Bama Ed's 2015 WDW Marathon Weekend Trip Report. ADDED-FT DESOTO UPDATE

[bama_ed]

Howdy folks.

I'm starting up a trip report thread a little early to include a week worth of pre-trip. Our poster jbrostek has an outstanding pre-trip thread going which I suggest you read. A number of us Camping posters are running during the Marathon weekend which runs next Thursday to Sunday (Jan 8-11). The 5k is 1/8, the 10k is 1/9, the Half Marathon is 1/10, and the Full Marathon is 1/11 all based out of the EPCOT parking lot. I'll be running just the Half on Saturday. We've been encouraging each other in the Palindrome thread (I had to look up what that word meant) http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3280286

It will be a short trip with us coming in Thursday morning and going out Sunday morning. There are no theme park days planned. I'll be doing some sort of trip report in this thread. I've requested a Preferred site in loop 100. I was in 100 2 trips ago and it was great. The last time I requested 100 again but got upgraded to a Premium in 400 right across the street. I kinda bounce around as to what site type/loop I get or request. I've been through a Tent phase, a Premium phase, now I'm in my Preferred phase (I guess Full is next). At the point Disney is pricing campsites now, the cost difference isn't that great between Full-Preferred-Premium.

I've got a few pre-trip things to do here before we leave on Wednesday. Also I have to be in the office tomorrow and it's supposed to rain here in Bama Saturday so Sunday will be the one day I have to roll the Aliner out and prep it. This will be the first trip to the Fort with my Aliner Expedition which I "downsized" into and traded in my very able Jayco 12HW popup, a highwall that served our family well for nearly 10 years. As I like to say, my popup is my condo at the beach, my cabin in the woods, and my little DVC "all in one".

So stay tuned and I will be including pix.

Bama Ed

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . So stay tuned and I will be including pix . . .

1) Standing by with
. . . bated breath
. . . anxious anticipation
. . . ponderous palpitations
. . . elevated expectations
2) Oh, wait.
3) Maybe that queasiness is due to not eating breakfast, yet.


PS - Good luck at/in the run !!!!!!!!! . . . And, using the new mobile unit.

 

[tiggerdad]

You know I'm watching. Good luck in the run my friend. Hate it will be a short trip, but heck, I would take a 3 day trip over a no day trip anytime. Be sure to go down to Trails End and "accidently" fall on a table and break it...

 

[2goofycampers]

Run Ed Run.............. safely and have some fun.

 

[tiggerdad]

Here are some rare home videos of Ed in past runs for any of you who haven't met him before...





Ed, be careful. I know you aren't doing any park days, but you still have to look out for the ones who are paying more attention to their MDE apps and not watching where they are going.

 

[kcp1377]

I'll be following too!

 

[bama_ed]

Thanks, all.

Tiggerdad, I've never been to Greenbow, Alabama but I think I can see it from here. And I did stand in the doorway of Fosters Auditorium a few weeks ago.

Kim, thanks for following along.

Denise, I'm at an age now where it's not so much a "run" as more of a "shuffle". I trained for this event but I didn't kill myself. If you look at my signature those Fort visits from 2001-2004 were my visits for past runs where I cared what my time was. Now I'm using a run-walk technique and simply want to have a good experience and finish before the balloon ladies. (They bring up the rear and if they pass you then you can't finish legally).

TheRustyScupper listed 4 fine examples of alliteration (each starting with a different letter). So before he lays the other 22 letters of the alphabet on us (although even he might struggle with the letter Z), I took a few pictures to share here. I'm just coasting and enjoying the bowl games on tv.

I made my Mickey globe light for last trip and the green DIS color bulb still works.


My two strings of Mickey lights all work and are ready.


Since the last time I used my Mickey strings, I was worried because they would fill up inside with rain water. So I drilled a small drain hole in all of them recently so there would be no electricity-water episodes.


The Musket Mickey sign is at the ready.


And my signs have been located and stacked nearby.


I'm gonna keep watching the weather for next week and keep on prepping.

Bama Ed

 

[garneska]

Bama Ed will hi jack the thread with my ore trip, since I never do Pre trip. I will start a thread for Mallory but I figure we will be jumping across threads. We picked up the rig today. It is out front. Not supposed to keep it at the house but thought 2 nights would be ok. Tomorrow we will load it up. I still have to pack. We are leaving bright and early on Saturday morning. We will head to the villages to help my in laws set up for their snowbird vacation for a few months, then head to disney on Sunday.

Can't wait for the fort meet up.

 

[4077]

so stay tuned and i will be including pix.

Bama ed

pics!!! Woot woot!!

Looking forward to A-liner in site pics for sure

 

[bama_ed]

Bama Ed will hi jack the thread with my ore trip, since I never do Pre trip. I will start a thread for Mallory but I figure we will be jumping across threads. We picked up the rig today. It is out front. Not supposed to keep it at the house but thought 2 nights would be ok. Tomorrow we will load it up. I still have to pack. We are leaving bright and early on Saturday morning. We will head to the villages to help my in laws set up for their snowbird vacation for a few months, then head to disney on Sunday.

Can't wait for the fort meet up.

Hijack away Kris. We had a group pre-trip and group trip report for the March 2014 trip with several folks posting into the threads at the same time. Since this was a quick trip I wanted to do a combined version.

So if you or anyone else wants to post into this thread feel free. I'll even change the title to take my name off if that makes a difference.

Put any pre-trip stuff here but you are hitting the road relatively soon as you say. I recommend some Theraflu for you.

Bama Ed

 

[blu]

Zany zeal. Couldn't stand it.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . So before he lays the other 22 letters of the alphabet on us (although even he might struggle with the letter Z) . . .

Standing by with
. . . bated breath
. . . anxious anticipation
. . . ponderous palpitations
. . . elevated expectations

AND
. . . zestful zealousness

 

[garneska]

Ok that is normal right before I leave for marathon weekend or in this case weeks, but I am going crazy. It is raining so I really don't want to take stuff to the rig. It is not far but not right in front of the house either. My other fear is if there are any leaks. When we first got the rig it happened to be a rainy weekend and we camped near the dealership. Well we had puddles in all our slides. We took it straight back and they did work resetting the seals or something. Since then any time it has been out it has not rained. I am sure everything is ok and the slides are in but I am just paranoid, and based on how things are going that would be the case that we would have a leak.

I think I have everything packed up and in boxes to easily take to the rig. Tomorrow will be fun trying to pick up yeti and get everything loaded for both me and my in laws and get out by 8. It is supposed to rain here all day today and tomorrow.

Since I do this marathon thing so much I know this is just part of my taper madness but since training has not been great the madness is much worse.

 

[garneska]

I have to say hubby is a sweety. The rain got lighter but was not gone. We both took stuff to the rig then he let me stay inside and put stuff away while he went back and forth from the house.

Good news, no leaks. I was hoping with slides in would be ok but in my short time RVing I learned not to take anything for granted.

Just a few more things for the basement tonight. The fridge stuff is tomorrow with the dog stuff.

Oh boy I can't wait.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Run Forest, I mean Ed, run!

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[ForeverAlice]

Have an awesome trip

 

[iheartpeterpan]

Bama Ed, last year I finished the Country Music half about 3 minutes ahead of the hula hoop ladies and police cars reopening the roads. I feel your pace.

Good luck on your run, a Disney run is on my bucket list.

 

[bama_ed]

Zany zeal. Couldn't stand it.

Standing by with
. . . bated breath
. . . anxious anticipation
. . . ponderous palpitations
. . . elevated expectations

AND
. . . zestful zealousness

Okay, okay, I bow down to you both...

Bama Ed, last year I finished the Country Music half about 3 minutes ahead of the hula hoop ladies and police cars reopening the roads. I feel your pace.

Good luck on your run, a Disney run is on my bucket list.

Good for you! I think I will be okay on pace, but I might pass on the photo opportunities they have along the race with costume characters (although if they have a Mary Poppins that looks anything like Julie Andrews, I would have to stop for a photo with her).

All I can say about a bucket list Disney run is to watch the "runDisney" website starting a year in advance because the Marathon weekend Half filled up within 24 hours of opening registration to the general public back in April. Can't say if other race weekends fill up as fast or not. I tried to get my two brothers to run this Half with me and they fiddled around and it was full before they could sign up.

One thing I'm concerned about is my Suburban got put in the body shop for a little work a full week before Christmas and isn't out yet. It was supposed to be out this past Monday but they had to repaint the work twice because the first time wasn't a good match (good for me I guess) and they found a few more things that had to be done. They've promised it to me for Monday now but fingers are crossed.

I'll roll the Aliner out tomorrow and prep it. DW and I have been back and forth about modifications on it. I have a few ideas I want to do and she wants to keep it pretty much as is. Guess which way it's gonna be? I'm allowed to make one minor mod tomorrow. In case you haven't seen many Aliners around, here is my going-home thread on it. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3259749

I'm going to appreciate gas being down at the $2.0x in Alabama and in the $2.3x in Florida along I-75. The savings will pay for my groceries.

Gotta do some laundry and pack this weekend. Monday and Tuesday will be work/family all the way up till departure time early Wednesday morning.

Bama Ed

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . my Suburban got put in the body shop for a little work a full week before Christmas and isn't out yet . . . they had to repaint the work twice because the first time wasn't a good match . . .

1) Strange.
2) My Yukon goes into the body shop this Monday for 5-days.
3) A guy side-swiped me and the left side needs some work.
. . . the other guy tried to say it was my fault
. . . glad I had a witness
. . . of course, I also had the dash-cam to show the Sheriff *
. . . his insurance company believed me and wrote a check
4) I was worried about a paint-match, so, I told the shop to paint it plaid.
5) Goes with anything.





* For about $30, I would not drive anywhere without my dash-cam. With the
crazies out there, let alone the greedy lawyers, it doesn't pay to risk losing a
case because the driver-at-fault was deemed inconclusive.

 

[Boomer1]

Good luck Ed! I admire your candidness and self deprecation. ( see Canadians can use big words too).
In my opinion any time spent at the Fort is well worth it.
I did own a Yukon and loved it but when the big oil companies started sending me a Christmas card I decided to downsize.
Run like the wind Bullseye!