>A Relaxing and Fun Experience

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I asked John the question I ask every Tuesday, “What is something that everyone should know about in Disney World?”
His answer:

The Boardwalk.

According to Disney’s Website, “Disney’s BoardWalk is designed after the boardwalks that were famous during the turn of the 20th century along such coastal cities as Coney Island, New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey.” It “contains more than 9,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and nightclubs.” It is connected to the Boardwalk Resort Hotel.

Why should they know about it?

Because of the many different things you can do on the Boardwalk.

What is your favorite thing about the Boardwalk?

Big River

Big River Brew Pub is only one of the four Big River Grilles, to be found outside of Tennessee. It is owned by the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc which owns and operates brew pubs in 29 states and two in Taiwan. It is not a really big place, but it is never really crowded and there is outdoor seating for when it is. They have Awesome Burgers and good Craft Beers.

What is your least favorite thing?

I don’t think I have anything.

Not even waiting for the boat?

I guess, waiting for the boat, but even that is nice.

Even in the Hot summer sun?

Yeah, summer is nice, especially in Disney.

Of course he says this now, sitting in our house when it is 40 degrees outside. When we are actually there, waiting for the boat when the temperature is 95 degrees and the humidity is 95 percent, He whines pretty good  about waiting.

What is the silliest thing you have ever seen on the boardwalk?

Probably one of the traveling entertainers, but those you have to catch at the right time.

Disney’s Boardwalk is the home to some fabulous street performers. There is the Bicycle piano man, Musicale Mark, who is not only good at avoiding running people over, but a funny and talented pianist, that puts on a good show. Besides Musical Mark, there are magicians that do tricks and performers that will play card games with you. There are also jugglers and other street performers that tell stories and draw in crowd members to help them tell jokes and entertain the rest of crowd. And then there are the Sword Swallowers. This both amazes me and creeps me out. But they are fun to watch on the Boardwalk. The Performers on the Boardwalk are there nightly from around seven o’clock until about nine o’clock, rain or shine, but if it is raining, you may have to search for them (Hint: they may be in the Boardwalk Resort Lobby or in a restaurant).

What is the neatest thing that you have seen or done on the Boardwalk?

Hmm, that’s a hard one, The bicycling with the family, which we talked about before in another article.

We did , if you would like to read about John’s advice for boats and Bikes, Click here.

I thought you were going to talk about Staying above the Boardwalk and leaving the drapes open so you could see the lights all around the Boardwalk and the lights at Epcot too.

Yeah, that works. I don’t think about things like that.

What is something that you have done, but don’t need to do again?

Nothing.

I figured here he would say riding the bike all the way around Crescent Lake.

What kind of experience would you describe the Boardwalk as?

A Relaxing and Fun experience, because everyone is relaxed and the music is playing and it’s a nice atmosphere.

What is the best thing to do at the Boardwalk?

Eat, funnel cakes are my favorite!

I’m not even going to comment on this. He is 15. Besides girls, sports and video games, he doesn’t think about much else.

Would you recommend going there at Night or Day?

Night.

Why?

The Lights, the entertainers and the games are open. And you can see fireworks from Epcot.

This is one of our favorite places to see the Epcot fireworks, although you only get to see the ones that are higher up.

Is there anything else people should know?

There are boats to MGM and Epcot.

That would be the Friendship launches that run between the Disney Hollywood Studios and Epcot and stop at teh Epcot Resorts.

Thanks John Boy.

You are welcome.

>Sittin’ on the Dock of Bay Lake

>I was driving in to work this morning and Otis Redding came on the radio:

*”The Very Best of Otis Redding” released by Elektra November 24, 1992

**Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun

I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch ’em roll away again, yeah

I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time

I love this song. Not many  people I know do, but I do. It is a peaceful song to me. In my mind, I can see the sun setting and the ships passing by as I sit out on a pier and enjoy the beautiful weather. I used to go to the Jersey shore in the fall and you can watch the tankers float down the coast to get to the mouth of the Delaware Bay. I enjoyed sitting and watching the water and the ships go by. There aren’t any real piers in Walt Disney World, but there is a Bay Lake, and there are plenty of ships that go by and what a peaceful way to spend a little time, after a morning in the park or even before you head into the crowds? If you need some relaxation, watching the boats is a great way to do it. So, I offer you the Unknown Magic of Sitting and Watching the Boats.

You can enjoy this Magical Experience throughout Walt Disney World. Bay Lake is probably the best place to see many different types of boats. They have the small enclosed yacht-looking boat and then they have the African Queen Design boat. You can see these boats from the beach behind the Contemporary Resort and relax as you watch them. Over at the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness, you can watch them

come and go if you sit out on the boat dock area.

Both of these boats can be found along with the huge ferry boat (the General Joe Potter) in the Seven Seas Lagoon, transporting people to and from the Magic Kingdom. Watching from the Polynesian or Grand Floridian can be a very relaxing way to spend an afternoon, as the kids play in the sand, on the beach that can be a Magical Experience.

One of my favorite places to watch the boats come and go is at the Boardwalk. Here the Friendship launches cruise Crescent Lake and make their rounds from the Epcot Resorts to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. I especially like sitting at Big River Grille & Brewing Works and watching the ships roll in, while enjoying a Burger and a beer. If you prefer the view from the Beach and Yacht Club Resorts, you can get Ice Cream from Beaches and Cream and sit on the dock or on the beach and watch from that side of Crescent Lake and enjoy an equally relaxing time.

I have also spent time in Epcot sitting and watching the Friendship launches ferry people around the World Showcase. If you sit in the areas set aside off the side of the bridge leading toward France from Great Britain, you can enjoy a very peaceful time of sitting and watching the boats.

These may not seem like very Magical Experiences, but anytime our family can take a moment to not rush through our vacation, and actually sit and enjoy each other’s company, I consider it a Magical Experience.

So, now you know, you can take a break from the rushing around during your vacation and enjoy a relaxing time, by watching the ships roll in, and watching them roll away again. It doesn’t seem like much, but every relaxing minute spent with the family is a Magical Experience.

**Lyrics to (SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY

– written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper

>Take the Earliest Flight?

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A man gets on a plan in Philadelphia at 8:00 am. His Resort check in time in Walt Disney World is 3:00 pm. If his plane ride takes a little less than 2 1/2 hours, what does he do with himself, if he is using Disney’s Magical Express to get to the Resort? (Disney’s Magical Express was explained in our post of August 11 called “In Disney”) I know this seems like an odd question, but this happens to many people in Disney World as they are either first coming in, or as they are leaving. They book a flight that lands earlier in the morning or one that takes off later in the day. Then they are at the resort without a room. A lot of them sit around the lobby and wait for their room, or for the bus back to the airport, but that seems like a waste of a Day in Disney to me. So, if you are in this situation what should you do? After you have checked in to your Resort and found your room isn’t ready, you can enjoy the Unknown Magic of things to do when you don’t yet have a room.

The first thing you should do is something I mentioned in a post a while back, check out your surroundings. Find out what your resort has and what you can do there. Take the time to look for the Unknown Magics that it has to offer, things like a beach or a playground for the kids. Then you should decide if your park tickets will cover every day that you are in Disney, if you go to a park, now. If they do, you can always go to a park. We have on occasion gone to a park, at this point, but most of the time, we wait until after we have been in the room, so that we can change and freshen up, then we head out to a park (of course if you have a park hopper, which is the best way to go, you could do both). If you are like us and don’t want to do the park without freshening up, or you don’t have enough days on your tickets, then there are plenty of other options available to you that can lead to Magical Experiences.

You can Hotel Hop (as described in my post of August 17) this is a great way to find different places to eat and maybe a different place to stay on your next trip. You can also go over to Disney’s Boardwalk, and have lunch at any of the great restaurants. Our family stops in at Big River Brewing Company, usually our first day in Walt Disney World, for lunch, it is one of our favorite places to eat. While on the

Boardwalk, you can shop in some wonderful places like Thimbles and Threads or the Wyland Galleries. The Wyland Galleries have some very cool art work and the prices are not as extreme as you would think they’d be. There is also a Wyland Galleries in the Polynesian Resort.

The Polynesian Resort is another great place to go if you are waiting to get into your room. The Kona Café is wonderful for lunch and the Waterfall in the Lobby is a very nice place to sit and relax before a busy Disney Vacation starts. Another thing to do while you’re are waiting for your room, is to ride the Monorail. Disney’s Highway in the Sky is a Magical Experience in itself.

And on the Magic Kingdom Loop you can get out at the Contemporary Resort and enjoy the Grand Canyon Concourse, and at the Grand Floridian you can enjoy the piano playing in the lobby. You can also ride the Monorail over to Epcot and get a sneak preview of the park as the Monorail makes its loop around the entrance to the Epcot Station.

Another fun thing to do as you are waiting is to take a boat ride. If your resort is one of the many Disney resorts that offers floating transportation, this is a great way to learn where it goes. Not only that but it gives you a different view of the Walt Disney World Resort you may miss later in your trip.

If you get to Disney World very early and you have an hour or two before your room is ready, you can go play miniature golf. The Fantasia Gardens Minature Golf Course is near the Dolphin and Swan Resorts. To get there you need to take a bus to any Park and then take one to the Dolphin and the Swan. Winter Summerland mini-golf is connected to Blizzard Beach, so to get there you just need to catch a bus to Blizzard Beach.

Which brings up another option for you if you have a lot of time; you may want to go to either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. If you don’t want to purchase the ticket to either of the water parks, or didn’t have it as an add on to your Park Hopper Pass, then you can enjoy one of the most wonderful things to do for the wait before your room is available, Swim in your Resort’s Pool (I talked about the Resort pools in my article Let’s Take a Dip, back in June).

So, now you know, if you get an early flight and have to kill sometime in Disney before you get into your room, there are some great things you can do to create Magical Experience. So, book that early flight and enjoy your extra half day.

>What is the Unknown Magic Within Walt Disney World?

>For newcomers to the blog, The Unknown Magic within Walt Disney World gives tips and ideas for a first time visitors to Walt Disney World. These are things that most first time guests (and even some return visitors) miss because they don’t know about them. I hope they help you have a Magical Experience or two. If you like the blog, follow us on the Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/32whtwv or on twitter @umwdw
 For returning readers, This was one of my first few blogs that not many people have read. I have made some changes, but this is probably my favorite Unknown Magic in Walt Disney World.

 One of My favorite Unknown Magic is a a place that is not in any park. To get to this place, you actually need to get to the International Gateway at Epcot. It is located just past the United Kingdom Pavilion. As you walk by the Yorkshire County Fish Shop and start up the small hill, you need to stay to the right and walk down the opposite side of the hill. You will pass a small shop and then come to an exit for the park. This is called the International Gateway. You can board a boat here or you can continue walking to get to the Unknown Magic that is my favorite. The Friendship Launches that leave Epcot navigate Crescent Lake, go to Disney Hollywood Studios, the Beach and Yacht Club resorts and The Swan and Dolphin Resorts and to Disney’s Boardwalk. (The other way to get here is by bus. Go to the Boardwalk Resort and then walk around the back of the Resort by going down the stairs.)

Disney’s Boardwalk is behind Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort and Villas and it is free to visit. The Boardwalk is reminiscent of a turn of the 20th century seaside resort town, very much like Atlantic City, NJ. During the day the Boardwalk is usually a quiet relaxed place, with people walking around Crescent Lake and visiting the stores and restaurants. You can also rent surrey bikes for a ride around the quarter mile loop. There are tables and benches around the Boardwalk, where you can sit and enjoy pastries and other goodies from The Boardwalk Bakery or Seashore Sweets. Your food options range from The Pizza Window to Flying Fish Café. There is an ESPN Club at the very end of the Boardwalk that has a bar, restaurant and an arcade where they sell ESPN merchandise. My favorite place on the Boardwalk however is Big River

 Grille and Brewing Works. This Brew Pub is small, but there are tables outside where you can sit and enjoy the view of the Lake. They don’t serve fried food there, so there aren’t any fries served with the burgers, but the food is very good and their crafted beers are wonderful. We consider Big River a must for lunch at least once every trip.

At night the Boardwalk takes on a whole new persona. As the sun goes down, the lights come on and the area becomes electric. There are Performers that come out to entertain and amaze. There are boardwalk or midway games to play and win prizes. There is a nightclub called the Atlantic Dance Hall and a piano bar called Jellyrolls, that are both 21 and over clubs, that are fun, especially with a group of people.

So, now you know, The Boardwalk is a great place to visit and take a well deserved lunch break, or just a mid-afternoon stroll, when visiting Epcot. But at night, as people get caught up in the excitement of the Boardwalk, and the magic seems to come from Boardwalk itself, it seems to have a special quality that makes it a perfect for Magical Experiences.