What to do with a Saturday arrival?

[Pixie Mommie]

We'll be arriving in the late afternoon next month on a Saturday. I'm thinking by the time we get our rental car and maybe make a grocery stop we'll arrive at our DTD hotel at the very earliest about 5:30 or so. Since Saturday is so crowded and we'll have two kids and the grandparents with us I'm thinking we will save the parks til the next morning and start fresh.

I'm wondering if a nice dinner out around 7 (4 for us) to break into our time adjustment is a good plan. Will the WDW resorts already be booked up and too crowded? I have PS for O'hana (we had this down as a must do again from our last visit) and Cape May booked so far but I'm wondering if I should try to move one of them to Saturday? Any input or alternate recommendations for a Saturday night would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[disney queen]

what about one of the DTD restaurants? wolfgang puck express is very good and you will not need a PS. then a stroll around DTD before heading back to your hotel. i would keep the two you have booked as is since trying to move them now might not work. good luck!

 

[java]

We are doing the same kind of arrival and I am planning on either DTD for a quick bite and fun or to my MIL's for good food not too much fun You could try one of the other resort restasurants for a meal- don't shift the ones you have try to add. The only problem with getting close to MK with kids and not going in could be a problem- that is why I am thinking dtd.(maybe try the Earl of Sandwich I have been hearing so much about)

 

[Christine]

We are arriving in early afternoon on a Tuesday. We also won't have time to go to the parks. I'm thinking that once I get there I will buy my tickets (Shades of Green/military) and then check in. We are planning just to roam around DTD and pick up something "easy" to eat there. I'm thinking Earl of Sandwich. I have a breakfast buffet planned for the next morning so I'm trying very hard to to "hog trough it" the night before!

Since you are already in the DTD area, I would suggest spending your evening there, walking around, and picking up something quick to eat. I do think that buy the time you get to the resorts, around 7-ish, the restaurants will be packed. I'm sure you will get a PS, but I bet for peak dining hours, they are already getting hard to come by.

 

[alien]

I would make a PS just as a precaution.
Last July we were to arrive in Orlando at about 2:30 p.m. with a Chef Mickey's PS at 5:30 p.m. As luck goes, our plane was delayed out of Boston and we had to circle around for a while (due to weather) and didn't arrive in Orlando until 5:00 or so. By the time we got the rental car and checked into the Polynesian, it was long after our PS. Luckily, concierge was able to get us another night at Chef Mickey's, as we really wanted to do that.
You could book O'hana or Cape May for Saturday night BUT I wouldn't cancel the other PS for during the week (especially if it a MUST DO). If you arrive on time and make the PS, you can always cancel the other one during the week.
Any of the restaurants at the hotels on the monorail would be great for the first night as you can ride the monorail around after dinner.

 

[Minerva]

We'll be arriving on a Saturday at around the same time as you. Our plan is to head to MK just to get on the monorail, we'll ride it around the loop and get off at the Poly for a 7:00 PS then we'll take the monorail to Epcot and back. I have one train nut that can't wait to get on the monorail. I figure if I let them ride the first night it will be relaxing, give everyone a feel of the lay of the land, and hopefully just get the monorail riding for the sake of riding the monorail out of their systems.

 

[mommykds]

We usually start our trip at DTD for some of the same reasons you mentioned.
If you don't want to lock into a time for a adr/ps because your not sure when you will arrive exactly you might want to try Earl of Sandwich for a meal & Ghiradelli's for dessert..do alittle shopping & get an early night so you can be at rope drop the next morning!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

We were supposed to arrive early Saturday morning on May 21st. Unfortunately, we were delayed by more than 7 hours, seriously disrupting our plans for the first day. Dh and I had decided to just grab a bite to eat and relax by our hotel pool. The kids would have none of it. For them, it wasn't a trip to WDW until they saw the castle. We ended up having the park pretty much to ourselves after 8 or 9 that evening. Walking down a deserted Main St. at the end of the night was truly magical. Of course, we have AP's; so we weren't using a day on a MYW pass.

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

In the past, we have gone to DTD on the day of our arrival (usually for lunch/shopping). Then, a character meal for dinner. We always leave in time to make it over to MK in time to see Wishes that first night. It really puts us in the WDW kind of mood!

 

[Pixie Mommie]

Thank you so much for all the advice. I made a PS reservation for later just encase for O'hana. If by chance we can't make it or decide to stay put in DTD we'll cancel it.

Just by chance I was able to add a PS on our original O'hana night for R & C. It's at 7:10 so I'm thinking it could work out timing wise for Illuminations. I hadn't even bothered to book it the first time thinking they would be filled up . I could not have had better PS customer service today they were extremely helpful and couldn't have been nicer.

I also like the idea mentioned for riding the monorail after dinner, do they let you ride it completely round without getting off? I know the last time we were in DL they made you get off at the station and get in line to get back on to return to the park.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[pampam]

I'm going to suggest something all together different. Go to Old Town. Saturday night is the Old Town Cruise, with between 400-600 old classic cars cruising down the streets of Old Town. It's free. The old rock and roll classics are playing in the street, there are live bands, often country mussic, there are rides for the kids, shopping, restaurants, lots to see. The cruise is over by 8:30- 9:00, go back to your hotel for a fresh start in the morning.

 

[alien]

As far as I know, you can stay on the Monorail as long as you like. You will be on the "Resort" Monorail and it stops at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom, Contemporary, and Transportation & Ticket Center. It's also fun to get off at the other hotels and look around. Have a wonderful time!