Check-In Day Strategy?

[Jlo85]

First time visiting WDW in decades with group of 7. We will be checking-in to the Villas at Grand Floridian. I know check-in time is officially 4PM.

We will be flying-in, and while I think we'll overall just want to relax the first day, I was thinking about maybe 1) stowing our luggage with bell services, 2) aiming to have lunch on-property pre check-in, and 3) maybe pop into the Magic Kingdom that afternoon, I know we can walk there from the Grand. Is this too much? Mostly concerned about whether I should or shouldn't buy a ticket for the first day.

 

[loves to dive]

That might depend on the ages of people in your party, how long your flight is and what time you have to leave to get on your flight. We always go to a park when we get there and we do a 7 1/2 hour drive. We usually get there between 1-3, depending on when we get on the road, our arrival day park is always Epcot but we love us a festival. Back in the day when we did stay in the monorail resorts, we did go into MK that arrival day. But, if you have littles, it would all depend on if they were too tired or just the opposite and if they were really active and it would be good to go to MK and get some energy off.

 

[ak517]

This will really depend on a few things including your expectations for going into the park and how you can manage them, the composition of your group eg adults or ages of any children, how far you’re traveling from and how that affects the travel group, and general expectations of the travel group.

As a solo traveler even coming from NYC this is a no brainer for me and I would for sure spend a few hours in MK, but if I am bringing my family in tow I’d probably change my tune.

 

[john7994]

After being away for decades and not knowing your group mix, travel time, how long you are staying overall, and mobility constraints - my gut reaction is that FOMO will take over and you'll want to jump right in to seeing the magic up close versus luxuriating for the day at the resort(s). Sounds like you are getting there early enough to get value from the park day ticket.

So, can you wait and build-up the anticipation for day two (provided your stay is lengthy) or just take the plunge after being away for so long?

 

[Jlo85]

Hi - Thank you everyone! We will be a party of 2 seniors, 3 adults, and 2 kids. The extra day ticket is only like an additional $20/person, so I think we might just pull the trigger.

 

[Rory607]

We used to plan to do a park on arrival day if we got in early in the day and it usually worked out fine. But we always seem to have flight delays anymore and plans end up changing, so instead we plan to swim, go to Disney Springs, etc.

 

[beccasmom]

We no longer visit a park on arrival day, but we did used to do so for years. A lot depends on flight arrival time and who is in our traveling group, but we usually opt for a nice lunch and maybe some pool time or a nice dinner and/or visit to Disney Springs.

 

[Robber Baron]

I'm not a big, 'settle in', or, 'get a lay of the land', or, 'just hang around the hotel the first day', kind of person.

Also, sitting on an airplane or in a car doesn't tire me out more than doing anything else, so, we don't really need to rest up after traveling.

As long as I don't have to get up at like 2 or 3 am to make a flight, I get to Disney ready to go.

We usually hit a park on the arrival day.

 

[_19disnA]

Would also matter if all 7 are traveling together or will arrive at different times. Depending where everyone is traveling from, you may not always have a choice of early travel times. Flights can also be delayed for weather or mechanical issues. I do think with a large group/multiple families you should talk prior to your vacation about your general plans. Everyone may not be on the same schedule or have similar interests in which parks to do and which rides/shows are their priorities. It would be a mistake to all show up at the first park not having any advance discussions and then suddenly realize everyone isn't interested in the same things.

Disney parks involve MILES of walking, and some in your party may be able to go non-stop all day long while others cannot. I think the extra $20 for a park pass is worth it and gives you some flexibility on what you actually end up doing once you all arrive. Pesonally, I would take the monorail FROM GF to MK since it is the next stop. I would walk TO GF when exiting MK rather then ride the entire monorail loop.

 

[Betsyp]

I have an AP, which can only be used on weekdays, so I arrive on Sunday and either spend the day at the hotel or split It between hotel and Disney Springs. That said, if I didn’t have one, I still wouldn’t go to a park on arrival day. The parks are exhausting, and the travel would have taken something out of you. I would chill, to be honest, and enjoy the down time

 

[scrappinginontario]

What time are you getting up that morning? What is your mode of transportation? What time would you arrive at your resort? (4PM Check-in does not guarantee a room is ready for you them. We’ve had our room ready as early as 7:30AM and 8:30PM and everything in between.) How many days will you be there?

We are August visitors and FL is notorious for afternoon/evening rain and thunderstorms in Aug snd Sep.

For me to share thoughts, still need a few more details.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It depends.

If your trip is in summer/early fall, then weather might be a challenge. Downpours and storms are common. the parks are usually still open, but it might delay your desire to head directly to a park.
It also depends how tired you will be from traveling. As others have said, getting up for an early flight, or staying up late the night before might have an impact.
Are you flying direct, or taking a two-leg flight? The more legs, the more likely you are to have a delay.
In addition to park tickets, it is possible to buy D+ for that first day, and just book passes that are all for like 3pm and later. Then when you get to the park, you can use the passes.

Last, at the risk of stating the obvious, your group doesn't have to be ALL or none. Some of your group might prefer a nap, while another part of your group might want to burn off some energy.

We have done trips both ways. In addition to hanging at the hotel, WDW has other activities that are not theme parks: mini-golf and Disney Springs come to mind. There's also a decent outlet mall very close to WDW. Another fun option is to tour all the monorail hotels (and beyond).

 

[columbus2016]

We just got back from Disney and we hit the park the first day - and our flight was super early (5:15AM) so we woke up at 3AM

We arrived at the resort (Beach Club) around 8:30AM, some of us change clothes (to shorts), dropped our luggages and picked up stroller (rent from Scooter Bug) at the bell serivice. Then had a quick breakfast before heading out to Animal Kingdom. We didn't stay at the park too long. We did Navi (booked Genie+ after we landed), Festival of the Lion King, lunch at Tusker House & safari. The kiddos (11 & 6) were DONE. We got back to the resort by 2:30PM and went straight to our room.

The original plan was to just rest and hang at the resort the rest of the day, but the kids were ready to hit Epcot that night after their naps. I took the kids while husband stayed behind for a lil more rest. We did Remi, Frozen (husband caught up with us by Frozen) & Soarin - all with Genie+, then watched the fireworks before walking back to BC.

 

[nolatravelgirl]

I would plan on hitting MK and buying Genie+ for that first day. You could create a nice stack of LL for the afternoon. We had a flight that left at 7am central and got up early (obviously) and had a great first day even though we didn't arrive in the park till 1:30pm. We had 3 LLs (PP, BTMRR, Splash) and 1 ILL for 7DMT. Throw in the afternoon parade and we had a great first day with minimal waits even though we were there the week of Columbus Day. We rode Small World, Dumbo, Pirates and Space Ranger Spin standby. Now that you can modify reservations I think we could have had an even better experience.