We Only Had to Wait in Line Twice For This - An April 2024 runDisney TR *Updated 7/28

[vamassey1]

I'm so sorry your room was so bad. Ours was okay until we saw the spider web on the ceiling. That was an easy fix compared to your issues. Those rooms cost way too much to put up with that many issues.

I know Alex couldn't stay our of the park.

You had a great first night. I have still never done the lantern photo.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Aren’t the rooms at the WL beautiful?

They look lovely in your photo for sure.

I’ll go ahead and say this here now, though, to get it out of the way. I became a little disenchanted with the Wilderness Lodge this trip.

I’m a wee bit sad for you. You really did have some horrible issues with your room. I’d have been so annoyed.

I’m the gal who will eat the mashed potatoes even though I ordered fries.

You have such a great way with words. This made me laugh but it also totally made me get you.

some problems got a band-aid placed on it, others who knows?

I feel like they should have done a lot better. Those rooms cost a lot so they should have made sure it was worthy of guests but I suppose at least they resolved some of the issues.

I called the kids to see how they were doing

Landon immediately began grilling me

Evie had more pressing concerns.

Kids are so funny how they look at life so differently. Landon is definitely your Disney buddy and I mean how could you forget to put playing with friends after dinner on the planner

All right, phone call complete.

Now what?

What we SHOULD NOT do is hop on a boat and go into the Magic Kingdom.

Despite there being Extra Magic Hours for deluxe resort guests.

No way.

That’d be irresponsible.

Happily Ever After was showing at 9 p.m., so Alex and I headed to our favorite non-Main Street viewing location.

What a gorgeous photo. You both look so happy

the two of us hopped in line to get the Tangled lantern photo

Another lovely photo.

Alex and I saw Mickey and Minnie above us, waving goodbye to guests.

Perfect way to end the day!

 

[suse66]

I think if only one or two of these problems were present, Alex and I wouldn’t have thought much about it, but the accumulation of them all really skewed our opinion. Alex and my dad have work experience in resorts and hotels, so I’ve heard enough over the years to know this room shouldn’t have been open. Alex and I agreed, WL needed to put a block on this room and give it some TLC.

Oooh, I am fuming on your behalf. They should have given you a new room AND upgraded you to Club Level after that nonsense!

“Which hotel is that? Do I know that one? Is it one I like?”

It’s not easy sneaking away to Disney when you’ve got a kid who loves WDW as much as you.

Evie had more pressing concerns.

“Am I still allowed to play with my friends after dinner? You didn’t mention it in the notes so Nana didn’t let us. Please tell her it’s okay.”

Evie kills me! I see Landon as a future Disney College Program kid. He would be perfect!

The Tangled bathrooms.



It’s not glamorous, but it has seats and great views of the fireworks.

And seats.

If I’m not watching projections on Cinderella’s Castle, than I’d rather be sitting down and enjoying them.

I've never considered that location! I usually watch from either The Adventureland bridge area or Fantasyland. No Main Street craziness for me, thanks.

Once HEA was done, the two of us hopped in line to get the Tangled lantern photo. Despite it being around for years, we’d never done it before.

Sweet picture!

Then we headed to Adventureland. Thrilled to be in the first theme park of the trip or not, Alex and I were tired and needed to focus on easy attractions with little waits.

And what fits the bill better than Pirates?



Upon exiting, I was ready to call it a night. The early wakeup call had caught up to me. And I mean, fireworks and a ride. That’s not too shabby for a spur of the moment visit.

But Alex remembered one of my Must-Dos was the Enchanted Tiki Room, and he insisted we see it on the way out.

All right, all right.

Twist my arm, will you?

Perfect! I love, love, love the Tiki Room!

The show completed, I told Alex it really was time to leave. This time, he didn’t argue. But as we were walking down Main Street, he suggested we pop into the Confectionary and grab a sweet to take back to the room.

Good plan!

So, should we have gone to the Magic Kingdom? Probably not.

Did we regret doing so?

Defintiely not.

How could you resist going over when you are only a boat ride away?

 

[rdkeim]

Great first night! An impromptu visit to MK - who could pass that up!? When describing your room issues, I was certain they would move you to a new room. And, an upgraded room! Disappointing but I hope you enjoyed being at such a beautiful resort.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

We had a lot of issues with the room.

Like, enough that Alex and I had to go down to the front desk the following morning and talk to someone about them.

Which is NOT in my comfort zone.

I’m the gal who will eat the mashed potatoes even though I ordered fries.

Goodness, that’s ridiculous! I’m guessing they were full and therefore didn’t have an alternative room for you? I would’ve been pretty irritated, too, especially given the price of those rooms. DId they give you any sort of apology (a room discount or a bonus day of Genie+) other than "fixing" the problems?

I'm guessing Alex was the main spokesperson for the front desk confrontation? I sometimes hesitate to complain, but I would ask for my mashed potatoes.

“Am I still allowed to play with my friends after dinner? You didn’t mention it in the notes so Nana didn’t let us. Please tell her it’s okay.”

Wow, your mom took your notes seriously!

And that is why, at 8:30, I have this picture on my phone:

Yay! I knew you wouldn't stay in your room (and in its state, who would want to? ), but I'm not surprised Alex wanted to head to a park. Watching HEA sounds like the perfect way to kick off your trip!

Once HEA was done, the two of us hopped in line to get the Tangled lantern photo. Despite it being around for years, we’d never done it before.

That's such a fun magic shot! It's a nice picture of the two of you.

And what fits the bill better than Pirates?

That's an excellent choice! Very Disney (plus that excellent Disney water smell!).

Hello, welcome, come on in, take in the sights of all my bird statues.

Be glad they’re not real.

So, should we have gone to the Magic Kingdom? Probably not.

Did we regret doing so?

Defintiely not.

Absolutely! It was the perfect way to kick off your trip.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

You are so much nicer than I am. If I had all those rooms, I would have been firmly, but politely, insisting on a new room. I am paying WAY too much money to have that many problems.

Of course you had to go into a park. With an AP, it is bad Disney math not to go. I have never thought to watch the fireworks from the Tangled bathrooms. Thanks for that tip!

I did the make your own popcorn at the confectionary in April. I HIGHLY recommend that! I brought it home and snacked on it for a week. And it never seemed stale.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am here and following along. I have only read the intro. Got to come back and get caught up.

Okay, just the younger one. The preteen in the mix gave a halfhearted shrug and an “I don’t care.”

The world of middle schoolers is an anomaly to me…

But I needed to just say.... WHAT?!?! HOW?!?! Landon is a middle schooler? How is this happening? And he didn't care you guys were going to Disney with out him? What is happening?

 

[disneyAndi14]

I’m here catching! I’m so happy you had a trip with hubby and talked him into running for fun
I totally get the disappointment at times with Disney rooms especially when paying the deluxe prices and especially when a few years ago WL was priced like a moderate at around $250 a night and now upwards to $600 a night!
My sister Helen was shocked that I don’t get VIP status like at other hotel chains since I stay so much! I wish!
It sounds like spending time at MK in the evening was just perfect for the two of you!
I also enjoy the Tiki Room, another attraction that never gets old!

 

[amazingact21]

Yep first full marathon. Did a couple half’s with Rundisney in 2022/2023. I actually have just learned recently that getting on a ride during the course is a thing! My main goal is just to finish and not die soooo we’ll see how a ride factors into that

Congrats again on signing up for a full! I think doing your first full at WDW is the way to go. You get to run through all 4 parks AND down Main St. I'm not sure if you know about it, but if you ever have any questions, the runDisney subforum on the DIS is really helpful.

Those rooms cost way too much to put up with that many issues.

It was a little rough, thinking about how much we spent on the room, only to have so many problems.

I know Alex couldn't stay our of the park.

He was really glad I agreed to go into a park that night.

I feel like they should have done a lot better. Those rooms cost a lot so they should have made sure it was worthy of guests but I suppose at least they resolved some of the issues.

Alex and I were surprised that they only sent maintenance down to resolve the major issues. We didn't even receive an apology or a sorry for the inconvenience for having workers in the room.

Kids are so funny how they look at life so differently. Landon is definitely your Disney buddy and I mean how could you forget to put playing with friends after dinner on the planner

It is funny how different kids can be.
Although, in a major plot twist, it's Evie who has been more excited for our upcoming DL trip. She insisted we create a countdown, and everyday at breakfast announces how many days we have left. I guess it's the newness factor that has her excited.

 

[amazingact21]

Oooh, I am fuming on your behalf. They should have given you a new room AND upgraded you to Club Level after that nonsense!

The way the situation was brushed off definitely left a bad taste in our mouth. On the one hand, they fixed the bare minimum to allow us to stay in the room. On the other hand, the CM writing down the issues didn't even apologize for the problems. Alex and I assumed the resort was fully booked and that's why they didn't even try to move us.

I see Landon as a future Disney College Program kid. He would be perfect!

He wants to do the CP! For about 2-3 years now, he has said it's something he wants to apply to. But he also said he's afraid if he does it, he'll never leave and stay working at Disney full time.

I usually watch from either The Adventureland bridge area

I want to watch HEA from here next time.

How could you resist going over when you are only a boat ride away?

I do love that boat ride to the MK. It's so relaxing! (Especially compared to the long haul from the TTC.)

Great first night! An impromptu visit to MK - who could pass that up!? When describing your room issues, I was certain they would move you to a new room. And, an upgraded room! Disappointing but I hope you enjoyed being at such a beautiful resort.

I love MK at nighttime, so I'm glad I forfeited sleep and went into the park.
We can only assume the resort was full and there were no rooms available to move us to. But it certainly made us not want to rush back to WL for awhile.

 

[amazingact21]

I’m guessing they were full and therefore didn’t have an alternative room for you? I would’ve been pretty irritated, too, especially given the price of those rooms. DId they give you any sort of apology

That was our assumption, as well. But the CM writing down the issues didn't even issue an apology. It was a little off-putting. We joked that it was because we were getting the military discounted price, so it was a "deal."

Watching HEA sounds like the perfect way to kick off your trip!

I've found that when we stay at monorail resort, we tend to start a trip with fireworks. I guess we like to celebrate being close to the MK.

Very Disney (plus that excellent Disney water smell!).

Alex thinks I'm crazy for talking about the Pirates water smell!

You are so much nicer than I am. If I had all those rooms, I would have been firmly, but politely, insisting on a new room. I am paying WAY too much money to have that many problems.

Alex is still debating whether or not to send an email just to make sure the room received some TLC before more guests were stuck in the room.
I can only guess they didn't move us because they were fully booked.

With an AP, it is bad Disney math not to go.

Absolutely! I justify a lot of stuff with "we gotta get our money's worth out of our passes."

I did the make your own popcorn at the confectionary in April. I HIGHLY recommend that! I brought it home and snacked on it for a week. And it never seemed stale.

That's good to know the popcorn didn't become stale. We feel like the caramel popcorn from the Germany pavilion goes stale really quickly so we stopped buying it.

But I needed to just say.... WHAT?!?! HOW?!?! Landon is a middle schooler? How is this happening?

I know! I mean, technically, he's finishing up 5th grade next week and then he'll be a middle schooler. But he certainly already acts like one.

 

[amazingact21]

My sister Helen was shocked that I don’t get VIP status like at other hotel chains since I stay so much! I wish!
It sounds like spending time at MK in the evening was just perfect for the two of you!
I also enjoy the Tiki Room, another attraction that never gets old!

They really should have a reward program for returning guests! Even if it's Genie or a free meal at the QS location.

The Tiki Room is a classic. The only better time to visit it is when it's hot outside and you need an air conditioning break.

 

[kclark9830]

Joining in!!! Someday, my daughter and I (she's 14) want to do a race weekend!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Although, in a major plot twist, it's Evie who has been more excited for our upcoming DL trip. She insisted we create a countdown, and everyday at breakfast announces how many days we have left.

Way to go Evie!!!! I’m betting you are proud parents that Evie has finally gotten into the pre-trip countdown excitement with gusto. Nothing quite like a countdown calendar to get everyone excited .

he also said he's afraid if he does it, he'll never leave and stay working at Disney full time.

 

[amazingact21]

Joining in!!! Someday, my daughter and I (she's 14) want to do a race weekend!

Thanks for joining along!
I hope you and your daughter are able to do a race together one day!
I'd love to participate in runDisney with my daughter, but she has to drastically change her stance on cardio first. We had a 5K yesterday morning, and it was like pulling teeth to get her to walk it. Fortunately, my son doesn't mind, so I think one day it'll be a mom and son race weekend.

Way to go Evie!!!! I’m betting you are proud parents that Evie has finally gotten into the pre-trip countdown excitement with gusto.

It's been fun seeing this new shift in her. I think some of it has to do with the fact that DL has Avengers Campus and she's really into Marvel right now. That and she's noticing how thrilled Alex is to be going to a new park, and she's a complete Dad's girl and will do anything he does.

 

[amazingact21]

Thursday, April 18th:


Our first Disney day. Is there anything better than waking up at a Disney resort, knowing you have days and days of theme parks ahead of you?



Alex signed on to MDE and got us into the virtual queue for the Merchandise Expo at 8:30.

Let me just say.

I hate to shop.

And so I REALLY hate having to join a virtual queue to get inside a building to shop. If I were by myself, I would not have bothered with the rigmarole of it all, but my husband is a sucker for Disney merch and can browse the shops for hours. He was very interested to see what was at the expo.


SPOILER ALERT: NOTHING!


For those unaware with how runDisney events operate, the club members, a paid loyalty program get to go inside first. And there are people who pay for the membership so they can get inside and buy everything up in order to resell it later.

It’s a big issue.

Disney tried to help by implementing a two per person limit, but the resellers quickly found the loophole and learned that meant two per size of clothing. So they go in and buy 2 Passholder Jerseys in small, 2 in medium, 2 in large, etc etc.


Since Springtime Surprise is kind of the redheaded stepchild of runDisney weekends, I thought it would be a little better this time.

Not the case.

But I’ll get to that later.

For now, Alex and I started our morning with a breakfast from Roaring Forks.

We ordered a side of scrambled eggs and a kid’s waffle meal.

It was the perfect amount. We split the eggs, we each got one waffle, and I ate the side of apple slices while Alex got the bacon.



Why do Mickey waffles just taste so much better than regular waffles?



After finishing our food, Alex and I got ready to go to the expo at ESPN’s Wide of World of Sports. The wait for the bus took forever, and I noticed right away that this year seemed busier than last year.



Once we arrived, I was able to watch Alex take in the atmosphere and experience the start of a race weekend. I had more fun seeing him realize how upbeat and lively everyone was than I did actually witnessing it myself.

It makes me want to bring so many more people to runDisney events.

You should hear me at home. When my friends are messaging me they need a break.
“Well you know, there’s always race weekends…”

Someone I knew back in Germany is at the same base as us here, and when she reached out to me about the race weekend, I had her convinced to do 2025’s Wine and Dine 5K before I returned to town.



I love runDisney races, and it all begins with picking up my bibs.


Unlike last year, there was a pretty good line to enter the building to get our bibs, but it moved fast. In order to get your bib, you need to know your bib number, so that’s something to remember.


Because if you’re like and Alex and myself and way at the back of the pack, it’s a big number.


Holding my bib, the reality of the weekend set in. It doesn’t feel real until I have the bib.

Then there’s an overwhelming sense of, “Oh, so this is why I’ve put my body through such a strain these last few months.”


Now that I’m sitting here, almost a month out from the races, I have the perspective to see how tough training for challenge weekends can be. I’m still running 4-5 times a week, but it’s not 3 days in a row, with the mileage increasing every day. My body is so, so grateful for the break.

I tell people I want to do a marathon one day, and then eventually Dopey. But my goodness.

My poor muscles.

I’m so sorry legs. You don’t deserve this.



In the building with the bibs were 4 photo opportunities. One was a Pixie Hollow backdrop, another a Simba statue, Hook and Smee at the end, and Stitch hanging out in the middle.

Alex suggested we hop in line for Stitch.


Like shopping, I’m not a character meet and greet person, but we weren’t in a rush and we had Photopass.


The line for Stitch took a little over half an hour, but while waiting I happened to notice a woman with axolotls on her bag.





These aquatic critters are Landon’s favorite animal. He spent so much time looking at them when we went to the Dallas Aquarium and it’s his avatar image on his school Chromebook. Why he loves them? I don’t know.

I mean, they can repair their brain if damaged.

That’s pretty cool.


Anyways, when I saw the bag, I had to compliment it.

The owner was so excited to have me talk about it, and she began telling me about it. Apparently, her 21 year old son has a strong affinity for the axolotls, as well, and there was a time a trip he was supposed to go on fell through. So his mom, being the awesome mom she was, booked her and him a weekend in San Diego so she could take him to the San Diego Zoo and see an axoltl.

I love parents.

She said they spent over 8 hours at the zoo, and she spoke so highly of the place. She even talked about them having the only two platypus in the Unites States, which thrilled me because I’d watched a documentary on Animal Planet about them making the journey over from Australia.

I loved the interaction, and it was nice hearing about a new great travel destination I should visit. Back when I lived overseas, recapping travel adventures and learning about fun spots was what my friends did. So I’m always up for hearing about locations!

Plus, it made me think of Landon.

And what mom doesn’t want that?

I immediately turned to Alex and said, “I can’t wait to tell Landon about this!”


So if you all see Landon and me in front of an axolotl exhibit at the San Diego Zoo one day, you know why.



Eventually, our turn with Stitch arrived. And despite not being enthusiastic about the meet, I have to admit the pictures turned out great.

Stitch was very interested in our shirts:




To which my awkward self just said, “Yes. Villains. That was a long time ago.”

Smooth, Alicia.





Alex and I still had time to burn before our virtual queue came due, so we walked over to the next building to get our shirts.





And in hindsight I’m thinking the character meets were in the shirt building. Oh dear. If I scrambled those facts up a few weeks after the trip, what hope is there for me down the road? I need to go back to taking notes on trips. And maybe not writing this update at the end of the school year. Between field trips, field days, teacher appreciation lunches, and finalizing summer plans, my brain is fried.


I’m beginning to think this entire update is a mess.

Sorry, friends.

Bear with me.



Eventually, we got to go into the merchandise building.

There was an adorable Tick Tock waiting just inside:




And fun posters along the wall:




Following the herd, Alex and I came to a room where we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

It was another 30 minutes before we could enter the room housing all the items.

Good grief.



I took a quick look around, saw there was nothing left, and told Alex I would be sitting off to the side. I wanted him to be able to shop as much as he wanted, and I didn’t want my disinterest to ruin it for him.


Unfortunately, there was nothing in his size so we had to leave empty handed.


By this time in the day, I realized I was hungry.

Really, really hungry.

I’m not one to get grouchy or irritable when I haven’t eaten. But I guess being in crowds, being frustrated with the lack of merch, and the constant long lines combined to make me unpleasant.

Alex, smart husband that he is, knew to get me back to Wilderness Lodge, where he mobile ordered us some food from Roaring Forks.



And what an ordeal that turned out to be.

We ended up waiting 45 minutes for our food. After we clicked we were there upon getting to the parking lot.

There was a CM working the register who saw us waiting and tried to strike up a conversation. We were polite, but I think he could tell we weren’t up for chatting. He came back later and offered us a free dessert or granola bar for the delay, but at that point I just wanted my sandwich.



I was also wondering if maintenance would still be in our room fixing any/all issues and focusing on getting us to Animal Kingdom before our 4:30 ILL.

It was a whole ordeal.



In the end, we got our food, I became my normal self again, and the two of us headed to the bus stop for a ride to DAK.

We arrived shortly after 3p.m. and the wait time board said a bus should arrive at 3:05.

Then 3:17.

Then 3:36.

Then 3:41.

Then 3:32.



I kid you not. I wrote down all the times, because we were getting whiplash trying to determine when a bus was actually going to show up.

Alex and I have the worst luck with DAK buses at Wilderness Lodge.

Don’t worry, later in the trip, we gave up trying and just paid for an Uber.



So what time did the bus actually arrive?

3:39.



It was Alex’s turn to become frustrated. He had a guest nearby say to him, “Hey man, Hakuna Matata. It’ll all be all right.”


Which completely shook Alex out of his funk and pointed out that he was being silly.


On the bus, I told him, “Hey, we both had a little temper tantrum today. We got it out of our system. It’ll be smooth sailing from here on out.”



And I mean, how could it not be? We were in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!



The best Disney park!



The two of us headed into Pandora to use our ILL for FOP. We decided during breakfast to go ahead and pay for this. It’s one of my favorite attractions, and I knew we wouldn’t regret going on it once this trip.



After riding, it was time for an early dinner. We had intentionally split a turkey sandwich at Roaring Forks in order to be able to eat an early meal.

Because if there’s one imperative on race weekend.

It’s getting back to your room and getting to bed early.

Those 2 a.m. wakeup calls wait for no person.



Naturally, dinner was at the best Quick Service meal on property.

The beloved Satu’li Canteen.



I got the chicken bowl with rice and beans, and Alex got the chicken with noodles.

I also enjoyed the Hawke’s Grog Ale, the best beer in the parks.

Are you seeing a theme here?

This evening was just full of favorites.



And yes, there might or might not have been cheeseburger pods, too.

Alex and I might or might not have split the pods.

Judge me all you want.

I knew I was only getting one meal at Satu’li, and I wanted to make sure I ate everything good.

Besides, we were running a 5K the following morning!

We needed fuel.


Look, Disney Vacation Alicia is a vastly different creature than Regular Life Alicia. There’s less vegetables and more carbs.

I have no shame.



Finishing our meal, I called the kids and then we headed out of the parks, stopping in the stores on the way out.

As if we hadn’t looked at enough merchandise that day already.

I discovered some of the Lion King 30th Merch that was already on sale, including this mug:



Coffee mugs are my weakness. It’s mostly the Starbucks ones, but I do have quite the collection of DAK ones.

And this one would fit in perfectly with the others.

I chose to sleep on it and decide later.

But I can tell you now.


It came home with me.



As did two other mugs.
Oh dear.



Up Next: From Now On, Tell Me to Trust My Instincts. Gut Feeling Alicia is Never Wrong

 

[disneyAndi14]

I have always said WL is great for MK but man the bus system there is so slow! Plus you have to head over to FW on some of the routes.
We love the Hawks Grog it is such a refreshing beer!
I have heard the run expos can be crazy and often the merchandise is sold out before you even get there for some!
I love the Stitch picture!
I’m sorry your room was in need of repair. I feel Disney has been letting me down lately with the resort rooms and the customer service just seems to be lacking now and really makes me sad!

 

[DJFan88]

Oh WL bus! Yup, totally hear you. Brutal HS and EP waits flashbacks right now. Better run for that bus if you see it cause it aint coming again for awhile! Beautiful resort though.
No judgement here on the mugs!! Really like that one you found. Definetly wouldve grabbed that one.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

The race expo sounds stressful and frustrating. They need to update their merchandise policies to reduce the resellers - I know they’ve made changes, but that’s ridiculous that regular racers don’t get a chance to get merchandise. At least you had a fun character interaction with Stitch!

Forty-five minutes to get your quick service food is nuts. I wonder what on earth was going on (especially for a turkey sandwich?!).

An afternoon at Animal Kingdom sounds delightful. I really enjoy that park. It’s a shame the bus service was so spotty - ironically, I think the deluxe resorts seem to have some of the worst bus service.

And of course you went to Satu’li Canteen! I’m glad you enjoyed your meal (and hopefully, a whole lot less sauce this time!).

That’s an awesome mug! Some of my favorite mugs have come from Disney World. My favorite is my tea cup that looks just like a teacup from the Mad Tea Party ride.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I hate that the Expos have a) gone to a virtual que to even get in and b) that there never seems to be any merch left. I would be so mad if I was doing a race now and I couldn't buy something to remember it. Of course, I also remember the days at the Princess weekend when people would get in actual fist fights over the wine glasses. Ahhh...the good old days.