Brevard Youth Sports
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Downtown Disney Review
5/25/08- Today the gang headed over for an afternoon trip to The Marketplace at Downtown Disney. The Marketplace is the most family friendly area at Downtown Disney (The other two areas are; Downtown Disney Westside and Pleasure Island). Consisting of many shops and restaurants, The Marketplace is a great place to spend the afternoon looking for anything Disney. The first thing you must remember when heading to The Marketplace is BE PATIENT IN THE PARKING LOT! I do not think I have ever been there and not had to look just around at least a little bit for a spot. Do not worry if you do not find one as there will always be people leaving and you will get a spot. We were lucky this time and found a spot in the first row right where we wanted to be. We were also lucky to be driving Mom's Jeep as my truck would not have fit in the spot since half of it was taken up by a Nissan Armada from the great (But not great parking) state of Alabama. Our first stop was a journey through The World of Disney, the flagship store at The Marketplace. Whether you are a diehard Mouseketeer or on your first trip to Disney, you will be amazed by the many rooms full of Disney merchandise in this store. One great addition to The World of Disney is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique located in the princess themed room. Here girl's of all ages can get their very own makeover and become the princess of their dreams. Look for a review of the boutique in July as Amber's birthday approaches. Once we worked our way through the store we headed over to the Lego Imagination Center. Look around at all of the life size characters around the outside of the store before heading in. Once you enter the store there is a spot right in the middle where you can sometimes observe Lego artists building a new scene. If you can pull your kids out of the store they can build their own creation right outside the store (Yes you leave the blocks there for other kids to play with.) Those lucky enough to find sets of wheels can build their own vehicles to race on the downhill track. Next door to Lego is a great McDonald's location if that is what your stomach really wants (Come on, you can get that anytime). We could not help buy notice the huge construction project underway just past the Lego store. There seems to be a dinosaur themed restaurant/ experience/ store going up that should be finished in the fall. Also just past the Lego store is Fulton's Crab House. You can't miss the huge replica paddlewheel boat. Anyway, after some adventures in Legoland we started our way back across The Marketplace with a walk along the waterfront. There is a stage near the water where different performers appear almost daily. If you feel the need to get your boat on you can rent one at Captain Jack's Marina. Now it might not seem like there is much area to cruise around, but once you get out there you will be surprised (Still it is not like whipping around Bay Lake and The Seven Seas Lagoon). Captain Jack's Restaurant is also located nearby. At the end of the waterfront boardwalk is Rainforest Cafe. It is kind of hard not to notice the huge volcano that dwarfs everything around it and the inside of the restaurant is no less spectacular. The food at Rainforest is very good. Two of our favorites are the China Island Chicken Salad and the Brave New World Pizza, but there are plenty of choices. Of course the Queen of the Chicken Nuggets goes straight for the Jurassic Chicken Tidbits every time. One thing worth noting if you visit Rainforest is that it can get very loud when the artificial thunderstorms strike. Small children can get a bit scared when all of the animatronic animals go crazy during the storms. Another thing worth mentioning is that the lines are usually very long. There are two ways to avoid this. The first is to purchase a Safari Club membership on your first visit. Not only will you get a free appetizer on each of your visits, you will also get a table assigned to you quicker than those just walking up. The other way to avoid the line is to sit at the bar if there is room (Now you better make room for us at the bar if you see us coming since we let this little tip out of the bag). There is one other way to avoid the crowd (Sometimes). There are tables outside by the water that are available I believe just for dinner. We did not eat at Rainforest today, but I did get to scare the kids a bit. Here is my "Yes I am a Cruel Dad Tip" for this review. Right in front of Rainforest Cafe is a very large animatronic crocodile. Every now and then the thing throws a temper tantrum and it draws kids like flies to honey. All us cruel dad's have to do is wait until the kid's are focusing on the croc, come up from behind said kid, grab said kid and growl in your best "I'm going to eat you" voice, and watch said kid have a heart attack. Now Ethan and Amber have fallen victim to this prank numerous times yet it still is worth the nasty look I get from Mom. The next stop was a visit to The Art of Disney store. Always a favorite as there are walls and displays filled with every imaginable Disney character. Do bring your $$$ as the prices on many of these items are rather pricey. There are deals to be had though if you look around. Inside the same building is Disney's Wonderful World of Memories for those with a knack for scrapbooking. The Disney transportation bus stop is just outside of this store and there is a water play area for the kids right in the middle of the sidewalk. Now it was time to enter my favorite store at The Marketplace. Disney's Days of Christmas is a must see whenever visiting The Marketplace. A tradition we started when Ethan and Amber were younger was to come to the store in November and let them pick out one ornament each for the Christmas tree. After getting in the Christmas in May mood we walked over to Wolfgang Puck Express. Recently redesigned, Wolfgang Puck Express is a great place to grab a bite to eat at a pretty reasonable price. Next stop was over to Goofy's Candy Co., Mickey's Mart, and Pooh Corner. We managed to make it out of Goofy's Candy Co. in one piece this time only because we promised the kids that they could pick something out later. Mickey's Mart separates the candy store and Pooh Corner. With many pieces of Disney merchandise under $10, this is a must see for those looking for a bargain. Pooh Corner is well.... Pooh Corner. If you fell a little rumbly in your tumbly feel free to grab a jar of pooh honey. Now there are two small rides located in the middle of The Marketplace. The is a small train for kids and a carousel for kids and their grownups. Both of these rides can be lifesavers for parents when the kids feel the need to get on a ride. There is a small charge for each ride. Our next stop on this trip was over to Mickey's Pantry where you can get many kitchen gadgets, plates, and glassware. Located in the same building is the Earl of Sandwich. If you need a sandwich or salad then this is the place for you. Looming outside was the exterior of Once Upon a Toy. Of course there is no getting around this as the kids always make a beeline for the store once they see it. Not to be passed up is the giant Disney's Pin Traders open air store. Our kids are not into trading pins, but there are pins for everyone there. Back to our toy story. Inside this huge store are several rooms filled with different themes. The centerpiece of the first room is a giant build-your-own Mr. Potato Head contraption. To the right are many board games and to the left are a bunch of character toys. There is a small connecting room that is filled with Disney plush toys that leads you into the next large area. Toy's for the older kids dominate this room and those tuned into the Force can construct their very own lightsaber! There is another connecting room full of videos, video games, and music. The final large room is filled with enough princess, My Little Pony, and Littlest Pet Shop toys to make any little girl happy. You can build-you-own My Little Pony or make your own jewelry in this room too. If your wallet can make it out of this store intact then head over to Ghirardelli's Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop for a reward! There are a few other stores not to be missed at The Marketplace such as; Arribas Brothers (Glass items), Summer Sands (Resort wear), and the Team Mickey Athletic Club (Get your Disney athletic gear here). Our last stop during any visit to The Marketplace is at Basin where Mom and the kid's go crazy picking out bath fizzy's and soap. As this trip to The Marketplace ended, we grabbed our bags of Disney loot and gave up our parking spot to the next visiting family. Do not think for a minute that a trip to The Marketplace is a quick trip. To thoroughly experience everything you will need at least a couple of hours. You also do not need to blow the bank at The Marketplace. Keeping the kids in check may be a challenge, but there is plenty for them to experience without spending a single cent. There are also many options for food for the budget conscious and none of them will disappoint. Take an afternoon and get over to The Marketplace to enjoy Disney at a slower pace.
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