The Quest For 15K & 18 FP+ ~ A Marathon Weekend 2016 PTR - TR Link, Page 18

[stacy~**]

The Welcome Show on morning #1 sounds perfect! I think the show is adorable but really is a stretch for us with our slow moving mornings.

Hopefully the race to PP isn't as bad as it once was with A&E and 7DMT being a priority for many! I fell in LOVE with the standby queue this summer (our first time). I might even prefer it more than the ride. So I absolutely approve of this plan.

I love your Fantasyland morning.

Fingers crossed that it is Splash Mountain weather!! Personally I just hate the cooler tempts of the winter months and packing is so much harder. I don't do layers well. Haha

Very interested in your take on the expo. I have us going in the morning but maybe that is the wrong strategy and we should go in the afternoon too? Will it be noticeably less busy then? How long do you think we will want.....I definitely WANT to take my time and enjoy browsing. Does anything sell out in the morning? I won't need Dopey stuff, which I think I heard goes first... I would love some advice!!

I'm going to need to reference your list of stuff when we get closer to the date. I'm always such a last minute packer and having all of our race costumes/gear is going to make this even more complex.

 

[SarahDisney]

Wow, I just realized that our 8:30am Crystal Palace ADR means missing out on this. How in the world did I not catch on to this until this moment?! Oh well.

That's so sad!! I guess this just means you have to make an extra effort to see it on your next trip!
Of course, Pooh and Puffed French Toast will probably be a decent consolation prize.

Yaaaaaaay!

Oh, girl! I just let her talk! She's the one face character there's no pressure to converse with... She talks enough for both of us!

She talks enough for like 5 people ... but I always feel weird just standing there. It's line, "I love you Anna, you're one of my favorite princesses, but ... I just can't."

We're going to be there the exact same dates as you! My boyfriend is also running in the 10k race! Now I need to get all caught up on your trip planning report....

Yay! I'm hoping its an awesome time to be there and we both have great trips!
And good luck to your BF ... I hope he has an awesome time! runDisney events are the best!

Awesome MK day. I always love starting with the opening show. It really sets the tone for the day and the whole trip!

Thanks! I think the welcome show will be a really great way to start the trip on the right foot (because obviously ice cream dinner at Ghirardelli on arrival night will start the trip off entirely wrong and we need to fix that...)

The race stuff looks interesting too... even though I'm a definite non-runner. I'm pretty sure I don't want to be anywhere near Wide World of Sports that weekend though.

It's a pretty cool thing to see, even as a non-runner. I really enjoyed the NYC Marathon Expo even though I wasn't doing the race (and never will).
It does get a bit crowded, especially right when the expo opens. But by the time you get to Florida, it may not be so bad, so if you wanted to check it out, you might find the crowds to be manageable. (And you don't have to be a runner to get in, so if you want to see what it's all about, you're totally welcome to go check it out).

 

[SarahDisney]

The Welcome Show on morning #1 sounds perfect! I think the show is adorable but really is a stretch for us with our slow moving mornings.

I totally get that ... we try to do it once every other trip, because that's just too early for us every trip. It's a cute show, but mornings aren't fun.

Hopefully the race to PP isn't as bad as it once was with A&E and 7DMT being a priority for many! I fell in LOVE with the standby queue this summer (our first time). I might even prefer it more than the ride. So I absolutely approve of this plan.

I think the race to PP is a lot more low-key now that most people are headed for 7DMT and A&E. I'm hoping we can walk at a normal pace and still get there for a short line. We don't need to be running three mornings in a row...
And I'm glad to hear that you love the standby queue so much. That makes me even more excited to see it!1

I love your Fantasyland morning.

Thanks! We're really excited for it!

Fingers crossed that it is Splash Mountain weather!! Personally I just hate the cooler tempts of the winter months and packing is so much harder. I don't do layers well. Haha

I'm a little torn on the temperature thing. On the one hand, once the weather gets cold up here and I start wearing sweaters, I don't want to stop wearing sweaters, so I'm happy if I can wear sweaters to Disney.
On the other hand ... Disney is a lot more outside than my normal day in NY, and the cold doesn't make that very enjoyable.
And don't even get me started on packing. I already don't know how I'm going to fit 7 days worth of clothing into one suitcase. And I don't know if I'm packing my one race outfit or putting both in my carry-on (at least one goes in the carry-on just in case). If I have to pack for multiple weather possibilities ... it's gonna be rough.

Very interested in your take on the expo. I have us going in the morning but maybe that is the wrong strategy and we should go in the afternoon too? Will it be noticeably less busy then? How long do you think we will want.....I definitely WANT to take my time and enjoy browsing. Does anything sell out in the morning? I won't need Dopey stuff, which I think I heard goes first... I would love some advice!!

I think it will be a little busier in the morning, but hopefully not too crazy. I think that because it's such a long weekend, people who are coming in for only the half or marathon (or Goofy) will come in a few days later, so the first day expo will mostly be people who are doing Dopey or the 5K. I think that if you go a few hours after opening, it'll be a nice mix of not crowded but still a decent amount of stuff left. But that's just a guess ... remember that last time I did the expo I got there half an hour before closing, so I'm really not sure. If we weren't going to MK for the welcome show, we probably would go in the morning just to be safe.
In terms of how long ... we spent an hour and a half at the NYC marathon expo and felt that we could have spent more time there. And that was without having to do packet pick-up. We're leaving ourselves around 3 hours at the expo. I don't know if we're going to need all that time, but I'd rather have more time than I need than be frustrated that I didn't have time for everything.

I'm going to need to reference your list of stuff when we get closer to the date. I'm always such a last minute packer and having all of our race costumes/gear is going to make this even more complex.

I really need to start working on my packing list ... I'm terrified that I'm going to forget some race stuff. Last year I kept having dreams that I forgot my sports bra ... it was horrible.
I've seen a race packing list somewhere ... one of the many bloggers who runs runDisney events made one once ... but I don't remember what was on it. It was a pretty comprehensive list of race packing stuff, though, and I was really impressed by it.

 

[stacy~**]

Thanks for your thoughts on the expo. Right now our plan is to go as close to opening as possible (which hopefully won't be too hard....we will need to be up early-ish in prep for going to bed early). I have a late lunch reservation at Epcot (Via Napoli) at 2:30. So I'd say that gives us 3.5 hours. Unless I cancel the lunch. I'll have to keep thinking about that.

Worse case scenario is I can come back another day (since Lucy and Aaron are leaving right after the 5k I really have no plans my last few days).

 

[SarahDisney]

Thanks for your thoughts on the expo. Right now our plan is to go as close to opening as possible (which hopefully won't be too hard....we will need to be up early-ish in prep for going to bed early). I have a late lunch reservation at Epcot (Via Napoli) at 2:30. So I'd say that gives us 3.5 hours. Unless I cancel the lunch. I'll have to keep thinking about that.

Worse case scenario is I can come back another day (since Lucy and Aaron are leaving right after the 5k I really have no plans my last few days).

I think that going close to opening there will be crowds, but if you're not rushed, then it'll be manageable. 3.5 hours should be plenty, and like you said, you can always come back another day. My plan would be ... #1 priority is getting the 5K bibs and t-shirts, which won't be a problem, and then the runDisney official merchandise area, because that's the stuff that sells out fastest. You should be able to do that in less than an hour, leaving you plenty of time to browse slowly and avoid crowds. Most people will probably be in and out, and I think by 11ish things should have calmed down - so even if you find big crowds when you first get there, don't stress out too much. Just make sure you guys all try on the t-shirts as soon as you get them - if they don't fit properly, you can exchange it, and the earlier you try to exchange it, the more likely it is they'll have the size you need. (That's the one thing I'm nervous about going so late - if we have to exchange our shirts, I hope they still have whatever size we need, even in the afternoon ... but I think we'll be okay with the sizes we ordered).
I think your plan is good and you'll be able to get a lot done in 3.5 hours. And keep the lunch - Via Napoli is the perfect place for pre-race carb loading!

 

[kathleen27]

The welcome show is a perfect start to your first Magic Kingdom day! I haven't seen it in a long time, and I also missed Peter Pan's flight last time! They are on my must list for next trip!

Sounds like a lot of fun characters to meet!

Having traditions of things to do first or last at Disney are great!

Yay for shopping at the expo! Just getting your bib and seeing everything is always so exciting to me.

Those wake up calls are so early!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

The welcome show is a perfect start to your first Magic Kingdom day! I haven't seen it in a long time, and I also missed Peter Pan's flight last time! They are on my must list for next trip!

You definitely have to see the Welcome Show next trip! And Peter Pan's Flight!!

Sounds like a lot of fun characters to meet!

Thanks - we're excited!

Having traditions of things to do first or last at Disney are great!

Yay for shopping at the expo! Just getting your bib and seeing everything is always so exciting to me.

I love the expo! Last year I went in not knowing what to expect, and I was really amazed. I'm excited to have more time there this trip!

Those wake up calls are so early!!!

Yeah. I love the Disney races, but that early wakeup is such a killer.

 

[SarahDisney]

Daily Plans:
Day 3, Thursday 1/7
​

Day 3 is the first of our ungodly early wakeup calls. We’ll wake up long before the sun, throw on the clothes we laid out the night before, put on our race bibs (which is actually harder than you’d think … stupid safety pins), grab anything that needs to be grabbed, and head out to the bus. We probably need to be on a bus before 5, but I’m hoping to aim for being on a bus closer to 4:30 (we’ll see whether or not that happens) – so not the first bus, but still earlier than any sane person should be on a bus. That bus will take us to …

(yes, I am aware that the giant golf ball looks a little weird in this picture)

We’ll hang around in the pre-race area for a bit, maybe taking some pictures with characters (okay, fine, most likely taking pictures with characters), maybe some listening to the DJ, maybe looking at people’s costumes, maybe meeting some new friends. About half an hour or so before the race (I think), they’ll open up the corrals, and we’ll probably head there pretty early.

Shortly before 6 AM corral A will be lead to the start line, and around 6 AM the fireworks and corral A will start (I believe wheelchairs do start before A, but I don’t remember if they get fireworks). Corrals are led to the start line one at a time, and wherever Beth and I end up, we likely won’t be starting until around 6:30 AM. And from there, we run this course:

Yeah, I know that’s not the best of maps. But Disney hasn’t released this year’s event guide yet, so the USATF course measurement drawing is the best I can get. Unless I want to post last year’s course, and I kinda don’t (there is actually a slight change from last year … they moved the start line a few feet).
As you can see from the map, we start off in the Explore parking lot, run along some roads, and then enter Epcot near Mexico. We’ll run through World Showcase before heading backstage for a bit, coming back onstage near the UK. From there we finish World Showcase and head into Future World. The race finishes in the Imagine parking lot.

As of right now, the plan for the race is for us to do it together. We’ll do walk/run, alternating periods of 1:30 walking and 1:30 running. As we did last year, we’ll stop for every character … but we’re really hoping for some rare characters this time.

Once we finish our 3.1 mile journey, we cross the finish line and a volunteer gifts each us with one of these …

Now, I know what you’re all wondering … how does Sarah already have a 5K medallion? I don’t. I just have some pictures. As I mentioned when discussing the expo, some races have other races as exhibitors at their expo. A few weeks ago, we had an expo here in NYC for a pretty big race that some of you may have heard of called the New York City Marathon. Well, day 1 of the expo came, and runDisney tweeted that they had the marathon weekend medals at their booth at the NYC marathon expo (they had previously tweeted a picture of the medals, but it was from far away and I wanted to see more details). So I texted Beth, and when she got out of school, we met up on the 7 train and headed over to the marathon expo. We chatted a bit with the people at the runDisney booth and I took pictures of all of the medals (minus the marathon medal, which had gone missing).

Anyway … once we’ve got our medals, we’ll have the opportunity to get water or Gatorade/Powerade (I can’t remember which one, but it doesn’t matter to me because I don’t drink sugary beverages ... except Starbucks Frappuccino bottles), a banana, and a box of post-race treats (aka free food, some of which we can actually eat). We’ll hang out in the post-race area for a little bit looking for characters, and then we’ll get our official finisher photo taken before hopping on a bus back to Pop Century.

Once we get back to Pop, it’s time to shower and change, then head to the food court for a nutritious breakfast of cereal and something called a Popaccino.

So, what is a Popaccino, you ask? Per the Disney site …

Popaccino
Iced French Vanilla, Vanilla Syrup, Espresso, and Ice

I can’t imagine a universe in which this is not some sort of vanilla yummy vaguely coffee-esque amazingness, so I’m excited to try it. It better not disappoint.

If we’re feeling a little sluggish, we may take our time on breakfast, but most likely we’ll eat at our regular speed and head over to our park for the day …

First stop on the plan is meeting Sorcerer Mickey in his new spot (there are Fantasia brooms … need I say more?). Next up is our first FP+, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, for …

I’m probably going to lose because, well, because I always lose here ... but at least I’ll win when we do Buzz Lightyear. The important part is that I have fun losing. Plus, I no longer have access to the Xbox to practice my Toy Story, so I don’t have a chance to improve my skills between trips.

Once we’ve had some fun with toys, it’s time to get our picture taken with a few of said toys … aka Buzz and Woody. While we’re in a picture-taking mood, we’ll head over to see our favorite monsters, Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan. After that, we may or may not use our FP+ (scheduled for 12:25 PM – 1:25 PM) to visit another green guy…

Yes, I know that we don’t need a FP+ for this. Which is why we’ll do it whenever we’re ready for it, whether it’s in our FP+ window or not. But since we don’t do ToT or Star Tours … we don’t have many other options for Tier 2 FP+ at HS. Toy Story Land cannot open soon enough…

Anyway, once we’ve hung out with our favorite frog (and his patriotic friend Sam Eagle), we’ll meet our favorite race cars McQueen & Mater (if we haven’t already done so), then try not to get lost on our way to our next FP+…

We haven’t seen it in the new theater yet, so I assume I will get lost trying to find it, even with a map (although Beth is pretty good with reading maps and finding things, so she may save us from being lost). We’ve got a FP+ with a 1:35 PM – 1:50 PM return time for the 2 PM show, and I am excited to see the Sing Along for the 3rd time. Because I love me some Frozen.

Once we’re done singing with Olaf (In Summer…), we’ll head to the former Sorcerer’s Hat area to see what characters are out and about. I’m definitely hoping to see Pluto (because, y’know, he’s on that little rubber medallion I’ll be wearing), and we’ll see who else is there.

After we run out of characters to meet, we’ll listen to some music on …

Line permitting (or if we can get a FP+), of course. We had to skip it because of line last year, so I would like to do it this trip, but I can live without it if I have to. If our timing works, I’d also like to catch the 5 PM showing of Beauty and The Beast – Live on Stage (which I have never seen, despite how much I love that movie).

Our night will definitely end with my favorite Disney World night show…

Image Taken From: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/hollywood-studios/fantasmic/

We’ll try to get FP+ for Fantasmic! (we’ve seen it available as a same-day), but if not, we’ll just wait in the standby line. Dinner will be eaten while waiting for the show to begin (it will probably be PB&J sandwiches).

We’ll enjoy the show, and once it’s over, we’ll join the masses headed to the exit and hop a bus back to Pop Century, where we’ll refill our water bottles and do all of the same race prep we did the night before. We’ve got to get to bed early, because we’ve got an even earlier wakeup call coming up the next morning!

(Some of you may have noticed that there’s no Star Wars anywhere here. We’re not Star Wars people. Maybe if there are fireworks going on we’ll watch a little, but I’m not sure if there will be fireworks (I can’t remember if they’re every day or just on weekends), and we’re not going out of our way to do anything Star Wars. Although if we see a roving Stormtrooper, I may take a picture for my mom, who apparently does like Star Wars.)

 

[rteetz]

Oh the gloriousness of waking up early for the race! I plan to be on one of the first buses.

I loved running through world showcase during the 10k interested to see what it's like during the 5K.

I also plan to stop for at least most of the character of not all.

I love the medal.

Disney does Powerade because that is technically a Coke product.

I still haven't seen the frozen sing along maybe this trip.

Love fantasmic, it has some of my favorite music.

The Star Wars festivities are supposed to start January 5th so we will see.

Great plans!

 

[SarahDisney]

Oh the gloriousness of waking up early for the race! I plan to be on one of the first buses.

Yeah, the first bus is much too early for me. It's probably a really good idea to be on one of the first buses (I think last year for our 5K we were on the second bus), but it's so early!

I loved running through world showcase during the 10k interested to see what it's like during the 5K.

We loved it during the 5K last year. My guess is that it's a fairly similar experience, except that for the 5K its earlier in the race. It really is so special to run through an empty world showcase!

I also plan to stop for at least most of the character of not all.

I think that's a great plan!

I love the medal.

Me too. I'm so excited for it!

Disney does Powerade because that is technically a Coke product.

Right. Thanks. I probably should have known that.

I still haven't seen the frozen sing along maybe this trip.

I really like it, but I'm a Frozen fanatic. I think it is worth seeing once, even if you don't love Frozen ... some of the jokes are pretty funny.

Love fantasmic, it has some of my favorite music.

Agreed - I love the music!

The Star Wars festivities are supposed to start January 5th so we will see.

I'm hoping they start announcing more about it soon. I saw a link to a press release from Disney about it, but I'm surprised that there hasn't been a post on the Disney Parks Blog detailing everything. With January 5th being so close, you'd think they would start announcing a little bit more of the scheduling of fireworks and whatnot.

Great plans!

Thanks!

 

[afwdwfan]

We probably need to be on a bus before 5, but I’m hoping to aim for being on a bus closer to 4:30 (we’ll see whether or not that happens) – so not the first bus, but still earlier than any sane person should be on a bus.

Your sanity isn't even in question at this point. I mean, we already know you're paying money to run at the crack of dawn. Enough said.

Now, I know what you’re all wondering … how does Sarah already have a 5K medallion? I don’t. I just have some pictures. As I mentioned when discussing the expo, some races have other races as exhibitors at their expo. A few weeks ago, we had an expo here in NYC for a pretty big race that some of you may have heard of called the New York City Marathon. Well, day 1 of the expo came, and runDisney tweeted that they had the marathon weekend medals at their booth at the NYC marathon expo (they had previously tweeted a picture of the medals, but it was from far away and I wanted to see more details). So I texted Beth, and when she got out of school, we met up on the 7 train and headed over to the marathon expo. We chatted a bit with the people at the runDisney booth and I took pictures of all of the medals (minus the marathon medal, which had gone missing).

So... is this your way of saying you've got a marathon medal tucked away somewhere?

Anyway … once we’ve got our medals, we’ll have the opportunity to get water or Gatorade/Powerade (I can’t remember which one, but it doesn’t matter to me because I don’t drink sugary beverages ... except Starbucks Frappuccino bottles), a banana, and a box of post-race treats (aka free food, some of which we can actually eat).

I'm guessing PowerAde since it is a Coke product. And I'll take a PowerAde any day of the week over anything from Starbucks!

Toy Story Land cannot open soon enough…

Neither can Star Wars Land...

Line permitting (or if we can get a FP+), of course. We had to skip it because of line last year, so I would like to do it this trip, but I can live without it if I have to.

No... this is the best ride there. There is no "I can live without it if I have to."

(Some of you may have noticed that there’s no Star Wars anywhere here. We’re not Star Wars people. Maybe if there are fireworks going on we’ll watch a little, but I’m not sure if there will be fireworks (I can’t remember if they’re every day or just on weekends), and we’re not going out of our way to do anything Star Wars. Although if we see a roving Stormtrooper, I may take a picture for my mom, who apparently does like Star Wars.)

I can understand that. I am a Star Wars fan, but I'm really not too sure if I'm very interested in checking out the landing bay or whatever it is called. I guess we'll see what is in it and what they add to the parks with it. I'd kind of like to ride Star Tours to see if I can see the new scene, but if the other is just some displays and M&G's I highly doubt I'll take any time to look at it. If they do some fireworks that would be pretty cool though!

 

[SarahDisney]

Your sanity isn't even in question at this point. I mean, we already know you're paying money to run at the crack of dawn. Enough said.

And you don't even know how much I paid to run at the crack of dawn ...
(seriously, Disney races ain't cheap)

So... is this your way of saying you've got a marathon medal tucked away somewhere?

I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.

I'm guessing PowerAde since it is a Coke product. And I'll take a PowerAde any day of the week over anything from Starbucks!

I forgot about the Powerade/Coke thing. And to you Powerade drinkers of the world, I present the following ad that I have seen way too many times on the subway:

Sports drinks kill you.
(Also, I don't buy my Frappuccino bottles at Starbucks, they charge too much - I get them at either Target or Costco)

Neither can Star Wars Land...

Eh. I can wait for Star Wars Land. Like ... I don't mind if they don't put it in until after I'm dead. (Sorry, is that too mean?)

No... this is the best ride there. There is no "I can live without it if I have to."

Really? "Best ride there"? Have you never heard of Toy Story Midway Mania?

I can understand that. I am a Star Wars fan, but I'm really not too sure if I'm very interested in checking out the landing bay or whatever it is called. I guess we'll see what is in it and what they add to the parks with it. I'd kind of like to ride Star Tours to see if I can see the new scene, but if the other is just some displays and M&G's I highly doubt I'll take any time to look at it. If they do some fireworks that would be pretty cool though!

Allegedly they're starting the "Season of the Force" additional Star Wars stuff on January 5th. So I'm interested to see what that entails.
If only so that I know how much of the park I need to avoid. But there may be something fun for Star Wars fans like you.

 

[natebenma]

Read through 3 updates:

4 month To Do: That is cool about the DVC telephone sales pitch! I think I would do that, if offered.

That is a cute idea for a Dumbo running skirt.

Movie Nights: Great idea

I don't watch many movies, either in the theatres or at home. I used to love when my boys were little and we watched the Toy Stories, Aladdin, Lion King, Peter Pan, Monsters Inc on video. I think Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were in the right time frame for my boys, but they weren't interested in the movies.

So I haven't seen a lot of the recent Disney movies (Big Hero 6, Inside Out, Tangled, Brave, Cinderella)

I haven't seen any of the Mighty Ducks (I'll consider watching to salvage a friendship), I probably saw 101 Dalmations as a kid, but don't remember it. Haven't heard of the Descendants but it does sound like a great storyline. I love that you have Roger Rabbit and Cool Runnings on your list. Great choices.

Sorry to hear about your injury. Hope you are healing well and that you are able to keep training.

I love your story about your quest for the Fast Passes. It was fun to read in your trip report and it is neat to have a goal during your trip. Can't wait to hear how it turns out!

 

[stacy~**]

Ugh! That early wake up call! I hope we make it on time Hoping we see you that morning.

I liked seeing the map. With my lack of planning I really have NO IDEA how these races work so all my info will probably be coming from your report. How great that you got to see the metals at the NYC expo! I think its pretty cute but I do wish it was metal and not rubber.

Your plans for the day sound great....minus your lack of Star Wars excitement. Haha! Honestly that was me this time last year. I am happy that we've watched the movies and enjoyed them so we can feel a part of all this new Disney excitement. We are far from super fans but it's fun to have more (new) Disney things to experience.

I have zero plans for that day. Aaron and Lucy will be flying out after the 5k and Olivia may not have a park ticket so I am not sure where I will end up. I know I am planning a Tower of Terror ride-a-thon at some point so maybe I will end up at DHS. My only definite for that day is finding Pluto (because of the metal).

 

[SarahDisney]

Read through 3 updates:

Thanks for taking the time to read through!

4 month To Do: That is cool about the DVC telephone sales pitch! I think I would do that, if offered.

I was pretty glad we got that. The sales pitch itself was really good information ... it definitely made me think about DVC. But it's not right for me right now, so I'll just have to settle for the gift card.

That is a cute idea for a Dumbo running skirt.

Thanks! It's been a little slow, but I've made decent progress on it. I'm hoping to finish it within the next few weeks and hopefully post a picture once its done.

Movie Nights: Great idea

I don't watch many movies, either in the theatres or at home. I used to love when my boys were little and we watched the Toy Stories, Aladdin, Lion King, Peter Pan, Monsters Inc on video. I think Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were in the right time frame for my boys, but they weren't interested in the movies.

So I haven't seen a lot of the recent Disney movies (Big Hero 6, Inside Out, Tangled, Brave, Cinderella)

We tend to watch movies at home more than in theaters (either rent DVDs, watch them on Netflix or somewhere else online, or watch on TV), but we have seen a few movies in theaters over the past few months. I think a lot of the newer movies are worth seeing if you get a chance, but Cinderella is the only one that I would really recommend going out of your way to see. That one's probably my favorite recent Disney movie.

I haven't seen any of the Mighty Ducks (I'll consider watching to salvage a friendship), I probably saw 101 Dalmations as a kid, but don't remember it. Haven't heard of the Descendants but it does sound like a great storyline. I love that you have Roger Rabbit and Cool Runnings on your list. Great choices.

Thanks! I love Mighty Ducks ... but I do kind of (reluctantly) understand why some people haven't seen them. I grew up in the 90's so they were always on any time we had a Disney Channel preview (I've had cable my entire life, but I've only had Disney Channel for about 15 years, and before that we just had random weekend previews a few times a year) and I've seen them about a million times each. Plus, I'm a big hockey person, so they work for me. I've seen Cool Runnings a few times in the last few weeks (it's been on TV) and it's always fun to watch, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of my favorites, so it had to go on the list.
Descendants is a Disney Channel movie ... the idea is great, but I think it could have been done a little better. I did really like it, though.

Sorry to hear about your injury. Hope you are healing well and that you are able to keep training.

Thanks. I'm doing a lot better and I've been mostly pain-free for a few weeks now, which is really nice.

I love your story about your quest for the Fast Passes. It was fun to read in your trip report and it is neat to have a goal during your trip. Can't wait to hear how it turns out!

Thanks! I really hope we can get to 18 ... but even if we don't, I know we'll have fun trying!

Ugh! That early wake up call! I hope we make it on time Hoping we see you that morning.

Yeah, that morning wake up & getting to the race is rough. And the longer races are even earlier. But hopefully you guys will make it, and I really hope we see you that morning!! We definitely have to make plans to meet up at some point, whether it's that morning or at some point Tuesday or Wednesday.

I liked seeing the map. With my lack of planning I really have NO IDEA how these races work so all my info will probably be coming from your report. How great that you got to see the metals at the NYC expo! I think its pretty cute but I do wish it was metal and not rubber.

Once the event guide for the race comes out (should be in a few weeks), you'll see an even better map - that one has color and recognizable icons and stuff. The event guide has some information, but not everything you may want to know. I went into the race last year not really knowing what to expect ... but one things that helped me a lot was reading blogs and trip reports. They didn't tell me everything, and there were some things I figured out as I went along (it's not that hard ... you get on a bus and follow the mass of people), but it really helped me have some idea of what I was going into.
If you have any question about the races and how things work, ask away!

And seeing the medals at the marathon expo was really nice. I hadn't realized how heavy the actual metal ones are until I got to hold them! So I'll be walking around with my rubber one on Thursday, but then after the 10K I'll be complaining about the weight of the 10K medal (I'll still wear it, though).
(By the way, I have a close-up picture of the half marathon medal if you want to see it).

Your plans for the day sound great....minus your lack of Star Wars excitement. Haha! Honestly that was me this time last year. I am happy that we've watched the movies and enjoyed them so we can feel a part of all this new Disney excitement. We are far from super fans but it's fun to have more (new) Disney things to experience.

Haha, I just never got into Star Wars. Which is funny, because I'm a sci-fi nerd, so it should be right up my alley. I just never got around to seeing the original trilogy (although I have seen two of the newer ones). I probably should eventually, right?

I have zero plans for that day. Aaron and Lucy will be flying out after the 5k and Olivia may not have a park ticket so I am not sure where I will end up. I know I am planning a Tower of Terror ride-a-thon at some point so maybe I will end up at DHS. My only definite for that day is finding Pluto (because of the metal).

Definitely agree on the finding Pluto!
If you do find yourself at DHS, you can definitely come find us (although we will not ride Tower of Terror with you ... I'll do pretty much anything but that). Beth may do all of the talking at first (I'm not great with new people, so she tends to step in and help me out a lot, which is great), but we definitely want to see you and spend some time with you!

 

[natebenma]

75 Days Out:

Sorry to hear about Beth's foot injury. Hope you are both able to get back to some non-painful training.

Hmmm... what color Magic Band? I have grey (class trip), blue (my favorite color) and orange (banded monkey). The next one I want is green.

PHEW!!! I am glad to hear that Winnie-The-Pooh crisis was probably just started in a wine-fueled family incident.

Day 1:

I'm not much of a shopper, but I like your plans to go to Disney Springs when you arrive. Especially going to Goofy's Candy Company and visit(s) to Ghiardelli!


Day 2:

I love, love, love your line-up for your MK day!

The welcome show is definitely worth getting there a bit early. Going straight to Peter Pan used to be our move, too. Before the new queue line was there. That will be fun to see and hopefully you won't have much of a line at that time. You shouldn't.

Then following up with Mine Train.

Nice score with the Anna and Elsa FP.

Your plans for fill-in rides/character meets seem reasonable.

I love the monorail, but I think you should walk to the Contemporary. That way, you are in control of the timing. It is really less than 10 minutes to get there. Probably more like 6 or 7 minutes.

I have never heard of "throwaway clothes" at the races but that sounds like a great idea, especially if Disney donates the discards.

Day 3:

I like your plan for race day- especially taking the time for character photos.

Your HS day sounds like a lot of fun. This is when FP+ will really come in handy- knowing you will be able to do some of the headliners even arriving later in the day.

I think I have seen Beauty & the Beast live once- solo of course. The show is beautifully staged and of course the songs are awesome.

What time is Fantasmic! that night? That's the one good thing about winter trips- earlier shows.

That should be a really fun day.

:

I'm glad I'm not running against you, because I can't keep up. But I'm going to try for now on!!!

 

[NJlauren]

Feel like I'm a little behind here! I am not a runner at all, however your talk of all these character during this race makes me want to do it just for fun! It sound really cool!

I give you tons of credit 5k HS and 10k the next day you go girls!

I like Star Wars just fine but haven't really done any Star Wars stuff at HS either....but I agree the new lands will be great more to do and spread people out a bit more!

 

[huggybuff]

Yay, I'm caught up. Your plans sound awesome so far. I lurve me some Ghirardelli so I cannot fault you two there. Your talk of the Welcome Show prompted me to check my plans for my MK day in Feb. Looks like I'll miss it because I have a CRT ADR an hour before park open. Oh well. I'll have to rely on your account of it.

I just never got around to seeing the original trilogy

I can imagine you not caring when you've only seen some of 1-3. But 4-6 were staples for me growing up. I still remember Ep IV being in a VHS rotation with Airplane, the V miniseries, In Search of the Castaways, Swiss Family Robinson and Alien from ages 8-11.

 

[SarahDisney]

Sorry to hear about Beth's foot injury. Hope you are both able to get back to some non-painful training.

Thanks. Beth's actually back to running now, which is good - she's not 100%, but she's on the road to recovery!

Hmmm... what color Magic Band? I have grey (class trip), blue (my favorite color) and orange (banded monkey). The next one I want is green.

Green was my first one ... I still like it (that's the only one I have that's still its original color).
I'm actually thinking of orange for this trip. My goal is to eventualy have all of the colors ... although I'm guessing that by the time I get all 7, some of the older ones won't work.

PHEW!!! I am glad to hear that Winnie-The-Pooh crisis was probably just started in a wine-fueled family incident.

Yeah, that was a scary short period of time. I really need to learn not to listen to my relatives.

I'm not much of a shopper, but I like your plans to go to Disney Springs when you arrive. Especially going to Goofy's Candy Company and visit(s) to Ghiardelli!

Thanks. And yes, any plan that includes Goofy's Candy Co and Ghirardelli is a good plan!

I love, love, love your line-up for your MK day!

Thanks!

The welcome show is definitely worth getting there a bit early. Going straight to Peter Pan used to be our move, too. Before the new queue line was there. That will be fun to see and hopefully you won't have much of a line at that time. You shouldn't.

Agree on the welcome show - we're really not morning people, so we have a hard time doing it every trip, but we try to do it every other trip, even though it means an early wakeup.
And I think you're right about Peter Pan - shouldn't be too bad of a line.

Then following up with Mine Train.

Nice score with the Anna and Elsa FP.

Your plans for fill-in rides/character meets seem reasonable.

We definitely got lucky with some good FP+, and I think we'll have a good morning!

I love the monorail, but I think you should walk to the Contemporary. That way, you are in control of the timing. It is really less than 10 minutes to get there. Probably more like 6 or 7 minutes.

Thanks for the advice. It may end up depending on how much walking we've done (we don't want to overdo ourselves the day before a race), but I think you're right about walking - it will give us a lot more control over our timing.

I have never heard of "throwaway clothes" at the races but that sounds like a great idea, especially if Disney donates the discards.

I hadn't heard to throwaway clothes before I got involved with the Disney running community, but it really makes a lot of sense, and I like that Disney does something good with the clothing.

I like your plan for race day- especially taking the time for character photos.

Thanks! We really like stopping for pictures during the races - to us it's part of the experience!

Your HS day sounds like a lot of fun. This is when FP+ will really come in handy- knowing you will be able to do some of the headliners even arriving later in the day.

Exactly - that's why I love the FP+ system so much. It allows us to get some headliners done with a short wait even when we can't be there at park open.

I think I have seen Beauty & the Beast live once- solo of course. The show is beautifully staged and of course the songs are awesome.

I've seen a lot of pictures of it from TRs, and everyone says it's great, so I really hope we get to see it.

What time is Fantasmic! that night? That's the one good thing about winter trips- earlier shows.

Fantasmic! is at 7, which is great - we'll be back at the hotel by 8:30ish (hopefully) and should be able to get to bed early!

I'm glad I'm not running against you, because I can't keep up. But I'm going to try for now on!!!

Thanks for trying - I totally get it if you can't!
(And it's not hard to keep up with me when I'm running - I'm slow)

 

[SarahDisney]

Feel like I'm a little behind here! I am not a runner at all, however your talk of all these character during this race makes me want to do it just for fun! It sound really cool!

The races really are a lot of fun and it's a pretty special experience.
Being Disney, it's fairly pricy, but I think that if you are interested, when your daughter gets older, you may want to consider doing a 5K as a family once just to have the experience.
And the races are really walker-friendly (especially the 5K), so even if you don't want to run, you can walk.

I give you tons of credit 5k HS and 10k the next day you go girls!

Yeah, we'll probably be ready to collapse by the end of the day on Friday. But we are trying to find a good balance between taking it easy and getting in some of our favorite experiences.

I like Star Wars just fine but haven't really done any Star Wars stuff at HS either....but I agree the new lands will be great more to do and spread people out a bit more!

Definitely anything that spreads people out more is good ... I just really am starting to get a little sick of the Star Wars stuff. I guess I'll get used to it eventually...

Yay, I'm caught up. Your plans sound awesome so far. I lurve me some Ghirardelli so I cannot fault you two there. Your talk of the Welcome Show prompted me to check my plans for my MK day in Feb. Looks like I'll miss it because I have a CRT ADR an hour before park open. Oh well. I'll have to rely on your account of it.

Thanks!
Sad that you'll be missing the Welcome Show, but I'll try to post lots of pics in the TR to make you really jealous that you missed it!

I can imagine you not caring when you've only seen some of 1-3. But 4-6 were staples for me growing up. I still remember Ep IV being in a VHS rotation with Airplane, the V miniseries, In Search of the Castaways, Swiss Family Robinson and Alien from ages 8-11.

The problem is definitely that I've only seen the newer ones. I was about 13-14 when Episode I came out, and we saw it as a family. I liked it enough to see Episode II ... but that's where it ended with me (understandably, I think).
I'm sure that seeing the originals will change my perspective ... I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
And that's a pretty interesting VHS rotation. From ages 8-11, my VHS rotation was pretty much Lion King, Aladdin, and My Girl.