?? about park hours and what do you do the first night?

[hrmom26]

hello all, so i am trying to set up a basic guide ( what parks to go on what days) for my trip in October .i want to figure out if we want to do any fast passes. well i thought since we were not getting there till around dinner our first night , we would go and do a park at night maybe see one of the shows or night time fireworks

i thought of fantasmic at Hollywood studios i notice for that day (october 27th) it says there is a show at 730pm i then went to see what time the park closed it says 7 pm? how can the show start after the park closes? i'm confused lol i have not gone to fantasmic before but i assume it is in the park lol so ... how can this be?

also what do you all do on your first night , assuming you get there later in the day that is .

thanks in advance --- heather

 

[mousehockey37]

First night, we normally hit up Downtown Disney (Disney Springs). Go get something to eat at Earl of Sandwich, go through the shops (don't necessarily buy anything, but it gives a good overview of what's in the parks). This way we don't burn a day of our park tickets for just a night.

For you, maybe set up a dining reservation at one of the resorts and maybe go to the TTC and watch Wishes from there, or head to the Boardwalk and watch Illuminations. You won't get the music, but you'd at least see the fireworks.

Seriously though, do consider that if you go the first night, you are using 1 of your days on your tickets.

I know my gf and I, on our last trip, needed some time to decompress from the travel and DTD gave us that after a short nap at the resort.

 

[hrmom26]

i don't know, i have enough days on my ticket to use one and be good and i almost always poop out before dark lol so doing a park at night would be fun hmmmm decisions decisions

 

[mousehockey37]

i don't know, i have enough days on my ticket to use one and be good and i almost always poop out before dark lol so doing a park at night would be fun hmmmm decisions decisions

If you almost always poop out before dark, then restructure your day so that you take a break in the middle, go back take a nap, then head out for the night after the daily Florida storms, lol.

 

[hrmom26]

that is a good idea , I have rheumatoid arthritis so my get up and go, got up and went lol . and btw i LOVE the earl of sandwich they had the the best wraps. my friend and i went on line when we came home after our last trip looking for a local branch we were very sad to find near us all they had were ones in the airport. i think maybe i will go to DTD and try that trex restaurant. although i would still like to know how fantasmic can be scheduled to start after the park closes

 

[DisneyDelirious]

We get their early afternoon, and do some swimming in the pool (have suits in carry on since DME gets bags there late.). We go to DTD in the eve for dinner and some shopping. Get a good nights rest and hit rope drop at MK the next day. Our 14 day trips have swimming and relaxing on the two travel days and two other days in the trip doing the same. We have 10 park days minimum but never more than 11.

 

[Sassagoula-Rvr]

I second the "mid afternoon break" one of the big perks of staying on site...so easy to do!

As for the first day/night...depending on the ticket situation...we do DTD a lot...or we have added an extra day before just to go in that evening to the MK (only if we get in by late afternoon). It's always the Magic Kingdom...nothing makes you feel like you are there more than walking down main St...especially when the park is lit up...I love the parks at night!

 

[Susan Savia]

We always arrive and go to Epcot and catch Off Kilter. Browse through a few stores and see whats new and return to our room.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

that is a good idea , I have rheumatoid arthritis so my get up and go, got up and went lol .

i do too and know just what you mean! this is my first trip since my diagnosis and i'm trying to plan accordingly. i've always had trouble with the walking because of a serious foot injury - i usually can't walk for more than one or two days during a week. this time i'm renting an ECV from one of the outside vendors so i can use it all the time. i know that if i try to walk - even for a day - it will tire me out SO MUCH that i will spend the next two days recovering.

if we're only going to have a couple of hours the first night, we usually either hit up downtown disney/disney springs or make a reservation at one of the resort restaurants and scope out a place to watch wishes (contemporary and the ttc are two of our favorite places to watch from). with the ticket structure, it's not too much to add days, so you may not feel like you're 'wasting' a day on your tickets going to the park. depending on your party size though, shaving off that one day may save A LOT of money... you could spend that on a yummy dinner out seriously, half of what we do at disney is eat.

 

[hrmom26]

i do too and know just what you mean! this is my first trip since my diagnosis and i'm trying to plan accordingly. i've always had trouble with the walking because of a serious foot injury - i usually can't walk for more than one or two days during a week. this time i'm renting an ECV from one of the outside vendors so i can use it all the time. i know that if i try to walk - even for a day - it will tire me out SO MUCH that i will spend the next two days recovering.

if we're only going to have a couple of hours the first night, we usually either hit up downtown disney/disney springs or make a reservation at one of the resort restaurants and scope out a place to watch wishes (contemporary and the ttc are two of our favorite places to watch from). with the ticket structure, it's not too much to add days, so you may not feel like you're 'wasting' a day on your tickets going to the park. depending on your party size though, shaving off that one day may save A LOT of money... you could spend that on a yummy dinner out seriously, half of what we do at disney is eat.

i did the same thing (rented a ECV) the first time i went to Disney after i was diagnosed and it helped majorly my advice to you , if you are going at a crowded time like i did that year, have someone be your "guide". i went during kids vacation week the park was PACKED! So driving the ECV got hairy everyone was oblivious and i felt like i was going to run everyone over if i was in the lead but when i put one of my kids in front and i followed them it worked much nicer, people parted and i was able to get threw. Also i found if you stayed till the very end of the fireworks the people crush is hell when on a scooter so i left a few minutes before the end to beet the crowd. good luck and have fun.

 

[SeanWM48]

downtown disney first night crew checking in. hit that T-Rex. used to always go to jack's margarita bar but they closed it......

personally would not use a ticket on a day where i'm not getting to the park until late.

 

[hrmom26]

downtown disney first night crew checking in. hit that T-Rex. used to always go to jack's margarita bar but they closed it......

personally would not use a ticket on a day where i'm not getting to the park until late.

i have never been to trex was it good?

 

[mammaminnie]

Our first night varies each trip. Lots of times we resort hop and eat at a resort or go to DTD to shop and eat. This year we have annual passes and are arriving at lunchtime, so we will be heading straight in to the parks. Another great option is pool time and early to bed so you are well rested for your first day in the parks. The bonus to Disney is there are tons of things to do outside of the actual parks!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Wander DTD, go to a mini golf course and play a few rounds, get on the monorail and ride the circle, visiting the monorail resorts. We definitely wouldnt use/waste one days park ticket for a short time in the park.
Fantasmic stadium entrance is in the park. Once they open up for the waiting masses, it takes quite a while to get the crowds in and seated. The stadium holds thousands of guests. It takes a while to leave the stadium after the show as well, looong lines for the buses.

 

[aw14]

We plan our trips with the first day being ready for a park. We take the earliest flight we can (this time 650am) and are usually checked in by 10:30-11:00, then we are off and running to the parks. This time its check in at Contemporary, go to MK, have lunch at Casey's (love the BBQ slaw dog) then use our FP+. 7DMT at 1pm

 

[71dsp]

We usually hit one of the parks as soon as we arrive, but this year, the parks are projected to be very crowded the day we arrive, so we're going to go to DTD then see La Nouba that evening. We've been wanting to see it for years, but never found a good time to go. I'm excited about it.

Anyone try the food trucks at DTD?

 

[71dsp]

i have never been to trex was it good?

We tried it last year. Same as Rain Forest Cafe, but with dinosaurs. We didn't care for it much, and to my surprise neither did our son. Food was only ok. Like Rain Forest, it's very loud, so difficult to have a "regular" conversation.

 

[hrmom26]

We usually hit one of the parks as soon as we arrive, but this year, the parks are projected to be very crowded the day we arrive, so we're going to go to DTD then see La Nouba that evening. We've been wanting to see it for years, but never found a good time to go. I'm excited about it.

Anyone try the food trucks at DTD?

food trucks? i don't think they ever had them last time i was there anything interesting?

 

[LAKid53]

We head to DTD for a meal and some shopping our first night. If there is a movie we want to see, then we do the movie & dining at AMC, especially if there is a new Disney film we've not seen, like Frozen (in a half empty theatre, no less). The seats are big, you have a foot rest and a table and the food is good also. Plus there is a bar in the lobby and you can consume adult beverages while you watch the movie. Then it's back to our room for a good night's sleep to gear up for the parks the next day.

A P.S. The nice thing about the Fork & Dine theatres is that you can pick your seat in advance. AMC loads the movies each Wednesday. Just find the DTD AMC theatre and go from there - menus are also on AMC's website.

 

[Kaertos]

My wife and I used to check-in and then race to the parks (usually MK) and get the ball rolling. Last trip though, we decided that was silly and instead wandered the resort. We went to Earl of Sandwich for lunch, then went to Fort Wilderness and checked out the horses. From there we caught a bus to Wilderness Lodge, then a boat to the Contemporary (well, to MK then a short walk to the Contemporary) After that it was back to DTD for dinner at Raglan Road. Great way to decompress from travelling.

This trip, my DW wants to check out the Yacht and Beach club and a couple of the other resorts.