Official 2014 Dopey Challenge Thread!

[babyball]

I found the email - it was dated Nov. 30.

Lets hope they do pre-order of the new balance sneakers too!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Finally finalized all my ADRs for Dopey week. Had no problem getting BOG or Le Cellier, thank goodness. Also managed to get earlyish ADRs at Jiko, Boma and Le Cellier for the big early nights in.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

i got BoG no problem too for the monday after the marathon! i was there in january the monday after the marathon too with a party of 8. this year it's a party of 6 and the 4:30 ADR was no problem to get. much easier than last year! i'm hoping for a better meal than last january.

***

hope everyone is enjoying their training! i've been training for nyc and doing pretty well, up to 13.5 miles this past weekend. i need to force myself to do some hills. like, ANY hills. i've been avoiding them.

the more i go through this training, the more i have confidence that i can go the distance. i think the hardest part of this whole thing will be managing family obligation with the time apart from them running and trying to sleep. that will be the toughest part, both for me and my husband!

 

[kimmiepcft]

I booked 3 of our ADRS so far,
Friday: Tony's
Saturday: BOG
Sunday: Teppan Edo

still trying to decide on Wednesday and Thursday night

 

[IamTrike]

Our ADR's are booked.

Thursday San Angel Inn, dinner
Friday Tony's Town Square, late lunch
Saturday Tepon Edo, late lunch
Sunday 'Ohana Dinner

 

[Ram7730]

I may havent gotten a little carried away but since my grandmother and parents are going to disney for the first time with my daughters we booked a bunch of ADRs to make the most of the trip

Thursday Cinderellas Royal Table dinner
Friday Hollywood and Vine for breakfast after the 10k
Sunday Ohana for dinner
Monday Be Our Guest for dinner
Tuesday Biergartenfor lunch and Le Ceiler for dinner

 

[CaptHomer]

I have Thursday: Be Our Guest, Friday: Be Our Guest, Sunday: Be Our Guest.

 

[kimmiepcft]

I have Thursday: Be Our Guest, Friday: Be Our Guest, Sunday: Be Our Guest.

lol do you plan on eating at Be Our Guest?

 

[CaptHomer]

lol do you plan on eating at Be Our Guest?

I wanted to eat there for ToT and tried at the 180 day mark then and couldn't get in so I thought I would make sure I get in this time. There were only a few times available in January and that was with 180+.

 

[RussTKD]

I have Thursday: Be Our Guest, Friday: Be Our Guest, Sunday: Be Our Guest.

I'm sensing a theme here...

 

[WhereInFlorida]

But I gotta have me my Tonga Toast! (with bacon, of course)

Mmmmmmm, tonga toast. Good motivation for getting back to Disney.

 

[PaGaLaGirl]

Mmmmmmm, tonga toast. Good motivation for getting back to Disney.

I had never heard of this delight before. So I checked out the how to on the disney food blog and immediately had to make a reservation at Kona so I could try tonga toast after the 10k. Looks. So. Good

 

[SAHDad]

DW added a couple more ADRS - now we have Ohana's on Monday (final breakfast, once the chaos of the races is done) and Raglan road on Sunday night - so it's mixed grill or me, with an extra slab of black pudding, to celebrate being done with all of the races.

 

[kimmiepcft]

All these talks of breakfast make me wonder if we should make a reservation for Monday morning! Where is your favorite place? I have only ever done Chef Mickey's for breakfast. I usually eat in the hotel restaurant!

 

[FFigawi]

All these talks of breakfast make me wonder if we should make a reservation for Monday morning! Where is your favorite place? I have only ever done Chef Mickey's for breakfast. I usually eat in the hotel restaurant!

After rolling out of bed late, we always get breakfast for lunch at France, stop #3 on our DATW adventure.

 

[PaGaLaGirl]

Now that I am actually getting into my training, I am at a crossroads. Trying to decide if Higdon's official Dopey plan is worth a try or if I should stick with the Intermediate 2 that served me well for Goofy a few years back. Are all the weeks of just one long run in the Dopey plan a good idea that will keep me injury free or will they leave me underprepared?

Thoughts from any Higdon followers please.

Edit: Been running forever. I have done 4 fulls including Goofy in 2010 and an insanely hilly Flying Monkey at Harpeth Hills. All between 4.5-5 hours. I have done 11 halfs, usually right around the 2 hour mark. Currently only running 15-20 miles per week. Mostly because it is so hot I can't stand much more.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Now that I am actually getting into my training, I am at a crossroads. Trying to decide if Higdon's official Dopey plan is worth a try or if I should stick with the Intermediate 2 that served me well for Goofy a few years back. Are all the weeks of just one long run in the Dopey plan a good idea that will keep me injury free or will they leave me underprepared?

Thoughts from any Higdon followers please.

Over the years, I have used just about every training plan out there. I now create my own. I don't know how to answer the question without knowing your base mileage, so I will explain my plan based on my base going in, and my mileage goals during training.

My base right now, before I start training for the Goofy, (did not register in time for the Dopey) is already at 50 miles/week. I run 6 days/week, with a second run on 2 or 3 of those days each week (this run is with my wife, who is running the half only).

My Goofy training plan, which begins on 8/25, also has me running 6 days/week with a second run with my wife on two of those days each week. My mileage slowly builds up to about 80/week before the taper, and I will be running at least 4 runs of 10 miles or more each week, but only one "long run" every other week. My long run is on a Sunday. My Saturday runs are all 8-10 miles in length. Typically they would be shorter, but not training for the Goofy.

By the time I get to the races, they will seem easy compared to my training schedule.

 

[boxmaster]

I had never heard of this delight before. So I checked out the how to on the disney food blog and immediately had to make a reservation at Kona so I could try tonga toast after the 10k. Looks. So. Good

It's great. And, frankly, there's no need to go to Kona to get the Tonga Toast. Go to Captain Cook's (just downstairs from Kona) and get it
there. Cheaper, and should be just as good. And it should count as a counter-service rather than a table service credit, if you're on the dining plan. (I usually
pay cash, as I have my CS and TS occupied elsewhere. But pretty sure I was able to use a CS credit the one time.)

 

[PaGaLaGirl]

It's great. And, frankly, there's no need to go to Kona to get the Tonga Toast. Go to Captain Cook's (just downstairs from Kona) and get it
there. Cheaper, and should be just as good. And it should count as a counter-service rather than a table service credit, if you're on the dining plan. (I usually
pay cash, as I have my CS and TS occupied elsewhere. But pretty sure I was able to use a CS credit the one time.)

Thanks for the tip. I hate having set plans when they are not necessary. But I will definitely head to the Poly at some point to try Tonga Toast. I love finding new favorite things at Disney. Also planning to get my haircut on Main Street after Dopey is done. I have gone a year so far without one and have almost recouped my race fees, lol

 

[jeanigor]

It's great. And, frankly, there's no need to go to Kona to get the Tonga Toast. Go to Captain Cook's (just downstairs from Kona) and get it
there. Cheaper, and should be just as good. And it should count as a counter-service rather than a table service credit, if you're on the dining plan. (I usually
pay cash, as I have my CS and TS occupied elsewhere. But pretty sure I was able to use a CS credit the one time.)

I ate tonga toast for the first time at Kona Café years ago. Then I was checking the menu at Captain Cook's and it was there. Same thing, a la cart. Its less than half the cost.

I won't go to Kona for Tonga Toast any more, its not worth it.