Am i crazy? Long haul flight then straight to parks?

[TinkSassy]

I would put your FOP FP on another day. That way you don't have anything that MUST happen on arrival. If you get in - all goes well with your flight, you got some rest on the plane, check in was simple then pick something that is fun and relaxing but not a MUST. Maybe just plan on Pandora to hang out - food at Satouli is wonderful and so are the drinks. That way you have a completely flexible plan on arrival. I'm usually outbound the other direction - but I know on arrival in Europe I'm good for nothing so I usually spend the afternoon getting organized (buy tickets, train passes, check in, find lay of the land, etc.) You are also in a fabulous hotel to stay in - you could go sit by the fire and watch the animals.

 

[tiggerunner]

Having done many long distance flights I would try to stay up until a normal bed time and then crash. Whatever will keep you on a schedule will help. The only thing that would hold me back is buying a ticket for that day, but if you are there for a week or so the cost goes down. Have fun

 

[married2mm]

We have tried & failed many times!
I was absolutely certain we’d make it one time & enjoy emh at Epcot -but then the flight was delayed ; luggage took forever and it was just not happening!

We have managed twice-both times to toy story land & then crashed & yes-
Still woke up at silly o clock -however dh required a gentle nudge (or 2)

Flying into Sanford-we’ve not made it.
Flying into mco may have made a difference?!

 

[sophy1996]

Recently I flew to Tokyo from the U.S., and after dropping my stuff in the room went straight to Tokyo Disneyland and spent 4 hours there that evening. So I guess my vote is sure, why not? I'd probably leave the plan loose, though, in case you just aren't up to it.

 

[Summer2018]

We are always exhausted on arrival day. We are happy to just get unpacked, have a good dinner, and get a good night’s sleep so that we can hit the ground running early the next morning.

 

[RamblingMad]

I'd fly in and see how I felt, rather than plan this advance.

 

[TammyLynn33]

Nope I wouldn’t . You have a beautiful resort. I’d spend the eve having a nice dinner exploring the resort since you plan on rope dropping the next morning .
I’m not quite a Germaphobe but after being in a plane and being rundown if you can’t sleep on such plane I’d rather rest to avoid coming down with something


QUOTE="Ellie Webbs, post: 60750114, member: 643985"]
That's similar to my plan. Literally AK for FOP and maybe a drink and admiring Pandora at night then bed. We're are staying at AKL so that makes the journey shorter, DH may kip on the plane but I'm a nervous flyer (not the flying the space issue) so I'll either be full of nervous energy or dead as a door nail lol
[/QUOTE]

 

[Scotgirl]

We always do something like that when we arrive. Last year we headed to Hollywood Studios and managed two goes on Slinky Dog, had a couple of drinks and went to bed around 11.30. Not sure how long we had been up for by that point! Managed to sleep a decent amount of hours and were up raring to go in the morning.

 

[Nick6300]

I'd do it, but we place a premium on park time more than some. We flew in from Chicago to Hong Kong (14-16 hrs), late at night, and got up early for DL. Did the same for Tokyo (arrived after midnight, took about a 2 hr nap, to be at breakfast by 6am). We're arriving at WDW this Fall after midnight the night before our stay, not sleeping, just so we can be early to RD, can nap later on attractions when wait times are higher.

 

[chippydale33]

Y'all are troopers, I'm EXHAUSTED reading some of your replies!

 

[kniquy]

We fly from the UK in the morning and are set to land at SFB just after 4pm. Am I crazy to try and drag my exhausted husband onto FOP (provided we can get a FP) after a 9 hour flight?

You really aren't factoring in if there are any possible flight delays. That could put you getting in much later. I think after that long of a travel day i would just want dinner and a bed. If your husband is going to be exhausted and miserable then do yourself a favor and don't drag him there. Plus you would likely not be able to get a FP for FOP right at the 60 day mark nor would you want to stand in an hour long line after your long travel day. If you really want to ride it -- then put it later in your trip.

I would just plan on dinner (if you are at AK like i think you are - once you land and might be on your way to the resort I would hop on the app and see if you can snag a dining reservation) and then getting to bed at a reasonable time. Then you can start your first park day refreshed.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Day 1 I'm always running on pure adrenaline. I would do it. BUT I would plan to sleep in the next day.

I made this mistake last trip. Got up at 3 am, flight at 6 am, landed by 8:30 am and in MK by 11 am. We stayed for HEA, did the dessert party, got to our room by midnight and then had this crazy idea to get up for AK EMH. I told DD12 we could change the plans but she insisted. Well by 9:30 am she declared that she hated AK and she didn't even know why we even went to that park. I aborted mission, went to the room and we both took a long nap, got back to AK by 1 pm and all was right with the world again.

 

[No.1000]

I once overheard a teenager in Epcot who was dragging her friends say "COME ON! You can sleep when you are dead!" This is pretty much how we do Disney, so I say "Go for it!" FOP is totally worth it.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

I once overheard a teenager in Epcot who was dragging her friends say "COME ON! You can sleep when you are dead!" This is pretty much how we do Disney, so I say "Go for it!" FOP is totally worth it.

Love this

 

[HeiHei523]

I've done it once before and as much as I wanted to do it, I didn't enjoy it half as much as I should. We just either go somewhere for food and then unpack, or just go to the room and sleep! Last time we did Disney Springs for a little while, but came close to falling asleep in T-Rex..!

 

[bryanb]

I do this all the time on trips, mostly because I can maximize my vacation time. But I have to be able to doze off even for a little bit on the plane for this to work.

Once I spent a sleepless night and arrived in Orlando at 6:30am, ready to throw my bags at the resort and then head to rope drop. The excitement worked for a little while but then I realized I really didn’t like the entertainment and attractions. I realized how the Dis team was unimpressed with Tokyo DisneySea after they landed without sleeping. I don’t think they realized they had the same issue.

Reading a book on the effects of sleep depravation, you just have to be aware that it can mess with your perception of things. If you can at least sleep for 4 hours if so on the plane it will be much easier to enjoy it.

 

[Randomsoulshine]

We just drove 7.5 hours and went straight to a park. I won’t do it again. Although we were at that park from 3 until 8 so I might could do it for a quick ride. Honestly I’ve enjoyed swimming in the pool and to bed early on arrival day much more than going to a park. For all four of us that first night at Epcot was our least favorite and most fatigued. We have also done Disney Springs on arrival day and that works well. We just won’t ever do a park again that day.

 

[Randomsoulshine]

I do this all the time on trips, mostly because I can maximize my vacation time. But I have to be able to doze off even for a little bit on the plane for this to work.

Once I spent a sleepless night and arrived in Orlando at 6:30am, ready to throw my bags at the resort and then head to rope drop. The excitement worked for a little while but then I realized I really didn’t like the entertainment and attractions. I realized how the Dis team was unimpressed with Tokyo DisneySea after they landed without sleeping. I don’t think they realized they had the same issue.

Reading a book on the effects of sleep depravation, you just have to be aware that it can mess with your perception of things. If you can at least sleep for 4 hours if so on the plane it will be much easier to enjoy it.

This is so true. We didn’t enjoy Epcot this trip and we usually do and it’s because we went on arrival day. We were also the most tired in that park which seems odd being the first one we went to. I had more energy our last day.

 

[Summer2018]

How I physically feel will 100% affect how much fun I have. I always feel lousy when we arrive.

Last summer we arrived at Polynesian completely shot after a difficult travel day. I couldn’t even eat dinner. I grabbed some fruit at Captain Cook’s before going to bed just so I didn’t go to bed on an empty stomach.

In April we had terrible jet lag in California, so arrival day at Disneyland was a quick meal at Tangaroa Terrace, a shower, and bed.

Both days we were up early and in the parks at rope drop.

I can’t have fun if I’m crabby from being travel weary. The same goes for my family.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Nope. Not this gal.
We fly from Toronto, only a 2hr 45 min flight and no time zone adjustments and still no.

We leave our home around 5am and land around 130/2pm but I find travel exhausting.

We relax. Make zero plans. Maybe hit DTD. Maybe.

Another thing to consider. FOP is a pretty hard FP to get early in ones vacation. It’s not impossible. Just uncommon.

Power to you all powering through. I’ll be chillaxin at the resort with a beverage