Pre-Trip George and Scott plan a family-free ToT Ten Miler trip

I guess you could say that the beginnings of this thread started in another Trip Report. Mine actually. In November of last year I took a trip to run in my first runDisney race, the Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon. I finished the race, had a good time, got home, wrote up my trip report. Next thing I know, I get a message in my WDWMagic Inbox from @George

Scott,
I read the beginning of your trip report and it gave me an idea. Since my kids are school age, the Disney races aren't at good times, would you consider doing a half marathon or Tower of Terror Ten Miler with me? We could pick the exact dates and times later, since there are 4 or 5 options.
Thoughts?
- - George

With this, the seeds of a trip were planted.

We've had a few brief conversations via phone and PM to set some of the basics. We decided upon the Tower of Terror Ten Miler race, in October 2014, mostly because we're excited for the afterparty at DHS. We've registered for the race.

We've also somehow gotten the blessings of our spouses that this trip will be "solo". Just two gentlemen heading down for some wholesome fun, to run a 10 mile race through the WDW Property, to ride some rides, enjoy some of the fine food options, and have a good time enjoying the parks without kids slowing us down there to join us in the fun. I've even got my wife to let me put off telling my kids until just about a week before I leave for the race, so I don't have to spend the next 8 months with my children openly hating me.

What I thought would be fun though is if @George and I would make the plans for our trip out here in the trip report forum under a Pre-Trip heading. That way we can solicit the opinions of anyone who would be so inclined to read this little thread, and we can utilize the vast knowledge of our fellow WDWMagic fans to prepare a great short vacation.

So, to start off @George I think we firm up the dates. I'm thinking we fly down on Thursday, 10/2 and return on Monday 10/6. That'd give us a couple days in which we're not being asked to run ungodly distances where we can enjoy the parks. A day or two prior to the race, and a day or two limping around after the race.

I think the flight schedules open up soonish, so if you'd like to fly out of your local airport and meet me down there, or if you'd like to pop up to my place and stay on Wednesday night and we fly together out of Midway, that would work as well. If we did that, it would give me the added benefit of staging a faux kidnapping in front of my kids so that I can claim plausible deniability in knowingly leaving them to go to WDW.

 

[sshindel]

Those are the dates I'm looking at.

My big hiccup is getting vacation days a week after I come back from girls cruise. Like, week off work, come back for 4 days, and be looking for 2 more days off.

Also, I might have to bring the hubs. But you've met him, Linda, and can vouch to everyone else the fact that he respects our mania. And you'd have a smoking buddy.

Well, you know, I'm not twisting your arm here and FORCING you to come down and join in on the festivities.
Though, I'm fairly certain it would be quite a good time. Plus, you will get to laugh at @George and I as we try our best to limp around a park on Sunday, a day after the race, all sore and chafed, proudly wearing our medals around our necks, even though the added weight of them causes us immense pain.

 

[sshindel]

This whole relationship is so cute

Also...it was 60 yesterday in the Chi and today we're getting snow?! What was that about training?

This snow storm is getting me very angry and I've not really started training.
Well, I take that back. Over the weekend I picked up an elliptical machine and used it for the first time yesterday morning. 30 minutes. Less than 1/3 of the total time I'll likely be running in October. I'm still sore today. It was painful to finish that. This snow better come and go QUICKLY and let me back outside, because time is ticking. I will be riding my bike for my commute on March 30th, snow and potholes the size of compact cars be darned, it will happen. I just need to get in shape to the point where riding my bike 18.5 miles round trip does not literally kill me.

 

[Tiggerish]

Well, you know, I'm not twisting your arm here and FORCING you to come down and join in on the festivities.
Though, I'm fairly certain it would be quite a good time. Plus, you will get to laugh at @George and I as we try our best to limp around a park on Sunday, a day after the race, all sore and chafed, proudly wearing our medals around our necks, even though the added weight of them causes us immense pain.

Of course you're not twisting my arm! I hate to miss out on a good time, so I'll go to ridiculous lengths to make it happen, until someone makes me see reason.

 

[sshindel]

Of course you're not twisting my arm! I hate to miss out on a good time, so I'll go to ridiculous lengths to make it happen, until someone makes me see reason.

You won't find me trying to convince you of a silly thing like reason! I'm really hopeful you can make it work out!

 

[George]

Advice from the really good runners out there. Should we do 6 or 7 table service meals a day to make sure we are appropriately carbo loaded for the race?

 

[Master Yoda]

Advice from the really good runners out there. Should we do 6 or 7 table service meals a day to make sure we are appropriately carbo loaded for the race?

I say you go to Trails end for breakfast the day before and just keep eating until the end of dinner service.

 

[xdan0920]

Advice from the really good runners out there. Should we do 6 or 7 table service meals a day to make sure we are appropriately carbo loaded for the race?

I did run a mile and a half Wednesday. For dinner the night before I ate an entire half a Pizza and an order of Jalepeno Poppers. So, 7.

 

[Nemo14]

I say you go to Trails end for breakfast the day before and just keep eating until the end of dinner service.

and don't forget to ask for ketchup!

 

[Nemo14]

I walked from my car to the door at Wendy's the other day and then ate a whole chicken sandwich meal, so I'd say at least 6...

 

[sshindel]

I think we need to work on our optimal calorie intake plan. Assuming we're planning on carbo-loading, we've got quite a few options at our fingertips. We've got Mama Melrose, Tutto Italia, Via Napoli, Portobello, Il Mulino, and Tony's.
So, based on those, here's my thought. Friday night, we're going to be feeling pretty good still, but low on our carbs. We can pretty easily knock out a late-lunch at Tonys, head to The Swan for Il Mulino for an early diner, and late night take on Portobello over at DTD, in which we'll get an order to-go as well as our standard late-dinner. Saturday, we'll have a light breakfast of the to-go order from the night before (mmm... cold spaghetti!) before heading to Epcot. We'll want to probably knock out an early lunch at Via Napoli and head directly into Tutto Italia, which should get us through with enough time to head back to Wilderness Lodge, change into our running gear, and head over to DHS for a diner at Mama Melrose's, finishing right before the starting gun of the 10 miler. After the race, we'll celebrate with well-earned beers (lots of them) and rides back to back to back on ToT and Rock and Roller Coaster.

 

[Tiggerish]

How can you even mention Tony's and Il Mulino in the same sentence??

 

[Master Yoda]

I think we need to work on our optimal calorie intake plan. Assuming we're planning on carbo-loading, we've got quite a few options at our fingertips. We've got Mama Melrose, Tutto Italia, Via Napoli, Portobello, Il Mulino, and Tony's.
So, based on those, here's my thought. Friday night, we're going to be feeling pretty good still, but low on our carbs. We can pretty easily knock out a late-lunch at Tonys, head to The Swan for Il Mulino for an early diner, and late night take on Portobello over at DTD, in which we'll get an order to-go as well as our standard late-dinner. Saturday, we'll have a light breakfast of the to-go order from the night before (mmm... cold spaghetti!) before heading to Epcot. We'll want to probably knock out an early lunch at Via Napoli and head directly into Tutto Italia, which should get us through with enough time to head back to Wilderness Lodge, change into our running gear, and head over to DHS for a diner at Mama Melrose's, finishing right before the starting gun of the 10 miler. After the race, we'll celebrate with well-earned beers (lots of them) and rides back to back to back on ToT and Rock and Roller Coaster.

Have you forgotten that some of the best mass produced mac-n-cheese in the world is at nearly every restaurant on property?

 

[sshindel]

Have you forgotten that some of the best mass produced mac-n-cheese in the world is at nearly every restaurant on property?

I actually had. Maybe we should just walk from restaurant to restaurant ordering kids meals. Too bad they don't typically give out happy-meal style toys. Think of the collections we could have at the end if we made it our goal to hit every QS joint we passed! Shouldn't they give out some sort of janky vinylmation-inspired kids toy in every kids-meal?

 

[George]

We could make our own happy meal style toys and force the people behind the counter at the restaurants to give them to us with our meals.

 

[sshindel]

We could make our own happy meal style toys and force the people behind the counter at the restaurants to give them to us with our meals.

"I'll have a kids Mac and Cheese with apple slices and a chocolate milk. And can you please take all of the food, and this Captain America toy and put it in this cardboard box I've drawn on with crayons?"

 

[xdan0920]

"I'll have a kids Mac and Cheese with apple slices and a chocolate milk. And can you please take all of the food, and this Captain America toy and put it in this cardboard box I've drawn on with crayons?"

"No, no. You don't have to get the manager. No, security isn't needed. Ok, we'll find our way out. Why does WDW security need guns? RUN GEORGE!!!!"

 

[sshindel]

"No, no. You don't have to get the manager. No, security isn't needed. Ok, we'll find our way out. Why does WDW security need guns? RUN GEORGE!!!!"

Good point. We should try it out for sure before the race. After the race, I have a feeling we'd just sit down and take the beating. Running will NOT be an option.
Two days after last year's race, we went to DHS. We had not scheduled any fastpass+es, and they were still giving out paper ones (ahh, the good old days), so my wife and I made the decision we were running for it. She was taking the kids to Jedi Training Academy signup, I was running for TSMM Fastpasses. I nearly died there, under the shadow of that Big Hat that I hate so. It would have been a fitting end, it sitting there, mocking me.

 

[Tiggerish]

"I'll have a kids Mac and Cheese with apple slices and a chocolate milk. And can you please take all of the food, and this Captain America toy and put it in this cardboard box I've drawn on with crayons?"

You are officially nuts.

Explains why I feel such kinship with you.

 

[sshindel]

You'd think since @George and I saw each other this past weekend, that this trip would be all planned out now. Oddly enough though, out of everyone that I was lucky enough to hang out with, George was the one I probably got a chance to talk to the least. It's also a good example of why I'm leaving my kids at home for this trip, as chasing my 3 year old around is likely what made it so I couldn't catch up with George.
That being said, if my Trip Countdown is doing the math correctly, we're 12 days away from being able to make ADRs.
It seems one of our potential options is going to be off the table as well, (RIP Kouzzina, I never ate at you, but always heard good things).
So, we've got a list of 12 or so carbo-loading meals set up. And there was talk of a Sunday morning post-race celebratory trip to the Poly for some Tonga Toast / Pineapple Macadamia Nut Pancakes and Kona Coffee.
Now, unless we decide we need to get our picture taken with many princesses at Norway, most of these meals are probably not going to require us to wake up at the crack of dawn on day 180 and make the ADRs, so I'm not going to worry too much. The thought of us doing the Princess Processional at Akershus is ALMOST tempting, though I have a feeling they just might call in the castle guards and have security walk us out if we tried to get up and march with the kiddies.

 

[George]

You'd think since @George and I saw each other this past weekend, that this trip would be all planned out now. Oddly enough though, out of everyone that I was lucky enough to hang out with, George was the one I probably got a chance to talk to the least. It's also a good example of why I'm leaving my kids at home for this trip, as chasing my 3 year old around is likely what made it so I couldn't catch up with George.
That being said, if my Trip Countdown is doing the math correctly, we're 12 days away from being able to make ADRs.
It seems one of our potential options is going to be off the table as well, (RIP Kouzzina, I never ate at you, but always heard good things).
So, we've got a list of 12 or so carbo-loading meals set up. And there was talk of a Sunday morning post-race celebratory trip to the Poly for some Tonga Toast / Pineapple Macadamia Nut Pancakes and Kona Coffee.
Now, unless we decide we need to get our picture taken with many princesses at Norway, most of these meals are probably not going to require us to wake up at the crack of dawn on day 180 and make the ADRs, so I'm not going to worry too much. The thought of us doing the Princess Processional at Akershus is ALMOST tempting, though I have a feeling they just might call in the castle guards and have security walk us out if we tried to get up and march with the kiddies.

Yeah, we didn't get to visit much. It mostly had to do with the fact our entire group was seated at a fabulously long table and we were at opposite ends. I love Kona Cafe. I'll look into a late breakfast (typically you can make ressies for breakfast up until 11:15 am). I don't think we'll be up at the butt crack of dawn if we're riding Tower of Terror at 3:47 am.