Keep Knowing & Keep Kicking, Kiddo – A 2015 Princess 5K PTR/Mini-TR ~ Completed 5/1

[Elevationist]

I'm so jealous of your Target, of all things! I loooove me some Target! (My closest one is nearly 40 minutes away!) I'm stuck with Walmart or Kmart in my town.

Beth's earrings really did turn out ADORABLE! And I think your Fix-It-Felix charm is perfect.

 

[SarahDisney]

Oh yes, I loved it! I even already have picked out what I'm ordering next time, assuming I can score the ADR!

Nice! I hope you can get it.
I also already know what I'm ordering ... but that's because I have to order in advance and have limited choices

I sooooo wish I could! The reason my trips are planned so far out is it's the only way for me to pay for them! I need that year or so to tuck away a little each month. I would LOVE to be able to do a trip with only a few months waiting, but I'd never be able to afford it. (The grass is always greener, right? )

Saving up for the trip slowly and only going when you can afford it ... that sounds like an interesting idea, I should probably try it. Much better than putting it on my credit card and saying I'll dip into my savings when the cc bill comes.
I've already started saving for my 2021 trip (which is a must-do trip) ... I've got 6+ years to save (planning to go in November 2021), so I'm saving up $10-$100 per month, depending on how much money I have in a given month (with this trip on my radar, it's been on the lower end the past few months), putting it in a high-interest savings account, and hopefully I'll have a decent amount by 2021 and will be able to do a longer trip and stay at either Contemporary or Poly (because those are the two hotels that opened with the park)

I'm so jealous of your Target, of all things! I loooove me some Target! (My closest one is nearly 40 minutes away!) I'm stuck with Walmart or Kmart in my town.

I love Target, but I don't go so often because I don't love the mall it's in. I actually went to Kmart on Monday ... didn't find anything I wanted - Kmart is hit or miss with me.
But I wish I had a Walmart near me ... we don't have those in NYC, and while there's one not too far from me, it's hard to get to. They have a lot of stuff there, so I sometimes want to go. But yeah, Target is better.

Beth's earrings really did turn out ADORABLE!

Thanks! I'll pass the compliment along to her.

And I think your Fix-It-Felix charm is perfect.

Thanks! It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but I thought it's was perfect, and I liked that I was able to get a gold hammer (it just wouldn't be right if it wasn't gold)

8 days!!

 

[SarahDisney]

One Week Away​

The day is finally here … I went to my trip planning webpage this morning and saw 7 days on the countdown.
What webpage is she talking about, you ask?

I made that a few weeks ago to have one page with all of our plans … that loads a lot faster than the app. It’s stored in the public folder of my dropbox, which means I can access it from anywhere, and I can edit it on the fly using the dropbox app on my phone. The mobile version has a slightly smaller font and the picture is smaller with the countdown next to it instead of on top.

There have been a few small changes to the plan:
1 – We got a 9:25 (last seating) BOG – we’re very happy, because we loved it last time. We definitely prefer the later ADR over the earlier one. Not sure where we’ll be for the castle projection show (I do really want to see it because I love it), but we loved the fireworks view from outside BOG last year, so we’ll be there for Wishes. I also called and attached the kosher to the reservation – we are literally getting the exact same thing we got last year. Chicken for Beth, beef for me, and no appetizers or desserts.

2 – We tweaked our Friday schedule a bit. We moved our Muppet*Vision 3D FP+ to an earlier time that we know we can’t make, because we know we don’t need FP+ for Muppet*Vision, and this allows us to go or a 4th FP+ as soon as we get out of the Frozen Sing-a-Long (we’ll be trying for RnR or an additional TSMM, but since those aren’t likely, we’ll see what is available and go from there – just not GMR). We are a bit worried about missing TSMM FP+, but I did the math and while depending on when we actually start the race it might be tight, I think we can make it. We’ll get Beth coffee at the hotel (we may actually get it the night before and toss it in the fridge so that she can have some before the fridge), and I’m willing to wait until a little later for my Starbucks (so excited for Trolley Car Café), so as soon as we get to the park we’ll run straight to TSMM. I think we’ll be fine.

3 – We moved our Test Track FP+ (for Sunday) up a bit so that we can try to head out to DTD a little earlier. I want to try to make it back to Epcot for Illuminations, but if I have to decide between rushing through shopping and Illuminations, I’d rather stay at DTD.

A Disney Present … Yay or Nay:
Those of you who read my November TR may remember that we were very disappointed to discover that Magician Mickey at MK wasn’t being chatty on the day we visited. I complained to Guest Relations (seriously … I wanted a talking Mickey Mouse), and after sending me an email that made it sound like they didn’t care that I was upset, they ended up calling me and giving me a very kind present – 3 extra FP+ for my next trip. I was given a case number and told to bring that and ID to Guest Relations at a park to get my extra FP+.
At the time, this trip wasn’t confirmed, and I was actually pretty sure that we weren’t going. So I put them “aside” and said that I would use them next time I went – even if it wasn’t for many years.

Well, the February trip is now happening … and we have to decide whether to get the extra FP+ for this trip or to not “redeem” them until a later (hopefully longer trip).

Advantages:
1 – (Assuming they work the same way as the extra FP+ we got for our last trip and can be used for any attraction at any time) this covers FP+ for RnR (or an extra Toy Story) & Soarin’
2 – One less time waiting in line for FP+ kiosks each day
Disadvantages:
1 - It’s a short trip (and this might be more helpful on a trip when we have more full days)
2 - I don’t know that it will work the way my other ones did (ie I don’t know if in this case they’ll make me choose an attraction and time in advance, as opposed to the ones I got in November which I just used them whenever)
3 - It means stopping at guest relations on our first park day, when we’re already low on time
It’s a tough decision to make.

Running Update:
One of my goals for race day was to be at a point where I could run for 3.1 miles without any walk breaks.
Tuesday I ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill … time was 37:06 minutes (average pace around 11:58 minute/mile). So at that point I knew that I could run 3.1 miles straight … on the treadmill at least.


Today I went out to try to do the same thing outdoors. I had my interval timer set for 4 intervals of 9:30 run/0:30 walk (40 minutes), with an extra 5 minutes of running if I felt good. My intention was to run the whole time, but I had the 0:30 minute walk breaks in there in case I needed a break.
Well, I didn’t need a break. The only walking I did was when I had to go in the narrow icy area between a van and a snow bank, and there was a guy in front of me walking (aka I had no choice). I did all 45 minutes, with an average speed of 12:46 minute/mile (and super inconsistent). I think I can do faster, but for now my emphasis was just on getting it done – and I did!

I know that at the race I won’t be running straight (characters stops will be my “walk breaks”), but I just really wanted to go into the race knowing that I could run the whole thing – and now I know I can!

TR or Not TR:
One of the great questions of any Disney trip is whether or not to write a trip report at the end. Last trip I wasn’t 100% sure, but decided to do it. This trip I was 100% sure until fairly recently … but now I’m not so sure. The internet and I have a bit of a tumultuous relationship, and while I like the idea of writing a detailed recap of the trip, I’m not sure that putting it up here is the right move for me at the moment. We shall see. So … don’t be surprised if you see a TR link here when I get back, but also don’t be surprised if you don’t. It could go either way.

To sum it all up ... 7 days from now I'll be at Disney!!!

 

[stacy~**]

Slowly trying to get caught up on life and the disboards.

One week! How super exciting!! You are going to have such a magical trip.

My vote on the extra FP's would be to use them. I think it is actually an advantage to have them on a shorter trip since you are trying to do all your favorites with less time. Also I feel like FP+ is still evolving and the benefit of having extra might not be the same in the future. I believe you also usually travel in the offseason but with the race my guess is the crowds could be slightly heavier (not summer busy....but maybe busier than you are used to?) so these will help!

Nice work on the training runs. I'm sure it is sooo much better going into it knowing you can do it.

As far as a TR I understand your dilemma. I am still thinking over what to do for our trip. Pretty certain I am just going to start a PTR for our July trip and then have some "flashback" posts to go over some highlights....but still thinking it through. I would love to see a report from you or at least a post here of how the race went.

 

[ursalita]

Congrat's on scoring your BOG ADR, Sarah!

I also picked yellow for my Magic Band. It will coordinate nicely with that scarf you got at H&M.

You guys have some super cute accessories for Disney!

You're almost there!!

ETA: I just posted this and saw that you updated!

I'm so happy for you! It's such a great feeling to know you can run the whole thing.

I think I would save the FP+ since you will be rushed and it seems like a lot of time will be spent obtaining them. But it would certainly be nice to have them if you are short on time so can do more in less time. Tough choice you have.

I hope you do decide to do a TR but I understand if you choose not to.

 

[SarahDisney]

Slowly trying to get caught up on life and the disboards.

I know the feeling ... happens to me even when I didn't just get back from Disney.

One week! How super exciting!! You are going to have such a magical trip.

Thanks!

My vote on the extra FP's would be to use them. I think it is actually an advantage to have them on a shorter trip since you are trying to do all your favorites with less time. Also I feel like FP+ is still evolving and the benefit of having extra might not be the same in the future. I believe you also usually travel in the offseason but with the race my guess is the crowds could be slightly heavier (not summer busy....but maybe busier than you are used to?) so these will help!

Thanks for the input.
We went during Spring Break (late March) one year when I was in grad school, and I'm thinking the crowds (at least earlier in the trip) will be similar to those crowds. I think the last day will probably only be a little more crowded than we're used to (because people who are just in for the race will probably leave Sunday night to get back to work/school), which is nice.

Nice work on the training runs. I'm sure it is sooo much better going into it knowing you can do it.

Thanks! It definitely feels good to know that I've done it already and if I want to run the whole thing I can ... but I think I will appreciate having the character stops to break up the running.

As far as a TR I understand your dilemma. I am still thinking over what to do for our trip. Pretty certain I am just going to start a PTR for our July trip and then have some "flashback" posts to go over some highlights....but still thinking it through. I would love to see a report from you or at least a post here of how the race went.

It's definitely hard to have a PTR & TR going at the same time, and I really like your idea.
Of course, since I have no trip planned for after this ... I can't steal it.
I know that if I have a TR, I will probably either spend too much time updating it or not update it very often (I tend to go between those two extremes), and I'm trying to decide which is the lesser or two evils.
My current plan is to come back here at some point on Friday morning and post a picture and maybe a very short recap of the race.

Congrat's on scoring your BOG ADR, Sarah!

Thanks! We're really excited for it.

I also picked yellow for my Magic Band. It will coordinate nicely with that scarf you got at H&M.

I didn't even think about it matching the scarf! And I'm probably wearing the scarf with my Dory outfit, so that's twice that my magicband will match the scarf!

You guys have some super cute accessories for Disney!

Thanks!

You're almost there!!

3 days!!

I'm so happy for you! It's such a great feeling to know you can run the whole thing.

Thanks! I was afraid I wouldn't get to this point before the race, so I'm really glad I did!

I think I would save the FP+ since you will be rushed and it seems like a lot of time will be spent obtaining them. But it would certainly be nice to have them if you are short on time so can do more in less time. Tough choice you have.

It's definitely a tough choice. I may just see how things are going on Friday - if we get to HS earlier than expected and I have extra time, maybe I'll stop off at guest relations to get them redeemed.

I hope you do decide to do a TR but I understand if you choose not to.

The biggest problem for me is timing - I have a tendency to spend more time on the TR than I should (it's a general problem I have with the internet - I'm trying to cut back on my internet overusage, but it's hard), so if I do end up doing a TR, I may limit myself to only posting 2-3 updates a month (last TR it was more like 2-3 updates a week, and that's way too much). I'm planning to take plenty of notes on the trip as if I'm writing a TR, and then I'll decide when I get back.

 

[SarahDisney]

(Maybe) Last Update​

Hello readers!
This may or may not be my last update pre-trip … I was planning to post it tomorrow, in which case it would have been my last post, but a change in schedule meant posting today, so … yes, I do schedule when I post. I kinda have to.

Advance notice … no pictures in this one. I didn’t have the patience to put in pictures.

Weather:
Weather forecast for Friday is not pretty. 32° at race start (RealFeel temperature of 25°). I’ll be okay, because I’ve run in colder, but I’m a little worried about Beth. Her race outfit includes capris as her bottoms – so parts of her legs will be uncovered.
At home I run in a fleece vest in the cold … not sure if I’ll be doing that this race. I may bring the fleece vest and decide morning of. I’ll also offer it to Beth if I decide not to wear it, but I doubt she’ll wear it (it looks kinda dorky). I also will now most likely end up running in a hat, which will mean my hair looks messed up when I take it off (it always does). My other option is to spend $10 and buy a hat with a pony hole – I saw one at Marshall’s yesterday, but didn’t buy because I didn’t think I’d need it … not a smart decision. (If I go back to Marshall’s to buy the hat, I may also end up buying a NY Rangers shirt that I saw for $5 … I’m incorrigible).


Excellent News:
On Monday, our full day at MK, park hours were extended once again … to 11 PM. We have a 9:25 PM Be Our Guest, which means we’ll get out around 10:30 – 10:45ish.
We always print PhotoPass pictures on our last day, so we have two options:
Option 1: Print pictures before dinner, dinner at BOG, and then do a ride (or more if we can!) after dinner
Option 2: Do all of our rides before dinner, dinner at BOG, print pictures after dinner
I’m not sure which is a better option. My instinct is to do PhotoPass before dinner … but we always have trouble with printing, and I’m afraid of running over the time we set for ourselves and then ending up late for our ADR. I really like the idea of doing rides after dinner, but practically, I’m not sure that it’s the best idea. I really don’t know which is the better way … we’ll make the decision on Monday.

Packing:
I’m mostly packed by now. I still have a few things left to buy (including a plain white shirt, which I discovered I was short one … but can live without because I have something I can substitute). I also need to decide what I’m wearing Thursday (there’s a possibility I’m getting something new …) and what pajamas I want to bring … apparently it’s impossible for me to make easy decisions.

So … that’s about it. 9 hours ago I was shoveling snow … and in less than 48 hours I’ll be in Florida!!

 

[dreamseeker9]

Have a great run, stay warm, and have an awesome time!!!

 

[wellesleyprincess]

​

Weather:
Weather forecast for Friday is not pretty. 32° at race start (RealFeel temperature of 25°). I’ll be okay, because I’ve run in colder, but I’m a little worried about Beth. Her race outfit includes capris as her bottoms – so parts of her legs will be uncovered. My current plan is
At home I run in a fleece vest in the cold … not sure if I’ll be doing that this race. I may bring the fleece vest and decide morning of. I’ll also offer it to Beth if I decide not to wear it, but I doubt she’ll wear it (it looks kinda dorky). I also will now most likely end up running in a hat, which will mean my hair looks messed up when I take it off (it always does). My other option is to spend $10 and buy a hat with a pony hole – I saw one at Marshall’s yesterday, but didn’t buy because I didn’t think I’d need it … not a smart decision. (If I go back to Marshall’s to buy the hat, I may also end up buying a NY Rangers shirt that I saw for $5 … I’m incorrigible).

Not to tempt you to shop but...
They usually have some really cute hats with ponytail holes at the expo...

 

[ksl5f123]

Wow! That is a really cold start to the race! It is good you have been running outside and getting used to winter. I bet a lot of runners won't be ready for those cold temperatures.

Have a safe trip and please do come back and at least share the highlights.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Just wanted to come on and tell you to have a great time and good luck. You've trained so hard and deserve to enjoy yourself. Please tell Beth the same from me!! I do hope you write a TR as I would love to see pictures!! Anyways, safe travels!!

 

[SarahDisney]

Have a great run, stay warm, and have an awesome time!!!

Thanks!!

Not to tempt you to shop but...
They usually have some really cute hats with ponytail holes at the expo...

Oh man ... and I didn't get to Marshall's today to buy the hat, so now if I want one I really do have to look for one at the expo.
We'll see if I can find one I like within my price range ...

Wow! That is a really cold start to the race! It is good you have been running outside and getting used to winter. I bet a lot of runners won't be ready for those cold temperatures.

Have a safe trip and please do come back and at least share the highlights.

Definitely going to be a colder start than I wanted, but I think I'm ready for it.
Thanks! If I don't do a TR I'll probably post something about the race here, and maybe a few highlights of the trip.

Just wanted to come on and tell you to have a great time and good luck. You've trained so hard and deserve to enjoy yourself. Please tell Beth the same from me!! I do hope you write a TR as I would love to see pictures!! Anyways, safe travels!!

Thanks!! I'll pass the message along to Beth as well.
If I don't do a TR I may post a few race/trip pictures here just for people to see. I really haven't made a decision on the TR thing yet.

 

[SarahDisney]

Quick Post-Race Update:

I survived - and enjoyed.

Finish time was 1 hour, 10 minutes, 58 seconds.
Character lines were longer than I expected.

Me and Minnie:

More possibly to come at a later point.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

CONGRATS! You Did IT!!!

 

[KatMark]

I had no idea you had a PTR going on. Please let me know if you do a TR so I can follow along.

Congrats on the race and love the picture with Minnie.

 

[dreamseeker9]

WOOHOO! Congrats! Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip. Enjoy!

 

[Elevationist]

Saraaaaaah! I've been so busy this week that I completely fell off of the Dis and wasn't here to wish you well and good luck! I love the photo with Minnie, and I'm glad you enjoyed the race! I'm hoping you'll come back and tell us all about your adventures!

 

[ksl5f123]

Congratulations! Sounds like a great race!

 

[SarahDisney]

CONGRATS! You Did IT!!!

Thanks! I'm really proud of myself for being able to finish and to run the vast majority of the time.

I had no idea you had a PTR going on. Please let me know if you do a TR so I can follow along.

I was kind of quiet about this PTR - I didn't really tell people I was doing it besides one tiny mention here or there. If I decide to do a TR, I'll make sure to let you know.

Congrats on the race and love the picture with Minnie.

Thanks!

WOOHOO! Congrats! Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip. Enjoy!

Thanks!

Saraaaaaah! I've been so busy this week that I completely fell off of the Dis and wasn't here to wish you well and good luck! I love the photo with Minnie, and I'm glad you enjoyed the race! I'm hoping you'll come back and tell us all about your adventures!

No worries, I know the feeling of being too busy to have time to pop on the Dis.
Thanks!

Congratulations! Sounds like a great race!

Thanks!

----
So, I'm back. Still no decision on the TR yet (although I do have a title in mind ... it'll be the same as the title of the album on Facebook when I get around to posting my pictures there), but once I get all the pictures together and color-corrected (I will basically be living in Photoshop for the next few days), I'll make the decision. If I do a TR, I'll come back here and post the link ... if not, I'll come back here and post short recaps of each day.

A few highlights to look forward to:
- Someone became a runDisney addict ...
- MK empty at night is awesome
- CMs are the best. Seriously. Especially when we're trying to take pictures.
- We actually asked what the record was for most FP+ in a day. The CM we spoke to said the most she ever saw was 17, but that was done for the sake of getting as many FP+ as possible
- We started a new last day tradition (for trips when we don't leave early in the morning)

 

[stacy~**]

Welcome back! I really hope you write a TR (no pressure!).

So glad the race turned out great. Do you have the next one planned out? I think that is how it usually goes with those races.

I'm totally with you on MK at night. It's the best.