How do you spend your first night in Disney?

[bakerworld]

When we had young with us we usually headed to the MK. Sometimes we'd hit the pool the first day or a water park. Now, without kids, we mosey over to Disney Springs to sit on the dock at Boathouse watching the tide drift away.

 

[windcriesamy]

My husband and I usually take the earliest flight we can find and get to the resort by 11:00 or 12:00. We drop off our luggage, head to MK for a while, then head back to the resort to get our room and freshen up for whichever dinner ADR I booked. After dinner we usually spend a bit more time at a park before heading back to the resort to crash. Arrival day is a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

 

[wabbott]

Our last 3 trips to WDW have all had a similar itinerary. We live in North Central Louisiana, about 840 miles from WDW. We drive about halfway the first day, usually to Destin/Ft Walton, and the remainder the next day. Twice we stayed the night before our first ticketed day in Kissimmee, and once at Disney Springs. We've dined at Boma, Sanaa, and Frontera Cocina. The first two we really liked, but the Mexican meal was disappointing. The food was ok, but the decor and atmosphere was just not Mexican. Too modern.

Our October trip will have us again at Disney Springs, with dinner at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar, and an early bedtime. At daylight the next day, we'll be at the CBR front desk making sure all our tickets, bands and electronics are all in order, then off to HW via the Skyliner.

When we head back to Louisiana, we stop off for a week at Panama City Beach to recuperate from WDW by lounging on the beach. After all, Disney is a "working vacation."

 

[scard192]

April trip staying at POP, took the Skyliner over to EPCOT because the kids wanted to ride it, spent a little line at EPCOT, walked to Beach club and took the bus to Disney Springs and ate at DLuxe burger and shopped at World of Disney.

 

[Grandmaof2]

We’re expecting to arrive at POFQ around 3:30 pm after a 6.5 hour drive from GA. So we’re going to take it easy and do a monorail tour (this is a first trip for one in our party), activate our Military Salute tickets, then grab counter service dinner at the Poly and picnic on the beach to watch Electrical Water Parade and MK fireworks.

Thank you for your service!

 

[gorkt]

Usually, we like to rest a bit at the hotel, then head out to a park. In the FP+ days, we would make reservations for some rides, which made for a nice arrival evening. I don't make any ADRs or party reservations, just in case we arrive late.

 

[NickC]

We try to get an early flight so we can spend a good amount of the day at the parks. Typically it is MK, but if we are at the YC/BC, we will walk over to Epcot.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We never make any plans for that first day. Like others here, we fly, and have gotten in late many times, a couple times we've even ended up an entire day late. So we just relax around the resort, unpack, eat QS at the resort, just "be there". Only once have I done TS the same night-I checked while I sat in Orlando Airport and found a last-minute reservation at Narcoose's.
And since we usually need to get up at the crack of dawn that morning, we plan to go to bed early so that we can get up early to go to early opening at whatever park we've planned to go to on the first full day.

 

[Melemonie]

Our favorite way to spend our first night is at the pool, especially if the resort has a good pool bar for drinks and a light meal!

 

[Prissyms]

For as long as I can remember, the first night of our trips are always dinner at Disney Springs. When our boys were younger, we always ended up at Plant Hollywood at then Downtown Disney. Don't ask why! Then we started going to the movies at the AMC Dine in theater, which was really cool. For the past 5 years, nothing has changed. We continue to go to Disney Springs for our first night. I must say the dinner options are MUCH better now!!

 

[Dcgc28]

We usually drive in from around 9.5-10 hrs away. So our first night is always relaxing by the pool or food at Disney Springs and a little stroll around World of Disney.

 

[VandVsmama]

I'm usually reluctant to do an ADR on arrival day. For our upcoming trip this October, we're staying at AoA. The current plan is for us to eat QS, probably at Primo Piatto at the Riviera since no reservations required there and DH loves the food.

 

[Figment Mom]

It varies.

We take a 6 am flight and arrive in Orlando before 9. In the past I have made that a MK day.

Trip 1 (with 9-year-old): MK upon arrival but he was too tired to make it to fireworks. We hit the pool and went to bed.

Trip 2 (solo trip): MK upon arriving on property, back to hotel for late afternoon nap, then back to MK for dessert party and EMH.
Upcoming trip 3 (with 7 and 17-year-old): just planned to do like trip 1 and hang at MK until we were tired but didn't expect to make it to park close. However I added a non-park day at the beginning of our trip so we could celebrate the teenager's birthday. So we're doing Cali Grill for dinner and then hanging on the Poly beach for the water pageant and fireworks. (Or maybe go back to contemporary for fireworks viewing, but the Poly is where my heart is.)

 

[nana1765]

It varies.

We take a 6 am flight and arrive in Orlando before 9. In the past I have made that a MK day.

Trip 1 (with 9-year-old): MK upon arrival but he was too tired to make it to fireworks. We hit the pool and went to bed.

Trip 2 (solo trip): MK upon arriving on property, back to hotel for late afternoon nap, then back to MK for dessert party and EMH.
Upcoming trip 3 (with 7 and 17-year-old): just planned to do like trip 1 and hang at MK until we were tired but didn't expect to make it to park close. However I added a non-park day at the beginning of our trip so we could celebrate the teenager's birthday. So we're doing Cali Grill for dinner and then hanging on the Poly beach for the water pageant and fireworks. (Or maybe go back to contemporary for fireworks viewing, but the Poly is where my heart is.)