teekathepony
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2009
Love the update, my very first ride on the Jungle Cruise I had a really awesome skipper too. Made it one of my favourite rides that year!
It'll Be All Right -A May 2012 TR Closing Thought and PTR Link 8/12*
- Thread starter amazingact21
- Start date
UGAFan0829
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2004
Ok, ok...you've got me tearing up this morning!!! First with the awesome experience on the JC that gave me chill bumps when you described the look on the CM's face, and then the pin trade--that totally brought tears to my eyes!!! Such a sweet experience, and I can totally understand why it was so special to you! LOVE it!
You are really rocking the castle pics, too!! Love them all!!
You are really rocking the castle pics, too!! Love them all!!
amazingact21
Upendi
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
What a great update! Awww - your pin trade with that sweet little girl. How awesome!
I once had a skipper named Jessica and she too was awesome. Never missed a beat. I had a blast. I really miss that I didn't get to ride JC in June, but I will in October.
You got more beautiful pics of the castle!
Hmm, I wonder if it was the same skipper?
I can now see why you wished you were able to go on it this past summer, but there's always October! I know I'm definitely going on it again when we go back in a few months. I've never done the Jungle Cruise either! Well, I think I did when I was a kid, but I don't remember it at all! I really, really am going to make an effort to go on it in November! I need to get that Backside of water joke!
Aww, trading with that little girl was so sweet!
Really? I thought I was the only DISboarder who'd never gone on it! I felt like I was breaking some Disney code by not having been on that classic.
It really is a cute ride; I'm not sure I could go on it every trip, though, because I think I'd get sick of the jokes, but it's definitely worth trying.
I LOVE that you guys enjoyed the Jungle Cruise so much, that makes me happy!! Df and I adore that ride. Every time we go we end up with a majority of people who don't speak english or understand
So sweet you filled out a nice comment card too!!
Also I just loved your story of trading with the little girl...made me tear up...it was when I was a kid that I truly fell in love with everything Disney and you probably made her day or vacation...just a magical moment
I could see how that would make for a long Jungle Cruise ride...
Judging by the looks on other people's faces during the ride, I could tell they were thinking, "Really? Really?!" It made me feel so good to be able to do something nice for that little girl. I remember when my mom and Alex were telling me about her as we were walking, I was like, "If I'd known she was there, I totally would've traded with her." So it was great having that opportunity show back up.
I can see why having a good skipper is so important on that ride. It's sort of like The Great Movie Ride. I got a CM on that once who was clearly new, and he was super nervous and missed a bunch of lines in the script, and I could tell other guests weren't getting into the attraction.
Thanks! I take so many castle pictures, it's ridiculous.
I couldn't have asked for a better Disney day, and I loved that my mom got to experience some pixie dust. It was great seeing her enjoy the ride so much.
amazingact21
Upendi
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
It's rare for me to post two days in a row, but I'm procrastinating going to the gym this morning, and what better way to excuse myself than be productive and write more about my May trip. Not to mention, I'm getting closer to the race, and I can't wait to talk about it.
May 5th Afternoon/Early Evening:
My mom, Alex, and I went back to All Star Sports and took about an hour nap. We all felt a million times better; taking a break in the cool rooms was exactly what we needed before the race.
It was about 4:30 when we all woke up, and my mom and I were a little hungry. We were planning to eat dinner around 6, in order to give ourselves time to settle our stomachs before the run.
It's always a catch-22 when Alex and I are running together, though. He has to have a completely empty stomach before he works out, and I actually have to eat about an hour beforehand. It was a challenge when planning this trip, making sure I was full enough but ensuring that Alex had enough time between dinner and the race.
I called my mom, and we agreed to head down to the food court to get some drinks and check out the snacks available. We just wanted something to tide us over for awhile. When we got there, I asked Alex if he was going to get anything, but he said no. I didn't understand how he couldn't be hungry when my breakfast had long worn off.
I told him he really should eat chips or something, but he insisted that he didn't want to waste his 3 snack credits. I even offered to use one of mine, but he still said no.
*Sigh.*
My mom ended up getting a small salad:
This would've been good, but she put too much dressing on...
I went with some apples:
To which I ended up splitting with Alex...
Hermmmmm.
Now, why he didn't just buy his own apples instead of eating half of mine is beyond me, but as it turned out, this was not the only time I urged him to get his own food and he declined, and ended up eating from my selection.
Can anyone say stubborn?!
He was a bit grumpy this afternoon, but heck if I know why.
My mom and I wanted to sit around and rest for a bit, drink some more water, so Alex left us to go scope out-
Where else?
The gift shop.
He had asked if we wanted to go with, but my mom and I were not in the mood to go shopping.
Again.
If memory serves correctly, Alex made a Vinylmation trade while he was in there and found a shirt and a pin that he earmarked for a later purchase.
Meanwhile, my mom pulled out her map of Animal Kingdom and asked me to go over the course map with her:
She was worried she'd get lost, because she was very unfamiliar with the park. I said in several ways that there'd be markers, but I guess she didn't understand me, because Alex returned and said it in his own way, and she went, "Oh! Okay, then. Nothing to worry about."
We eventually had our fill of the food court, so we all headed back to our rooms to complete our medical emergency info on the back of our bibs and watch some television. Just like last year, I was really antsy and jittery.
What killed me about this year's race was the time. 9:30 was so late! At home, I'm getting ready for bed at that hour. And it made the hurry up and wait game last longer, which drove me nuts.
Finally, at 5:45ish, I told everyone to load up so we could go get dinner.
And where were we eating at?
Yes, the food at Pop is the exact same as at All Star Sports, with one exception.
And that exception comprises of Alex's absolute favorite dessert in all of Walt Disney World, so I could not take him to the world and not let him get it.
Not to mention, I wanted to show my mom around the different resorts.
"See here, if we stayed at Pop next time, we'd check in here and walk around there."
What? A girl's gotta sell her case every chance she gets.
The only thing I dislike about Pop is its genius marketing scheme. They want to lure guests into spending tons of money by making them walk through the gift shop in order to get to the food.
Perfect planning on Disney's part.
Not so perfect when you're with my husband and want to just get some dinner in your stomach. Yes, indeed, the three of us spent about ten minutes looking around at the shirts and Mickey ears.
I could probably close my eyes and bring to mind 90% of the merchandise that was on sale that first week of May.
I'd only seen it about 1,000 times already.
Enough was enough, though so I pulled my husband away with some not so nice comments, and we all ordered the same entrée:
The alfredo chicken with breadsticks. The only problem I have with this dish is how near impossible it is to cut the chicken with the plastic knife you're given.
Has anyone else encountered this problem before?
You look ridiculous! Here's this delicious breaded piece of chicken, and you're sitting there with the knife in hand, watching as it bends left, then right, then left again. You're almost afraid the darn thing's going to snap in half!
But, in the end, the chicken does get cut into manageable pieces, so alls well that ends well, I suppose.
While we were playing the "I'm Bigger and Badder Than You, Plastic Knife" game, there was an elderly couple sitting at the table behind us, and I happened to notice they still had those yellow plastic pieces on their refillable mugs. The woman was going to town trying to get hers off. I saw her take a knife (lotta good that'll do you, lady) and try to pry it off, I saw her use her fingers and attempt to pull it off, I'm pretty sure I even saw her slam it on the table.
The two of them looked outright grumpy. They definitely weren't giving off the vibe that they were having a good time, and frankly, I was afraid they were going to snap my head off if I said anything to them.
So, I kept my eye on the mugs, and continued on with my dinner.
My mom has ordered the carrot cake for dessert:
She said it was good, but the icing was a little too thick for her taste. I don't think she was able to finish it.
And Alex and I got:
Ta-Da! The Tye-Dye Cheesecake!
This is the one dish that Alex will occasionally go, "I wish we could have some right now," back at home. And the crazy thing is, he's not even a cheesecake lover! I think it's the red velvet that he loves, but either way- he was a happy camper.
I really like the dessert, as well, but it's so rich that I can never finish one on my own. So, I let me mom try a few bites (she really liked it) and gave the rest over to Alex.
Once we'd finished, Alex went back to the dessert bar and bought a cheesecake to go. Now that we had fridges in the room, he wanted to use a snack credit and save one for later.
When we got up to throw our trash out, I sucked up the courage to talk to Grumpy Couple and told them that the yellow piece was supposed to be cut when they bought the mugs, and that if they took their receipt up to the cash register the CM would fix the mistake. Later, we saw the woman doing just that, so at least they didn't have to worry anymore. And, they didn't yell at me, which was even better!
And as we left, the gift shop sucked my husband back in. I made a Vinylmation trade while I was there. The CM pulled out Phil, and all I could think of was Shannon84's Trip Report title, so I said aloud, "Not Phil!"
The CM and another one standing next to her, commented, "You know, we get a lot of Phils. I guess nobody likes him."
I decided not to comment.
She let me pick another number, and I ended up with Big Al(?) from Country Bear Jamboree. Not much better, but I knew I'd trade him the following day.
I thought about showing my mom around Pop, but I was too afraid I'd tire her out so we just left. However, instead of taking a right at the exit and leaving the same way we'd entered, I asked Alex to take a left.
I wanted to catch a glimpse of the new Art of Animation!
We saw the awesome entrance sign, and Alex slowed a bit. I love the theme of this resort, and the moment I have enough people to book a family suite, I'm staying there!
It slipped my mind to take a photo of the sign, and by the time I remembered, all I could capture was this tiny view of the resort through the woods:
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr
You can only see Simba's feet on the building's wall, but I was still really happy to be able to see that much. I know the resort's open now, so the excitement is sort of lost, but at the time it was still 3 weeks away from opening, and it was great getting a sneak peek view.
We made it back to our rooms and had to sit around some more. I wanted to get to Animal Kingdom between 8:30-8:45, and it was only about 7 o'clock. We all converged in my mom's room, and she turned on the TV, and what was on? The Lion King!
Couldn't have asked for a better way to pass the time.
At about 8:15, I became so impatient that I said, I'd rather wait around at the starting line than wait around in the room, so the three of us grabbed our stuff and headed out.
Up Next: A Small DISboards Convention in the AK Parking Lot
May 5th Afternoon/Early Evening:
My mom, Alex, and I went back to All Star Sports and took about an hour nap. We all felt a million times better; taking a break in the cool rooms was exactly what we needed before the race.
It was about 4:30 when we all woke up, and my mom and I were a little hungry. We were planning to eat dinner around 6, in order to give ourselves time to settle our stomachs before the run.
It's always a catch-22 when Alex and I are running together, though. He has to have a completely empty stomach before he works out, and I actually have to eat about an hour beforehand. It was a challenge when planning this trip, making sure I was full enough but ensuring that Alex had enough time between dinner and the race.
I called my mom, and we agreed to head down to the food court to get some drinks and check out the snacks available. We just wanted something to tide us over for awhile. When we got there, I asked Alex if he was going to get anything, but he said no. I didn't understand how he couldn't be hungry when my breakfast had long worn off.
I told him he really should eat chips or something, but he insisted that he didn't want to waste his 3 snack credits. I even offered to use one of mine, but he still said no.
*Sigh.*
My mom ended up getting a small salad:
This would've been good, but she put too much dressing on...
I went with some apples:
To which I ended up splitting with Alex...
Hermmmmm.
Now, why he didn't just buy his own apples instead of eating half of mine is beyond me, but as it turned out, this was not the only time I urged him to get his own food and he declined, and ended up eating from my selection.
Can anyone say stubborn?!
He was a bit grumpy this afternoon, but heck if I know why.
My mom and I wanted to sit around and rest for a bit, drink some more water, so Alex left us to go scope out-
Where else?
The gift shop.
He had asked if we wanted to go with, but my mom and I were not in the mood to go shopping.
Again.
If memory serves correctly, Alex made a Vinylmation trade while he was in there and found a shirt and a pin that he earmarked for a later purchase.
Meanwhile, my mom pulled out her map of Animal Kingdom and asked me to go over the course map with her:
She was worried she'd get lost, because she was very unfamiliar with the park. I said in several ways that there'd be markers, but I guess she didn't understand me, because Alex returned and said it in his own way, and she went, "Oh! Okay, then. Nothing to worry about."
We eventually had our fill of the food court, so we all headed back to our rooms to complete our medical emergency info on the back of our bibs and watch some television. Just like last year, I was really antsy and jittery.
What killed me about this year's race was the time. 9:30 was so late! At home, I'm getting ready for bed at that hour. And it made the hurry up and wait game last longer, which drove me nuts.
Finally, at 5:45ish, I told everyone to load up so we could go get dinner.
And where were we eating at?
Yes, the food at Pop is the exact same as at All Star Sports, with one exception.
And that exception comprises of Alex's absolute favorite dessert in all of Walt Disney World, so I could not take him to the world and not let him get it.
Not to mention, I wanted to show my mom around the different resorts.
"See here, if we stayed at Pop next time, we'd check in here and walk around there."
What? A girl's gotta sell her case every chance she gets.
The only thing I dislike about Pop is its genius marketing scheme. They want to lure guests into spending tons of money by making them walk through the gift shop in order to get to the food.
Perfect planning on Disney's part.
Not so perfect when you're with my husband and want to just get some dinner in your stomach. Yes, indeed, the three of us spent about ten minutes looking around at the shirts and Mickey ears.
I could probably close my eyes and bring to mind 90% of the merchandise that was on sale that first week of May.
I'd only seen it about 1,000 times already.
Enough was enough, though so I pulled my husband away with some not so nice comments, and we all ordered the same entrée:
The alfredo chicken with breadsticks. The only problem I have with this dish is how near impossible it is to cut the chicken with the plastic knife you're given.
Has anyone else encountered this problem before?
You look ridiculous! Here's this delicious breaded piece of chicken, and you're sitting there with the knife in hand, watching as it bends left, then right, then left again. You're almost afraid the darn thing's going to snap in half!
But, in the end, the chicken does get cut into manageable pieces, so alls well that ends well, I suppose.
While we were playing the "I'm Bigger and Badder Than You, Plastic Knife" game, there was an elderly couple sitting at the table behind us, and I happened to notice they still had those yellow plastic pieces on their refillable mugs. The woman was going to town trying to get hers off. I saw her take a knife (lotta good that'll do you, lady) and try to pry it off, I saw her use her fingers and attempt to pull it off, I'm pretty sure I even saw her slam it on the table.
The two of them looked outright grumpy. They definitely weren't giving off the vibe that they were having a good time, and frankly, I was afraid they were going to snap my head off if I said anything to them.
So, I kept my eye on the mugs, and continued on with my dinner.
My mom has ordered the carrot cake for dessert:
She said it was good, but the icing was a little too thick for her taste. I don't think she was able to finish it.
And Alex and I got:
Ta-Da! The Tye-Dye Cheesecake!
This is the one dish that Alex will occasionally go, "I wish we could have some right now," back at home. And the crazy thing is, he's not even a cheesecake lover! I think it's the red velvet that he loves, but either way- he was a happy camper.
I really like the dessert, as well, but it's so rich that I can never finish one on my own. So, I let me mom try a few bites (she really liked it) and gave the rest over to Alex.
Once we'd finished, Alex went back to the dessert bar and bought a cheesecake to go. Now that we had fridges in the room, he wanted to use a snack credit and save one for later.
When we got up to throw our trash out, I sucked up the courage to talk to Grumpy Couple and told them that the yellow piece was supposed to be cut when they bought the mugs, and that if they took their receipt up to the cash register the CM would fix the mistake. Later, we saw the woman doing just that, so at least they didn't have to worry anymore. And, they didn't yell at me, which was even better!
And as we left, the gift shop sucked my husband back in. I made a Vinylmation trade while I was there. The CM pulled out Phil, and all I could think of was Shannon84's Trip Report title, so I said aloud, "Not Phil!"
The CM and another one standing next to her, commented, "You know, we get a lot of Phils. I guess nobody likes him."
I decided not to comment.
She let me pick another number, and I ended up with Big Al(?) from Country Bear Jamboree. Not much better, but I knew I'd trade him the following day.
I thought about showing my mom around Pop, but I was too afraid I'd tire her out so we just left. However, instead of taking a right at the exit and leaving the same way we'd entered, I asked Alex to take a left.
I wanted to catch a glimpse of the new Art of Animation!
We saw the awesome entrance sign, and Alex slowed a bit. I love the theme of this resort, and the moment I have enough people to book a family suite, I'm staying there!
It slipped my mind to take a photo of the sign, and by the time I remembered, all I could capture was this tiny view of the resort through the woods:
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on FlickrYou can only see Simba's feet on the building's wall, but I was still really happy to be able to see that much. I know the resort's open now, so the excitement is sort of lost, but at the time it was still 3 weeks away from opening, and it was great getting a sneak peek view.
We made it back to our rooms and had to sit around some more. I wanted to get to Animal Kingdom between 8:30-8:45, and it was only about 7 o'clock. We all converged in my mom's room, and she turned on the TV, and what was on? The Lion King!
Couldn't have asked for a better way to pass the time.
At about 8:15, I became so impatient that I said, I'd rather wait around at the starting line than wait around in the room, so the three of us grabbed our stuff and headed out.
Up Next: A Small DISboards Convention in the AK Parking Lot
Last edited:
teekathepony
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2009
Sounds like a good way to prepare for the race!
At Art of Animation, they have glass plates and real silverware. No more fighting with plastic knives! I can not wait to stay there this fall!
At Art of Animation, they have glass plates and real silverware. No more fighting with plastic knives! I can not wait to stay there this fall!
PirateKate
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 16, 2010
I remember having trouble cutting that chicken, too. I ended up ripping pieces off for my boys, cause it was took forever to cut. I love that tie dye cheesecake, too.
Can't wait to hear about the race!
I love that tie dye cheesecake, too.Can't wait to hear about the race!
pinkxray
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2009
I had to go back a few updates but I think I am all caught up now.
Your Kona breakfast looks so good. I am determined to eat there one day but I always end up cancelling for some reason.
How sweet of Alex to take that couples picture at breakfast.
I haven't seen HOP in years. Is there a talking Obama now?
Yum, I love the chicken and cheesecake at Pop. Although that chicken is tough to cut. I was always afraid it was going to end up flying off the plate.
DH was not happy that you have to walk through the gift shop at Pop to get through to the food court. He thought I was tricking him into more shopping before eating.
I never realized that the EE race was at night I have never really looked into it, but assumed it was early, like before park opening. How cool to be in AK at night. I can't wait for your next update.
Your Kona breakfast looks so good. I am determined to eat there one day but I always end up cancelling for some reason.
How sweet of Alex to take that couples picture at breakfast.
I haven't seen HOP in years. Is there a talking Obama now?
Yum, I love the chicken and cheesecake at Pop. Although that chicken is tough to cut. I was always afraid it was going to end up flying off the plate.
DH was not happy that you have to walk through the gift shop at Pop to get through to the food court. He thought I was tricking him into more shopping before eating.
I never realized that the EE race was at night
I have never really looked into it, but assumed it was early, like before park opening. How cool to be in AK at night. I can't wait for your next update.
UGAFan0829
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2004
EEEEKKKK!! You're so close to the race and I can barely stand it!!!!
Just hearing about your afternoon nap made me feel refreshed..aaahh!!
Too funny that Alex wanted to much from your snack credits!!
So cool that you were able to get a glimpse of AoA! I so want to stay there as well!
I so can't wait to hear about the race!!
Just hearing about your afternoon nap made me feel refreshed..aaahh!!
Too funny that Alex wanted to much from your snack credits!!
So cool that you were able to get a glimpse of AoA! I so want to stay there as well!
I so can't wait to hear about the race!!
Elleshoodat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2010
Love, love, love your Poly/MK day so far! Isn't it frustrating when everyone else doesn't play along with the Jungle Cruise skipper? It's like people are too self-conscious to have a good time.
And your magical moment pin-trading with that little girl ... oh, so cute!
I can't wait to read about the race.
And your magical moment pin-trading with that little girl ... oh, so cute!
I can't wait to read about the race.
CandleontheWater
Forever in love with Hathaway Browne
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
awwww, jungle cruise is my favorite! I'm so happy you had a great first experience with a good skipper!
Your meal looks yummy, sorry about the plastic silverware debacle.
What a good idea to head over to Pop for dinner, it killed some time and gave you a sneak peak at AoA!
Looking forward to hearing about the race!
Your meal looks yummy, sorry about the plastic silverware debacle.
What a good idea to head over to Pop for dinner, it killed some time and gave you a sneak peak at AoA!
Looking forward to hearing about the race!
Queenofallthings
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2008
Great update! That cheesecake is quite good...I remembered it from the first time we stayed at Pop in 2005 but the funny thing was I kept forgetting to get it this past trip
Can't wait to hear all about the race!
Can't wait to hear all about the race!
amazingact21
Upendi
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
Sounds like a good way to prepare for the race!
At Art of Animation, they have glass plates and real silverware. No more fighting with plastic knives! I can not wait to stay there this fall!
Just another reason why Art of Animation is awesome!
I can't wait to see your photos from your upcoming trip. It's getting close!I remember having trouble cutting that chicken, too. I ended up ripping pieces off for my boys, cause it was took forever to cut.
Can't wait to hear about the race!
I think ripping the chicken into pieces would probably be easier.
I'm excited to write about the race! Going into it, I thought I wouldn't have anything new to write about from last year, but I was very wrong!
I had to go back a few updates but I think I am all caught up now.
Your Kona breakfast looks so good. I am determined to eat there one day but I always end up cancelling for some reason.
How sweet of Alex to take that couples picture at breakfast.
I haven't seen HOP in years. Is there a talking Obama now?
Yum, I love the chicken and cheesecake at Pop. Although that chicken is tough to cut. I was always afraid it was going to end up flying off the plate.
DH was not happy that you have to walk through the gift shop at Pop to get through to the food court. He thought I was tricking him into more shopping before eating.
I never realized that the EE race was at night
I could just see me sitting in the food court at Pop and watch as some guest's chicken went flying onto the floor.
There is a talking Obama in HoP now.
Running through AK at night is what makes the EE Challenge so great. The pathways through the park are actually really small and the course itself kind of stinks, but it's such a rare experience that it's worth it. Plus, getting to ride EE at night is amazing!
EEEEKKKK!! You're so close to the race and I can barely stand it!!!!
Just hearing about your afternoon nap made me feel refreshed..aaahh!!
Too funny that Alex wanted to much from your snack credits!!
So cool that you were able to get a glimpse of AoA! I so want to stay there as well!
I so can't wait to hear about the race!!
Can you believe the ToT 10-miler is coming up so soon? I'm so excited that you get to run in it.
By the way, how long are you going to be there? (Sorry if you've mentioned this before, short memory.) I don't have any plans so far, but if we happen to be at the same place at the same time, I'd love to meet up! You can show off your awesome medal and tell me all about how awesome you did at the race!I always feel bad for the CMs when guests aren't participating. Has to make their job harder. I'm sure the whole self-conscious thing is the main problem, but I know the three of us didn't mind playing along.
I was thrilled to get a good skipper on our first Jungle Cruise ride. It's gonna be hard to top that experience!
I always really enjoy looking around the resorts in my spare time. It's cool to see all the different themes and get a glimpse at just how big the overall WDW resort area is.
Great update! That cheesecake is quite good...I remembered it from the first time we stayed at Pop in 2005 but the funny thing was I kept forgetting to get it this past trip
Can't wait to hear all about the race!
I don't think Alex would allow me miss out on that cheesecake. Which I don't mind...if he has a dessert he loves, he's more tempted to return.
amazingact21
Upendi
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
Just as a forewarning, for the Expedition Everest race I brought along my 4 year old Point and Shoot Camera. I really wanted to capture some photos of AK at night and the race course, but they ended up pretty bad. I'll still post what I have, but just know that they're blurry and out of focus.
May 5th Night:
At around 8 o'clock, Alex, my mom, and I pulled into the AK parking area and waited with about a hundred other cars to park:
When we pulled into our spot, the three of us got out of the car, attached our bibs to our shirt, and drank some water. I got a little frustrated with my bib, because I kept thinking it was crooked. Alex's and my conversation went something like this:
"Alex, it looks like my bib is messed up."
"It looks fine. Let's go."
"No wait, the left side is higher, isn't it?"
"It's fine."
"Here, is it better now? No, now it looks like the right side is too high!"
"It's fine, Alicia."
"No, yours doesn't look like this. Maybe I need to unhook the top two pins and start over."
"It's fine."
"Just give me a sec."
Eventually, I just gave up and let my bib be crooked. I'm such an anal-retentive person that the idea of having anything out of place drove me crazy, but I couldn't seem to fix the problem. Not that it really mattered, as soon as the race started I forgot about my bib completely.
As we walked towards the waiting area (another parking lot) I stopped and turned on my camera.
Oh no you don't, Parking Lot! I am NOT going through the same debacle I did last year!
In case anyone who didn't read about my 2011 race doesn't know, I was so set on taking a picture of our parking lot name and number because last time I forgot. And let me just say...spending 20 (oh yes) minutes prowling three different lots after running a 5K at 1 in the morning is the worst experience in the world. Be smart, don't ever make that mistake.
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr
Picture stored in the memory card, we walked over to the parking lot and waited.
Really. That's all we did.
For about an hour.
Naturally, we looked at people's costumes and read some of the team names and listened to the MC, but that was it.
I took a lot of random photos:
My mom waiting to run her first Disney race.
Alex and I standing around.
My mom texting my dad, and Alex looking at the moon, which was really bright that night.
I don't know why, but I was really antsy the closer it got to 9 o'clock, so I made my mom and Alex go with me to get some water. Just like last year, I got all cotton mouthed thinking about the race. You would think that having done this event last year, I wouldn't be nervous, but I definitely was.
It got darker and darker the longer we sat around:
f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr
I wanted to post this last photo to point out how sweaty I already was! Now, mind you, I sweat walking to my mailbox. It's bad. Sometimes, when I'm at the gym I get embarrassed, because my face turns beet red, and I know people are looking at me thinking, "She's about to pass out!"
And just sitting on the concrete was making me really hot.
The humidity this night was horrible! The air was sticky and it made breathing harder than normal. I felt terrible for the folks who came from dryer and cooler climates; I knew they had to be absolutely miserable in this weather.
I want to say that, with humidity factored, it 98 degrees out. In May!
This was certainly a hot race, and I knew we'd all be nasty afterwards.
Bleck.
Shortly before I knew they'd be calling Wave 1 to line up, I made us all take a bathroom break, and while we were waiting in line at the port-a-potties, I spotted 20thingamabobs (aka Whitney) and her DF (who's now her DH). I said hello, and we all shared introductions. Her brother was with her as well, so between the six of us there was a lot of handshakes and "nice to meet you's."
It was really cool to actually meet her this go round, because last year, I was too shy to say hello. But of course, I completely forgot to get a picture, so you'll just have to take my word that the DISmeet happened.
Shortly afterwards, the MC called for all Wave 1 runners to get in the corral. It was about 9:20 at this point, and nobody really had any idea how they were doing the Waves. Last year was a disaster. They just had everyone form up in one big line, and people were getting lost and left behind in their waves. It was miserable, and I was concerned that that nightmare would repeat itself this year. So far, though, it didn't seem to be the case. In fact, nobody was telling anybody what to do or where to go. We all were just standing around, twiddling our thumbs.
My mom was in Wave 1, so we wished her good luck and watched her make her way to the starting line. I was so nervous for her. I would have been so scared trying to figure everything out on my own.
There's no way I could've done a race by myself for the first time, but my mom wasn't stressed at all. And, in the end, I didn't need to be, either. But I'll go into that later on...
Alex and I decided to walk closer to the corral area. We were in Wave 3, which meant, theoretically, that we would be starting 12 minutes after Wave 1 took off.
As we made it further up the parking lot, Wakica (aka Kim) spotted us and said hello. It was really cool getting to meet her, since I'd read her PTR (and now her TR) and talked with her over on the Expedition Everest Thread.
Not to mention, it was my second DISmeet of the night!
Here's us and her daughter (her race partner):
We were all a little confused about where we were supposed to go; nobody was clear on that. I remember I heard the MC announce that Wave 2 needed to begin lining up.
Kim left to use the restroom (I think?) and Alex and I crept closer to the corral. At about 9:35, the officials announced that the race was starting. They were a few minutes late, for some reason.
When they did the countdown for Wave 1, I cheered really loud, and became so excited for my mother's sake. It was an incredibly happy feeling, knowing my mother was starting her 5K race.
After all the Wave 1 racers had crossed the starting line, the MC told Wave 2 to enter the corrals and asked all Wave 3 runners to line up.
That's us!
And it appeared that runDisney was loading one wave into the starting corral, while the next wave waited in a group behind them. It seemed like a great idea, much better than last year's system.
Except they should have announced their plans to everyone, because I can't tell you how many runners were confused on what was going on and just went ahead and lined up with us. We saw a ton of Wave 4 teams, a good handful of Wave 6ers, and even a half dozen Wave 8 people.
They were all panicking, and I can understand that, it was unnerving not knowing what to do, but it was a little bit of a pain for Alex and me. We had way more people in our group than we were meant to have, and I knew there were several Wave 3 folks who ended up starting in a later wave.
Yeesh. Seems like Disney races just can't get a good handle on starting groups. However, I've heard the half marathons are much better coordinated, and I would hope so. I couldn't imagine going through this much mayhem for such a big event.
While Alex and I were in our mob of fellow runners, I took this horrible shot:
And heard someone call my name from behind.
It was sjlupin and her son, who I'd also met on the Expedition Everest Thread! How awesome! I was able to meet 3 DISboarders in a matter of an hour. If anyone ever does a runDisney event, I would highly suggest joining the thread associated with it, because it's exciting meeting fellow members before the race. You spend months sharing in the anticipation of running, and it's like a breath of fresh air meeting someone you've shared tips and complaints with.
I would've talked more, but Wave 2 was being released, and it was time for us to move into the starting corral!
Yay!
Almost there!
It's really here! The time to race is now! All those months of training, all those shin splits, all those hot afternoons running around the neighborhood have all come to this!
It was actually scary being up at the starting line for the second time. Last year, I didn't have anything to base my run off of, I was completely new to all of it. This year, though, I kept thinking about how desperately I wanted to beat last year's time. I mean, the whole point of running races is to improve, right?
Wrong, but at that moment I wasn't thinking clearly.
All that was going through my mind was how hot it was, and how that'd effect my run, and how I shouldn't have skipped that one day of training because I was tired, and how hard the scavenger hunt was going to be.
I was psyching myself out, but luckily, when the ten second countdown began (it was 9:47) my head cleared completely, and I became ridiculously excited.
I was running at Disney, again!
I was going to be in AK at night!
I was about to have so much fun!
Let's get this thing started!
Up Next..The Expedition Everest 5K Challenge
May 5th Night:
At around 8 o'clock, Alex, my mom, and I pulled into the AK parking area and waited with about a hundred other cars to park:
When we pulled into our spot, the three of us got out of the car, attached our bibs to our shirt, and drank some water. I got a little frustrated with my bib, because I kept thinking it was crooked. Alex's and my conversation went something like this:
"Alex, it looks like my bib is messed up."
"It looks fine. Let's go."
"No wait, the left side is higher, isn't it?"
"It's fine."
"Here, is it better now? No, now it looks like the right side is too high!"
"It's fine, Alicia."
"No, yours doesn't look like this. Maybe I need to unhook the top two pins and start over."
"It's fine."
"Just give me a sec."
Eventually, I just gave up and let my bib be crooked. I'm such an anal-retentive person that the idea of having anything out of place drove me crazy, but I couldn't seem to fix the problem. Not that it really mattered, as soon as the race started I forgot about my bib completely.
As we walked towards the waiting area (another parking lot) I stopped and turned on my camera.
Oh no you don't, Parking Lot! I am NOT going through the same debacle I did last year!
In case anyone who didn't read about my 2011 race doesn't know, I was so set on taking a picture of our parking lot name and number because last time I forgot. And let me just say...spending 20 (oh yes) minutes prowling three different lots after running a 5K at 1 in the morning is the worst experience in the world. Be smart, don't ever make that mistake.
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on FlickrPicture stored in the memory card, we walked over to the parking lot and waited.
Really. That's all we did.
For about an hour.
Naturally, we looked at people's costumes and read some of the team names and listened to the MC, but that was it.
I took a lot of random photos:
My mom waiting to run her first Disney race.
Alex and I standing around.
My mom texting my dad, and Alex looking at the moon, which was really bright that night.
I don't know why, but I was really antsy the closer it got to 9 o'clock, so I made my mom and Alex go with me to get some water. Just like last year, I got all cotton mouthed thinking about the race. You would think that having done this event last year, I wouldn't be nervous, but I definitely was.
It got darker and darker the longer we sat around:
f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr I wanted to post this last photo to point out how sweaty I already was! Now, mind you, I sweat walking to my mailbox. It's bad. Sometimes, when I'm at the gym I get embarrassed, because my face turns beet red, and I know people are looking at me thinking, "She's about to pass out!"
And just sitting on the concrete was making me really hot.
The humidity this night was horrible! The air was sticky and it made breathing harder than normal. I felt terrible for the folks who came from dryer and cooler climates; I knew they had to be absolutely miserable in this weather.
I want to say that, with humidity factored, it 98 degrees out. In May!
This was certainly a hot race, and I knew we'd all be nasty afterwards.
Bleck.
Shortly before I knew they'd be calling Wave 1 to line up, I made us all take a bathroom break, and while we were waiting in line at the port-a-potties, I spotted 20thingamabobs (aka Whitney) and her DF (who's now her DH). I said hello, and we all shared introductions. Her brother was with her as well, so between the six of us there was a lot of handshakes and "nice to meet you's."
It was really cool to actually meet her this go round, because last year, I was too shy to say hello. But of course, I completely forgot to get a picture, so you'll just have to take my word that the DISmeet happened.
Shortly afterwards, the MC called for all Wave 1 runners to get in the corral. It was about 9:20 at this point, and nobody really had any idea how they were doing the Waves. Last year was a disaster. They just had everyone form up in one big line, and people were getting lost and left behind in their waves. It was miserable, and I was concerned that that nightmare would repeat itself this year. So far, though, it didn't seem to be the case. In fact, nobody was telling anybody what to do or where to go. We all were just standing around, twiddling our thumbs.
My mom was in Wave 1, so we wished her good luck and watched her make her way to the starting line. I was so nervous for her. I would have been so scared trying to figure everything out on my own.
There's no way I could've done a race by myself for the first time, but my mom wasn't stressed at all. And, in the end, I didn't need to be, either. But I'll go into that later on...
Alex and I decided to walk closer to the corral area. We were in Wave 3, which meant, theoretically, that we would be starting 12 minutes after Wave 1 took off.
As we made it further up the parking lot, Wakica (aka Kim) spotted us and said hello. It was really cool getting to meet her, since I'd read her PTR (and now her TR) and talked with her over on the Expedition Everest Thread.
Not to mention, it was my second DISmeet of the night!
Here's us and her daughter (her race partner):
We were all a little confused about where we were supposed to go; nobody was clear on that. I remember I heard the MC announce that Wave 2 needed to begin lining up.
Kim left to use the restroom (I think?) and Alex and I crept closer to the corral. At about 9:35, the officials announced that the race was starting. They were a few minutes late, for some reason.
When they did the countdown for Wave 1, I cheered really loud, and became so excited for my mother's sake. It was an incredibly happy feeling, knowing my mother was starting her 5K race.
After all the Wave 1 racers had crossed the starting line, the MC told Wave 2 to enter the corrals and asked all Wave 3 runners to line up.
That's us!
And it appeared that runDisney was loading one wave into the starting corral, while the next wave waited in a group behind them. It seemed like a great idea, much better than last year's system.
Except they should have announced their plans to everyone, because I can't tell you how many runners were confused on what was going on and just went ahead and lined up with us. We saw a ton of Wave 4 teams, a good handful of Wave 6ers, and even a half dozen Wave 8 people.
They were all panicking, and I can understand that, it was unnerving not knowing what to do, but it was a little bit of a pain for Alex and me. We had way more people in our group than we were meant to have, and I knew there were several Wave 3 folks who ended up starting in a later wave.
Yeesh. Seems like Disney races just can't get a good handle on starting groups. However, I've heard the half marathons are much better coordinated, and I would hope so. I couldn't imagine going through this much mayhem for such a big event.
While Alex and I were in our mob of fellow runners, I took this horrible shot:
And heard someone call my name from behind.
It was sjlupin and her son, who I'd also met on the Expedition Everest Thread! How awesome! I was able to meet 3 DISboarders in a matter of an hour. If anyone ever does a runDisney event, I would highly suggest joining the thread associated with it, because it's exciting meeting fellow members before the race. You spend months sharing in the anticipation of running, and it's like a breath of fresh air meeting someone you've shared tips and complaints with.
I would've talked more, but Wave 2 was being released, and it was time for us to move into the starting corral!
Yay!
Almost there!
It's really here! The time to race is now! All those months of training, all those shin splits, all those hot afternoons running around the neighborhood have all come to this!
It was actually scary being up at the starting line for the second time. Last year, I didn't have anything to base my run off of, I was completely new to all of it. This year, though, I kept thinking about how desperately I wanted to beat last year's time. I mean, the whole point of running races is to improve, right?
Wrong, but at that moment I wasn't thinking clearly.
All that was going through my mind was how hot it was, and how that'd effect my run, and how I shouldn't have skipped that one day of training because I was tired, and how hard the scavenger hunt was going to be.
I was psyching myself out, but luckily, when the ten second countdown began (it was 9:47) my head cleared completely, and I became ridiculously excited.
I was running at Disney, again!
I was going to be in AK at night!
I was about to have so much fun!
Let's get this thing started!
Up Next..The Expedition Everest 5K Challenge
Last edited:
teekathepony
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2009
Another cliffhanger! So close to the race! I'd get incredibly nervous before a race I bet. I'd be anal about my bib being straight too. Hope the race goes well!
So close to the race! I'd get incredibly nervous before a race I bet. I'd be anal about my bib being straight too. Hope the race goes well!
marDgreen88
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2011
Aww your Jungle Cruise ride sounds awesome. I always thank the 'skippers' on the different rides because I feel like they have thankless jobs, ya know?
Your pin trade sounds too precious.
I can feel your anticipation. Let's go!
Your pin trade sounds too precious.
I can feel your anticipation. Let's go!
wakica
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2007
Whoooee, I'm behind!!! Been enjoying summer but working too much too. LOL
Anyway. We've been on JC a few times but it's not our fave. The last tiime we went we decided to try it in the dark for something different but our CM was so hpyer I thought she must have been high or something!!! She was talking into the mic SOOO loud and SOOO fast that nobody could make out half her jokes so no wonder people weren't laughing
I tried to chuckle a few times when I did catch her jokes but we had a boat similar to yours - not many people were into it.
Good thing Alex is willing to do the dirty work for you hey?? Or you wouldn't have had those nice pics of all of you. Did you do any photopass pics? We finally got ours and there were lots which is SO nice cuz we don't usually have a lot of pics of all of us.
That was SO awesome that you did the pin trading with the girl. My dd did it one year but she was too shy to trade with anyone - including cast members. LOL
That was so funny when you were talking about Alex eating YOUR snacks bc my DH does that too!!! GRRR! With my dh I'm sure it's bc he doesn't want to spend the money but doesn't want to look cheap so he lets me buy a snack to seem generous but doesn't buy one himself so he can still be a bit cheap and then he ends up helping me with mine!!! Little does he know that I'm on to him and know EXACTLY what he's doing. It was great that you posted the stubborn pic. Bahahahaha!!!! That was entertaining to see.
the parking lot idea is BRILLIANT!!!! I know to take note when going to the parks but I guess we were all too excited to think about it when we went to the race!!! Good thing we were amongst the last few people out of the park so it didn't take us too too long to find it. LOL
It was GREAT running into you guys!! I was SO excited to see you Yes, we were on our way to the bathroom. I totally would have hung out a bit longer if everything hadn't been so unorganized bc I thought we were supposed to be in the corals by 9 so I figured we'd be sent there any minute. I was sooo confused Oh well, it all worked out well. Just wish we could have chatted longer.
Anyway. We've been on JC a few times but it's not our fave. The last tiime we went we decided to try it in the dark for something different but our CM was so hpyer I thought she must have been high or something!!! She was talking into the mic SOOO loud and SOOO fast that nobody could make out half her jokes so no wonder people weren't laughing
I tried to chuckle a few times when I did catch her jokes but we had a boat similar to yours - not many people were into it. Good thing Alex is willing to do the dirty work for you hey??
Or you wouldn't have had those nice pics of all of you. Did you do any photopass pics? We finally got ours and there were lots which is SO nice cuz we don't usually have a lot of pics of all of us. That was SO awesome that you did the pin trading with the girl. My dd did it one year but she was too shy to trade with anyone - including cast members. LOL
That was so funny when you were talking about Alex eating YOUR snacks bc my DH does that too!!! GRRR! With my dh I'm sure it's bc he doesn't want to spend the money but doesn't want to look cheap so he lets me buy a snack to seem generous but doesn't buy one himself so he can still be a bit cheap and then he ends up helping me with mine!!! Little does he know that I'm on to him and know EXACTLY what he's doing. It was great that you posted the stubborn pic. Bahahahaha!!!! That was entertaining to see.
the parking lot idea is BRILLIANT!!!! I know to take note when going to the parks but I guess we were all too excited to think about it when we went to the race!!! Good thing we were amongst the last few people out of the park so it didn't take us too too long to find it. LOL
It was GREAT running into you guys!! I was SO excited to see you
Yes, we were on our way to the bathroom. I totally would have hung out a bit longer if everything hadn't been so unorganized bc I thought we were supposed to be in the corals by 9 so I figured we'd be sent there any minute. I was sooo confused Oh well, it all worked out well. Just wish we could have chatted longer.
Queenofallthings
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2008
Great pictures pre-race! I was excited for you reading this post! I can't wait to see how the race goes! Imagine having 2 Dis-meets with all those people around...they really are the best aren't they!
UGAFan0829
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2004
Aaaaacccckkkk!
I can't believe you're leaving us hanging like that!!!
I can totally relate to the bib ordeal! Mike and I had a tiff the morning of my first Princess over the same thing! It's very important for our bibs to be straight--why can't our hubbys understand that!?
Sorry that things were so confusing! That definitely would've made me stress out! I need to know where I'm suppose to be at all times! I certainly hope the ToT race is well organized!
How cool that you were able to have so many DIS encounters...that's awesome!
I totally got chills when you talked about moving up to the start line...soooo exciting! You know I can't wait to read more!
And lastly--about meeting up--as of now, we're scheduled to fly in on Thursday, and I'm hoping to be on property around noon, or a little after. We'll be there until Monday morning. The bad part is that we won't have a car, so we'll be dependent on Disney transportation, which isn't a bad thing, but we've never been without a car. What's scary though, is that SSR, which is where we're staying, isn't a host resort for the race, so we've gotta figure something out about that! Anyway...other than a couple dinners and a breakfast and the Expo on Friday, we don't have any other plans--we're not going to any parks this time. So, if you think y'all might have some free time, let me know and we'll try and make it happen!
I can't believe you're leaving us hanging like that!!!I can totally relate to the bib ordeal! Mike and I had a tiff the morning of my first Princess over the same thing! It's very important for our bibs to be straight--why can't our hubbys understand that!?
Sorry that things were so confusing! That definitely would've made me stress out! I need to know where I'm suppose to be at all times! I certainly hope the ToT race is well organized!
How cool that you were able to have so many DIS encounters...that's awesome!
I totally got chills when you talked about moving up to the start line...soooo exciting!
You know I can't wait to read more!And lastly--about meeting up--as of now, we're scheduled to fly in on Thursday, and I'm hoping to be on property around noon, or a little after. We'll be there until Monday morning. The bad part is that we won't have a car, so we'll be dependent on Disney transportation, which isn't a bad thing, but we've never been without a car. What's scary though, is that SSR, which is where we're staying, isn't a host resort for the race, so we've gotta figure something out about that!
Anyway...other than a couple dinners and a breakfast and the Expo on Friday, we don't have any other plans--we're not going to any parks this time. So, if you think y'all might have some free time, let me know and we'll try and make it happen!
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