So, this is my first posting on the DIS boards. My wife is an avid DISer, and I make fun of her all the time for the hours of "research" that she does before one of our trips.
We just returned from my 12th trip to Walt Disney World, where we were able to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary, without the kids! It was a great and romantic week. My wife is truly my best friend!
On this trip, we did something very new - we ran the Everest 5K. Now, we're both Pooh size people, and my wife has done many 5Ks before. This was my first, and I was a bit nervous. But the whole experience was just AWESOME!
We were in wave 9. Now, the wait to start was excruciating, but the atmosphere was fun, and encouraging. Once we got started, we did okay. We maintained about a 15 min/mile pace, up to the 2nd mile. At mile two, the light rain just turned into monsoon! The extra water weight just slowed us down, and we were very cognizant of running and slipping on the course! We finished the 5K after the "swim" through the parking lot, and did the obstacle course.
As we completed the last obstacle, the course staff told us that the course was shutting down. When I asked if the Scavenger Hunt was closed as well, he said he didn't know, and we should check at the tent. No problem, because we were there together, cheering each other on. Got to the Scavenger Hunt tent, and they gave us the bag with the passport and pens, and sent us into the park. Once we got to the Discovery Island area was the first time that someone said to us that the whole course had been shut down, and they directed us over to Dinoland. It was at Dinoland that we finally found some chaos, but finally got our medals, and some food, and headed back to our hotel.
Could things have been done better? Maybe. But, how can you prepare for this any better? Things always look better in hindsight. It would really have been nice to have someone sitting in Dinoland with a bullhorn announcing that they weren't scoring passports and where to go for a medal. Would I want to be that person holding a bullhorn in a lightning storm? It would have been nice to have my belongings dry. But, didn't they say not to "check" expensive electronic items? I didn't. In fact, I carried my iPod in my hand - it doesn't work anymore! Who's to blame? Me.
They could have called it earlier than they did - and maybe the last wave wouldn't have had the chance to even start. We should be glad that no one got hurt! With 3500 people there, there were a lot more things that could go wrong other than the letters coming off of the medals.
Look, I can't even begin to criticize Disney on any point of this event. It rained so much, so quickly, that I probably wouldn't even had heard it over the loud speakers. All I know, is that every cast member, every volunteer, everyone that was out in the rain, did nothing but cheer me on. These people are working there for minimum wage, and yet they sat in the rain, completely soaked like me, or in a poncho, or huddled under the corner of a hut, cheering me on. Making sure that I did my best.
I can't even begin to criticize Disney because, in the end, no matter how much rain there was, no matter how poor the communication was, no matter that the little letters fell off the ribbon of my medal - no matter anything, I know that I completed my first 5K, and I did it with my best friend in the world, my wife. And that is my favorite Disney Magic ever!!!!
, but it gives me something to work toward for next year.
