What do you do on check-in day?

[a2grafix]

Two of the past three trips the past three years I have taken early flights out and arrived at MCO ust before noon. Since I stay at the Shades of Green, I reserve my Mears shuttle and I would say within 90 minutes of landing I was at the resort.

Like the other Disney resorts, check in is at 1500 / 3pm. I lucked out in December 2009 that my room was ready and so I got to change, grab my tickets to WDW and Universal, and then head to the WDW parks.

On my first two trips I ended up doing a quick change in the loby bathroom into some shorts and sneakers and dropped off my bag with the bellhop. Walked down the Shades path to the Polynesian, got on the monorail, and spent the early afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. In 2007, my first trip in some 14 years, I had to wait until evening to get into the Halloween party, so I did some window shopping at the Polynesian, Contemporary, and at the Village Marketplace/Downtown Disney, before changing and entering the MK for the Halloween party.

Don't have a set "which park first" set plan. I do remember all three recent trips I started out with the Magic Kingdom, then moved onto whatever park was open for extended evening hours (sometimes Epcot then MGM, or MGM and then Epcot).

In previous years I know the first park me and my sisters and my mom and dad went to was EPCOT Center (when it was still "EPCOT Center").

If I was lucky in 2007 and 2008 I ended my first night at Pleasure Island at the Adventurers Club.

 

[the-reason14]

It depends. If its our 2 weeks trip in July with more than just me and my dad, we usually just hang out at our resort or go to DtD. We arent staying on property so its easy to do just that.

If its me and my dad, however, we usually arrive and go to AK first thing or mgm, then check in to pop half century, get settled maybe nap then head out to an emh park at night.

 

[bjlc57]

we went ...

we went to MGM on our check in day.. putting aside that we had little sleep the night before and with time change lost two hours of more sleep the next day.. plus getting up at 4 am..

that was a MISTAKE..

the next time.. its going to be rest, Rest, REST..

because the killer days are enough.. I honestly thought that I was going to die at the end of the first full day.. I thought that I was going to have the BIG ONE..

rest.. have a coke and a smile.. because the parks WILL DO YOU IN..

 

[marcriss]

It's so funny you say that you can smell it in the air because that happens to me all the time too! Just the other day, something I smelled so totally reminded me of walking outside of the Mara near the pool at AKL and it took me back there in an instant! My DH agreed! It happens alot with the DCL too. Something in the air will just instantaneously transport me back to being on the ship!

I think it's something Disney puts in the air...subliminal air messages...:lookaroun

My 8 yr old can smell it too!!! Perhaps too many trips as a baby...Nahhh!

 

[Andrew54]

Head straight for Epcot usually because we will have a ADR there.

 

[ABigBrassBand]

We always fly in and arrive there at night, so what I like to do is check-in, leave everybody to do what they want, and I go by myself taking buses and monorails around the resort, visiting each hotel. We never get tickets to the parks for that night, we leave those for the next day

 

[DisGal]

Always the same for us - check in, relax at the resort, dinner at California Grill, then DTD. Its been this way for so long I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

Normally, we arrive in the AM. So we like to check-in, throw the bags in the room, and then hit a park...typically MK, but not always. We run around until we're tired, and then back to the hotel to sack out and get ready for the next day!

BTW, we are AP holders, so it's no loss to us for park admission for a 1/2 day.

 

[Ghall]

We don't get to check-in till late at night. After a 9 hours flight, US customs, pick-up the hired car, and drive to Disney we don't check-in till around 8pm local time. So the day of check-in we head straight to bed as by then it's 1.00am in the morning to us.

 

[nepalostparks]

Assuming we arrive prior to dinner time, we check in at the resort, then head to Magic Kingdom for a few rides, dinner and Wishes. That's our perfect start to a trip!

 

[foreverbelle]

On our first day, we try to get in early, lately its been like nine in the morning. We head to the resort where we either do one of two things either get our room and crash or hit up the parks. We don't have anything other planned on our first day other than to do the happy dance down the hallways Which of course gets us plenty of stares from other resort guests.

 

[b94ronman]

we use to fly in early saturday morning so we would have the whole day to spend in the parks....but with 2 small kids.....getting them up at 5am and getting to the airport by 6:30am for a 8am flight was a pain, plus just the fact that you now maybe had 4 hours sleep, I decided to spend the extra $78 and fly in Friday night. So for that last 2 years I've been taking a 6pm nonstop Airtran flight out of the 'burg' getting us to MCO by 8:30pm and on to the magical express and checked into Pop Century by 9:30pm....we bring our bathing suits and any essential stuff because our luggage usually doesn't get to the room til Midnight....we then hit the pool and stop by and see jonny at the Pedals pool bar....then get a good nights sleep (minus the bedbugs) and spend saturday in Animal Kingdom. Dinner that night is at the Rainforest Cafe' then over to Magic Kingdom for Wishes. The Friday night fly-in works great....no line for the magical express....no waking-up early....and a fresh start saturday to enjoy the next 9 days in The World.

 

[Future Guy]

We check into our room, draw all the curtains, then set up our portable Mickey Mouse shrine and pray to the Disney Gods while facing in the direction of the Magic Kingdom. Then, we sprinkle some goat's blood on the altar and dance around it (the altar) singing "Super-cali-fragi-listic-expi-ala-docious" in Ancient Slavonic.

Okay, that's completely not true.

Actually, we, um, I guess we check in to our room. And put the luggage in it. If it's early afternoon and we've just arrived on the property, then we'll go to a park. If, on the other hand, we are checking into our room after a busy day at the parks, we will unpack and rest. That is all.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

I always check-in in the morning, get something to eat at the hotel and then off to one of the parks (usually MK).

 

[pacochran]

It's become a tradition for us. We usually arrive about 10:30 am or so, rent a car and drive to the outlets. We have lunch at A&W (don't have one back home here) and then shop at the Character outlet and a few others, get our food at the Publix and then head to the hotel to check in.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I check in and then Head off to Epcot..Everytime I first arrive on my trip I cannot look up at Spaceship Earth until I've gotten through the front gate..It builds the suspense and excitement.

 

[pcarathers]

We usually check in, if the room is ready we unpack and kinda wander our resort. We've never done the same resort twice. We ALWAYS do Chef Mickey's the night we check in..kinda kicks off our vacation, then head to MK for parade and fireworks, then back to resort to get a good nights sleep and hit the ground running first thing the next morning!

 

[nngrendel]

We check into our room, draw all the curtains, then set up our portable Mickey Mouse shrine and pray to the Disney Gods while facing in the direction of the Magic Kingdom. Then, we sprinkle some goat's blood on the altar and dance around it (the altar) singing "Super-cali-fragi-listic-expi-ala-docious" in Ancient Slavonic.

WOW! I thought I was the only one that did that. Who would have Thunk it???? :shrug:

We drive for 7 hours, check in. Go to Epcot. Ride a few rides to makes us realize we are there. (Mission Space)
Then we browse some of the shops on WS and then head to R&C for much needed R&R and catch RoE.

 

[Tater48]

Lately, we've been taking later flights, so we get checked in and head to DD for dinner and a little pre park shopping. Then it's off to the resort and some sleep so we can be up and at MK when it opens.

 

[LoriMistress]

Normally, on check in day--it takes us an average 6-9 hours for us to arrive (we fly and it takes 6 hours to fly--not including arrival, switching planes, etc.), we normally relax on that day. After being crammed into a plane for a long time, we like to take a nap at the resort, and from there head over to DTD to do some light shopping--just taking the scenery in. Last time we also visited GF during our arrival day.