DNF not and option..our 2014 disney world marathon pre trip report!

Woohoo!

A few months back dh and I took the plunge and signed up for the WDW Marathon! This is a first for both of us. We will be completing the Disneyland half in Sept (I'm doing DDD) which will be my 4th half marathon, but dh's first. I am also signed up to complete two more half marathons (Oct and Nov) as part of my 2013 - "13 in 13" challenge.

We are still sorting out the details, but are at the 180 mark so I booked ADRs this morning (in the shadow of my Philly color run finish nonetheless).

Here are the basic details.

Travelers:
DH - aka Jon. 29
Me- aka Hannah, will be 29 in dec
MiL- aka Cathy, dh's mom who keeps forgetting there are now four parks at wdw. 62
FiL- aka randy, dh's dad Whois along for the ride, but excited to see us run! Will be 65 in Oct.
SiL- aka Jenny, dh's sister. 33
BiL- aka Tony who may not be able to make it on the trip, but will be a first time visitor if he does! 38?
Niece- aka Angela, 1 yr 3 months and a first timer (of course!). We are curious how she will be with characters. The plan was to take her down closer to age three but the opportunity came up to go now!
Mom- aka Lisa who accompanied me for the princess half as my personal cheerleader and inspired invitations for the whole family for this race-- still on the fence if attending.
Dad- aka Darrell who doesn't like to fly which complicates getting to/from Florida from Pennsylvania. still on the fence if attending
Bro- aka Zachary who doesn't like disney (or any park, for that matter) and probably won't come down.
SiL2 aka Heidi who has never been and is dying to come, but likely wont be able to make this trip.

We have some extended family and friends who may come along as well. I'll mention them as they confirm down the road.


Where:
DH and I are currently booked at all, but will likely drop to a moderate resort to free up funds for other things.
MiL, FiL, SiL, BiL, and Niece will be staying in their RV at fort wilderness.
Mom and Dad, bro and SiL2 are not booked anywhere yet since they are still on the fence.


Adrs( for now,haha):
Fri1/10 dinner at Boma (DH & I)
Sat 1/11 dinner at Trails End (Everyone)
Sun 1/12 dinner at Via Napoli (Everyone)
Mon 1/13 lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern (DH, me and DH's Family) and dinner at Be Our Guest (DH, Me and my folks)
Tues 1/14 breakfast at Tusker House (DH, Me and My folks)
We'd 1/15 lunch at Hollywood Brown Derby (DH & I)
Thurs 1/16 dinner at Biergarten (DH, Me and DH's folks)
Fri 1/17 Universal Studios day (eek! I know...)
Sat 1/18 dinner at Be Our Guest (DH & I)


That's it for now!
H

 

[Hannah1284]

Email #8 - General and Magic Kingdom Tips, Tricks and Freebies!

Magic Kingdom Tips, Tricks and Freebies!There are some great "freebies" and tips that apply across the board at Disney. I'll recap a few here and then get into some more specifics for Magic Kingdom.
First off -- don't go thirsty. You can stop by any food stand and ask for a cup of water to go -- for free. You can also carry along a filtered water bottle (brita makes one I like). Fill it at any water fountain and drink it down then carry around the empty (light) water.
You can carry food into the parks to help ease your hunger pains as well. There are some rules that Disney asks you to keep within, but they are not super strict on them. I recommend keeping some granola bars and snacks on hand. If you want to carry sandwiches and such, you'll probably need to store them in a cooler and rent a locker for the day. Disney food is so good though..and not outside of a frugal budget, so go ahead and indulge a little!
Ask transportation operators (bus drivers) for a trading card! Some will have them and its an extra little souvenir.Stop by guest services and ask for a celebration button (first time, birthday, celebrating something, etc). Wearing these can help you get some additional freebies -- being called on stage, free dessert, extra fast passes, etc!
Photopass. Seriously -- stop and get your picture taken as often as possible!! The photopass photographers do not earn a comission and are often bored. They will take a photo with their camera, but you can also hand them your camera and they will take one (or more) for you with your own camera! Depending on how busy they are, you can ask for additional.
*As a note, Jon and I are going to be purchasing a photopass+ We will get a card in the mail for this and will make sure to get everyone their own photopass card at the beginning of their trip. Just hand this card to the photopass staff member and then give it back to us at the end of the trip. We'll enter all the numbers and then get one disc with everyone's photos. This is something we decided we wanted to do for everyone as a thank you for your continued support!
*Another note...take a photo of the back of your card when you get it. IF you lose it, all you need is the number on the back. If you lose or forget your card, just get a new one for the day (take another picture of the back). You can enter unlimited photopass card numbers into the program so its not a problem at all!
BUT PLEASE -- stop and get photos. You will not regret it! )
First Aid- There is a first aid station at each park. If you are in need of anything, stop by there. If they do not have it, they will be able to direct you where/how to get it!

WiFi - did I mention Disney has free WiFi. Bring your tablets, switch your phones to wifi...take advantage. I'll try to remember to set everyone up with the free app to show you ride wait times and times guides for your trip!
Package Delivery -- Buy stuff throughout the day and you can have it sent to your room or to the front of the park. There is a time limit for delivery to your room (it usually arrives next day), but you can pick up at front of park in the same day. Either is great so you don't have to carry stuff all over the park.
Wake up Calls - You can get a free, Disney Character Wake Up call each and every morning! Since you don't want to be late to the parks, this is a fun option -- or just set your alarms, haha.
Clothing - I highly recommend stopping into the Disney Store at the outlets to check for fun disney attire. This is especially good for kiddies, but fun for adults too! Before our Disneyland Trip I stopped in and was able to snag some really nice Disneyland Tees for Jon and I to wear on our trip out there. That way we weren't sucked into the "I need a disneyland souvenier" and buying things we won't wear again. And lets' be honest, for the $7.50 price tag at the outlet, its not a huge deal if they go into the "pajama" stack!

Magic Kingdom Notes:
It is looking like Splash Mountain will be closed for refurbishment during our trip. Although normally I'd say this is a must-do, it will be January and can be COLD, so its not a huge deal!
Stop by the Confectionary on Main Street for candy/cookie samples! At both Cosmic Rays and Pecos Bill there is a EXTENSIVE toppings bar! This helps "extend" your dollars a bit more and keeps your belly full. Some people have even piled up the toppings on the side to make a side salad for a burger, or other entree.
Tortuga Tavern and Be Our Guest have fill your own beverages -- that means free refills! All other restaurants give you your cup already filled. Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom and the new Treasures of the Seven Seas are both interactive games in which you receiving playing cards. These cards make great little souvenir extras!
Check out the Times Guide and ask at your resort about special tours, events, etc. These won't be free, but they will add a little extra "magic" to your trip.