Lotusphere 2011 Speedboats! Midday Saturday Activity

Bill Malchisky  January 12 2011 03:00:00 AM

If you are one of the fortunate people to arrive early to Lotusphere this year, then you may be curious as to which activities are available. Saturday evening will have Turtle's Annual ESPN Zone bash. Preceding that, is B.A.L.D. which usually takes place mid-afternoon at Big River Grille & Brewery on The Boardwalk. But what can you do before 3p? Of course the parks are there and you have Downtown Disney for shopping. But what if you want something else that is exciting? Here's an answer: speedboats.

The Seven Seas Lagoon, in-front of The Magic Kingdom®, is a decent sized body of water and also connects to Bay Lake, located between Disney's Contemporary Resort and Wilderness Lodge. Unlike the speedboat rentals at The Yacht & Beach, Port Orleans, Caribbean Beach -- which all exist in No Wake zones and thus go 5 MPH only -- the Sea Ray® Sea Raycers at The Magic Kingdom resort marinas are far more enjoyable. They are a lot of fun and something I enjoy annually, weather permitting.

So, here's the plan:

Meet Point: Dolphin lobby fountain
When: 10:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. to catch the 10:20 a.m. shuttle to the Magic Kingdom.
Return: 2:15 p.m. in-time for B.A.L.D.
What: Rent the boats for an hour, get lunch, and have a blast!
RSVP: Post a comment on this blog entry, so I can get the initial reservation processed to the marina; walk-ups, last minute attendees are welcome
Cost:
Transportation -- Free
Boat rental -- $45 for the hour

Once at the Magic Kingdom, we'll then grab the monorail (it's not Disney unless you catch a ride on that transportation marvel), we'll disembark at The Polynesian, and head to the marina
Afterwards, we'll stop by the Polynesian lounge, get some lunch and grab a pint, or a fresh tropical cocktail
Finally, grab the monorail back to the bus and head to the Dolphin for B.A.L.D.

Notations:
(1) The Disney marina provides basic instructions beforehand; so, if you have never driven a boat, you can cruise with confidence. Of course, water safety measures are covered and life jackets are provided. This is Disney, so keeping their guests safe is a major concern and they do a great job here
(2) You must have a photo with picture ID to rent a boat. International guests can bring their local driver's license/identification card or passport
(3) Weather permitting. If raining, or too cold, I'll send a cancellation notice -- updates provided via twitter from my account and will include the #ls11 hashtag
(4) Know that just because this is a water-based activity, doesn't mean you'll get wet. So, if you want to stay dry, that's easy to do--and my preference too.

Sea ya!

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