What does your family do on your first night at Disney?

[WebmasterLeah]

Do you arrive early enough to hit the ground running and head right to the parks? Or do you save a park day on your ticket and hang out at the resort for the night?

Read more here:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-world/what-does-your-family-do-on-your-first-night-at-disney/

 

[Tigger's ally]

We usually do one night at a downtown Disney hotel and hit the ground running the next morning. Usually eat at DD and shop and might take a boat ride over to POFQ, but all is really laid back.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

Well this November will be the first trip for me with my family. Super excited. Not sure if what we'll do will become a first day tradition, but here's what we have planned. Going to start driving in from Louisiana on a Sunday and overnight in Tallahassee. The next morning we'll only have about a 3 1/2 hour drive(?), so hoping to get to Disney no later than 10. Heading straight to Epcot and plan to do Pick a Pearl for DD's birthday (already have the Cinderella cage necklace). Couple of hours taking in whatever DD wants to see - no formal plans as it's her first time and we'll let her set the pace. We do have park tickets, but probably won't have any FP's since we're going to play everything by ear that day. Check into Contemporary hopefully by 3. Nap (for DD - maybe all of us?), get cleaned up then dinner at either BOG or Narcossee's (still deciding and hoping for CRT instead). Back to the room after dinner to get DD to bed at her usual time. DH and I will try to stay up for fireworks view from the room or head back out to the Wishes Dessert Party (my parents can watching DD blissfully sleeping at this point). I could see doing CRT dinner on the first night each time we go as a tradition. But I'll be curious to see what my little princess likes best.

 

[PghPixie]

We do dinner at Downtown Disney and then back to the hotel to rest up for a early morning!

 

[BigMommaMouse]

We check in and grab CS. Then straight to bed. With the time difference we are shattered. But it means we are up for rope drop the next day. Plus have a ticket on departure day.

 

[Harambe]

We usually go for 10 days, and the difference between a 10 day ticket and a 9 day ticket is really not that much, so we go with the 10 day ticket, and go to the parks for the evening. We usually get to our resort mid afternoon, then head out to a park to see one of the nighttime shows - it really gets us in the Disney mood, especially if it is Fantasmic!

 

[carmelhp]

In 2012 we got to the hotel around noon and took the bus over to MK for a MVMCP. The next year we to the hotel around noon and headed to MNSSHP. This was my wife's idea. Personally, I would not recommend doing a morning flight only to turn around and do a party to midnight. We were beat.

 

[jennab]

We usually get in early afternoon so like to grab a quick snack at the hotel then have DS(3) take a nap (and maybe us too!), then dinner at the resort and swimming! I find it nice to relax on that first day since traveling can sometimes be a pain!

 

[Dottie74]

We are going in September via the Auto Train with our daughter and family (2 under the age of 3). We will probably be resting when we get in. Don't think we will get much sleep on the train. Hope to relax and maybe the pool. No plans - just see how things go.

 

[FiggieFan]

We are going in September via the Auto Train with our daughter and family (2 under the age of 3). We will probably be resting when we get in. Don't think we will get much sleep on the train. Hope to relax and maybe the pool. No plans - just see how things go.

Same thing here! We usually don't sleep well on the train (Philly to Orlando) so we play it by ear. Early dinner and maybe a park for an hour or two before dinner. Early to bed to rest up for the first full day.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Pass out from flight...drink beer...go to raglan...drink beer...hit the boat for POR...drink beer...hang at the big pool...hide beer and still drink it...when pool closes head to Riverside Mill for cheesecake... Pass out for day one is coming.

 

[Aerinha]

Typically I arrive at the hotel around 2 and head straight to the nearest park. When I stayed at GF with my mom we arrived around dinner time so we ate at resort then took monorail to MK. Solo, I usually stay at an Epcot resort so I walk into Epcot because after airport nonsense I am not in the mood for bus nonsense . AKL stay I bussed right to Epcot as I wanted flower show food booth stuff for dinner.

Upcoming trip limited me to 8 days of tickets so for the first time I won't hurry off to a park. It will be in Dec so plant is lunch at resort, gingerbread tour, DtD to see what is new and grab dinner.

 

[Phillip Williams]

In about three weeks we will be arriving on Monday around 2pm. Out plan is to arrive at the resort and checkout the room first. After that we already have reservations for Planet Hollywood at DD around 530pm. Then we plan on walking around DD for a bit and return to the room to relax foe the rest of the night. Our first day is usually laid back so we can start hitting the parks the next day.

 

[BabyFu18]

Usually we spend our first day as a resort day, swim, unpack, eat, sleep in order to be prepared for the following day!

 

[AllyinWonderland]

We usually land at the airport around 10-11 am. After we get checked in to the hotel, we head to DTD for the afternoon/evening.

 

[mls02]

In 2012 we got to the hotel around noon and took the bus over to MK for a MVMCP. The next year we to the hotel around noon and headed to MNSSHP. This was my wife's idea. Personally, I would not recommend doing a morning flight only to turn around and do a party to midnight. We were beat.

Great to know! I was thinking about doing this but was afraid of being beat ourselves. We fly out at 7:45 am and will have to be at the airport by 6:00. We get in at Noon. Figured by the time we take the magical express it would be 2:00 before we got to the resort. I am seriously thinking about doing downtown Disney and little pool time and to bed early and to MVMCP the night before we leave. We only have 2 days of park tickets and will be hitting it hard those 2 days. We leave and go to Clearwater for 2 days and come back and hit Universal for 2 days. We have a free day the day before we leave and thinking that might be a better option!

 

[Txmasterx1985]

Hello all. When my family and I get off the magic express at the resort we check our luggage and head right to magic kingdom. An amazing way to start a trip.

 

[happymommy]

Pass out from flight...drink beer...go to raglan...drink beer...hit the boat for POR...drink beer...hang at the big pool...hide beer and still drink it...when pool closes head to Riverside Mill for cheesecake... Pass out for day one is coming.

We don't hide the beer at pools - it's totally allowed to bring your own! I've got a little soft side cooler for that.

To the OP: We arrive usually by noon to our resort, so most times head to Epcot for the afternoon! It just usually works out that way - we love Epcot, and it is where we like to spend the afternoons (MK we love early morning or late evening). Then we go back and get to bed, but we must get in a couple hours of a park!

 

[wdw4rfam]

We arrive in the early afternoon, once we bring all the luggage to our room and get settled, we grab CS dinner and hang at the resort, usually catching the movie by the pool. Once in a while we will venture out to the boardwalk or DTD.

 

[MissionMouse]

Arrive at resort between 11-2 and off to the parks with park hopper tickets...could do more than one park based upon what we want to do, ADR and park hours.