Hey Howdy Hey Gerianne and welcome to planDisney!
Looks like you are counting down to the big 30-day mark until your big trip! I bet you all are getting super excited about your Magical vacation. Thank you so much for your question about access to the parks on your arrival day, I will be happy to help talk you through some scenarios.
To your question, YES, you will have access to the parks on the day you arrive and YES, this will count towards one of your theme park ticket days. You would still need to have a
Theme Park Reservation booked to visit the parks as well.
If you wanted to, you are more than welcome to visit the parks on the day you arrive. Depending on the
Disney Resort Collection hotel you will be staying in, you might have the opportunity to take advantage of
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours which are available to all guests staying at Deluxe Resorts. This will ensure you get the most out of your shortened visit to the parks as well as have the ability to tour the parks with reduced crowds.
There are also so many things to do on your arrival day that do not involve theme parks as well. All Disney Resort Collection hotels have so many great accommodations from options at the pools, dining as well as activities such as
Movies Under the Stars to spend a relaxing afternoon and evening at your resort.
You also can visit
Disney's Boardwalk. This quarter-mile is full of great dining options, places to stop in for a quick drink as well as a spectacular view of the Boardwalk itself and the surrounding resorts. Find a spot on the bridge and you might be able to see part of
Harmonious, the nighttime show in EPCOT!
I would also recommend looking into
Disney Springs. This spectacular shopping and dining district has so many great options for dining and shopping. I would highly recommend
Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' for a place to grab some fantastic down-home cooking as well as sample some options they have available at their shine bar!
World of Disney is the largest store that Disney has onsite and I always tend to find things there I never knew I needed! Great way to spend an evening.
I hope you found this information helpful in planning for your arrival day. We cannot wait to welcome you to the Most Magical Place on Earth real soon! If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out, we would be happy to help!
Have a Magical Day,
Nick