Tell us about your arrival at WDW.....nothing beats the first day of vacation!

[kaabost]

I absolutely love the first day of vacation. I love leaving the house knowing that the week ahead of us will be filled with magic. The excitement level is over the top. We always begin our drive to WDW around midnight after our last day of work. If it weren't for the excitement, we would be miserably tired. In the car, we listen to Disney music (at least as much as DH will tolerate), play road trip games, and just prepare for our trip. When we arrive at WDW, it's the next morning and we are pumped. After we check in, we take a nice long nap and then eat a nice dinner and/or visit Downtown Disney. I LOVE the beginning! We are there having fun but still have the anticipation of visiting the parks that are right there beside us. Ahhhhhh!

Tell us your usual routine and the wonderful feelings that are associatied with your travel and first day.

 

[Pop Daddy]

after I check in and get the lugage in the room, I love to go the bathroom in WDW, I think somehow it even smells better

 

[keypooh90]

We usually leave around noon(during the school year) or around 6:00am if its the summer. We drive all the way, and then go to our hotel. This summer we will leave really early, and then reach disney in the late afternoon, and set up our site at the fort.
Carrielee

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Garwsh, Pop, I just got back from a week-long vacation at Disney, and after reading your post, I wanna go back ASAP!!!

Ahh..the first day. Truly amazing. DH & I (no kids) are just a couple hours away from WDS. We barely sleep the night before, and we're usually up very late trying to get everything done/packed. If I sleep, it's not like real sleep; it's sorta like Christmas Eve sleep where I lift my head up and look at the clock every half-hour or so. Even at 35, I feel like a little kid on those nights

You'd think that going every couple months since DH and I can remember -- literally -- this feeling would diminish. It doesn't

We get up around five a.m., to be on the road by seven, getting on a tram by nine, on Main Street by 9:30 or so. We eat a meal bar in the car for breakfast to save "precious park time." I usually let DH drive because I get speeding tickets going there; I also hate the traffic in downtown Orlando.

If we stay on site, we'll leave our luggage with the guys at the hotel, find a bus and get over to MK. If we stay off site, we keep it in the car, hit a MK and hope it's there when we come out. In the afternoon, we'll go check in, freshen up, hug a bunch and jump up down, do little happy dances in our room while we're finding homes for our stuff, then find some nighttime activities.

I must say my favorite part of the prep ritual is getting our park backpack ready the night before. We go right from our trip in the car into a park, so this must be done before we leave. Yep, the excitement really sets in then

 

[LoriMistress]

I love the antsipation of arriving. Flying all the way across state to be at WDW. Seeing the "Welcome to WDW" sign always brings a huge smile to my face. After we check in we relax at the hotel for a bit. After saving money, booking, planning our trip, etc. we are finally at the the most magical place on Earth. We go to DTD and grab something to eat and go window shopping. We get ourselves pumped for the week to come.

 

[Ilovestitch]

My bf and I go to WDW about every 5 or 6 months but we still get so excited getting there. My stomach is always in knots the whole way to WDW on the plane b/c I'm so excited. Once the towncar driver picks us up and we are on our way, we like to look out the window and point to the billboards and at the Welcome to WDW sign of course.

We check in, eat some breakfast at the hotel's restaurant and head right to the park with the newest attraction- this trip it will be Expedition Everest of course! And this year my bf said he wanted to eat dinner at Chef Mickey's so I got an ADR for our first day, I think that will be fun, too!

We also like to go to DTD on our first day and see what's new at World of Disney - I like to plot out what I'm going to spend my money on.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I love the antsipation of arriving. Flying all the way across state to be at WDW. Seeing the "Welcome to WDW" sign always brings a huge smile to my face.

Oh me too! I love the anticipation, I love the drive to the airport and I LOVE getting off the plane in Orlando. Even the Orlando airport feels like "home" to me! I love our grocery stop...I know that Publix almost as good as my own grocery store at home...and I love seeing the Welcome sign and pulling in at the hotel.

Last trip and the one coming up I am arriving in Orlando late afternoon, so we won't be doing any parks that day, but heading over to DTD for dinner at Rain Forest (for my usual coconut battered chicken fingers and salad..YUM!)
and then early shopping/scoping at World of Disney, Art of Disney, the scrapbook store ect......

Then I always do MK the 1st day, 1st thing...GOTTA see the Castle, but this trip we are doing MGM the 1st day/1st thing...it's gonna be pretty weird...but we'll be heading over to MK for Wishes in the evening so hopefully that will appease my Disney Karma gods!

Only 51 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kristina]

The excitment begins as soon as the alarm goes off of travel day! We woke up at 1am this last time in order to get a taxi to our train which left for the airport at about 3:15 am. I love the train ride, and then the walk into the airport, so exciting!! Our flight was at 7am or so and we always get to the airport at least 3 hours early, have an early super expensive breakfast sandwich and coffee then a look around the shops. I love buying the magazines, munchies and a big bottle of water for the plane ride! Even that gets me excited, haha . Then the time just zips by and all of a sudden we are boarding our plane . We change flights then another 9 hours later we arrive at MCO and the excitment just continues!

No wonder we are dead tired when we arrive, practically 24 hours later!

 

[bntlyclg89]

We leave early in the morning (except for this year) and fly from Kansas City to Dallas where we change planes. In the Dallas airport we have breakfast at McDonalds. Those yummy McGriddles with hash browns and a coke.

The flight from Dallas to Orlando seems to take no time at all because my DH brings a portable DVD player and we watch a movie (Pixar of course!). The Orlando airport has a Carvel ice cream place which my DH loves and he gets one while I go to the baggage claim and meet the towncar driver.

We enjoy the trip from the airport to the resort because we are not driving and my DH loves Towncars! We check in and head for the food court. Begniets are our first stop. We do go to a park for a bit to get in the spirit of things. MGM or the MK.

I agree the first day of a vacation is really special and there is nothing like that feeling.

 

[PeeKooAaa]

I remember our first time in WDW, in 2004. We drove from Miami where we
had spent 2 nights resting after the flight from Amsterdam. The drive was easy and fun, but all the time I was waiting for the moment we would
arrive to WDW.

And finally, there it was, THE Welcome sign...even though I'm a guy, almost
forty, seeing that sign almost made me cry. I was just so happy. Of course
I had been waiting to be in WDW for almost, what, 25 years, so

Pete

 

[Quinn222]

First day is always fun. I am up early and double check that I have everything. Then I dither over what to wear (since that's the outfit for a day in the parks) and what to eat (since I'll be driving I don't want much.) Get myself and my mom packed in the car, wave good bye to dad and head over to my sister's house and pick her up and then head out for easy two hour drive. Then it really depends on what we feel like. Sometimes we go straight to the first park (usually Epcot) and then head over the the hotel (usually CSR) to check in in the late afternoon. This time though we're going straight to POR and then doing MK. I think.

 

[pooh2001]

Wow - everyone enjoys the 1st day of

We start the day before we go- pack the car and drive to the airport - 2 hours away and sleep overnight in an airport local hotel. Alarm goes off at 4 am and by 7 am we are flying to WDW

We use a towncar service with the food store stop for some snacks and water bottles and then arrive at our WDW resort (we stay we where we can get our best AP rates).

Luggage is dropped off and on to MK (or EPCOT) - get FP's - do some rides, enjoy a Mickey ice cream and watch the other tourist at WDW.
Then back to our resort, check in, and crash for an hour.

Our first dinner - always characters
We have done 1900 Park Fair, Chef Mickey's, CP, LTT, and a restaurant in the Dolphin (not sure of the name - we saw Rafki there)

The next morning our adventure starts !

 

[PamNC]

Thank you for this question, it's so much fun reading about everyone's first day. Now I get to think about ours.

It's just me & DH. We usually drive, but we fly every now and then if the fares are good. I'll give the drive down scenario. We get up at 4:00 a.m. and hit the road by 4:30. The car is already packed from the night before. It's 8 1/2 - 9 hours for us. Not too bad. All the way down we listen to Disney music and sing and talk about the magical week ahead.

What we do depends on where we're staying and we usually stay in the Epcot Resort area (YC/BC or S/D) or the Polynesian. If we're staying at the Epcot area, we arrive, check-in which is very exciting at the YC/BC...the greeter is such a nice touch. He sort of of half-way tips his hat and says "welcome young lady - right this way to check in." If our room isn't ready, we go to Beaches & Cream and get an ice cream treat and then stroll around the boardwalk. A lot of the time we skip the parks the first day and opt instead for some Stormalong Bay fun. We always have dinner at our favorite restaurant, Blue Zoo, if we're staying in the Epcot area. It's a great way to kick off a week of yummy meals.

If we're at the Poly we walk around the resort and take it all in. We usually just enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the Poly, which is nice after a long drive. We hang out at the volcano pool, eat at Kona Cafe or perhaps one of the other restaurants on the monorail line. We usually watch Wishes from the Beach the first night to kick off our Magic Kingdom resort trip.

Ahhhhh....I can't wait. We're working on plans for a late May trip now. Not finished firming it up but it's looking like we'll either be renting points at Beach Club Villas...we hope. Or, the other alternatives are renting points at Wilderness Lodge Villas, Boardwalk or we'll stay at POR (I have this ressie already but I'm hoping to rent points instead). Either way, I'll be happy because I'm at the World.

PamNC

 

[tmt martins]

My 1st day are brutally long for the family As I do all the planning and don't require sleep.

Get up at 4:00 to get to airport for 7:00am flight ,Get to MOC 9:30 hit the resort check-in before 11:00

Go directly to MK your not in WDW until you go through the gates of MK.

This year we will go back to resort ( 1st trip home ) go do some Grocery shopping upack and get some rest .

Back to MK until 2:00 am ( love EMH ) WOW what a first day

 

[scrappinmom]

Our first day travel varies a bit...we've taken early am flights, afternoon flights and driven before...

BUT once we're in the resort...it's the same...Drop our bags, head over to the buses & walk thru the gates at the MK. Go to Casey's for a hot dog (no matter what time we get there) sit outside at gaze at the castle! It's not a WDW vacation until I have my Casey's hot dog! & see the castle!

 

[crazy4disney01]

This thread makes me want to go back to WDW sooner than later...

We have about a 1 1/2 hour plane ride, and just the anticipation of the trip on the plane gives me butterflies in my stomach. When we are getting close to Orlando and my DD (4) sees houses she starts "we're at Mickey Mouse" over and over. Anyhoo, we check in to our resort, freshen up quick, and go to Magic Kingdom to have lunch and spend the rest of the day there. This time I think we are going to keep it a surprise until we get to the airport for DD, so I can't imagine the excitement the next trip will bring!!

_________________________________
planning our next WDW trip

 

[chipmunkfan]

I'm usually a wreck going to the airport, I missed a plane once in the past so I guess I'm scarred for life! . I always make sure we arrive about 2-3 hours before the flight. I fly out of Newark so if anyone is familiar with this airport ...anything can happen. Actually it's not the airport its the traffic getting to the airport. Anyway, off to Disney, all thoughts of work, bills, and homelife disappear.

As DH & I entered the Wilderness Lodge we were shocked. The lobby is huge and you stand there for a minute or two to collect your thoughts and take in all in. Make your way over to the reservations desk and the CM is yapping while the whole time I am looking behind her and the pappooses they have displayed along the back wall....how beautiful. As DH & I walk away from the counter I ask "How do we get to our room?"...I don't know...I wasn't paying attention... The only thing I remember was giving my credit card and signing...who knows I could have been charged a million bucks at check in

 

[wagonwheel2]

Can't tell about my past first days, but will give a good educated guess about how are first day will be, when we leave in 28 days !

Up at 3:30am to get car packed and head to airport by 4am with DS (4) and DH. My toes will be cold as I always wear sandals while on a trip down south, even if it's snowing here. ( Halifax, NS.)

Son will go crazy at airport and want to buy every little toy in the stores there!! $$$$$$

I have a routine of getting a package of M&M's ( can't fly without them ), a book, and a new magazine. Hubby just gets a BIG coffee.

Fly to Montreal from Halifax, layover of 2 hours, and then straight to Orlando, there by 1:00pm . Have to pick up rental car at Hertz, and off to Marriott Cypress Harbour. Really looking forward to seeing the complex there !

Hopefully we can check in, and then scope out the nearest Publix for groceries. Some might find this silly, but I love to look at the different stuff available at this store versus my one up home.

Back to hotel, lazy dinner someplace, and then have to get ready for Easter Bunny ! DS has already written to bunny to let him know we will be in a different place !

Up early next day to start the adventure.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Our anticipation starts the night before. We're usually packed well before the trip, but the day before - we take care of last minute things. We take the dogs to my mom's house, lock all the windows, and put timers on the lights.

We get dinner at McDonald's. I don't usually eat McDonald's - so it's a real treat for me!

We fall asleep watching Peter Pan.

The next morning, I get up an extra 45 minutes early, and we get breakfast at McDonald's. My mother-in-law takes us to the airport and we're off. We always take the earliest flight so we can get there as early as possible.

We usually arrive on WDW property, about lunch time. So we put our stuff in our room, and head over to the McDonald's drive-thru at the Cross Roads. (When it rains it pours! ) We eat lunch in the car, and then head to a park. Usually Universal Studios. We spend some time there, and then we head back to the hotel. We take a nap, shower, and get ready for dinner. Our tradition is to have dinner at Marrakesh, and then hang around for Illuminations.

I LOVE the first day! The routine will change once the kid comes!

 

[HockeyMomto2]

Our last trip was a TOTAL surprise to our boys (10 & 11). WE woke up at 3:00 caught our plane. I had lanyards ready in our room, and I had packed their pins in my carry on, so we would be ready. As SOON as we got settled into our room at WL, We took the boat to MK. As goofy as it sounds, I stood on Main Street staring at the castle with a smile like the Chesire Cat (just taking in all things Disney.) We HAD to hit Pirates of the Caribbean first, then Haunted Mansion.

Everytime we go to Disney. We HAVE to start in MK. I stand right in Main street and do the same dumb, silly smile.