Experience the Best Day Ever at Disney’s BoardWalk: Magical Memories Guaranteed!

It’s not quite hidden, but it is a gem… Disney’s BoardWalk is a delightful experience you’re sure to treasure!

Disney’s BoardWalk was designed to exude the atmosphere of Atlantic City and Coney Island – but not the modern-day versions! Instead, all of the buildings are inspired by their early 1900s heydays. Wearing snazzy art deco attire will make you feel right at home on the BoardWalk (but is totally optional).

Although Disney’s BoardWalk is part of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Resort, you don’t have to be staying there in order to enjoy all of the fabulous dining, shops, and entertainment nestled on the promenade!  

Disney’s BoardWalk – It’s Delicious!

Like Disney Springs, the BoardWalk prides itself on a wide array of scrumptious delights, from high-dollar fine dining to fairground classics.

Speaking of fairground classics, if you like hot dogs and need a snack, you’ll want to head on over to the vintage-looking hotdog cart known as “BoardWalk To-Go.” They also serve fried mac n cheese bites here. Yum! For a sweet treat, you can check out the BoardWalk Ice Cream Shop. Feeling brave? Order the Mickey Kitchen Sink Sundae for $22.99. It’s possibly one of the biggest ice cream sundaes you’ve ever seen, and it’s served in a souvenir “Mickey Kitchen Sink!”

There’s even quick-service pizza on the promenade, with beer and Mini Cannolis to boot!

You can also make your way to the (new-ish!) BoardWalk Deli for a show-stopping Bagel with Smoked Salmon, an NJ Crumb Cake, an excellent Italian Sub, or a plant-based Veggie Crunch Muffuletta! Your taste buds will thank you. (We say new-ish because the BoardWalk Deli used to be the BoardWalk Bakery until it was recently replaced.)

Sports fans will want to sit down at the ESPN Club for a great sports bar-style meal and plenty of screens to go around. Don’t miss the big game! 

For fine dining, we suggest the highly-recommended Flying Fish. You’ll want to order the Lobster Bisque, Seafood Pearl Pasta, Potato-wrapped Red Snapper, and the exquisite Cocoa Breach for dessert. (But really, you can’t go wrong ordering anything off of this incredible menu.) Bon Appetit!

Trattoria al Forno is a delightful Italian restaurant, not as high dollar as Flying Fish. The flavors of the amazing focaccia and Grilled Swordfish Salmoriglio will impress the entire table. (The entire menu is amazing.) 

Coming soon this year… The Cake Bake Shop! We’re absolutely ecstatic for the new bakery coming to Disney’s BoardWalk. They’ll be serving lunch and dinner, but also a fantastic brunch! The baked goods list goes on and on – homemade cakes, brownies, macarons, and so much more. We can’t wait!

Things To Do (Besides Eat)

You’ll definitely want to play some fun carnival games with your kids as you stroll around the BoardWalk. The carnival games have all the vintage vibes you could hope for! Try your hand at Hoop Toss and win a prize!

For Disney guests over 21 years of age, the AbracadaBar not only has a creative name, but also a wide selection of beers, wines, and elaborate cocktails! All the names follow along with the magician theme, and the ambiance inside makes for a terrific time.  

Slip on your dancing shoes! Another popular option in Disney’s BoardWalk entertainment district is spending the evening at the Atlantic Dance Hall (for patrons 21 and older). This dance hall is actually an upscale nightclub. Bust some moves in the ballroom to the tune of retro favorites and current hits!

Looking for an enjoyable afternoon activity? You could rent a surrey bike at the resort for you and another guest or rent a 4-person for a larger party. Guests can bicycle down the BoardWalk or on the trails designated for the bikes. It’s a lovely experience and worth snapping a picture or two along the way!

We saved one of the best for last… Along Disney’s BoardWalk, you’ve probably noticed a large sign that says “DUELING PIANOS.” If not, you surely won’t be able to miss it now that we’ve pointed it out. This spot is actually called Jellyrolls. Jellyrolls is a piano bar (21+) where guests can join in and sing along if they so choose. Not a singer? Put in a request with the pianists! They love it. Jellyrolls is a lot of fun and has a great atmosphere. You don’t need reservations to enter, but you will need to be prepared for a cover charge and a big crowd as the night goes on. (Open from 7:00 pm – 1:45 am.)

Shop and Hop!

There are so many Disney Boardwalk shops to explore, including Character Carnival, Pin Station, Thimbles & Threads, and Screen Door General Store. Take a moment to walk inside the shops and pick up a souvenir or trade some pins while you saunter down the BoardWalk with an ice cream in hand. 

While there’s enough going on here to make a full day of it, you may want to hop over to another Disney property! Luckily, this resort is extremely close to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. So, for ease of transportation or just a fun afternoon, guests can take a boat ride to EPCOT and/or to Hollywood Studios! 

These boats are known as the “Friendship Boats” and are water ferry boats painted in fun colors. It’s a quick but pleasant ride for you and your crew to cut across the water! If boat rides aren’t your thing, you can try the walking path instead. Disney’s BoardWalk is so close to EPCOT that you can walk straight over!

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There’s so much to see and do at Disney’s BoardWalk. Even if you just go for a stroll and take some fun pictures, it makes for an entertaining afternoon. Be sure to arrive hungry and ready for some excitement! We recommend going during the day and at night for the full experience, as the promenade lights up at eventide and occasionally boasts live street performers.

What are you most excited to experience on your next visit to Disney’s BoardWalk? Let us know in the comments below!

See you at the hotdog cart!

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Featured photo: CL Photographs via Flickr