglan Road is tasty and fun. If you aren't looking for TS, Wolfgang Puck Express and Earl of Sandwich are great QS locations.

 

[Simba07]

We love Raglan Road for arrival day. It would be fun for DD.

 

[HelloMimi]

Seconding Wolfgang Puck Express. As far as Disney restaurants go, it's on the boring side, but we really enjoyed our meal there.

 

[brinkley07]

We did the overnight drive with a 2yo this past fall. Overall we were very tired the first day there, and found we just wanted to got to bed early on our first day and relax. We had planned to go to the campfire and have dinner at Artist Point, but after dinner we ended up calling it a night and heading back to the hotel because we were run down. I would think heading over to Disney Springs early would be your best bet and planning on an early night to get everyone on schedule for your first park day. I'm not sure where you're staying, but maybe dinner at your hotel? We were at AKL and traveled for dinner which was more than we wanted once that night arrived. The little guy slept in the car, but was off that day.