COMPLETE- "We're Never Coming Back!...Until October" FEB '14 Princess Half Marathon

[disneyhorselover]

Caitlin, you had an awesome solo day! While I love to be there with friends and family... solo is a different kind of fun!

Your drawing is awesome! I think Woody would be a hard one to draw.

Love the expo pictures!

Are the shirts grey? They seem grey on my screen. The white one seems yellow though... I like the 10k logo a LOT! The half though... I kinda feel just meh over...especially if it is grey. I do agree though! The fit on these are some of my favorites that I have ever got.

Thanks! It was definitely a different kind of fun but I really enjoyed it and would love to do it again some time, though one day at a time was plenty, not sure I'd want a whole week to myself, but then again, I'd never NOT want any kind of week in Disney

I was intimidated by drawing Woody, and it didn't really start to look like him until the very end, which made the end result that much more exciting.

The PHM shirt is grey and the GSC shirt is kind of a lavender color I think?
I feel the same: love the GSC one, but am so unimpressed with the PHM shirt, mostly because of the grey color...so blah!
And the white one is still white, but only because I refuse to work out in it

 

[disneyhorselover]

So glad to hear there were no major problems with travel and MBs!

I LOVE the shirts and the pin, though I'm sorry to hear the pin is already fraying the sweatshirt I got at MVMCP already has a rip in it, so I understand the feeling of spending a lot of money on merch and then having something go wrong!

Awesome picture of Woody! The Animation Academy is one of my favorite things at DHS so I'm glad you got to try it.

Thanks! What characters have you gotten to draw? I can't wait to do it again!

 

[courtneybelle]

Thanks! What characters have you gotten to draw? I can't wait to do it again!

I've drawn Woody, Goofy, Donald, and Wreck-It Ralph so far! I'm really hoping to get Olaf on my next trip.

 

[annmarieda]

Thanks! It was definitely a different kind of fun but I really enjoyed it and would love to do it again some time, though one day at a time was plenty, not sure I'd want a whole week to myself, but then again, I'd never NOT want any kind of week in Disney

Agreed! a day or so is great... a week maybe not so great... but yes! Would I really turn down a week alone if it was in Disney? NO!

I was intimidated by drawing Woody, and it didn't really start to look like him until the very end, which made the end result that much more exciting.

Isn't that amazing how that is? It comes together right at the end? So fun!!!

The PHM shirt is grey and the GSC shirt is kind of a lavender color I think?
I feel the same: love the GSC one, but am so unimpressed with the PHM shirt, mostly because of the grey color...so blah!

What made them think grey would be good? Last year was a royal purple... it is awesome. Grey?

And the white one is still white, but only because I refuse to work out in it

 

[jdd]

I LOVED this 10k so I'm super excited for us to recount it. If you think of any good tid bits to add when we get there, feel free to shout 'em out. I love hearing about how everyone's race experience is a little different!

The half course was awesome too- nothing beats running through MK! Totally worth the training!

Thanks! I'm a newbie runner - a neighbor talked me into trying it out about a year ago, and after a local 5K last September, I was hooked

And when I found out I could run in Disney, well it was all over

So, this was my first 10K and I was running solo, but had an absolute blast! I thought everything was just fantastic - won't give away any details until you guys post your experience

 

[jdd]

It was definitely a different kind of fun but I really enjoyed it and would love to do it again some time, though one day at a time was plenty, not sure I'd want a whole week to myself, but then again, I'd never NOT want any kind of week in Disney

My feelings exactly! This was originally supposed to be a solo trip for me, but then a bunch of people starting hopping on the train (my parents, my sister and her girls, my oldest son and my brother & sister-in-law). I spent the whole first day on my own - very similar to yours with hitting the expo and wandering MK riding some solo rides. It was great, but I was really happy to see my family when they got there

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I'm glad someone mentioned the longish trek to the Expo! I was starting to think I was a pansy for noticing that we had a bit to walk from the bus dropoff!

We got Olaf this trip in the Animation class! I was so excited!!

 

[JessM]

I'm in! And a great start! I was down there for Princess Weekend too and had such a fabulous time! Can't wait to hear all about your trip!

 

[disneyhorselover]

Thanks! I'm a newbie runner - a neighbor talked me into trying it out about a year ago, and after a local 5K last September, I was hooked

And when I found out I could run in Disney, well it was all over

So, this was my first 10K and I was running solo, but had an absolute blast! I thought everything was just fantastic - won't give away any details until you guys post your experience

So glad to hear that Disney got you into running!

My story is similar, except I had been a very casual runner for a few years...2-3 miles a few days a week and I swore up and down that I would never run a half marathon!! Last January, Emily and I were in Disney the day after the marathon, and seeing everyone in the parks with their medals made me decide I wanted to run the PHM. By the time it came around, it was my 3rd half and 3rd 10k, and I have another half in 7 weeks....I've definitely been bitten by the running bug! While running princess it was cool to think that that was what started it all, and I was finally doing it!


Are you doing any future runDisney races? We are doing the ToT 10 miler-can't wait to go back!

 

[disneyhorselover]

I'm glad someone mentioned the longish trek to the Expo! I was starting to think I was a pansy for noticing that we had a bit to walk from the bus dropoff!

We got Olaf this trip in the Animation class! I was so excited!!

Nope not just you, I was none to impressed with that hike either!

 

[appleorchard]

I did all three races too, and really had a great time even though I was solo the whole time. Looking forward to the rest of your report!

 

[joan4mickey]

I did all three races too, and really had a great time even though I was solo the whole time. Looking forward to the rest of your report!

Me too.

disneyhorselover…I bet we passed each other many times as I was at Sports as well, Bldg 6.
The expo was pretty nice Thursday afternoon..no real crowding.

 

[jockey]

Enjoying your report ...I ran the 5k and the half too and loved it. Going back for wine and dine in nov

 

[heatherrrrz]

as a fellow CTer, i'm subbing!

 

[disneyhorselover]

I did all three races too, and really had a great time even though I was solo the whole time. Looking forward to the rest of your report!

Thanks for following along, glad you had a great race weekend as well!

Me too.

disneyhorselover…I bet we passed each other many times as I was at Sports as well, Bldg 6.
The expo was pretty nice Thursday afternoon..no real crowding.

Welcome! How did you like Sports? It was my first time staying at an All Star (have stayed at Pop and AoA in the past) and I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would.

I agree about the expo crowds...busy, but there was plenty of room to move around and look at things....I would hate to see it at a very crowded time though!

Enjoying your report ...I ran the 5k and the half too and loved it. Going back for wine and dine in nov

Thank you! Wine and Dine looks like such a fun race...wish I had the time/money to do ToT AND Wine and Dine this year!

as a fellow CTer, i'm subbing!

 

[jdd]

Are you doing any future runDisney races? We are doing the ToT 10 miler-can't wait to go back!

I'm definitely planning future races! The timing of the 10-miler doesn't work for me this year - which is a bummer cause I think that would be the next logical distance for me to shoot for (there is a local 10-miler in the fall, so I may try to do that to see how it works for me). Right now the plan is to head back for next year's Princess weekend. I just need to decide if I'll do the 10K again, or move up to the half

 

[emilyindisney]

I'm definitely planning future races! The timing of the 10-miler doesn't work for me this year - which is a bummer cause I think that would be the next logical distance for me to shoot for (there is a local 10-miler in the fall, so I may try to do that to see how it works for me). Right now the plan is to head back for next year's Princess weekend. I just need to decide if I'll do the 10K again, or move up to the half

Go for the half!! Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time- I only hope runDisney will continue to try and top the previous year's race and make it even better!

to everyone whose joined over the past day or two! I'm so glad so many fellow princesses are here! As we get to each race, please, please, please feel welcome to chime in with your race experience. I know lots of us ran/walked different races (especially the half marathon) so I want to hear how everyone's experiences compare.

 

[emilyindisney]

Decisions, decisions

After the Star Tours double feature, I wandered the park a little more. This is about the time I decided it was actually pretty relaxing to go solo...I could just indulge my every passing whim! I stopped up by the hat to catch a performance of Mulch, Sweat, and Shears.


IMG_2290 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr

This was another thing I’d always wanted to stop for but never had time. They were great-very high energy, played a bunch of classic rock songs, and had the whole crowd singing along!

I then headed down Sunset Boulevard towards my other favorite, Tower of Terror! I had some time to kill before my ToT FP, so I scoped out the line at Rock n Roller coaster-60 minutes and no single rider, which was way too long for me. I headed back over to ToT, scanned my FP, and walked all they way up the queue and into the library. ToT was amazingly fun as always! This time, my elevator shot us up instead of down first-definitely caught me by surprise!

After that, I started trying to pin trade for the first time, and talked to some CMs in the ToT and RnRC gift shops about pins. Both CMs were very nice, and showed me the pin suitcase (ToT) and the pin drum (RnRC)! Unfortunately, I didn’t see anything that I wanted, but I did get a nice introduction to the idea of pin trading.

I stopped at Rosie’s All American for some dinner, and in an effort to save some money/eat a little healthier (after the cream cheese pretzel-HA), purchased a kids meal. It came with chicken nuggets, carrot sticks, applesauce, and a water bottle.


IMG_2291 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr

It was really the perfect amount of food, and very tasty even though it was very simple. Prior to my meal, I had been trying to decide whether or not to see Fantasmic, one of my favorite shows, or enjoy a little more park time and try to ride RnRC. While I was eating, the announcements began that Fantasmic was standing room only-40 minutes prior to the start of the show! So that was that, and after I finished I wandered though a few stops before making my way to RnRC. I hopped in a much more reasonable length line, and had a great time as always….can’t go wrong with Aerosmith!

After that last ride, I headed back to the hotel. Once again, my bus was waiting at the stop when I pulled up...couldn’t have asked for better bus luck! Back at Sports, I showered and got my stuff prepared for the race the next morning. I was too excited to go to sleep too early, so I walked up to the main building for a mickey shaped rice krispie treat and a stroll through the gift shop. I didn’t see any pins worth trading for there, so went exploring at All Star music, where I made my first pin trade of the week!

After that walk, I went to bed...for a few hours anyways...
​

 

[emilyindisney]

It's like the universe is trying to stop me from getting to Disney!

The week leading up to D-Day was sort of crazy. I had planned to do all my homework and get everything all set to go the weekend before but then I got sick and spent most of the weekend in bed. Now I had to get all my homework done, pack, and get everything at the office set up for my absence in three days! With two tests scheduled before I left for the airport, Thursday was the culmination of all the crazy!

I got up around 6:30 AM on Thursday (which with the excitement was easier than I thought it might be after a long week.) I checked into our flight and printed our boarding passes.

I wasn’t going to see my roommate/best friend before I left but as a fellow Disney World lover, she left me a nice little note!


IMG_0320 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr

Before I could get too excited I was off to class to take test number one (spoiler alert: I got my grade back and I’m super pleased.) During my lunch break I packed up my car and called Caitlin to check in. It was strange for her to be calling from All-Star Sports while I was still in chilly CT. At least I knew I’d be on my way soon! I ate a quick lunch before heading to test number two (spoiler alert: another thumbs up on this one! Maybe I need to start going to Disney after all my tests.) After that I made a mad dash to the car BECAUSE IT WAS FINALLY DISNEY TIME!

I drove home, picked up MJ, and we headed for the airport. We stopped for a quick dinner at Wendy’s because BDL has no food. Seriously- it’s either McDonald’s or DeAngelo’s in there. All was well until we got on the shuttle from the parking lot and found out our flight was delayed. We were already arriving kind of late, and I didn’t think we’d be at the resort until midnight. Definitely a bummer!

While we waited we watched Hawaii Five-O on my mom’s tablet, and took airport selfies.


IMG_0322 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr

My mom insisted I send her this one so she could post it to her facebook, haha!

Once we finally boarded and were up in the air we took another selfie.


IMG_0324 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr


IMG_0325 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr

JetBlue has these handy little maps you can pull up on your TV to see how far you are. Clearly, we’re almost there!


IMG_0326 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr


IMG_0330 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr

Armed and ready (with some back ups, too!)

We landed around 11:15 PM and hopped the Fake-O-Rail (first ride of the trip!) and took another selfie. If you haven’t figured it out, selfies were the theme of the night!


IMG_0327 by secondaryhoney, on Flickr

We grabbed our luggage and made a bee-line for ME. It didn’t seem busy down there but once we got on the bus for the All-Star, it surprised me how many people kept streaming on. It also surprised me that we had to tap out bands THREE TIMES just to get on Magical Express. That was more than was probably used them in one day in Disney, haha! (Okay, maybe not. I’m sure we’ll talk more about the bands later but we LOVED them so we used them a ton!)

We departed MCO for Disney at about 12:15. At this point, I was getting very sleepy and was less than pleased at the thought of getting up in less than four hours. Luckily, we were the first All-Star stop.
​

 

[annmarieda]

After the Star Tours double feature, I wandered the park a little more. This is about the time I decided it was actually pretty relaxing to go solo...I could just indulge my every passing whim! I stopped up by the hat to catch a performance of Mulch, Sweat, and Shears.

That is one thing that is great about being solo... indulging your every whim!

I then headed down Sunset Boulevard towards my other favorite, Tower of Terror! I had some time to kill before my ToT FP, so I scoped out the line at Rock n Roller coaster-60 minutes and no single rider, which was way too long for me. I headed back over to ToT, scanned my FP, and walked all they way up the queue and into the library. ToT was amazingly fun as always! This time, my elevator shot us up instead of down first-definitely caught me by surprise!

You are a brave girl! I can not do either of those ride with someone let alone. It went up first??!!!

I stopped at Rosie’s All American for some dinner, and in an effort to save some money/eat a little healthier (after the cream cheese pretzel-HA), purchased a kids meal. It came with chicken nuggets, carrot sticks, applesauce, and a water bottle.

I don't remember to do this! I know that it is a great option when when trying to not overeat!

After that last ride, I headed back to the hotel. Once again, my bus was waiting at the stop when I pulled up...couldn’t have asked for better bus luck! Back at Sports, I showered and got my stuff prepared for the race the next morning. I was too excited to go to sleep too early, so I walked up to the main building for a mickey shaped rice krispie treat and a stroll through the gift shop. I didn’t see any pins worth trading for there, so went exploring at All Star music, where I made my first pin trade of the week!

After that walk, I went to bed...for a few hours anyways...

It is always hard to sleep that night!!!