Grumpy Challenge 2017.... A Marathon Weekend TR (Updated 3/19 Final Thoughts)

[luvpoohandcompany]

Congratulations on finishing all your races. Sorry it to have commented more - life kinda got in the way but I binge rad your report last night and loved every installment
Amazing accomplishment. Look forward to reading all about 2018 adventures in running at WDW

 

[rteetz]

Congratulations on finishing all your races. Sorry it to have commented more - life kinda got in the way but I binge rad your report last night and loved every installment
Amazing accomplishment. Look forward to reading all about 2018 adventures in running at WDW

Thanks! Well we aren't done yet! I still have two days of TR left.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Fantastic trip report! I read most all of this in one long session and it was like reliving the marathon weekend. Great pictures and lots of opportunities to note things to go see/do next year. Congrats on completing the marathon; looking forward to seeing how you celebrated.

 

[rteetz]

Fantastic trip report! I read most all of this in one long session and it was like reliving the marathon weekend. Great pictures and lots of opportunities to note things to go see/do next year. Congrats on completing the marathon; looking forward to seeing how you celebrated.

Thanks! Celebrating is coming up right now!

 

[rteetz]

Time to Celebrate!

What do you do after you run a marathon? Well you celebrate of course! And what a better place to celebrate than at the Magic Kingdom.

By the time we got to MK it was nearing Festival of Fantasy time and we hadn't seen it yet this trip so we decided we would check it out now. I went to take some photos while my sister and grandma found a spot.







I then went and got some Starbucks while we were waiting for the parade.

Soon enough my favorite parade was waltzing down Main Street.







I just love the music to this parade, I am fairly certain I sang along the entire time.





I missed meeting Ulf during the races this year.













Hello Mr. Smee!











The best float ever!







Continued in next post....

 

[rteetz]

Time to Celebrate Part 2

























I was very happy with my iPhone photos of the parade. I decided to not take out my DSLR for it this year.

Off to Tomorrowland!

Here they are building a new Joffrey coffee kiosk.




We had a Space Mountain FP to attend to. Grandma sat this ride out.




We headed for one of the best rides there is next. The people mover! Lets just say my grandma was a little cold...







Some water art.




And now some speeding on the Tomorrowland Speedway!










Dumbo anyone? Syd got the red card!










And then finally some Barnstormer fun however I don't have a picture of the ride just the beautiful train.




I am really disappointed I didn't get to ride the train this trip. It was just about time for our Be Our Guest dinner ADR so we headed over there.

Up Next: We dine with the Beast!

 

[ariane37]

I love the pictures of you with all your medals and you really got great FoF shots! Looking forward to your BOG dinner review, that's one of our favorite TS meals on property

 

[rteetz]

I love the pictures of you with all your medals and you really got great FoF shots! Looking forward to your BOG dinner review, that's one of our favorite TS meals on property

Thanks! I really loved my medal shots. BoG is one of my favorite too!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Great update! Your medals are amazing. You should be very proud of yourself. Super achievement
Looking forward to hearing about BOG

 

[ZellyB]

Great medal shots!!!

Your shots of the parade are wonderful especially given you took them with your phone! I'm with your grandma though. It was cold!!!

 

[rteetz]

Great update! Your medals are amazing. You should be very proud of yourself. Super achievement
Looking forward to hearing about BOG

Thanks!

Great medal shots!!!

Your shots of the parade are wonderful especially given you took them with your phone! I'm with your grandma though. It was cold!!!

Thanks! It was a bit chilly but still better than it was back home so I was happy.

 

[JulieODC]

Great MK day!!! And great parade photos --- that fire-breathing dragon photographs so well!

Love the water art too!

 

[rteetz]

Great MK day!!! And great parade photos --- that fire-breathing dragon photographs so well!

Love the water art too!

Thanks!

The water art was great! I love those little Disney touches.

 

[rteetz]

We dine with the Beast!

So I lied before, I did one more thing before going to Be Our Guest. I went over to the character meet and greet area in the Storybook circus area.



Goofy wanted to run!



Donald counted my medals and then eventually found his own. He was quite sad when I said his race was cancelled. Again shouldn't he know that?







Then I headed back over by my grandma who was waiting for my sister. Sydnee had gone one Barnstormer two more times while waiting for me and I was only gone for 10ish minutes.

Be Our Guest is one of my favorite dinner locations. It is routinely good and the atmosphere is unlike anything else.



This would be the first time I would be seated in the ballroom. All of my previous times dining here for dinner I have been in the West Wing.



My grandma and I got the steak.



Sydnee got the Chicken and mashed potatoes.



What I live for when I come here. The grey stuff! It's delicious, don't believe me? Ask the dishes!



The Beast congratulated me on my accomplishment.





And then we headed out. I originally wanted to stay for Wishes but we decided to beat the crowd and get back to the room. I had only been up since 2:30AM.



Up Next: A little alone time in the Magic Kingdom

 

[rteetz]

I made a video of the trip as well. It's a bit on the longer side but It was well over 45 minutes to start with.

 

[KathyM2]

Congrats in order here!!! I have been a bit AWOL here on the DIS...life got in the way...so I just came back on and realized that your races had come and gone...so amazing...I actually remember hearing about how the half got cancelled and feeling really bad for the people who had wanted to run it. It's good that they sort of tried to accommodate those people somehow. LOVE BOG!! The perfect post-race dinner! I look forward to hearing more...like ...how sore were you after?? LOL

 

[rteetz]

Congrats in order here!!! I have been a bit AWOL here on the DIS...life got in the way...so I just came back on and realized that your races had come and gone...so amazing...I actually remember hearing about how the half got cancelled and feeling really bad for the people who had wanted to run it. It's good that they sort of tried to accommodate those people somehow. LOVE BOG!! The perfect post-race dinner! I look forward to hearing more...like ...how sore were you after?? LOL

Well thanks of thinking of me! I was surprisingly in pretty good shape. Getting up after sitting for a while was not that easy but it was pretty good.

 

[ariane37]

Be Our Guest is one of my favorite dinner locations. It is routinely good and the atmosphere is unlike anything else.

YES! Agree 100%. We just ate there again in Nov. and now I'm sad we aren't eating there next month. Might have to see i f I can get something for our May trip!

This would be the first time I would be seated in the ballroom. All of my previous times dining here for dinner I have been in the West Wing.

What did you think of the ballroom? We've eaten in all 3 rooms and the West Wing is my favorite with the Ballroom, while pretty, being my least fave. Just a bit too noisy.

 

[rteetz]

YES! Agree 100%. We just ate there again in Nov. and now I'm sad we aren't eating there next month. Might have to see i f I can get something for our May trip!


What did you think of the ballroom? We've eaten in all 3 rooms and the West Wing is my favorite with the Ballroom, while pretty, being my least fave. Just a bit too noisy.

I really enjoy BOG. The ballroom was nice but the west wing is by far the best. It has the best animation or environment of the rooms. I wasn't upset though I still had a great meal.

 

[Pluto0809]

Playing catch up today!

I really loved reading about all the races. I saw on Facebook about the 1/2 marathon being cancelled and was sad for you and everyone else I knew that was supposed to run it!

I'm just starting my planning for next year's trip for the 5K. How did you find the crowds? I'm a little scared since it's New Year's week.