What to do on afternoon of arrival?

[Pattysm]

We will be getting to Orlando about 1PM on June 14 - will be there until June 22 (lv 6PM) - we will be going to 4 days Disney, 2 days Universal 1 day Seaworld, and 1 day trip to Daytonna Beach - please help - what park would be good to split up in to half day when we get there and half day when we leave?? We have 5 day Disney tickets, 3 day Universal tickets and 1 day Seaworld tickets.

So excited - 59 days to go!

 

[alyssa810]

Go to Downtown Disney. It's free to park, and lots of cool things to see and do...and it's free!

 

[spaceoddity]

I arrive about Noon and once checked in i'm gonna hit Downtown Disney, do some shopping have a bite to eat then have tickets to see La Nouba.....i think it's a nice way to start out instead of trying to do a theme park right away....i'll have all week for that.

 

[makinorlando]

I would hit DTD or maybe make ressies at a resort that does not require admission to the park therefore not using a full day for just a few hours.


Or if transportation is not an issue, and are up to it, you could go to Sea World, if you were originally only planning a day, as you can "pay for a day, and play all year". I find that Sea World can be difficult to do in one day if you are interested in seeing the shows due to the scheduling and wait times for good seating!

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

The object was that you wanted to use your tickets right? As much as I agree with Downtown Disney or even the Boardwalk, if you want to use your tickets, then by all means start with MK. what a magical way to start your vacation... the castle, the parades, the fireworks. Definately starts your vacation with a bang and really gears you up for the next week of fun. We always bookend our trip with the MK... we start and end there, always. even if we are there for 6 days or 2 weeks. Sounds like you will be hoppin on your trip anyhow.. you'll need another vacation to regroup from this vacation!

 

[kycat]

I think that a lot depends on where you’re staying and how easy it is to get to where you want to go. As far as WDW goes…I would avoid MGM and AK because of EM Hours. But it’s going to be crowded wherever you go…so be ready for it. You’ll have fun wherever you pick.

 

[byoung]

Hope you have a great vacation.

 

[becfehr]

Ok, here is my advice. I would not go to a park the day you arrive. We flew in and made it to Epcot at around 3pm. That was a mistake. We felt HORRIBLE by the end of the night. With the flight, then going straight to ride rides, like Soarin, MS, TT. My DH had such a headache after it all.

So, I HIGHLY recommend something like Downtown Disney, or something besides a park. It really is too much to do in my opinion. And we were just 2 adults in our early 30's.

 

[grinningghost]

I'm just telling you what I would do, but you know yourself much better.

I would head to the MK immediately. To me, that's the ONLY way to start off a WDW vacation properly. You just have to immerse yourself in the magic right away - and there is nothing more magical than the MK itself.

 

[bettybeth]

This is always a dilemma for me. We will be arriving about the same time. I like the idea of bookending MK but yet I don't want my 5 year old's first memory there to be rushed or not completed. If we get there in the middle of the day I feel like there will be longer lines, fast passes may be out, etc. I think we may do the pool or possibly even a water park.

Epcot is another option. It's not our favorite park and we won't mind rushing through there (the world showcase anyway).

 

[kaytieeldr]

I love Disney World, but I would recommend either Sea World because you can see as much as you want that day, then, as another poster pointed out, upgrade those passes free - so you can return later, for at least a full day; or Universal/Islands of Adventure because those are each about a one-day park, so the advance evening would give you a jump.

 

[Kath2003]

I would go swimming! Swimming in the warm Florida sun is one of the best bits of a Disney vacation IMO.

 

[Hobbes]

Epcot is another option. It's not our favorite park and we won't mind rushing through there (the world showcase anyway).

If you're going to do Epcot, stick to Future World-the rest of the park will have moved on to World Showcase by mid afternoon, so FW will be pretty quiet.

 

[asmarykay]

As others have said - this is just what we like to do.

We usually arrive early afternoon (we drive from Atlanta) and I unpack (okay I am a little compulsive and want to have everything in order ) while my DH, DS, and DD hit the pool. We then have dinner (this year at the Concourse Steakhouse) and then hit MK just for the Night Parade and Fireworks. Really gets us in the mood!

 

[rabyoga]

We also arrive in the early afternoon of our Disney Trip. Our 2(soon to be 3) year tradition is to go to Downtown Disney eat at Earl of Sandwich . Do a bit of shopping. Then we hit DisneyQuest.


Robin
Only 31 more days til we visit the Mouse in his house

 

[Boncho]

We seem to always arrive around 1pm.After we drop our stuff off at our room, the first thing we do is hit the swimming pool. This seems to give us a little time to refresh after travelling and give us a little more energy. If you don't want to use your park tickets that day, I would recommend going to DTD.There's lots to see and do, and it's free. If you want to go to the parks, Magic Kingdom is my choice.(That's our plan for our arrival day this year). The one thing about Magic Kingdom, is that you can go there over and over again and still not see everything.
Have a Great time!!!!!!!