Hello, Danielle! It's my pleasure to welcome you to planDisney where like Russell and Carl from UP, we can't wait to explore...
the Walt Disney World Resort!Danielle, as a fellow Pennsylvanian, I understand that travel days rarely allow for early arrival, so let's chat about your question. At this time there are no half-day or evening tickets available other than
Disney After Hours which only operates on select nights. My family and I often have this same conundrum. We don't want to miss one second of the Magic, but as a family of four, we are hesitant to spend money on four park tickets if we can't use them for the full day. On our last few trips, we decided against visiting a park on arrival day and opted to book dinner at a Disney Resort Hotel restaurant and then enjoy touring the grounds or head over to Disney Springs for shopping and dining.
One of my new favorite restaurants is
Steakhouse 71 at
Disney's Contemporary Resort. Located on the bottom floor you'll find a wide variety of delicious dishes including... you guessed it... steak! If you are staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, you can use complimentary transportation to Magic Kingdom Park and then use the walking path over to Disney's Contemporary Resort.
Another great option for adventurous eaters is
Sanaa, located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village. This restaurant has gorgeous views from the giant windows looking out onto the savanna. And... before or after dinner, you are welcome to head outside to the animal overlooks and marvel at the roaming animals (
if you see my favorite giraffe, please say hello).
If you have anyone in your traveling party that loves to shop, my recommendation would be to book dinner at
Disney Springs and then spend the evening bouncing from store to store. At Disney Springs my kids love
T-REX, but my favorite is dinner with a show over at
Raglan Road™ Irish Pub and Restaurant where traditional Irish music and dancing are also on the menu!
Danielle, while likely not the answer you were wishing for, I do hope it's helpful as you're continuing to plan for your upcoming trip. However you decide to spend your first day at the Most Magical Place on Earth, I'll be hoping that it's full of pixie dust!
If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to come on back to your new friends here at planDisney... and remember, Adventure is out there!
Lauren