Disney's BoardWalk Promenade |
A little gem off the beaten path is Disney’s BoardWalk
entertainment promenade. One of my top
Disney happy places, it offers something for everyone making it a great place
to visit whether you are traveling with young kids, teens or as a couple. Modeled after the turn of the century East
Coast Shore destinations such as Atlantic City or Coney Island, this quarter
mile boardwalk offers great restaurants, shops and entertainment. It is a short walk out of the International
Gateway in Epcot’s World Showcase or a relaxing boat ride from Hollywood
Studios. Since there is no direct Disney
bus transportation offered between resorts, the quickest access is to take a
bus to Disney’s Boardwalk Resort from a park or Downtown Disney.
There are lots of great dining options along the BoardWalk
with a wide variety of offerings including Kouzzina’s, celebrity iron chef Cat
Cora’s Greek inspired restaurant; Flying Fish, a signature restaurant featuring
upscale seafood dishes; and Big River Grille and Brew Works where you can
sample beers, enjoy some tasty food and what I especially love, outdoor seating
where there is a little more Disney and little less convention feel. The sports lovers in your group will not want
to miss the ESPN Club for food, entertainment and shopping, where not only is
there a wide variety of all American comfort food and beers, there are also 108
TV monitors linked to 25 satellite feeds.
And of course what would a boardwalk be without a sprinkling of kiosks
featuring guilty pleasures such as funnel cakes, corndogs and margaritas! Perhaps the walk along the pier might trigger
your sweet tooth. No worries, as the
Boardwalk Bakery has just expanded with an array of delicious baked goods to
choose from. And just down the promenade
is Seashore Sweets where amongst many candies, you can find the traditional
salt water taffy which you can enjoy while checking out the display of Miss
America pageant memorabilia, both of which helped make Atlantic City famous.
Besides the various food offerings, the BoardWalk offers
entertainment too. In the evenings, you
can find street performers dazzling a gathered crowd with their magic and
balancing acts. There is a small but fun
section of midway games where you can test your skills in an attempt to win a
prize. For a fee, the whole family can also
pile onto a surrey bike for two laps around the BoardWalk. But be forewarned, while most of the
BoardWalk looks flat, there are two hills you’ll encounter and you may want to
think about your pedal power versus weight ratio!! For adults, there are two entertainment
options. The first is Jellyrolls, a sing-a-long
dueling piano bar that is great fun. The
audience shouts out song requests and good luck stumping the two extremely
talented and knowledgeable players. Please
note you must be 21 to enter and there is usually a cover charge. At the end of the entertainment promenade is
Atlantic City Dance Hall, another 21 and over venue where you can dance the
night away to DJ’d music. Typically
there is no cover charge here.
On the BoardWalk, you will find other distractions to while
away the time such as shopping for a Disney souvenir at Thimbles and Threads or
check out Wyland Galleries, a great place to browse nature inspired paintings
and grand dolphin sculptures. There are
stations for caricatures and hair wraps.
And if you are up for a walk around the entire boardwalk that encircles
Crescent Lake, you can check out any of the five resorts which all have
restaurants, lounges and gift shops to explore.
And when the time comes to head back to your resort, you can either use
Disney bus transportation or you can request a taxi from in front of any of the
resorts.
So when you are looking for some night time entertainment and
you’d like an option other than Downtown Disney, try the beautiful and fun
BoardWalk promenade. And you’ll see why
it’s one of my favorite places on Disney property.
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