POR and the boat to Down town disney.

[happy day]

If you stay at Port Orleans there is a boat to down town disney. What do you do when you get off the boat as far as knowing where to go or what to do there? Also, is it safe for 16 year olds to take the boat and wonder around by themselves.
Basically, I know nothing about what is there, or how it works. Any suggestions or thoughts are appreciated.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

Downtown Disney is a shopping and restuarant area. There some very interesting stores, including the World of Disney and some neat restuarants. There is also a movie theatre, Disney Quest and Cirque du Soleil. Some people LOVE it, others don't bother much with Downtown Disney ...depends on you and your preferences.

I would think it is safe for 16-year olds, it is like any shopping area.

[forever a child]

There are maps posted around DTD just like any other shopping mall/plaza. I think it depends on the maturity of the 16yr old...but for the most part I think they would be ok. My DD who is also age 16 has been there numerous times so I would feel comfortable with her going there. We enjoy it and usually try to visit for a short while on every trip to WDW. Once you have seen all the merchandise in the shops in the parks...it is all pretty much the same...with the exception of the LEGO store...which I love. :mickey:

[hokies4life]

Here's a link (http://intercot.com/themeparks/downtowndisney/default.asp) to the Downtown Disney page here on Intercot to see the shops and restaurants in the different areas.

[WDWCrazyKaren]

The boats now drop you off at the Marketplace only. You can take a water taxi from the Marketplace to Pleasure Island stops and back, but otherwise, Marketplace boat drop is the very end of the shopping area. You basically walk from one end and back to cover the entire area. It's easy to navigate, and it's very hard to get lost! It really is just one "road" or "walkway with shops mostly on one side and water on the other. I would see no issue at all with a 16 year old wandering around on their own as long as they stay at DTD. Last year, my stepson took the boat over and went to Disney Quest for a few hours on his own and it was perfect. No one else wanted to spend hours there!

[KennyandKim]

We went to DTD on our last trip for the first time and had a great time. At first just DH and I went for some alone time but we had to go back and get our kids from the hotel pool because we knew they would have a great time there too. We saw Rainforest Cafe and had to eat there. Was one of the best meals of our trip. A bit pricey but worth it

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

It's around a 20 minute boat ride or so. If you happen to get the park hopper plus then this might be perfect for you 16 year old, as Disney Quest is part of the plus option. My coworkers kids, which would have been 16 or 17 quite frequently went there on their own. The bus is also an option from the resort to DTD.

As another poster mentioned, it's like going to your local mall, all depends on the maturity level of the 16 year old. I wouldn't think it to be a big issue.