>Have a Seat Part I

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The Disney Parks planning video, a few years back, featured a couple of actors and a couple of actresses, that gave the rundown of what you could find in the parks, the dining experiences, the recreation and everything else that Walt Disney World offers. My son’s favorite part of the video was the one guy that kept looking for a bench to sit on. Throughout the video he was tired from all that you can do in Disney and wanted to sit down. So, that year on our trip, my then nine year old son looked for the most comfortable bench in Walt Disney World. Over the last few years, I have joined the search. Not for the most comfortable bench, but for a great place to Sit and Relax, in the middle of all the noise and excitement that is the Disney Parks.

In my post of July 11 (called Peaceful easy Feeling) I talked about the great places to ease into your day; the lobby of your Resort, The Boardwalk, and other places to sit and have a cup of Coffee before you start your day in the parks. They were some examples of a Quiet Seat, but they were mostly about where to get a good cup of Joe. The places I’m talking about now are in the parks, they are hidden away on side streets or back roads or even right out in the open, but most people don’t think about them, because who thinks about Sitting and Relaxing when you are in the Parks? As I’ve tried to convince you in the past, many Magical Experiences happen when you take the time to look and listen, a great way to do this is to sit and watch what happens. Over the next few days, I will bring you some Unknown Magical places to actually do this, Sit and Relax, in a Quiet Seat, in the parks, so that maybe you can have a Magical Experience. So, today I offer to you, the Unknown Magic of a Quiet Seat in The Magic Kingdom.

One of my favorite places to Sit and Relax in the Magic Kingdom, is right off of Main Street USA. As you walk up Main Street, on your right and left you have shops that go all the way up the street. But on the right side of the road (facing the Castle) there is a little side street that pops up. This little side street is between the first set of stores and the second. If you head down this alley, you will find a little courtyard that looks as if it would be for the people that must live above it. Before you get to the courtyard, upstairs on the left is the Dance and Sing studio that I have mentioned before as an Unknown Magic that you need to find. As you get into the courtyard though, you will find a few little tables and chairs and a really nice little area to sit and enjoy a little bit of quiet. This is also a great place to sit and enjoy something from the Main Street Bakery, which is in the store to the right as you leave the alley. The last time I was in this little courtyard, I had the Magical Experience of meeting the Mayor of Main Street, Mayor Weaver and I also got to watch a performance of the Dapper Dans. Both of whom were out on Main Street as I was walking out of the alley after taking a short break.

Another wonderful place to Have a Seat and Relax, early in the day, in the Magic Kingdom is the little seating area across from the Plaza Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor, which is at the very end of Main Street on the Tomorrowland side of the road. It does get a little busy later in the day, but earlier in the day, before everyone starts to decide to eat, it is a nice place to sit down by the water and enjoy a view of the castle. There are also colorful White and Yellow umbrellas to keep you out of the Florida Sun.

A very quiet place to Sit and watch the world go by is across the way from this area, almost to the castle. There is a walkway that leads to the entrance of Tomorrowland, and off this walkway, there is a path that leads down to what used to be the old Swan Boat Dock. It isn’t always open, but when it is there is a bench down this way that is very nice place to Sit and enjoy a moment of quiet relaxation.

When you are around the back of Cinderella Castle, looking toward Fantasyland, there is an almost hidden path to the right of the Castle. If you walk down this pathway, you first will pass a very neat looking fountain (with the characters from Cinderella all around it), then you will come to a clearing that looks has wooden log benches. This is the area where, as of this writing, Story time with Belle takes place, but soon will be a meet and greet area for Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder from the new movie Tangled. When Belle isn’t telling stories here, it is a very quiet place to sit, mainly because most people don’t even know about this pathway.

Across the park, In Frontierland, there are some mighty nice benches to sit and enjoy a break. Some aren’t very quiet, but others are so Unknown, you could probably sit there and read a book while your baby takes a much needed nap, it is that quiet. The not so quiet benches are directly across from the entrance/exit to Big Thunder Railroad. Although they aren’t quiet, they are somewhat shaded and offer a good place to sit and wait out family members that are riding both Big Thunder and Splash Mountain. The Unknown place to sit and relax is on Tom Sawyer Island. Not many people that have been to Walt Disney World before think about going over to Tom Sawyer Island, because although it is a neat place to roam around and relax, people figure there are other things to do besides roam around caves and things and if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it. This is what makes this a great place for a sit down. With so few people that really come through this attraction, it is quieter and there are some very nice areas to sit and relax.

Probably the Most used place to Sit and Relax, that is Unknown to many people, is the Walt Disney World Railroad. The Railroad has three stops, Main Street USA, Frontierland, and (at the time of this writing) Mickey’s Toontown Fair. The Railroad is a great place to sit and relax, because there is nothing else to do, but watch as the Magic Kingdom goes by. There are many visitors that never ride the Railroad and miss out on a Magical Experience because of it. On the Walt Disney World Railroad, you won’t just enjoy the Unknown Magic of Sitting and Relaxing, but you will also get to see some things that you wouldn’t if you didn’t ride the Railroad.

So, now you know, there are places to find a Quiet Seat, in the Magic Kingdom. Places where you can Sit and Relax and take a breather when you need one. The places I talked about aren’t the only ones, there are others. To find them, you need to look around and take the paths and alleys where everyone else isn’t. Then maybe besides finding a quiet place to sit, you can find a Magical Experience.