Poor Unfortunate Soles: A 2013 Marathon Weekend (5K, Half and Full Marathon) Trip Report!

Disneyfalcon · Feb 11, 2013

That was such a great race report, Shannon. I just loved it. Those medals are amazing. What an accomplishment!!
I was so excited when you saw Will!
And your picture with Minnie is the best picture of the day!

Kristia · Feb 11, 2013

Ariel484 said:
You really can't beat the feeling of finishing the first marathon. I don't know about you but running it a second time was SO different. Although maybe you can't judge since you were feeling so crappy. By the way, I think I have that chest cold you have...just getting over it after almost 2 weeks. It sucks! No way I could have run a marathon with it...BIG props to you for pushing through!

That sucks you are sick now too. That darn cough just hangs on and on. I think I am finally over it now. Its been almost a month since I've been back!

LindsayLoves · Feb 12, 2013

Ariel484 said:
Goofy 2015!! WOOHOO! I bet that one will fill up quickly...

Not going to lie after the Disneyland Half filled up so quickly I signed up for the Disney Visa in the hopes that early sign up will be available to members for future races so I won't miss out if it gets that crazy. I wonder if Disney is going to start doing a lottery system at any point if races keep selling out the way they have been.

Now that the Goofy part is over do we still get more TR?

Kristia · Feb 12, 2013

Awesome report Shannon!!!

It was really great that Will and P. Craiggy were able to see you so close to the finish! I know that gave you a much needed boost to finish within your goal.

Doesn't that trek around WS seem so much longer than when you walk it? Looking across the lake when you are at mile 25, it seems like you are never going to hit Mexico!

Love your Minnie shot! Next time, I will have to take matters into my own hands since the photographers didn't catch my high-fives to Goofy and Mickey! I just wanted to get done, so I didn't stop for any photos.

Next time!

Awesome medal shots, especially of the Mickey medal! I also didn't notice the back of the Goofy medal until we got home and Dan mentioned it. It really is a nice touch.

I also found myself comparing this race to the last. I guess I really can't accurately compare because of my physical state. I didn't feel the elation that I felt during the first one and I didn't have as fun a time. I know that is probably more because I didn't feel well than the actual race. I bet there is no feeling like finishing your first marathon, so it may be tough to ever recreate that feeling. We have done it before, so we know we can finish. The first time, I know that I had no idea if I could finish or not. Even though I have said time and again that I would never do a full marathon outside of Disney, here I am planning to do the Philadelphia Marathon in 2013 and the MDI Marathon in 2014. It will be interested to see the differences and how I feel finishing these. I hope they provide enough distractions to keep me going! I have done halfs in Philly and it is a great place to run. MDI is supposed to only be second to the Big Sur Marathon in scenery so I am hoping that will keep me going!

Ariel484 · Feb 12, 2013

MKCP 1985 said:
Congrats on becoming Goofy . . . and I tip my cap at you becoming Dopey, too!

The Goofy medal is really priceless. It is something you either do yourself or it doesn't get done, period, and regardless of the finish time - first or last - is something you should count among your lifetime achievements. Mine holds so many positive memories.

Thanks for the report, Shannon. It was really great taking that trip with you, without the leg and foot pain.

Thanks Doug!

I love what you said about the Goofy medal: "It is something you either do yourself or it doesn't get done, period." That is so true. I do all of my training by myself, so I only had myself to answer to if stuff didn't get done. And I feel extra satisfaction because I took your advice to train just like I'd train for a marathon - no more, no less - despite the fact that I had someone tell me that I'd regret it in the end because it wasn't enough mileage. It feels good to know that I did it on my terms because I knew what would work for me. Booyah!

LOL at taking the trip with my "without the leg and foot pain."

Ain't that the truth.

Disneyfalcon said:
That was such a great race report, Shannon. I just loved it. Those medals are amazing. What an accomplishment!!
I was so excited when you saw Will!
And your picture with Minnie is the best picture of the day!

Thanks Tammy! Disney medals are the BEST! They just do not compare to any other medals that I have. They are such better quality, from how heavy they are to what's on the ribbons...plus they have Disney characters on them!

I was so excited to see Will...that gave me such a boost!

Kristia said:
That sucks you are sick now too. That darn cough just hangs on and on. I think I am finally over it now. Its been almost a month since I've been back!

Almost a month?! Yikes, I don't think I quite had what you did then. I was out of commission for 10 days and missed a day of work because I couldn't sleep. It's been a little over 2 weeks since it started and I'm still coughing and blowing my nose more than usual, but I'm back to running my normal schedule...just a bit slower.

I'm so glad you're feeling better!

LindsayLoves said:
Not going to lie after the Disneyland Half filled up so quickly I signed up for the Disney Visa in the hopes that early sign up will be available to members for future races so I won't miss out if it gets that crazy. I wonder if Disney is going to start doing a lottery system at any point if races keep selling out the way they have been.

Now that the Goofy part is over do we still get more TR?

GOOD IDEA. I actually got an email over Marathon Weekend with a link to sign up for the Disneyland Half early. Between that and people signing up at the WDW Marathon/Tinkerbell Half Expo I bet tons of spots were filled before registration "officially" opened. From what I remember I was able to register for the last 2 marathon weekends early...maybe up to a week before registration officially opened. AND I got the Disney Visa discount!

I don't think they have a discount for any other races. I hope that perk doesn't go away any time soon. I can't see them moving to the lottery thing just yet. The Disneyland Half always sells out quicker than any other race (I guess because it's one of 2 Disneyland races and people want the C2C medal), and I think adding the Dumbo stuff just pushed it over the top. The other ones don't sell out like that one does.

Yep, more TR coming your way!

Kristia said:
Awesome report Shannon!!!

It was really great that Will and P. Craiggy were able to see you so close to the finish! I know that gave you a much needed boost to finish within your goal.

Thanks Kristy!! Yeah, Will and P.Craiggy were awesome spectators! I was definitely expecting Will to see me on the course at some point, but I was pleasantly surprised when Craig said he was waiting for me in Epcot. What a guy!

Kristia said:
Doesn't that trek around WS seem so much longer than when you walk it? Looking across the lake when you are at mile 25, it seems like you are never going to hit Mexico!

YES. Oh man. I mean, how many times in a normal day does one walk around the World Showcase like it's no big deal?! Totally different during the last mile of a marathon.

Kristia said:
Love your Minnie shot! Next time, I will have to take matters into my own hands since the photographers didn't catch my high-fives to Goofy and Mickey! I just wanted to get done, so I didn't stop for any photos. Next time!

I love that one too! Love the classic characters in their tracksuits. That is so crappy that the photogs missed your high-fives.

BOO! So not impressed with them this year.

Kristia said:
Awesome medal shots, especially of the Mickey medal! I also didn't notice the back of the Goofy medal until we got home and Dan mentioned it. It really is a nice touch.

I also found myself comparing this race to the last. I guess I really can't accurately compare because of my physical state. I didn't feel the elation that I felt during the first one and I didn't have as fun a time. I know that is probably more because I didn't feel well than the actual race. I bet there is no feeling like finishing your first marathon, so it may be tough to ever recreate that feeling. We have done it before, so we know we can finish. The first time, I know that I had no idea if I could finish or not. Even though I have said time and again that I would never do a full marathon outside of Disney, here I am planning to do the Philadelphia Marathon in 2013 and the MDI Marathon in 2014. It will be interested to see the differences and how I feel finishing these. I hope they provide enough distractions to keep me going! I have done halfs in Philly and it is a great place to run. MDI is supposed to only be second to the Big Sur Marathon in scenery so I am hoping that will keep me going!

Yeah, I certainly don't blame you for having less-than-perfect memories of this marathon.

Hopefully Philly will go much better! I think I knew I was going to finish last year, but it didn't hit me that I was really going to do it until I saw the finish line...what a feeling. I too thought I'd never do a non-Disney marathon...funny how that changes.

Like I said to @LindsayLoves I have heard good things about Philly, so I hope you guys enjoy that one (I'm assuming Dan is running it too). I hadn't heard of the MDI Marathon before but it sounds cool! Definitely a plus to run somewhere where you have nice scenery.

Right now I'm signed up for Cleveland (which is in May). I'm kind of excited about it because I know without all of the stops I should be able to cut at least an hour off of my 5:59:30 time.

The stops are definitely worth it because I love the pictures I got, but it'll be nice to not be on my feet for so long. After that I think I'm going to take the rest of the year to focus on getting my half PR down closer to 2 hours (it's currently 2:13...I'd definitely like to get it under 2:10 by the end of the year). For 2014 I'm looking at the Flying Pig (May), Akron (September) or Columbus (October). Akron is the closest to me but I have heard great things about the Pig...we'll see. And then Goofy in 2015!

Ariel484 · Feb 12, 2013

After I got my Goofy medal I met up with my mom and aunt in the finisher area...they didn't actually see me finish, but it was nice that they were there. Unfortunately, I wasn't super great company. All I wanted was to be clean and dry and out of the sun, and now that I had stopped running I was moving at a snail's pace and was very aware of the pain in my quads and feet. I told them that I was pretty sure that our 1:30 lunch reservation at Kona was in jeopardy and thanked them for being there, but I had to GO. They were very understanding, congratulated me on finishing, and we headed our separate ways. This was the last time I saw them that weekend.

I texted Will that I was done and he said he was near the monorail, so I began the slow hobble to the station. I felt like I was in a fog and I truly don't think I have ever moved so slowly in my life. I wasn't fully paying attention to where I was going and suddenly found myself standing in front of a fence. I just kind of stared at it...where had it come from? Who had put it there? The station was just on the other side, but it looked like I had two options to get there: hop the fence or walk around it (about 50 feet away). Neither seemed appealing or possible at the point, and before I even realized what I was doing I found myself on the other side of the fence. I'd somehow climbed over the it, medals, bottled water, Powerade and weird runDisney snack box in hand.

I'm not sure how I did it - probably the knowledge that I'd be off my feet sooner this way gave me the motivation.

I met up with Will and we headed through bag check at Epcot to get to the monorail station. The CM waived me right through ("Go on, Princess!"

) and we slowly climbed up the ramp to the monorail. I kept apologizing to Will for not moving faster and he said it was fine. We were at the front of the line for our car and against my better judgment I finally allowed myself to sit down. It was glorious

A monorail pulled up pretty quickly, but we weren't allowed to board just yet. It looked like an older passenger was having problems (not sure what happened, but by now it was 80 degrees out, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was dehydration or something else heat-related

). The CMs were helping her out and the platform was filling with people waiting to leave the station. A few minutes later we were allowed to board and I managed to pull myself up using the railings. I stood during both monorail rides so my legs wouldn't tighten up and we made it back to the resort by 1. Finally I accepted defeat and canceled our Kona lunch reservation...so sad.

Love that place for lunch.

We headed back to Conch Key and Will was kind enough to take one of the room's trash cans to the ice machine and fill it with ice. I finally took my shoes off (which didn't feel as good as I'd expected) and took a 10-minute ice bath...and it felt AMAZING. Sweet numbness. After that I finally took that shower I'd been craving all morning, and here I discovered I had some skin issues.

I was sunburned in a few weird strips on my back, which hurt a little bit, but overall my sunscreen had held up very well. Very impressive considering the fact that I'd applied it 10 hours earlier and then proceeded to get soaked in sweat. The bigger issue though was CHAFING. All over my...ahem...chest and rib cage area

, basically any spot that I had missed that morning when I was applying BodyGlide. It was so bad - in fact I still have marks from it almost one month later - that I don’t know how I hadn't felt it until then. I'm so glad I didn't...I can't imagine having felt that burning and still have been able to function on the race course. But I definitely felt it in the shower...yowza. Luckily it was only on my upper body and nowhere else.

After the shower (and lots of Neosporin that I'd brought from home on the chafed areas) I felt a million times better. Will had gotten me another turkey club with those awesome chips from Gaspirlla Island while I was in the shower, so we ate lunch in the room and watched some classic Disney cartoons. It was lovely, and I really remember feeling such an overwhelming sense of relief. I was so incredibly happy to be done, which was kind of sad...it was the first time I remember feeling glad that a Disney race was over. I conked out pretty quickly afterward.

I think I woke up at about 4:15 or 4:30 and quickly got cleaned up for dinner. My quads were still killing me but my feet felt a LOT better. I rolled my quads with The Stick for a bit and we headed out of the room and back to the lobby to catch the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

Ariel484 · Feb 12, 2013

We hopped on a bus to Animal Kingdom and got seated on time for our 5:30 ADR at JIKO...!!!

This is my favorite restaurant EVER. Anywhere. Not just in WDW. It holds lots of great memories for us and it's pretty-much perfect every time. Love it.

This time we were seated in the Wine Room.

We totally want one of these awesome wine trees for the house...I have no idea where we'd put it, but we'd figure something out!

Our server was Paula (only server of the weekend whose name I remember, oops!

) and she was super nice. We got the hot, rose-scented towels (love those) before our basket of bread came.

Then we both ordered drinks. I forget what kind of beer Will ordered, but I ordered the Three Cape Ladies...a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Syrah. This is the same wine I've gotten each time we've gone to Jiko and I was disappointed to see that they don't have it by the glass on the menu anymore. Luckily Paula let me know they had an open bottle, so I was able to get a glass! So yummy.

We put in our orders and I asked that my meat be prepared based on the chef's recommendations (something that I had never thought to do until I read one of @Sweet Melissa 's trip reports). Will followed suit.

Will's dish...Curry-rubbed Lamb Loin with cauliflower puree, eggplant-artichoke Zaalouk and olive-walnut tapenade:

He's so funny...every time we eat at Jiko he'll take a bite, close his eyes, sigh and say, "This is the best thing I have ever eaten!"

He LOVED this and was really surprised by how much he liked the cauliflower puree. Definitely a winner!

Ariel484 · Feb 12, 2013

As for me...I went with my old stand-by. I'm so boring...this is the fourth time we've eaten and Jiko and the fourth time I've ordered the exact same wine and dinner. I know what I like.

The Filet. Now, this dish used to be listed on the menu as coming with red-wine sauce and macaroni and cheese, but for the past couple of years the mac and cheese hasn't been the side listed with the filet.

When we were there, the dish was listed as coming with ancient grain pilaf, heirloom pole beans, Brussels sprouts and red wine sauce. I had heard that you can ask to have the mac and cheese instead, so I did, and it was no problem.

In fact, I saw the same dish go to 3 other tables in the wine room alone while we were eating...so I'm not the only one that was being difficult.

You can see in the above picture that there were also some Brussels sprouts on my plate (they were good!).

Like I said, this was the 4th time I have had this dish, and this was actually the best it's tasted to me. I think having the meat cooked differently made all the difference: normally I'd ask that the steak be cooked medium, but the recommendation from the chef was medium-rare (same for Will's dish, if I remember correctly). It made a huge difference - the steak had so much more flavor. I won't attempt to describe it because if I try to sound like a sophisticated foodie I'll just embarrass myself...but it was just better than it had been in the past. The red wine sauce and mac and cheese were great, as usual. Perfect compliments to the meat. I could eat that mac and cheese for days. OMG, I want some now...*drools.*

Ahem. Anyway...

We got dessert to share. Chocolate and Tea Safari: Vanilla Rooibos-Tanzanian Chocolate Cake, Free Form "Kit Kat," and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (which they make in-house...Green Tea Ice Cream was listed on the menu but I asked for vanilla instead).

The Kit Kat had sort of a weird texture, but it was good - sort of flaky and nutty from what I remember. The ice cream and cake were delicious. I love getting these little dessert trios at Jiko...great chance to try lots of things.

We also got a coffee drink to share...I wanted caffeeeeeiiiiiine.
Keoke Coffee: Brandy, Kahlua, Crème de Cacao and Coffee topped with whipped cream.

Unfortunately I think this is when I learned that I don't like Brandy all that much.

If I did I think I would have enjoyed this more. Sadness.

So except for not particularly liking the coffee, Jiko hit another home run with us. Perfect service, perfect ambiance (loved the feel of the Wine Room), and excellent food. Can't wait to go back!

**WARNING: ZOMBIE-PERSON PHOTO BELOW.**

zzzzzzzz

Kristia · Feb 12, 2013

Ugh!!! Why did I have to read your last update with an hour to go before lunch! I am so hungry!! We haven't been to Saana before. I definitely want to try it someday. Maybe 20th anniversary trip 2015! It looks really good especially your meal. I would get the mac and cheese too. Maybe with all you difficult people wanting the mac and cheese, they will take the hint and put it back on the regular menu! I am not a big wine drinker, but I LOVE the wine trees! I want!

Ariel484 · Feb 12, 2013

Kristia said:
Ugh!!! Why did I have to read your last update with an hour to go before lunch! I am so hungry!! We haven't been to Saana before. I definitely want to try it someday. Maybe 20th anniversary trip 2015! It looks really good especially your meal. I would get the mac and cheese too. Maybe with all you difficult people wanting the mac and cheese, they will take the hint and put it back on the regular menu! I am not a big wine drinker, but I LOVE the wine trees! I want!

Oops, should have put a disclaimer up!

Actually our meal this time was at Jiko (the signature restaurant in Jambo House). Sanaa is a regular table service restaurant in Kidani Village...and it's AWESOME! We ate there in June 2011 and we're going back to both places during our next trip. You can't go wrong with either one...they are definitely two of our top favorites.

Sanaa is a little different in that it's African food with Indian flavors (I think that's how they describe it)...it's sooooo good. I have pictures from our meal there too if you want to see them...after you eat lunch.

Kristia · Feb 12, 2013

Oops! I knew you said Jiko, but I must have had Saana on the brain when I was typing. We have actually never been to either. We have only been to Boma, which we loved. I know that you were underwhelmed with your meal there. Jiko and Saana are definitely on my future list!

Ariel484 · Feb 12, 2013

Kristia said:
Oops! I knew you said Jiko, but I must have had Saana on the brain when I was typing. We have actually never been to either. We have only been to Boma, which we loved. I know that you were underwhelmed with your meal there. Jiko and Saana are definitely on my future list!

I don't blame you for having Sanaa on the brain! YUMMM.

Yeah, we don't have great memories of Boma.

It just wasn't what we expected, and we're not huge buffet people. Having said that, we do plan on trying it for breakfast sometime soon.

LindsayLoves · Feb 12, 2013

Ariel484 said:
The CM waived me right through ("Go on, Princess!" )

Pretty sure I got the same bag check guy later that day, after passing through I turned to my brother and said "Did that guy just call me Princess?"

- Oh no for the chafing!!! That sounds miserable. I saw a lot of people lubing up on the course, like you I can not even imagine making it through if that was taking place while I was running, glad the pain held off until after the race.

-Jiko! We we going to go Jiko as our post-marathon meal and your pictures make me regret that slightly because I have never been there and those wine trees are bada**. We ended up at Artist's Point which was fantastic but man you are giving me another reason to Jiko a shot.

Sweet Melissa · Feb 12, 2013

Ariel484 said:
We put in our orders and I asked that my meat be prepared based on the chef's recommendations (something that I had never thought to do until I read one of @Sweet Melissa 's trip reports). Will followed suit.

How funny that you remembered that! I feel like trusting the chef (and the servers!) is a tactic that has served me well. Jiko is my favorite Disney World restaurant, and although they've been through a number of head chefs in the last few years, I've loved nearly everything that's come out of their kitchen.

TakeMeThere81 · Feb 12, 2013

Love Love Love!! I loved your ending, LOVED your picture with Minnie (how cute was she?!?) and I LOVE Jiko! One of the (if not THE best) meals my husband and I have ever had on property too. Just great!

Congratulations on your amazing accomplishment Shannon. Like I have said before, so long as I am healthy and such, come 2015, I am totally down to go Goofy (or Dopey)!

Ariel484 · Feb 13, 2013

LindsayLoves said:
Pretty sure I got the same bag check guy later that day, after passing through I turned to my brother and said "Did that guy just call me Princess?"

- Oh no for the chafing!!! That sounds miserable. I saw a lot of people lubing up on the course, like you I can not even imagine making it through if that was taking place while I was running, glad the pain held off until after the race.

-Jiko! We we going to go Jiko as our post-marathon meal and your pictures make me regret that slightly because I have never been there and those wine trees are bada**. We ended up at Artist's Point which was fantastic but man you are giving me another reason to Jiko a shot.

That wasn't the first time I've been called "Princess" in a Disney Park, but it does always make me do a double-take of sorts.

There's no good way to talk around it, and runners talk about this stuff anyway...yeah, the chafing was bad, but I got sort of lucky with it. My bra wasn't really staying where it was supposed to, so that's why it happened, I think - it went where it wasn't supposed to be and I hadn't BodyGlided there.

So it only bothered me in the shower when water hit it...once I got dressed my bra didn't bother it anymore. If that makes sense. Hooray for bra talk!

What did you get at Artist Point?? We're going there on our next trip and we've never been before...glad to hear it was good! Make sure you put Jiko on your list for next time, it's awesome!

Sweet Melissa said:
How funny that you remembered that! I feel like trusting the chef (and the servers!) is a tactic that has served me well. Jiko is my favorite Disney World restaurant, and although they've been through a number of head chefs in the last few years, I've loved nearly everything that's come out of their kitchen.

I think it stuck with me because it was something I've never heard before, but so simple and makes perfect sense - of course the chefs (especially at Signature restaurants) would know the best way to prepare the meat. We'll definitely keep that in mind for the future, so thanks again for the idea! And I completely agree with you...we've eaten there 4 times now from 2009-2013 and it's been fantastic every time. Love that place.

TakeMeThere81 said:
Love Love Love!! I loved your ending, LOVED your picture with Minnie (how cute was she?!?) and I LOVE Jiko! One of the (if not THE best) meals my husband and I have ever had on property too. Just great!

Congratulations on your amazing accomplishment Shannon. Like I have said before, so long as I am healthy and such, come 2015, I am totally down to go Goofy (or Dopey)!

Isn't Minnie the cutest?! Love her.

Thanks for the congrats, Melanee! Can't wait to hear about your marathon, and hopefully we can finally meet in person during Marathon Weekend 2015!!

Ariel484 · Feb 13, 2013

After dinner we walked around the AKL gift shop a bit and eventually hopped on a bus to the Magic Kingdom. We arrived at the park just in time to catch Wishes!

We watched the show from just in front of the train station. This was the first time I'd tried to photograph fireworks...normally I don't take many pictures on rides or during shows because we go to WDW so infrequently that I just want to enjoy and take it all in rather than worry about my camera settings. For whatever reason this evening I just wanted to see what I could do. It went...okay. Definitely would have been better with a tripod but I never feel like lugging that thing around the parks.

Upside-down face?

After Wishes! the park really began to empty out and we decided to avoid the mass of humanity by ducking in to the bathrooms near Town Hall. While heading to the bathrooms we sang the Wishes! exit music to one another...does anyone else think that the lady that sings it sounds EXACTLY like Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock (RIP)?

We do.

After our bathroom stop we headed across the way to the Town Square Theater.

Time to meet the mouse again! And just like Friday, he was very excited!

The plan for the evening was to wear the Goofy medal primarily, but to carry the other medals with me in my purse in case I wanted them for photos. There was no way I was wearing all 3 all evening...they're heavy and clang around. Just wearing the one Goofy medal seemed to get the point across. (Yes, I'd thought about this before the trip began...always the planner.

)

Anyway, by now Will was getting asked over and over if he'd run any of the races too, so much so that it was getting comical. He confessed to Mickey that he's not a runner because it seems too difficult and tiring, and at the suggestion of the character attendant we got this...one of my favorite pictures from the weekend:

Love it! Thanks, Mickey!

After our meeting with the mouse it was time to exit the theater. This was tough - I was getting around okay for the most part, but as always, the toughest thing for me to navigate after the race was STAIRS. I had to bring back my hoppity-skippity technique to make it down the steps to get back down to Main Street. That or head down backward (which I think was my preferred method for exiting the Disney buses). Either way I was looking mega-cool, no doubt.

We headed to the hub and watched Celebrate the Magic! We'd seen The Magic, The Memories and You once and both liked it...but we LOVED this new show!

My only picture. I quickly reminded myself to put the camera down and just enjoy the show. It was super adorable. Really liked it.

Once the show was over we headed through the castle.

Ariel484 · Feb 13, 2013

Time to check out New Fantasyland!

I forget how long the wait was here...40 minutes maybe? Too long for us to stand in line.

Since the park had cleared out so much after Wishes! we had lots of elbow room...not very many people at all. Perfect for our first time in New Fantasyland.

We headed to the Little Mermaid ride...the wait time was posted at 20 minutes but we walked right through the queue and to our clamshell.

I've tried not to read too much about this ride or the expansion as a whole - I just wanted to see everything for myself. But from what I did read about this ride, people made it seem like it it's total crap. And I really liked it! Sure, this was my favorite movie when I was a wee lass, so there's some sentimental value there, but I thought it seemed like a nice little dark ride. It's a good addition to the park, and the Ursula AA is AWESOME. I really, REALLY hope she doesn't go way of the yeti. No ride photos - it was out first time through and I just wanted to enjoy it.

After our journey Under the Sea we headed to Gaston's Tavern.

Man, is this place small. I can see it getting totally packed during peak times.

I grabbed a table while Will went to get our snack. While waiting I saw a runner wearing his marathon medal, and unlike the rest of us his lanyard was grey instead of red...a Perfect 20! Crazy.

Will came back with our snack...hummus with pretzels and LeFou's Brew.

Before I go any further...what is up with people comparing this to Butterbeer?! They are two totally different drinks! You're essentially comparing apple juice and cream soda...seems pointless to me.

Anyway, Will liked this and I did not. I thought that the mango foam was way too overpowering. Just not my cup of tea (or brew, as the case may be

). Oh well, glad I tried it once. I kind of wish we'd gotten a cinnamon roll...maybe next time.

After finishing our snack we headed over to Storybook Circus and looked in the shop.

Hate all you want, but I was THISCLOSE to buying a Duffy. The thing is just so darn soft and cute...and what late-20-year-old doesn't need a teddy bear every once in awhile?!

We thought about taking a spin on the Haunted Mansion but were spent. Plus, I think it was really hitting us that not only was the trip almost over, but that we'd had barely any park time that weekend. We were both in bad moods because of it and started to snap at one another a bit.

It was time to go.

We got back to the room a little before 11 and finally split the cupcake I'd gotten from the Polynesian the first night.

Chocolate Beer Cupcake from Captain Cooke's:

Definitely my least-favorite cupcake of the weekend. The chocolate part and icing were good, and bonus points for including chocolate-covered pretzels, but I could really taste the beer, and it was odd. Will agreed that it was just weird...won't be getting that one again.

We packed up a bit and went to bed pretty soon after...both pretty bummed that the weekend was almost over.

Kristia · Feb 13, 2013

Haha to the Jenna Maroney comment! I guess I hadn't really noticed the lady singing before but I will have to take notice. Right after the fireworks, we usually run to something else. 30 Rock is one of my favorite shows. Wish it wasn't over.

I really have to get into Gaston's on our next trip. We didn't have a chance or kind of just forgot to stop in and have a brew. Dan was underwhelmed by butterbeer so hopefullly he likes the fruity drink better! Sad you are nearing the end of your trip.

When is your next scheduled for?

Tiggerish · Feb 13, 2013

Oh my goodness, Shannon--between the disappearing fence and the unnoticed chafing on top of the painful feet, you must have been in some kind of "I'm committed to getting this done, ain't nothing gonna be in my way" zone. You should be really proud of the incredible accomplishment you completed this weekend. I am in awe.

Took me way too long to figure out what was going on with those Jiko trees, but once I did--wow, I want one, too!! Your meal looked fabulous. And you look lovely in the photo. I've never eaten in any of the AKL restaurants, my picky eater is extremely hesitant. But I just realized that I'll be at WDW on my own for a few days in September, so that seems like my chance! I'm going to look out for Three Cape Ladies--I like all three of those wines, so I imagine that I'd really like them blended together

The "running/snoozing" photo with Mickey is brilliant, so funny and perfect--clearly, Will's a good sport!

Poor Unfortunate Soles: A 2013 Marathon Weekend (5K, Half and Full Marathon) Trip Report!

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