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Tag Archives: Bay Lake

Visiting the Beaches at Walt Disney World

Visiting the Beaches at Walt Disney World

I’m sitting here in wintry Pennsylvania, dreaming of warmer weather, sunshine, and sand between my toes!  My family plans a week-long summer vacation to the Jersey shore each June, and I’m also hoping to make a trip to Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort this spring.  But, what about Walt Disney World?  Are there beaches to visit there?

The answer is “absolutely!”  There are actually several beaches on Disney property.  If you’re dreaming of some sand between your toes too, here are some places where you can enjoy it during your Walt Disney World vacation:

My personal favorite is the beaches along Seven Seas Lagoon. You can access these beaches from either the Grand Floridian or Polynesian resorts.  One of my favorite things to do is get off the monorail at one of these resorts and head down to the beach, then stroll along the beach to the other resort.  It’s a nice, peaceful walk; and, depending on what time of year you are visiting, is often not very crowded.  My family enjoys this walk in the evening hours, after a long day at the Magic Kingdom!  I have also spent time relaxing on the lounge chairs on the beach at the Grand Floridian, and my kids have enjoyed the swings at Polynesian.

Cruising The Waters Of The World

Cruising The Waters Of The World

My favorite thing to do at Walt Disney World outside the parks, and now my son’s favorite, was always renting one of the little two-person boats for a cruise in one of the property’s many waterways. The “water mice” of my childhood have been replaced by Sea Raycers designed specially for Disney by Sea Ray. These little 10 foot beauties zip along powered by a 9.9 horsepower outboard engine and are tremendous fun!

You need not be a resort guest to rent a boat, so you can pick and choose where you’d like to take your cruise. Our favorite location is Bay Lake, which is accessible from  all the Magic Kingdom Resorts including Fort Wilderness. The Sea Raycer is a great way to go have a look at the old River Country or Discovery island sites and view all the monorail resorts from the water. Chasing after the ferries is great fun as well,  just don’t get in the way.

For a different experience, you can try renting at Port Orleans Riverside. From there, you boat in a river/canal rather than a lake. There are all sorts of wildlife to see and if you go down river a bit you can check out the Treehouse Villas, which are really cool.

Sea Raycers are available to rent at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Port Orleans Riverside, Beach and Yacht Club Resorts, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian Resort, Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Resort, Old Key West Resort, Fort Wilderness and at Captain Jack’s Marina in Downtown Disney Marketplace.

Renters must be 18 year of age or older, but children as young as 12 can drive as long as they are at least five feet tall. My son turned 12 since his last trip to Disney, so you can bet a Sea Raycer cruise is high on his list for our next trip. Rental rates are as follows:

$32+tax for 30 minutes

$40+tax for 45 minutes

$45+tax for 60 minutes

Two people may ride together as long as their combined weight is less than 320 pounds, but we find the boats go faster with only one rider, and that makes it a bit more fun.

As a kid, I was convinced the Contemporary Resort had the “best” water mice ( the predecessor to the Sea Raycer). Do you think one of the resorts has the “best and fastest” Sea Raycers? Do you have a favorite spot to cruise? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Cruising The Waters Of The World

Disney Confidential – Coming Soon Brand New Vacation Club Property

Disney Confidential   Coming Soon Brand New Vacation Club Property

Here there guys and gals Anonymouse here. Miss me?

Before I start my Gossip Column today I wanted to ask all of you to stop by and LIKE my Facebook page. I notice all the other writers here on Chip and Co have like 1000 fans. Don’t ask me how Chip has almost 8000? But if you like my news stories and want to hear  more gossip be sure to add me as a friend. Click here to check it out.

Now onto today’s Gossip! No today’s article is not about Grand Floridian Expansion which I called earlier this summer. Today’s Gossip is about an all new vacation club property at Walt Disney World. A twitter fan of Chip’s (must be his only one) mentioned how the CM’s at Disney World are talking about a new property being discussed by the Big Wigs at the Disney World Resort.

After doing some research of my own I spotted the perfect spot for this new resort, on the other side of Bay Lake from the Contemporary Resort.

Disney Confidential   Coming Soon Brand New Vacation Club Property

Look at all that lakefront space available right next to Ft Wilderness Campground. That would make a perfect location near the Magic Kingdom for an all new Resort.. What do you think?

There is not much chatter on the net about it yet but give all the other Disney sites time to catch up to me. As I get more details I will pass the word on to Chimp Chip and he will keep you guys informed!

Anywho that is all the Disney Gossip I have right now. Let me know what you think in the comment box below. For my past Gossip articles be sure to check them out here.

Got any good rumors?  Please email me at AnonyMouse@chipandco.com or on my Facebook Page

Disney Confidential   Coming Soon Brand New Vacation Club Property

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Cooking the Old-Fashioned Way

Disneys Wilderness Lodge: Cooking the Old Fashioned Way

Down-home cooking reflecting the spirit of the American pioneer tempts modern-day appetites at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Mealtime traditions of the grand lodges of the late 1800s are captured, from the types of food and cooking methods to the dining-room ambiance of the lodge’s restaurants: chefs slow-smoking meats and serving up fresh fruit cobbler for dessert; high, wood-beamed ceilings, and dormers framing views of waterfalls, tall pines and Bay Lake.

Dining options at the 728-room lodge include: Whispering Canyon, a family-style cafe; Artist Point, the resort’s signature restaurant featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine; cafeteria-style Roaring Fork; Cub’s Den, a retreat for kids; and Territory Lounge.

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Overlooking the expansive, log-structured lobby, Whispering Canyon Cafe offers a family-style, all-you-can-eat feast in an American West motif.

“We hope to achieve a homelike feeling with old-fashioned cooking served family-style,” said Chef Lorene Vanetti.  “We are using natural cooking techniques — smoking, grilling and barbecuing — which are consistent with the time period the lodge reflects.”

Aromas of breakfast meats, home fries and scrambled eggs welcome hungry pioneers to breakfast. As high noon approaches, you can choose our family-style skillet lunch or pick from our full a la carte menu featuring hot and cold sandwiches, salads and a full-choice dessert board.

Suppertime features an all-you-can-eat sampling of oven-roasted chicken, pulled pork, smoked pork ribs and smoked brisket, served with salads, vegetables and home-made breads.

Artist Point
The beauty and the mystery of the American Northwest is recalled at Artist Point — a specialty restaurant decorated with dramatic landscape art from the era. The eatery offers an elegant yet casual dining experience with a light wood design, a high-beamed cathedral ceiling, and dormer windows allowing natural lighting to illuminate. The windowed restaurant allows a panoramic view of the courtyard, waterfalls and Bay Lake.
Traditional Northwestern dinner specialties include cedar-roasted Pacific king salmon, braised buffalo short rib and pan-seared duck breast. All wines are from the Pacific Northwest.

Territory Lounge, Roaring Fork, Cub’s Den
Between Whispering Canyon and Artist Point is Territory Lounge, themed with Teddy Roosevelt in mind for his contribution to the National Park system. Territory Lounge is open daily, serving cocktails, specialty drinks and Pacific Northwest wines. Appetizers and snacks are available from 5-10 p.m.
The Cub’s Den is a children’s dining and entertainment facility offering video games, movies and fun food for kids, such as hot dogs, pizza and ice cream.
Roaring Fork Snacks and Arcade serves up grilled sandwiches and snacks — cafeteria style — 24 hours a day. Trout Pass, the resort’s pool bar, offers hot dogs and cold sandwiches.
Nestled in the back lobby is the library — a cozy retreat for reading, writing letters or relaxing by the majestic three-sided stone fireplace.
Disneys Wilderness Lodge: Cooking the Old Fashioned Way

H2O! FUN FACTS: ‘Count’ on Having a Waterful Time at Walt Disney World Resort

H2O! FUN FACTS: ‘Count’ on Having a Waterful Time at Walt Disney World Resort

Even its hometown suggests a beautiful place of water. And Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista does not disappoint:

There are more than 850 acres of lakes featuring nearly 130,000 feet of shoreline. And that’s just on “the surface”: Beneath the surface of the seven largest lakes are a combined 3.122 billion gallons of water.

There are 66 miles of canals. Water parks. One of the world’s largest enclosed marine environments. Theme park attractions featuring water. Recreation in, on and above the water.

It’s a waterful world, after all. And here are some of the highlights by the numbers …

  • 2.385 billion gallons – that’s the volume of water in Bay Lake and adjoining Seven Seas Lagoon, at a combined 596 acres the two largest lakes at Walt Disney World Resort.
  • 9 – that’s the number of theme park attractions for which guests board boats for a floating adventure: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Liberty Square Riverboat, it’s a small world, Norway’s Maelstrom, Living With the Land, El Rio del Tiempo (River of Time), and Kali River Rapids. Also notable: a raft ride across the Rivers of America to Tom Sawyer Island, and the flying pirate ships of Peter Pan’s Flight.
  • 15 (at least!) – that’s the number of other theme park attractions, shows and interactive entertainment during which water plays – or sprays – a memorable role. Here’s the lineup:
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour (flash flood in Catastrophe Canyon)
    • “Fantasmic!” (dancing fountains, water screens and shiploads of character drama)
    • “Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D” (surprise special effects)
    • “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” (the entire story theme is “Under the Sea”)
    • “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show” (jet ski featured in one scene)
    • “Fountain of Nations” (dramatic, computer-choreographed water ballet in Innoventions Plaza at Epcot)
    • The Seas with Nemo & Friends (with 5.7 million gallons of water, one of the largest man-made ocean environments in the world)
    • “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” (there are fireworks, for sure, but also fountains … and it all takes place on 36.9-acre World Showcase Lagoon)
    • Imagination! fountains (quirky fountains in the plaza entertain guests with spurts and streams)
    • The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (beware the spitting camel)
    • Journey Into Imagination with Figment (imagine bathroom fixtures installed on the ceiling)
    • The Great Movie Ride (Gene Kelly is still “Singin’ in the Rain”)
    • The Enchanted Tiki Room–Under New Management (the Audio-Animatronics cast sings up a tropical storm)

    H2O! FUN FACTS: ‘Count’ on Having a Waterful Time at Walt Disney World Resort

  • 1,350 gallons per minute – that’s what each jet nozzle puts out to propel riders of Crush ‘n’ Gusher, the white-knuckle “water coaster” at Typhoon Lagoon water park.
  • 120 feet high and 60 miles per hour – those are the critical numbers for Blizzard Beach water park’s Summit Plummet, one of the world’s tallest and fastest water park speed slides.
  • 500-plus – that’s the number of watercraft in the largest rental fleet in the world – of Sea Raycers, canopy boats, float boats, jet boats, sailboats, rowing boats, pedal boats and canoes.
  • 52 – that’s the number of feet of luxurious yacht in Grand 1, available for charter cruises on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. The captain and first mate welcome aboard private parties of up to 18 people at the Grand Floridian Marina.
  • 600 – that’s the number of guests who can ride aboard the largest of the water launches that are part of the Walt Disney World transportation system: Three 600-passenger ferry boats ply the waters of Seven Seas Lagoon between Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center. Also operating as part of the Walt Disney World guest transportation system:
    • Six 39-passenger motor launches and three 120-passenger motor cruisers on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake (transporting guests among five resorts and Magic Kingdom)
    • Eight 100-passenger Friendship boats on World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot and on waterways connecting the Epcot resort area with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot
    • Nine 32-passenger and six 37-passenger motor launches make up the Sassagoula River Cruise fleet that transport guests between Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Downtown Disney (every 20 minutes beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing until 11 p.m.)
    • One 24-passenger Downtown Disney Water Taxi travels on Village Lake between the Marketplace dock, Pleasure Island dock and West Side dock (operating daily after 4:30 p.m.)

    H2O! FUN FACTS: ‘Count’ on Having a Waterful Time at Walt Disney World Resort

  • 57 – that’s the number of sparkling pools to enjoy among the 24 themed Disney resorts. There also are 12 beach areas.
  • 14.25 pounds – that’s the weight of the largest largemouth bass landed out of Bay Lake. Two-hour private fishing excursions with a bass guide are offered for parties of up to five guests – and the fishing is great: The waters were stocked in the 1970s and the fishing is all catch-and-release.
  • And more – that’s the additional water fun in store at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks, during nighttime performances of the floating light show “Electrical Water Pageant,” while exploring the geyser field at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, in the lush gardens of Disney’s Polynesian Resort, during a mealtime at Rainforest Café, during a session of parasailing, water skiing or wakeboarding at Sammy Duvall’s Water Sports Centre, or while experiencing Virtual Jungle Cruise or Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold at DisneyQuest.
    Additional information about the waterful fun of Walt Disney World Resort is available at www.disneyworld.com or by calling Guest Information at 407/824-4321.
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