evre13

Hi, I'm new here.
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
giphy.gif

Jambo friends! This is my first TR on the Dis, though I do have a Training Journal and a few failed PTRs. Let’s just say that if I could get through the Half Marathon, I can surely bank on that energy to finish a TR about it!

DAADF10A-603E-4C46-8453-D9CADF5DA700.jpeg

I got back last week from a trip with friends that was planned around the Rival Run Challenge, and it ended up being a nine-day adventure full of food and park time and adult beverages — with 19.3 miles of “running” thrown in. It was my worst race performance, but easily my best-planned and executed trip to WDW. Oh, and it was a ton of fun to boot.

So, welcome to this adventure! Come for the long-windedness and stay for the iPhone photos of snacks that I still crave every day and bad selfies.


giphy.gif

Let's get this party started!
 


Joining in! Congrats on making it through all the races. I'm only brave enough to try a 5k for Wine and Dine lol.

Iphone snack photos and bad selfies are 90% of my camera roll so sign me up!
 


Joining in! Congrats on making it through all the races. I'm only brave enough to try a 5k for Wine and Dine lol.

Iphone snack photos and bad selfies are 90% of my camera roll so sign me up!

:welcome: I also found that the first 5k is the hardest - for me, so long as there's adequate time to prepare, it's amazing how far you can train to go! Plus that and post-race endorphins? You may be signing up for longer races before you know it...
 
The Boring Stuff, or How This Trip Came to Be
It could be that I'm just really nosy, but I love hearing about how people ended up at Disney and how they planned their trips. Probably why I lurk on the PTR forum - but that has given me lots of "inside" information on how to plan a trip, so no shame in that game. This trip was in the cards for a while, and I wanted to just give the basic information as to how we ended up on a 9-day deluxe adventure!

A few years ago (I think October 2017), I was going to pick up my bib at for the Marine Corps Marathon 10k with my friend B, who I had run the 2015 Princess Half with and was (at that point) planning to go to Disney with in December 2017. On the bus, we were talking about how we should do a Disney race together again, and thus, the idea of Star Wars Challenge 2019 was born.

giphy.gif

We did go in December 2017 and we had a great time together. We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter, spent a lot of time at Disney Springs, and we were both in agreement that it was not enough time in the parks to get everything done that we wanted to over 4 days (plus the crowds were NUTS because it was right before Christmas).

Fast forward to a few months later, and we nailed down that we (at that point, my BF F, B, and her husband P) were going to do the races and stay a few days later so that we could actually enjoy our time at the parks. In discussing where to stay, we quickly narrowed it down to the Crescent Lake area because it was walkable to two parks! How can you beat that? Last May, we rented points at the Boardwalk for the longest trip I've ever taken to Disney World - 9 whole days! It was shockingly affordable, and I don't know that I'll ever be able to go back to paying rack rate at a Disney hotel.

In August of last year, luckily right before race sign ups, F realized that his spring break (he works at a school here in DC) was going to be the week BEFORE the races, not the week of, like it had been in years past. So, quite sadly, our foursome became a bit of a third wheel situation. I was especially sad because he had never been to WDW and I was looking forward to seeing alllll of his reactions to everything, and I had already rented non-refundable points for a night at what I thought would be his favorite hotel - Wilderness Lodge - on Tuesday night so that we could do a solo day in the Magic Kingdom for his first Disney experience.
giphy.gif

Oh well, we can't get everything we want?

I started training for the races in January, started making lists upon lists of things I wanted to do in the parks and things I wanted to take with me. There's something just so comforting about planning a vacation. B&P ended up having a year of Disney - they bought Annual Passes in September, and they went a few times over the course of the year. I just bought an 8 day ticket (and sadly left a day unused :sad:) early this year, and since they had been a few times, I was able to mostly choose our FPs. For some reason, our FP window opened a whole day early, and I was able to get every ride we wanted - Slinky Dog! Flight of Passage! Mine Train! All the Mountains! - needless to say, we were all pumped.

We continued to train, we bought costumes, we packed, and in early April, the adventure began!
giphy.gif


 
Last edited:
You’re not alone! I love reading about the planning process too. No matter how many times I go, there’s so many things I forget about or haven’t done yet!

Ugh how upsetting that DBF couldn’t come with you in the end! At least you still get to go though!
 
You’re not alone! I love reading about the planning process too. No matter how many times I go, there’s so many things I forget about or haven’t done yet!

Ugh how upsetting that DBF couldn’t come with you in the end! At least you still get to go though!

It's given me so many ideas - I feel like I wouldn't have known about half of our trip activities without reading PTRs or TRs. Thanks to the DIS for making me look like a wizard to my friends!

I know, I was upset, but there will be other chances! Looking back, it was a great but long trip, and it may have burned him out on Disney. I think that when we go (it's definitely a when, not an if), we'll take it a little slower and a little smaller so as to not scare him away!

It also meant that he was able to check on my apartment and watch my dog while I was gone, so that was an unexpected bonus!
 
It's given me so many ideas - I feel like I wouldn't have known about half of our trip activities without reading PTRs or TRs. Thanks to the DIS for making me look like a wizard to my friends!

I know, I was upset, but there will be other chances! Looking back, it was a great but long trip, and it may have burned him out on Disney. I think that when we go (it's definitely a when, not an if), we'll take it a little slower and a little smaller so as to not scare him away!

It also meant that he was able to check on my apartment and watch my dog while I was gone, so that was an unexpected bonus!

That’s how we feel about taking my sister’s BF. He went once as a kid and didn’t really like it and my sister and I feel if we bring him and tour rope drop to park close they way we do, he may not make it til the end of the trip lol.
 
I'm here! Thanks for letting me know about this report; I can't wait to follow along.

Running with friends sounds awesome. None of my good friends are runners, so I've never had that experience but it always interested me. Bit of a bummer that F had to drop out of the trip. School schedules can be tricky to work around. I remember you mentioning you'd be solo at WL for a night, now I get the reasoning why!

I'm looking forward to hearing how the Boardwalk worked out in conjunction with the races. If it made transportation to/from easier, etc.

Congrats on nailing on the Fastpasses you were hoping for, sure set it up to be a fantastic vacation!
 
Half the fun of a Disney vacation is planning a Disney vacation! :D

It really is! One of my favorite stress relievers while I'm at work is planning fake vacations.

I'm here! Thanks for letting me know about this report; I can't wait to follow along.

Running with friends sounds awesome. None of my good friends are runners, so I've never had that experience but it always interested me. Bit of a bummer that F had to drop out of the trip. School schedules can be tricky to work around. I remember you mentioning you'd be solo at WL for a night, now I get the reasoning why!

I'm looking forward to hearing how the Boardwalk worked out in conjunction with the races. If it made transportation to/from easier, etc.

Congrats on nailing on the Fastpasses you were hoping for, sure set it up to be a fantastic vacation!

:welcome: I'm glad you're over here, reading my rambles! Running with friends is great - it's so nice to have someone to talk to before the races, when nerves are high. I usually am pretty adamant that I do my runs solo (it's a mental break for me), but I love having people around before and after.

Yes, it was sad, but I have to say - my introvert self really enjoyed a night alone before all the fun chaos started. There may have also been several gloating texts to F about sleeping in a bed without 2 dogs. :rolleyes1

Spoiler: I really loved staying at the Boardwalk, and I think that whole area is wonderful. However, I spent some time at AKL, and it would be lovely for a low-key few days, and there's nothing like being close to the Magic Kingdom. Basically, I just need to win the lottery and get to stay in only Deluxe resorts from now on?
 
Yes, it was sad, but I have to say - my introvert self really enjoyed a night alone before all the fun chaos started. There may have also been several gloating texts to F about sleeping in a bed without 2 dogs.

Not going to lie, that sounds amazing! I'm an introverted person, myself, and usually Alex's gift to me is to take the kids for an outing for half a day so I get the house all to myself. So the idea of staying at a deluxe solo for a night....man, that's introvert goals right there.:rotfl2:



Basically, I just need to win the lottery and get to stay in only Deluxe resorts from now on?

Good point. Where you stay really depends on the sort of trip you're planning.
 
I'm here! Aside from all that running stuff I can't wait to hear about it :P

And I don't think I knew you were in DC too! We're out in the 'burbs but were just downtown two week ago because Jason did the Cherry Blossom 10 miler.
 
Following along. Looking forward to reading more about your adventures
 
Not going to lie, that sounds amazing! I'm an introverted person, myself, and usually Alex's gift to me is to take the kids for an outing for half a day so I get the house all to myself. So the idea of staying at a deluxe solo for a night....man, that's introvert goals right there.:rotfl2:

It really was, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to top it. Oh, F, don't come until tomorrow, I need some alone time at Wilderness Lodge!

I'm here! Aside from all that running stuff I can't wait to hear about it :P

And I don't think I knew you were in DC too! We're out in the 'burbs but were just downtown two week ago because Jason did the Cherry Blossom 10 miler.

:welcome: I am! I live in NW, and I have to admit I rarely venture out to the burbs! However, now that the weather is nicer, we plan on heading out of the city for hikes and wineries. Does that count?

My BF ran the Cherry Blossom 9.96 miler, too, and he was so glad that it was in the only flat part of DC.

Following along! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

:welcome:

Following along. Looking forward to reading more about your adventures
:welcome:
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top