Marathon Weekend 2018

[Barca33Runner]

Happy Sunday! As always Sundays are for Disney.

Today’s Sundays are for Disney question: what’s the first thing you do when you arrive on Disney property? Hang out at the hotel? Head to the parks? Find something to eat? Something else?

It usually depends on my trip and my timing. The last trip I arrived after 6 PM and hadn't really eaten all day (I don't eat before getting on airplanes. I have a dislike of public restrooms and, particularly, ones with a captive audience. Intestinal distress in such a situation is my nightmare.) so I looked for something to eat. I had planned to eat at the parks the time before that, but I ran out of charge on my phone and ate at the food court while it charged and then headed for a night at the parks. Same plan last time, but it was a much later window and it was pouring rain so I figured I'd just grab something and prepare for the next morning. That first trip was my ideal plan: Plane lands between 2-3 PM, DME to resort, room ready for carry-on drop off, straight to the buses to hit the parks. Unfortunately, I made the amateur mistake with my phone.

Not sure practicality will allow such trips in the future. I had an AP for the last year because of the 13 months for the price of 12 deal they ran last year that allowed me to encompass two Marathon Weekends with one AP. It made the decision to make a couple quick trips throughout the year a little more economically plausible. I'm not sure renewing my AP is a good plan for me right now, so I don't think those trips will be as likely in the future with the added cost of tickets.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

ATTQOTD: Since the only time I ever go to Disney is for Marathon Weekend, the Expo is the first thing. DW will drop me off at the expo on our way in and she'll head to the resort to check in. I'll goof off at the expo and liquid carb load long enough to ensure that I have no part in the check-in or the moving of 1000 lbs. of stuff from the car to the room.

Then I'll take the bus from the Expo to the resort and if the weather is good, head to the pool/hot tub. It's been so long since the weather's been bad, I'm not sure what I do in that case.

We drive down from north of Atlanta and break the trip into 2 days, so we usually arrive around 1 PM.

 

[Sailormoon2]

Totally with @rteetz I head right for the parks-ideally HS to ride my favourite-TSMM!!! I will be doing the same when I arrive for Dopey, BEFORE heading to the Expo.

 

[RENThead09]

Parks to get my ride on and grab a bite!
Usually pick by what FP are available and if there are fireworks that night.
DHS-TSMM and whatever is actually open
MK-BTRR and Pecos Bills
AK-FOP and canteen
EP-FOOD

new non-stop from PDX usually means landing at 3pm and getting to the hotel 4-430.

 

[PCFriar80]

Today’s Sundays are for Disney question: what’s the first thing you do when you arrive on Disney property? Hang out at the hotel? Head to the parks? Find something to eat? Something else?

We typically arrive mid to late morning for our trips, so we have 3 plans based on current conditions:
Plan A: If the weather is nice, we'll hang by the pool.
Plan B: If the weather is not pool worthy, we'll walk around Epcot.
Plan C: If it's the Wednesday of Marathon weekend, we'll head to the Expo!

Plan C will be in play on our next trip.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Really depends on the trip.

On RunDisney trips, I take a half day off work and we get to Disney around 2pm so we head to the Expo then to the hotel for checkin and then dinner at Disney Springs or hotel.

On non-RunDisney trips we usually arrive at like 7pm/8pm after a day of work so it’s dinner at the hotel or a nearby hotel.

We aren’t go go park people.

 

[FFigawi]

Today’s Sundays are for Disney question: what’s the first thing you do when you arrive on Disney property? Hang out at the hotel? Head to the parks? Find something to eat? Something else?

Recently, most of our trips have been for dinner, so we'll hit Trader Sam's before taking the monorail over to V&A. We get our park time in the next morning.

 

[lhermiston]

SAFD: Depends on when our flight arrives. This year, we got in early afternoon, so we dropped our carry-ons off at Pop and went straight to MK. The Magic Express makes checking in sooooo easy.

The trip before that we got in late enough in the afternoon that it wasn’t worth going to the parks. Instead, we took the boat from POR to Downtown Disney, shopped a little and had dinner at Ohana. It worked out that we were able to watch Wishes from our table.

So, it depends on when we arrive, but I try to make sure we have something to do away from the hotel.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Every trip for us is different, so we have no set pattern. We do whatever works for us based on what is going on when we get there.

 

[bcarey2k]

Arrivals seem to be always different for me too ....my last day is always the same ... Rose and Crown for a couple of Black and Tans ... fish and chips from that little kiosk next door .... even this weekend for my crazy short run-cation, it will happen on Sunday!

 

[drummerwife]

The first thing I have to do is unpack and put everything away. I never feel like I can rest or start my vacation until everything is organized.

 

[jeanigor]

Today’s Sundays are for Disney question: what’s the first thing you do when you arrive on Disney property? Hang out at the hotel? Head to the parks? Find something to eat? Something else?

Depends on the trip. Sometimes straight to the expo before checking in, sometimes unpack and putz around, sometimes food is the only thing that matters (and by food I do also mean a drink).

 

[Sonyamalexander]

SAFD: I typically take a 7am flight to get me on property by 10am. I drop my stuff off and I’m in a park foelr the day!

 

[ZellyB]

Like others said, sort of depends on arrival time, but we usually cannot do a park on arrival day. Hoping this year is different. If our flights get in on time, we plan to do a quick drop off at the resort and then head into the park. I've got dinner reservations with a Rivers of Light package, so hoping no major flight delays this year like we had last year.

 

[rteetz]

Like others said, sort of depends on arrival time, but we usually cannot do a park on arrival day. Hoping this year is different. If our flights get in on time, we plan to do a quick drop off at the resort and then head into the park. I've got dinner reservations with a Rivers of Light package, so hoping no major flight delays this year like we had last year.

Tiffins or Tusker House? I did Tiffins. It’s my new favorite restaurant on property.

 

[Keels]

what’s the first thing you do when you arrive on Disney property? Hang out at the hotel? Head to the parks? Find something to eat? Something else?

I seek out the Fairy Godmother and get good wishes for a positive race weekend from her, and then I usually watch fireworks - it used to be Wishes!, but W&D will be my first time around of watching HEA before the start of a race weekend.

I close out every race weekend with Illuminations.

 

[TeeterTots]

Today’s Sundays are for Disney question: what’s the first thing you do when you arrive on Disney property? Hang out at the hotel? Head to the parks? Find something to eat? Something else?

We drive from VA so our first night is usually at the Hilton Disney springs so we hit up Earl of Sandwich and Ghirardellis! Then up early to hit target for the essentials and straight to the resort! From there it's the parks then pool!

 

[FFigawi]

For those of you who have spectated the half or the full in MK, do they make you go through bag check at 6am like a normal park visit?

 

[Simba's Girl]

Happy Sunday! As always Sundays are for Disney.

Today’s Sundays are for Disney question: what’s the first thing you do when you arrive on Disney property? Hang out at the hotel? Head to the parks? Find something to eat? Something else?

My answer: I’m usually one to drop off the bags at the hotel and head right for the parks. Usually when I arrive it’s too early for the room to be ready so no point in waiting around for that.

Depends upon when we arrive, lately we've been finding food first. I'd rather not have early flights (I like my sleep) so we've been arriving late when flying and arrived mid-afternoon when we drove last time.

 

[cavepig]

We got to the parks after checking in!! We were actually just deciding on when we'll do the expo since we fly in Thursday & debated going to it first, but have decided to do Epcot & just hit the expo Friday.