#Wine&DineHalf: I'm Only Running for the Food & Wine FINISHED

[rteetz]

I don't usually like to do character meets either but I took as many pictures as I could after I got my medals this past weekend.

I've never had duck. I'll have to try it sometime. The lettuce wrap doesn't look like something I would order but I'm not as adventurous as I should be.

 

[momabaarjo]

Sunday: Eats & Drinks
Party Time Treats (CONT)​

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Okay, I am not a beer drinker AT ALL…can’t stand the stuff but everyone kept insisting that even I would like a Grapefruit beer. I proudly texted a picture of me holding the beer to Mr. Grumpy at home and then of course on Facebook just to get reactions out of everyone. What I should have done was gotten a picture of my first sip and then pictures of me trying my best to choke down the stuff. Nope, this will not make me a beer drinker! As an ode to my sorority days of long ago, I chugged the thing just to say after 30 years of being legal to drink I drank an ENTIRE beer! One and done! Now to cleanse my palate of that nasty stuff I had to go with the Apple Strudel!
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Personally, I make a much better strudel, but it did the trick of getting rid of that nasty beer taste! We continued to move around World Showcase where out next stop was Africa, where I was looking forward to some Butter Chicken & Naan bread.

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This is one of my favorite dishes at Sanaa and it was just as good at Food & Wine. A definite must try if you have never had! And of course I had to have a glass of the Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, which did not disappoint. By this time I was running out of steam at it was only 9:00! For some reason we headed back towards Norway, I think to check on Frozen wait times…anyway it was Illuminations time and we stood and watched (or Debra and Buffy did, I parked myself on a rock to get off my foot).

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After illuminations was over, we started to make our way back towards America. I was totally fading fast, but there was a whole meal basically waiting for me at Hops & Barley…Lobster Roll, Carrot Cake and Spiked Orange Tea.

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I loved both the Lobster Roll and the carrot cake (which is usually not usually a cake I like) was so moist! However, the spiked orange tea was dreadful. The orange rind that they used to garnish was bitter and found throughout the drink. I ended up throwing it away.

By this time I was done with the evening and it was only a little past 11 pm, thank goodness Buffy and Debra were feeling the same way. I am totally disappointed with myself that I could not hang with the young crowd until the party ended at 1 am and I am sad that because of it, I would end up missing a few things at Food & Wine that I wanted to try (drat going off plan on Thursday afternoon).

After leaving the International Gateway we were met by a security guard, I promise I was completely sober but wishing I had had more to drink to ease my throbbing ankle and tired body. He wanted to know why we were leaving so early and then showed us some Disney magic that we had been wearing around our necks and had not noticed…

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Lumiere glows in the dark! How cool is that! He wished us a good night and I limped back to BC and fell into bed.

Thoughts about the After Party…not that I have any past parties to compare it to:​

1. I like that it was after the race, because if W&D continued to be a night race I would have missed out on most of the party for being part of the party crowd at the back of the pack.
2. I hated the banding system that they used. There were stations set up throughout World Showcase, but it was an inefficient system as every station had long lines and unworking computer systems to scan your ticket. I can see why people complained that there were a lot of people that stayed in the park that did not have party tickets.
3. I am sad that I missed out on so many great character opportunities (not that I am a character person). I was so focused on my mission of eats & drinks that I failed to even notice the characters.
4. I honestly do not know what people were complaining about…we never waited more than 5 minutes at any booth or attraction the entire evening. I saw lots of complaints about this and people leaving in a huff before 10 pm. Epcot officially closed after illuminations around 9:30 pm. It takes time to clear the park, so chill out people. By the time we left around 11 pm it the crowd level was extremely low.

 

[momabaarjo]

I don't usually like to do character meets either but I took as many pictures as I could after I got my medals this past weekend.

I loved all of your pictures. I did more character photos this trip than probably all the others combined. I actually enjoyed it, I guess now because I am not worried about racing to the next thing on my list.

You should of heard my grumbling in line about doing a character stop this night...but it turned out awesome!


I've never had duck. I'll have to try it sometime. The lettuce wrap doesn't look like something I would order but I'm not as adventurous as I should be.

Honestly, I think the duck and the hummus fries were the best bites of the whole Food & Wine! I have learned to love Kimchi. Just wait your taste buds will change as you get older. Challenge yourself...

 

[momabaarjo]

SO MUCH GOOD LOOKING FOOD! You are making me hungry! Anyways I am back home so I can catch up on all the TRs I am missing out on and maybe start mine...

So much food! I'm getting hungry just looking at all the yummy dishes (and drinks, of course).

I know...I am dying posting this pictures. Next trip to Wine & Dine...NO ADRs!

 

[rteetz]

Mmmmmm apple strudel yes please!

I love that lumiere medal! I'm interested to see what they do for this years since they are just calling it the two course challenge now.

I think one of the biggest benefits to the race being in the morning is the ability to shower after the race then go to the party later. I don't think I would've liked running then going right to a party.

 

[angryduck71]

...and, you've inspired me to train to do this in 2018. I'm a tennis player and I hate to just run unless I'm just chasing the fuzzy yellow ball, but dang it, this looks like fun! I MIGHT do the Star Wars one instead of Wine & Dine. My buddy is looking at both now to see which one looks more awesome to her. <3

 

[momabaarjo]

...and, you've inspired me to train to do this in 2018. I'm a tennis player and I hate to just run unless I'm just chasing the fuzzy yellow ball, but dang it, this looks like fun! I MIGHT do the Star Wars one instead of Wine & Dine. My buddy is looking at both now to see which one looks more awesome to her. <3

You make me totally made my day... I am not sure how much of an inspiration I am...

I never thought I would ever be running half marathons, but I LOVE IT! (Okay maybe not so much at mile 8-10). I never ran before I was 45 in my life (other than a few cross training runs for swimming in high school ions ago).

runDisney is totally addicting! I am not a huge Star Wars fan, but a lot of my running friends are and talk highly of the races! As you can see I like eating and drinking...right now Wine & Dine is my favorite! Ask any questions you might have and I will try to help you out. Also, I can also help you in planning and securing bibs through my side business (if you know what I mean).

 

[angryduck71]

You make me totally made my day... I am not sure how much of an inspiration I am...

I never thought I would ever be running half marathons, but I LOVE IT! (Okay maybe not so much at mile 8-10). I never ran before I was 45 in my life (other than a few cross training runs for swimming in high school ions ago).

runDisney is totally addicting! I am not a huge Star Wars fan, but a lot of my running friends are and talk highly of the races! As you can see I like eating and drinking...right now Wine & Dine is my favorite! Ask any questions you might have and I will try to help you out. Also, I can also help you in planning and securing bibs through my side business (if you know what I mean).

Thanks so much!!! I will ask when it gets closer! At least my buddy has done runs before. I know nothing about that. LOL. I do tennis tournaments.

 

[Sailormoon2]

Thank you for your race recap. I too did Lumieres challenge so reading this helped me remember my own awesome experience. It was a solo trip for me, which is fine, because like you running is my meditative ME time!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Honestly, I think the duck and the hummus fries were the best bites of the whole Food & Wine! I have learned to love Kimchi. Just wait your taste buds will change as you get older. Challenge yourself...

OMG the duck and steamed bun was da bomb!! And the hummus fries........ can we go back right now?????

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Honestly if I had to choose to only do one Disney race for the rest of my life it would be Wine and Dine. I'm not a huge fan of Star Wars to begin with but I've done princess twice, and hands down W&D was the best week ever.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

IDK where I went on Sunday afternoon...I honestly cant remember.

Not a PHM fan...enjoyed Dark Side (except heat)...W&D was fun

 

[momabaarjo]

Monday: Best Day Ever​

Monday was scheduled as recovery day from the running and the late night partying…just a slow easy day which I was totally thankful for. I woke with a throbbing ankle and a really blah and bad mood.

1. Raglan Road-A new place to eat, one that I had been wanting to try but had never scheduled (more about that in my next update).

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2. Disney Springs-I had totally avoided this area since the construction began and was really excited to check it all out. I am not much of a shopper, which did not help my mood at all or my aching ankle. I enjoyed window shopping with Buffy and there are so many restaurants I want to eat at. Disney Springs is beautiful and it so hard to imagine what it was like as Downtown Disney, I just wish that I would have been in a better emotional state to fully enjoy the afternoon.

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3. Holiday Wishes-I am a Wishes girl. I can never get enough of seeing the fireworks over the castle. Tonigh I got to see the first Holiday Wishes display from one of my favorite viewing spots, the deck around Narcoossee’s!

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4. Dinner at Narcoossee’s -If you have followed me for anytime you know one of my favorite places to enjoy a celebration dinner at the Grand Floridian. (Totally channeling Cammy for this picture.)

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5. Electric Water Parade-I had totally forgotten about the Electric Water Parade and just as we were seated the lights dimmed and the parade floated by!

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[rteetz]

I have never eaten at Raglan Road. With the picky eaters in my family (including myself to an extent) it has just never worked out.

I really love Disney Springs now. There are so many different and good options.

I have never seen Holiday Wishes in person. I am partial to Illuminations though, thats my show.

Lol at the Narcoossee's picture.

 

[momabaarjo]

Thank you for your race recap. I too did Lumieres challenge so reading this helped me remember my own awesome experience. It was a solo trip for me, which is fine, because like you running is my meditative ME time!

Thank you for following along! Congrats on finishing the challenge, too!

You know, I used to think that I would hate to Run Disney or even go to Disney on my own...but I think now that I finally got my happy ending to a race that it would not be so bad. Although I did have great travel buddies for this event!

OMG the duck and steamed bun was da bomb!! And the hummus fries........ can we go back right now?????

PLEASE LETS GO BACK...reality stinks!

Honestly if I had to choose to only do one Disney race for the rest of my life it would be Wine and Dine. I'm not a huge fan of Star Wars to begin with but I've done princess twice, and hands down W&D was the best week ever.

I think Wine & Dine is my favorite too! I like Star Wars but there just is not a lot of fun surrounding it for me...I just cant get into the theme. Princess, ehhhh. I want to do the Glass Slipper Challenge but it is not pressing anytime soon. Now I do want do Marathon...sadly not in 2018.

IDK where I went on Sunday afternoon...I honestly cant remember.

Not a PHM fan...enjoyed Dark Side (except heat)...W&D was fun

I cant remember where you went either...lol. But I know you left!

 

[momabaarjo]

Derailed Future runDisney Race Training Update​

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It’s been 10 weeks since I pushed my ankle TOO FAR during my training for Lumiere’s Challenge and eventually at mile 11 of Wine & Dine Half my Achilles told me TOO MUCH. Now 6 weeks have passed since my brain got in check with the ankle to scream out I GIVE UP and was officially booted. A round of anti-immflammatory medication has passed along with less than 5,000 steps a day (to think I was doing 25,000 last year at this time).

Yesterday afternoon was my 6-week check up with hopes that the inflammation was down enough to do an MRI to truly assess the damage. I was dreading this appointment, because my ankle was still very sore to the touch and there was still a massive lump where the Achilles meets the ankle. I was pretty sure that MRI would be done and surgery would be my only option, yep, I tend to be doom and gloom girl. Thankfully I have a doctor that is a lot more positive and knows more than I do, even though I have earned my medical degree via WebMD. He did the normal moving it around, strength test, and the touch test (only a small wince this time and no cuss words). He took a new picture of my ankle and pulled it up with the picture he had taken the month before to do some comparisons.

• Inflammation of the area was certainly down, although not gone
• Pain level was now tolerable (more like a 5 when it had been a 9 ½)
• Bulge on the Achilles was now the size of a penny instead of a quarter

Okay, so maybe that boot might have done a little magic after all…well enough not to warrant an MRI at this moment. I love a doctor who does not want to waste my $3000 co-pay. He still is not ruling out that there is a tear, but right now he would rather use the “wait and see what happens” approach.

Does he not understand that I am not good with this approach? I am a runner after all and I need to be training, and the unseasonably warm winter days is not helping my patience. Thankfully he knocked me back into reality by reminding that along with a “possible tear” I have a REALLY BAD case of tendonitis which is extremely difficult to get over as well as prevent from reoccurring again and again. So, come back in 3 weeks and we will do another assessment. Meanwhile…

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I still am sporting the latest in injury footwear and continue to be banned to the pool and not the pavement.

 

[rteetz]

I am glad the boot is helping but I probably wouldn't be happy with the wait and see approach either.

 

[SarahDisney]

Narcoossee’s is a great place for a celebratory dinner - and it's awesome that you got to see the fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant.

Sorry to hear that you're still sidelined, but I'm glad the injury is getting better! Wait and see is never fun, but sometimes it's what you have to do.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

IDK where I went on Sunday afternoon...I honestly cant remember.

Not a PHM fan...enjoyed Dark Side (except heat)...W&D was fun

I think you were at a Travel Agent luncheon and tour or something. I know it had to do with work.

Derailed Future runDisney Race Training Update​

I am just happy you don't have a knife welding DR on your hands, he's cautiously
optimistic, that's not a bad thing. This, my friend , is a practice in Patience.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

This is something you can't change right now. But there are other things you are already doing that will make a marathon possible. So keep your eye on the prize, this is just a little detour on the journey.

 

[momabaarjo]

Monday: Eats & Drinks​

The UNOFFICIAL runDisney day after breakfast…

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Yep, this is how I started my day with a bottle of water and the most sought after items in the runDisney post-race snack box, EXTRA SALTY tortilla chips and equally salty FAKE queso plus a bottle of water. I honestly do not know that makes these items so yummy, maybe it is the lack of salt post ace (or post Food & Wine stuff your face day) because this stuff is bad on a normal day…I had some leftover from Wine & Dine and ate them a few a days ago…ICKY! But they sure did taste good that Monday morning.

When we were planning I was totally excited about eating at Raglan Road, not so much on that Monday afternoon (remember I was having a bit of a mood issue as well as pain issues). We were seated pretty quickly and the restaurant only had a few tables with patrons, which normally would be a good thing, but in this case the staff acted as if NO ONE was seated at the tables. The attention to patrons was so bad that this meal took well over 2 hours from start to finish. But enough about that…let’s talk food.

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The meal started off with Irish Soda bread…and by the time we received I was ravenous. It was very yummy and truthfully the best thing I ate at Raglan Road that day.

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I love fish & chips and was really excited to try them here because I had heard they were better than what you got at Yorkshire House or Rose & Crown in Epcot. I guess the kitchen staff also felt like working today because these have to go down as the WORST ones I have ever had. First of all the portion size is SMALL. The breading on the fish was not crispy and lacked any kind of seasoning. It was bland and soggy. The chips were equally as bland and soggy. SIGH.

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My ultimate comfort food is bread pudding, so I was hoping that dessert with the famous Butter Bread Pudding & Bailys Sauce would salvage my mood and growing disappointment with Raglan Road. I have made this recipe several times at home and have always been happy how it turns out…not so much here. Maybe it was my mood but it also tasted bland and was a bit soggy. Normally, I would polish off the entire serving, but I ended up leaving about half of it. Raglan Road was a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT and more than likely I won’t be back, on the other hand there is one place that is a must for post runDisney…

My favorite celebration dinner at WDW hands down is at Narcoossee’s at the Grand Floridian. From the ...

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Sourdough bread with Hawaiian sea salt, to the…

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Black Angus New York Strip Steak with Potato Mash and Delta Asparagus (without the red-wine reduction sauce because a great steak should never be covered in sauce…much to the of my server once again, ) to my favorite dessert in all of WDW…

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Almond-crusted Cheesecake.

My meal did not disappoint, nor did view or the service. I just wish now that I would have ordered that bottle of Moscato and had Cammy along with us!