DS on travel day too much?

[Ellie Webbs]

Our flight (tui) lands at Sanford at 4.10pm. I'm guestimating that we will get to our hotel around 7/7.30? Would anyone else bother hitting DS for dinner to try and adjust to US time or just eat at AKL where we are staying? Decisions decisions.....
We also may book a FP for soarin' on the off chance and cancel it if we don't go to Epcot...

 

[button409]

tbh I would abandon any plans of an FP, but if you are just adults travelling then DS is possible if you don't have any delays and you aren't feeling too tired. If travelling with kids I wouldn't even consider it and would just grab some dinner at the resort. We have 3 kids (5,3 and 1), landed at 2.50 pm MCO, got to resort at 5.40, but by the time we checked in and got to the room it was nearly 7, so we stayed at the resort for dinner.

 

[dvcdis1864]

We hit DS on our arrival date last trip, when we were staying at Saratoga Springs. That's just across the way, though.
Not sure I'd be up for that from AKL.

 

[jackieleanne]

In relation to food on that night I'd probably just eat at AKL the Mara. You certainly wouldn't want to be booking any reals with a reservation as you get charged if you don't show up or cancel 24 hours in advance. With coming in at Sanford and not arriving/checking in I probably wouldn't bother to get a fast pass. By the time you made it over to Epcot you would be looking at around 8/8:30 and unless its an extra hours night it would be shutting up for the fireworks.

Of course re booking a fast pass you wouldn't lose anything if you couldn't make it, no $10 penalty like with the restaurants.

 

[dvcdis1864]

You certainly wouldn't want to be booking any reals with a reservation as you get charged if you don't show up or cancel 24 hours in advance.

You can get around that by booking some DS restaurants via OpenTable, e.g. The Boathouse, Morimoto Asia, Paddlefish, Paradiso 37, etc. No charge for not showing-up with those reservations.

 

[jackieleanne]

You can get around that by booking some DS restaurants via OpenTable, e.g. The Boathouse, Morimoto Asia, Paddlefish, Paradiso 37, etc. No charge for not showing-up with those reservations.

Good point.

 

[Meglen]

I would just get to the resort settle in and see how you feel. Alot of ds places use open table and can be booked that day. No reason to put extra stress on travel day.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

tbh I would abandon any plans of an FP, but if you are just adults travelling then DS is possible if you don't have any delays and you aren't feeling too tired. If travelling with kids I wouldn't even consider it and would just grab some dinner at the resort. We have 3 kids (5,3 and 1), landed at 2.50 pm MCO, got to resort at 5.40, but by the time we checked in and got to the room it was nearly 7, so we stayed at the resort for dinner.

Its just the two of us considering it and we are both usually night owls, if we had children I agree it would be too much. My parents aren't joining us that evening.

 

[fuse04]

For me, staying at AKL, I would eat at Boma but that is one of my favs and what a great way to start the holiday, and if you have two week tickets in hand, book FP for that evening at whaevre park you like....it doesnlt matter if you donlt use them but the choice is there is you want to.

 

[wrestler72]

In my experience dinner in a nice restaurant on arrival day is not a good idea. Falling asleep over your plate is not exactly pleasant. We always go to a park. Epcot is our park of choice for the arrival day. Get some fast passes and enjoy rides (and you do not fall asleep on Soarin’).

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

We just stay at the resort on arrival day... unpack, look around and have a quick service dinner. However young and energetic you are you can’t not be affected by the long travel day so I always think it’s a waste of a theme park and a waste of a table service credit trying to do anything that night.

 

[disneyholic family]

Its just the two of us considering it and we are both usually night owls, if we had children I agree it would be too much. My parents aren't joining us that evening.

it really depends..
sometimes we are so exhausted, the thought of anything, even eating, is less than appealing and all we want to do is hit the sack..
other times, we head over to DS to take our first hit of Earl of Sandwich (one of our favorites).
You can play it by ear.
DS has lots of good counter service places to choose from these days.
My best friend loves that pig place, what's it called? the polite pig?
anyway, there's lots to choose from in counter service, so no need to plan in advance..
if you have the energy, you can head on over.....if not, not...

 

[1nfrequent]

I agree with the other posters - a lot depends on how your flight is, whether you eat a lot on the plane and if it gets in on time (sometimes they arrive early but the plane could equally be a little late depending on congestion at the departing airport, wind conditions and congestion at Sanford). I wouldn't take a risk on making a reservation only to find that you're not going to make it.

Gotta say that when I go, I usually don't want anything more than a snack on the first night (although it does mean using up a day on your ticket) but I do like to go to the parks first night to wander around the rides and there's a lot of choice for snacks and restaurants at Epcot so I would get a fast pass if possible just so the option's there (plus it's easier to cancel a fast pass or not use it without fear of consequences).

1F

 

[Ellie Webbs]

Thanks all. I definitely won't be booking a meal but I may try and get a soarin FP which I can cancel if we get in late. If not hubby wants to visit chicken guy at some point so that could kill two birds with one stone ( pun totally intended)

 

[GirlDreamer]

Last time we flew direct to MCO so landed around 3 O'clock and then went to DS as soon as we were checked in. It was nice going there, but we were so exhausted from the travel that we only stayed long enough to eat.

 

[Haz23]

We had planned to go to DS once we had checked in at our resort on our most recent trip, but the weather was awful and we were pretty wiped out from the travel, so we just grabbed some food at the quick service and took it back to our room. I wouldn't make solid plans ie FastPass or dining reservations on arrival day but just see how you feel!