In theory, I prefer to have my destiny in my hands and so driving is appealing. The problems with the airlines lately have confirmed that.
But in practice I always fly if it’s just me and DW for distances greater than 3-4 hours. We even fly when we go to Disneyland as a couple.
We always just do hang out on arrival day. Sometimes we arrive later so dinner at a resort and then settle down for the night to be ready to RD in the am. Sometimes we arrive a little earlier and hit up Disney Springs instead. Last trip we arrived at lunch time so Disney springs and mini golf used up the time. We never want to “waste” a park ticket on travel days since we do military salute tickets so have limited number of days.
If ticket days didn’t matter, I’d go to a park.
Since tickets have always mattered for us, I’d settle in to our rental and swim, eat something yummy, and get a good night’s sleep for AM RD.
'Way, 'way, 'way back in the day when the kids were little and prices were, oh, so much more affordable, we would buy park hoppers for the whole length of time that we were there, and then we would go to the Magic Kingdom as soon as we had gotten our stuff settled in the room.
That was a long time ago.
(We would also burn a day of park hoppers in the middle of the vacation so we could have a day off. 
I know. Gulp.)
Now we only get as many park hoppers as we can afford, not one day more, and we’re older and have way less energy than we used to. So now we check in and veg for half a day, and then we start park hopping on the first full day of our vacation.
I kind of miss the old days, but the new way of doing things is also very nice. The Disney resorts are seriously nice. It doesn’t suck to spend some time at them.
Rent.
Stop at Buc-cees and that one place in a Carolina - big touristy thing.
Turn your car in.
Fly back.
For me, it’s a certain time of day rather than hours in the vehicle. If I can start at 5 am I can do way more miles than if I start at 10 am. I’m always going to be done about 5 or 6 pm. I can push thru to whenever I need to but it’s tough. I’d rather quit about 5 or 6. Crash in a motel and go again early.
But - we leave WDW better if we can do a little magical fun and then leave about 11 or noon. That first day I can keep going past 5 or 6 ok. 
It really depends on time of day. If it’s afternoon we usually head to a Guest Services to activate our tickets. If we’re at a new resort, we’ll explore.
If we’ve arrived before noon, hit a park.
Yes. 
We’re about 7.5 hours away. I like to drive so that I can pack all I want.
I’m with @OBNurseNH on it being the return trip that gives me pause about driving. I’m in New Jersey and it’s just too depressing to me to imagine the long drive home and back to work at the end of the trip! It would just be two of us, too, so there aren’t as big savings by driving as with a family, etc…
This is good, too.
I don’t enjoy flying, but it gets me to Disney in four hours. And I try to arrive early so I can go to a park AND hang out at the hotel. I’m not a pool person, so my hanging out usually involves spending time on the balcony/patio, or walking around the resort. I find Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge to be the best hangout resort for the things I like to do. Port Orleans Riverside is a nice hangout resort also.
Generally I don’t want to use a ticket on arrival, but next year I’m making a quick trip and hope to spend a couple of hours at a water park (bc free!) and then 
for an after hours event.
You’ve had your arrival day/evening and a good night’s sleep at your resort.
For your first park day do you:
Still no “other”? My true vote is seasonal. I cannot go all day during the heat of the summer – I need that midday break. The rope drop to close days are in milder weather.
Same and also who I’m with. 
Same, really depends on the season. Though I stand by my thought that summer mornings are the worst for me….I don’t mind 95 degrees in the afternoon sun with a bit lower humidity, but 80 degrees with high humidity (like every summer morning) about kills me. I thought that from previous trips, and it was confirmed this time again. The morning (and sometimes evening like the night I was stuck in the porch corner at Summer House with zero air movement during a particularly humid night) is terrible for this no humidity living West coaster.
Dammit! I keep forgetting!!!
Your midday break can be that animatronic thing in the American Pavilion at Epcot. Just keep going back in after it ends.
And Carousel of Progress at MK.
If you were forced to stay…
I would have gladly changed seats if mine was cooler. If I’m mostly still I can stay comfortable.