What to do while waiting for rooms to be ready? Restaurant? Resort busses?

[05ChristmasSurprise]

We'll be arriving at the airport at about 11AM - so, I figure by the time we get a bus and get to the resort, it will be, what, 1?

So, we have about two hours until we can check-in. We have a reservation for dinner, so I don't want to go to the park during that time.

From AS Sports - can we hit another resort or area for a decent sit down dinner while we wait via resort bus? I detest food courts, for the most part, and I'd rather be catered to a bit after a long day of travelling. Any recommendations?

How do the resort busses work? Will there be a bus that can take us to another resort?

 

[scrappinmom]

I'm assuming you meant you have a dinner ressie & want a sit down lunch? right? Why not head over to DTD & shop for a bit, grab a lite lunch & then back for dinner? WHere's dinner? maybe you could go there early & walk around for awhile?

 

[michaelwilliammidd]

Give checking in a shot, we have been able to get into our room early all but once.

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

Oh, gosh - I didn't even think to ask if maybe the room would be ready early! Thanks for that tip!

Our dinner is at Tony's Town Square at MK, so yes - looking for a lunch.
But, we might just grab lunch at the airport instead. Or counter service at the park, I guess.

 

[paladin]

You can check-in at any time - your room may or may not be ready.

 

[DisneyRocks!]

Check in, get your tickets, stow your bags, go to a park.

 

[Jackie H.]

Since your dinner ressie is inside Magic Kingdom, that is where I would head...but you said you didn't want to go to a park. Well...since your dinner ressie is at MK, I guess I would suggest touring the MK resorts via the monorail. You could take your resort bus to MK, get on the monorail and visit Grand Floridian, Polynesian and the Contemporary Resort.

If that doesn't sound appealing, you could catch the resort bus to Downtown Disney and spend the afternoon there then catch the MK bus from there to MK for dinner.

It is very likely that your room will be ready. The only time we've ever waited was when we changed resorts and got to the Poly at 8am. We simply left our bags with the valet and headed to MK. At the end of the day, we just stopped back by the desk for a moment, went to our room and the bags were delivered in just a few moments.

Just like a previous poster said: you can check in anytime...even if the room isn't ready.

 

[lovethattink]

Check in, get your tickets, stow your bags, go to a park.

or DTD or another resort for lunch.

Don't underestimate the food court. The quality of the food is just as good as some of the sit downs. At dinnertime, the turkey and the chicken dinners are very good.

It's also possible that your room might be ready. We checked in on June 15 with 2 other families. Their room wasn't ready, but ours was.

 

[bluejasmine]

We have been able to check into ASMo at 1 before but if you cant just jump a bus to a prk or another resort, but to get to another resort you will have to take a bus to TTA or a park and then catch bus to whatever resort you want to go to. If not gong to a park I would do either shopping and dinner and mayeb even DQ @DTD or have dinner at a resort like WL, or AKL, or Poly and maybe end the night with a swim..

 

[Eeyore2003]

Well, I guess my first thought would be to just enjoy MK. I know the regular stuff might be crowded, but how about letting the kids run around Tom Sawyer Island for a while after lunch, then take the train from Frontierland to Toontown, or mosey through the shops on Main Street.

For lunch, I'd suggest The Grand Floridian Cafe for some great food and quiet lovely surroundings. The Plaza Restaurant at MK is also nice, but by the time you get done with lunch etc. especially at the Grand Floridian, it might not be that early by the time you get to MK and the kids might enjoy something relaxing like the Island.

Downtown Disney is also a good idea. Wolfgang Puck Cafe is nice for lunch, and walking around Downtown Disney, not necessarily to shop, but just enjoy, is fun too. If you want to do something "different" for Disney by avoiding the parks, catch a movie. Maybe there's something coming out then that the kids might enjoy. When it's just DH and myself, we sometimes catch a movie, since we really don't go to any nomally.

And also, I agree, sometimes we even check in first thing in the morning, by that I mean 7:00 and our room is ready even then. It definitely "might" be ready by noon. You never know. Either way, you can get the "check in" part all done and then just call the front desk, or check with them when you get back and all they have to do is tell you what room you have. We've ALWAYS done that whether the room is ready or not.

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

Sorry - I guess I wasn't very clear in my OP.

We will need to shower and get dressed for dinner that afternoon. So, in other words - I don't want to go very far from the hotel and get stuck somewhere, then not make it back in time for dinner.

Our AR is at 5:30, and we should be to our hotel by 1, I would assume.
But, we'll need to leave the resort by, what, 4...4:30? to make it to MK by 5:30 for our AR?

So, if we start getting ready by 3, we should be okay -assuming our room is ready. So, we have two hours to kill between arrival and the time we have to start getting ready (or before our room is ready).

Ideas?

 

[matt&jakesmom]

My suggestion would be to go to DTD and shop. We have done that before on our first day. It's nice to buy everything at once and then don't have to carry bags around at the parks.

 

[Carolinagirl1063]

You can swim and tour around the hotel. That is what I would do.

 

[Eeyore2003]

Will you have a car. If so, a convenient thing to do might be to go to Old Key West on your way in and eat a nice, but quiet, usually inexpensive, lunch at Olivia's there. You can park right in front of the main building which is where Olivia's is. By the time you get to AS Sports after lunch your room would probably be ready and it wouldn't be so close to dinner as it would be if you would have gone to the resort first.

You can also do the same at DD by going there first if you have a car. My thinking is that if you wait to go to the resort, then take the bus somewhere, your meals are going to be pretty close together. Then I guess I might just grin and bear it for now and make the best choice at the food court and either go in the pool, or check out the rest of the resort for that short of time. Otherwise, you might be running close, like you said, you gotta leave fairly early to make sure you make your PS.

 

[FanofG00fy]

You don't want to go to far? Well, your staying at the All Stars, so, visit the other main buildings. Look at the different themes. Look in the stores. Look at the different style of pools at each resort. Of course that is a lot of walking!

If you have a vehicle, trying going down to the McDonalds that is close to the all stars. If you feel up to a healthy walk, then walk down there. What ever you choose, have a blast you're at Disneyworld!!!

Chris

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

Nevermind - just going to cancel the AR and wait for the room to be ready - or head over and have counter service for dinner that night

 

[Laurajean1014]

How about going into a park?

 

[FanofG00fy]

How do the resort busses work? Will there be a bus that can take us to another resort?

Oops forgot to answer this in my last post. Disney Resort Buses do not take you to other resorts. The buses take you to these destinations:
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
MGM Studios
Animal Kingdom
Downtown Disney
Typhoon Lagoon
Blizzard Beach
Pleasure Island


During the day, they tend to combine the Waterparks and DTD bus. And at night they have DTD and PI as the same bus. If you need or want to go to another resort, the best thing from the All Stars is take the Bus to DTD and then catch the bus to the resort your wanting to go to. I have a car down there, but (I know I'm weird ) but I love using Disney Transport (I'm a glutton for punishment! ). I always use DTD as the hub if I want to go to other resorts. The buses usually run 1 hour after park closing (I've been in line for 1 1/2 hours and the bus still ran), and 1 hour before park opening (I believe, I think, I hope ).

Hope this helps....if I'm totally wrong, you didn't hear this from me!

Have a Great time!!!

Chris