What to do on day zero?

[Cinderella94]

We hang out at the pool and eat dinner at the restaurant in our resort. I love Sanaa and would definitely eat there.

 

[Surgie2]

If your flight arrives at 3:00 that means you won't get to the resort until 4:00 or so? I would definitely get settled in and enjoy the resort and have dinner at Sanaa. You will have 4 long park days ahead of you and you're staying at a deluxe resort so why not hang out and enjoy. I'm probably in the minority but I'm not a fan of Disney Springs. Years ago when it was Downtown Disney it seemed to have more charm (or my memory is fuzzy!) but now it is mostly chain stores that can be found in malls in many cities with a few good restaurants sprinkled in. So I definitely wouldn't leave such a beautiful resort to spend an evening at DS. I'd just stay put enjoying a favorite beverage poolside and dinner at Sanaa followed by an after-dinner drink or dessert at the beautiful Victoria Falls Lounge in the Lodge.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Agree with @Surgie2.

If you land at 3 (hopefully on time) you won't be to the resort and settled in your room until sometime around 430/5. I personally find travel days exhausting. I would have a nice dinner at the resort, explore the grounds a little and hit the sack earlyish to gear up for the next day.

 

[si-am]

We usually get in around the same time (3pm - 4pm) but after an 8 hour drive don't feel like doing much. Occasionally we'll head over to Disney Springs if we're feeling super energetic, but really I just enjoy getting unpacked and settled into the room, and we'll usually spend some time at the pool relaxing and just eat at our resort.

 

[Cinderella94]

If your flight arrives at 3:00 that means you won't get to the resort until 4:00 or so? I would definitely get settled in and enjoy the resort and have dinner at Sanaa. You will have 4 long park days ahead of you and you're staying at a deluxe resort so why not hang out and enjoy. I'm probably in the minority but I'm not a fan of Disney Springs. Years ago when it was Downtown Disney it seemed to have more charm (or my memory is fuzzy!) but now it is mostly chain stores that can be found in malls in many cities with a few good restaurants sprinkled in. So I definitely wouldn't leave such a beautiful resort to spend an evening at DS. I'd just stay put enjoying a favorite beverage poolside and dinner at Sanaa followed by an after-dinner drink or dessert at the beautiful Victoria Falls Lounge in the Lodge.

I'm with you about DS. We went for the first time since it's been DS this past week and were very unimpressed. My favorite stores like World of Disney, Mickey's Pantry, etc all seem to just have things that are in the park gift shops now. The only store I bought something in is the Christmas store (and I love to shop - too much! We would always have a big haul coming home from DTD). I'm not going to shop in a chain store on vacation when I can buy it at home and not have to worry about fitting it in my luggage back.

 

[BabyHabs]

To me, it depends on what your travel day is like. Are you getting up at 4am for a early morning flight and then flying all day with a couple layovers? Or is it a direct 3 hour flight? That really effects how I would plan. We are from Canada, so our travel days include an early morning, at least 1 layover and about 5 hours in the air. Our next trip, in October, we get in about 1pm, but will be spending the remainder of the day at the resort/pool/disney springs and hitting the parks at rope drop the next day feeling rejuvenated.

 

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

There is so much to see at AKL, I would use the night to explore. Go look at the animals, check out the night vision viewing. Visit the flamingos at the bridge near the Jambo House pool. Walk through the gift shop and look for the sign that says when the artist will be carving figurines - very cool to watch! Walk around and look for hidden mickeys. The one at Boma took us forever to find even after we Googled 2 extra clues!

I would HIGHLY second this suggestion. The night vision goggles are amazing, and there's so much to see at AKL.

 

[LittleSeacow]

In my opinion, I would enjoy the resort and relax. The rest of your trip will probably be go-go-go, so take the time to look around the resort, have a nice dinner, do pool or drinks by the pool, and prepare for the next day. Have a nice trip!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

When I initially answered I didn't notice arrival time was 3 pm. We usually arrive before 10 am so we always go to a park. If I were arriving at 3 pm I would most definitely unpack, relax, enjoy the resort and have dinner there.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We hang out at the pool and eat dinner at the restaurant in our resort. I love Sanaa and would definitely eat there.

Same here. Maybe not the pool.maybe just the balcony of our villa, but I confess we don't go far.

 

[odd man out]

Thanks for all the suggestions. We will have a 3 hr direct flight, so the travel day will not be taxing. We could have get up at 5 AM to get an earlier indirect flight and arrive a couple hrs earlier, but not sure it's worth the hassles. We've been to Boma a couple times so would deffinitely pick Sanaa for a resort dinner. That seems to be the most popular oprion. We will have a pool view room, but can go to Savanah viewing areas to enjoy the animals. What are the night vision things?

We have a similar decision to make on the last day. The direct flight home requires an early morning departure. We could add a park day or resort day for our last morning and leave around 2 PM for a late indirect flight.

 

[Cinderella94]

Thanks for all the suggestions. We will have a 3 hr direct flight, so the travel day will not be taxing. We could have get up at 5 AM to get an earlier indirect flight and arrive a couple hrs earlier, but not sure it's worth the hassles. We've been to Boma a couple times so would deffinitely pick Sanaa for a resort dinner. That seems to be the most popular oprion. We will have a pool view room, but can go to Savanah viewing areas to enjoy the animals. What are the night vision things?

We have a similar decision to make on the last day. The direct flight home requires an early morning departure. We could add a park day or resort day for our last morning and leave around 2 PM for a late indirect flight.

We love to do a character breakfast (at our hotel - definitely not traveling anywhere on departure day) on our last day and then catch the Magical Express. Works perfectly!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Looks like most of the posters on this thread vote for hanging at your resort and gave you some great suggestions of unique things to do there.

I would go with popular opinion. These people know their AKL stuff.

If you do decide to go to DHS, I believe the cost is $20 plus tax per day after 4 days are purchased.

 

[Kaytie]

It's pretty much the dead center of the 2 resorts. If you are staying in the 60s it might be steps away from your room as was the case for us. If you are saying in the 90s, it's quite a hike.

Quite a hike = a few hundred yards, if that. The two most distant points of the two buildings furthest from each other is about 900 yards. Negligible in relation to any park touring.

 

[Chief Cardinal]

We always do Disney Springs on Day Zero, along with exploring the resort.

 

[mindeola]

Eating at Sanaa and enjoying your resort would be my first pick! Sanaa is a favorite of mine. I just stayed at AKL for the first time in May and it is amazing! So much to see.

We have done arrival night at Ohana and that is always fun as well.

If you dpn't have much downtime at your resort I would choose the first option. It is nice to be able to enjoy your view and resort after spending all that money.

 

[Nancyg56]

I vote for dinner at Sanaa or Boma and enjoying AKL. But don't make your ADR too early, no matter where you eat. If your plane lands at 3:00 you probably won't arrive at AKL until 5:30 or so, and if your flight is delayed it might be later. That's another reason to plan to eat at AKL - travel time to the restaurant won't be an issue.

I would never plan a park or even much travel if my flight did not arrive until 3 PM. By the time you arrive at the resort and get settled in your room you are looking at at least 5 or 5:30 unless you are blessed by the travel Pixies. I would enjoy AKL, have a nice dinner at Sanaa, and plan to be rested, up and out early the next day.

 

[dreiwhit]

We unload the car, unpack our suitcases and go to the grocery store. We also went to the Disney outlet store once.

We try not to do much on the day we arrive.

 

[Eeyore63]

We are going in August, having dinner at Sanaa, then going on the Starlight Safari. It's not until 10pm, so may be too late after a long trip. You can also borrow night vision goggles and just look at the animals around AKL.

 

[KittyKitty]

Yeah, people in my age decade! I would stay at resort since the earliest you get there is about 4pm. It is a beautiful resort, and eating at either Bomas in main building, or Sanaa in walking distance or quick bus ride, would be a treat. They are both great places.
Have a great time!