Non-park ideas for first timers arrival day

[puffkin]

I am drawing a blank as to what to do on our first day in December. My fiance and I are AP holders however this will be my mom's first trip. Since she will have a park hopper, we will not be going into a park the first day. My mom just can't understand why we love it in WDW so much, so this trip is to prove to her what a great place it is not only for kids, but for adults as well. I don't want to overwhelm her on the first day (especially since she doesn't do much travelling and isn't used to it) but I also want to start the trip off right.

We are staying at AKL and we should be checked in by 11 a.m. The only thing I have planned right now is to settle in the room when it is available and to have dinner at Chef Mickey's around 7 p.m. We plan on going resort hopping to check out the X-mas decorations and do the bulk of our shopping on our other off day, which is Wednesday. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[novafan]

We leave on Sunday and our plans for Sunday night include checking in, going to buy our park tickets (military salute passes), and then dinner at Ohanas. If we have the energy, we MIGHT go to DTD for a little bit.

 

[BCV23]

How about a trip on the monorail from the CR before or after your dinner? You could even stop off at the Ploynesian and GF for a look at their decorations. After dinner might be especially nice because the Mk is so pretty lit up at night as is the area. It might really get her excited.

 

[Eeyore1954]

I would suggest spending some time exploring AKL. It is an awesome lodge. Check out the recreational activities they have.

If you want to get a jump on resort-touring, I'd recommend WL. Similar in style to AKL, the Christmas decorations in the 7-story lobby are awesome.

Or hope over to DTD and get the "lay of the land." I know you plan to do shopping another day, but my DW and I like to plot our strategy.

How about a round of minature golf at Fantasia Golf? Fun and relaxing.

Hungry? Go over to the BC and grab a burger or snack at Beaches and Cream. Maybe the 3 of you could manage a Kitchen Sink! Holy Cow -- that's a lot of ice cream!!

Don't forget the great shopping available at the Boardwalk, plus restaurants for a lite lunch or snack. My DW and I love the art store and I could spend hours hunting for pins.

What about treating mom to a surprise spa treatment? Or maybe your fiance would spring for a mother-daughter spa treat? My DW loves getting a facial the first day. Or a massage does wonders to get rid of the airplane kinks and stiffness. And it might help mom understand why you love WDW so much. (There's a LOT of magic in a Disney massage.)

 

[OneMoreTry]

If it's warm rent the water mice or other boat. It's cool to see the magic kingdom from the lake.

Or give your mom some possibilities and let her decide. What does she like? Restaurants, shopping, etc?

 

[angey77]

We always start our first day with a spin in the front of the monorail. I did this with a newbie and they couldn't get over the magnitude of it all. The ride to EPCOT is the best, riding along the entrance of MK, checking out the resorts, and cutting through Future World.

 

[GeekChic]

Another vote here for riding the Monorail circuit!

You could spend all day between the GF, Poly, and CR just checking out the shops and scenery...and then enjoy your leisurely dinner at Chef Mickey!

Definitely the way to get her in the mood for things to come...she'll definitely be excited after seeing the MK from those resorts in the distance!

Have a great trip!

 

[JoeH]

I'll give another vote for a turn on on the Monorail through Epcot, then the MK resorts ending at the CR for your dinner PS. That should give a pretty good exposure to the world to Mom without wearing everyone out. And coming from the AKL, you will see a good part of everything.
Have a great time!

 

[Cindy'sCastle]

We went to Downtown Disney. Took our time and went into every shop. Just to browse and see what they got, plus bought some stuff too. We stopped to eat and then walked some more. Since we weren't rushed, it was a very nice evening/night for us.

Cindy