Yup, it’s Florida and there are alligators (and snakes!), even at Disney
A professional conference took us to Orlando in January, a welcome change from New England’s winter. The conference took place at one of the hotels near Disney World, and I found the area well set up for walkers and those hoping to use public transportation.
Pedestrian walkways facilitate access by foot, despite busy intersections near the entrance to Disney Springs
While I didn’t see much of the fabled theme parks of Disney, I was able to try out their people-moving infrastructure. Sidewalks and an elevated walkway brought me to Disney Springs after a very easy walk alongside several of the area’s hotels. Disney Springs itself offered both gently sloped walkways and a few steps with sturdy handrails to navigate through the area. Lots of shopping is available, but musical concerts, musicians playng jazz, and others offering group games also add to the atmosphere.
A high school band offered a live concert for visitors
A high school band offered a free, live concert next to the lagoon at Disney Springs. Shops and food vendors provided lots of intriguing items to add to the experience of visiting Disney World.
Which tiara to choose? Such difficult choices…
I was most tempted by the display of tiaras, but decided my social life did not justify having a tiara at the ready.
The Rainforest Cafe, benign looking in daylight, erupts impressively in the evening hours
We returned to Disney Springs at night and were startled by an erupting volcano across the water. Impressive both by sight and sound, everyone around us stopped to gawk for a minute at the eruption. But since no impending doom followed, we soon resumed our walk through the area.
Sea serpent made of Legos in the lagoon
Perched on the sea serpent’s coils is an anhinga, which found the Lego sea serpent to be a handy spot to dry out
The Lego Store offered both sea serpents and dragons, but neither belched fire while we were there.
Fun in the gondolas
I spent another day with friends trying out Disney’s new gondola system, fun, and efficient people movers that carry large numbers of folks from one resort area to another. It was a chilly day by Florida standards.
Outside heaters make up for what Florida normally provides–warm weather!
The elevated gondolas offer a bird’s eye view of the areas we traveled over. Helpful folks waited at each stop to assist folks into and out of the gondolas. When we were puzzled about where we were going, more helpful folks pointed us in the direction we needed to go.
Riding above the crowds of cars and waterways
We rounded out the trip with a short boat ride through wide canals that finally returned us to where the bus has brought us, the beginning of the gondola station. All the buses, gondolas and boats are people movers, free of charge. The temptations to spend money are plenty, for sure. But if you are simply looking for great places to walk, you will find lots of those as well. Happy trails!
Marjorie
Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors, and is the author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, More Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, Easy Walks and Paddles in the Ten Mile River Watershed, and Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are. Her memoir, the backstory of Easy Walks, is My Liturgy of Easy Walks: Reclaiming hope in a world turned upside down.
Marjorie Turner Hollman 