Things to do on first day of arrival, but not hitting the parks?

[4orm]

We are arriving Apr 27 at about 1:30pm. We will have AP vouchers but are going to try to hold off activating then until the 28th.
We will both be wanting to hit the parks and rides, so what can we do to have fun, feel the Magic, but not enter a park...We will be eating at Cali Grill hopefully during wishes, the off to bed for a EMH, but from 2pm - 8pm what can keep us busy?
(it is our anniversary the following day, and will either be staying at AKL or WL on arrival)
Thanks!!

 

[OhMari]

Go over to the Wilderness Lodge-they have a petting zoo.
Go resort hopping.
Read up on the Resorts-each one has something special about it.

 

[KittyKitty]

Wilderness Lodge has a petting zoo? I thought it was Ft Wilderness.

You learn something new everyday.

Susan

 

[PratersloveDW]

Both WL and AKL are great hotels! I like the views at AKL better; however, I like the location of WL. Tough choice but you can't go wrong!

As for what to do...there are so many choices. A fav of ours is to go to DTD: you can shop, play, eat (hmmm....Ghirardelli's ice cream). Otherwise, as someone else suggested, head for the hotels. You can ride around on the monarail and visit hotel shops! You could also go horse back riding, rent a water craft or go parasailing! There is tons to do!! Whatever you do will be tons of fun...you're at Disney!!!

 

[bobcat]

If you stay at AKL there will be plenty to do. Not only do you have the animals to watch but you can walk around the resort and check out all the artwork. They also offer a couple of tours in the afternoon, culinary and art.

 

[lynn71092]

Why not try Hoop Dee Doo Revue, I believe they have a 5:00 and 7:00 seating.

 

[Laralyn]

Our first night, we'll be going to DTD to:

* Activate our AP vouchers. I figure it's worth "losing" one day to know the next morning that it is already done.

* Shop at World of Disney which, unlike other park and resort shops, DOES have an AP discount. I want a Pal Mickey, and the AP discount on that one item saves us about $6! You could also buy any "wear around" items like tee shirts, mouse ears, etc. there and get the discount.

* Eat dinner and hang out. The shops are open until 11:00, so even if you feel like you're getting a late start, it's worth going for a couple hours.

 

[madalex]

AKL can keep you busy for a few hours.

Another idea is the visit the Epcot Resorts - YC, BC, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin. It's easy to walk around that whole are and there is lots of stuff to see and do there (surrey bike rides, water mice, etc.), with plenty of restaurants and shopping.

 

[cathy59]

We always play miniature golf, but here's a link to a lot more suggestions!

http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/ola.htm

 

[Horizons16]

Try going for a mini golf game during the day and head to Downtown Disney at night... jeeze i almost called it the Market Place.... phew... time warp here...

 

[dgaston]

We like to ride the monorail. You could explore each of the monorail hotels. I've even heard that some folks like to get a drink at each of them, although we haven't done that YET. We usually end up visiting the Publix on 192 for snacks and beverages, and sometimes the Walmart, too.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

If I were to not spend the first day in a park, I'd do one of the following:
(1) Downtown Disney
(2) Boardwalk
(3) Resort Pool
(4) Head for a dinner 'show' like Ohana's or Hoop-de-Doo
(5) Head to a cool resort like WL and take advantage of their beautiful grounds and activities, then hang out for campfire and/or beach-front view of Water Pageant
(6) Head to AKL, peruse the grounds, see the animals and then enjoy a leisurely dinner at Jiko or Boma

Just some of my ideas!

HAVE FUN NO MATTER WHAT YOU DECIDE!

 

[Jennyvelaz]

We love to go to Chef Mickey's via the monorail. It feels like MK without using a ticket. From there you can take a bus to DTD or enjoy the fireworks from the GF or Poly beach. Before dinner I would definately unsettle by the pool and take in the resort. We waited till the last day last visit and wished we had more time.

 

[disneyag]

Shopping at DTD!!!!!

 

[Harambe]

Hang at the AKL pool bar. There is also an animal-viewing place right behind it. Have dinner at Jiko - buy a bottle of wine at the AKL gift shop, and head up to your room to sit on the balcony and watch the animals. Absolute bliss.

 

[crow11ad]

You can do what we are doing on our arrival day. Getting our rental car and going to our resort then resort hop until we make it to DTD and play around there for a while. Then back to our resort to get to our room then a massage at least for DW at the GF and then HDDR that night.

 

[justKim]

Originally posted by Laralyn
Our first night, we'll be going to DTD to:

* Activate our AP vouchers. I figure it's worth "losing" one day to know the next morning that it is already done.

* Shop at World of Disney which, unlike other park and resort shops, DOES have an AP discount.

We will be using APs for the first time in December and I don't know much about them. Where do you go in DTD to get them activated? Do any of the shops at DTD other than World of Disney give you a discount?

Thanks