Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day! - Princess Half Marathon 2019 TR

[jockey]

Enjoying your trip report so far thanks for sharing

 

[Disneybell2015]

Sounds like a great trip so far! I've never checked out the live entertainment at Disney but you make it sound awesome! Love the interaction you all had with Stitch haha! Y'alls 7DMT pics turned out awesome as well. I haven't been able to ride that attraction yet so I can't wait to be able to next trip!

 

[SweetSerenity]

I've been reading along with your report. I, too, am a Broadway fan and I recognized the logo for Aida in your pictures. I would love to go during the concert series.

 

[PJofNB]

Day 3. Saturday, 23 February: Hollywood Studios

Our plan for today was to get to Hollywood Studios for opening (at 9:00). We had an ADR at Mama Melrose's for 2:00 or 2:30 (details are starting to elude me!) and fastpasses in the morning for Rockin' Roller Coaster and Star Tours and in the early evening for Slinky Dog Dash. We were planning to return to the resort after riding SDD so we could get some sleep before the early wake-up call for the race on Sunday. The park opening time meant we were able to sleep in a bit in comparison with most days this trip. Regardless, I woke up early and went for a dawn stroll around the resort before breakfast. We had time for a cooked breakfast today, which ended up being a breakfast sandwich on a whole grain croissant for me and Mickey waffles for my wife and daughter. I also picked up some food for pre-race breakfast Sunday morning - a bagel and peanut butter for me and a couple of bananas for the others, to go with their planned in-room instant oatmeal. I had noticed on Friday that the bakery had lots of bagels available in the morning but seemed to be shifted over to pastries and cookies later in the day, so I didn't want to risk waiting until we got back from the park in the evening. I did consider the runner's boxes that were available in the food court (bagel, banana, energy bar and a bottle of water), but we brought our own reusable water bottles and bars, so it made sense to go a la carte.

We took the bus to the park and arrived a bit before opening. There was a good crowd already, so we waited not far inside park entrance, near the end of Hollywood Boulevard. After about 10 minutes, the rope dropped (not that we could see it!) and we started moving with the masses towards Toy Story Land. We made a quick march towards Toy Story Mania as the majority got in line for Slinky Dog Dash. We walked right on to TSM without a wait. We all really enjoy this ride. I am not quite as bad at this one as at Buzz, but still score very low. I always get off the attraction with a strong desire to ride again, because (a) it is a lot of fun and (b) I start to feel I am getting the hang of it and will do so much better next time! There was minimal wait when we got off, so we decided to ride again right away. I think the sign had a 15 minute wait posted, but I don't think it was more than 10. The short wait meant we had a chance to enjoy interacting with Mr. Potatohead in the queue. I think I scored slightly better on the second ride, but not by much.

We next crossed over to Alien Swirling Saucers, a new ride for us. The queue had already grown a fair bit - I am guessing we waited 30 minutes to ride. We figured we would not have a better chance this trip and wanted to give it a try. It was fine - nothing remarkable in my opinion. Walking over to the Saucers, we were impressed by what we could see of Star Wars! Galaxy's Edge rising over the construction wall. We meant to get a photo after our ride on the saucers, but forgot!

Time for our fastpass for Rockin Roller Coaster was approaching, so we headed across the park. I think this is a great roller coaster - the right level of intensity and thrill for me, with great music.


As we strolled out after this ride, we came upon an unexpected park guest!

We had a bit of time before our next fastpass, so I suggested we check out the Star Wars Launch Bay. We watched the short movie, which I thought was most interesting for the construction footage of SWGE. I had not seen photos previously and admit to being impressed and excited. I also had an interaction with some stormtroopers while waiting in line - luckily, I was able to convince them I was harmless.

We weren't particularly interested in character meet and greats, but I had read that there were props and other memorabilia from the Star Wars movies on display so we headed in to check that out. As a long-time Star Wars fan, I enjoyed looking at the displays. We also saw that the posted wait times for Chewbacca were not bad (I think 10 minutes?) so we decided to get in line, which also meant we could get a better look at the lightsabre display. Who wouldn't want to meet the most famous wookie in the galaxy? Chewie indicated that he liked my beard!

After the meeting with Chewbacca, my daughter got as close as she was going to get to a bar during our visit. She was a bit bemused by the drinking age here, as she has been "of age" for a while now at home and has lived other places with much younger drinking ages.

The order of some of what we did the rest of the day is a bit fuzzy, but I think next up was our fastpass for Star Tours. I think this is another great example of Disney theming and creativity. The queue is a lot of fun and truly part of the attraction experience. We next went looking for a drink and pastry. We weren't very familiar with the options available, so wandered around a bit. We ended up getting drinks near Pixar Place (iced coffee again for me and I think non-alcoholic pina coladas for my wife and daughter) but didn't see any snacks in the area that appealed to us. We did see a number of characters out in the streets, including some from the Incredibles as well as Chip & Dale, who were strategically located in a shaded spot in one corner. It was another sunny and hot day!

I thought I remembered seeing a sign for Starring Rolls earlier in the morning (which I vaguely remembered from a previous trip) so we wandered over near the Brown Derby, only to be disappointed to see the patio umbrellas with the name on them but no bakery. The seats in the shade were welcome nonetheless and we enjoyed our cold drinks.

As we finished, a crowd was gathering for the Star Wars stage show, which we had seen just the very end of earlier in the day, so we walked over to watch the full show (I think at 12:30). It was fun to see the various characters, but I enjoyed the song and dance show at the MK more.

Next up was the Beauty and the Beast Stage show at 1:00 p.m. We walked into the ampitheatre 5 or 10 minutes before showtime and found seats near the back. There were still some empty seats when the show started. We could see and hear great and enjoyed the show, which we have seen on previous visits. I really appreciate the choreography and spectacle on the production numbers and the songs are great. My daughter felt the show was too choppy, with not enough effort made to link the musical numbers in the short performance. She is much more critical now than when she saw it as a girl!

We headed back across the park for the Muppets - we are all big fans - and when we came out it was time for our ADR at Mama Melrose's. The cast member at the podium had trouble finding us on his list, but we sorted things out fairly quickly and it wasn't long before we were seated and perusing the menus. We had never eaten here previously. There was lots on the menu that I thought looked good. We started with an order of the mozzarella and tomato; I had the shrimp campanelle and I think both my wife and daughter went with the chicken and penne. My wife and daughter also ordered desserts (cannoli, which I had a taste of and enjoyed, and I think the sampler) while I stuck with an espresso. We enjoyed our lunch and now felt well-prepared calorie-wise for the run the next day.

After lunch, we watched some of the Jedi training , the Indiana Jones stunt show and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Even though we had been here previously when our children were young (i.e., still children!), for some reason we had never seen the Little Mermaid show. I didn't know what to expect but really enjoyed this. I thought the lighting and other visual effects were good and enjoyed the puppets and singing. The Jedi training was cute (I think this type of activity is a great one, exciting and engaging for the children and also entertaining for those watching the show). We have seen the stunt show on each visit (so, once every seven years!) and enjoyed it each time. It is a good fit for the theme of the park and also entertaining. We ended the afternoon browsing the shops while waiting for our ~ 6 p.m. fastpass for Slinky Dog Dash. We picked up a few small things to bring home to others, but didn't find anything for our son, who was home looking after the pets and going to class (university). My wife did get something for him in Disney Springs later in their stay. I did see a Boba Fett tie I liked - it was classy yet fun - but decided to hold off on buying it as we would be visiting Animal Kingdom on Sunday and I wanted to look around there. My daughter ended up getting it for me later in the trip (after I was home) and gave it to me as a slightly late birthday present. Thank you!

It was finally time to head over to Slinky Dog Dash for our fastpass. We had never ridden and were looking forward to this! Unfortunately, as we approached we realized something was wrong - there was no ridicuolessly long line and it was quiet! The coaster wasn't running. We eventually realized that the coaster was stopped but still full of riders, who were eventually escorted off (I assume!). When we got closer we realized there was still a fairly long line of people hoping the attraction would come back up soon. I certainly wouldn't want to lose my spot if I had been in line for 90 minutes or more! I found a more senior cast member who said there were some technical problems; they weren't sure how long the ride would be down but would shortly be clearing people out of the queue area, which did not seem to bode well. He did say we would be able to ride later that evening if the ride was operational again, or the next day. With the race early the next morning, we didn't want to wait around much longer, so we decided to use the fastpasses on other rides. I wanted to ride Tower of Terror but no one else was willing, so I went off to do that while my wife and daughter rode Star Tours again. We decided it would be easier to make our separate ways back to the resort. I enjoyed my ToT ride - another example of an expertly-designed and put together attraction! I tried to convince my wife and daughter later that it really wasn't that intense and that they should give it a try when they returned to HS later in their trip, but I failed to sell them on it.

I exited the park after my ride and made the long walk to the buses. I think I just missed a POFQ bus, but a Riverside bus pulled up in the adjacent bay so I hopped on that and then jogged back to FQ (~ 1 km from where I got off the bus). I probably would have still gotten back to our room sooner if I had waited for the FQ bus, but I would rather be moving than waiting.

My wife and daughter were already back at the room when I arrived. We took a bit of time to get our bibs and clothes ready for the run and set multiple alarms for 2:30 a.m. I had trouble getting to sleep so early (plus, I was excited about the run!) but eventually dozed off. Unfortunately, one of us had not updated the time on their iPad from Atlantic to Eastern, so one alarm went off at 1:30! We quickly realized the error and rolled over for another hour of sleep. The next time the alarms went off, it really would be time to get up for the Princess Half Marathon!

 

[PJofNB]

Enjoying your trip report so far thanks for sharing

Thanks! I am enjoying reviewing our photos and thinking back on our days. My memory is awful and it unfortunately doesn't take long for the details to get a bit blurry.

Sounds like a great trip so far! I've never checked out the live entertainment at Disney but you make it sound awesome! Love the interaction you all had with Stitch haha! Y'alls 7DMT pics turned out awesome as well. I haven't been able to ride that attraction yet so I can't wait to be able to next trip!

There are so many talented cast members at WDW and lots of short shows and performances scattered through each park. Also, in our experience these activities are often more accessible than attractions when crowd levels get high.

Our meeting with Stitch was a lot of fun. One of those spur of the moment things that was well worth it. I hope you enjoy 7DMT on your next trip. The opportunity to experience so many new (to us!) attractions this trip was something we all looked forward to.

I've been reading along with your report. I, too, am a Broadway fan and I recognized the logo for Aida in your pictures. I would love to go during the concert series.

Your comment reminds me that they introduced the song or songs from Aida (I don't remember how many they did) by saying they were going to do some numbers from a show written by people with strong Disney connections. I am not familiar with Aida and didn't recognize the songs, but really enjoyed the performances. This show was something we just happened to notice in the MDE app a few weeks before our trip. It sounded like a great opportunity and we weren't disappointed!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

It sounds like a good day at Hollywood Studios! I appreciate ToT so much, but the dropping freaks me out. I have to really hype myself up to ride it haha I always have such a hard time sleeping before a runDisney race. Excitement and nerves and knowing your alarm is going off at an awful hour doesn't make for restful sleep for me. I can't wait to read about your race!

 

[PJofNB]

Day 4. Sunday, 24 February: Princess Half Marathon!


At 2:30 a.m., multiple alarms went off in our room. Our big day had finally arrived! The three of us were up and dressed quickly. We had a quick breakfast in the room - oatmeal for my wife and daughter, a bagel and peanut butter for me - and brought some additional snacks to eat once we got to the race site. The temperature was 23 C when we woke up, with a low of 21 C (70 F) forecast for around the start of the race. No worries about getting chilly while waiting in the corrals!

My wife and daughter wanted to catch the first bus, so we were out of our room and onto the bus right around 3 a.m. The bus was almost full when we got on, so we pulled away almost immediately. After the short ride to Epcot, we joined the large numbers streaming towards the pre-race area. I found the juxtaposition of the early hour and the large number of excited, high energy people a bit odd. We quickly passed through security and then waited around a bit, hydrating and eating some energy bars. We took a quick look in the merchandise tent to see if they had any half-specific tops in my wife's size, but no luck. I noted the lines for photos with the princesses, but decided to wait until after the race. The port-a-potties were plentiful with minimal wait early on. Once we were finished our snacks and water, I dropped off our bag at the bag check and we got ready to head over to the corrals. As this was our first runDisney event, we were a bit unsure of how much time to allow for everything, but were anxious to get going. We decided on a rendez-vous spot in the reunion area as we expected to finish at rather different times, and got a pre-race photo. Thanks to the friendly fellow runner who volunteered to take the picture. All of our interactions with the other runners and volunteers were great! Everyone I met was very friendly and supportive.

My wife put together our running outfits. She and my daughter had extensive discussions about what to wear. In the end, they decided to go with a villains theme as they were not enthusiastic about being princesses. My wife made running skirts for each of them. Hers was Maleficent-inspired while my daughter's was based upon Ursula. When we realized how warm and humid it was likely to be, we decided to keep things simple. I started thinking about villain princes for me and when someone mentioned Prince John I decided that was perfect. I saw the Robin Hood film in the theatre as a child (on a re-release, I am not that old!) and remembered it fondly. My wife made the cape and Sir Hiss, who we pinned around my shoulders. As part of our race preparations, we watched Sleeping Beauty (for the first time!) and Robin Hood (we had a VHS copy and a functional VCR) a couple of weeks before our trip.

I had read that the walk to the corrals was a long one and can confirm! I think the fact they felt the need to set up a DJ station part way along says a lot. It was still quite early (I think we started over around 4:20) and the walk did not really take that long. When we reached the corral area, it was time to split up. We had all run on a local race weekend back in September. I had completed my first half marathon and my wife and daughter ran the 10k, their first organized race of any distance! Their goal was to get some experience with an organized run and, hopefully, a result to submit for POT. They were pleased to finish in September just under the maximum acceptable time, so were placed in corral E, while I was starting in A.

I was bit anxious beforehand about the amount of time we would be waiting in the corrals pre-race. The wait ended up not being too bad, and I was pleased that there was lots of room at the back of our corral to warm up. I thought the pre-race banter by the hosts was fine and helped to pass the time, although I can understand the comments from others that it can get a bit old after multiple races. There were frequent warnings to slow down and stay hydrated during the race. I was planning to make full use of the water stations and was planning to start slowly and see how things went. After appearances by Aurora, the fairy godmother and Miss America (for the anthem), the wheelchair racers were off and then it was our turn. This was my fairly poor attempt to capture the fireworks at the start:

And we were off! It was great to finally be underway. I had no clear plans about character stops, on-course photos or pace, but was going to play it by ear based upon crowds and how I was feeling in the humidity. The first character stop was I think Jack Sparrow and friends. I wasn't interested and didn't want to stop so soon after starting, so passed that one by. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a picture with my fellow princes:

My wife's immediate comment when she saw the photo was that Disney princes are tall! (It is also true that I am short!)

Soon after was the evil queen...

I may have over-hydrated pre-race. That, combined with the 1 h wait in the corrals, meant a port-a-potty stop was called for as we approached the Magic Kingdom parking lots. Thankfully, there was no wait. I enjoyed seeing spectators along the course near the TTC, cheering us on. Their enthusiasm definitely made the race more fun. I also enjoyed the Japenese drummers near the TTC and was excited to see the Contemporary resort ahead. The run was going well. I was maintaining a slow but steady pace and making full use of the water/powerade stops. I was getting a bit excited as we passed the Contemporary and ran through the MK bus stops to approach the entrance to the Magic Kingdom.

The big crowds along Main Street were fantastic. Running towards the castle with all the supportive folks along the route was great! I paused for a few photos before and after the hub, approaching the castle and then Tomorrowland!


I appreciated the large number of photopass photographers along the course. I sometimes tried to be aware of them and pose for a photo, but mostly just focused on my run and the surroundings. Following was probably my best attempt at a Prince John pose:

The run through the Magic Kingdom was wonderful. I really appreciated how the route took us past most corners of the park. With the exception of the group of villains who were waiting backstage as we left the Magic Kingdom, character lines were very short for the rest of my race so I decided to take advantage of almost all of them, including Buzz outside of Start Command HQ

and this pair near the teacups:

To be continued...

 

[PJofNB]

Day 4 (continued). Sunday, 24 February: Princess Half Marathon! (2nd half) and post race

The run from Tomorrowland, through Fantasyland to the castle went very quickly. Snow White was acting as guest host beside the castle:

After paying my respects with Snow White, it was through the castle and then another quick photo stop in front. There were several photographers set up in front of the castle, with multiple photo spots. Very few of the runners that were passing through with me were stopping, so I had no wait. There also seemed to be quite a few photographers stationed to get photos of those runners who chose not to stop in front of the castle. In the Liberty Square / Frontierland area, I bypassed the meet with Jessie but did stop for Goofy, who had a much shorter line.

Shortly after meeting Goofy, we were exiting Magic Kingdom and heading backstage. I thought it was interesting to get a chance to see these areas of Magic Kingdom and Epcot that are normally hidden to guests. I realize this is old hat for runDisney veterans, but it was interesting for me! As we left the backstage area and neared the Grand Floridian, we passed a DJ station at the halfway point. As I was approaching, he announced that he had just received word that the final corral had started! I knew that a one hour difference in start time was normal between the first and last corrals, but it still seemed strange to me at that point after 10+ km.

I noticed a few fairies near the Grand Floridian. I thought at first it was Tinkerbell and Peter Pan, but looking at the picture I am not so sure - maybe Tinkerbell and friends? I am not quite up to date on the latest in Disney characters and have not met very many prior to this trip!

We also passed a group of bridesmaids or wedding attendants near the Grand Floridian, but I didn't stop.

As we passed the golf course on one side and parking lots on the other, I was surprised to notice there were still some fireworks being set off, even though the sky was now light so they weren't very visible. I had noticed the fireworks on our approach to the Magic Kingdom area earlier in the race and was surprised to see them. I thought they were neat, but understand that this unexpected addition made things more challenging for some.

I was definitely feeling the effects of the humidity at this point and was taking full advantage of the water/powerade stations. I liked the fact that they were so long, so it was easy to grab some powerade and then water, or a couple of cups of water while still moving along. As we rejoined World Drive, it was neat to look across and see other runners heading towards the Magic Kingdom. The largest race I had been involved in prior to this probably had about 800 - 1000 participants, with people running various distances starting together. I new this race typically had about 20k participants in recent years, but I didn't fully appreciate the scale of that until race day.

I have heard comments from numerous people about how they don't enjoy this stretch of the course, returning to Epcot from the Magic Kingdom, as it is boring and uneventful. I understand that, but for me on the day this stretch was welcome as I was able to focus on simply maintaining a steady running rhythm. I was starting to look forward to this being done, so an opportunity to get through some miles as efficiently as possible was welcome (as were the wet sponges along here!). I thought it was neat seeing the top of the Swan resort (I think) in the distance. It seemed very close, which I guess by some measures it was, although the size of the resort makes this deceptive. I knew to look forward to seeing Sarge on the ramp to Epcot Center Drive. I saluted him as I ran by and congratulated him on his good work keeping the troops in order. He stood and saluted sharply when he saw my crown!

I was pleased to approach Epcot and head backstage. I met with Pluto (with no wait!) and then the Incredibles, stopping briefly with each.


I never quite got my balance correctly when I dashed in for my photo with the Incredibles. Luckily, Mr. Incredible provides pretty solid support when necessary! I think I may have alarmed Mrs. Incredible for a moment, as she probably wondered if I was about to keel over! All was fine and I was soon once again on my way.

As I entered Epcot park proper, I only noticed the photographers stationed for photos in front of Spaceship Earth at the last moment. At this point, I lost focus on the race and other runners around me and only thought, "Must stop here for iconic photo!" I thoughtlessly cut across the course to the side, right across the path of another runner who was keeping a substantial pace. I offer my sincere apologies now in the highly unlikely chance he is reading this! My actions slowed him up for a moment but he thankfully managed not to completely flatten me! I hope the finish to his race went well.

The photo I stopped for turned out fine, but I prefer this action shot taken shortly afterwards when my focus was very much not on the photographer but rather on the finish line that I knew was just ahead.

Soon, I was out of the park, past the choir (great finale, thanks!) and approaching the finish line. Princess Minnie was there to cheer us over the line. I was very happy to be done what had been a great experience!

I progressed through the finish chute, quickly collecting my medal and food box and getting my "I did it!" photo. The water, powerade and banana were particularly welcome. I enjoyed those near the finish area as I tried to stretch a bit. I definitely needed to replenish some fluids. I don't think I have every been so sweaty after a run! My clothes felt like I had been running through a steady rain. Prince John should definitely have gone with the summer-weight cape, but hey, it was still February! I was thankful that it was cloudy for most of my run, with the sun only breaking through near the end. I know the final stages of the run must have been harder for those who started later.

I noticed at the end that the race clock was reading about 2:01 or 2:02, while my watch had a running time of about 1:55. I was hoping that, since I started near the back of corral A, my chip time would be under 2:00, but alas it was 2:00:58. I didn't have a time goal for this race as I simply wanted to enjoy the experience. I also wasn't sure how the conditions would affect my pace, how congested the course would be (which turned out not to be an issue) or how many stops I would make and how long those would take. I am very happy with the experience and am glad I was able to make the stops along the way that I did. In the end, the character stops and other photos plus one port-a-potty break only took about six minutes total, so I certainly can't complain.

Based upon their anticipated pace and later start time, I was expecting my wife and daughter to finish about 90 minutes after me, if all went well. Since I had some time to wait around, I decided to get in line for some photos and meet some princesses.

While waiting in the various lines for the princesses, I appreciated meeting and chatting with other runners. I owe a special thank-you to the generous young lady in one line who let me check on the status of my wife and daughter using her phone. (I had my phone with me, but no international data. I was hoping I would be able to get a wifi connection in the finish area, but no luck. I shouldn't have been surprised, as we were essentially standing in a parking lot outside the park!) Based upon the last time point, my wife and daughter were doing well and on pace to finish at the expected time. I took some time to enjoy most of the contents of my food box and then started looking for them. It wasn't too long before they were passing through Epcot and crossing the finish line of their first half marathon!

All those long hours of training had paid off. Although it was tough at times, they had done it! They stopped for a picture with Tiana but then decided they mostly wanted to get back to the resort, shower and change. We headed for our bus to POFQ. One was boarding as we walked up and we were off after a short wait. My daughter commented that it seemed strange when the bus driver greeted us with a "Good morning" as we boarded. How could it sill be morning after being up for over seven hours and having done so much?!

We still had the second half of our day to go. More on that in the next installment.

 

[LeiaIsAPrincess2]

I'm really enjoying your TR! Congrats to all of you on finishing the half and your pictures turned out great.

 

[JAMIESMITH]

Very cool costumes! Your wife and daughter look elated to cross the finish line.

 

[PJofNB]

It sounds like a good day at Hollywood Studios! I appreciate ToT so much, but the dropping freaks me out. I have to really hype myself up to ride it haha I always have such a hard time sleeping before a runDisney race. Excitement and nerves and knowing your alarm is going off at an awful hour doesn't make for restful sleep for me. I can't wait to read about your race!

That is exactly how I felt the night before the run. I have a hard time sleeping before any travel or big event. Knowing that the alarm is going to go off at a ridiculously early hour only makes it worse. I am not sure how much real sleep I got before the run, but it wasn't much! It all worked out fine in the end.

I'm really enjoying your TR! Congrats to all of you on finishing the half and your pictures turned out great.

We were very happy with the photos, in general. I ended up with lots of good race pictures. My wife and daughter were a bit disappointed with their race photos. I think the course was quite a bit busier when they were going through, so the number of photos per runner is lower. We were very happy with our decision to purchase Memory Maker to get all the photopass photos. If we had only been interested in the race-day pictures, the one day option would have been fine. Because of the length of stay for my wife and daughter, the full option made sense. They ended up with lots of photos with characters and in the parks from the days after I had gone home. We never would have bothered with many of the photo opportunities if we hadn't already purchased Memory Maker.

Very cool costumes! Your wife and daughter look elated to cross the finish line.

I love the expressions on their faces as they finish. I think those capture their genuine emotions in the moment. My daughter had a similar expression on her face when she saw me in the reunion area and ran over to celebrate. She decided part way through the training that she really does not enjoy running. She had been hoping her feelings might change as she got further into the training, but it didn't happen. Nevertheless, she was very focused and determined to do this and was very satisfied with the result. She does not anticipate doing any other races (ever!), although my wife is more open to the possibility, especially if she can convince her sister or a good friend to participate with her.

 

[PJofNB]

Day 4 (continued!). Sunday, 24 February: Animal Kingdom

It felt great to settle into our seats on the bus for the ride back to our resort following the race. It is quite a short trip between Epcot and POFQ, so before long we were awkwardly making our way down the steps of the bus to the resort entrance. It didn't take a long period of sitting to stiffen up!

We were surprised to be met by a number of cast members as we got off the bus who were congratulating the returning runners. They presented us with beads (it being Port Orleans) and took some photos of us in front of the resort. Unfortunately, they are on my daughter's phone. I will add one once I get copies, if they turned out ok.

We quickly showered and changed. I also did a load of laundry, while the others were freshening up and taking a break. I would be traveling home the next day and preferred to pack clean running clothes!

Our plan was to spend the afternoon at Animal Kingdom. We had an ADR for lunch at Tusker House at 1 p.m. and fastpasses for a few rides. We weren't sure how long we would last, considering the early wake-up call and the run, so were going to just see how things went.

We got the bus to Animal Kingdom sometime between 11 and noon. I think this was the only time while I was there that we shared a bus with POR. Pretty reasonable for AK in the middle of the day - the bus was far from full after picking people up at both resorts. We were pretty tired on the bus and moving slowly once we arrived at the park. I was a bit concerned that the afternoon might feel a bit of an ordeal, but thankfully once we had a big lunch and moved around the park a bit more, we were feeling much better. The easy walking throughout the afternoon was definitely a good idea after the race.

I really enjoy this park - the rides, shows, animal trails and the general ambiance. We ended up not checking out any of the animal trails on this visit except near the entrance because of our limited time in the park, but I definitely recommend them based upon previous visits.

At the entrance, we stopped for a few celebratory photos with our medals. We also had some taken in front of the Tree of Life, but the bright sun lead to some strong shadows and a lot of reflection off my forehead (!), so I will leave those out of the trip report.


We had a bit of time before our 1 p.m. ADR at Tusker House, so we watched It's Tough to be a Bug! This is a fun show. There were a large number of young children in the theatre and lots of squeals and a few screams. My daughter had forgotten about the surprise at the end, so I was amused to see her jump.


After the show, we slowly made our way back to Tusker House. After checking in, we were seated with little delay. We were all quite hungry and really enjoyed the buffet. We were here on a previous trip for breakfast, but this was our first experience for lunch. We each polished off a couple of plates full of assorted meats, salads, breads and other tasty dishes. We weren't too long into our meal before our host Donald came by to say hello, followed shortly thereafter by his friends.



We were quite happy with our filling and relaxing lunch, including a great selection of desserts. The banana bread pudding was my wife's and my favourite. There was still a bit of time before our first fastpass, so we decided to stroll around the park and take in a couple of shows. Based on the show and fastpass times, we decided to head first to the Nemo show.
We arrived shortly before the show (perhaps 10 minutes?) and were able to walk right in and find seats near the concourse. It was a sunny and hot afternoon (again!), so getting out of the sun was a relief. This was our first time seeing this show. We enjoyed it, although I did find it a bit odd. I was also starting to feel rather tired, so that may have affected my perceptions. I thought the puppets worked well and they did a good job stitching together an abbreviated but coherent story.

After Nemo, we headed across the park for the Up! bird show. We had seen and enjoyed the previous bird show during our last visit and were curious to see how similar (or different) the new show was. We enjoyed the show and were impressed by the birds, but didn't think the Up characters really added much. I would have preferred more time focused on birds, without the characters. Based upon the comments of others in a recent thread discussing the various Animal Kingdom shows, this is a fairly common opinion. The combination of another easy walk across the park followed by a period sitting was good for our post-race recovery!

It was now time for our Expedition Everest fastpasses. I had convinced my daughter to ride this when we were last at Disney seven years ago and she found it too intense. She was not pleased with me at the time! When planning for this trip, she was interested in trying it again. However, with the early start to the day and the race, she was also feeling tired and not up for an intense ride, so she decided to switch her fastpass for Primeval Whirl while my wife and I rode Everest. We all enjoyed our respective rides. I think this ride is done well, with a bit of an atypical twist on your standard coaster along with some excellent theming, but it is probably my least favourite of the WDW coasters.


We met up again at the Lion King dance party, which had drawn a fair crowd. We watched for a bit and then headed over to Pandora for our first visit to that area. We were very impressed with the landscaping and immersive atmosphere of this area. We strolled around a bit admiring the scenery and happened upon a fun, high energy drumming show. There was significant audience participation, with some young drummers giving it everything they had as they pounded on their drums.

It was now time for our fastpasses for Flights of Passage. We had of course heard some of the hype about this ride and were looking forward to experiencing it. We all thought it was fantastic, a really excellent experience. We had just watched the Avatar movie for the first time about a week before our trip, and I think that gave me an added appreciation for how well they captured the look and feel of Pandora, both on the ride and throughout the land. We browsed through the shop afterwards (as one does after a WDW ride) and thought some of the clothing was interesting. My wife ended up buying a top there at a second visit later in their stay. Next, my wife and daughter got cold drinks next door, which they really enjoyed. (I can't remember what they had )

We strolled around Pandora a bit more and then headed back towards Kilimanjaro Safaris. We had a fastpass for just before sunset, I think 6 p.m. We thought we would do a bit of browsing in shops while we waited, but instead mostly enjoyed a couple of shows taking place in the square in Africa in front of Tusker House. When we arrived, a musical group was nearing the end of their show (they sounded great!) and they told everyone a group of acrobats was coming up shortly. We hung around for that and were really impressed! The performers gave a charismatic and high energy show. I was amazed at their core strength and power. We didn't stay for the whole show, as our fastpass window opened and we wanted to ride the safari before we lost the light. It was a fine but not remarkable ride. We saw lots of animals, including great views of the lions, but they were all pretty quiet. By the end, it had gotten dusky and was a bit hard to pick out the animals.

We were about ready to call it a day at this point. As we made our way towards the park entrance, we detoured through Pandora so we could see it again in the dusk. The luminescence was beautiful and the sounds in the area definitely added to the immersive experience. After our short detour, we headed for the bus and back to our resort. Despite our large lunch, we were all hungry so we stopped in the food court for some dinner. I had the shrimp and grits, which I thought was very tasty!

We finally made our way back to our room after a long, full and very satisfying day (oo-de-lally-oo-de-lally!). One final surprise awaited us. My daughter had been exchanging texts with her boyfriend (back home in winter) throughout the day. He had been asking since early afternoon when we would be back at the room and told her she might need to stop by the desk when we returned. When we entered the room, she found a bouquet of flowers in a Minnie vase, to celebrate completion of her first half marathon. She was quite pleased! It was a thoughtful touch and a great way to cap off a wonderful day.

We were soon settled in our beds for some much needed rest. My wife and daughter were planning to be up early for 8:00 a.m. EMH at Animal Kingdom, while I had a more relaxing morning planned, before my 12:40 DME pick-up for my later afternoon flight home. Details to follow in the next and final installment.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Sounds like the perfect AK day! That is probably my favorite park at WDW. And what a sweet surprise from your daughter's boyfriend!

 

[PJofNB]

Sounds like the perfect AK day! That is probably my favorite park at WDW. And what a sweet surprise from your daughter's boyfriend!

It was a good afternoon in Animal Kingdom. Our energy levels were a bit low (understandably!) but we took a relaxed approach and had a good time. I missed out on the Festival of the Lion King and the evening light show, but there wasn't a realistic way to fit these in and still get some much needed sleep! My wife and daughter were able to see both of these later in their trip and enjoyed both very much.

I think my daughter's boyfriend was nervous that something would go wrong with the flower order and they would end up forgotten and dead in some storage room behind the check-in desk! Of course, he had nothing to worry about as Disney has these things down.

 

[SweetSerenity]

I love your costume!

I always enjoy seeing marathon photos. Congratulations!

 

[PJofNB]

I love your costume!

I always enjoy seeing marathon photos. Congratulations!

Thanks! All credit goes to my wife for making the costume. It was fun to dress up for the race. I was really impressed with some of the outfits I saw, including groups in coordinated outfits (e.g., four or five characters from Tangled, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (complete with "baby bump"!)).

 

[evre13]

So fun to hear about your perspective on the race — it was my first runDisney a few years ago! Be careful; it gets addicting. Your costumes are also so great!

 

[PJofNB]

Thanks! We had a great time, and I have also enjoyed reviewing things in my mind and writing up this summary.
Thanks for the warning! It is easy to see how this can be the case. I have been following the threads of those preparing for the Star Wars weekend coming up shortly and those registering for Wine & Dine in the fall and do find myself wondering how future trips for those events might fit with my work schedule and other constraints.
It is a bit of an undertaking for us to get to WDW, so I don't see it becoming a regular event for us, but I can definitely see a return runDisney event in our future.

 

[PJofNB]

Day 5. 25 February: Disney Springs and Travel Day

My wife and daughter were up early again on Monday morning (although not race day early!) to get to Animal Kingdom for extra magic hours at 8 a.m. Their plan was to head for the safari first thing. I made a slower start to the day, as this marked the end of my trip. I had a DME pick-up at 12:40 for a later afternoon flight. As I think I mentioned already, my wife and daughter would be staying at WDW until the end of the week, heading home on Saturday.

Temperatures were a bit cooler this morning, 16 C (61 F) at 6:30 a.m., with a substantial break in the humidity as well. It was a refreshing change from the high heat and humidity of the previous four days and would have been great conditions for the race. After a leisurely breakfast at the POFQ food court, I packed and spent a bit of time catching up on work email.

I decided to catch a ferry to Disney Springs and check out that area. As I approached the ferry dock around 10:00 a.m., I could see a couple of boats in the vicinity of the dock. Unfortunately, I just missed a ferry to Disney Springs. However, the cast member at the dock asked the captain of the other boat if he could bring me along with him as I gather he was headed there to get into position for his next trip. So, I ended up with a private ferry! This was my first time on these ferries and visiting Disney Springs. The ferry ride was about 15 minutes and very relaxing. It was interesting to me to see the treehouses along the way. There was also lots of activity on the golf course with people out enjoying the sunny but cooler morning.

I didn't have much time to explore Disney Springs, so decided to check out a few shops that were on the end closest to the ferry terminal. I was looking for a souvenir for myself and also ideas for our son back home. I checked out Stance, Under Armour, Tommy Bahama, Uniqlo, World of Disney and the Star Wars Trading Post. I ended up picking some running clothes for myself at Under Armour and an R2-D2 shirt at the Trading Post. I also saw a few possible things for my son, so left some suggestions for my wife and daughter when they visited Disney Springs later in the week.

After my quick shopping excursion, I caught a boat back to POFQ around noon. After a final snack on the patio near the food court, it was time to get the bus to the airport. We made a quick stop at POR and were at MCO not long after.

I had checked in online back at the resort (Air Canada to Toronto, connecting to Fredericton) but had to print my boarding passes and luggage tag at the airport. This went quickly as there was no wait for the self-serve kiosks. It was about 1:30 p.m. A line had already formed at the Air Canada check-in counter, but no staff were present. It was still more than three hours before our flight, with no other AC flights in the meantime, so the fact the counter was not yet open was not that surprising. The counter staff came out around 1:50 p.m. and I was soon on my way to security after dropping off my bag. The security line was not too long, so by the time I got through security and took the train to the terminal, I still had plenty of time before my flight. I took advantage of this to have a relaxing sit-down lunch and spend a bit of my remaining American cash.

As I approached the gate, I noticed quite a few fellow passengers with Princess Half Marathon weekend shirts. Boarding was slow but completed on time. The flight back to Toronto was uneventful. As we landed, the flight attendant announced, "Welcome back to Toronto; welcome back to winter!". Canadian customs at Pearson seemed a bit chaotic, but went quickly. I had some dinner in the terminal and then headed for my gate for my late flight home. There were some delays with many of the regional flights, although our flight boarded on time. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a scheduling issue with the ground crew for our flight, so our departure was delayed by 40+ minutes. The pilot was not impressed with Air Canada organisation, as he made clear when he announced the delay over the PA system. The flight to Fredericton went smoothly, but because of the delay we arrived at 1:40 a.m. instead of 1:00 a.m. as scheduled. After a short taxi ride home, I was in bed by about 2:30 a.m., more or less happy to be home but not looking forward to getting up for work in a few hours.

It was a great trip! I really enjoyed the run and a few days in the heat was a welcome break from a long, cold winter. My wife and daughter enjoyed their time together at WDW the rest of the week, revisiting each of the parks, taking in the nighttime light and firework shows, and experiencing most of the attractions we did not have time for in the first four days. I was back at the airport early Sunday morning to pick them up after their Saturday afternoon departure from Orlando.

Thanks for reading!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Great trip report!