Disney Trip (And Half Marathon) 2015

My wife and I went to Walt Disney World for vacation, and also to run in their half marathon, held during Marathon Weekend, which is usually the second weekend of January each year.  Marathon Weekend starts on Wednesday with the Sports and Health Expo, a 5K race on Thursday, a 10K on Friday, a Half-Marathon (13.1 miles/21.1km) on Saturday, and a full Marathon (26.2 miles/42.2km) on Sunday.

We decided to only run the half marathon because we're only half crazy.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7

We left home and flew out of Grand Rapids airport.  There was a snow storm heading in and it was only 7°F (-14°C).  So glad I was getting out of that.  We had a short layover in Atlanta (got some Popeye's chicken), then off to Orlando, where it was 66°F (19°C).

After checking in at our resort hotel (Disney's All-Star Music), we caught the bus to the ESPN Wife World Of Sports Center.  That's the location of the expo and where we had to pick up our race gear.

Back to our resort to drop off our stuff.  Did I mention they upgraded us to a king-size bed?

Then off to do some shopping at Downtown Disney.  Got some gifts for family and then got lost trying to find where the buses pick us up.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8

Our second day, we decided to go to my favorite park, EPCOT.  

Here, we did a number of rides: Spaceship Earth (seen behind us in the above picture), Mission Space (the green, less-thrilling side.  My wife can't handle the orange side.), Soarin' (how come I always get stuck at the top?)

We stopped for lunch at Sunshine Seasons, only because it was close.  We had never been there before and didn't know what to expect.  I needn't have worried.  I had spicy fish tacos, which were great.

We met Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip, & Dale.  Everyone was making fun of me.  I was wearing just a t-shirt (it was about 47°F/8°C).  Everyone else was wearing winter coats.

On to more rides, after a stop at Starbucks.  The Seas with Nemo, Turtle Talk with Crush.  Then into the World Showcase section of EPCOT.  

While walking into the France pavilion, we ran into Mike Scopa and Michelle Scribner-Maclane of the Mickey Miles Podcast.  They are two of my inspirations when it comes to running, so I'm geeking out.  We talk for a bit and then leave them.

We listened to the Voices of Liberty in the American pavilion.  Karamel Kuche in Germany and get a caramel apple and caramel covered rice crispy treat.  I'm in heaven.

To the Morocco pavilion for dinner at the Tangerine Cafe.  I got a kefta wrap and my wife got chicken shawarma.  Both very good.

Back to our resort by 7:30.  we're both asleep before our heads hit the pillows.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9

Day 3. Off to Animal Kingdom.  Waiting in line for the bus, a lady with a huge southern accent says to her kid that she got a pic with the giant "S" (from the "All-Star" sign). It sounded like she said "ass".  I couldn't stop laughing the entire bus ride.  Yes, I'm a 40-something middle school kid.

We arrive at the park before it opens.  I'm third in line.

We get in and my wife stops at a kiosk to get a "Wilderness Ranger Guide".  Before they give us the book, they make us 'caw" like a bird and "roar" like a lion.

Then to some rides.  Expedition Everest.  Dinosaur (I hate this ride.)

We walk through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, where there are many animals, including giant fox bats.  Do you know why bats hang upside down?  They have no ankle bones, so they can't stand up.  (A little trivia for ya.)

Finding Nemo: the Musical.  We sit almost at the front.  It's a very good production.

As we leave the show, I got a phone call from my grandmother and grandfather.  They live down in Florida and want to meet up with us.  They ask us to make reservations at the Tusker House restaurant, which I get the last availability.  When I let her know the time, my grandmother says that they can't get there in time, so my wife and I go to lunch on our own.

The Tusker House is a character lunch, where we meet Donald, Mickey, Daisy, and Goofy.  It serves African food.  I'm running out of words to describe how impressed I am by the food on this trip.

I'm sitting by a window.  After Goofy has his picture taken with me, he starts knocking on the window to get peoples attention outside.  He also kept making fun of Mickey, who was in front of him.  We were having a great time.

We found my grandparents and decide to do a few shows.  It's Tough To Be A Bug.  Kilimanjaro Safaris.  Festival Of The Lion King.  Flights Of Wonder.  My wife and I get our picture taken with Mickey and Minnie.

We need to get up early in the morning, so we have to say goodbye to my grandparents.  We're back to the resort by 5:00 and in bed by 7:00.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10

It's 2:00 AM.  Why am I up this early?  Oh, yes.  The race.  The real reason I'm here.

We catch a bus at 3:00 and are in our race corrals by 3:30.  The race starts at 5:30.  (Yes, we had to get there that early.)  It's very cold, about 35°F (2°C).  Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings movies) is racing today, as well.  That's cool.

The race starts at EPCOT, goes to the Magic Kingdom and then back to EPCOT.  During the race, I run into Lou Mongello of the WDW Radio podcast, another of my inspirations.

Running through the Magic Kingdom is a thrill.  As we get ready to run through the castle, we see Elsa, Anna and Kristof, from Frozen.  I yell out, "I love you, Elsa" as we go by.  She says she loves me too.  Everyone around laughs.  My wife just rolls her eyes.

The race is half over and I'm running out of steam.  I slow down, slower than I wanted.  But I still finish.  My finish time is 3:33:04.  I'm 20224 out of 22081 finishers.  I'll take it.

Then back to the resort for a nap.

After an hour nap, we return to EPCOT.  Back to the France pavilion, we get a Grand Marnier Orange Slush and a Grey Goose Citron Vodka and Lemonade slush.  Yummy!

After drinking, we need food.  So off to the Norway pavilion, to the bakery.  I get the school bread and my wife gets a troll horn.  How do you describe school bread?  Think of a dinner roll, topped with sugar and coconut, and a pat of creamy butter.  Sound disgusting?  It's actually really good.  And a troll horn is just a cream horn pastry, filled with the creamy butter filling, not sugary cream.

While we eat. we see a duck walking around.  We throw over a piece of school bread to him.  We've made a friend.

Got any more school bread?

More walking around the park.  We get our picture taken with Donald and Duffy.  (Duffy is Mickey's teddy bear.)  We go to Club Cool, which is a Coca-Cola store, where you can try Coke products from around the world.  The most famous (or infamous) is Beverly, an aperitif from Italy.  It's very bitter, but I like it.  (You can find videos of people trying it on Youtube.)  I try talking some kids into drinking it, but there are no takers.  Obviously, these are some smart kids.  I need a dumber audience.

Dinner at Tokyo Dining in the Japan pavilion.  Tempura and sushi.  The service is exceptional.  The food is great.  (I prefer my local sushi place, though.)

The sun has set and it's getting cold.  It's been a long day and the drunks are coming out at EPCOT.  it's time for bed.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

Off to Disney's Hollywood Studios.  On the bus, it's just me, my wife and a bunch of teenage Brazilians.  I wish I knew Portuguese.  (I say this on Facebook, and my cousin starts recommending phrases.  I know enough to not say any of his recommendations.)

The full marathon is happening, which goes through each of the 4 parks.  So we're pretty much stuck on one side of the park for the morning.  We do Aerosmith's Rock N Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Walt Disney:One Man's Dream.

For years, my wife has wanted to see the Beauty & the Beast show, so we do.  Now she says that our local high school did a better job.

Great Movie Ride.  Star Tours.  Watched the Jedi Training Academy.

Lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe.  The pot roast is awesome, much better than mine.

MuppetVision 3D, We catch a show of Mulch, Sweat & Shears (a roving rock band), Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Ariel has D-shells, not Seashells.  There's the middle schooler.)

Pictures with Mickey, Mr. Incredible & Frozone from the Incredibles, Hiro & Baymax from Big Hero 6.

He's so squishy.

The park begins to close, so we go back to our resort for dinner.  In our room, there are no towels, so I go to the front desk to get them.  Back to the room.  We realize we've lost the booklet we need in order to get back to the airport on Tuesday.  So back to the front desk to get a replacement.  (Turns out we'd packed it and it was in our suitcase.)

MONDAY, JANUARY 12

Up early.  Magic Kingdom day.  We have reservations at the Crystal Palace at 8:00 am.  The park opens at 9:00, so we're able to get some pictures before there are thousands of people.

See?  Try getting this few people in a picture like this.

The food at Crystal Palace is good.  It's your normal breakfast buffet stuff.  It's also a character breakfast, with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet.

By the time we've finished eating, the park is open.  We ride the Jungle Cruise (If you sit by the boat pilot, he'll make fun of you the entire ride.)  Pirates of the Caribbean.  Enchanted Tiki Room.  it's A Small World.  The newest ride: The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  It's one of the best rides around.

My favorite ride, though, is the Haunted Mansion.  I'm a little morbid.  After the ride, we stop at the Haunted Mansion store, Memento Mori, and get some spooky pictures taken.  (I'll try to find a way to post them some day.)

Lunch at the Columbia Harbor House, for some fish and chips and a lobster roll.  Not bad.

It starts to rain.  Everyone scrambles for cover, but we just keep walking in the rain.  It gets a little heavier, so we buy an umbrella.  (Surprisingly, it costs just as much as one would have cost back home.)

We get our picture taken with Mickey.  This makes at least one picture with Mickey each day.

Then we also meet Tinkerbell.  I've never met anyone who could out-talk my wife.  Until now.  Holy Crap, Tink could talk.

You'reFromMichigan?YouMustBeIceFairies!MyCousinIsAnIceFairy......

I know how much my wife loves Beauty & the Beast, so I suggest Enchanted tales with Belle, which is where the story is acted out by people chosen from the audience.  Yeah.  Guess who was chosen to be a guard.

By the time we get out, the rain has increased so much, we need to buy a second umbrella.  The park almost seems empty.  So we're able to get on rides easily.

Space mountain.  Tomorrowland Transit Authority.  Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.  (I got a perfect score of 999,999.)  Winnie the Pooh ride.

Dinner at Be Our Guest restaurant.  Awesome food.  Awesome decorations.  We ate in the grand ballroom, which was my wife's favorite room.  I wanted the West Wing, which is darker and cooler, in my opinion.

After dinner, we walk toward the front of the park.  It's getting late and we're wet and tired.

We had a little extra money on our gift cards, so we blew it all on gifts for the family.  For me, it's actually difficult to spend money at Disney.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13

A sad day.  Time to come home.  When we leave Orlando, it's 63°F (17°C).  When we land in Grand Rapids (after a layover in Minneapolis), it's 12°F (-11°C).  Can I go back now?

Just Keep Moving

This past weekend, I ran in the Grand Rapids Foster Swift Half Marathon.  For those of you who may not know, a half marathon is 13.1 miles or 21.1 kilometers.

The reason I was running was that I needed confidence about my speed.  In January, I'll be running in a half marathon in Disney World.  For that race, I have to stay at a speed of 16 minutes per mile.  If I can't keep that speed, I'll be pulled off the course and driven to the finish line (and I won't get my medal).  So, by running in Grand Rapids, which has no time limit, I'm able to get a good view of my speed.  As long as I can run it in under 3 1/2 hours, I'm good.

A Little History

It was a cool October Saturday morning in 2013.  I was awake and sitting in front of my computer, probably on Reddit or playing a game.  My wife came into the room and asked a question.  "How long is a half marathon?"

My brain works like this: question in, answer out.  No thought behind it.  So I say, "13.1 miles."

"Thanks" and she goes back into the living room.  It was a couple of minutes before the meaning of that exchange clicked.  I ran into the other room.

"What are you doing?"  I know my wife much too well.

"There's a half marathon tomorrow and I'm thinking of running it.  My friends think I'm crazy because they've been training for 6 months for it and I'm just now thinking of doing it."

Her friends are right.  But when she gets it in her mind to do something, it's near impossible to talk her out of it.  So the next morning, I found myself in a crowd of people, waiting for my wife to finish running.  Her goal was to finish in under 3 hours.  She did it in 2 hours 53 minutes.

Back To The Present

So this year, It's me who is running and she's on the sidelines, cheering me on.

The sun hasn't risen when we get to the YMCA, where the race begins (and will end).  I haven't been feeling good for the past week.  I'm coming down with the flu.  Great.  The most difficult race in my life and I'm sick.  If I was well, I'd really push myself and try to beat my wife's time.  But since I'm not, I'm just going to try to beat the 16 minute per mile mark.  I hope.

Yes, I was thinking "What am I doing here?"

The race began and over 4000 of us idiots are running.  It's chilly, so I have on a long sleeve shirt, a jacket and gloves.  I'll be glad for those gloves later.

 I had set up my phone to play music while I was running, along with my voice every couple of minutes, telling me to run or walk.  Pacing myself.  That went out the window.  I tried running when it said to run, but I skipped quite a bit and extended my walks quite a bit.  Eventually, I just ended up ignoring it completely and ran when I felt like it.

About 4 miles in, I started getting warm.  The sun was now up and it was going to be a bright, shiny day.  I pulled off my jacket and tied it around my waist.  I took off my gloves, so I could repin my number onto my shirt, since it was first on my jacket.  I stuck the gloves in my pocket.  I guess one fell out, because about a mile later, a guy came up to me and said I'd dropped it.  I wasn't about to go back to get it now.  Just keep one glove and keep moving.

That became my mantra throughout the race:  Just Keep Moving.  When I crossed the 7 mile check point, I was at 1 hour 40 minutes.  At that pace, I'd finish in 3 hour 10 minutes.  Mentally, I wanted to push and go faster, but physically?  Nope.

The first 7 miles are in town.  From mile 7 to about 11, it's out in the middle of nowhere.  Nothing to see, except corn fields, and trees.  Oh, there's the water treatment plant.  Don't step on that dead skunk.  Grab a water and Gatorade at each aid station.  Ooh, this aid station also has gummy bears!  Get some of those, too.

At about mile 9, my body decided it was done.  I went to begin running, and almost ended up on the ground.  So I kept walking.  While I was tripping, I'd hurt my leg.  I had pain in my left leg from my hip to my ankle.  It was only through strength of mind that I stayed up.  (Strength of mind?  I have a mind?)  Just Keep Moving.  Just Keep Moving.

I don't remember passing the signs for miles 10 and 11.  I kept my eyes on the ground ahead of me and kept moving.  As I went, there were more and more people on the side of the road, cheering us runners on.

Finally, I turned a corner and there it was in the distance: the finish line.  I had to cross that line, no matter what.  After I crossed, I could collapse and it would all be over, but first I had to cross that line.  Just Keep Moving.

My mind was so focused on the finish line, that I went into tunnel vision.  I really couldn't see anyone on the side of the road, even my mother or my wife.  (That's fine:  my mother didn't see me run by either.  Don't worry about it, mom.)  I found the strength to run those few hundred feet or so.

After I crossed the line, I got my medal, got a foil blanket to get warm and went through the line to pick up some after race snacks: banana, orange, yogurt.  I didn't realize just how cold I'd gotten during the race, until I noticed I was shaking.  Not just shivering, but a full out shake.  And I still had to find my family and get back to the car.

I pulled out my phone and texted my wife, telling her where I was.  (Not an easy feat, considering how much food I was holding.)  She came and got me and we walked (very slowly) back to the car.

In the end, my official time was 3 hours, 13 minutes, 22 seconds.  Slower than I'd wanted, but faster than my goal for Disney.  And any way you slice it, I'd finished.

Disney World, here I come.

Disney Trip 2015: Making Dining Reservations

Recently I made advance dining reservations (ADR's) for my trip to Disney World in January.

Have I mentioned I'm going to Disney World in January?  Oh yeah.  My wife and I are running in the Disney World Half Marathon in January.

I'm not really a runner, but I've been training for a while.  I've run a few 5K races over the past couple of years and earlier this year I ran a 10K.  (For those non-metric readers, a 5K is about 3.1 miles and a 10K is about 6.2 miles.  A Half Marathon is 13.1 miles.)  I'll write more about that later.  This is about making the ADR's.

You can't make Disney ADR's until 180 days (plus the length of your stay) before you arrive at the resort.  So, I was counting down the days before we had to make them.  The reservation phone lines and web site don't open until 7:00 am.  It's sometimes difficult to get ADR's for the more popular restaurants, unless you make them early.

This trip, my wife and I planned to go to very few table-service restaurants.  What's a table-service restaurant?  Disney has (mostly) two different types of restaurant: counter-service and table-service.  Counter-service is where you pick up your food at a counter, such as at McDonald's.  Table-service has a waiter that brings you your food.  Usually, at Disney, you have to make ADR's for table-service restaurants, but not usually for counter-service.

Anyway, we planned on on only 4 table-service restaurants for the week we're going to be there.  We REALLY wanted 2 of them and the other 2 were just an afterthought.

First of all, my wife wanted to eat at Be Our Guest restaurant.  It's in the Magic Kingdom and is now the hardest restaurant to get into in Disney World.  You get to eat inside the Beast's castle, from "Beauty and the Beast".  My wife wanted to eat there for dinner.

Second, I wanted to have breakfast at Crystal Palace, also in the Magic Kingdom.  I didn't really care about the food, or the fact that I'd get to see Winnie the Pooh while I eat.  The reason I wanted this restaurant was that it opens at 8:00, while the park opens at 9:00.  Yes, I'd get to get into the park a full hour before it opens.  I hope to get a picture of me in front of Cinderella's castle with NO ONE in the background.

The other 2 restaurants, Tokyo Dining at EPCOT and 50's Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios, were a couple of places we wanted to go to, but if I couldn't get ADR's for, then it's fine.

So, at 6:50 am I was sitting at the computer, ready to start typing.  I actually had my information for the Be Our Guest restaurant already typed in, so I could just hit enter.  So, at 7:00 I hit enter and got my ADR for Be Our Guest.  Great!  That was easy.

I checked for times available for Crystal Palace.  It was 7:02 and already all breakfast times were taken.  WHAT?  Already?  Crap!

So I moved on and tried my next restaurant, Tokyo Dining.  It was then that Disney's web site was overloaded and I got kicked off.  I just sat there hitting refresh on my browser, trying to get back in.  I also texted my wife, saying what had happened.

Eventually I got back on and tried again.  I got my ADR for Tokyo and 50's Prime Time.  But that Crystal Palace kept nagging me.  So I tried again.  Again it said no availability.  I accidentally hit refresh instead of back and it came back on with one availability at 8:05.  I grabbed it and got it.

ALRIGHT!  I got every ADR I wanted.

Unknown to me, though, after I'd texted my wife, she went online and tried to get the ADR's on her own.  She was also trying to get the 8:05 Crystal Palace.  I actually kicked her off by hitting enter before she was able to.  Hehehe.

So, I got all my ADR's and am excited  to go to Disney World.  I can't wait.