Running Renaissance: WDW Marathon 2025

[GollyGadget]

I interrupt this training journal for an announcement: With my run yesterday, I officially met my goal of 1500 miles this year . Merry Christmas to me

 

[GollyGadget]

WDW Marathon Training
2 weeks remaining



I hope y'all had a wonderful holiday week! I spent a lot of time in the car. Roughly 30 hours while we traversed 8 different states. I did my best to adjust my schedule and fit in my runs, but there were still some hiccups.

23 Dec - Easy 3.5
Did this after a short day in the car of only 6 hours. The weather was absolute perfection. Low 50s felt amazing compared to the sub freezing the day before. My body was a bit worn down from the week before but the only real issue was when I had to take a shortcut home to find the potty .

24 Dec - Easy 7
A couple of weeks ago, I skipped the annual Santa run because of icy conditions. This lead to me having a perfectly good Santa costume and no use for it. I decided Christmas Eve was as good an occasion as any to wear it for a run. Got a few honks, a few weird looks, and some truly oddball comments, but it was a fun way to click off some miles. Weather was also a bit cooler so the Santa suit wasn't too much of a hindrance.



25 Dec - T 2x2mi
I swapped my rest day since I was destined for 12 hours in the car on Wednesday. I had another bathroom emergency but was able to make it to a porta and the run went much better after that. The whole experience made me really appreciative of the plethora of trails and toilets near where my permanent home.

27 Dec - Easy 8
Another swapped day due to travel. I got to use my new Christmas present, a handheld water bottle. I typically wear a fanny pack but it gets on my nerves so I often don't take it if I plan to run less than 2 hours. The handheld took some getting used to, but was a great asset since my body is not accustomed to high 70s add humidity at this point in the year. I drank every last drop of water.


I had the best intentions to fit in a few miles on Friday but we hit the road well before sunrise and didn't arrive at our destination until well after sunset and all I wanted was dinner and sleep. Oh well, hopefully there's enough hay in my barn

29 Dec - ???? 6
This was one of my worst runs that I can remember. I'm sure there's been worse, but none are coming to mind. I delayed it for several hours due to storms but eventually decided it was now or never. Both of my Achilles hurt for the first couple of miles but my body did settle after that. However, I somehow missed my turn by about half a mile and nearly got hit by a car that wasn't checking for pedestrians before making a right hand turn. On top of that, I had to be really cognizant of my foot falls on the uneven the sidewalk. The whole thing stressed me out. The exact opposite of what running usually does. I eventually made it to the beach, but the storm winds were still around and nearly blew my legs out from under me several times. I decided enough was enough and to head back. I nearly lost my hat along the way but luckily my scrunchie didn't let it fly away. The only redeeming quality of this run was the adorable Rudolph tree.



Really hope that run got all the bad juju out of the way for race day.

Happy running folks!

 

[azrivest]

What an amazing running Santa pic love it!

Hope your aches went away...

 

[GollyGadget]

What an amazing running Santa pic love it!

Hope your aches went away...

Thank you! My aches are better than expected at this point of marathon training, so I'll take that as a win.

 

[GollyGadget]

2024 Top 4
This was an amazing year for running. After setting 5 PRs last year, I broke exactly 0 of those this year. So what was so good about it?

4. I managed to run 1525 miles and avoid injury . No doubt that actually doing strength training contributed to this…something that I really need to get back in my routine. Whoops.


3. Cheering for Team USA live and in person at Paris 2024. I saw so many great events, but my favorites were the track & field sessions. The gold medal winning women’s 4x100 is pictured below. That stadium was absolutely electric.


2. Completing the 2024 WDW Marathon. Training wasn’t great as I was nursing a few niggles for the back half of 2023, but I made the most of it and even stopped for a ride on Everest for the first time.


1. Running the Marathon Pour Tous. Truly one of the most incredible experiences of my lifetime. Running from city hall to Versailles just like the Paris 2024 olympians and the women during the French Revolution (minus the pitchforks & muskets) with the support of thousands of cheering fans. The course was a challenge and the weather less than ideal, but there was magic in the air. And let’s face it, never in my wildest dreams did I think that I may one day compete at the Olympics. ️️️️️




So what’s in store for 2025? Only time will tell, but I’m excited to find out.

Happy New Year!

 

[nancipants]

That is such a cool medal.

 

[GollyGadget]

That is such a cool medal.

Thank you! I was a bit sad at first that it wasn’t more Olympic-y but I do really like the design. As someone who prefers a more classic/metal look, it’s probably my favorite medal that I’ve earned.

It’s also aging much more gracefully than the actual Olympic medals

 

[azrivest]

It’s also aging much more gracefully than the actual Olympic medals

And we complain about our rD medals getting chipped... I would be pi$$ed!!

 

[GollyGadget]

WDW Marathon Training
1 week to go!!

We’ve made it to race week folks! I only have one objective this week, stay healthy. Side quests include staying hydrated and fueling properly. There’s still nearly a week to go, but I’m feeling optimistic about the race. Training has gone reasonably well and the weather forecast is looking good. It is interesting to see the hourly forecasts show the temp dropping during the race. I guess that’s what happens when the race is 3 hours before sunrise

30 Dec - Easy 4
Originally I thought I might retry my run from Sunday but by the time Monday rolled around, I thought better of it. Maybe if race day were further out. This close to the big event, I didn’t want to push it. It didn’t help that it was 70 with 90% humidity before 8am. Fine for an easy run but would have been complete misery for faster paces.

31 Dec - Easy 5
Still warm and sunny but felt good. I got a wee bit lost on my way home, but I managed to find it.

2 Jan - T 3x2mi
I was nervous for this one. Mostly because I hate T pace but I knew it was my last big workout so I decided to give it what I had. It was a touch cooler at only 60 and the run was one of my better ones. I did have to stop midway through the first interval for a drawbridge but it let me enjoy this nice little lighthouse. Definitely not something I typically see or experience in Iowa

Side note: I recently read that Daniels' T pace is designed for people with a pace less than 6:00min/mi. My T is nearly 2 minutes higher than that so I wonder if all my T workouts were too much. I haven't had the book handy since I heard that to reference but definitely something I want to reexamine when I get back home.

3 Jan - Easy 4
Run was good but I got lost again . In my defense, the neighborhood was filled with lots of dead ends and circle drives to accommodate all the boat canals.

3 Jan - Easy 5
On my last run in the neighborhood, I finally found my way . I loved that all the neighborhood bridges had Santa fish on their light poles.


4 Jan - T 1 + M 2
My schedule had two sets of the workout above for a total of 11 miles including the warm up, recovery, and cool down. That seemed like a bit much so I decided to do just one set and end with 8 miles total. Idk who wrote this plan anyway and what do they know? Oh yeah, it was me. Live and learn!

This was our transition day from south Florida to WDW. Running is always difficult on these days due to travel and checkout/checkin but it actually worked out quite well. My partner parked at the county welcome center and watched football on his iPad while I ran on the trail. He probably would have preferred to go somewhere but someone had to watch the dogs.

It was mid afternoon so the run was a toasty one but once again I felt good. And by the time I was completed, we had under half an hour until check in so it really was good timing.

Whew, what a training cycle. I’ve ran almost 700 miles for this block with an average of 38 mpw. I had two weeks where I broke 52 mpw. So far I’ve completed 90% of the miles that I scheduled and I feel pretty good about that.

Thanks everyone for following along and best of luck to any of you running this weekend.

Happy running!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Good luck! Sounds like you're in great shape for the race!

Side note: I recently read that Daniels' T pace is designed for people with a pace less than 6:00min/mi. My T is nearly 2 minutes higher than that so I wonder if all my T workouts were too much. I haven't had the book handy since I heard that to reference but definitely something I want to reexamine when I get back home.

Yeah. His guidelines are super contradictory, and then the plans contradict that again.

My theory is that T workouts should be based on time rather than distance because the pace is based on duration (60 min race pace). So you could keep using Daniels workouts but convert them into time based on a 5-6 mm and just do that. (So if the workout says 2 T, then you just do 10-12 min at T.)

When I write T workouts, I normally do 3 x 10-15 min, depending on where I am in the plan. And I'll probably have a few short, fast reps before and/or after.

 

[GollyGadget]

Good luck! Sounds like you're in great shape for the race!


Yeah. His guidelines are super contradictory, and then the plans contradict that again.

My theory is that T workouts should be based on time rather than distance because the pace is based on duration (60 min race pace). So you could keep using Daniels workouts but convert them into time based on a 5-6 mm and just do that. (So if the workout says 2 T, then you just do 10-12 min at T.)

When I write T workouts, I normally do 3 x 10-15 min, depending on where I am in the plan. And I'll probably have a few short, fast reps before and/or after.

I may remember reading the 60 min race thing. At some point, I started thinking of T as similar to 10K pace which is true for me but definitely not elites. Once I made that correlation things like 3x2mi didn’t seem that bad because at least I got breaks unlike for a 10K race. However, now that I rethink this, it would be a totally different workout for an elite to run 3x2mi vs me. Using 6min/mi, that’s a total of 36 min. For me, it’s 47 min . At least I feel better now about how poorly I executed most of these

 

[GollyGadget]

WDW Marathon Recap pt1
Well folks, it's been a week since the big day and life is finally settling down. I didn't take notes and my memory isn't the greatest, so expect a lot of rambling and barely coherent thoughts . With that disclaimer out of the way, let's dive in!

This was my 5th MW and 4th in the last 4 years. I never really intended to run every year, it just sort of happened. That may change in the near future, but more on that later!

For the last several years, my partner and I have stayed off-site with our dogs. MW is part of our annual work remotely and escape winter tradition. Also along for the ride is my mom who stays onsite and graciously lets me sleep in her room the night prior to the race. Additionally, my brother and his family come for the full Disney experience. It's very much a Disney vacation with a side of running.

As I mentioned in my last update, we arrived the Sunday prior. Once we were settled and unpacked, we explored Disney Springs. Yikes, was it crowded. Parking and security were not an issue but there were walkways that were impassable due to crowds. After retrieving some happy hour wine, we waited in line for Gideon's cookies. I wanted to try the sunset cookie but I was just a few minutes too early so I ended up with pistachio.



Then it was time for a bite to eat and some shopping. I found a Dumbo ornament that I wanted personalized for the weekend. They told me it'd be ready in an hour. We debated going home because I was quite sleepy but decided to wait it out since we had no plans to return to DS. This was a great decision because the ornament was ready in less than 40 minutes.

On Monday, I worked remotely while my partner went to the coast to watch a launch. We actually tried to watch it together on Sunday but it was postponed. Even on Monday, it got delayed by 4 hours so it's not the easiest thing to plan around. He really enjoyed it though and was glad he went.

Meanwhile, I went for my run over lunch break and that was quite interesting. I needed to get some rations and there was an Aldi about half a mile away so I decided to stop there toward the end of my run. My left hamstring/glute still had some pain from the faster paces the day before. I've basically had pain in the same spot on and off since September. It seems to flair up when I run faster and otherwise not bother me so I forget about it. At this point though, I was quite nervous about how it would hold up for an entire marathon . But the interesting part was actually the Aldi stop. I just needed a couple of things so I didn't bring a bag. Lesson learned as half a mile is all the further I want to run while carrying a bag of grapes and two Gatorades . Definitely got some weird looks for that escapade.

For dinner, we had ressies at Beaches & Cream. It was a good excuse to go see some of the resorts still decorated for Christmas. I was quite sad that the gingerbread carousel was gone. Dinner was okay. It was our first and likely last time there. Not bad but also nothing to write home about. Then we rode the skyliner just for fun before heading home for the night.

Tuesday was another work day but we ventured to Wilderness Lodge for lunch and an afternoon at the MK. WL was ready for the runners and I was happy to see this sign but a little confused why the other distances got no respect.



Lunch was at Whispering Canyon where I had a very tasty salad. WC is somehow becoming one of my favorite restaurants on property. Our server asked if I was running because she noticed a lot of runners were ordering healthier food than normal. When I told her I was running the marathon she responded "just the marathon?" I had a lot of fun giving her grief for that .

After lunch, we took the boat to the park and I made sure to tell my partner where exactly I'd be running in a few days. Especially as we crossed the water bridge



We arrived just in time for the castle stage show so we watched that. After the show, I remembered that Tiana was a VQ so I secured our spot for that. Turns out, there's still plenty of spots at 2pm in the winter .

After an unfortunate 40 minute wait for Monsters Inc, we tried to watch the parade. We were mostly successful but it was so so crowded. It was cold enough for Ariel to be wearing a shirt which I don't think I've ever seen before.



Then we headed to Tom Sawyer's Island to say my farewells. I really enjoyed exploring the caves and the atypical views of frontierland. Plus it was a nice respite from the crowds.


(Yes, I know it's two weeks after Christmas, but if the parks are still decorated, I can wear my Christmas attire)



The rest of the day was about avoiding the crowds as much as possible so of course that meant saying hello to the country bears. This was my first time seeing the new show and it's fine but I really miss the old one. It's lost a lot of it's uniqueness and quirk.

Sorry to leave y'all hanging in the middle of the day, but the site is being weird so I'll resume this later . Next up, dinner, a few more rides, fireworks and then a full day at HS.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

WL was ready for the runners and I was happy to see this sign but a little confused why the other distances got no respect.

Pretty sure it's because, as someone (maybe @The Expert?) discovered, they think all the races are marathons

 

[The Expert]

Pretty sure it's because, as someone (maybe @The Expert?) discovered, they think all the races are marathons

You mean this? LOL

 

[GollyGadget]

My partner and I discussed the "marathon" when I saw the sign. Folks outside the running community just don't realize it's a specific distance. They're probably more familiar with movie marathons which don't have any specific criteria.

I decided to Google types of marathons to see if there were any examples besides movie. The search results were not helpful but did make me giggle. Where is 26.2/42.2?

 

[Naomeri]

My partner and I discussed the "marathon" when I saw the sign. Folks outside the running community just don't realize it's a specific distance. They're probably more familiar with movie marathons which don't have any specific criteria.

I decided to Google types of marathons to see if there were any examples besides movie. The search results were not helpful but did make me giggle. Where is 26.2/42.2?

View attachment 931693

 

[GollyGadget]

WDW Marathon Recap pt2
Before I get to the rest of the day, I need to rewind a bit on Tuesday. Since this is primarily a running journal, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I did run in the morning before work. This was supposed to be my last T session, but based on what I had learned recently about T and that I was probably overdoing it, I decided an easy 5 miler would be a better option. I have no notes about my hamstring/glute pain so it must have subsided. More importantly though, I found some of the old Fort Wilderness cabins. I never stayed there, but I love a bit of Disney history.



Anyway, back to MK...

I was getting quite hungry. Marathon training has that effect on me . There aren't many good options at MK but I enjoy visiting my friend Sonny Eclipse so we headed to Cosmic Ray's to eat. It was absolutely packed but we managed to find a good table.



Next we headed to Astro Orbiter since it had a short wait and my partner had never ridden. Pretty sure that's a one and done for us. It'd probably be okay if we didn't share a rocket, but that was a tight squeeze.

The sun was setting and our VQ for Tiana was called. We made our way across the park and there was absolutely no line whatsoever. Apparently we were the only weirdos willing to get wet. I thought the ride was absolutely beautiful but did wish they included more of the famous songs from the movie. Overall though, I still liked it. Much better than the Country Bears reimagining.



We must have done some other attractions but I have no photos so who knows. I certainly don't remember. The next thing I have photos is the fireworks.

Due to the crowds, we picked a nontraditional spot on the bridge to fantasyland. This was a great view of the castle but some of the fireworks were blocked by trees. We also couldn't hear the music very well so it wasn't a great experience, but it definitely beat fighting the crowds. High winds had caused all of fantasyland to close about an hour prior otherwise we probably would have found a spot behind the castle. The wind also meant no Tinkerbell .



Since we were halfway there, I had the brilliant idea to rush 7DMT and beat the crowd. This was not a brilliant idea. We did in fact beat most of the crowd, but it took them 30 minutes to do all their safety checks and get the ride running again so we had a much longer wait than I anticipated.

After the long wait, I was toast and we headed home. All in all, a great first day in the parks but it did really reinforce how crowded those early January dates are.

Up next - HS & Epcot

 

[GollyGadget]

WDW Marathon Recap pt3
Wednesday was the first day with the entire family and we were rope dropping HS. It’s been a while since I’ve rope dropped and it was quite the experience. My brother and fam are very serious, first bus arriving an hour before early entry serious. I don’t have as many photos of the next few days since I was more focused on spending time with my family so we’ll just have to see what I remember

The priority this morning was ToT followed by RnR. We were first in line for ToT and I had a lovely conversation with the CM who was leading the line. We completely skipped the preshow which I had never experienced. RnR was still a walk on after we went, so we did that and then found my brother and mom who weren’t up for back to back thrills so early in the AM.

It was park opening so of course we went straight to the greatest attraction at HS, MuppetVision 3D. I jest but I do always enjoy this show and we did in fact go watch the show. However, that was mostly for our LLMP strategy to try to get another tier 1 ride.



The strategy worked and we were able to book Runaway Railway for noon. There still wasn’t much wait for Smugglers Run so we headed there next. There were exactly six of us so we had the ship to ourselves. For the very first time, I wasn’t an engineer and got to pilot along with my nephew. This did make the ride more enjoyable but the screen based rides make me a bit motion sick. I nearly had to close my eyes for a bit so I probably wasn’t the best choice for pilot .

Next the fam wanted to watch Indiana Jones so I joined them. I find this show incredibly boring and nearly fell asleep. Whoops. HS could really use some new shows! Afterward, the kids had a LL for RnR. I was feeling a bit pekish so stopped for a Mickey pretzel instead.



We still had a few minutes so we explored the Walt Disney exhibit and then made our way to Runaway Railway. I still love this ride! The dance scene is my favorite

My brother and fam were ready for their midday break so they headed out and my mom and I found lunch at Backlot Express. After this we explored the gift shops and waited for my partner to arrive. He prefers to sleep in and work in the morning and then spend the afternoon/evening in the parks.

He arrived about 45 min before his first LL so we waffled a bit on what to do. My first thought was MV3D but he decided that was too far out of the way. We serendipitously meandered to MMRR just as it was reopening from unexpected downtime. This was pure luck and a real treat. Of course I had already ridden, but my partner hadn’t and, like I said, I love this ride so happy to experience it multiple times.

His first LL was riding ToT. His late arrival made planning LL a bit tricky. I was hoping I’d be able to snag a similar return time and we could ride together but that didn’t work out. My mom and I were happy to sit on Sunset Boulevard and people watch.

I don’t remember what was next. maybe a visit to Potatoland? The next thing I remember was the BatB stage show. Being of a certain age with a lot of nostalgia tied to this movie, I still enjoy this show but also think it could use an update. My mom’s foot was bothering her so she decided to leave after the show.

It’s relevant to note that she had registered for the 10K & HM but had developed a stress fracture during training. She was hoping to be in good enough health to complete the 10K but knew the HM was off the table. She emailed rD twice asking about options. The only reason she emailed twice was because she’s impatient and didn’t realize they weren’t expedient with their replies. Anyway, the lesson learned is that it doesn’t hurt to email twice because the first person said sorry nothing we can do but the second person offered a partial refund via gift card.

Okay, back to our park day. There were slim pickings for LL or attractions with little waits but we did book an immediate return for Star Tours. This isn’t my favorite ride due to my screen based motion sickness, but it was something to do.

Next we went next door to MV3D so my partner could say his goodbyes. I was happy that we did because I realized that I missed the pre show at my 9am viewing. Plus, I got to take some more photos for reminiscing later.



Afterward, my partner kept asking about booking another LL but there was nothing worthwhile left. I’m glad we paid for it because it definitely allowed us to ride some attractions that have prohibitive waits. However the new system does not work as well for afternoon arrivers and the ability to stack things like genie+. Prebooking 3 selections is nice but we definitely got less value on this particular day.

We did still have a LL for TSMM but it was down so we were left just moseying around. It did eventually get back online and we got to ride, mostly. It broke again halfway through the ride (I think at the plate scene?).



Eventually it was time for our slinky LL and my brother’s family was back to join us. My partner doesn’t care much for Fantasmic! and I was getting tired so we decided to end the day there.

I had a fun day but it was very apparent how frustrating HS can be. They desperately need more entertainment and filler attractions. This used to be one of my favorite parks but the more I’ve visited in the last few years, the less that is true.

 

[GollyGadget]

WDW Marathon Recap pt4
Thursday was Epcot day. We rope dropped once again and were in the front of the herd heading toward Frozen. Sadly it was down We decided it wasn’t worth it to hike all the way from Norway to France, so we went to Soarin instead. I sat next to my niece and pointed out all the places I had been. Mostly just Paris & Mt. Kili which I visited in August

The rest of the morning is a bit hazy. I know we scanned our LL for the animation shorts (didn’t even watch them) right at 9 so we could get a LL for Frozen later. We already had Remy booked as our pre selected tier 1. We also journeyed into imagination with Figment and lived with the land. I love both of those rides but they both desperately need updating.

The I went to explore the aquarium while the kiddos went to their Remy LL. Afterward, they had booked GotG but my brother wasn’t feeling the best and offered to let me ride. I was tempted but it makes me a bit queasy with all the screens and the plan was to VQ it later with my partner. As luck would have it, he arrived just in time to use my brother’s slot. So now neither of us had to wait in line and I didn’t have to endure it at all .

The family headed out for afternoon break and we explored the history of communication at SSE, another attraction in need of an update. My mom’s foot was bothering her again, so we took the boat to Remy.

Then we decided we could all use an afternoon break so the rest of us headed for a rest as well. In addition to rest, I also went for an easy 3 mile run and my mom went to the expo to collect her 10K shirt.

We returned to Epcot just in time for our early dinner reservation at Via Napoli. We actually would have been plenty early but we got stopped by the drawbridge which I forgot even existed.



After dinner, we met up with the entire fam for Soarin and Living with the Land after dark. I love seeing it all lit up for the holidays!



My mom’s foot was still bothersome so she headed out after that. This worked out well for my partner because he was able to use her LL for FEA. He had never done that one before because we always prioritize Remy. I must admit though, I like Frozen better. I used to be spiteful about Frozen Fever and all the IP injection, but that’s slowly waned.

The crew headed to Mission Space next which is one ride I’ve never done. I’m too nervous that I’ll get sick. I know I could do the green side, but they were doing orange so I just browsed some gift shops.

It was about half an hour until the fireworks so we found a spot front and center. It was nice to sit for awhile and one of the better viewpoints I’ve ever had.


I was a little sad that I didn’t have more time to explore the countries but I vastly prefer feeling like there are still things to do.

 

[GollyGadget]

WDW Marathon Recap pt5
Whew, finally a rest day. There had been a lot of back and forth about switching our planned rest day from Friday to Saturday because of weather. By Thursday afternoon it was apparent that we could all use a break.

I was able to get some work done during the day before finally heading to the expo in the afternoon. It was much more crowded than I expected. No doubt because of the chip timing debacle. The marathon bib line was virtually non existent but the vendor expo and rD merch was much more crowded than usual. Still not opening day crowded at least. . I got my obligatory mileage photo but skipped the character photos because the lines were too long for me.



I had spotted a cute Pluto t shirt on insta that I wanted but decided that I would leave it up to fate. I circled the rD merch and nothing really spoke to me. There was still a lot available, just nothing special. I miss when the shirts had the course map on them. My partner thought that I should buy something so I told him about the Pluto shirt and lo and behold, he was able to find it. They only had size small left which is not my preference but it did fit, so I bought one. Unleashed & unstoppable .

After the expo, we headed home to walk the dogs and make dinner (real exciting stuff). Later in the evening, we headed to the poly to watch the fireworks and Electric Water Pageant. My mom met us there and saved some seats on the beach. This is one of my favorite low key traditions. It's such a relaxing way to enjoy some Disney magic. My mom was amazed at the fireworks. She didn't realize we'd be so close. They also pipe in the music so we ended up hearing it better than we had a few days earlier inside MK . The highlight, as usual, was seeing Tink fly from the castle.




We sat on the beach and chatted a bit waiting for the EWP. More and more time passed and I was getting nervous. I know it's sometimes late, but I didn't think it'd be this late. Finally, just before 9:30, we could see some of the boats in the distance. They disappeared somewhere on the lake so we were left waiting some more. Finally around 9:45 one of the poly employees stopped by and said it was cancelled. I asked if he knew why and he didn't but suspected technical difficulties. While I was pretty bummed for myself, I was more worried what this meant for the potential race course display. I was relieved to read that the pageant was on full display for the half the next morning.

Speaking of Saturday morning, when I woke up my watch thought it was race day. I blame this entirely on Disney for having the race so early in the morning but it did give me a giggle.


As is tradition, we went to AK on Saturday. This is the easiest park to go to bed early from so I always do it the day before the marathon. We rope dropped with the entire fam for FoP. It's been a few years since I've done that and I'm not sure I'll be doing it again anytime soon . At some point we got split from my family but did still end up in the same theater.

After FoP, the littles headed to EE for multiple rides while us old folks enjoyed a nice relaxing boat ride with the Navi. We then met up at EE and did one ride altogether. That was enough for me but my niece still wanted one more. She rode at least 4 or 5 times in a row with no wait. It made me realize how much of an impact the marathon has on EE. There was really no wait at all for the ride until 10 or so.

Fortunately, we headed to the safari long before that. My brother and family weren't that interested and went to say goodbye to dinoland instead. I enjoyed the ride but it was quite different after going on actual safari. On the bright side, AK has plumbing so no need to find a bush toilet . The highlight was the rhinos coming out to block the road.



After safari, we spotted some more animals and eventually made our way to dinoland. Unfortunately, the family had already left for their midday break. But we got to travel back in time to try to catch a dinosaur before catching the finding Nemo show.

We were pretty well done with the park at this time and debated leaving for lunch. We didn't really have many great options on the way back to our temporary home though, so we decided to get some macaroni from eight spoon and a side of cornbread from flame tree. You can get pretty much the same macaroni at flame tree but last time I did that I was so disappointed that I paid more and didn't get pickles . I'm a weirdo. Anyway, I was very happy with the choice. The cornbread was massive and a tasty way to ingest carbs.

It was finally time for our midday break before meeting my cousin for dinner at Wilderness Lodge. She was randomly visiting the parks so this was a last minute get-together. It was so lovely to see her but turned into a huge hassle. The parking security wouldn't let us park without a dining reservation and since we were planning to eat at Geyser Point we couldn't make reservations. I explained that my cousin was a hotel guest but that wasn't enough so we drove over to TTC. It ended up taking an hour just to get back to WL and likewise on the return. The food was tasty and the company great, but I really needed to get to bed so we couldn't stay at long as I would have liked.

My partner dropped my mom and I off at her hotel so that I could get a good night's rest and not worry about getting to the race in the am. I was officially listed on her hotel reservation, I just didn't stay there except the one night. I was happily surprised to see that the resort left a magnet on my door. What a sweet little touch



Since it was much later than I expected, I quickly piled all my race necessities in the chair for the AM and went to bed. No time for a flat lay. Must sleep.