Where Can We Get One of Those Whip Things? A Wine & Dine TR (Nov. 2019)

I tried to plan my race & park combo days carefully to minimize walking, with the larger parks on the shorter race days (5k-Epcot, 10k- Magic Kingdom, and Half-Hollywood Studios).

That was good thinking!

My first race and my first AP in the same day!

What a great day! Congrats!

I knew I’d be hungry tonight but I wanted some “stomach safe” food before running again and Garden Grill always does a good job! We ate way too much, getting extra turkey, mashed potatoes, and rolls, plus we finished almost the entire skillet of entrees, all the strawberry shortcake, and some of the mac and cheese. It hit the spot!

Loveee Garden Grill and definitely a good, hearty choice the night before a race!
 
I tried to plan my race & park combo days carefully to minimize walking,
Wow. I never would've thought of that. Nor have I heard of anyone else (runners, I mean) mention it. Smart!
My first race and my first AP in the same day!
Not too shabby!
Lil’ Joe was swimming all around and showing off for us.
Awww. :)
After visiting for a while downstairs, we walked over to see if the dolphins were out and 2 of them were chasing each other all around the tank and biting each others tails.
Cool! I've only seen them once or twice. And both times they weren't doing very much.
I don’t like heights but he really HATES heights, so I wasn’t sure he’d be interested. He said we should go for it and we actually walked right on, and he loved it!
Good! :)
My dad was wearing a shirt saying he survived the Needles Highway in South Dakota (he’s an avid bicyclist and used to bike there when I lived there) and one of the CM’s started talking to him about it because going to Mount Rushmore is a bucket list item for her.
I haven't been there in... must be over 45 years now... wow.
Want to go back too.
Hey, he watched manatees with me, I can look at cars for a while!
:laughing: Good daughter. :)
We stopped to see the trains in Germany
You have to. It's a rule.
and the drummers in Japan
Aren't they good??
 
What a fun Epcot day after the 5K.
GG is a fun place to eat, the characters, food, and ambiance with LwTL is always a treat!
 


I am here! Late but i am here!

How cool was the race? I am so excited for my first WDW run Disney race in just under 2 months! I am so mad i didn't end up signing up for all 3, i only am doing the 5k! But i did a run Disney 5K in Disneyland a few years back!

I like your park plans with the more working on short race days......

I am excited to see how you did at the other races!

I really liked Garden Grill, the food is good and its nice now that the dining plan includes a drink as well.
 
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I am here! Late by i am here!

How cool was the race? I am so excited for my first WDW run Disney race in just under 2 months! I am so mad i didn't end up signing up for all 3, i only am doing the 5k! But i did a run Disney 5K in Disneyland a few years back!

I like your park plans with the more working on short race days......

I am excited to see how you did at the other races!

I really liked Garden Grill, the food is good and its nice now that the dining plan includes a drink as well.
:welcome: Happy to see you here, and no one is ever late!

Are you doing the Princess 5k? I hope it goes well and you can always do the Challenge at another weekend! I'm not sure if my park plan made a huge difference but it made sense to me in my head and I had to pick park days somehow :rotfl:
 
Saturday, November 2nd- 10k day

Today was the 2nd 3am wake up call, ugh! I quickly used the bathroom and dressed quietly and just as I grabbed the door handle to leave our room, my dad said “Good Luck!” and scared me half to death! Now I was awake! I also didn’t have to go hunting for a pen today since our waiter at Garden Grill gave me one the night before. I caught the first bus and headed out. Kitty and her dad were in the same corral as me today (the last corral) but they were running late. I bought a banana while waiting with a snack credit, which turned out to be the most expensive banana in the world. My notes said full price was $2.49. When the corrals opened, I grabbed a spot along the edge to wait for them and they showed up not long after. The morning In Corral Entertainment was mostly the same as yesterday.

We crossed the starting line about a half hour after the first corral and Kitty and her dad took off and I never saw them again :(
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I was able to follow the intervals I’d trained at to start but the crowds were terrible and they took up the entire path. Most of this was not in a park and to get around people you would have to run in the wet grass. The course was basically Magic Kingdom parking lot to Epcot, then through World Showcase like the day before. I found it to be very frustrating and I ended up walking a lot more than I had hoped.
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There were characters and video screens along the route but I didn’t stop for pictures today since I was starting so far back and moving so slowly. I did snap a few shots as I went by. I finally made it in to Epcot and the crowds thinned out a bit.

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I finished without a problem- first 10k race complete! I’m not a big Frozen fan but I thought the medals for this race were really cute! I didn’t stick around after getting my medal, snacks, and picture, and headed to the buses. Kitty and her dad had finished just before me but caught a bus right away instead of getting pictures, so I never saw them again this morning.
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My dad was up and waiting for me when I got back so I showered and changed quickly. I was starving and so was he, so we decided to use our QS credits on breakfast at Sassagoula. We both got the breakfast platters, mine with ham and his with bacon, and they were excellent!
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The plan today was to go to Magic Kingdom and the busses were crowded. We waited in a long line at bag check too. The park was all decorated for Christmas!
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Our first FP was for Big Thunder Mountain but we were still a little early so we headed to Pirates first, which had a short wait.

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We got put in the 2nd row of Big Thunder, which I thought wasn’t as much fun but my dad liked the less intense version. The wait times were already ridiculous but my dad wanted to do Haunted Mansion, which was listed at 40 minutes. We got in line, but the standby line was out of the queue past the boat dock. We waited about 10 minutes without moving an inch and then I said forget it. There’s no way that was a 40 minute wait and I wasn’t going to kill my legs standing in line.
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We walked over the Philharmagic instead and I got to sit :) Little Mermaid was next- perfect amount of walking over there, then sitting again! I also told my dad we could do It’s a Small World but he said once in a lifetime was more than enough for him! After our journey under the sea, we took a spin on the Peoplemover. He didn’t understand the attraction of it but I enjoyed it.
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We had overlapping 7DMT FP’s with Kitty and her dad at 2, so that was our next stop. We met up with them outside and they were just finishing treats from Storybook Treats. We all enjoyed our ride and then our friends were heading back to their resort.
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My dad said we should get an ice cream like they had so I pulled up the menu and had to explain what a Dole Whip was vs. ice cream. He really wanted ice cream but decided a Peter Pan float would be good enough. We each ordered one of these and they were amazing! Except for the nasty “chocolate” feather, which basically tasted like wax. Dad even said it was better than ice cream.
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Waits and the heat were still crazy so we just got in the standby line for Winnie the Pooh, which took about 50 minutes to ride. I like the ride but 50 minutes in line with a bunch of bored kids was pushing my patience.
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We went back to Adventureland to waste some time before our last FP and ended up going through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. This was cool to look at but parts of it got too high up for me and I hightailed it back down.
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s

Our last FP was for Jungle Cruise, which had just switched to Jingle Cruise. I was super excited about the overlay but our Skipper was not feeling it and the whole thing was just meh.

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I had hoped for a good ride because our next stop was Skipper Canteen for dinner. Our server there was much more enthusiastic and had plenty of jokes for us. I usually get the steak here but they had changed it to a steak with peppers and onions, which isn’t something I can eat. I decided to go with the Tastes Like Chicken...Because It Is and a pineapple sangria. Dad went with the sustainable fish and we both really liked our food.
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(another pic I didn't know was happening!)

We called it an early night again and headed back to relax in our room
 


Today was the 2nd 3am wake up call, ugh!
:faint:
just as I grabbed the door handle to leave our room, my dad said “Good Luck!” and scared me half to death!
:laughing: That's what we dads do.
I bought a banana while waiting with a snack credit, which turned out to be the most expensive banana in the world. My notes said full price was $2.49.
It's the golden peel, you know.
We crossed the starting line about a half hour after the first corral and Kitty and her dad took off and I never saw them again :(
Way to leave them in your dust!!

No?
I found it to be very frustrating and I ended up walking a lot more than I had hoped.
Doesn't sound very fun, tbh. I don't run, but... if I did... I don't think I'd want to be in a crowd like that.
I finished without a problem- first 10k race complete!
Congrats! Have you done any since?
We both got the breakfast platters, mine with ham and his with bacon, and they were excellent!
That looks really yummy.
my dad wanted to do Haunted Mansion, which was listed at 40 minutes. We got in line, but the standby line was out of the queue past the boat dock
Good for your dad for wanting to do the best ride in WDW, but... nope.
I also told my dad we could do It’s a Small World but he said once in a lifetime was more than enough for him!
:lmao:
we took a spin on the Peoplemover. He didn’t understand the attraction of it but I enjoyed it.
:laughing: I get that too. That one takes a bit to appreciate, I think. I didn't really get it either at first.
It must be done.
My dad said we should get an ice cream like they had so I pulled up the menu and had to explain what a Dole Whip was vs. ice cream. He really wanted ice cream but decided a Peter Pan float would be good enough. We each ordered one of these and they were amazing! Except for the nasty “chocolate” feather, which basically tasted like wax. Dad even said it was better than ice cream.
Glad you guys got to try that. It's really quite good, I thought. :)
the standby line for Winnie the Pooh, which took about 50 minutes to ride.
:eek:
No way I'm standing in line for an hour to see that! Not even half an hour!
I like the ride but 50 minutes in line with a bunch of bored kids was pushing my patience.
I bet!
but our Skipper was not feeling it and the whole thing was just meh.
:( That's too bad. The skipper makes or breaks that ride.
I had hoped for a good ride because our next stop was Skipper Canteen for dinner. Our server there was much more enthusiastic and had plenty of jokes for us.
Well, that's good at least. :)
 
Congrats! Have you done any since?
Not in real life, but I have in training

Glad you guys got to try that. It's really quite good, I thought. :)
We really enjoyed it...and started a trend for the rest of the trip!

That's too bad. The skipper makes or breaks that ride.
It didn't help that it was the first or second day since starting the Jingle Cruise overlay and I'm sure they weren't confident with the new jokes yet
 
Good job with the completing the 10K, that’s awesome!
Your MK day looks fun except for the crowds, common theme there lately.
Everyone really likes the Peter Pan float, I will have to try it!
Skippers is a fun place with unique menu items.
 
Congrats on the 10k!

Sounds like a fun MK day but very crowded!

That pineapple sangria is something I need to try!
 
Good job with the completing the 10K, that’s awesome!
Thank you!

Your MK day looks fun except for the crowds, common theme there lately.
We kind of expected the crowds since it was a runDisney weekend and it was a Saturday, but it was still frustrating

Everyone really likes the Peter Pan float, I will have to try it!
I highly recommend it, I think it's been my favorite of all the Dole Whips

Skippers is a fun place with unique menu items.
I really enjoy this restaurant and I'm glad I tried something new!
 
Sunday, November 3rd

The big day is here! This morning would be my first half marathon and I expected to be jittery and nervous. I reality, I was somewhat tired and fairly calm, go figure! The half marathon started a half hour earlier than the 2 previous races, so an even earlier wake up call for me. I made it on to the first bus, which pulled away from POFQ 15 minutes before it should have, which meant we were the 2nd bus to arrive at the starting point. Since it was so empty, I immediately got in line to get a picture with Fife and Drum Mickey and Minnie and only waited a few minutes. I hadn't planned to get any pictures today, so I was very excited!
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Unfortunately, the rest of the picture lines had gotten long while I was waiting so I headed into line to wait for the corrals to open. It was a bit chilly this morning, in the low 60’s, and I was glad I had grabbed a throw away sweatshirt before heading out.

I had tried to strategize how I wanted to run this race and I was super worried about getting swept since I was starting in the last corral again. I had trained using the Galloway method of run/walk intervals and there were Galloway pace groups in each corral that I had been debating joining. I still hadn’t decided as of this morning because I had trained at 30sec/30sec and the pace groups in my corral were doing 15sec/30sec. However, when the pacers entered the corral, they were so far behind me that it no longer mattered. I had my headphones and my Garmin watch would track my intervals for me so I felt good to go!

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Today’s course started at MK again and went to AK, then HS, and then Epcot. It was still dark when I crossed the starting line but it didn’t stay dark for long. I snapped some pictures of the first characters I passed and I felt good in the first few miles. My legs had been pretty tight when I got up but they loosened up after the first mile.
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I honestly don’t remember the first few miles very well, I was tired and a bit zoned. Funnily enough, a lady I met at our resort jokingly said they start the half extra early so you sleep through the first few miles. That’s definitely what I felt like! Then I started running through the backstage area of Animal Kingdom and my attention was peaked. There really wasn’t anything too interesting to see but it’s also not something you get to do every day.

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Entering AK at sunrise was amazing and I stopped for a few photos. It did get really crowded, especially around Pandora where the trails are narrower, and I could hear one of the pace groups catching up to me. They appeared to be taking up a lot of the trail so I tried to stay ahead of them.
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I finished the first 10k shortly after exiting AK and I was feeling good! However, I started to drag part way through mile 7. My legs were starting to get tired and I was a bit bored. It sounds crazy to be bored but I was on another long stretch of highway, I was tired, and I just wanted to be moving faster than I was. At this point, the pace group caught up to me and they were telling jokes and doing trivia, so I joined them. The slower pace helped and the company and distraction really helped! I stuck with them through mile 9, which brought me close to Hollywood Studios. 9.5 miles was the longest I had ever run before this and by then I was really feeling it. I slowed down a bit to enjoy the sights in HS and the group got too far ahead of me. I knew there was one more pace group behind me and I didn’t want them to catch up since the sweepers would be close behind them. It was great to have park guests and cast members cheering us on in HS because I was TIRED! As I was exiting the park, there was a course photographer there and only one other runner near me. He offered to take shots of us jumping in the air if we wanted but I thanked him and told him there was no way my feet were leaving the ground at that moment!
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I had been walking a lot through HS and that made it harder to get going again once I exited on the boardwalk but I was still pushing. Kitty texted while I was on the Boardwalk and said she was coming up on the 20k mark. I was confused because she had started a 20+ minutes ahead of me and I was also coming up on the 20k mark, and I certainly wasn’t going fast enough to catch anyone. Turns out she had needed to take a few bio breaks and that means waiting in line. I never did catch her but I finished only a few minutes after she and her dad. By the time I reached Epcot, I was mostly walking again...until the course officials started telling us we were only 2 minutes ahead of pace and that they were still sweeping. I started pushing it again and I really don’t know where I found the energy for it. Just after passing mile 12, I stepped down and burst a large blister under the ball of my foot. I didn’t know it was there but it was obviously large and now painful. Thank goodness it didn’t happen sooner. I still managed to keep moving but now I was only 1 min ahead of pace. I finally exiting Epcot and headed down the final stretch and finished about 200 feet in front of the balloon ladies (the final runners before the sweepers). I was exhausted and just wanted to get my socks off and fix my foot! My final time was 3 hrs 35 minutes, so only 5 minutes longer than the time limit. I got my half marathon medal and then got in line for my challenge medal. It felt really great to finally have them both! I grabbed my snacks and a finisher picture and 2 other friends from a virtual running club I’m part of texted to say they were heading to POFQ for beignets if I wanted to join them on the bus ride back, so I headed out. It was awesome to meet them in person! There was a photographer outside of POFQ when we arrived so we got more pictures there too. They headed off to get food and I met my dad at a table outside Sassagoula where he had grabbed up breakfast. More pictures with him there and then again when we got back to our room. A good start to the day!
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Catching up here, congrats on all the races!
I spent some time in the Living Seas aquarium this past Sept. for the first time in a couple years and forgot how much I enjoyed it :) And the Gran Fiesta line being crazy?? IDK why but it seems to happen randomly every now and then! I enjoy that ride but not waiting in line for it!

Our last FP was for Jungle Cruise, which had just switched to Jingle Cruise. I was super excited about the overlay but our Skipper was not feeling it and the whole thing was just meh.
Oh man that stinks :( Jungle Cruise is "eh" for me but I LOVE JINGLE Cruise and when we rode earlier this month we lucked out with one of the best skippers we've ever had. Your skipper can totally make or break your experience!
 
Congrats on finishing the half marathon (as well as the previous races). You did amazing! Btw, blisters are no joke so well done pushing through!
 

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