5 Things to Do on Your Disney World Arrival Day

You’ve spent months meticulously planning your Walt Disney World vacation. You’ve made your dining reservations with your favorite Disney pals, scored that coveted Slinky Dog FastPass+ (finally!), and have packed enough Disney merchandise to last your family of 4 nearly 3 weeks. Or is that just me?! But at last, the BIG day is finally here – you’ve just arrived at The Most Magical Place on Earth. Now what?

If you’re stumped, then no need to worry because I’m here to share 5 fun things to do on your Disney World arrival day!

1. Explore Your Resort

Regardless if you’re staying at a Disney Resort Hotel or at another off-site property, I encourage you to take a few hours and explore your resort. If you arrive prior to check-in, use this time to walk around and become familiar with where things are located within your resort. Check out the pool(s), transportation options/bus stop locations and on-site restaurants. Once you’re all checked in, hit up the pool and let your vacation begin! For some, this may be the only day you really have time to explore your resort, so be sure to make it count!

For Disney Resort Hotel guests, don’t forget to check out the recreational activity schedule for your resort. No matter which property you’re staying at, there will be plenty to keep you busy. Check out one of the pool-side trivia games, kid-friendly dance parties or enjoy a Movie Under the Stars. There is so much Disney magic to experience at each and every Disney property.

Tip: If you arrive to your Disney Resort Hotel prior to your check-in time, don’t be afraid to ask a Cast Member if your room is ready early. You may be surprised that they will often times say yes (especially if it’s only an hour or two before)!

2. Go Resort Hopping

Did you know that you can resort hop via the Monorail line – even if you’re not staying at one of the Monorail resorts?! If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a few hours checking out some amazing Disney Resort Hotels, then you can catch a bus over to the Magic Kingdom and then hop on the Resort Monorail line from there. The Monorail will take you to 3 of the Deluxe Resort Hotels including the Contemporary, Polynesian Village and Grand Floridian Resorts.

Resort hopping is a great way to check out other resorts that you may want to stay at on a future trip. It’s also a lot of fun to see how unique each resort truly is!

One important note: resort amenities are for resort guests only. Therefore, if you are just visiting a resort, you cannot use the pool and other resort-specific amenities. However, you can still explore the property and even dine at the restaurants. Just please be respectful and do not try to “sneak in” to the pools or anywhere on-site that requires a Magic Band entrance.

3. Head to Disney Springs

One of our Disney World arrival day “traditions” is to spend the evening hanging out at Disney Springs. We love how many amazing restaurants there are to choose from here, so we usually grab dinner + dessert and take our time walking around. Whether you’re after the life-size LEGO displays, the incredible shopping or the live entertainment, there is something here for everyone in the family. There is so much to do here that it really deserves it’s own blog post to showcase all of it!

And of course, a trip to Disney Springs wouldn’t be complete without a stop at World of Disney, right?! Oh how we love it! I get giddy even just thinking about it!

4. Book a Character Meal

If you just can’t wait to rub elbows with the Mouse himself, then booking a dinner reservation for character dining on your arrival day is a great way to kick off your vacation! Just two important factors to consider before making your reservation:

• Valid park tickets are required for all character dining experiences located inside the parks. If you’re not planning on purchasing park tickets that day, then stick with character meals that are located inside Disney Resort Hotels including – Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort), ‘Ohana (Polynesian Village), or Story Book Dining with Snow White (Wilderness Lodge). For a full list of character dining options click here.
• Consider possible travel delays when deciding on a time for your dinner reservation. As a good rule of thumb, I would suggest at least a 3-4 hour buffer (especially if you’re flying). For example, if your flight is scheduled to land at 3 pm, I would suggest not making a reservation until at least 6:30 or 7:00 pm.

5. NEW for Fall 2019 – Purchase a Mid-Day Magic Ticket

Disney World recently rolled out a new ticket option for guests who would like to enjoy the parks in the afternoon/evening hours. With the Mid-Day Magic Ticket, you can enter the park after 12:00 pm. Pretty cool, right?

Personally, I really love this option! Not only does it give guests the chance to visit a park on their arrival day while saving a few extra bucks, it also allows for more flexibility. Catch a parade, ride a few rides and experience one of the amazing nighttime shows. Crossing off a few of your “must-do” items on your arrival day will cut down on the pressure on your park days that follow. This option is also great for families that may be arriving into town late at night and want a chance to sleep in the next morning before heading to the parks.

My biggest piece of advice for your arrival day is to pick 1-2 things you’d like to accomplish and go for it! I know it’s hard to contain your excitement; however, try not to over-commit or over-schedule your day. You want to feel as rested as possible so you can hit the ground running at the parks the next day.

Do you have any favorite Disney World arrival day traditions?!

xo,

Sumer

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