Arriving before your start date

Hi all,

Hope you're having a great xmas. We'll be together this time next year!!

I just wondered who was planning on arriving before their start date. I'm thinking of arriving a day or 2 before so that I can go and buy my bedding. From what I understand we have to supply our own, is this right? I don't want to find that I haven't got time to go and buy it and have to spend my first few nights just sleeping on a mattress!

Happy New Year to you all. 2011 is gonna be the best year yet! xx

 

Hey Amanda,

My start date is 1st Feb and I'm still not sure whether to fly out on 31st Jan and stay somewhere cheap on iDrive just to have an afternoon of taking care of errands like bedding.
Either that or I'll just nick a few blankets/pillows from BA and use those for the first night

 

Id suggest going a day or 2 early. That wy youll have to time to settle a bit and you will be able to make sure you have everything you need. You might realize last minute you forgot something even simple like a toothbrush. THat way also you can make the trip to walmart to get bedding etc before moving into your apartment. Its a hassel really to get in, start to set up and then have to be off to Walmart half way through etc. Best get it sorted the day before and then your good to go

 

I arrived the day of and never found it to be a problem. We arrived, got a welcome package from Vista Way, got dropped off at our apartments in Commons, took a look around, made a list of everything we needed (bathroom supplies, bedding, how much cupboard/fridge space we actually got) and then headed off to walmart, came back and set things up before going for a group dinner. I don't think I felt rushed at all? It was also nice bonding over walmart shopping haha. Going back if I were driving I would arrive a few days early, but if you are staying in a hotel without a car, you're going to have to taxi to walmart, then back with all your stuff, then taxi from the hotel the next morning with all your luggage plus all your shopping to Vista Way..and they don't let taxis inside the gates, and from what I remember it's a bit of a walk from the front gates to the Welcome Center... lugging everything with you. Then back to either Commons or Patterson with everything to find your apartment. I'd say for sure go early if you have a car, but it's not really necessary...

 

Kate said it perfectly!
There`s no rush at all that day. I arrived the night before but stayed in a hotel. I think I was in my apartment by 12pm at the latest and back from walmart by 3.

Cabs can get expensive especially in the first few days if you don`t have a car. Money can be tight in the first month because theres so much spending and very little money coming in.

I would suggest arriving the day before and just relax, get used to the heat lol. Running around your first day makes it all the more real.

 

Completely agree with Kate and Ashley!

You really don't need to come out early. The Walmart buses run late, and I packed a blanket and a thin pillow just in case I couldn't get there, but I really could have gone on my first day and I didn't even get to my apartment until 8pm! (I didn't go the first night because there happened to be a free food event at Patterson, but that's not the point).

I don't think it's really worth the extra money that you'll spend coming out a day early just to buy bedding. In perspective, you're going to spend money on a hotel, money on cabs to and from a local walmart, or the local Ikea, and potentially more money on a more expensive flight, so all things considered, I'd rather keep the extra £100 or so and convert it into dollars for your Universal Pass if nothing else!

I know the last arrival group all came a week or so early to meet up and get to know eachother and have fun in Orlando before they started, so that makes sense, but seriously, it's way more hassle to come early than you think it'll be on the day.

 

Now I know that it is not necessary to arrive early just to buy some things like bedding or food... But, if it is recommended to arrive the start date at noon some of us should arrive a day before?... This is because the flight from Mexico to Orlando is 11.30 am to 4.30 pm I guess (as example)...so i definitely I won't be arriving at noon... What do you think about that??... In this way is a good idea to arrive a day before??....

 

My flight was 1pm UK time, and it landed at 6:30 US time. I didn't get to vista until about 8:30pm and still had plenty of time to go to Walmart. You don't have to arrive at noon, but you can't arrive any earlier, that's all.

 

A couple guys from my arrival date arrived in the middle of the night because there flights were cancelled due to snow! Disney will just be glad you showed up

 

when i went i flew o the day got into orlando around 5ish got taken to a little interrogationm room with a few other girls where we sat and waited for what seemed like hours bit was about 45 minutes to be questioned by immigration on everything form our visa to our jobs to whether we were going to leave the country at the end of our visa etc.

i flew out with 2 other people - 1 of whom i had cvhatted to on the forums in fact we both stayed at same hotel in london night before our flight ad met and had a drink and then met in the morning for brekkie and stuff - we bumped into another girl going to disney in departure and cos our flight was quiet she got to join us.

from the forums we also knew of 4 irish girls who were going to be there and another uk girl who was already out there cos her family have a holiday home in orlando.

we all got different complexes which kinda sucked i had commons, and the other 2 had chatham and vista so made a note of each others appt numbers before we split up ad arranged that once we were settled in we would get in touch and hit walmart.

we managed to go shoppig and the out to dinner without rushing things and still got an earlish night to be up at the crack of dawn for the fun filled paper filling day.

when i went out there it was commong for most everyone to arrive on the start date and not before - think arriving before your due to start in order to go shopping etc is a more recent thing?

personally i thik it would be a bigger pain in the butt to stay in a hotel somewhere then have to repack all your stuff plus all your shopping then get a taxi to vista to get ya room info and then bus it over to ya room ad unpack

much easier to arrive the day ur supposed to get ya appt info dump ya stuff make a shopping list and go to walmart - if u arrive late u can get a cab its like $5 each way - u will spend so much more money if u arrive early cos mears will charge u to get to ya hotel (unless its disney resort then u get me for free) then u have to get a taxi to walmart and back then a taxi to vista

 

the only reason why i'll be there 2 days sooner than my start is because i'm driving down there. I have to change alll my license and id so i want a day to do that, and I keep a day if something goes wrong in the ride...if i were flying i would arrived on my start date...

 

im planning on going there a week early with ym mom so we can get some key things for my room, and everything but does anybody have any ideas what i should bring for when i start?

 

Hey David!

I'm having the same dilemma. I was adamant i was gonna arrive on the 1st Feb and move straight into the apartment, but now I'm wondering whether it'll be a good idea to arrive on the 31st Jan and get a cheap hotel that night & then get a taxi to the Commons the next day. I want some proper rest since my impressions are that it's pretty hardcore the first couple of days you get there with the early starts.

what did you decide on in the end? Do you know of any hotels nearby to the commons? and whether the Mears shuttle bus would even take us there?

it's nice to know i'm not in all of this alone!

Meena x

 

David, Meena & everyone...

It's seriously not worth coming out the night before your arrival date, especially if you will only be staying one night. If you were coming, say, 5 days before, I could completely understand, but in all honesty the money you'll be paying is not worth it. It is way more hassle than it's worth to lug all your stuff from the airport, to the hotel, go shopping on your own - having to pay for taxis etc - and then lugging all your suitcases PLUS all your shopping to your apartment, when you haven't even seen it yet! The program guide that they give you in your first couple of days will inform you of all the basics that you should have equipped in your apartment, so there's no point buying anything for the apartment until you're sure of what's there! Anything that's missing you can request from housing. The afternoon of your first day of paperwork-filling-in you can take a bigger trip to walmart because you'll have access to the free buses, and you'll have unpacked your suitcase, which you can then use as a big shopping bag to bring all your new stuff back with you. I'm really not sure where this idea of coming out a night early has come from, but it's frankly going to hinder you more than help, not least financially.

I'd also suggest that you might benefit from coming on your arrival date and meeting your ENTIRE arrival group as there's not that much scope to meet people from other nationalities outside that, and you could well miss out on some incredible friendships because your relationships with the fellow UKers (or Canadians, Norwegians... etc - wherever you're from) that you came out early with are too well established.

Basically, my advice is come out on the day Disney has given you. I came out completely on my own and I'm absolutely fine now, so you simply won't miss out on anything.

Additionally, there's a lot of talk of people getting taxis to Commons. Don't. Your paperwork says you have to check in at Vista Way, and you do need to. There's also NO guarantee you will be in Commons. I got put straight into Patterson! So whilst it is indeed, very likely you will go to Commons, you will not know this until you check in. Security at Commons won't have your key even if you are assigned a room there, and they won't let you in without the housing access pass that you can only get when you check in. Save yourselves the hassle, take Disney up onthe Mears discount, and come straight from the airport to Vista.

Very much looking forward to meeting you all though - I know a couple of people in the 1st Feb arrival group, so it'll be nice to meet you all!

 

Hey Terri,

Thanks so much for the heads up, it's nice to hear from someone that knows what they're talking about since they've been through it all already! I was thinking about the whole 7am wake up time, too, it will be midday in the UK...Hmm...

I suppose my case is a little different since I have an illness called Lupus & one of the main symptoms is chronic fatigue, so resting up is a huge priority on my list, otherwise I'm afraid i might be a completely out of the loop physically & mentally for the first week & for traditions. I could potentially arrive on the arrival date, but at the same time, wonder whether it'll be worth getting that extra day or 2 of rest. Sorry, 'thinking' out loud!

The first week I presume is mad hectic though right, Terri? Is it a whole day commitment the day after arrival? or are you done pretty early in the morning?

Thanks for your help! Looking forward to meeting you, too! x

 

Meenie, I suggest you go check out my blog, but especially my calender. I put all the times of all my meetings, and then of all my work shifts since training. Just go to www.mydisneyjourney.co.uk then click on calender at the top, and scroll back to November. My arrival date was November 2nd.

 

Hey Meenie,

The first couple of days aren't hectic at all. As long as you're up for the sessions in the mornings, you'll find yourself twiddling your thumbs quite a lot. The first day is a couple of hours of form-filling-in and then the rest of the day is free, so you could go back to bed if you wanted to! The second day is pretty easy as well, a lot of bits and bobs, picking up housing IDs and more forms, but again, early finishes and nothing too taxing. The rest of the week is easy as well. You'll have a day off at least somewhere in there, but Traditions, e-learning and Discovery Day are all really simple. It's not til you get into the pavilion and you're training that things get tiring. I would simply advise early nights for the first few weeks. Your arrival group will probably be tired as well, and will want early nights, so you might find yourselves having early evening meals together and spending the afternoons places, but just make sure you manaer the jet-lag in the first week and you'll be fine!

 

Hey Vikki, thanks so much for the link. I checked out your calender for the first few days & it has actually put me at ease. I suppose with these things it's always fear of the unknown...? Thanks so much, it really helped me out. I'll be fine!

And Terri, thanks ever so much, it's nice to know that I'll have some early finishes to get rid of my jet lag. I'm booking my flight for the arrival date

Seriously guys, thanks so much for your help!

 

Just be sure to actually use that free time wisely. You don't want to spend all your time at home, as you'll look like a party pooper, but you also want to be awake. I actually spent one of my afternoons sleeping, and thankfully it was a day that my arrival group hadn't really organised anything for. I did feel a little left out when I heard what they'd done (not that I can now remember), but I didn't mind when I was fine the next day and they were all yawning still!

 

The first days for me were AMAZING. Late nights Early Mornings. New people from around the world at every turn. I found I was extremely tired some days, however the memories that I made with my arrival group will last a life time. Lol, Have fun don't be afraid to let loose and go to some parties. As long as you show up in the mornings and you had a good time the night before for me was all that mattered.