What's your Ideal First Day or Tradition?

[lwilliam]

and listen to the Disney Information channel - we REALLY miss the old one....but it is our tradition (drives our kids nuts that we could watch that channel forever - even though we visit the "World" twice a year for the
last 23 years!)

THEN, if we are at an EPCOT resort, head to Yakatori for our first
CS meal - a meal all four of us agree upon.

LOVE reading this thread - thanks for starting.
Lucy

 

[PVA]

You're killing me... no trip this summer for the first time in six years! BUT... we arrive about 2pm from CA to breathe in the humid hot air as opposed to our local dry hot air (I LOVE IT!), drive to Publix, load up on the snacks and food we deprive ourselves of all year and head over to Boardwalk Villas where we unload and then head down to the Boardwalk and dinner at the Big River Brewery while sitting out on the Walk and letting our now 6 year old princess run up and down feeding the ducks and playing the carnival games letting off the steam from the long flight. To bed early and into the parks the next morning. Every year. Thanks for letting me reminisce. Have a great time planning, its half the fun!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

We don't have a tradition yet. We are trying Chef Mickey's for dinner in September on our first night. Then maybe a ride around the monorial loop (DD loves it). And then back to ASMo for a swim and bed time. The first and last mornings are always MK with breakfast at Crystal Palace on the last.

 

[spoiltrotten12]

If we arrive early we unpack, wash, kids nap, then we'll head out to EPCOT.

If we arrive late afternoon/evening, we'll stay at the resort.

 

[missmun52]

I plan to arrive at my resort at around 1:00. I will check in get a small snack, change the baby and head over to Animal Kingdom. DS (1 year) loves animals. We will then head over to the AKL for a 5:40 dinner at Boma. Then Back to the resort and into the pool then off to bed.

 

[BooScout]

I didn't think I had a tradition until I thought back over the last several trips.

My tradition actually starts at the airport in Philly. The first time I went to Disney was in 1991 during Spring Break when I was in high school - for Disney Magic Music Days. I bought a pair of ears with my name embroidered on the back. I wear them to the airport every time we go. I get some strange looks, but most people smile.

We usually leave Philly by 9 a.m., so we're at our Disney hotel by early afternoon. We immediately head out to a park - but we save the Magic Kingdom for later in the trip. Its fun to spend a few days running around having a great time and THEN getting the big whammy of seeing the castle for the first time.

Another tradition is that we try to do something new each trip. Usually there is a new attraction to try out, but we also throw in a new restaurant, show or some other experience. It keeps each trip fresh and unique.

This year we get the added bonus of having my 45-year-old brother-in-law with us. He was 10 when DisneyWorld opened and has always wanted to go. This is his first trip! My husband, the baby by 10 years, is so excited!

 

[madfordonald]

My tradition has always been a frozen chocolate banana. It started when my parents took the family for our first trip in 76. Now every time I go, I have to get one or my trip isn't complete.

 

[mello]

We're just heading down for our second trip. The first time we went to Chef Mickey's the first night. It was great because we got to meet lots of the main characters before even getting to a park, and it was such a nice festive beginning to our trip! The only trouble was that we were staying at CBR, so it was a bit hectic for us, arriving at MCO at 5:30pm, at CBR at 6:30, and having 7:15 ressies. If we could arrive earlier I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

This coming trip we plan to stay at the resort (BWV) our first night.

Our next trip with the kids, they want to do Ohana our first night - that dinner, timed just perfectly to see and hear Wishes as we ate our dessert, is one of our family's most fond memories of our first trip, and they all want to do it again. That would be a great option for you, since you're staying at Poly.

 

[JPN4265]

Since we always go during Christmas Time, our first day is a tour of all the Deluxe hotels to view the Christmas decorations. Than a special dinner at Artist Point. We also spend a few hours at DTD.

 

[kimntrent]

On our first day we don't do anything really special, however, we do something totally different as far as picking the parks. We get on the first bus that comes. Doesn't work as good at the poly but at the PORS and places like that it works great. We get on the first bus that comes (minus the water parks and downtown disney). That bus determines our day.

Kim

 

[Cinderumbrella]

We are always on the first flight out so we get to our resort around noon. We drop our stuff in the room (so far it has always been available when we arrive ), call for a crib or bed rails or whatever we need and head off to the magic kingdom.

For us, it is not a Disney Vacation until we see the Castle!!!!! Then we head over to toontown to say hello to Mickey (this is also how we end our trip before taking the bus back to the resort to go to the airport). Then we watch the parade on Main Street and hop to another park for dinner.

It is usually an early night for us since we have usually been up since 3am to catch that early flight! Besides we need our beauty sleep to make it to Crystal Palace for a 8:30 breakfast the next morning!!!!

 

[GC&S]

We usually get to our resort by noon, thow our luggage in the room (if it's ready - otherwise throw it into storage) change our clothes (we come from OH) and head straight to the MK and get a mickey bar. Doesn't matter if we're going to eat lunch or dinner anytime soon - gotta have that Mickey Bar and get our pic taken in front of the castle. We always get the park hopper so we usually hop somewhere else after cleaning off the chocolate. Since we've had dd, we usually have a character dinner in the evening.

 

[Mellybelly]

We usually check out our hotel and then go DisneyQuest in DTD.

 

[marconat]

Going to DTD and getting a mickey ice cream bar.... Yummmm... I don't know if it's just the fact that we are at WDW that makes that bar taste soooo good. ha!

 

[newholidayx2]

Usually our first night has been at the VWL so Chef Mickey's dinner after checking into hotel

This Aug DS & I have active annual passes. After checking into VWL we'll take boat over to Tony's (last MK restaurant that we have yet to try) for late lunch, back to hotel to unpack then off to EpCot - hopefully to see either Off Kilter or British Invasion

 

[tink2007]

After checking in, we always go to Downtown Disney and eat at Captain Jack's. Then we head for World of Disney and SHOP! I buy everyone a tshirt for our first day at the parks. At dinner we sit and talk about our last trip and hope that this trip goes as well. Downtown always gets me in the mood for Mickey!

 

[TruBlu]

Dinner with Goofy at LTT!!! We love it, and it really get us in a magical mood to have dinner with our favorite character!!!

 

[Caitsmama]

Wow, what a great thread!

I guess we don't really have a tradition, This is our thrid yr in a row going at Thanksgiving, so i guess that is sort of a tradition iteself now, lol..
As for the first day, We usally get there around noon, then unpack and swim..
We stay at the BC so, we always have to go to Beaches and Cream for lunch/dinner.. I usally like to go to bed early, as we are usally tired, and start fresh off in the am.

However, though it's not a "first day" tradition, we always eat dinner at our resort as a "final meal" . there are 11 of us goin this yr.

 

[kimis]

This is so cool. For some reason I thought we were the only ones that did the same thing every trip on our first day. We always manage to get to POR around 4:30 P.M. and we head to DTD. We always have our first meal at Capn Jacks. It is good food and the view is great. We walk around and than go back to the hotel to get ready for the next day. I am wanting to go right now! Have fun!

 

[ellyn2000]

Shopping at the Disney Outlet @Premier Outlet Mall, more shopping @Downtown Disney and dinner @Planet Hollywood.