What should I plan for first night?

[hanlin]

Okay..I'm starting the days intinerary. The first night our flight gets in at 6:40 pm so I'm assuming (using ME) that we will get into our rooms about 8ish?? (tell me if you don't think I'm right). I thought this might be a great night to see the fireworks because we won't have been trudging around the parks all day and the girls (6 yo twins) might have a little energy. Although they've never flown before, so don't know what affect it will have on them. I want to do something Disney-like to start the magic but being a newbie myself, I'm not sure which direction to go. Please tell me your honest opinions. Is it worth a park ticket at that point of the night? We're staying 5 nights and getting tickets for 5days. So this night or the last day (our flight leaves at 4:55 pm) we won't be going to a park. Okay, i'll have tons of questions considering I've been working on this for hours and can't decide what to do the first hour we are there!!! Any thoughts would be great!*** I just realized I was on the dining board so if someone wants to move my post, I would appreciate it...or do I do it myself??

 

[HollyJoy]

I'm trying to figure out the same thing! What to do that first night. We are driving, so I think we will get to Disney area around 10am. DH will be tired and will want to rest, so as soon as our room is available, I'm sure he will crash. I will need to find something to do with the girls.. maybe explore the hotel a little bit, or go over to Epcot or MGM. I'm also thinking of making ADR for 1900 Park Faire that evening, then going to Epcot to watch the fireworks (we have 8 day park hoppers). My suggestion to you is if you think you will get to the resort around 8pm, I would grab something easy and quick to eat if you want to make it over to a park (since you are arriving a bit late in the evening).

 

[tchrrx]

Same here! We are going to go to Chef Mickey's the first night. My biggest problem is what to do between 11 (arrival) and 3ish (when room is ready). I thought about the parks, but I'm afraid we'll be so tired (leaving our house @ 5 am), that we'll be super cranky! So...any ideas?

 

[Laurajean1014]

Same here! We are going to go to Chef Mickey's the first night. My biggest problem is what to do between 11 (arrival) and 3ish (when room is ready). I thought about the parks, but I'm afraid we'll be so tired (leaving our house @ 5 am), that we'll be super cranky! So...any ideas?

We usually go to a water park or head to Downtown Disney or go to a park.

However, the OP has a much bigger issue. I personally do not think it's worth a ticket for a few hours. How about seeing the Fireworks at Contemporary or Poly and a light dinner and head off to bed to start the new day fresh and bright.

That's what we do. I hope this helps.

 

[flminivanmama]

for the OP, arriving at night - I'd go someplace for dinner where you can watch fireworks but not necc. go into a park... the boardwalk is nice & you can see a little of epcots fireworks.... ohh how about mini golf?

for the others who are arriving early but don't plan to go to a park - pool day, pony rides at ft wilderness, downtown disney, bike rides, surrey rides, renting a boat... buncha fun stuff to without going to a park!

 

[flminivanmama]

oh there's also a free campfire & singalong with chip and dale at ft wilderness at 8 pm and a movie at 9 pm

 

[SoThisIsLove]

Hi,

I hope I can help you. What I would do first is to check the park times for the day you are arriving. (I am assuming that you want to go to the MK fireworks show? Where are you staying? If the park closes by 9 or 10 on the day you are arriving, you may be cutting it close sine it may be a wait for the bus to take you there.
I have never taken the ME buses so I'm not sure of the time frame they use. (My family is using them next week and when we get back I can tell you better).
If you have "time" at the MK on the day you arrive (they are open late) I would highly recommend making a dinner resveration at Tony's Town Square (Italian Resturaunt with a Lady and the Tramp theme) or Cinderella's Royal Table (the resturaunt inside the castle) before the fireworks so you are in the park already. If you choose Tony's ask if the Spectromagic parade is going to happen and if the time allows ask for an outside seat and yu can watch the parade as you eat. This can also go for lunch too and the afternoon parade.
Cinderella's Royal Table also has a Princess breakfast that you may be able to secure a resveration for if you call early enough. I don't have any children but i've heard its great.
If you are unable to make the fireworks show the day you arrive I would recommend going to Downtown Disney (the Marketplace). There are a lot of different shops and food places there. Chef Mickeys is great and they do character meals as well. Also, you have to go to Ghiradelli's ice cream shop! Its the best! (and don't forget to get you buy 1get 1 coupon on teh net before you go!)
The WestSide also has a lot of great resturaunts (they are open later then the resort and park resturaunts) and shops. Wolfgang Pucks is very good.
Other not to miss things that you may enjoy is Fantasmic at MGM. Its a show that is amazing! They have all the characters and they also use water as a movie screen. Its great and you sit in a bandstand area. You can reaerve a Fantasmic dinner package where you eat a resturaunt in MGM and then get priority seating for the show (at no extra cost) and def. worth it!
Another great show is the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at the Fort Wilderness Campground. Its a western musical comedy show that the kids will love as well as the adults! My parents still go to see it every now and then. They serve a BBQ dinner of salad, ribs, fried chicken, beans and corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Its all you can eat too. And parents can have beer wine and sangria as well as soft drinks.
A third grest resturaunt is Wispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge. Great for kids and completely interactive. Def. not a quiet place. They get the kids up doing pony rides on wooden horses and screaming for their dinner and dessert. Their food is great too!
Another thing your kids would enjoy is in Epcot. In the Land pavillion there is a place where the kids can make their own Toll House Cookies. they wear chef's hats and all.
The beach club and poly have character breakfasts too. BC is with Goofy and company I think and the Poly is with Stitch I think.
The Kona Cafe at the Poly has great breakfast too. The Macademia nut pancakes are to die for and my husband loves the tonga toast.
The Prime Time Cafe in MGM is great too. Its a 50's themed resturaunt that shows old reruns and you sit in an old style kitchen. Teh waiters oare your brothers and sisters and there is a mom that walks around to make sure the kids eat their veggies. Its verycute and their milk shakes are to die for as well.
I hope you have a great time on yur vacation. If you have any questions or need any help, please let me know. You can email me too. Anything you do in Disney is unforgettable so enjoy!

Heather

 

[hanlin]

Hi all! Thanks for the great replies/suggestions.Our first night is April29th which is grad night. We are staying at POFQ 4/29-5/4.MK closes at 7 so I don't think there are any fireworks from MK that night. I guess I'll have to play that night by ear. If we're hungry we'll maybe hit DTD or if not I think I checked the schedule for Illuminations and it is going on tht night at 9. I didn't realize there were other places around WDW that you could see them without going to the parks. Do you just go to the Poly/Contemporary and walk thru their lobby? Do they mind? I'm worried about over scheduling but also want to make sure we are organized and not overwhelmed with what to do since we have never been. I really appreciate your ideas. I don't know what I would do without these boards!!

 

[tiedye602]

We arrive in Orlando at 2:30. I made ADRs for O'Hanas our first night. I plan on just taking a bus to MK and hopping on the monorail and going for a ride. We will probably get off at GF and CR to take a look around and then to the Poly for dinner at 7:00 and watching fireworks from the beach. I plan on making it an early night so we will be well rested for our first day in the parks.

 

[TnTWalter]

I had planned on maybe going to a park, but everyone was tired from the travel. So we played at POP, then headed to DTD and Planet Hollywood and the lego station, etc. It was nice just roaming around. We have little kids [6,4,3] so trying to get fireworks in was not going to happen for us the first night.

 

[Mamu]

On the day of travel I always find things never go as planned. Thing always seem to take more time then they should.

I stopped stressing about what we should do on this day. Traveling, getting to the resort and checking in seem to be all I can handle for one day. When I try to push myself to do more I end up with a headache.

No plans for the first day. Unpack, shower, have dinner at the resort and check out the resort, get to know what they offer for activities, let the kids swim and check out the playground.

I always find I need to sit and relax after traveling, it's usually a long day and I need to unwind.

 

[tobie01]

On the day of travel I always find things never go as planned. Thing always seem to take more time then they should.

I stopped stressing about what we should do on this day. Traveling, getting to the resort and checking in seem to be all I can handle for one day. When I try to push myself to do more I end up with a headache.

No plans for the first day. Unpack, shower, have dinner at the resort and check out the resort, get to know what they offer for activities, let the kids swim and check out the playground.

I always find I need to sit and relax after traveling, it's usually a long day and I need to unwind.

I agree! We have left our house at 4:30 am in the past to be in Orlando by noon. Not this trip! We will leave at noon and arrive by 4:30pm. We should hit the AKL by 6 at the latest....too late to hit a park since they close early. We will head out to DTD and browse the shops and return and explore the resort. The next day.....watch out!

 

[snowwite]

We usually go to Chef Mickeys or DTD first night.We take bus to MK get on Monorail(try to get front w/driver-just ask sweetly) and after dinner we take the elevator to california grill and go out onto roof to view Wishes.Someone else said they now only let you do this if you dine at CG though.If that is the case it might be worthwhile to hop back on mopnorail and go to Poly walk down to beach and watch the electric light parade on boats and then see fireworks.They sell pail and shovel full of shaved ice inside poly I think place is kona cafe and you could take it to beach.When we do DTD we take kids to Dis Quest and go see some of the outdoor entertainment by waterfront.We have dined at all of the restaurants over there at one time or another.My faves house of blues and rainforest cafe but kids like just getting a sandwich at Earl of Pizza at Wolfgang Pucks and going to the 10.00 and under store to get autograph book/start collecting penny presses.They have a Lego place for kids to play and a carousel to ride as well.

 

[Amyrlin]

I would go for dinner at Ohana and watch the fireworks from there.