The Boathouse at Downtown Disney (or Disney Springs)

Downtown Disney (soon to be called Disney Springs) is a great place to go out for a night out and is kid friendly.  There are shops and bars, but everything is more family oriented as opposed to City Walk at Universal, where you have to pay to park and there is a decidedly more adult feel about the environment. However, there is also a lot of traffic when you try to get to Downtown Disney nowadays. Very frustrating. There is no reason why I should wait in traffic for fifteen minutes just to park to get there. I realize there will come a time when the construction clears and I will be able to park with ease, however until that time it is very chaotic.

The parking is free and they have a new parking garage. The amount of spaces remaining are highlighted for each floor, with each floor listed and the spaces remaining indicated next to the floor level. When you are on the floor, each aisle lists if there is there is a space available down that aisle. This should be cool in practice, but  tends to taunt us by indicating there is one space available down an aisle and this mysterious space never materializes.  Instead there is a mad rush by the cars to grab the one space.  Your best bet is to ignore the levels that only indicate thirty or so spaces available and head straight for a level that has over a hundred spaces available. If getting into the garage feels hopeless there is parking across the street that you can park in with ease, but you have to walk further. Still parking with ease is sometimes worth the extra five minute walk, at least for us.  Regardless of the current parking situtation the restaurants are cool and more are coming in the near future.

A cool restaurant that allows you to escape the masses that crowd the walkways is the new Boathouse (kid friendly).  This seems like a counterintuitive idea. How can a new restauraunt not be that crowded? The key is that people don't fully explore the interior and are perhaps rebuffed by the higher end priced menu. We sat and had just drinks but we were able to enjoy a high top table with an incredible view. If you choose to explore the docks without ordering anything, that is also an option.

Now when you approach the Boathouse it is busy and solace from the crowds seems highly unlikely. The entrance is bustling with activity and there is usually live music being formed right outside the entrance. However, if you walk through the bar area and make your way to the dock you will discover an underpopulated area that showcases many unique watercraft. There is a bar area located here as well as seating areas further down the dock where you can order anything from only drinks to apps to a full meal. If you venture even further down the dock you will find lounge type seating that is a bit more private and is situated amongst some of the most amazing boats you will ever see in person. They also offer private dining boats (for a separate cost). We are looking forward to taking part in this during our stay here in Orlando.