Downtown Disney & boardwalk?

[jenjie]

I'm going to Disney from March 11-15, staying off-property. We will be there 5 days, but will only have 4-day park hopper passes. We're arriving at the airport at noon. We need to visit Wal-mart for a few groceries and hopefully 2 umbrella strollers. With 2 little ones needing a nap after waking up at 4:30 am, I figure that wouldn't be a good day to visit the parts.

My thought is to spend some time in Downtown Disney. I haven't been to WDW since 1996 so could use a reminder. Is there much to do there besides shop? I saw somebody had mentioned the kids playing in the Lego store. (my kids are 4 1/2 and almost 3)

Also I read about being able to see the fireworks from the Boardwalk. First of all, would I be able to do this if I'm not staying there? Is that open to everyone? Which fireworks can you see? I'm assuming Epcot but want to make sure we're there at the right time if we decide to do it. Is the Boardwalk far from Downtown Disney? Would it be worth it to do both those things on our first day there? I want to show my kids some Disney magic that first day, even if we won't be in the parks until day two. Although I'm sure just the sight of the World of Disney store (is it still called that?) should do it for them, LOL.

Thanks for any help you can give!

~Jen

 

[wild01ride]

Downtown Disney can be a great way to spend the day- including kids. There is so much to do and browse through both in the Marketplace and West Side. There are definitely good places to eat whether you want a sit-down place or to pick up a quick bite (Wolfgang Puck's "a la carte" place- name???- is good for a quick bite).

As far as Boardwalk goes, the kids would probably like the Boardwalk itself, the lawn facing the water, the Surrey Bike Rental (4-wheel bikes that seat either four or six) and the animals (ducks, seagulls, etc.) However, there isn't a lot in the way of stores to keep kids interested. There are a lot of nice places that you might like, but the kids may tire of them quickly.

I can tell you the fireworks are beautiful from there. You can see Fantasmic and Illuminations depending on where you are situated. The times I couldn't tell you- I think it's pretty seasonal.
I'm also not sure about Boarwalk access for non-resort guests. I believe that there is a parking lot for non-resort guests there (can anyone help me out here?:veryconfu )

Hope that helps. You'll get a lot of enjoyment from both if you haven't been to WDW since '96!

 

[Wckd Queen]

We last stayed at the Boardwalk in June of 2000. There were a couple of games on the boardwalk, as you would expect to find on a real boardwalk down shore in Jersey, but no rides, except for the 4~wheel bikes that wild01ride mentioned. I was one of the few adults in line with the little ones for a hair wrap as well :lol: They also had a little show at night..the Boardwalk Buskers or something. They did a little magic/comedy act fit for the family (and yet again, I got dragged on stage by one and had to tie him up with chains :lol: Found out later he was from right near where Im from!) Other than that, I think The Boardwalk is really more for an older crowd. There are some very nice places to eat and even to dance. You dont have to be a guest of the hotel to go onto the boardwalk. Its a nice spot to see fireworks from, and very pretty to walk around but not much action for the wee ones.

Downtown Disney is a great way to pass time. I spent over an hour in the Disney store there alone! :lol: We ate at the Wolfgang Puck place (its not sit~down...you go in and choose what you want, pay and go outside to eat.) I had linguine and oh my it was yummy! They cooked it right there in front of me while we waited for the pizzas, also made fresh!! It was a little more expensive than other "fast foods" but it was well worth it to us.

In case you didnt know, jenjie, they do rent strollers at WDW for the day. They are pretty big, and I have seen some older kids in them as well as the little ones. Some days, I was wishing they were a bit bigger so someone could push ME around in them! :lol:

Hope you have an amazing time!!

 

[TURKEY]

You can see some of the fireworks from Boardwalk. Not all of Fantasmics or Illuminations fireworks are high enough to be seen. You also won't be able to hear any of the shows, which I think is an integral part of each show.

I'm not sure about what time Fantasmic will be running, but Illuminations will be at 9. That might be a little too late for the kids being up at 4:30.

 

[jenjie]

Thanks to each of you for your comments. . You've all been very helpful. It never occurred to me about the difference the sound would make to the fireworks show. Definitely something to consider, especially if we'll end up missing part of it.

I hope we can eat at Wolfgang Puck's, it made my mouth water just checking out the menu! :slurp:

Wckd Queen I do know about the stroller rental at WDW. It's just that it would cost $60 for 4 days, I think I'd rather buy a few umbrella strollers for $10 apiece and then leave them at the place we stay for somebody else to use when we leave. That's my thought at the moment anyway.

~Jen

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Jen, about Downtown Disney, you MUST go to Rainforest Cafe at least to shop (but eating there's a blast too) i don't know if you've ever been to one of these before (i've only been to one other than the 2 WDW ones) but it's definately a must see with kids! and also their new toy store (you can pretty much take up at least half a day in the Once Upon A Toy Store, World of Disney, and the Lego store!) i'm not sure if your kids would be interested in anything at Pleasure Island or West Side. they may like Disney Quest, but i'm not sure of the age requirements, if there are any. also, do they like circuses, or do you know? in my personal opinion, Cirque du Soleil is great, and i HIGHLY recommend it...but i'm not sure how a 4 1/2 and a 3 year old would take it...it could have the potential of being a little scary for them (especially if they're afraid of clowns) and it is a bit pricey, but so worth every penny!

as for boardwalk, it's connected onto the back of Epcot (there's a sidewalk between the two) so i'm sure you can definately see the fireworks just sitting on the walk. though turkey leg boy is exactly right, you can't see all the fireworks...some of the best are lower to the ground. but i believe you can still hear the music fairly well. and you don't have to be a guest at Boardwalk to see them from there...there's been many a time that my family and i have visited there, but weren't staying there at the time. in fact, you can walk up to the back Epcot gate and they wouldn't care! though as wild01ride said, there's not a lot at Boardwalk that would interest kids...the surrey bikes should definately strike a chord with them though!

you know, i'd bet they'd LOVE the All Star resorts, but you may not have time to check them out.

but one more thing about the fireworks...i noticed just now that you mentioned about not realizing the difference music could make...it does, incredibly, but seeing them from a distance and not getting the full effect doens't ruin anything at all, trust me! i've seen Illuminations: RoE many, many times, and i STILL get a little teary-eyed every time! so don't worry about not seeing them up close from Boardwalk, but make sure you try to catch a closer look of the show sometime during your trip.

and have a magical trip! there should be lots of exciting surprises for both you and your kids!! :wave:

 

[TURKEY]

BUMP

 

[jenjie]

Thanks Turkeylegboy, those are some great thoughts too! Actually when we visited in 1996, I was disappointed that we didn't get to eat at the Rainforest. Majority ruled NO. I will defiintely at least take the kids in for a look around, they should love to see that.

~Jen