Yes, we are planning on R Day too. Any pointers for that?
There will be a reception at the Thayer the night before R-Day. It was Texas hot and humid last year. I hope y'all have better weather.
On R-day, in Ike Hall, after your new cadet departs after the 60 second goodbye, there are numerous vendors set up to sell you USMA gear and/or tell you about USMA-related organizations. There will be a vendor selling T-shirts and tote bags with the names of every member of the class of 2019. That line can get long. Look for it and get in line early.
Also, sometime in that morning, in Ike Hall, you will be able to find out your new cadet's Beast company and mailing address. The USPS will have a table set up where you can buy posted envelopes and drop off your new cadet's first letters.
All day, there will be static displays of military equipment in the field between the plain and Trophy Point.
In the afternoon, before the parade, sometime around 1400, the Superintendent or Commandant will give a brief in Ike Hall. They will tell you all about the composition of the Class and a brief overview of plebe year schedule and classes.
Since you will have your new cadet's Beast company, you can look for them in the parade that afternoon. Unless they are very distinctive (tall, female, etc), it's kind of hard to spot them.
You will park in the lots near Michie stadium and there will be shuttles running all day between those lots and Ike Hall.
There are also free bus tours of USMA leaving from Ike Hall. I highly recommend one of these bus tours. The guides are good and it doesn't take long.
Given the above, the time between drop off in the early AM and the parade in the late afternoon is not hard to fill.