9:10AM arrival - what would you do?

[Mrspeaks]

Southwest opened their next round of flights and I got a direct to MCO that has my family arriving at 9:10. We will take the Magical express to WL. Usually I don’t plan a lot for arrival day and it’s usally a pool/explore the hotel/ dinner ADR and to bed early. However, with a 9:10 arrival I’m considering going to a park. If you had an early arrival, what would you plan or what has worked for your family? We have park hoppers and a 6 day ticket for our 7 night trip.

 

[SaintsManiac]

MK

 

[gharter]

With a 6 day pass and 7 nights, that gives you 2 days of non park.
I would put those as bookends to the trip for non park days. I wouldn't spend one of my park days for a half/partial day.
I wouldn't count on a park day , the day of arrival. our flight could get delayed, etc.
If you arrive at 9:10, you might be on the bus by 9:45. ME could take up to 90 minutes to get to WL. Then check in. Most likely wouldn't be leaving till noon.
Personally, I would spend the afternoon and evening at Disney Springs.
If you wanted to do a park, I would do the park that is open the latest that day.

 

[AngiTN]

I'd go to a park that day, if it doesn't use up a day you have already planned to use elsewhere (as in, you can add a day to your ticket if needed). Especially since while possible to get them early, you may not have a room till 3:00 or even later
First of all, there are delays. So your arrival time is never firm, until wheels are on the ground. SW is one of those that cancels/delays the least often but they can do it. Darn them if they didn't totally cancel our flight last month 7 hours before departure, with no other flights left open for that day. Not weather related or anything. Just canceled and just OUR flight, no others that day. So, the only reason I bring that up is, consider arrival day fluid, don't plan something that day that you could do on a different day.
Second, you'll probably have gotten up really early that day so odds are you'll want to turn in early. It won't likely be a park close day. 5, 6 hours is probably about all you'd have the energy for. Don't wear flat out on day one

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

With a 6 day pass and 7 nights, that gives you 2 days of non park.
I would put those as bookends to the trip for non park days. I wouldn't spend one of my park days for a half/partial day.
I wouldn't count on a park day , the day of arrival. our flight could get delayed, etc.
If you arrive at 9:10, you might be on the bus by 9:45. ME could take up to 90 minutes to get to WL. Then check in. Most likely wouldn't be leaving till noon.
Personally, I would spend the afternoon and evening at Disney Springs.
If you wanted to do a park, I would do the park that is open the latest that day.

Only thing else I would say is that if you really want to do a park that, add a day to your passes. The cost to go from 6 days to 7 is minimal.

 

[PSUGuy]

Probably won't apply to the OP but we're usually on the ground at MCO by 9 am, we stop at Publix then on to Board Walk to check in. We hit Epcot every first day, first for a liquid breakfast as shown below, we time our Fast Passes in FW accordingly.

Bill From PA

 

[chris benton]

Plane lands at 9:10? What time are you waking up that day? Is the fam gonna be exhausted by early evening from waking up early for the flight? Do you want to use a whole ticket for a half day?

I might get the room all set, Disney Springs and pool for a bit, and then HDDR, and be ready for the AM after a good night's sleep with a very full belly.

 

[DavidNYC]

Unless you're able to add a day to your tickets in advance - I'd just not make any plans and see how you feel when you get there.

Since you'll be limited to making FP plans for the number of days on your ticket, I wouldn't make any FP for that first day since you'd have to give up another day. So - play it by ear and if you're settled early enough, I'd go to either MK (where it will be easy to get a number of same day FP for rest of day) or head to World Showcase (where the FP don't matter and you can still try for a couple of rides). Combine that with ADR somewhere if you want.

If you decide to upgrade in advance, really depends on your favorite things. You can either make FP at a park with tiers so you can get one additional Tier 1 somewhere, go to wherever you want to see the evening end of park show, or some combination of those.

(We have an AP so not quite the same but just got back from a trip where our flight landed at 6:15 pm and we went to AK at 7:30 just to ride FoP and watch the tree awakinings! Figured why not!)

 

[SG131]

With such an early arrival time I would usually go to a park. I agree with trying to extend you passes for one more day. Though not the most glamorous park to start, I usually end up doing Epcot my first day, because I don't need two full days in Epcot, but with the tiered fast pass system that way I get another guaranteed tier 1 ride there.

 

[jess20k]

We have had many early arrivals. When it is that early we do a park. If the room is not ready bell services will hold your bags.

 

[sponica]

I think I've landed bonkers early like that. But I was staying at a value so I made sure that I was at parks until as late as humanly possible...

 

[hes122]

I've had early(ish) flights my last two trips. On the 1st trip, we went to the resort, took the first available room, got changed (it was March) and headed out to Epcot. We were in the park by 2:00. We took our time though (and we had to wait at the resort to get a room). (FWIW, we came in on separate flights and my friend's flight didn't come in until almost 11, so a bit later than yours arrives). On the 2nd trip, we again had early flights (both landed by 10), but didn't do a park. We had lunch reservations at Whispering Canyon and then went to Disney Springs.

After having done it both ways, we decided that we'd rather do a park on arrival day (assuming early flights of course). We were tired at the end of the day, but we slept in some the next day to make up for it.

Ultimately, it depends on your travel style.

 

[DSLRuser]

Here is how we have done it in the past. 9:10am arrival at MCO would put you at wilderness lodge by 11am.

Decide what you want to eat for an early dinner. I would schedule 3 fast passes in a row from 12-1, 1-2, 2-3 window near where you plan on eating dinner. Have an early dinner from 5-7. Then head back to the resort for a late night swim, and going to bed at a decent time from a day of travel. Ready and rested to hit the ground early on day two.

 

[Micca]

Partially depends on if there are kids and how old they are. Younger children are going to be pretty wiped out from travel and all the excitement, they'd probably enjoy swimming at the resort and you can get them to bed at a reasonable hour. For older, heartier kids you could probably be in the parks around noon-1pm and close the park of your choice. I'd also have a plan B where things just don't go as planned (flight delay, slow DME, problem at resort) where you punt doing a park on your arrival day.

 

[goofyintoronto]

If my arrival is as early as yours, which is normally is, I always hit a park on arrival day. You have the whole day! So why not?

If your family isnt keen on going to a park on arrival day, then i'd have resort/pool time, then ADRs at Disney Springs. You can spend quite bit of time over there. Great entertainment at night!

 

[DisArmyWife215]

We are arriving at 9:15 on a Sunday and have our first FP in Epcot at 11. We are renting a car though. We normally do an afternoon park day or Disney Springs on our arrival days when we get in this early depending on what transport we are using. With taking the Magical Express I would plan going to Disney Springs and do some shopping and have a nice lunch and head back to the hotel to check in and an early night to be ready for a full park day the next day.

 

[chelseabun76]

I wouldn't waste a whole day on a park on an arrival day if you don't have it already accounted for in your schedule for use of your 6 park days. If it would take away from a full day during your trip, definately not. I'd take in the resort, go to Disney Springs, have a nice dinner and relax and be ready to roll first thing the next day.

 

[siren0119]

Only thing else I would say is that if you really want to do a park that, add a day to your passes. The cost to go from 6 days to 7 is minimal.

THIS. When we booked our stay we got a 7 day PH. then the Halloween party dates came out and I thought about dropping to a 6 day PH to save money....but it ended up being a $40 difference for 4 adult tickets. We'll still go to the Halloween party and take the morning of the party away from the parks, but make use of the additional day by going to a park on arrival day!

 

[SaintsManiac]

OP, I get what people are saying here about resting and getting settled, but let me elaborate on why I said MK.

1. It's minimal to add a day to your tickets.

2. You will be at the resort so early and it's right near MK.

3. You will be excited and energized. It's worth it to at least walk down Main St, grab a snack, use 3 FPs before settling in for the night.

Just my opinion.

 

[kniquy]

However, with a 9:10 arrival I’m considering going to a park. If you had an early arrival, what would you plan or what has worked for your family?

We often have early arrival. By the time you get off the plane, get to the ME area and get on the bus it would probably be 10am at least. From there the bus ride to the resort sometimes will have additional resort stops so you might arrive around 11am. This might be a great time to drop your bags at bell services (likely your room will not be ready). At that point you migth all be starved so grabbing lunch at the resort is an option. For some reason we have always like to do Epcot on our first day hitting future world, but we always plan a second Epcot day just for the countries. If using a ticket on arrival day would leave you ticket-less on another day then just upgrade your ticket before your last day of use. It is always better to have tickets for as much of your trip as possible -- this way it at least allows you to get 3 extra FP even if you are not planning on a whole day at a park. It makes planning so much easier.

Another option might be to hit Disney springs for a few hours in the afternoon. What you do really depends on your family make up. If you have older kids/adults it is much easier to jump right into the parks, younger kids might need to unwind with pool time and an early bed time.