Trip Report *COMPLETE* Remind Me Again Why We Agreed To Do This...Our runDisney 2020 Trip Report

Hello All!

I hope 2020 is starting off well for everyone so far. Kelly and I, along with some friends of ours, just returned from our most recent visit to WDW and I am very excited to share in our different, but amazing, Disney experience.

For those of you who may have been following along with the pre-trip report (feel free to read up on all the planning if you'd like), you will know that this trip was nearly a year in the making and something we had never done before for a couple of different reasons. First, we had never even considered a WDW trip centred around a runDisney event and second, we have never done a WDW trip without the kids since they were born.

So, without further delay, let's get to it!

THE WARM-UP

As I mentioned, the possibility of this type of trip was discussed quite some time ago. I have been running almost obsessively for just over two years now and 2019 was the year in which I finally felt ready to start registering for some races, not just casual runs on my own. With a couple of recent visits to the World in 2017, and a few more in 2018, I really started to take notice of all the dedicated running trails in and around the resorts and learned more and more about the runDisney events and community.

I didn't realize just how big the community really is until I took a deeper dive into a number of blogs, podcasts, websites, and Instagram accounts. I was really intrigued and figured a potential runDisney event would be the perfect way to tie my passion for Disney together with my new found passion for running. Originally, I was thinking maybe 2021 as the point I would commit to my first half marathon but with my progress and after some discussion with Kelly, we decided we might as well see if we could make 2020 work.

With that, in late 2018, we both agreed that we would do everything we could to add the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in 2020 to our travel schedule. I was beyond pumped and while we couldn't really do much of the planning just yet, I was really starting to kick my training into high gear.

We happened to be having dinner with friends of ours, Mike and Kerri, in January 2019 who are also big Disney fans and have kids a few years younger than Ella and Lennon. I've known my best friend Mike since grade 10 when we first started playing hockey together. We served as the best man at each of our weddings and have been very close for nearly 20 years. When the topic of this trip was brought up, we jokingly said that they should join us and to our shocking surprise, they said they would. While Mike has really committed himself to his health over the last five years, never in a million years would I think he'd agree to run a half marathon.

We left dinner thinking how cool it would be if they did in fact travel with us but in the back of our minds, I don't think we actually thought they would come. Days later they committed to coming so long as the timing worked and it was a suggestion from Kerri that the girls run the 5K which Kelly reluctantly agreed to! Once they made that decision, planning was in full swing!

THE ROSTER

Our roster of runners was now set and with all the planning, ADRs and FP+ bookings in the almost 12 months leading up to the trip, this is how things played out...

WHO: Kelly, Matt, Mike and Kerri
WHERE: Boulder Ridge Villas (deluxe studio) - Matt and Kelly
All-Star Music - Mike and Kerri
WHEN: January 7 - 12, 2020
WHY: Because we are idiots to consider running as a vacation

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Job done!!



That cheese is soooo worth it! Now I have to put "grapefruit beer" on my Epcot list!



I'm all about the view but I feel like all the gondolas will be wrapped eventually. Also, my goodness, those mosaics!! I am looking forward to seeing them in person!

The grapefruit beer will now be a staple for me on any and all return visits, especially if the weather is hot.

Truly, my mosaic photos do not do any justice to the actual mosaics themselves. They’re beautiful in person. A job very well done

I agree about the lobby at Riviera, it's too small. Unfortunately, I think that's how Disney is now going to construct the new hotels. I much prefer the grand lobbies of Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Poly, etc.

I, too, love the grand lobbies of many of the resorts on property, but I can understand why they may be shifting away from them based on how people are taking advantage of the online check in process. If we didn’t need to ask a question about keeping our room on this trip we would have rolled right by the front desk upon arrival and straight to our room.

Very nice resort but it is kinda strange to see how tiny the lobby is.

 

[dizfan917]

We can get the Schofferhofer Grapefruit beer in liquor stores here (and I don't particularly like beer), but there really is nothing like enjoying a cold glass (plastic cup) of that while chillin' in Germany! yum!!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

We can get the Schofferhofer Grapefruit beer in liquor stores here (and I don't particularly like beer), but there really is nothing like enjoying a cold glass (plastic cup) of that while chillin' in Germany! yum!!

I'm going to have to look closer at some of the specialty beer shops here in town. Might not be the best choice for a drink in the middle of winter but come summer it would be the perfect way to enjoy the sun in the back yard.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Arriving at the Expo grounds and we were immediately struck by just how big the Wide Wolrd of Sports complex really is. Both Mike and I were very impressed with the size and scale of the place. Having never visited these grounds before it was a real eyeopener to walk around and see just how many different complexes there are throughout the grounds.

I could see how excited some of the youth groups must be when they get the chance to compete or perform here throughout the year.


I was excited just wandering through to figure out where to pick up all of our race necessities. Marathon week branding was everywhere and there were a ton of runners and their families walking about. The merchandise was set up in the closest arena to the parking lot and the race bibs and race shirts were located towards the very end of the complex.

Having to make our way through the entire area, we made good use of some of the really cool signage set up throughout.


These girls were ready for the next morning!


At least one of us looked ready for Saturday...


We slowly wandered through WWoS until we reached the building to pick our bibs. Thankfully when we walked into the arena, there was pretty much nobody around. No waits whatsoever but because it was so big and we had to determine our bib numbers to find the correct line, it took us a couple of minutes to get our bearings. With the tape outlined makeshift queues on the ground, I imagined that things could get pretty hectic at certain points of the Expo.

These taped off queue lines were everywhere and I noticed some corrals set up off of the grounds to hold people if things were too busy. We were all thankful we didn't have to deal with anything like that.

We split up to find the proper place to pick up our bibs and met back near the exit when we all had our first official piece of the package.


From there we exited this building only to walk to a neighbouring building to pick up our race day shirts. Not only were the shirts available, but hundreds of vendors were set up selling everything from Disney themed outfits to running shoes to gels and energy boosters. This area was quite a bit busier but we were pretty determined to simply find our shirts and head over to the merch area to snoop around for some keepsakes.

I tried to exchange the shirt I was provided from a medium to a large but they had no additional large shirts available to exchange. I was kinda bummed but no big deal. The race shirts that were provided definitely fit a bit smaller than what their size was listing. Oh well, really not that big a deal.

We left this area and funneled our way into the merch arena. A few character meet and greets were set up but we bypassed that to head right out to the merch floor. Again, lots of taped off queues and another off floor corral to help control lines. It was busy, but not crazy. We started to scan the merchandise and I was really impressed with the variety of the selection.

I was tempted to buy a finisher shirt but I didn't want to end u jinxing myself a few days before the race. Instead, I kept it pretty lowkey and stuck with a runDisney mug.



Kelly picked up a sweet runDisney spirit jersey but I don't have a picture of it currently. I'll have to take one tonight and add it to this post. She is in love with those jerseys and this one was pretty unique. A cool keepsake to remind her of the really great accomplishment of competing in a race. Kerri bought a pair of Marathon Weekend themed Minnie ears which you'll see in some of the race pics that will be posted shortly!

All in all, we were able to survive the expo and at this point it was almost 4 pm. Kelly and I decided we would head back to the hotel for a bit to drop off our goods and pick up a sweater for the evening. Mike and Kerri debated on what to do but decided to head back to EPCOT to walk the grounds a little more. They really wanted to get a deeper look into some of the country pavilions that we pretty much blew by earlier in the day.

We had dinner plans for Tutto Italia later in the evening so the plan was to meet up outside the restaurant a few minutes before our reservation. Even though we were all having a blast enjoying the World together, it was nice to have an opportunity to do things on our own time.

Luckily the bus back to WL was sitting in the stop and loading people on as soon as we got into the parking lot. Kelly and I jumped on and made our way back home for a few moments.

Now that we had picked up our stuff, we were ready to roll and crush these races!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

After a quick break back at the hotel and an outfit change for her, Kelly and I were ready to head back to the park and do a few things on our own before meeting back up with Mike and Kerri.

While we seemed to have good luck all week with the buses, we deiced to hail a Lyft and head back so as to maximize our time before dinner. We have Uber here at home but not Lyft. Whenever we are in WDW, I always prefer Lyft to Uber for some reason. Doesn't seem like the prices vary all that much but Lyft always seems more accessible. At any rate, as soon as we punched in our ride request, the driver was immediately outside the lobby. He had just dropped off another couple so we were able to jump in and get on our way quickly.

A short drive to the park left us just outside the park gates and right next to an area that I really appreciated, parking and charging stations for EV's. Having made the switch to an EV late last summer, I always love seeing the charging infrastructure popping up. It's moving a little slower here at home but more and more options seem to be available which is nice to see.


One thing is for sure, these three Model 3's were WAY cleaner than mine was back home!

Kelly and I made our way through the gates and over towards the Imagination Pavilion. She was all set on riding Journey into the Imagination before the building closed for the night. I guess she needed her Figment fix. I would have been happy to bypass the attraction but admittedly did enjoy the ride. That goofy song always gets stuck in my head for hours on end afterward.

Walking through the exit queue we ran into two character meet and greets. Joy from Inside Out was on one side and Vanelope and Ralph were on the other side. Kelly immediately entered the Ralph queue even though it was a decently long line. We had about 30 minutes before we were supposed to meet Mike and Kerri so we hoped the line moved quickly.

We've never met either of these characters before and Kelly didn't want to pass it up. The line moved fairly quickly though Vanelope was super interactive with guests which made for some great moments even if it slowed down the line just a tad. Eventually we made our way up to the front and had our chance to get a couple of snaps before having to hustle our way out to World Showcase.







We had just about 10 minutes to make our way from Imagination to the Italy pavilion. We turned on the jets and made really good time, meeting up with Mike and Kerri just as our reservation time had arrived.


Turned out they spent their afternoon wandering through as many of the countries as they could. They raved about Japan and especially the unbelievable craftsmanship throughout Morocco. From what we could tell, they really enjoyed being able to get back to the park and check it out on their own schedule.

At this point, everyone was really hungry and the girls were ready to carb up for the big race in the morning. We didn't wait long after checking in before we were escorted to our table. I regret not taking a few photos of the interior but I was enjoying the vibe inside. Not quite as big as via Napoli but still seemed to offer that same type of authenticity.

We were seated at a booth and provided with fresh bread and a plate of beautiful looking olives. We all dug into the bread but only Kerri and I sampled the olives. They were dang tasty! We browsed the menu trying to decide what to order. The pasta options looked very good though we did agree that the menu could have used a few more options.

We spoke about the day and what was still to come this evening before the waiter came and took our order. Both couples ordered the caesar salad as a starter to split, I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna for Mike and Kerri and Kelly both ordered the ravioli.

The salads came out fairly quickly and we split them up and dug in. The olive spread on the cheese bread was really good, at least I thought so. Kelly made sure to clear her half of the spread. The salad was excellent, and it better have been for $17.


The entrees arrive shortly after we finished our salad. The girls seemed a little disappointed in their portion size but I was not at all complaining about mine.



Everyone enjoyed their dish. The meatballs in my pasta were phenomenal and the pasta was cooked just right. All agreed it was a solid meal but I'm not sure it would be high on our list to return to on our next trip. The food was really good as was the atmosphere but Kelly felt like the dish she ordered would likely be the only thing she would order off the menu so we might hold out a while until the menu changes again.

We debated over dessert but decided not to order. We paid our bill and decided to head back to Soarin' before our last FP of the day at Test Track. Kelly was able to secure an evening return time after we used our last FP earlier in the day. We were all excited to ride once more and do so in the dark.

Since we had a little time to kill, we walked back towards the Canada side of WS to get over to the Land pavilion. As we passed through the UK, our photo spot from the night before where that couple got engaged now had a cool PhotoPass element to it. Without any engagements to get in the middle of, we stopped and took a few more pictures.



We knew we had just enough time to ride Soarin' before getting over to TT before park closing. Traffic seemed to have thinned out pretty good at this point and once more Soarin' was a walk on.


No issues with the systems at all on this final flight and we were pretty excited to say we could ride Soarin' three times over the day and bit we spent at EPCOT. Knowing that a 3 am wake up call was already approaching very quickly, our final FP for Test Track would serve as a perfect way to close out what was really a great day.

We walked into the line just a few minutes before park close and were shuffled through very quickly. I don't think I ever recall a time in which only the four of us were in the car alone, not joined by any single riders.


As a final curtain to our day, TT delivered the goods, as usual. Flying through the outdoor track in the dark, with the fireworks exploding overhead made for the perfect nightcap.


While I don't think Kelly or Kerri had any visions of ripping through the 5k course as fast as the ride goes, both ladies seemed somewhat excited about the race in the morning. We walked to the exit and over to the bus area to say our goodbyes. We planned to meet up again at the runners' area first thing in the morning.

While Kerri and Kelly got their game faces on, Mike and I knew that it might be our time to join the Resistance...

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

The race shirts that were provided definitely fit a bit smaller than what their size was listing

Whenever I need a size ordered for a mass thing like work or a race, I always size up because I'd rather it be too big than too tight. Sorry there weren't any larges for you.

I was tempted to buy a finisher shirt but I didn't want to end u jinxing myself a few days before the race. Instead, I kept it pretty lowkey and stuck with a runDisney mug.

DON'T JINX IT!!!!!!!!!!

Even though we were all having a blast enjoying the World together, it was nice to have an opportunity to do things on our own time.

We love going on trips with people but being able to have those precious afternoons/evenings to ourselves is priceless. Nothing like quality time with the ones you love. And big family trips where everybody is together is also quality time.

We had just about 10 minutes to make our way from Imagination to the Italy pavilion. We turned on the jets and made really good time, meeting up with Mike and Kerri just as our reservation time had arrived.

Okay, I have to do grad schoolwork and am totally procrastinating by reading your TR but I have a great story about the Italy pavilion and being stuck by the Character Meet and Greet spot and a dinner ressie...

Good on you for Hustling!!

The girls seemed a little disappointed in their portion size but I was not at all complaining about mine.

That portion looks huge! For us, we never do boxes at WDW. Too hard to store them. Glad you got your fill and had a great dinner.

As we passed through the UK, our photo spot from the night before where that couple got engaged now had a cool PhotoPass element to it. Without any engagements to get in the middle of, we stopped and took a few more pictures.

AAAAAAAaaawwwwwwwwwwww, how pretty! I am totally checking this spot out next time we go!

We knew we had just enough time to ride Soarin' before getting over to TT before park closing. Traffic seemed to have thinned out pretty good at this point and once more Soarin' was a walk on.

As a final curtain to our day, TT delivered the goods, as usual. Flying through the outdoor track in the dark, with the fireworks exploding overhead made for the perfect nightcap.

DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT??????????????
I mean, those moments are truly unplanned magic and perfect memories.

Phonics instruction calls me but I shall return soon!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

As mentioned above, here are few shots of Kelly’s runDisney spirit jersey

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

I was tempted to buy a finisher shirt but I didn't want to end u jinxing myself a few days before the race. Instead, I kept it pretty lowkey and stuck with a runDisney mug.

I’m like that as well, but some people were racing in the ‘I did it’ shirts. I wouldn't even wear my race shirts until I’d finished each race.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

I’m like that as well, but some people were racing in the ‘I did it’ shirts. I wouldn't even wear my race shirts until I’d finished each race.

I noticed that too! Seems like bad karma to me but to each their own I guess. Because of how hot it was on race day I knew there was no way I’d wear that long sleeve but have enjoyed wearing it since we returned home to the cooler weather

 

[Matt and Kelly]

JANUARY 9 - DAY THREE: RACE DAY AND RISE!

I'm all for getting up early at Disney to make the most of our days but that 3 am alarm hit us like a sack of bricks. Even if we were very groggy trying to pull ourselves together, there was a little excitement about the girls' 5k run starting to build. I'm sure Kelly would admit that she didn't put in a lot of training time leading into this race so she was likely a little nervous but I could tell she was also looking forward to getting over to the runners' area to check things out.

We had made sure to pack enough provisions in my backpack the night before so that Kelly wouldn't have to head back to the hotel after and we could all head straight to Hollywood Studios to try and secure our boarding group. As we were planning the trip, park hours for DHS were set to open at 9. With how insanely popular Rise was, park hours had been pushed forward to 7am. We debated on making some last-minute changes to the plans we already made months in advance but decided to roll the dice and keep things as is.

Kelly not having to worry about her eyelashes every morning mad ea huge difference in prep time. By 330 we were ready to head down to the lobby to catch the shuttle over to the EPCOT parking lot.



Look at how lucky I am to be with such a babe!


We made the long walk to the elevator and out towards the main lobby of the hotel. It was very quiet around the lobby but there were more and more runners starting to wander around. Everyone seemed tired but excited about the kick off to Marathon Weekend. The buses were set up outside of the main entrance where the Magical Express would pick you up or drop you off. There was not a bus waiting when we walked outside but a modest line of about 10-15 people waiting to be transported to the runners' area. A bus rolled up about five minutes later and people pilled on. The bus filled up to capacity before taking off with another bus right behind it. The drive over to EPCOT was quiet but pretty quick.

An amazing amount of cars and buses were descending on the EPCOT parking lot and we were dropped off a short walk away from the security checkpoint to enter the runners' area. There were a LOT of people!


The security line was very busy but moved quickly well for the number of people trying to get through. Kerri and Mike had cleared security a few moments before us and were waiting for us just beyond the checkpoint. We found them shortly after clearing security. Both looked just as sleepy as we were but it was too late to turn back now!


These girls were ready to run!



I couldn't believe the size of the runners' square. There were people everywhere and for 430 in the morning, the place was buzzing. The entertainment area that was set up to pump people up was rocking and lines for bathrooms, food and coffee were packed. We really didn't know what to do or where to go so we hung around chatting and taking in the sights for a little. By around 5 or so the girls decided to head to the corral to make sure they knew where to be. Mike and I made our way to the makeshift queue for Joffrey's coffee to give us a little jolt to keep things moving.

The line was long and mostly filled with runners. 530 (start time) kept creeping closer and closer and these runners were not leaving the line. I was nervous for them but clearly this was not their first rodeo. We'd learn shortly after that unless you're in one of the first few corrals, your start time is much different than the posted 530.

At any rate, we picked up our caffeine fix and wandered over to the finish line bleachers to grab a seat. The race had just started as we sat down but we were getting texts that the girls were nowhere close to leaving just yet. There was a lot of chatter going on from the "hosts" at the finish line which was helping to bring the energy up.


As the timer hit about 15 minutes, the first few wheelchair athletes came speeding towards the finish line. Two crossed the line within seconds of each other and the confetti blast off. It was a very cool sight to see.

Mike wondered when we might see the first runner cross the line but doubted someone could post a 3 minute per KM pace. Just as he finished his sentence, the hosts got all excited that indeed the first runner was approaching! In what seemed like a full out sprint, this athlete cruised past the finish line with his arms in the air. We were both shocked! No chance we could fathom running that fast!

Time was ticking away and more and more runners were passing the finish line. It was about 6 am at this point when we received a text to let us know they were still at the starting line. We had hoped we would all be able to head over to DHS together but that looked less likely knowing they had yet to start. Mike and I decided that we would make our move to hail a Lyft at 615.

At 610 Kelly let us know that they were starting. We told them to run fast and meet us at DHS when they were done. Mike and I made the move over to the main parking lot to catch a ride to DHS. A number of runners that had already completed the race were doing the same thing, with their medals proudly draped around the neck. Very cool!

I'll get into our Hollywood adventures in a bit but will continue to focus this post on the race. From the fact that Kelly kept sending texts, it sounds like there were plenty of walking breaks throughout the course. At one point Kelly mentioned that she felt like she could easily run the entire 5k with how she was feeling. Must have been all jacked up on adrenaline. Kerri, on the other hand, could only run in shorter bursts but the two friends did a great job of pushing each other throughout the course.




One of my favourite on-course pics...Kelly checking in to let us know how things are going and find out if we were able to secure a boarding group!


Walking or running, the girls did it together and crossed the finish line with smiles on their faces!





We received that picture when they crossed the finish line. They crossed over at about 650ish which is really quite a good time for them starting around 610.

Now I know Kelly birthed our children and that was likely the most magical moment in my life but I was hard-pressed to find anything that made me more proud of her than knowing she finished this race. It may not seem like much but the fact that this trip had started out as us guys running the half and morphed into the girls running the 5k, something she really wasn't too keen on but wanted to do with her friend, I just had a ton of pride for what she, what they, accomplished. And the fact that there are so many pictures of them smiling and having a good time makes me she she really enjoyed it!

All that gushy stuff aside, we made our message clear, congratulations but get your butts over to Hollywood Studios immediately!

 

[Swissmiss]

I noticed that too! Seems like bad karma to me but to each their own I guess. Because of how hot it was on race day I knew there was no way I’d wear that long sleeve but have enjoyed wearing it since we returned home to the cooler weather

I hear you; if I absolutely had to, I could probably wear a race shirt for a 5K race, but not anything longer. I’ve occasionally had issues with rubbing/chafing in shirts that I’m used to running in, so I wouldn’t risk it with a shirt that I’ve never worn before.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

I hear you; if I absolutely had to, I could probably wear a race shirt for a 5K race, but not anything longer. I’ve occasionally had issues with rubbing/chafing in shirts that I’m used to running in, so I wouldn’t risk it with a shirt that I’ve never worn before.

I did end up buying a runDisney shirt at the expo that I debated on wearing during the race for that very reason. I ended up going ahead and wearing it with no issues, thankfully, but feel like I was a little lucky to have done so.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Enjoying reading this!! Especially since I'll be at Princess soon. It's fun reading about the rundisney experience. Also, you probably addressed Kelly's eyelashes in the pre-trip but I'm too lazy to go back. Did she get like some long-term extensions? I've thought about doing that since I can't put lashes on to save my life.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

With much of the 5k detailed, we can circle back to our jaunt over to Hollywood Studios to get in the queue for Rise of the Resistance. Now, I know it looks pretty shady on our part to up and leave the race before the girls were finished but this was something that was discussed in advance.

Both Kelly and Kerri knew how fired up we both were to try and get on this ride and we really had every intention of having the girls meet us based on the 530 race time. Knowing that was pushed back, we were told to go and secure our boarding group and then hope that the girls were quick enough to join us to be able to get into a group themselves.

So, flashing back, at 615 Mike and I walked back to the main parking lot area to meet up with the Lyft driver we had secured. She arrived shortly after we had arrived in the pickup zone and off we went. She knew exactly what our plan was and was super friendly throughout the drive over to the Studios. It didn't take us long to arrive and get dropped off just a few hundred yards from the security checkpoint.

At this point it was a little after 630 and there were people everywhere. The security lines we packed but again moved fairly quickly. We actually picked a really good line that flew by and before we knew it, we had scanned our bands and were inside the grounds of DHS.

People were pouring through the gates and making their way down the main drag towards the Chinese Theatre to find their place to wait for the 7am rush to the MDE app.


We arrived in what seemed like the central hub for the park and Disney was making it as clear as possible about where to position yourself depending on where you wanted to go once the park officially opened.


We kinda hunkered down in the middle, not exactly sure what our plan would be outside of making sure we could get our hands on a boarding group. There were CMs with loudspeakers walking through the crowd relaying instructions on the different directions to take once the park opened and how to try to secure your group. Open space was getting filled in very quickly as 7 am approached.


Shortly before 7 we got the text that the girls had finished and were trying there best to hail a ride over but for whatever reason were struggling. I told them to hold on for a few minutes and I'd order them a Lyft. I had to take a pause on getting their ride so that we could get down to business.

7 am hit and immediately everyone was on their phones hoping for some good news. Seconds after the clock turned to 7 there were loud cheers from people who were successful in securing their place in the queue. We scrambled a bit but then it happened...


We were IN! WE high fived and tried to figure out what the next move was. We thought Toy Story Land but quickly reversed course to head to Star Tours since we knew both Kelly and Kerri would not want to go on that ride at all. Figured that was a good way to get an early Star Wars fix right off the bat. As we walked over I summoned a Lyft to pick up Kelly and Kerri. They let us know they were on the way just as we made it to the Star Tours queue.

There were so many people funneling over to the Galaxy's Edge entrance but very few taking a quick detour into Star Tours.


We walked into the standby queue and right into the building. Our buddies R2 and C3P0 were the first to greet us as we sped past him right into the boarding area to pick up our glasses and be assigned to our flight.


We waited no time at all before boarding our cruiser and strapping in for our flight. The vehicle was maybe half full at best which was not surprising at all based on how many folks were heading straight into GE.

Our flight was very cool...it made me thankful that I had watched Rise of Skywalker the week before our trip as the scene was straight out of the movie. Had we not have watched the movie we definitely would have been lost but with those memories fresh in our minds, it was sweet to be right on the bridge deck of the fallen Death Star. And how cool seeing Lando welcome you back home!

Our day was starting out very well so far and in checking the MDE app, boarding groups were spoken for but backup groups were still open. The girls still had a chance to get in the queue. Kelly mentioned they were just about at the park so planned to head back to the main entrance to meet them.

The sun was almost up, the crowds had somewhat fanned out and the park was starting to come to life!


Mike and I had just enough time to ask a quick Memory Maker question to one of the guest services CMs near the front of the park before we spotted Kelly and Kerri coming through the gates. We hustled over to give them a big hug for completing their race but quickly reached for a phone to see if they might still have a chance. Luckily they were able to get into boarding group 120 so there was at least a chance that they could sneak on assuming the day went smoothly with limited ride breakdown.

Now that everyone was in the park we could go and have some fun, but not before a congratulatory photo!


The two very proud runners were pumped to showcase those medals throughout the park!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Enjoying reading this!! Especially since I'll be at Princess soon. It's fun reading about the rundisney experience. Also, you probably addressed Kelly's eyelashes in the pre-trip but I'm too lazy to go back. Did she get like some long-term extensions? I've thought about doing that since I can't put lashes on to save my life.

Thanks for reading along, and I hope you have a great time at Princess! If it's anything like our experience, I have no doubt you'll have a blast.

The day before we left, Kelly had lash extensions put on to help save time and effort in the morning, plus she looked really good too! They lasted the entirety of the trip and a few weeks after we returned home but all were gone as of this past weekend.

I'm sure she would recommend trying it out and is already planning on doing it again before we head back to WDW in September.

 

[MegRuss626]

Thanks for reading along, and I hope you have a great time at Princess! If it's anything like our experience, I have no doubt you'll have a blast.

The day before we left, Kelly had lash extensions put on to help save time and effort in the morning, plus she looked really good too! They lasted the entirety of the trip and a few weeks after we returned home but all were gone as of this past weekend.

I'm sure she would recommend trying it out and is already planning on doing it again before we head back to WDW in September.

For Kelly - Not sure if you guys can get it in Canada, but I started using LashBoost by Rodan+Fields. You apply it to your lash line before bed and it’s makes them longer and fuller. Paired with mascara, I’ve had people ask if I got extensions!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

For Kelly - Not sure if you guys can get it in Canada, but I started using LashBoost by Rodan+Fields. You apply it to your lash line before bed and it’s makes them longer and fuller. Paired with mascara, I’ve had people ask if I got extensions!

Of course, I wouldn't know if this type of product is available but I know Kelly is following along so she may be able to jump in. Her sister is an R+F seller so it would be easy to get if so.

I think her thing with the extensions was to not even have to bring her mascara but that was really for the trip specifically. For an ever day type thing, I'm not sure if she's considered anything else.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

@sheriffwoody I did get lash extensions before the trip. I did the volume set so they are more pricier but when they start to fall out you don’t notice it as much because they are so full. I would have loved to get them done but you need to touch them up about every 3-4 weeks and it costs 70$ each time but I will definitely do it again in September. It was a huge time saver.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

@MegRuss626 yes we do have R and F, but I’m not sure about the lash boost. I’m definitely one of those people who need to wear mascara or I look like a zombie. I’ll have to check it out, thanks!

 

[MegRuss626]

@MegRuss626 yes we do have R and F, but I’m not sure about the lash boost. I’m definitely one of those people who need to wear mascara or I look like a zombie. I’ll have to check it out, thanks!

You and me both! Plus, my lashes weren’t that long. (Thank goodness Ryleigh seems to have her dad’s lashes lol) I was looking at extensions but the upkeep seemed a bit much for me. Def look into the lashboost!