Disney's Boardwalk - Orlando

Disney’s BoardWalk has a fantastic ambiance and is an excellent place just to spend a gentle afternoon or evening, away from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks, or spend a lively night on the dance floor and in the bars. It is possible to spend a whole day there as there is so much to do, and there is also plenty of evening and late night entertainment too, but we prefer going just for a few hours at a time. If you like a bit of early morning exercise then the Boardwalk is the ideal place as it is open early and you can walk, jog or run round it before the shops and cafes open for business, and the visitors start arriving.

The BoardWalk is a recreated 1949s Atlantic seaside village with a long pier-style boardwalk that goes almost the whole way round a lake. There are boats that cross the lake, but it is an easy walk to go round it on foot, and you would miss a lot of the action if you took the boat. If you have the energy, you can hire various sizes of ‘cycle carts’ and sit back and travel round in style (unless you are doing the pedalling of course! ).

Situated round the BoardWalk there are balloon sellers and street vendors with all sorts of interesting things on offer including, when we were last there, face painting and wax formations of your own hand. There were stalls where you could try shooting baskets and hoop-la. There was a man making those clever animals from balloons, and street musicians too. A brass band gives concerts some days and outside the dance club, The Atlantic, there was a disc jockey. Sometimes there are busking groups who perform comedy routines, which are very popular with the children, and stilt walkers and jugglers entertain you as you stroll round the lake.

The ESPN Club is the perfect spot to have a beer (or two), or a meal and watch a major-league game on the big-screen TVs. This fantastic facility includes an interactive multimedia entertainment centre and an arcade of interactive sporting games.

There are plenty of places to eat – whether you are looking for a snack or a big meal and plenty of places to indulge in a spot of window-shopping. There are some unusual shops, as well as shops which sell the usual Disney merchandise, and there is one shop which has a great selection of sweets.

If you plan things carefully you could spend some time there in the evening and end up sitting on a bench, with a drink in your hand, having a fantastic view of the fireworks displays, without being in the crowds at one of the parks.