I Went Running and Racing...and Boozing and Freezing!

[CaseFace5]

but the highlight of our trip through the reserve was most definitely getting to see Baby Stella. Could she BE any cuter!?

Okay Chandler... HAHAHA But no really, Stella is ADORABLE!

Tusker House was Rob’s pick but is sometimes more adventurous fare than I like to eat…as evidenced by my grown up plate and my kid’s plate LOL In any case, at least I didn’t go home hungry!

This is why I haven't done anything but breakfast at Tusker House yet. I'm such a picky eater, I'm not sure I would enjoy it much.

He got a kick out of seeing his name in the advertisement for Yeti Tea. I just laughed at his quote LOL

OMG that's awesome!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I know....this was especially annoying because we had waited in such a long line to find that out. If that's going to be their policy, they should at least have a CM letting you know before you waste all that time standing in line.

That is exactly what happened to us in September. We needed to check in 5 minutes later. I politely mentioned that they were basically just making me go to the back of the line and wait 5 more minutes. They didn't seem to care. So, I went and ordered drinks from the bar and THEN got back in line. It really put a bad taste in my mouth about the experience.

I did NOT know this until AFTER the trip!!! I was so bummed.

Something for next time, right?

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Love all the character photos at Tusker House! You look so into it, I LIVE for it.

"Hot." Lol, I would've laughed too. Very Paris Hilton. And I love the napping pose, an actual mood for me some days on EE hehe

 

[Tracy161]

He got a kick out of seeing his name in the advertisement for Yeti Tea. I just laughed at his quote LOL

Sounds like a great time at AK, albeit cold (no doubt!) Isn't Pandora just incredible?!

 

[missjackiemcg]

"Hot." Lol, I would've laughed too. Very Paris Hilton. And I love the napping pose, an actual mood for me some days on EE hehe

"Hawt." LOL

 

[MeghanEmily]

I love your smiles here!!

on Flickr

Aww, and you got such a great picture of her!! What a cutie!

Tusker House was Rob’s pick but is sometimes more adventurous fare than I like to eat…as evidenced by my grown up plate and my kid’s plate LOL

Whatever works! I always end up with some kids' fare myself at buffets. If I'm paying buffet prices, I'm going to eat whatever looks good to me!

The first thing we encountered was a giant row of seemingly endless benches and umbrellas with a sign that said Pandora Stand-by Entrance. Thankfully we did not have to wait here to enter! I can’t imagine having to stand here waiting this long!

I remember having this same thought. Thank goodness, we didn't need to wait either.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I love your smiles here!!

Aww thanks Rob's coworkers call his school The Harambe, so I think we were giggling over the fact that there was actually a PPP there to get a pic of us in front of the sign!

Aww, and you got such a great picture of her!! What a cutie!

She just strolled right in at the right moment! I was so excited

Whatever works! I always end up with some kids' fare myself at buffets. If I'm paying buffet prices, I'm going to eat whatever looks good to me!

ME, TOO!!!! I have zero shame Although, I do feel a little silly at the ones where the kid's items are on a lower ledge and I have to bend down to get my food LOL

 

[missjackiemcg]

At 4:55 p.m. there was a 260 minute wait for Flight of Passage!! The queue was completely full, and across the path, behind another set of ropes. As room would become available, a CM would take down the rope and lead a selected group over to wait in the actual queue. I can’t imagine getting in a line like this knowing you will have to be there for HOURS!! There was even a sign stating that there are no restrooms available and all parties must stay together. Yikes. I was even more thankful for our FP when I saw this madness!
20180102_155133 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180102_155358 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We put Mickey to Mickey and headed in to experience the long awaited FoP! Walking along the pathways to enter the building, everything was just gorgeous. Inside, we stood in line waiting to be called forward.
20180102_160506 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We entered the debriefing room (?) and stood on our circles. The guy in the video was a little distracting and hard to listen to. I found myself thinking, OK, just get on with it, but I get the full immersive quality of having us wave our arms around, etc. We walked through to find our “seats” that matched our numbers—I was lucky #13.
20180102_161651 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

It was a little awkward getting my feet pointed the right way so my leg clamps (what do you call those things?) could lock properly. The images were amazing!! I didn’t find them to be as crisp and clear as some people have mentioned, BUT my glasses felt so giant and kept slipping down my nose. It was disorienting to keep having to let go of my handlebars to adjust my glasses from falling off. (They have since updated the glasses, so I don't believe this is an issue anymore.) When it was over, everyone stood up to gather their items from the bins behind us….except me. I had to call Rob back because he didn’t even notice I was STUCK in #13. Nothing had released when the ride ended, so a CM had to come manually release me from my seat! I enjoyed riding, but if I’m being totally honest, I would NEVER wait hours to ride and FoP isn’t even a must-do for me. I’ll stick to Soarin’.

Everything in Pandora was just beautiful as the sun was going down and things were starting to glow; however, it wasn't really dark enough to get the full effect, as you can tell from these pictures!
20180102_163920 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180102_163938 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

The time had come to head over to Rivers of Light. There was some confusion about where we were supposed to enter because we had passes. It seemed like we walked forever before we found the right spot.
20180102_165448 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We headed all the way to the end of a row overlooking the opening where some of the floats come out. We huddled together for warmth. I loved watching the firefly lights flicker in the trees across the way.

20180102_173212 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180102_173218 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180102_174328 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We saw the performers come walking out and lingering around some of the seating areas closer to center. When we saw them on the boats shortly afterward we still had no idea what was going on. I found Rivers of Light to be beautiful to look at, but sort of confusing. The music was lovely and the animal images were so colorful. Rivers of Light is definitely worth a viewing, but I probably wouldn’t sit through it again in the cold or wait very long to catch it.

It had been a long, chilly day, and we were now officially TOAST! We took a bus back to Pop and called it an early night.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Wednesday, January 3rd

The pool was closed again today—3rd day in a row—due to the cold temperatures. It was sad to see it so steamy and inaccessible each morning. Not quite right for the relaxing Florida afternoons we had imagined for this trip!
20180103_072122 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

As we headed out to the buses, I notice signage and balloons for Marathon Weekend had appeared around the lobby and outside the doors. It was real!! The races were coming up. I was equal parts nervous and very excited!
20180103_072303 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_072357 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

For some reason this morning our bus ride to Animal Kingdom was excessively long, but we did finally make it!
20180103_075212 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

By the time we made it back to Pandora around 9 a.m. there was already a 180 minute wait for FoP!! Normally I wouldn’t have us close the same park we’d be going to the following morning, but this time there was a method to my madness! This was the only way I knew for sure we’d be able to get FPs for both Pandora attractions. So, we headed over to the entrance for the Na’vai River Journey….and it promptly went down. Ugh. We were told we’d have Multi-Experience FPs in our MDE that we could use at any attraction; however, we obviously didn’t want to use those because we’d then have to wait Stand-by to ride when NRJ came back up.
20180103_075753 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We took some more PP pics while we were in Pandora...same spot as yesterday's pics, and still no banshee magic shot. Ugh.
wdw2018003904054109_407674145536 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr wdw2018003904054111_407674145537 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We walked out of Pandora without really having a plan. I suggested an early morning safari might be fun, so we headed in that direction just as the skies opened up and it started to pour! We ducked into the line and got our ponchos out. There was literally no one in the line!
20180103_081045 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_081119 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_081130 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I wondered if we’d see any animals at all now that it was raining so hard or if they would even let us ride, but they let us board our truck and sent us out into the reserve, so we would soon see!
20180103_081948 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_082934 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_083354 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I was surprised at how active many of the animals actually were, especially the lioness who I have never seen do anything but sleep!

Following our safari ride, we headed back to Pandora to see if NRJ was up and running. It was and we got on with no wait. They put Rob and I in the same row with another couple who was rather Pooh sized. It was a very tight squeeze!! I hate to tell them, but these boats DO NOT accommodate 4 in the first row.
20180103_085223 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_090022 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

My notes made me chuckle as I read them just now: beautiful, too short, nice soundtrack, love the leaf projections overhead. Yep, that about sums it up!

I was disappointed that the Shaman/priestess/whatever she is at the end of the ride was not operating (probably why the ride went down temporarily) and was instead replaced with just a screen image of her singing. I would definitely ride again because it was really pretty, but it’s not long enough that I would really wait very long to get on.

The rain still hadn’t let up, but we were determined to press on and not let it ruin our morning. We saw that Russell was out with a very short line, so we hopped in to say hello! Poor Russell, his face was all wet from everyone hugging him in their ponchos.
20180103_091057 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

As we walked, we saw a CM by the sign for Pocahontas’s meet. I’d never met her before and asked if there was a long wait. She said there wasn’t, so we walked down the path. There was just a girl and her Mom ahead of us. They were visiting from the UK and we commiserated about the crummy weather and how we’d been expecting to at least have some of that famous Florida sunshine! Before long, we were led the rest of the way down the path to meet Pocahontas. I didn’t blame her for being in her winter gear! When I approached, the CM sort of shouted at me “Don’t touch Pocahontas!” I looked back at her, half startled, more confused. She said, “You can’t hug her with your poncho on.” That made perfect sense, but it was too late now, I was already awkwardly standing there, so…..that’s pretty much how the pictures turned out. #awkward
20180103_105422 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

A squirrel came darting between us, then around the back of the backdrop and ran by once more. Pocahontas said, “Oh, Petey, you wanted to join us for the picture?” It was a nice touch, though unplanned I think!

Our next FP was for Dinosaur! And as we walked in that direction, we saw a familiar little tail waddling ahead of us. Rob yelled, “Donald! I thought ducks like the rain!” To which Donald replied with a little tail wag at us.
20180103_093452 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

As we approached the FP line, there was an angry mother with a bunch of kids blocking our entry. She was yelling at the CM, “Is this a rollercoaster?! Why can’t she go on?! (gesturing to her very small daughter, maybe 4 years old) Well, if it’s not a rollercoaster, why does it matter how tall she is!?” Another CM gestured for us to just come through her way on the side. I felt bad for the other CM who was doing her best to calmly explain the type of ride Dinosaur is and why it wouldn’t be appropriate for a tiny person to ride on!

Here’s another quality ride photo for you! I have no idea what exactly I was going for with this one, but I love the family in the back row--the whole range of emotions!
wdw2018003904097249_8153515068 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We rode at 10:37 a.m. and upon exiting the ride, I was already thinking about lunch. I asked Rob if he was ready for lunch and he was, too, so we headed over to Restaurantasaurus. I really wanted to try to eat in the Airstream room but they had it closed off. Apparently I am not the only one who had the idea of eating an early lunch. I had stupidly assumed we’d be the only ones, but we were met by completely full lines waiting to order and an almost entirely full left half of the restaurant! Luckily, there was a couple just leaving a table near the back and I was able to swoop in and take it while Rob ordered our food. I found a very tasty snack credit on the menu---creamy potato soup. So necessary due to the cold and very delicious!
20180103_100432 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

While we warmed up and enjoyed our lunch, there was a large group at the back of the room with several teens and adults. Suddenly, they were all jumping out of their seats, wildly gesturing and trying to help one girl. The lady at the table next to us yelled, “She’s choking!” (As teachers, Rob and I are both trained in CPR/First Aid/Heimlich maneuver). Rob immediately got up and headed over toward the girl, just as she dislodged whatever was blocking her airway. He talked to her family for a minute and offered to get her some water. They left shortly after that and every single one of them said, ‘Thank you,’ and/or shook hands with Rob. I was so proud of him for not even taking a moment to think before jumping in to help. And I was very thankful he didn’t have to actually Heimlich her.
Lunch complete, we headed out the EXITosaurus. Ha!
20180103_105451 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We had one more FP to round out our morning, so we headed for the mountain! I love all of the little touches in the Stand-by and FP queues for this ride. Every time we ride I feel like I see something new! The bulletin board with ads for the Dancing Yeti Inn made me laugh!
20180103_103146 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_103249 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_105329 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Zipping through the cold and rain didn’t sound like too much fun, but I love Expedition Everest and this was my last chance to ride on this trip, so hoods up, we braved the mountain to meet the Yeti! And because I have absolutely no shame, here is my horrendous cold face-eyes can’t stay open-this is cold and absolutely crazy-ride photo.
wdw2018003904130829_8153537768 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We were very cold and very wet by this time, so we made our way out to catch a bus back to Pop. We waited about 10 minutes, but we were sheltered, so we didn’t mind. We got back to the room to change into dry clothes and shoes before heading back out to catch a bus to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and my very first runDisney Expo!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

When it was over, everyone stood up to gather their items from the bins behind us….except me. I had to call Rob back because he didn’t even notice I was STUCK in #13. Nothing had released when the ride ended, so a CM had to come manually release me from my seat! I enjoyed riding, but if I’m being totally honest, I would NEVER wait hours to ride and FoP isn’t even a must-do for me. I’ll stick to Soarin’.

Man, for a brand new ride, seems like the ride has a lot of issues!

I had to call Rob back because he didn’t even notice I was STUCK in #13. Nothing had released when the ride ended, so a CM had to come manually release me from my seat!

Maybe you should hav just stayed, maybe you could have ridden again...

I enjoyed riding, but if I’m being totally honest, I would NEVER wait hours to ride and FoP isn’t even a must-do for me. I’ll stick to Soarin’.

I agree. I really hope that the waits go down at some point...

This is a pretty cool shot. We have never seen the Lioness up and about. Love the rain in the pic too!

My notes made me chuckle as I read them just now: beautiful, too short, nice soundtrack, love the leaf projections overhead. Yep, that about sums it up!

Totally sums it up.

was instead replaced with just a screen image of her singing.

Bummer. Wonder if it will become just like the yeti. Broken all the time. I have to say, I personally wasn't impressed by it.

When I approached, the CM sort of shouted at me “Don’t touch Pocahontas!” I looked back at her, half startled, more confused. She said, “You can’t hug her with your poncho on.” That made perfect sense, but it was too late now, I was already awkwardly standing there, so…..that’s pretty much how the pictures turned out. #awkward

This is kind of funny. And I get it but still. Are they really telling people NOT to hug her?!? What if they were kids?!?!

A squirrel came darting between us, then around the back of the backdrop and ran by once more. Pocahontas said, “Oh, Petey, you wanted to join us for the picture?” It was a nice touch, though unplanned I think!

Too cute! Could you imagine if they could plan it?

Rob yelled, “Donald! I thought ducks like the rain!” To which Donald replied with a little tail wag at us.

Ha!

Here’s another quality ride photo for you! I have no idea what exactly I was going for with this one, but I love the family in the back row--the whole range of emotions!

Oh My, is the mom about to throw up? Rob better watch out?

While we warmed up and enjoyed our lunch, there was a large group at the back of the room with several teens and adults. Suddenly, they were all jumping out of their seats, wildly gesturing and trying to help one girl. The lady at the table next to us yelled, “She’s choking!” (As teachers, Rob and I are both trained in CPR/First Aid/Heimlich maneuver). Rob immediately got up and headed over toward the girl, just as she dislodged whatever was blocking her airway. He talked to her family for a minute and offered to get her some water. They left shortly after that and every single one of them said, ‘Thank you,’ and/or shook hands with Rob. I was so proud of him for not even taking a moment to think before jumping in to help. And I was very thankful he didn’t have to actually Heimlich her.

Man, that must have been scary! I wonder if they left the park after that or what?

Awsome that Rob was able to jump in and help. Choking is such a scary thing. What does Rob teach?

 

[Lesley Wake]

Following our safari ride, we headed back to Pandora to see if NRJ was up and running. It was and we got on with no wait. They put Rob and I in the same row with another couple who was rather Pooh sized. It was a very tight squeeze!! I hate to tell them, but these boats DO NOT accommodate 4 in the first row.

I totally agree! I get trying to increase the capacity, but why couldn't the imagineers make it a little bit wider?

I was disappointed that the Shaman/priestess/whatever she is at the end of the ride was not operating (probably why the ride went down temporarily) and was instead replaced with just a screen image of her singing. I would definitely ride again because it was really pretty, but it’s not long enough that I would really wait very long to get on.

That's too bad about the Shaman!

 

[Tracy161]

Rivers of Light is definitely worth a viewing, but I probably wouldn’t sit through it again in the cold or wait very long to catch it.

I still haven't made the time to see this. I had a FP for it back in August but it was sprinkling so I changed it to something else. Maybe I'll finally catch it next week

I suggested an early morning safari might be fun, so we headed in that direction just as the skies opened up and it started to pour!

As if the frigid temperatures weren't enough! This was why we missed each other. Since my family was only going to spend 2 days at Disney, we shuffled them around once we saw rain in the forecast and chose the two "frigid but mostly sunny" weather days

My notes made me chuckle as I read them just now: beautiful, too short, nice soundtrack, love the leaf projections overhead. Yep, that about sums it up!

Yep, that about sums it up, indeed!

I love the family in the back row--the whole range of emotions!

And the poor mom looks like she might need to

I was so proud of him for not even taking a moment to think before jumping in to help.

Aww, that is awesome of Rob. I'd have been proud too if I was you

 

[buzzrelly]

I was also sad to have to wear so many layers over this shirt that Rob and Jimmy had picked out for me for Christmas. SO cute, and yet, no one would see it. Sigh.

Cute! I have the same one

The two most uptight unfriendly CMs would assist me there. I told Rob afterward it felt like Pretty Woman—we don’t have anything for you here. They acted very put upon to have to help me. It just gave me a very icky feeling;

Not nice

I was really excited with the Spaceship Earth bead, and even happier because I hadn’t realized it would have the monorail on it, too.
20180102_184113 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Cute!

The # of people who commented, messaged and/or texted me to let me know I spelled “ChEAR” wrong had me shaking my head.

Oh, no. You ned to only share with your Disney friends from now on.

We handed over our head sets and made our way out of the park.

Your tour sounds exactly like our, but in a different order. I kind of thought our guide was kind of going off the cuff, but I guess they are sticking to a script, mostly.

My outfit on this day is just lovely, don't you think? Layers upon layers of whatever I had in my suitcase...including leggings under my jeans. And I was still cold!

Who care what it looks like? I'd just want to be warm too!

The guy in the video was a little distracting and hard to listen to. I found myself thinking, OK, just get on with it, but I get the full immersive quality of having us wave our arms around, etc.

I hate that part of the ride. I find it pointless and super boring.

I enjoyed riding, but if I’m being totally honest, I would NEVER wait hours to ride and FoP isn’t even a must-do for me. I’ll stick to Soarin’.

Really? I love FOP. I think it's so much better than Soarin, and I love Soarin!

Everything in Pandora was just beautiful as the sun was going down and things were starting to glow; however, it wasn't really dark enough to get the full effect, as you can tell from these pictures!
20180102_163920 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Two trips since Pandora opened and I still haven't made it until nighttime to see it all lit up

the CM sort of shouted at me “Don’t touch Pocahontas!” I looked back at her, half startled, more confused. She said, “You can’t hug her with your poncho on.” That made perfect sense, but it was too late now, I was already awkwardly standing there, so…..that’s pretty much how the pictures turned out. #awkward
2

OMG, how funny!

The lady at the table next to us yelled, “She’s choking!” (As teachers, Rob and I are both trained in CPR/First Aid/Heimlich maneuver). Rob immediately got up and headed over toward the girl, just as she dislodged whatever was blocking her airway. He talked to her family for a minute and offered to get her some water. They left shortly after that and every single one of them said, ‘Thank you,’ and/or shook hands with Rob. I was so proud of him for not even taking a moment to think before jumping in to help. And I was very thankful he didn’t have to actually Heimlich her.

Scary! Good thing you guys were there. I think that must happen quite a bit at WDW.

Zipping through the cold and rain didn’t sound like too much fun, but I love Expedition Everest and this was my last chance to ride on this trip, so hoods up, we braved the mountain to meet the Yeti! And because I have absolutely no shame, here is my horrendous cold face-eyes can’t stay open-this is cold and absolutely crazy-ride photo.

Haha! I don't blame you! At least you went on!

 

[missjackiemcg]

As if the frigid temperatures weren't enough! This was why we missed each other. Since my family was only going to spend 2 days at Disney, we shuffled them around once we saw rain in the forecast and chose the two "frigid but mostly sunny" weather days

It was seriously the weirdest FL weather week I've ever experienced in all the trips I've taken!!! The rain definitely put a damper on our already cold weather days, that's for sure! But, I was SO thankful it didn't rain on my runs!!

Cute! I have the same one

I remember thinking that!!

Really? I love FOP. I think it's so much better than Soarin, and I love Soarin!

I think I need a redo with the new glasses that don't fall off and disorient me, and now knowing what to expect. I would definitely ride it again, and maybe have better appreciation of it

 

[missjackiemcg]

We only waited about five minutes for a bus over to the expo. Transportation for race weekend was incredibly efficient! All luxury motor coaches, so no park/hotel transportation seemed to be effected due to having to share buses. I thought that was pretty smart, and was something I hadn’t thought about at all! When we arrived, I took the obligatory pics with the race medals for my runs and the Marathon Weekend sign, and of course a picture for all those back home who thought I didn’t know how to spell!!
20180103_124355 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_124505 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_124605 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_124918 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I was glad the sun had at least started to peek out a bit!

Initially I got in the wrong line (the Dopey Challenge check in—ha! Not this year!!) before noticing I needed to head to my left for 5 and 10K check in. I was done checking in for both and getting my tshirts in about 10 minutes. Though, I did think it was odd that for the 10K I got my shirt and bib at the same table and for the 5K I had to go to another area to pick up my shirt after getting my bib.
20180103_125354 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_125854 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

The 5K shirt is just a green tshirt, but the 10K shirt I was already in love with! It’s long sleeved tech material and fits perfectly, unlike so many of my Women’s cut race shirts from other various races I’ve done. #waytogodisney ....guess you'll have to believe me because I didn't take a picture of it apparently!! I think I wore it on the last day though, maybe you can see it then

I had prepurchased a pin set for each race, as well as the I Did it magnet for each one. In trying to figure out how to navigate my way into the building, I was directed out the back and down the stairs to enter. There was a huge tent filled with people waiting in line to enter the merch expo area…I didn’t realize by heading in this way I was about to avoid having to stand in that looooooong line!

I was met by a huge line of my own to wait in, but there were at least 25 people working the line, so it moved relatively quickly. All I had to do was show my ID and they were able to pull up my order and give me my pins and magnets. Over on the side wall they had the course maps, so we took some quick pictures before sneaking around the ropes into the official merchandise area. There wasn’t really anyone there to stop us, but I definitely knew we were supposed to exit and wait in the giant line outside before entering here. #rulebreaker #sorrynotsorry
20180103_142411 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_142432 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

The line to pay at the registers on the merch side was absolute madness, but again they had a ton of registers up and running, so we didn’t have to wait as long as it looked like we would. I tried to make my browsing quick, so we could get into the line. I knew I wanted an I Did It! Shirt for the 10K, so I grabbed that first. I ended up also selecting a keychain (which I turned into an ornament by switching it from a key ring to a ribbon) and a runDisney halfzip shirt. We entered the line and relatively quickly made our way to the register. I had gift cards to use for the bulk of my purchase, but the girl also let me know that if I used a Disney VISA for part of the purchase I could get 10% off on the whole thing. So, we did just that!
20180103_134351 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Pictures to follow, after we made it back to Pop, but before that, I had been texting with my friend, Ariana (@Pluto0809 here on the Dis) and knew she had made it over to the Expo! Initially we hadn’t thought we’d be there at the same time, but due to the craziness and all the lines, we were still there when she arrived. Rob and I were wandering around outside looking for her when I heard her call my name! After a quick hug and an even quicker chat we had to head on our way back to the hotel to get ready for an event we’d be attending. Though, I had to laugh as we were getting back on the bus—the first time we met at WDW in November ’15 Ariana and I completely forgot to take a picture, and here we were meeting up again….and forgot to take a picture!! I knew we’d see each other a couple more times, so I wasn’t too worried, but it still made me laugh!

The buses for Marathon Weekend were all numbered and grouped together for the expo, as well as the race days. Pop Century and Art of Animation shared buses and were always there in large supply! We never waited a single minute for one of the buses to get to or from the races either.
20180103_143610 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_143721 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_143804 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_144446 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_144504 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_144518 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

 

[Sailormoon2]

I just found your TR and I'm so excited to hear more race recaps!!! I loved your NYE review-sounds amazing!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I just found your TR and I'm so excited to hear more race recaps!!! I loved your NYE review-sounds amazing!

Welcome aboard Coming up on race day shortly!! NYE was amazing! Expensive, but totally worth it. I would definitely recommend it!

 

[Lesley Wake]

I love that keychain, and smart turning it into an ornament!

I don't think I've ever seen people's photos with the course maps, but I like it!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Back at the hotel, we changed for another event I’d really been looking forward to, The Highway in the Sky Dine Around. I had initially wanted to do this on Friday as our last hurrah to the week before heading home on Saturday; however, when the availability FINALLY opened up for our dates, they had completely shifted the schedule around and the only day it fit into our schedule was tonight….the night before my 5K, when I’d need to be up at 3:30 a.m. Not a great plan, but I really wanted to do it, so I threw caution to the wind and signed us up!

We took a bus back to MK and then rode the monorail to the Contemporary where we would be checking in at The Wave.
20180103_162609 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I had initially planned to wear a very cute dress and my sparkly sandals from our vow renewal last year…but the weather had other plans for us, so I ended up in jeans and a sweater, but I refused to wear gym shoes, so sandals it is!
20180103_162633 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_163509 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

The little lounge area off to your right as you enter The Wave was reserved for Highway in the Sky guests only tonight. We checked in, took our seats and were given our lanyards (#freelanyards) which were again color coded for those who were 21 and over. Ray, the manager at The Wave, came out to welcome us once everyone had arrived. He described the drink we would be having and our first taste sample, as well.
20180103_163626 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We had Strongbow cider with warm apple whiskey topped with maple syrup whipped cream and brown butter. It was paired with a small mug of roasted butternut squash bisque that had cinnamon nutmeg whipped cream on the top. The picture makes it look pretty big, but I should’ve taken a picture of it in Rob’s hand…it looked like he was drinking out of a little doll’s cup. “I am Mrs. Nesbit!”
20180103_164643 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_165837 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

There was a single lady who had sat with us when she arrived and we chatted a bit with her about the weekend. She was there to run the Dopey Challenge and gave me some tips about what time to arrive, how to get to the front of your corral, etc. I was glad I had the chance to talk with her because my nerves were really starting to be on edge about the races!

We got a five minute warning that we would be departing, so we finished up and followed our group of three hostesses out of the bar and toward the monorail. We did go through security this time, but were exempt from it the rest of the evening. Once the monorail arrived, we got to go ahead of all the people standing there waiting as we boarded the first car, which we were told the drivers keep empty just for this event.

We made our way to the Polynesian where we received leis (#freeneckwear) at our bar top tables. I had read previous reviews where people were upset about this area being too noisy and open to the public, but there were large potted palms separating the area from the general public, so that didn’t really bother me. The girl we had been talking to earlier joined us since our table was set for 3.
20180103_172831 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I loved the drink at this stop and would’ve liked to have another if we’d had time. It was called The Sailor’s Mai Tai. The glasses were crooked, which was a cute touch.
20180103_173343 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

This evening was one of the coldest so far this week, which had caused Poly to cancel the luau. This turned out to be an added bonus for us because the singer brought his ukulele over to our area and talked with us for awhile. He taught us a few Hawaiian words, wished us Happy Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc. for those who were celebrating and then sang two songs before leaving us.
20180103_173434 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Our first little plate (and when I say little, they were LITTLE!) You can sort of see the red plate on the table in the picture of Rob and me. I was wearing so many layers, plus that scarf, that I look twice the size of myself. Sigh. That dress would’ve been so much cuter!
20180103_173815 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Back to the point, Jackie. Our first little plate was golden beet salad with herb goat cheese and pistachio crumble. The second was spicy tuna roll, and the third (the one I liked best!) was citrus chili pork belly.
20180103_173652 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_174433 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_174753 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr
20180103_174301 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Before long we were getting our five minute warning and headed back out to the monorail again. It was sort of fun to walk by everyone waiting to get in first and now that we had our lanyards and leis on we looked like we were really part of something people should be jealous of!

This time we exited at the Grand Floridian stop. While we had talked earlier with the girl who joined us at The Wave, she mentioned she’d done some resort hopping earlier in the day. That very day the Christmas tree was already gone and she said they were tearing down the gingerbread house right in front of the guests. I was shocked to hear it and even more surprised when we saw the lobby looking un-Christmasified! But, I’ve never seen the lobby so lively! The band was playing and sounded great! I wished we had time to just stand there and listen, but we were led directly to Citrico’s to be seated for the main part of our meal. The hostesses had previously sorted us into two large parties and we were seated in a private dining room/wine room. Our group consisted of Rob and I, a family of five and their grandparents, a young couple from Japan and the runner girl from earlier.
20180103_180039 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_180209 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_180344 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_180610 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I don’t drink wine, so I opted for the non-alcoholic pomegranate lemonade (it was flavorless and not very refreshing). Our waiter was very attentive, warm and welcoming. We were quickly served our braised short rib and halibut over mashed potatoes. This is a meal I probably would never have ordered on my own, but the fish was so flavorful and the meat so tender. It was absolutely delicious and my only regret was that the portions weren’t bigger! (They were regular entrée portions, but just so good I wanted more!)
20180103_181330 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

The conversation wasn’t awkward—everyone was friendly and we chatted about all manner of things before dinner was over. It didn’t feel rushed; just the right amount of time before we were escorted out of Citrico’s and to the Garden View Lounge/Tea Room. I did take a bathroom break where I waited in line with an older lady who was dressed to the nines (as my Grandma used to say) and had full makeover-style make up on. She loved my lei and asked about the lanyard. She mentioned she’d been staying here at the GF since 12/20 and wouldn’t be checking out for “another week or so,” so she might have to check out the dine around event. I can’t even imagine how much that stay would have costed!!! I can’t afford to stay for the night!

Our parties had reserved tables based on size here at the Garden View Lounge. We were served charcuterie boards with cheese and breads. Everything was so tasty! It was very cold in this seating area, but I remember seeing through the window that people were swimming in the steamy pool! I’m sure the water felt great compared to the air temperature….also found it funny that the Deluxe pools were open, while the Pop pools had been closed for days now.
20180103_184742 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Following our fairytale sparkling wine, shared next to a Mom and teenage son who realized right at this moment they were both wearing jeans and black turtle neck sweaters (LOL), we were escorted back to the monorail to return to the Contemporary.

When we reserved this event, one of the highlights was the private balcony with drinks and dessert overlooking MK to see the Happily Ever After fireworks with the soundtrack piped in. Of course, it was now freezing with wild winds and our dessert party had been moved indoors. Because they had moved the ropes and stanchions indoors, the door to the balcony was no longer blocked, which allowed other guests to make their way out to our “reserved balcony.”

Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, Bailey’s, Frangelico, and Kahlua were available with a bartender (I guess you’d call him…attendant, maybe?). There were organic chocolate flourless cakes, Valencia citrus cake, and Florida Strawberry shortcake shot glasses (good gravy, that was the best dessert ever!! I liken it to the strawberry cheesecake cupcake at Be Our Guest—SO delicious!)
20180103_193753 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

About ten minutes before the fireworks were due to begin, they wheeled out a cart of warm blankets for us. They were really large, so we just grabbed one and took it out on the balcony with us. The view was beautiful but the wind was just howling around us. There were a lot of other people with their little kids out there, so it wasn’t quite the ambiance I had imagined for us, but I was still excited to see HEA for the first time. It ended up being difficult to hear over the annoying people/children and the wind howling around us, but we did stay til the end. My poor frozen toes…gym shoes would have been the better option here. #sandalsFTW #not
20180103_194241 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_195259 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr
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We had toyed with ubering back to Pop, but decided to take the monorail and just grab a bus since we’d been so lucky with them. This was a terrible idea (something a rookie would do, as Rob so graciously pointed out to me!) Obviously by the time we made our way all the way back around to MK the bus lines were outrageous with people who had poured out of the park.

At 10:48 p.m. I was finally setting up Flat Jackie for the very early morning wake up to run my first runDisney 5K! I set the alarm for 3:45 (funny because I didn’t realize til the next day the alarm was set for 3:45 P.M.!! Guess it’s a good thing I happened to wake up early!)
20180103_214851 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr 20180103_214903 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

 

[Sailormoon2]

The Highway in the Sky Dine Around

I'm so glad you are doing a review of this, as it was definitely on our radar.

had our lanyards and leis on we looked like we were really part of something people should be jealous of!

finally setting up Flat Jackie for the very early morning

Your outfit is adorable, but I am inwardly cringing, as I too ran that race (in fact I did Dopey) and remember how freakn' cold the 5K morning was-I was so grateful to have brought my winter running gear-which I wore, under my tinkerbell tutu