Hello Season! Thanks so much for bringing your question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! On the days that my family does not visit the parks, we love nothing more than exploring all of the amazing Walt Disney World Resort hotels!
If you want to experience some transportation unique to the Walt Disney World Resort, I would recommend that you do a self-guided tour of the resorts located on the Monorail loop, starting with dinner at Disney's Contemporary Resort. If you are looking for a character meal,
Chef Mickey's never disappoints, and I have heard fantastic things about
The Wave... of American Flavors. If neither option quite appeals to you, the
Contempo Café is a cafeteria-style restaurant with a great Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Season, if you are driving to Disney's Contemporary Resort, parking is not guaranteed without a
dining reservation and is dependent on parking lot capacity. If the parking lot is full, no worries, simply park at the Transportation and Ticket Center and hop on the monorail.
Once finished, step back on the monorail, and you will be whisked away to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. If you would rather dine here both,
1900 Park Fare and the
Grand Floridian Cafe are great options. In the evenings, a full orchestra often sets up in the lobby and plays some Disney classics.
From there, you can either take the walking path or the monorail to Disney's Polynesian Resort. The beach at Disney's Polynesian Resort is arguably the best spot to view fireworks outside of the parks, as they even play the soundtrack in time with the show! From here, you will also be able to view the
Electrical Water Pageant! While you are visiting Disney's Polynesian Resort, don't forget to grab a signature Dole Whip for dessert from the
Pineapple Lanai.
Season, I hope that this gave you some ideas on how to spend your arrival night. Please come back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel if we can be of any help in planning your magical vacation!
Sarah B.