Arrival Day on a Saturday

[iheartdisney]

We typically arrive on a Thursday or Friday but this trip we have to arrive on a Saturday - on Memorial Day weekend, no less! Our family tradition is to visit MK as our very first park of the trip and the very last park of our trip. This has worked fine in the past since we never arrive or leave on a Saturday (historically a very busy day at MK).

Since I'm the only one in our family that is even aware this tradition exists and with my husband HATING large crowds I'm wondering if we should deviate from this plan this year? What do you think? We're staying at Beach Club and will arrive about 11am on Saturday May 23.

Any and all advice is appreciated!

~Maureen

[mjm12000]

I am arriving the same day as you! Anyhow we get in later in the evening so we will be lucky if we can get to a park upon arrival but if we do it will be the Magic Kingdom. I figure even if we just get to go through the gates, and walk up to the castle it is still a magical way to begin a WDW vacation. So my vote would be busy or not go to Magic Kingdom first as a way of welcoming your self home to the Magic of WDW.

[DisneyGlutton]

I would avoid MK on a Sat like the plague if you can, tradition or no, especially that weekend. I voted for a nice meal at Epcot, because a. I love Epcot and b. I love to eat and c. starting your trip with a nice meal is a good start to me. However, maybe after your nice meal at Epcot you can hop on the monorail and visit MK for a couple hours at the end of the night.

[bshaw96]

We're arriving on a Saturday afternoon too, though not that one. I'm going to MK first, no matter what :mickey: It was my plans to take it easy, then maybe go over for the Wishes show. Now with the cutbacks on the shows, I don't know. But I'm still not at Disney until I'm on the monorail heading to the kingdom. I'm so excited!!!!!!!

[Tick-Tock]

I would avoid MK on a Sat like the plague if you can, tradition or no, especially that weekend. I voted for a nice meal at Epcot, because a. I love Epcot and b. I love to eat and c. starting your trip with a nice meal is a good start to me. However, maybe after your nice meal at Epcot you can hop on the monorail and visit MK for a couple hours at the end of the night.

:exactly:

[wwebber]

I'm having the same problem! My boyfriend and I will be arriving on a Saturday morning as well, staying at the Wilderness Lodge. He has NEVER been to Disney World and I haven't been since I was young. I want to go to MK first, especially so he can get the full experience, but I know it will be really busy! I don't know if it would be better to spend a well rested full day there on Sunday or Monday or kick off the trip right with a half day at MK. I hope lots of people can provide opinions on this, because I'm torn!

[Cinderelley]

Have you considered just enjoying the resort and Boardwalk your first afternoon/night. Then hit MK on Sunday. You'll get to maintain your tradition of MK being your first park, and it won't be on a crazy holiday Saturday.

[mrsgaribaldi]

I would avoid MK on a Sat like the plague if you can, tradition or no, especially that weekend. I voted for a nice meal at Epcot, because a. I love Epcot and b. I love to eat and c. starting your trip with a nice meal is a good start to me. However, maybe after your nice meal at Epcot you can hop on the monorail and visit MK for a couple hours at the end of the night.

I agree 100%:thumbsup:

[Beast_fanatic]

If that's the weekend of Memorial Day, I too would avoid the Magic Kingdom on Saturday. If you have park hoppers, you might try it early on Sunday before the crowds get too big. Maybe make a breakfast ressie in the park for before it opens - that way you get to walk down a virtually empty Main Street.

[Tink#64]

Our arrival day tradition is to head over to DTD for some shopping & dinner & then back to the resort for some pool time & then unpack & get ready for the next day which is our first park day & always MK! :thumbsup:

[yjgirl32]

We would be at DHS- only because we are HUGE Star Wars Fans!

[wdwfansince75]

We have done Saturday arrivals several times, in mid to late June....and MK is always the first park....
If it is early enough, we try for FP's for Splash, and head to PoTC....or HM....then, we head for Tomorrowland, and try for FP's for Space Mtn or Buzz...and all ride the TTA...and do CoP....
Our last night, which is often a Friday night, we do just about the same thing....MK, for Splash, PoTC, HM, CoP, TTA, and (if possible) Space and Buzz....
By the way, we did this on our last night, even when the last night was Friday, July 3.....

[KylesMom]

We too have the long-standing tradition of hitting MK as soon as we arrive unless it's a Star Wars weekend. This year, we plan on dropping in on SWW first to get the "lay of the land", pick up any collectible merchandise, get a schedule, and then . . . we'll head over to MK. It just doesn't feel like the beginning of our vacation until we've stopped in to the MK, even if it's just for awhile! :mickey:

I should also add that while my DH wants to be where the "big crowds" aren't, he is the one who insists we stop by MK on Saturday each trip!

[DDuck66]

I suggested Epcot. It is open later than a lot of the parks, so you can get a lot done even though you will not get to the parks at opening. I would tend to stay away from MK on Saturday. I know a lot of the locals (I'm guilty) will make a day trip to the MK on Saturdays.

[tinksmom02]

We always arrive on a Saturday. We've done DHS on arrival day, because it's typically a 1/2 day park for us. Now, because of TSM, we have to do DHS on a day when we'll actually be there at opening, in order to grab FPs.

A couple trips we did MK on arrival and it was a madhouse.

Once, I think, we avoided the parks altogether and explored the resort and hit DTD.

I like the idea of EPCOT first, though...that's what I voted for. Seeing as how you'll be there on a busy weekend, EPCOT can better handle crowds than the other parks (from what I've heard).

[Septbride2002]

I voted for Animal Kingdom - I prefer to get there in the late afternoon and close the park. So many people do that park first thing in the morning and it is empty in the late afternoon into evening. We walked on EVERYTHING including EE and the animals are also active towards the end of the day - unless you are traveling in the middle of summer.

~Amanda

[GrmGrninGost]

MK! Tradition is tradition after all! :mickey:

[dtootsie42]

Our arrival day tradition is to head over to DTD for some shopping & dinner & then back to the resort for some pool time & then unpack & get ready for the next day which is our first park day & always MK! :thumbsup:

This is also our tradition. We try to arrive during the week but this year, if everything continues to work out for a trip, we will be arriving on a Saturday and after much discussion we have decided to stick with usual plan. With the economy not sure how much shopping we will do this year but hey, we did not even think we could do Disney this year so cutting back on shopping is fine with us.

Dec. 1997---Contemporary
Dec. 1999--Poly
June 2000--Disneyland
Dec. 2001---Poly Concierge
Dec. 2003---Poly Concierge
Dec. 2005---Poly Concierge
Nov. 2007---Poly Concierge
Oct. 2008--DisneyLand

[Wishmaker]

We typically arrive on a Thursday or Friday but this trip we have to arrive on a Saturday - on Memorial Day weekend, no less! Our family tradition is to visit MK as our very first park of the trip and the very last park of our trip. This has worked fine in the past since we never arrive or leave on a Saturday (historically a very busy day at MK).

Since I'm the only one in our family that is even aware this tradition exists and with my husband HATING large crowds I'm wondering if we should deviate from this plan this year? What do you think? We're staying at Beach Club and will arrive about 11am on Saturday May 23.

Any and all advice is appreciated!

~Maureen



I always wait ever so patiently for a full day at MK. Therefore arriving on Saturday we enjoy the future world at epcot on the evening of our arrival. We save MK for the morning, watching the opening ceremony and it is on! :cloud9:

[TinkerMel]

I voted for Magic Kindgdom just because we can't possibly begin a Disney vacation without the excitement of strolling down Mainstreet with the castle in sight. I sometimes wish I could be more flexible, but I just can't. We may only stay for a bit, but we gotta do it!

[iheartdisney]

Thanks for everyone's responses! I'm leaning towards having a great meal at EPCOT then taking the monorail (an main attraction for my boys) to Magic Kingdom later in the day. I just can't seem to let go of seeing the castle on my first day. But I'm wondering....

With Star Wars weekend and MK being open till 11pm that night...any chance that MK will be thinning by early evening?

Septbride......when you've visited AK later in the day....won't it be really crowded in May? We've never done AK as a second half of the day park - always first thing in the morning. We might try this, this trip!

Thanks everyone!

[Beast_fanatic]

With MK being open until 11, I would not expect the crowds to thin out in the early evening as people without park hoppers will choose that park and stay there late.

As far as animal kingdom being less busy later in the day, we felt that way too on our December trip. A lot of people consider it a half day park, so they come early and then finish off the evening at Epcot.

[tjstrike]

We usually don't go to the parks our 1st day, by the time we're checked in and set up we're so tired that we just head to DTD and look around, catch a bite to eat and head back to FW to catch a good night sleep so we can be up early the next day.

[crazygoalie39]

We always go to MK our first night and just relax. We hardly ride anything and just soak up the atmosphere and then catch spectro and wishes.