Planning a vacation to the most magical place on Earth? Here’s what to do on Arrival Day at Disney World!
Depending on when you arrive to Orlando, you might have anywhere from a few hours to a full day to spare. It’s a good idea to have a flexible plan for your travel day.
Here’s some fun ideas for what to do on Arrival Day!
1) Enjoy your Hotel Resort
Of course this depends on where you decide to stay, but most hotel resorts have a pool and plenty to explore.
If you are staying in the Disney Bubble at a Walt Disney World Resort, your hotel resort is sure to have a lot to offer. Disney resorts have lots of great photo opportunities, nice pools, gift shops, fun food options (a food court or table service restaurants), and more.
If you plan to spend a lot of time in the theme park on your visit, then arrival day is the perfect time to enjoy that Disney resort hotel to the fullest!
2) Check out Disney Springs
Disney Springs has a LOT to offer. It’s free to enter and it’s the perfect place to spend a day or even just a few hours.
Disney Springs has shopping, entertainment, and plenty of food! It’s a fun place to explore!
We love visiting the Lego Store to see the giant Lego Creations, grabbing some treats at the Gluten Free Bakery, or having that first Dole Whip of the trip at Swirls on the Water.
Learn about the Best Things to Do with Kids at Disney Springs here.
3) Go to a Water Park
If you have a full day or free afternoon, you might like to check out one of the many Water Parks in the area.
Sometimes Disney Vacation packages will include a free waterpark day, so that’s something you might want to look into. What better way to kick off your vacation than with a pool day!
4) Play Mini Golf
Love mini golf? It’s a great way to kick off your vacation!
You can find mini golf courses in Disney World. There’s the Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Mini Golf near the Swan and Dolphin hotels.
You can also find a Winter Summerland Miniature Golf near Blizzard Beach Water Park.
5) Explore Other Disney Resorts
This is a fun option! If you are staying on Disney Property, you might enjoy resort hopping.
Keep in mind that you often will be turned away from driving into a different resort if you don’t have a dining reservation, but you can take other Disney transportation to resort hop. It just takes a little thought and planning.
For example, if you are staying on the Sky Liner Route, you can resort hop between four Disney resort hotels: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
Each resort has it’s own fun theming and cool photo opportunities. Notably, Art of Animation has some really cool Disney Character statues your kids will LOVE from the movies: Cars, Lion King, Finding Nemo, and The Little Mermaid.
You can also travel to Port Orleans French Quarter via the Disney Springs Boat for Beignets.
6) Prep for your Week
If you have a big week ahead of you, you might rather spend your arrival day prepping for the week. It definitely takes a while to get settled into your hotel room, especially if you have a big family.
Our family uses arrival day to get supplies and groceries for the week. We definitely eat in the parks, but we like to save money on breakfast by eating in our hotel room or grabbing a granola bar to take with us.
We also always bring water bottles into the park as well as some sodas as well. I also keep a few snacks back at the hotel in case we get hungry late at night.
My grocery list usually includes: water, soda, milk, bowls, spoons, napkins, cereal, granola bars, trail mix, chips and whole fruit. This is also a good time to grab anything you might have forgotten to pack like sunscreen or sunglasses.
If you don’t want to go to the store, you can schedule a grocery delivery to your resort. Kroger, Walmart, Instacart, and Amazon all have great delivery options. Bell services can receive your delivery for you.
Things I wouldn’t Do on Arrival Day:
Buy a Park Ticket
Because plane flights can be delayed or car travel can take longer than anticipated, I wouldn’t advise you to buy a park ticket for your first day.
It would be terribly disappointing to have something go wrong and you lose an entire day in the park. If you’re a risk taker, it could work for you, but for my family of 6, the cost is never worth the risk.
Character Meals
Another thing I wouldn’t advise is scheduling a fun character meal for your arrival day. In theory, it sounds like a fun way to kick off your vacation.
But….you will still be charged for the expensive meal even if you don’t show up. A lot can go wrong when you are traveling to cause delays, so I wouldn’t have rigid plans for your arrival day.
Best Options for Arrival Day
The best options for your Disney World Arrival Day are those with flexibility. Any activity that you can easily say “well, that’s not going to happen!”
I’m not saying that you can’t do anything fun, but it’s best to have plans that you haven’t paid for in advance or plans that are refundable.
So, enjoy that resort pool! Take time to explore other resorts. Enjoy a fun meal at Disney Springs. Play a round of mini golf or check out a water park. Or just prep for your fun week ahead.
Whatever you decide, make a flexible plan that won’t stress you out. Start your Disney vacation with a little relaxation!
And as a side note – these fun ideas also work for departure days as well.
More Disney Tips
Looking for more Walt Disney World tips?
Learn all about the Disney Dining Plan here. Learn the pros and cons to decide if it’s right for you.
Check out our favorite things to put in a Disney Park Bag here. Everything you actually need for a great time at Disney.
Find great ideas for saving money at Disney World on Food here. We share all of our best money saving hacks!
Have kids? Here’s how to Avoid Meltdowns at Disney World. All the advice you need for this trip from seasoned parents.
If this is your first time on a Disney Trip, be sure to check out our advice for Disney First Timers here. There’s a learning curve – so let’s get you started!
Have a magical Vacation!
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