Trip Report *Completed* The Running Princesses PHM 2015

Hi everyone! I can't believe we are already home from our trip :(. It went by so fast, but we had a great time and I can't wait to share it with all of you!!

Here is my PTR if you want to see it : http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/birthday-surprises-and-running-princesses.888457/

Ok lets get started! I'm going to try and get as much of this TR done before I start my month of nights :)
Who? :
My Mom (Mary), my sisters Jill and Betta (her name is Elizabeth we call her Betta) and myself (Megan)
In the picture from Left to right is Me, my Mom, Betta and Jill
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When?: Feb 21 - March 2 2015 (my sisters left Feb 28th)

Where?: The Wildness Lodge - our first time staying there and we loved it! I definitely would love to stay there again if I had the chance! It was our first time staying at a Deluxe Resort as well and it was a great experience. I upgraded from POFQ with the Stay Play and Dine discount.

Why? The Princess Half Marathon happened to coincide with my vacation time (in residency you have to pick your vacation at the beginning of the year and in 2 week blocks - I ended up jokingly picking Feb based on the low predicted crowd levels at Disney assuming I wasn't actually going to go!) and I always wanted to do a Run Disney event so it ended up being the perfect plan! Also, my sisters and my Dad and I gave this trip to my mom for her Birthday in August as a surprise :)

Ok First Day Saturday Feb 21st:
I think I slept like 3 hours at most before officially getting up around 5:00am to head to the airport. It was all good though I was going to Disney!!! (And ICU really helped me prepare for living on no sleep haha)
My mom, Jill and I all flew down from Buffalo together and Betta was flying down from Rochester and meeting us there (our flights were actually landing at the same time). Oh I also woke up at 3:30 am to find a text from Betta about how she thought we were staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and she was worried her DME tag said the wrong thing :banghead: I corrected her and then took that chance to check on some of my ICU patients and asked a fellow resident about an update on them before he told me "go on vacation already" haha.

There was a long line for Southwest and I was apparently mad about it haha
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This was my first time flying Southwest in a very long time. It was really nice to check two bags for free, especially since we had to bring all our running stuff down. I am by no means a light packer so it was especially nice to bring two suitcases so I had room for souvenirs haha :happy:

Here are the Magic Bands! I decorated them with a decal I got off Easy
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Here is Jill with my Ewok...of course he had to come...along with like 8 other stuffed animals
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We briefly decided that we would wear masks on the plane so we wouldn't get sick. We told Betta our plan and she made fun of us...and then everyone on the plane looked at us funny so we took a picture and then immediately took them off haha

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As if the masks didn't draw enough attention to us I got a peanut shell stuck in my tooth and my mom (who is a dental hygienist) and Jill (who is a dentist) had to floss it out of my teeth because it was literally driving me insane. Yep..we were the weirdos on the plane haha

The flight was otherwise uneventful and we found Betta waiting for us when we got off the plane
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We made our way down to DME but not before I made everyone take this picture!
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First "ride" at Disney ;)
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When we got down to DME is was really crowded, but who cares we are in Disney!
It was a little chilly outside but sunny so it was good to feel some warmth after being stuck in the coldest winter I've ever lived through!
The bus definitely took forever since the Wilderness Lodge was the last stop. There were a lot of fellow runners on the bus which was cool! We sat behind some ladies that had some drama about buying park tickets (who doesn't buy them before they leave?! haha) and the one kept insisting that she would never use the Magic Band with a credit card attached to it because it if gets lost someone can spend all your money (it took everything in my power to not speak up and tell her you get a pin with it).
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I missed the picture of us going under the arch but did get this one!
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Having never stayed at a MK resort before I thought it was so cool we got a sneak peak of the castle and of MK itself!
Betta took this picture of the sign with my ears
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Anddddd finally we were at the Wilderness Lodge!!
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It took my breath away it was so amazing! I of course cried a little when I saw it haha

We're here!!!
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I have more pictures of the hotel later but we were a bit rushed to get to the expo so I didn't stop and take too many pictures. Check in was painless and our room was ready! Room 3022!

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View from our balcony: (it took me nearly the entire vacation to realize we could see the monorail from here and Bay Lake towers haha)
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We were starving and as much as I wanted to get to the Expo I eventually agreed we needed to eat so we headed to Roaring Fork for a quick bite to eat:
My mom, Betta and I split Turkey Wraps which were good and Jill had a cheeseburger which she loved
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Then we headed to the Expo! Next post Expo and MK!
 

LisaBelle

Well-Known Member
I don't want your TR to end :(. Sorry you didn't get to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade. We only got to see part of it last summer. That is one thing I really want to see on my next trip. Definitely keep the pistachio creme brûlée on your list for next time. As a fellow creme brûlée lover I think it is very yummy and worth trying! I am eagerly awaiting your next post!
 

CtDisneyGuy33

Well-Known Member
Ok guys....sorry for dragging this out so long! Day 10 continued:
When we got back to the WL we packed up our bags and headed down to the airline check in desk (well...not before we ate a caramel we saved from Epcot..haha). Next time I leave I will certainly use Bell Services haha We definitely struggled to wheel four suitcases and haul our carry ons without my Dad to help (he has already said next time we go we have to be responsible for carrying our two suitcases if we insist on bringing them hahaha)
Check in was painless and we hopped on the Downtown Disney/Typhoon Lagoon bus and we were very excited to hit the wave pool! However, the bus driver skipped TL and went straight to Downtown Disney. When I asked if there was a reason he was not stopping at TL he was puzzled as to why anyone would want to go to the water park, but took us after he dropped off the Downtown Disney people....um...didn't think bus drivers could decide who wants to go where haha
We made it!
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Here comes a wave!
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We survived the wave pool!!
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I took this picture to send everyone back home and make them sad they were stuck with snow...I'm so nice
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My mom and I enjoyed the wave pool for awhile, wandered around to go on some of the slides and then back to the wave pool. We made an effort to go on the family raft ride but the struggle to get the raft up the stairs by ourselves was real so we vowed to never do that again without someone else haha
We were starting to get hungry and decided to head out and to Downtown Disney
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While waiting for the bus I made a reservation for Paradiso 37. We ate there last trip and really enjoyed it but we weren't feeling well because of the heat so we wanted to go back.
What bus were we waiting for you may ask?
The Saratoga Springs bus....
We debated between going to Downtown Disney via the boat from POFQ or walk from Saratoga Springs so we decided to try and walk from Saratoga Springs. Well, when the bus dropped us off we had literally no clue where we were and had to ask for directions to Downtown Disney many times haha. I never knew that place was so big! We ended up finding a CM who worked for DVC and he was walking to Downtown Disney so we walked with him. He was nice but he literally walked so fast my mom and I had trouble keeping up haha (and we are fast walkers). He was telling us about all the Run Disney races and asked us if we were DVC members...we said no but Jill was (half true...she used to be) so we were just checking out the resort and got lost. In any case, he left us at Downtown Disney and we rushed over to Paradiso because we were like 15 minutes late for our reservation (since I grossly underestimated how long it would take us...). It didn't matter, however, since the place was practically empty!
It felt good to sit down!
My mom had the Quesadillas
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And I had the Guacamole/jalapeño burger which sadly looks like its off the menu
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Both were very good!
We were pretty full after this but wanted to try Ghirardelli since we had never had anything before.
I got some sort of mint sundae
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My mom got a salted caramel sundae
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They were so good but I think I ate like two bites of mine I was so full!
This is me documenting for the TR haha
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We wandered around the shops a bit after this but we had no room in our carry ons so we didn't buy anything...good thing probably haha

Next up saying goodbye to the hotel, some room pictures I took for my dad and our adventure home!


WOW- look at that serious face taking pictures of Ice Cream!!
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So sad it's the end! I've really enjoyed your report. And now you've got me on the edge of my seat about this announcement! :D

Thanks for reading! Sorry for making you wait for the announcement haha

I don't want your TR to end :(. Sorry you didn't get to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade. We only got to see part of it last summer. That is one thing I really want to see on my next trip. Definitely keep the pistachio creme brûlée on your list for next time. As a fellow creme brûlée lover I think it is very yummy and worth trying! I am eagerly awaiting your next post!

I will def be going to Tonys next trip...even if just for dessert :) And also watching the Festival of Fantasy parade! Can't wait to hear about the details of your upcoming trip :)

WOW- look at that serious face taking pictures of Ice Cream!!

Trip reporting is serious stuff :)
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ok so I wanted to make a quick summary of the trip/tips/observations: (and my announcement :))

Run Disney: I will definitely be doing another Run Disney event! I loved the course and the whole thing was very well organized! I have truly never had such a pleasant race experience. If you want to get race merchandise then you should get to the expo on the first day but I personally liked getting there the day before the race because I didn't spend too much precious Disney time worrying about running a Half Marathon. Also, by the time we got to the Expo it was not crowded at all so we were in and out pretty quickly! Another thing is you spend a lot of time the morning of the race standing around so sit when you can to rest your legs! Definitely bring long sleeves to throw out too haha we were very cold that morning. Lastly, I grossly underestimated just how much time the expo and the race took out of our trip so in hindsight my mom and I were saying we probably should have stayed a few days longer and not tried to go to the parks on race day and on the expo day :)

Wilderness Lodge: I'm hopeful that was not a once in a lifetime experience because I would do anything to stay there again. I liked that it was a Deluxe resort but has a friendly feel and I loved the boat transportation! Don't have anything bad to say :) Oh, also loved the beach !

Dessert Party: we really enjoyed this! However, with the price increase not sure I would pay for it now. Had it remained the same price I would definitely go back the view was nice and the food was great!

Restaurants I absolutely adored and would definitely go back:
California Grill (our new first night tradition)
Sci Fi Diner
Flame Tree BBQ
Via Napoli
Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Splittsville !!!

Places we probably won't go back to...at least not on our next trip:
Pizza Planet (it was OK but not great)
Tutto Italia - I feel meh about this place but everyone else likes it

Fast Pass Plus: I still love this even though I know people have issues with it. I am also a huge planner so I think that helps. I still say to make Fast Passes starting at mid morning so you can add them on when you finish your original three :)

OK! HERE IS MY ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
My mom and I are going to....Disney....LAND (in August!!!) !!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! My best friend in residency is getting married in California so I figured what a great time to visit Disneyland...esp since its the 60th anniversary ! I have never been to Disneyland and my mom has not been there since the 70s haha I don't know anything about Disneyland so this is going to be quite the adventure for me and I am really excited! I will start my Pre TR soon :cat:;):):rolleyes:

Thanks to everyone for reading my TR I hope you enjoyed it!
 

LisaBelle

Well-Known Member
Great TR! Sad it is over. Disneyland!!!! So exciting! My family went to Disneyland for one day when I was about 9. I do t remember many details. We had lots of fun and I still have the Minnie Mouse purse that I bought as a souvenir! Would love to go back as an adult especially now that I am a massive Disney freak! Very excited to read the pre- trip. It will be very different planning for Disneyland. I've read
several really good TRs from Disneyland so I am sure that your friends here on the forum will have lots of great advice for you. Thanks for another great trip report and happy planning!!!
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
WAHOO!! You'll love Disneyland. That was all I knew until 3 years ago. I have family near Anaheim, so I grew up going often. It's a wonderful place, and I'm so jealous you'll get to experience the 60th stuff! I really hope they keep it going for a while. I've heard 18 months thrown around, so if I get to go next summer, maybe I'll see some of the parades and stuff.

Looking forward to the pre trip report!
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
Upset that your trip report is over, but DISNEYLAND!! So excited for you! And mmmm that ice cream! Last trip I over ate at earl of sandwich, so next trip I vow to try Ghiradelli! Thanks so much for sharing, I love your reports. I always feel like a fool taking photos of all my meals, so it's nice to have fellow Disney lovers that understand. :)
 

Brian & Jill

Well-Known Member
Love love love your trip reports!!!! I'm might attempt one for our Disney cruise and also for our land portion both at the end of this month. Disneyland was ok...but we were not able to give it a fair shake because we drove there from Las Vegas. We left at 4:30am and got there right before park opening. We stayed the all day and pretty much closed the park and then drove back that night:banghead::banghead::banghead:. We would like to go there again so we can do both parks. Enough of me rambling:p:p:p....looking forward to your pre-trip report!!!!
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Great TR! Sad it is over. Disneyland!!!! So exciting! My family went to Disneyland for one day when I was about 9. I do t remember many details. We had lots of fun and I still have the Minnie Mouse purse that I bought as a souvenir! Would love to go back as an adult especially now that I am a massive Disney freak! Very excited to read the pre- trip. It will be very different planning for Disneyland. I've read
several really good TRs from Disneyland so I am sure that your friends here on the forum will have lots of great advice for you. Thanks for another great trip report and happy planning!!!

Thats so awesome that you still have that souvenir for Disneyland I wish I was that thoughtful to keep some of my stuff from trips past! Planning is definitely much different...I am waiting for my Unofficial Guide to come in the mail so I have a better idea of planning

WAHOO!! You'll love Disneyland. That was all I knew until 3 years ago. I have family near Anaheim, so I grew up going often. It's a wonderful place, and I'm so jealous you'll get to experience the 60th stuff! I really hope they keep it going for a while. I've heard 18 months thrown around, so if I get to go next summer, maybe I'll see some of the parades and stuff.
Looking forward to the pre trip report!

Oh wow I am definitely going to have to ask for some advice haha I know WDW like the back of my hand and feel like I've successfully mastered getting around but planning for this trip is definitely out of my comfort zone!

Great report! Loved reading about your adventures.

Thank you so much for reading :)
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Upset that your trip report is over, but DISNEYLAND!! So excited for you! And mmmm that ice cream! Last trip I over ate at earl of sandwich, so next trip I vow to try Ghiradelli! Thanks so much for sharing, I love your reports. I always feel like a fool taking photos of all my meals, so it's nice to have fellow Disney lovers that understand. :)

Thank you so much for reading! I love your trip reports too! Ghirardelli is definitely worth it. Even though I think I ate like 5 bites they were 5 amazing bites haha. I used to feel weird always taking pictures of my food but now I am so used to it that when I am on other trips I have to stop myself from doing it haha I took one picture in Jamaica and my friends were like ...uh...what are you doing haha

Love love love your trip reports!!!! I'm might attempt one for our Disney cruise and also for our land portion both at the end of this month. Disneyland was ok...but we were not able to give it a fair shake because we drove there from Las Vegas. We left at 4:30am and got there right before park opening. We stayed the all day and pretty much closed the park and then drove back that night:banghead::banghead::banghead:. We would like to go there again so we can do both parks. Enough of me rambling:p:p:p....looking forward to your pre-trip report!!!!

You should definitely do a TR!!! I love reading TRs about cruises because I will probably never go on one so I like to live through other people haha. I am excited for Disneyland but all of my friends and family keep telling me that I will be disappointed so hopefully not haha. I will definitely start my PTR soon once I read my guidebook and have a better idea of what I am doing haha
 

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