[IckleHelen]

Hi All

I've heard a WDW holiday is exhausting as you do a lot of walking and there is just so much there that you try to do as much as you can while your there. We are travelling from England so I don't want to go to one of the bigger parks on our first day as we still may be suffering from jet lag and I don't one to miss out. What would you suggest we do on the first day?

Thanks for any suggestions

P.S. We don't have any kids (if that makes a difference! )

[Dana]

Definately go to the MGM first. It's the smaller of the parks and easy to navigate I think. Next smallest would be Magic Kingdom then Animal Kingdom with Epcot being the largest. Just remember to pace yourself and take breaks mid day and all of the parks will be easy to handle. Don't feel pressured into doing everything, because it's impossible to see it all in one trip. That's why we keep going back again and again... Welcome to DC!

[WDWaddict]

I suggest breaking the parks down(at least MK and Epcot) into two days. MGM and AK are pretty much 3/4 day or one day parks and you can go at an easy pace in those two parks. MK isn't the biggest park but there is so much there that we find it a more pleasant experience to have two days for that park so we can go at a more comfortable pace. EPCOT is HUGE! Definately take two days for this one if it is your first time!

On the first day..maybe go to MGM or AK and take it slow..or you can do half day at MK and maybe do the Hoop De Doo review or Ohana's for dinner and watch the fireworks from one of the resort beaches?

[mickaholic4077]

If you have park hopper passes and don't want to waste a day going only a half day due to jet lag,I suggest(if you're staying on-site)looking around your resort,using the pool,and going to Downtown Disney. All those things are free and you just might find that nice souvenir right at the beginning of your trip.

[llama]

Unless you have "Length of Stay" passes, it will be a bit of a waste to go to the parks if you arrive in the late afternoon or evening. If this is the case, I would suggest getting acquainted with the resort, perhaps visiting Downtown Disney or the Marketplace (Pleasure Island requires admission). Have a nice dinner in one of the resort restaurants or at DTD, get to bed early and be rested to begin the next day. If you have a "Length of Stay" pass and don't want to waste a minute, I would suggest one of the smaller parks, Animal Kingdom or MGM. AK is especially easy to complete in a short time.

[BDavis932]

Although MK is not the smallest, I couldn't imagine going to any park but the Magic Kingdom on my first day. Just tackle 1/2 the park, or do the front of the park and then park hop to MGM. I just know that seeing that castle makes my trip official!!!!

[karliebug]

I vote for exploring your resort, downtown disney and then a dinner show (HDD is my fav.) unless you have unlimited hopper passes. If you do have UPH then I'd probably do MGM.

[trilliumB]

Say, how long will you be there, IckleHelen? Where are you staying, what sort of park passes do you have? That info would be a great help in thinking of a recommendation. And welcome to DC! You're going to have a *fabu* time at WDW!!

[IckleHelen]

Originally Posted by trilliumB

Say, how long will you be there, IckleHelen? Where are you staying, what sort of park passes do you have?

2 Weeks

Pop Century (1st week) Villa (2nd week)

10 day World ticket (so we could go to more than one park in a day)

[llama]

If you've got 2 weeks, I would definitely take it easy the first night and get over your jet lag.

[disneyguy]

Yeah, you might not even go to a park that day. Especially if you are suffering fro jet lag.

BTW: Which Villa are you staying???? There is many in WDW.

[IckleHelen]

Originally Posted by disneyguy

BTW: Which Villa are you staying???? There is many in WDW.

It's actually a privately owned one off site (in Davenport).

[MerlinMatt]

Helen:

I have to agree with the folks who suggest that you take it wasy on the first day. You might want to consider taking the bus over to Downtown Disney. There are a number of places to just hang out and relax. If you have more energy, you can head over to Pleasure Island.

How does the "World ticket" work? Does it start ticking the first day you use it?

[IckleHelen]

Originally Posted by MerlinMatt

How does the "World ticket" work? Does it start ticking the first day you use it?

It's valid for 21 days from the first day you use it. I believe it's only open to UK residents (and it may only be a temporary offer).

Just to correct my earlier post, we are actually arriving in the evening so wouldn't be able to go to any parks that day. However, we don't really want a heavy day the first day.

Thanks for all your suggestions so far. MGM has quite a few votes, so we will probably do that first day.

[MerlinMatt]

Originally Posted by IckleHelen

Just to correct my earlier post, we are actually arriving in the evening so wouldn't be able to go to any parks that day. However, we don't really want a heavy day the first day.

OK then, now I get it.

Well, depending on what time you actually check in, you still may want to consider DTD. It's a great way to immerse yourself.

Personally, I think Epcot's World Showcase would be a much better "let's not do a lot" first day. There are so many places to eat and learn about other countries. There are a couple of fun rides (El Rio Del Tiempo in Mexico and Maelstrom in Norway) as well as some decent entertainment and shows. You can liesurely walk around and if you do any shopping, you can have it delivered to your resort's gift shop instead of having to lug it around.

Then, if you feel up to it, you can go over to Future World for some rides. Otherwise you can stroll over to the Boardwalk.

That would be my choice.