Wife Mother Runner Animal Kingdom Archives

2017 runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon…The Second Half

February 6, 2017

This blog post is the second part to the first one I wrote last week highlighting the first half of the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 8, 2017. This was my friend PK’s first marathon and we really wanted to make sure he had a enjoyable experience. I think we were very successful in that. So much so that he wants to do the Dopey Challenge next year!

Something PK and I noticed during the first half of the race was the number of discarded clothes and socks on the side of the road. In past years the discarded clothing dwindled off after the first 2 miles. But this year we saw it as far as mile 10. The funny thing were all the socks we saw. I assumed that since people didn’t have gloves they used socks to keep their hands warm.

The second half of the race was going well. We ran through Animal Kingdom and the long tour of the Animal Kingdom parking lot and then to the long stretch of Osceola Parkway. I played my game of tag with Nick Takacs just outside Animal Kingdom; but didn’t see him the rest of the race. The temperature was ideal, the sun was out and we were having a good time. I found a few friends out on the road. I saw Jon Biel and his friend Sara dressed as Bob’s Barricades. Then a few miles up I found my friend Linda Bachand Jackson.

After about 3-4 miles of Osceola Parkway we made our way into ESPN Wide World of Sports. I was starting to do some mental math in my head and PK thought it was funny seeing me try to calculate the balloon ladies and our arrival time, etc. He never saw that side of me. I also knew that it was time to take in some sugar because I was starting to get a little mental in my head. I was also feeling a little bit fatigued so I wanted to make sure I was going to finish strong.

At some point during the second half we were talking about our strategy. He thought that maybe we would walk a mile or two near the end and then finish the end running. I was ok with that plan. But then, during our miles in ESPN, we got caught up with the 6:30 pacing group. We couldn’t really get past them; so when they ran, we ran, when they walked, we walked. It actually felt good. They were doing a 15/30 pace. We had been consistently using a 30/30 pace. So I suggested to PK that we follow them until we get to Hollywood Studios and see how we feel.

That was a great plan, because I remembered that back on Osceola heading to Hollywood Studios there is an incline. So if we stick to the pacer group that would help us get up the hill without walking the whole thing. It worked out very well. We made it to Hollywood Studios and continued with the group all the way to Epcot. I actually felt a lot better using their intervals because it kept us at a consistent pace and the intervals left me less fatigued. We made a new plan that at mile 25 PK was going to run ahead and I would meet him at the finish. That was the perfect plan because I wanted to savor that last mile through Epcot. Given everything the family had gone through since Thanksgiving I wanted to reflect during that last mile. I wanted to have time alone with my thoughts.

With just about 3/4 of a mile left I saw a small child wearing a Pokemon hat and I swore it was Lyla. It stopped me in my tracks. I totally felt that it was a sign of her telling me that I had the strength to finish and that I could do anything I wanted as long as I worked for it. So for the last 3/4 of a mile I was sobbing. I couldn’t wait to finish and see my family. As I rounded the corner after mile 26 I saw my family and blew them a kiss. Then I saw Fitz waiting to give out hugs and I got the biggest hug from here. It was so special to share that moment with her. I had finished my 3rd Dopey Challenge (aka the Grumpy Challenge). And I will continue to do the Dopey Challenge as long as my friends want to be crazy and do it with me!

Enjoy a recap of the entire race from start to finish!

Animal Kingdom Rivers of Light

April 4, 2016

Animal Kingdom, which used to be considered a “half day” park day at Walt Disney World is expanding its entertainment offerings with a new show. The best part about this show is that it takes place AT NIGHT! I am so excited that we will be there during it’s debut. The show is scheduled to open for the first time to guests on April 22 – Earth Day. That is our last night on vacation before we return home. I am hoping that the rumors I have been hearing about a DVC member sneak preview is true so we can see it prior to that, since we have an early flight home the day after its public debut.

Concept Art by Disney

We have only visited the Animal Kingdom during the day and it was usually quite hot. This past January, during marathon weekend, we had a great time in the park because it was a cooler temperature and we could enjoy more of the attractions in the park. We also took advantage of the Wilderness Explorers program and began our journey to hunt for challenges and missions.

Having the Rivers of Light available and opening the park during the night will also expose us to animals at night as well. I heard that the Tree of Life comes alive in a whole different way and that there is a special ambiance to the park at night. I can’t wait to experience this event and report back with what I discover.

Here are some videos to give you the back story behind its creation and a sneak peek at what they will be offering!

Watch a video of a Live Chat Q&A with Michael Jung and , two of the creative team members behind Rivers of Light.

Are you going to attend this event?

Disney Released Tiered Pricing Structure Or “Seasonal Pricing”

February 28, 2016

I am a Disney lover, you should know that about me by now. But I am not a lover of the higher prices it is now costing us to take a trip to my favorite place. Unfortunately my husband is more angry about the pricing increases that have been going on at Disney World than I am. Enough so that he is mentioning skipping our annual trip and considering going every two years instead. We are still in discussions about this. Mind you, we got married in Disney, we are DVC members and have taken our children since they have been born. When it gets to this point, it must be serious. The bottom line is, it’s becoming too expensive.

Effective Sunday, February 28 at 6 a.m., Disney will have special pricing for value season, regular season, and peak season. As I watched the announcement on the news, the reason that was mentioned was to help control the crowds during the usual peak seasons, to better spread out visitation throughout the year. Last Christmas the Magic Kingdom reached its capacity by 10:00 a.m. and had to close the park to additional guests.

It is important to note that this pricing is for one day passes only. It does not affect annual passes and multi-day tickets. However, multi-day pass prices will rise starting today. Four-day tickets are increasing from $305 to $325. Ten-day tickets are increasing from $365 to $400. When does the price increase stop? Are we at the point now where we will push back and not attend? I’m kind of there. I hate to say it. But we are finding alternatives to purchasing our tickets. Instead of purchasing an annual pass for all four of us; we are considering a multi-day pass and now we won’t go to the parks every single day on our vacation. We are going to plan in some resort/pool days and do other activities such as mini golf, a water park. or perhaps Disney Springs (a movie or the balloon ride).

I always try to find the silver lining and find the best, most affordable way to make our Disney trips possible and I will still do the same to try to get the most bang for my buck. We will shop at Target or Wal-Mart when we arrive to get our groceries to use in our room so we can eat breakfast and pack lunches to bring to the park. We also save a lot of money on water, drinks and alcohol by purchasing it off property and having it in our room to bring to the pool and parks.

Here is a breakdown of the new rates:

Magic Kingdom one day ticket (no park hopper)

Value Season – the current rate of $105
Regular Season – $110
Peak Season – $125

Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios

Value Season – the current rate of $97
Regular Season – $102
Peak Season – $114

The dates for each of these seasons can be found on Disney’s website. Here is a breakdown below:

Photo by Attractionsmagazine.com

Has this new pricing structure affected your decision on planning your next vacation to Disney? Will you change dates to a different time of year to avoid the higher price?

runDisney Jingle Jungle 5K

November 24, 2015

This year I did what I considered to be my first runDisney 5K race during the Wine & Dine race weekend. I participated in the Jingle Jungle 5K race Saturday morning. I consider this my first 5K because I typically don’t sign up for 5K races during the runDisney race weekends. The reason for that is because I usually have to fly in the day before the bigger race or the challenge races so I can’t get the time off to participate in the 5K which takes place on the day I am flying. With this race it occurs on the same day as the half marathon. The first 5K race that I did run was during the Dopey Challenge last year, but I considered that different because it was the Dopey Challenge. How does that make sense? I don’t know but it does to me!

I also wanted to participate in this race because it starts at 7:00 a.m. (one of the latest start times of a 5K race in the runDisney series), and because it runs entirely through Animal Kingdom. In most of the runDisney races I participate in we run through Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and ESPN Wide World of Sports. But not as many races go through Animal Kingdom besides the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, a few miles during the full marathon and the Jingle Jingle 5K.

The morning of the race I set my alarm for 5:00 and was ready and in the car before 6:00. Because my flight got in after the expo closed on Friday night I knew I would have to pick up my bib at the information tent at the race start. I had to be sure I brought my license with me or else I wouldn’t be able to pick up my bib. So when I arrived, I got a great parking spot and walked right over to the information booth and signed a waiver and picked up my bib. Then I looked around to connect with my other racing buddies. I spotted the Mickey Milers and their amazing costumes, said hello to them and then found Diana, Christina and Diana’s daughter Kenzie. This was going to be Kenzie’s first 5K.

Since this was Diana’s first race with her daughter and they were in corral C I told them I’d stick with the Mickey Milers and hang back in corral D. She wasn’t sure how long it would take them to get through the race and they were planning on stopping for every picture.

I went to my corral and reunited with the Mickey Milers. The team was easy to find with Bill Taylor’s “Elf” costume! Everyone was so creative with their costumes. I went with my low key approach but should consider stepping it up next time if I decide to do that race again. I also ran into Mike Rahlmann and his family in my corral so we got a picture together of course! I always try to grab a picture with Mike when we see each other at our races.

Jocelyn and her daughter (left), Pam and Mallory, myself and Mike from the Be Our Guest Podcast

The race started at 7:00 and we passed the start line at 7:10. The first section of the race went around the outside edge of the Animal Kingdom parking lot and then we entered in through the front gate. From there we walked towards the Tree of Life, towards Everest and then back stage before we went back to the finish line.

There were several character stops along the course and I was happy with the amount that was out there for the 5K. There was Rafiki, Timon, Chip and Dale, Donald and Goofy, Pluto, and a few others that I didn’t snag pictures of.

It was a very very warm and humid morning so I am glad we took it slow and walked this race. If this was any indication of how the rest of the race weekend was going to be, we were going to be up against some dangerous heat and humidity for the half marathon. I was sure to drink a lot of water after the race so that I would be hydrated for the rest of the day. I finished the race in a little over and hour which was perfect. We were done by 8:15 and I had time to go back to my hotel to shower for our 10:40 Mickey Milers breakfast reservation at Kona at the Polynesian Village Resort.

I was also glad to see that starting in the last corral and walking the entire race I finished in a little over and hour and there are no sweepers at that race. My mom is participating in her first runDisney 5K during marathon weekend and had been worried about not finishing the race in time. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the 5K course through Epcot and even take pictures. This race was a good way for me to estimate the pace and timing for our January race.

I really enjoyed this race and would consider doing it again. The downside to it is that you have to wake up early for the 5K race on the same day that you will be starting the half marathon at 10:00 that same night. If you are good about going back to your room and taking a nap then that works out great. But like me, I enjoy the social events that take place during the short trips that I have there so I generally don’t take the time to go back to my room and rest, let alone nap. So I ended up staying up for 24 hours straight. But again, it’s fun, I see my friends, have a great time and I’m at Disney so sleep isn’t necessary right?!

In Memory of the Tower of Terror 10 Miler

October 3, 2015

The first weekend of October used to be the weekend for the runDisney Tower of Terror 10 miler in Walt Disney World. But rumor has it, they will no longer be running the Tower of Terror 10 miler. That was one of my favorite races. I was lucky enough to run it in 2013 and 2014. It feels weird to know that this is the weekend of the event, yet it isn’t happening this year.

Most runDisney race weekends I don’t participate in the 5K because I travel in as late as possible so that I don’t miss too much time from work and my family. Sometimes that means I can’t participate in the 5K because they happen on the day I am flying in. With the Tower of Terror and Wine & Dine races the longer distance races take place at night and the 5K is the morning of the same day. I didn’t register for the Tower of Terror 5K race last year but I did go to the race with Kim, Gail and Becca.

If you all know Kim, Gail and Becca they don’t hold back when putting together their race costumes. I can’t even say that I wear a costume, when compared to them. Their race weekend involves prepping for the race with various trips to costume shops, home improvement stores and craft supply stores. They put a lot of work into their designs, and the end result is worth it. But the harder part is, they still have to RUN in those costumes!

For the 5K they were dressed as the hitch hiking ghosts from the Haunted Mansion. I went with them to the 5K and loved the atmosphere of that race! It was a rainy morning but just when it was time to leave the car and walk to the starting line, the rain has pushed away and there was a low ceiling of clouds with the sun just beyond it that really set the stage for a haunted 5K trail run through the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

The best part of that whole even was the headless horseman that makes his appearance just before the race. Check it out. I had an incredible viewing location for this!

The Tower of Terror 10 miler race takes place the night of the 5K race. This year after the race I also participated in the after party. The first year of the race, I did not participate in the after party because I had to fly home very early the same morning. Last year I attended the after party, showered, and then hopped in the car to the airport to fly home and attend a family event. I only napped while on the plane. That was crazy but worth it!

The 10 miler race ran from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, down Osceola Parkway to Animal Kingdom, back up Osceola Parkway to a trail leading to ESPN Wide World of Sports and ended back in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In previous years the weather had been very hot and muggy for this race. Last year it was perfect. The air was dry for a Florida night in October and the temperature was perfect for a night run. The race course has a lot of character stops and the after party takes place in Disney’s Hollywood Studios with food (for purchase), some rides are open like the Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and also some characters. We stayed at the party until around 3 a.m. It was a long day and I had a flight to catch in a few hours. But it was a very fun event.

I am still hoping that the rumor is just that, according to runDisney Faith Dority the race is in the vault for now. I am hoping they will bring it back at some point. I do enjoy this race weekend with the Villains and the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party held in Magic Kingdom that weekend as well. In 2013 it was my first runDisney night race and I really enjoy the night races.

One of the reasons why I love runDisney races, is because at just about every race I make a new friend. I had the chance to meet two more Connecticut runDisney fanatics, Bob and Mary Perrotti when I got on the plane last October. I sat with them on the plane and now I visit them at their local shop in Perrotti’s Country Barn in Middlefield and see them at local races in Connecticut! My whole family has met Bob and Mary and I have also met most of Bob and Mary’s kids! It’s so awesome how running can bring people together for more reasons than just races.

To Stay On Property Or Not To Stay On Property (for Dopey Challenge), That is the Question

June 2, 2014

I was using David’s DVC Rentals to get prices to stay on property for The Dopey Challenge in January. They have great prices to stay in a studio as you rent DVC points. However, I didn’t realize that when you pay the deposit to get the prices obtained and a quote put together, you then have to book and pay the full price for the reservation with 24 hours. I thought his program is great and I understand the need to square away the reservation right away, but having just got back from vacation, we aren’t ready to pay for another one!

I was researching into the cost of a stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first part of the challenge, and then a studio at the Boardwalk for the post race vacation with my family. Last week I was trying to book the Floridian after viewing the rooms there and was blown away by the exquisite rooms! But I waited a few days too long and lost my chance to stay there for a few nights.

So here’s my dilemma. I also know that the WorldQuest Orlando Resort is a great place to stay! My friend Amanda stayed there for Tower of Terror last year and I went to see her at her room and the place was gorgeous! She wrote about it in her blog www.disneyeveryday.com. Basically, you get a condo all to yourself. They offer 2 and 3 bedrooms with 2 or 3 bathrooms, the Master bedrooms have king size beds and whirlpool tubs in their large suites (that sells me over right there). Full kitchen, living room, eat in dining room, continental breakfast and also the resort amenities. Like I did last January, I plan on arriving prior to my family, getting groceries and going to bed early for the Dopey challenge races.

So why the dilemma? Because it is “off property”. It’s not the Boardwalk or Animal Kingdom. Will that matter? I need help deciding. I did plan on driving from Animal Kingdom to at least 3 of the races. If my family wants to watch me on marathon Sunday they will need to use the hotel’s transportation to get to Epcot at least.

So what do you think? Will it really make a difference if we stay off property for this big weekend? Help me decide!