Running... From Coast to Coast and Back Again - Tink 1/2 TR, Princess TR

[20thingamabobs]

We did! Our number is 1158. Not sure where that puts us as far as waves go. I know last year we were 1428 and way back in wave 5. Hope that's not the case this time around.



I think getting engagement pictures at AKL is such a great idea! It'll be really cool to have photos from the same place as the proposal. Not to mention, the resort is so beautiful, I can only imagine how great they'll turn out.


A 3-ride minimum on Everest is a must!

We're 1139 so I definitely think we'll most likely be in the same wave! Have you made your tshirts yet? Wanna be able to keep a look out for you!

Thanks! I'm really excited about getting our pictures taken. I'm a little nervous though because as of now there's a 60% chance of rain for Friday and Saturday... that'll stink if we can't do outside pics... I know they take several inside too though so at least we'd have those!

I agree! I think that's so romantic to have your engagement pictures taken where you got engaged! I'm sure they'll be spectacular.

Thanks! I hope everything works out and it doesn't rain! The inside pictures are very pretty but I'd really love some outside too!

Whew! I just read through all of your trip report! I am looking at doing my first half marathon at the Food and Wine this year and I stumbled on your thread looking for some trip reports and pics of the events. Jackpot! Girl, you've done them all! I feel so well informed about all of them now. Can't wait to hear about the Tinerbell and Princess runs- if F&W goes well this year, those two are the races I have chosen for 2013 to get my C2C.
Congrats on the engagement- you two do look really sweet together (and any man willing to go to Disney that often is awesome!)

Hi!! Thanks for reading! I know when I decided to run my first half, I did the same thing! I read every TR I could find so I would know what to expect. When DF and I ran the WDW half in Jan 2011, I was hooked and I'm pretty sure I've tried them all now. I will say this, Tinkerbell was my absolute favorite and the Princess would be my second favorite. The themes were excellent and the entertainment on the course was also great! During tinkerbell, I was able to get my picture with Peter Pan and Wendy which I thought was adorable! And my cousin and I had so much fun during the Princess! I'll post pics soon! So if you decide to do them in 2013, I would highly recommend it! I'll definitely be back for Tink this year because I'm determined to be a legacy runner! As for the W&D, it was also a lot of fun! It's neat because you get the chance to see three parks unlike the other halfs (halves? - not sure which is appropriate in this scenario). You Run through AK and HS and end in Epcot. The night race is a cool concept and I actually felt like I had a lil more energy. Only thing, it's kind of hard to take pictures running at night... definitely need a flash and things still tend to be blurry. Either way, I think you'll really enjoy it! If you become hooked, let me know! I'm still looking for a running buddy because I'm running out of friends to talk into running with me!

 

[20thingamabobs]

Today is....

ONE WEEK WIGGLE!!!

I'm so excited! I'm ready to go now but I have some things for school and the wedding that need to get done in the next week but I just can't wait!

I had been hoping to make a new costume but I just don't have time so instead I'll just be using my animal print running skirt and the shirt I made last year:

I like it and it's comfortable so works for me! I'll be back later to talk about our last Disney day!

 

[20thingamabobs]

Since my wedding is in just 6 short weeks eek: I can't believe it) I figure maybe I'll show all of you some of my planning!

First things first, here's the dress I'll be wearing for my engagement photos next weekend at Animal Kingdom Lodge:

I'll be wearing these shoes but in white:

And then I got this hair clip on etsy to wear in my hair:

Then for the wedding:

My Bridesmaid will be wearing this dress:

But the color is Pool Blue (here's a link if you want to see it):
http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Satin-One-Shoulder-Dress-with-Ruched-Waist-84333_Bridal-Party-Bridesmaids-Shop-By-Color

They'll be wearing those same white shoes I'm wearing for my engagement pics.

The guys will be wearing black tuxes. DF will have a white vest and tie under his. The groomsmen will have the following:

So, pool blue vest and tie. Which is also what our ring bearer will be wearing. The ushers will have black vests with blue ties. And our flower girl is wearing a pool blue dress. Her mom is actually having it made so it will be similar to the bridesmaids (only not one shouldered) but it isn't ready yet so I actually haven't seen it yet!

I'll have to post pictures of my dress later since my mom has them and I can't find it online. But, here's my shoes! I had them dyed Pool Blue:

About 3 weeks ago, I had a bridal shower with my side of the family. My cousin and I are 5 weeks apart in age and I was her Maid of Honor last year and now she's my Matron of Honor. She of course threw me a Disney themed shower! Here's the room:

Then here's the place settings:

I ordered the napkins from theknot.com and my Aunt and Grandma found the favors online. The tag says Happily Ever After and there was a glass slipper on it along with our names and wedding date.

My mom came up with the idea for the center pieces. We ordered six flower arrangements, each with a different color of carnation. Then, we sat one of my mom's Jim Shore Princess figurines next to each one. Here's the Cinderella one:

We also had:
Yellow flowers and Belle.
Pink Flowers and Aurora.
Aqua flowers and Jasmine
Purple Flowers and Ariel.
Green flowers and Tiana.

My cousin also ordered the cutest cupcakes that look like Minnie Mouse! And put them in a cute display:

I made the sign that's hanging above on my Cricut. I also made one to hang above the couch that I sat on to open my gifts. I made a Bride Minnie then wrote out our names then had a Groom Mickey. I wish I had a picture to post but once again, my mom has it.

Now, I feel that I'm a decently crafty person so I did decide to save some money and make a lot of the things for our wedding myself. I started with the invites and went from there. Here's our invitations (ignore the black rectangles):

For our table names, we're doing all the places we've been:

And for our exit, we're having ribbon wands that I also made:

From etsy, I ordered a crystal applique and ironed it on a hoodie to wear while I'm getting ready the morning of the wedding:

I also got this hanger to get pre-wedding photos of my dress hanging on it:

We're holding the ceremony at the church I was raised in. It's the same church where both sets of my grandparents, my parents, and numerous aunt, uncles, and cousins have been married. It holds a lot of sentimental value to me. Also, my Uncle will be marrying us! Then, we're holding our reception at golf course and a very pretty room that has large picture windows overlooking a lake. That was one thing DF and I really wanted. A water view. Which, in Ohio, isn't exactly easy to come by. But, we found it and I love it! So our main color is the Pool Blue but we're accenting in pink and orange. They're really playing up the orange outside for the cocktail hour then the reception will have more pink. But, I wanted it to look subtlely beachy. So, here's are centerpieces (this was the mock, we switched to a brighter pink flower):

Tall ones for 50% of tables:

Shorter ones for 50% of tables:

Then, we'll have 200 of these lit with votives hanging from the ceiling:

Finally, the honeymoon. Unfortunately, it's kind of a strange schedule. Due to my school schedule, we can't leave right away. We're getting married on Saturday and then aren't leaving until the following Friday (in the meantime, we'll be going to work and school as usual). Then, that Friday, we're flying down to Florida and departing on a 3-night Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas. We get back to port early Monday morning. Rather than going to the airport, I talked DF into spending the day at the Magic Kingdom! I ordered another rhinestone applique and made this shirt to wear that day:

Then it'll be back to school and work on Tuesday. Then, in August I get 10 days off from school so we'll be taking a longer honeymoon when we'll be spending 8 days in St. Maarten! I cannot wait!~

 

[pxefig]

I love the beach bubble place setting! I am surprised that you are not including thingamabobs as party favors, though ...

 

[amazingact21]

Thanks for posting wedding stuff! I love seeing other people's ideas and designs.

My wedding colors were the Pool from David's Bridal (and Men's Warehouse for the guys) and orange, and we had a beach theme, as well. I think the colors and theme are gorgeous, so I can see why you picked them.


Your bridal shower looked great! Love that you put Disney statues next to the flower arrangements. and your invitations are awesome (the shell on the top was a nice touch.)


Finally, I think your dress for the engagement photos is super cute, and it's nice that you're wearing the zebra hair clip to tie it all together.

 

[20thingamabobs]

I love the beach bubble place setting! I am surprised that you are not including thingamabobs as party favors, though ...

Thanks! I like the bubbles too! DF calls it a beach theme but I like to say we're having a subtle Little Mermaid theme That is a cute idea for favors! Actually, our favors should be arriving in the mail today so I'll post a picture of them soon!

Thanks for posting wedding stuff! I love seeing other people's ideas and designs.

My wedding colors were the Pool from David's Bridal (and Men's Warehouse for the guys) and orange, and we had a beach theme, as well. I think the colors and theme are gorgeous, so I can see why you picked them.


Your bridal shower looked great! Love that you put Disney statues next to the flower arrangements. and your invitations are awesome (the shell on the top was a nice touch.)


Finally, I think your dress for the engagement photos is super cute, and it's nice that you're wearing the zebra hair clip to tie it all together.

Thanks! I love those colors too! I had a lot of fun at my shower and I'm glad it was a Disney theme since I can't have a Disney wedding..

Thanks! I was nervous about my dress for the engagement photos so I'm glad you like it! Makes me feel better!

 

[20thingamabobs]

Well, just one more day of work till my vacation! After work tomorrow, I'm getting my nails down and my hair trimmed for our photos! Then I'll come home meet DF, load up the car, and head to my parent's house. Then, Friday morning we'll be on our way! Since that's the case, I figure I should give an update on our last day...

Sunday, May 6 - Departure Day

This day is actually the one year anniversary of DF and I's engagement! Unfortunately, we won't be spending much time in Disney this day. We have a 7:30am reservation for breakfast at Boma. I'm really excited because I've never ate here before and I can't wait to try it! After breakfast, we'll head back to the room to grab our luggage. Our flight is at 12:30pm so our Magical Express will mostly likely pick us up around 9:30am. I wish we weren't leaving so early but I have finals next week, DF is swamped at work, and there's still tons to get done for the wedding. So, it'll be ok... Plus, we'll be back 6 weeks later for our one day Disneymoon after our cruise!

 

[jdd]

Hey, don't forget to look for us at Cali Grill on Friday night

I still haven't been able to get an earlier ressie -though I'll keep trying tomorrow - so we'll probably be getting there around 9:15.

If we don't catch you, have a wonderful vacation

 

[jdd]

I was able to change my reservation this morning - woohoo

I was getting a little worried about how we'd get back to the resort after such a late dinner (though I'm sure we could have gotten a cab). But was able to switch to 7:50pm So we should be finishing up dinner just in time to watch the fireworks, then still get to bed at a reasonable hour

I can't remember what time you guys had, but hope to still catch you. Have a great trip!

 

[20thingamabobs]

I was able to change my reservation this morning - woohoo

I was getting a little worried about how we'd get back to the resort after such a late dinner (though I'm sure we could have gotten a cab). But was able to switch to 7:50pm So we should be finishing up dinner just in time to watch the fireworks, then still get to bed at a reasonable hour

I can't remember what time you guys had, but hope to still catch you. Have a great trip!

That's awesome! I'm so glad you were able to get an early reservation toO! Actually, ours is at 7:50pm also so we'll be getting there right around the same time as you! I still don't know what you'll look like but hopefully you'll see me! I'll be with my mom, brother, and DF! I think it's a perfect time. It's definitely late enough to finish up around the time Wishes starts but early enough to get back to your hotel at a decent hour! So excited!

Well, hopefully I'll see you tomorrow night! Have a wonderful anniversary trip!

 

[20thingamabobs]

Hello Disers! Just a few more hours then it'll officially be vacation time! After work today, I'm going to get a manicure, pedicure, and my hair cut so it'll look better for our pictures then we'll hit the road to my parent's house and by this time tomorrow, we should either be at Downtown Disney or relaxing by the hotel pool! Can't wait! But, since I finished up some school work early, I figured I'd post about one of my previous trips so you could read that while I'm away!

Ok, let's get started!


Walt Disney World Half Marathon Picture TR

This trip actually started in California! We flew out on New Year’s Eve, had a great few days and even had grand stand seating at the Rose Bowl Parade on Jan 2nd:

My DF flew home on the Jan. 3rd while we took my Grandparents on their very first trip ever to Disneyland!

As a thank you, they bought my brother and I each a souvenir (which we insisted they didn't have to) but anyway, I got a Stitch pillow pet and I think it's the most wonderful thing in the world! So soft!

The next morning Jan 4th, we were up early. My Grandparents flew off to Vegas for a few days while my brother, mom, and I made our way to Walt Disney World in Florida! We got in late and checked in at Caribbean Beach in a Pirate Room!

On Thursday (Jan 5th), we spent the day at Hollywood Studios with Dinner at 50s Prime Time and Fantasmic!:

Mid-day, we had taken a break to go to the Expo where I got my picture with Jeff Galloway!:

Then it was back Hollywood Studios:

Continued Next Post...

 

[20thingamabobs]

On Friday, we all got up early to participate in the Family 5k (we wore matching Phineas & Ferb shirts):

After the 5k, we decided to spend some time at Animal Kingdom:

Continued Next post...

 

[20thingamabobs]

Then, we spent the night at Magic Kingdom and Dinner at California Grill with Chris:

I headed back to the hotel after dinner while my mom and brother went back to MK for the fireworks.

On Saturday (Jan. 6th), I was up early again for the Half Marathon:

Continued Next Post...

 

[pxefig]

OMG, Darkwing Duck is my favorite! And I LOVE the Lilo costume. What a cute idea.

 

[jdd]

It was nice to get to say hi to you at the Cali Grill last Friday! We'd never been there before and it was awesome! We arrived just at sunset - so beautiful , had a fantastic server (Billy), wonderful food, this yummy dessert,

and topped off the evening watching Wishes from the deck. Actually got the first picture of DH and I together at Disney too (although it's terrible )

Hope you had a wonderful trip and good luck with all your wedding plans!

 

[pxefig]

Okay, now I need your opinion about the regular half marathon in January. I've dismissed it as a possibility because it just didn't seem very special (for a Disney marathon!) but seeing your pictures with all the characters and Christmas decorations still up- it seems pretty cool. How does it compare to the others you've done? And when are you signing up for the Disneyland half? I think that are the Tower of Terror are the only ones you haven't done!

 

[20thingamabobs]

It was nice to get to say hi to you at the Cali Grill last Friday! We'd never been there before and it was awesome! We arrived just at sunset - so beautiful , had a fantastic server (Billy), wonderful food, this yummy dessert,

and topped off the evening watching Wishes from the deck. Actually got the first picture of DH and I together at Disney too (although it's terrible )

Hope you had a wonderful trip and good luck with all your wedding plans!

Hey! It was nice meeting you too! I was so glad you stopped me because I was looking for you but had no idea what you looked like to say hello! We had a wonderful meal too and finished up the night watching the fireworks from the patio as well! DF really enjoyed it because it was his first time! I think that's a nice picture, but you should have had someone take it for you so you could get the castle in the background!

I hope you had an awesome Anniversary trip!

Okay, now I need your opinion about the regular half marathon in January. I've dismissed it as a possibility because it just didn't seem very special (for a Disney marathon!) but seeing your pictures with all the characters and Christmas decorations still up- it seems pretty cool. How does it compare to the others you've done? And when are you signing up for the Disneyland half? I think that are the Tower of Terror are the only ones you haven't done!

Hm, that's a hard one. The WDW half in January was my first half marathon ever and so it holds a special place in my heart. There's a ton of characters out, usually some unique ones that you don't normally see in the parks. And the Christmas decorations are up in MK and Epcot which gives a great atmosphere. That being said, I think it depends who you are running with. If you're running with a guy, I would definitely consider the one in January or the Wine & Dine, if you're running by yourself and with girls, I would go for the Princess.

I ran the Disneyland Half last September. The TR for it begins on page 14! While my brother signed up for it this year, I did not. We are going on our honeymoon Aug 17-24 and the half was the weekend after. I couldn't see flying home from St Maarten and turning around a few days later to head to California. I believe it is now sold out for 2012. That being said, registration for Tinkerbell opens on June 12 and I will absolutely be signing up that day! We've already signed up for ToT too! Now, all that being said, I really don't think it matters which one you pick. They're all amazing and no matter which one you pick, it'll be extremely memorable!

 

[Shannon84]

I have to gush about your wedding plans!! I loveeee the color and the outfits you chose for everything!! Also what an adorable bridal shower

How did you make the ribbon wands yourself? You may need to PM me on that one You know I was thinking about ordering them, but heck if I can make them I might have to!!

 

[pxefig]

Hm, that's a hard one. The WDW half in January was my first half marathon ever and so it holds a special place in my heart. There's a ton of characters out, usually some unique ones that you don't normally see in the parks. And the Christmas decorations are up in MK and Epcot which gives a great atmosphere. That being said, I think it depends who you are running with. If you're running with a guy, I would definitely consider the one in January or the Wine & Dine, if you're running by yourself and with girls, I would go for the Princess.

I ran the Disneyland Half last September. The TR for it begins on page 14! While my brother signed up for it this year, I did not. We are going on our honeymoon Aug 17-24 and the half was the weekend after. I couldn't see flying home from St Maarten and turning around a few days later to head to California. I believe it is now sold out for 2012. That being said, registration for Tinkerbell opens on June 12 and I will absolutely be signing up that day! We've already signed up for ToT too! Now, all that being said, I really don't think it matters which one you pick. They're all amazing and no matter which one you pick, it'll be extremely memorable!

D'oh! You are so right! I guess that's the dangers of drinking and posting- the details get all mixed up ...

I will be running with my sister in law because our husbands don't want to run that far, boo-hoo, so it's us girls. She lives in Calgary, so Disneyland is a shorter flight to do the Tinkerbell one, but my husband loves the Food and Wine festival, so it would be easier to convince him to take a vacation to do that. Of course, in my mind I see no reason why we can't just go to all of them! Unfortunately, the problem with that is we are almost done paying off our mortage and the debate is do we want to have no life and no vacations and be done in 2 years (24 years early, which is what hubby wants) or take vacations and have fun and be done in five years (still 19 years early, which I think is still pretty good!) So until we come to some sort of agreement on that I have to stack my deck and only pick one marathon- hence the which one is most awesome? debate- just in case my husband doesn't cave and I really only get one Disney run for the next couple years (shameful!)

I hope the wedding planning is going great! You get married in like two weeks! In case you don't post before then, I want to say I wish you all the best on that day and for the rest of your lives together!

 

[20thingamabobs]

I have to gush about your wedding plans!! I loveeee the color and the outfits you chose for everything!! Also what an adorable bridal shower

How did you make the ribbon wands yourself? You may need to PM me on that one You know I was thinking about ordering them, but heck if I can make them I might have to!!

Thank You! It's been so fun planning everything and watching it come together! We've hit a few bumps but I've been really happy with everything so far! I can't believe it's only a week away now!

D'oh! You are so right! I guess that's the dangers of drinking and posting- the details get all mixed up ...

I will be running with my sister in law because our husbands don't want to run that far, boo-hoo, so it's us girls. She lives in Calgary, so Disneyland is a shorter flight to do the Tinkerbell one, but my husband loves the Food and Wine festival, so it would be easier to convince him to take a vacation to do that. Of course, in my mind I see no reason why we can't just go to all of them! Unfortunately, the problem with that is we are almost done paying off our mortage and the debate is do we want to have no life and no vacations and be done in 2 years (24 years early, which is what hubby wants) or take vacations and have fun and be done in five years (still 19 years early, which I think is still pretty good!) So until we come to some sort of agreement on that I have to stack my deck and only pick one marathon- hence the which one is most awesome? debate- just in case my husband doesn't cave and I really only get one Disney run for the next couple years (shameful!)

I hope the wedding planning is going great! You get married in like two weeks! In case you don't post before then, I want to say I wish you all the best on that day and for the rest of your lives together!

If I was running with just another girl, I think I would opt for Tinkerbell! But, if the only way you can get your husband to agree is to do Wine & Dine then that's the obvious choice! As I said before, you really can't go wrong! I will say this, W&D feels like an easier race because you're not exhausted from waking up at 3:00am.

And thank you, I can't believe we're a week away now. Just seems surreal!