Marathon Weekend 2018

[pixarmom]

Thanks for transfer advice, @Ariel484! runDisney just sent the 2018 form and I returned it, so on my way to a refund for the marathon to goofy transfer!

 

[Disney at Heart]

We love to eat!
Parks:
MK - BOG or Crystal Palace - love the beauty of both restaurants
EPCOT - cheddar cheese soup, filet mignon, and maple creme brulee at Le Cellier, (chocolate sphere dessert at Monsier Paul's is also tempting!) and small plates at Spice Road Table
AK - Tusker House buffet - all of it!
HS - Cobb Salad at Hollywood Brown Derby (appetizer size is enough)
DS - Keen Eye for a Shepherd's Pie at Raglan Road (bread with Guiness reduction is to die for) or Boathouse (on back deck if cool enough and watch Amphibicars and listen to band)
Resorts:
Breakfast - Tonga Toast/ Pineapple Macadamia nut Pancakes at Kona Cafe (I order one, DH orders the other, then we share), or Boma or Trail's End breakfast buffets
Lunch - Grand Floridian Cafe - such a quiet, peaceful break from MK in the afternoon
Dinner - Love some Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue at Ft. Wilderness or Sanaa if it's an early reservation so I can see the animals!

Okay, I love all the restaurants at WDW!!!

Spoiler: I got sick last month after eating a Naan Veggie Wrap for lunch at Electric Umbrella. I ran from my seat to the Nemo restrooms just before the first showing of Rivers of Light and ended up having a cast member take me to AK first aid where I got a couple of Dramamine and an hour or so to lie down with a trash can beside my cot. The wrap was great going down. Something just didn't agree with my stomach. AND I MISSED RIVERS OF LIGHT! Well, I can say that the nurse at first aid was wonderful in case you ever need to go. I always try to have a new experience each visit!

 

[steph0808]

I don't have a ton of experience with Disney dining, but here are my thoughts:

Be Our Guest - pretty tasty, love the cupcakes!
Garden Grill - great memories from when I was a kid, can't tell you how the food is 20+ years later though...
Ohana - Yum, but so much food!
50s Primetime - Delicious meatloaf!

 

[Nole95]

Via Napoli at EPCOT is the one place we always eat dinner when at WDW. Also makes for a great post race meal as well. For quick service lunch we like eating at Sunshine Seasons. It's hectic in there, but the quality and variety of the food has always been good for us.

We've eaten twice at Boma, and that has been excellent both times.

DW and I are going without the kids for Marathon Weekend 2018, so we might try a couple of different places.

 

[ChipNDale86]

Garden Grill - great memories from when I was a kid, can't tell you how the food is 20+ years later though...

Garden Grill is my favorite!
1) Obviously because Chip n Dale are my favorite and the set up of the restaurant leads to some great character interactions.
2) The food is delicious! Only been for dinner but everything was amazing. Turkey, steak, mac n cheese, veggies, shortcake, etc....all was delicious. We booked both Lunch and Breakfast for our July trip. Can't wait to try the giant Cinnamon Roll!
3) The whole place rotates! It's so cool to be eating your meal and all of a sudden come around on scenes from Living with the Land (one of our favorite rides).


2 that I've never tried but have planned for upcoming trips are Boma and Ohana. I've always heard great things about both.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Checking in - not running much right now because of sciatic nerve issues, but trying to ramp back up. Ran 3 miles yesterday and again today. So far, so good.

 

[Davidg83]

My Disney dining favorites:

- Ohana ... but only after I earn that from running. Soooooo much food!
- 50s Prime time cafe (The meatloaf!!)
- Biergarten ... again so much food so I have to earn that one.
- Shutters at Caribbean Beach Resort (I was surprised by this the first time I went!)

 

[SheHulk]

ATTQOTD: We have been going to WDW a *lot*, we bought APs this year. We have a handful of "must-do's", dining-wise. They are the same as most folks' on here:
Be Our Guest
Ohana
Tusker House breakfast
Biergarten (though we are getting a little tired of this one, we over did it)
We do like Beaches and Cream and we have been staying at Beach Club recently but it's not vacation-busting if we don't get an ADR. If I can't get an ADR to the others, I hit the MDE app obsessively for weeks until I do.
I ate at Boma two nights before my first marathon, with the "carbo-load" mindset. Big mistake. The mindset, not Boma. I ate so much, I thought for a while my stomach might actually burst from being full. I feel gross even admitting that Needless to say I thought the food was good. It was a good thing it was 2 nights before the race and not the night before. Boma would be a must-do but my kids see it as out of the way and they don't want to travel for dinner.

 

[hauntedcity]

After several years of abandoning our children during Disney race weekends, we will be bringing our daughters (11 & 8 at the time) and my mom in January. DW and I are doing the Dopey, but EVERYONE is doing the 5k!

Questions, I got 'em!
1. My mom is in her 70's and will be the limiting factor in the 5k. If we are some of the last to cross the finish line, that won't affect our Dopey challenge, will it? I really want to do the 5k as a group, but if Dopey is in jeopardy... "so long, Mom! Don't lose our kids!"

2. What are some fun, non-taxing things to do the rest of the day? We will have annual passes, but I don't want to overdo it. I'm thinking about lunch, and maybe 2-3 FastPass rides in the parks after 5K, 10K and Half. After that, spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool or hanging around the resort. We'll be at OKW, so a trip down the Sassagoula sounds just about perfect. (Grab something quick at Erin McKenna, and get right back on that boat.)

3. DD's are doing the 5K -- is it worth doing Kids Races, as well? They're not huge runners, but they are excited about doing the 5K (especially since the 11 year old is Pluto-crazy). Would it be a "step down" after the 5K?

4. If we DO do Kids races, would you recommend the 8-year old do a Dash, or do the 1-mile with her sister? Assume for the purposes of this question that both sisters love each other, and don't constantly drive each other crazy.

Thanks!
Doug

 

[rteetz]

After several years of abandoning our children during Disney race weekends, we will be bringing our daughters (11 & 8 at the time) and my mom in January. DW and I are doing the Dopey, but EVERYONE is doing the 5k!

Questions, I got 'em!
1. My mom is in her 70's and will be the limiting factor in the 5k. If we are some of the last to cross the finish line, that won't affect our Dopey challenge, will it? I really want to do the 5k as a group, but if Dopey is in jeopardy... "so long, Mom! Don't lose our kids!"

2. What are some fun, non-taxing things to do the rest of the day? We will have annual passes, but I don't want to overdo it. I'm thinking about lunch, and maybe 2-3 FastPass rides in the parks after 5K, 10K and Half. After that, spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool or hanging around the resort. We'll be at OKW, so a trip down the Sassagoula sounds just about perfect. (Grab something quick at Erin McKenna, and get right back on that boat.)

3. DD's are doing the 5K -- is it worth doing Kids Races, as well? They're not huge runners, but they are excited about doing the 5K (especially since the 11 year old is Pluto-crazy). Would it be a "step down" after the 5K?

4. If we DO do Kids races, would you recommend the 8-year old do a Dash, or do the 1-mile with her sister? Assume for the purposes of this question that both sisters love each other, and don't constantly drive each other crazy.

Thanks!
Doug

1. I think you will be okay. The 5K is timed for Dopey participants but there are plenty that stop for every character and such during the 5K and finish towards the end.

2. Disney Springs is a great option, there is so much to do and see there now. That or some light resort hopping to the Boardwalk area and maybe some ice cream at Ample Hills.

3. Some kids do do both. I would leave that up to your DD probably. The 5K will be a bigger event but the kids races are fun as well. My sister has done the Mickey Mile twice.

4. It depends on the kids really. My sister was 9 and 10 when she did the Mickey Mile. She of course didn't have any siblings running with her tough.

 

[mawatcha]

Oh my word... coming for the marathon in 2018!

I completed the Goofy Challenge in 2016, marathon has remained my favorite race experience ever since.

Partner and sister-in-law are both going for Dopey. Kinda wish I'd have been able to sign up earlier and also gone for Dopey, but was contemplating going back to school at the time. Ah well, Dopey 2019 or 2020 maybe!

We got this .

 

[mawatcha]

1. I think you will be okay. The 5K is timed for Dopey participants but there are plenty that stop for every character and such during the 5K and finish towards the end.

@rteetz Do you know what time the 5K tends to be over? Partner and sister-in-law will be running it, and we're hoping to head out to Universal afterwards. Hoping we'll get to Universal by 11.

 

[rteetz]

@rteetz Do you know what time the 5K tends to be over? Partner and sister-in-law will be running it, and we're hoping to head out to Universal afterwards. Hoping we'll get to Universal by 11.

They want the 5K done before the park opens so by 9. You should have no problem getting to Universal by 11.

 

[rteetz]

I hope everyone's week was a good one!

As today is Sunday and I'm running a bit late, Sunday's are for Disney!

Today's Disney question:

It's all about bling! What is your favorite runDisney medal you've earned? If you haven't run a race yet which non-Disney race medal is your favorite or which runDisney race are you looking forward too?

My answer: My favorite medal at this point is the 2017 WDW Marathon Medal. It's a throw back medal to the Disneyland Marathon and is just really awesome.

 

[camaker]

ATSFDQ: I have to go with the 2016 WDW Marathon medal as my favorite. It was my first marathon and I almost didn't start it. Far and away the most meaningful of my RunDisney medals:



I do have to give an honorable mention to the 2016 SWDS 10k medal, though. From a design standpoint it's the coolest one I've seen. Absolutely love the TIE Fighter! Now I just need that Kessel Run medal to go with it...

 

[whaler8]

My favorite is my first Disney medal. Wine and Dine 2015 1/2 of a half marathon. I know this shortened race left a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouth and I was disappointed at the time too but I look back on this race with a lot of good memories, and what a story to tell! It also inspired me to want to do more Disney races. I completed the Dark Side Challenge in 2016 (my profile pic), and I am signed up for Dopey 2018. So, when I look at this piece of bling that I had framed by Lasting Commemoratives I have to smile.

 

[Simba's Girl]

I haven't run a Disney race yet, so in January my 10K one will be my favorite. My favorite race medal ever is the one from my triathlon that I did in 2011. I ended up coming in 9th in my age group for the swim portion and it made me realize that I actually was a great swimmer. So much so that I decided to get my lifeguard certification. Because of my health issues I didn't get certified until this past February but I managed to get it done. Everyone else in the class was the same age as my kids and all of them had swim-team experience. I have zero swim team experience, I'm very much self-taught and trained.

 

[Sailormoon2]

I don't have it, but I really think the Kessel Run, Millenium Falcon is awesome!

 

[FFigawi]

It's all about bling! What is your favorite runDisney medal you've earned? If you haven't run a race yet which non-Disney race medal is your favorite or which runDisney race are you looking forward too?

I like this year's throwback marathon medal too, but the 20th anniversary spinner is pretty cool too.

 

[ZellyB]

I like this year's throwback marathon medal too, but the 20th anniversary spinner is pretty cool too.

Yep. The nod goes to the 20th anniversary marathon medal for me. Also my first marathon so even more special.