Hi readers! I'm back for the final installment of this trip report!
Waking up on the day you leave Disney property is always a bummer isn’t it? Not only are you leaving Disney, but you also realize how much stuff you have to pack and how hard it is to pack up dirty clothes.
It was another sunny day, so after packing up our hotel room, we decided that we wanted to spend as much time out in the sun as possible before heading to the airport for our 4:30 PM flight home.
We mobile ordered some oatmeal, fruit, and coffee from Goods Food to Go and opted to eat it at the park bench and tables just behind the lobby building of OKW. We got some morning sun and reminisced about our trip.
We had a lunch ADR at Wine Bar George with my parents, so we were planning on heading over to DS after we checked out. While having breakfast, I noted to Tory that I thought I had read at some point that you can walk to DS from OKW. We did some googling and found that there is indeed a nature trail that runs from the edge of OKW through the golf course and down to DS. A nature walk on a sunny day sounded like a great idea!
We wrapped up breakfast and went back to our room to do final packing. We checked out virtually, and then dropped our bags off with bell services. At around 10:30 AM, we started our walk!
The walk starts by walking through the sprawling OKW resort along the sidewalk.
Eventually, you reach the end of the sidewalk and a trail opens up along the golf course. We hadn’t been on the trail more than a minute before we ran into a golf course marshall who stopped to say hello. We told him we were trying to walk to DS, and he graciously told us exactly which way to go. We thanked him, and we were off. Truthfully, the path to DS is pretty clear. Any place where there is a fork in the path, one path always had a sign that said “Golfers Only”.
It was a really pretty walk right along the river that separates the forests from the golf course.
At one point you can even spy the DVC treehouses across the river!
We rounded another corner and ended up right by the first tee and driving range for the golf course. Also, the same marshall we met at the start of our walk was there! He jokingly congratulated us on making it, and wished us a good day. Just beyond the golf course, you could see DS.
So, at this point, the walk got kind of weird. The path follows the parking lot on the west side of Disney Springs and then drops you off next to the Cirque du Soleil theater. It was odd to enter DS this way and at no point did we have to go through security… or so we thought. We hadn’t been more than 100 steps before a security CM stopped us and asked if we had been through security. We explained that we had come in from the nature trail. He understood and then told us that we would need to walk to the Orange Garage to be screened. So, we walked straight across to the garage and up two flights of stairs to the level where security screening was occurring. We quickly went through the screening, and then took the escalators back down into DS. It was really kind of odd. Obviously, that first security CM we talked to was stationed where he was to check for people coming in from the golf course/trail, but why not have one more CM and have a small security checkpoint over there?
Small annoyance, but we had made it! All in all, it was roughly a 45 minute walk from the front of OKW to DS - definitely a nice little diversion on a non-park day! We had a little over an hour before our lunch ADR, and in search of a little more relaxation, we headed over to one of our WDW happy places: The Dockside Bar at The Boathouse. It was early enough that they had plenty of seats, and Tory and I grabbed two at the bar. The warm breeze and views of the lake immediately take all my stress away. It’s a great respite away from the often bustling DS.
Our bartender was friendly and chatty. He quickly took our drink orders and gave us the oyster menu in case we were wanting some snacks. Despite having lunch in an hour, who can say no to oysters in this setting?!
We ordered a half dozen to go with my old fashioned and Tory’s white wine.
Time seems to slow down dockside at The Boathouse. Just peak relaxation.
At some point, my parents met us there. My mom is always a fan of unique drinks that come with freebies, and so she had to get the Bathtub drink that comes with a mini rubber ducky.
The oysters were excellent, and the house-made mignonette paired really well. This started an oyster kick for Tory and I. We were in Seattle about a month after this trip, and had as many oysters as we could get our hands on!
We paid our bill and made the short walk over to Wine Bar George!
On both of our previous trips, we had ADRs for Wine Bar George on one of the last days of our trip. Both times we ended up canceling, as we were tired of all the food we had eaten on the trip and we weren’t in the mood for wine. Once back home, we regretted those decisions every time we read glowing reviews, here on DisBoards and elsewhere online.
Finally, we made it!
The decor and aesthetic at Wine Bar George immediately tells you that it is not a pretentious wine bar. The space feels homey and rustic. The staff further confirm how welcoming the place is. The service was friendly and helpful. When it came time to order wine, I asked for a recommendation for something like a Pinot Noir. Our waitress came back with a bottle she thought I would enjoy, and upon me making a face while tasting it, quickly disappeared and came back with a Spanish red that I loved. They all seem to know their wine and want you to enjoy it as well.
Towards the end of our meal, George even came by himself to clear our plates! He truly seemed like he cares about his restaurant as he spent the whole time we were dining on the floor with his staff.
The food was excellent too! We got a cheese plate for the table, and then Tory and I each got the chicken salad sandwich. Not something I usually order, but it sounded different. It did not disappoint. The grilled bread held up perfectly to the chicken salad and then tomato was really tasty as well. The chips were super addictive too!
All of this to say, I learned an important lesson: Don’t skip your Wine Bar George ADR! If we didn’t have to head to the airport, I think Tory and I would have spent a lazy afternoon talking and drinking wine at Wine Bar George. We will be back!
And with that, we said goodbye to my parents, and caught a bus to OKW to grab our luggage. After an uneventful Lyft ride, and two uneventful flights, we were back home in California.
Another super successful, awesomely fun trip! With the surprise VIP Tour Guide on our first full day, we kicked off what was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and we will be left with memories for a lifetime.
I can’t say when we will be back next. Some of the cuts, and price increases have made a WDW vacation a little less appealing than it has been in years past. With hopes of truly being able to put the pandemic behind us, Tory and I have an itch to travel to new locations and see more of the US and the world. So who knows, I might be back with a Tokyo Disney or
Disneyland Paris brief trip report in the next few years?!
Thanks again readers, for following along! As I said at the outset of this TR, I have learned so much from the community here, and so writing this up is just as much a thank you to all of you as it is a way for me to relive the magic. Hope you all enjoyed!
