Trip Report What Was I Thinking This Time: A Star Wars Race Weekend Trip Report *completed*

Seems like it's about that time for my biennial trip to Disney World. It hasn't been planned that way, we just end up going to WDW every two years for various reasons. You can read about my past adventures in my signature.

The who would be your humble narrator, me; and my DM, who henceforth I shall refer to as Moms.
The when was Wednesday April 18th through Monday the 23rd of 2018
The where was Port Orleans - Riverside
The why was I decided to come out of retirement and signed up for the Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon weekend

I didn't write a pre-trip report, so allow me a bit of a preamble to set the stage.

I ran the Star Wars half-marathon in Disneyland back in 2016. It was my first running event of any kind and it went well enough, but I figured that was probably going to be my first and last marathon event. Retire a champion I always say. There were only two problems. One, I regretted not going for the Rebel Challenge medal; and two, I wanted to a Coast-to-Coast medal. So after sitting out last years' Star Wars race in Disneyland I found myself getting an itch. Like Jordan wearing the 45 I had to come back. This time I was gonna go all out.

My initial plan was to do the full set of races at the Disneyland Light Side event (the 5K & Challenge [10K & half]), then do the full set of Dark Side events in WDW. I'd be getting 4 medals at each weekend, plus the coast-to-coast, and the Kessel Run medals. That's just mo' medals, mo' medals, mo' medals. In my mind, and air conditioned room, this seemed like a great idea. The Light Side registration was postponed, but no problem I went ahead and signed up for the Dark Side races. Then proceeded to wait for the Light Side to open up to carry-out my master plan. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. If you don't know, Disneyland has suspended all of their RunDisney events for the foreseeable future until they finish with construction projects that would be in the way. I seriously considered cancelling for a bit there, but there are no refunds and I really did want to go back to WDW.

Moms was reluctant to go. She had gotten sick on our last trip to WDW and most of her recent visits to Disneyland. I was completely fine with a solo adventure (not to be confused with the upcoming Star Wars spin-off 'Solo'; which I am totally looking forward to), but Moms felt she had to go in case I had a heart attack or something. Moms wasn't fully on-board, but I knew I had to make some plans. I booked ADRs for Be Our Guest lunch, Chef Art Smith's Homecoming (because fried chicken & donuts), & Liberty Tree Tavern (ooey gooey toffee cake). Moms eventually decided on going and booked us a room at POR. We've stayed there twice and have really liked it in the past. This year's ticket increase was about a week before my 60 days, so I bought a 6-day park hopper ticket the day before the increase. At 60 days I was able to get a FP+ for Flights of Passage on Friday, the only FP+ I was concerned about getting. I ended up getting another FOP FP+ for Sunday afternoon, a SDMT for Thursday, and Rivers of Light for Friday evening. That was the extent of my plans. I knew I'd be getting up super early and going to bed early so I figured I'd just go with the flow.

About a month before the trip Moms started to get excited about going and wanted to know what I had already booked. She wanted to do some sort of dining package event and after browsing the MDE app chose the Rivers of Light package. She called and was able to get a RoL dining package booked at Tiffin's for Sunday night. That meant I had to cancel the Homecoming ADR since they were at the same time. Goodbye fried chicken and donuts, maybe next time. Moms wanted to eat at Rose & Crown, so we added that for Saturday. We've eaten at BOG twice and enjoyed it both times, but it was also on Saturday; so au revoir.

That brings us to the beginning of the story, which I will have to continue later. Sorry about the wall of text.

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 3 - April 20th - part 5

So, I had a FP+ for one of my favorite Disney rides from 4:05-5:05 at AK and it was now 3:45. That should be plenty of time to make it there if I just stayed focused and headed that way. Ooh, more flowers.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr

That was just a slight detour things are still good. What's this Serveur Amusant was starting their show. I can stop and watch this for a bit. It's a nice little show, but as someone who doesn't like to go more than like three steps on a ladder it gave me anxiety. I noticed my camera felt a bit warm in the heat so I put it away to cool off.
Epcot - France Pavilion - Serveur Amusant by Michael, on Flickr

Okay, back on track. Oh, the Fleur de Lys booth doesn't have a line. Let me stop and cross an item off my F&G food list. The La Vie en Rose frozen slushy. That was nice and refreshing on this warm day. Feeling slightly relaxed I decided I'd head out via the International Gateway and take a boat to the Boardwalk and catch an AK bus from there.
Epcot - Morocco Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk - view of Yacht Club by Michael, on Flickr

The Friendship boat took about 15 minutes to come and I was thinking maybe this wasn't the best plan to get there on time. I've never visited the Boardwalk so when I got off the boat I got lost. I ended up by the pool, where luckily I found a map. It only helped slightly. I wish I could've spent some more time there exploring the resort a bit.
Disney's Boardwalk by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk by Michael, on Flickr

A bus to AK pulled up after about a 10 minute wait and we got to the park right at the end of my FP+ window. Luckily security went by quick and I rushed over to EE knowing there's a little bit of leeway for when you can show up and hoping I wasn't too late. I got to the ride about 10 minutes late and there was a line for FP. I braced myself as I pressed my wrist to the Mickey head. Woohoo! He turned green. I'd never ridden EE before the Disco Yeti, so I can't speak to that experience. As it currently is, it's one of my top 3 Disney rides.

After another fun encounter with the Yeti I headed to Pandora where I had a FP+ for Flights of Passage. On the way I used mobile ordering to get some food from Satu'li Canteen.
Animal Kingdom - Expedition Everest by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Tree of Life by Michael, on Flickr

Up next, Pandora

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 3 - April 20th - part 6

As I reached Harambe I decided to take the main entrance into Pandora since this was my first visit. I hadn't really looked into the land or the rides much and didn't really know what to expect. I had seen some pictures from reading other trip reports, but that was the extent. I was immediately wowed. The plants they created are just amazing.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

Then I turned the corner and came across the floating mountains. Wow.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

I explored the area a bit, getting a feel of the layout. It is a small area so it's easy to learn. Wandered into Windtraders and looked around briefly before finding the exit area for FoP. Found the entrance and since it was time for my FP+, I hopped in line.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr

Once again, wow. I had no idea what this ride was other than there was a screen and some of my fellow bespectacled people had expressed a problem with the 3d glasses not fitting right and having to hold on to those during the ride. Luckily I didn't end up having that problem. When the ride first started I glanced around and saw the theater and how it was setup. It's so cool how you can feel the banshee breathing as it flies around. When I exited I had two thoughts. One, I want to ride that again; and two, Galaxy's Edge is gonna be lit. By now I was getting hungry so I told Satu'li that I was there, but I was really in line at Pongu Pongu to order a Night Blossom. My food was ready by the time I got inside though so it worked out perfectly. I ordered the combination bowl with the potato has. The food was excellent.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Night Blossom by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Satu'li Canteen - Combination Bowl by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

The MDE app said NRJ had a 70 minute wait. I really didn't want to wait, but I had nothing else to do and wanted to check out the other new ride.

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 3 - April 20th - part 7

The past couple trips to WDW I find that I like to get a Kindle book and read on my phone while I'm queuing. It's just so easy to pop my phone out and continue reading while I'm waiting. This time it was the novelization for The Last Jedi. I had set a timer on my watch so I could get an idea of how much longer the wait would be. My timer still had about 25 minutes to go when I headed to the loading area, so the wait ended up not being too bad.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr

I know this ride gets a lot of negativity, so I went in with lowered expectations, but I enjoyed it. It could definitely be improved and the long wait times for it don't help. I do wish some of the fake animals would've had animatronic versions as well.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Na'vi River Journey by Michael, on Flickr

As I exited the sun was starting to set so I set about taking pictures.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off as I went from spot to spot snapping away.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

Up next, Pandora at night.

 

[tasha ratliff]

your pics really are beautiful! Did you ever find out what was wrong with Mom?

 

[fractal]

Great job on the Pandora pics (and the post processing)! Shooting the landscape into the mountain is a challenge because of the sun back lighting. If you expose for the sky, everything is in shadows. If you expose for the land you blow out the sky. Looks like you had a nice balance in your shots, and the A6300 sensor captured a lot of the shadow detail.

I don't really use HDR anymore but Pandora looks like a good candidate for it.

 

[gsrjedi]

your pics really are beautiful! Did you ever find out what was wrong with Mom?

Thanks. Nope, she wasn't coughing or sneezing, just had those flu like symptoms. On our last WDW trip she got really sick near the end and I think she was so stressed about getting sick that the stress itself made her not feel good. She comes back out for a little bit on Saturday and Sunday.

Great job on the Pandora pics (and the post processing)! Shooting the landscape into the mountain is a challenge because of the sun back lighting. If you expose for the sky, everything is in shadows. If you expose for the land you blow out the sky. Looks like you had a nice balance in your shots, and the A6300 sensor captured a lot of the shadow detail.

I don't really use HDR anymore but Pandora looks like a good candidate for it.

Thanks. I usually bust out the HDR after taking a picture and realizing the camera didn't capture the range I would've liked. Those mountains are definitely a problem at sunset since I couldn't quite get the orange in the sky to come through.

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 3 - April 20th - part 8

I continued going through the land taking pictures as the sun was setting.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

As the sun went down the plant life started to shine.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

I had a FP+ for Rivers of Lights, but I was so engrossed it completely slipped my mind.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora - Flight of Passage by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

While my new camera bag fit more stuff, it didn't have a spot for a tripod so I didn't bring one this trip. I took advantage of the many fence posts to get some long exposure shots. I just keep the camera strap around my neck and leave it slack in case the camera tries to get away.
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr
Animal Kingdom - Pandora by Michael, on Flickr

It was around 8:30 and I had another early morning the next so I figured I should head for the bus stop.
Animal Kingdom - Tree of Life by Michael, on Flickr

A Riverside bus was there waiting as I approached. Back in the room we snacked on some of the mochi I had bought earlier and then I once again attempted to go to bed at 10.

Up next, the 10K

 

[Gurt]

Stunning pictures

 

[gsrjedi]

Stunning pictures

Thanks!

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 4 - April 21st - Witty Caption for Today's Title
part 1

Once again, I was up at a ridiculously early time (3am) and was getting ready for the 10K today. I decided to take the bus today to make it easier on Mom's.

A bus pulled up pretty quickly and the few of us waiting got on to a pretty full bus. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom parking lot and once again they had the festivities going. Remembering the previous day's tightness after all the pre-race standing, I joined some other people sitting on a curb to wait. Once again I was in the last corral and spent most of the time waiting by sitting up against a fence.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

This was today's route
ESPN Wide World of Sports by Michael, on Flickr

With a small flash of fireworks we were off. The first part of the 10K is tough since it's all pretty much on World Dr. and there's not much of interest along the road. Unfortunately for me, about 1/2 mile in I started to get some shin splints. I ended up taking it a little easier and they were pretty much gone by mile 2.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

After mile 3, we took the exit for Buena Vista Dr. This part is tough since the road is banked and you're running on an uneven surface. There was a medical station at this point and I took advantage and applied some Biofreeze to my legs to help with the pain. We continued on our way and turned into the backstage area of DHS. After passing by the back of ToT we came out near the Fantasmic viewing area and made our way towards Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

Turned onto Hollywood Blvd and headed for the exit.
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

After exiting DHS we made our way towards the Boardwalk and this area is the absolute worst. The walkway to the Boardwalk is I'm sure plenty wide enough for the few people that use it to walk that area; but with hundreds of people trying to run it's just too small. This part is really difficult to get any momentum. You find little holes and can only run for a bit before having to stop again. Luckily it ended eventually and we made our way onto the Boardwalk for a fantastic sunrise view of the entire area.
Disney's Boardwalk - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

We circled around the Boardwalk and entered into the backstage of Epcot. Exited next to the UK Pavilion and turned left for the center of the park. After running by SSE, we once again made our way backstage and towards the finish.
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

My total time was 1:40:46 with an average pace of 15:37/mile. Slower than I wanted, but the shin splints early on definitely slowed me down.

Port Orleans - French Quarter by Michael, on Flickr
After meeting back up with Moms we headed for some breakfast. We decided on Sassagoula Floatworks at French Quarter. There were quite a bit of youths in there so the place was hectic. Moms got the biscuits and gravy and I had a side of a biscuit and gravy & the breakfast flatbread. Between the combination of hunger and tiredness I once again forgot to get food photos. The biscuits & gravy were okay, they needed more seasoning; the breakfast flatbread was good, but I could've used less egg and more sausage.

We headed back to our room and I know I fell asleep for a few hours. When I woke up, we relaxed in the room for a while for Moms to decide if she felt up to going to a park. She did and we got ready to head to Epcot.

Up next, back to Epcot

 

[fractal]

Day 4 - April 21st - Witty Caption for Today's Title
part 1

Once again, I was up at a ridiculously early time (3am) and was getting ready for the 10K today. I decided to take the bus today to make it easier on Mom's.

A bus pulled up pretty quickly and the few of us waiting got on to a pretty full bus. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom parking lot and once again they had the festivities going. Remembering the previous day's tightness after all the pre-race standing, I joined some other people sitting on a curb to wait. Once again I was in the last corral and spent most of the time waiting by sitting up against a fence.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

This was today's route
ESPN Wide World of Sports by Michael, on Flickr

With a small flash of fireworks we were off. The first part of the 10K is tough since it's all pretty much on World Dr. and there's not much of interest along the road. Unfortunately for me, about 1/2 mile in I started to get some shin splints. I ended up taking it a little easier and they were pretty much gone by mile 2.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

After mile 3, we took the exit for Buena Vista Dr. This part is tough since the road is banked and you're running on an uneven surface. There was a medical station at this point and I took advantage and applied some Biofreeze to my legs to help with the pain. We continued on our way and turned into the backstage area of DHS. After passing by the back of ToT we came out near the Fantasmic viewing area and made our way towards Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

Turned onto Hollywood Blvd and headed for the exit.
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Hollywood Studios - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

After exiting DHS we made our way towards the Boardwalk and this area is the absolute worst. The walkway to the Boardwalk is I'm sure plenty wide enough for the few people that use it to walk that area; but with hundreds of people trying to run it's just too small. This part is really difficult to get any momentum. You find little holes and can only run for a bit before having to stop again. Luckily it ended eventually and we made our way onto the Boardwalk for a fantastic sunrise view of the entire area.
Disney's Boardwalk - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Disney's Boardwalk - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

We circled around the Boardwalk and entered into the backstage of Epcot. Exited next to the UK Pavilion and turned left for the center of the park. After running by SSE, we once again made our way backstage and towards the finish.
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side 10K by Michael, on Flickr

My total time was 1:40:46 with an average pace of 15:37/mile. Slower than I wanted, but the shin splints early on definitely slowed me down.

Port Orleans - French Quarter by Michael, on Flickr
After meeting back up with Moms we headed for some breakfast. We decided on Sassagoula Floatworks at French Quarter. There were quite a bit of youths in there so the place was hectic. Moms got the biscuits and gravy and I had a side of a biscuit and gravy & the breakfast flatbread. Between the combination of hunger and tiredness I once again forgot to get food photos. The biscuits & gravy were okay, they needed more seasoning; the breakfast flatbread was good, but I could've used less egg and more sausage.

We headed back to our room and I know I fell asleep for a few hours. When I woke up, we relaxed in the room for a while for Moms to decide if she felt up to going to a park. She did and we got ready to head to Epcot.

Up next, back to Epcot

Awesome! congrats!

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 4 - April 21st - part two

Moms was feeling a little better and wanted to visit World Showcase. We hopped in our rented Hyundai and made our way to Epcot. Security went pretty quick and soon enough I was back in front of SSE.
Epcot by Michael, on Flickr

It was Moms' first experience with F&G. Before we left I told her they plant extra flowers and have topiaries all over and I guess she couldn't really imagine it and didn't seem too impressed. When we got there though, she loved it. Epcot is so pretty during F&G it'll be hard going back during a different time of year. We headed towards WS, looking at some of the festival merchandise along the way. We weren't quite tempted enough to buy something though.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr

We stopped just before WS to look at the planters on the water. Looking out towards the Imagination Pavilion with the monorail track I knew I had to stop and wait for a monorail to come by. I figured it would give Moms a bit of rest as well. After about a 10 minute wait, I got the photo I wanted.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr

After our little break, we got to WS and took a boat to Morocco. We spent a bit of time exploring through the alley-ways. I apparently became somewhat enthralled by the hanging lamps in the area.
Epcot - World Showcase by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Morocco Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Morocco Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Morocco Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Morocco Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Morocco Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr

Moms always likes going through the store in Japan, so we continued retracing my steps from the previous day. We looked around for a bit and Moms found these cute erasers in the shape of mini-food and I got a bottle bean to clean my HydroFlask bottle.
Epcot - Spaceship Earth by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Japan Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr

The heat was starting to get to Moms, plus she was hungry. We headed to Katsura Grill, but they were packed. We went back to the museum area in Morocco so Moms could sit down in some air conditioning. I was looking on the MDE app to try and find something she'd like to eat. I was searching all the QS places to find something quick and close, but she wasn't feeling any of the choices. She just really wanted to get away from the heat and was afraid the other places would be busy like Katsura was. We started to go back to the room to cool off. On the way to the boat she noticed the people eating at Spice Road Table. Moms isn't the most adventurous eater, so I had never really looked at SRT as a serious choice that we'd eat at. We looked at the menu and they had her favorite thing, roast chicken. Even better they had immediate seating for us in the air conditioned part of the restaurant. Score! Moms got her chicken and I went with a couple of the small plates; the spicy garlic shrimp and the Moroccan lamb sausage. All of the food was excellent.
Epcot - Spice Road Table by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Spice Road Table - Spicy Garlic Shrimp by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Spice Road Table - Moroccan Lamb Sausage by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Spice Road Table - All Natural Roasted Chicken by Michael, on Flickr

Up next, Disney Springs and transporting soup

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 4 - April 21st - part three

We continued along the way towards France. We browsed the shops, and then Moms started to not feel so good again. With that, we went back to the boat dock to go towards the front of the park.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival - France Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival - France Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Spice Road Table by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Spaceship Earth by Michael, on Flickr

When we got back to the room I wanted to go to Disney Springs. I love Coke, and on my last trip I bought a red glass that's the size and shape of a Coke can from the Coke store. I wanted to get one in a different color possibly. Despite this being our third stay at Riverside, I've never taken the boat to Disney Springs from there. Today I was gonna change that. There was a line waiting and after two boats I was still waiting. I noticed a pontoon boat come up, it was just a regular boat piloted by a CM, but not the normal Disney transportation boat, so I went back to reading my book. The captain came up to the line and asked the couple in front of me where they were going, then he asked me and the family behind me. Since we were all going to DS, he ended up taking the eight of us on his boat. It was great. We basically had a private boat ride to DS. He could go faster than the normal boats so we actually ended up passing the boat that left before us.
Port Orleans - Riverside by Michael, on Flickr
Port Orleans - Riverside by Michael, on Flickr
Walt Disney World - Sassagoula River by Michael, on Flickr
Walt Disney World - Sassagoula River by Michael, on Flickr
Disney Springs by Michael, on Flickr

The first couple and I got off at The Landing and he took the others closer to their destination. I had never been to this part of DS before. I came across the Ganachery and popped in. I left with a couple snacks. I had to eat them quickly so they wouldn't melt.
Disney Springs by Michael, on Flickr
Disney Springs - The Ganachery by Michael, on Flickr

I visited the Star Wars and Marvel stores before heading to the Coke store. I didn't really like any of the other colors of the Coke can glasses so I ended up getting a different glass. I continued along through DS and found Amorette's Patisserie. Moms had seen the Mickey dome cakes and wanted one. I bought one for us to eat later. I perused the Lego Store and the World of Disney store, but didn't see anything I needed. The half-marathon was tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of rest, so I figured I'd head back to POR and get some food at the food court. As I approached the boat dock, Moms texted if I could bring her some food. So back into DS I went.

Disney Springs by Michael, on Flickr
Disney Springs by Michael, on Flickr
Disney Springs by Michael, on Flickr

She didn't know what she wanted so I sent her screenshots of the nearby places. She ended up choosing a hot dog from BB Wolf's; so I decided to go to Morimoto's Street Food for some ramen for myself first. While I was in line I told her what I was getting and she wanted that too. I paid for the ramens and asked for some lids. Then she told me they were out of lids. Now I had to figure out how to get these two bowls of soup back to the room. Their to-go bags are paper with a flat bottom so I got a couple of those and put each one in a bag. Very carefully I made my way back to the Marketplace boat dock. Luckily no spillage. By now the line was backed up. It took four boats before I finally was able to get on one. As I sat down though, one of the bowls had a slight spill. I had both bags sitting on my legs and as the boat made it's way back I noticed one of my legs felt wet. Yep, the other bowl had spilled some liquid also. Since the bags were paper the liquid made them basically useless at this point. Somehow I managed to get my hands under the bowls and when we docked I carried them like two trays back to the room. It had been over an hour since I ordered the food, but they were still warm. The ramen was very good though, so it was kind of worth the hassle of the trip to get them.

Up next, the half-marathon and a signature meal; but first I've got to edit Sunday's pictures.

 

[Swissmiss]

Your photos are amazing - thanks for sharing them

 

[LeighM]

I'm always so enthralled in the Morocco Pavilion and end up forgetting to take pictures! Going into Epcot, I always tell myself to get pictures but never do once I get there lol. I love the pictures you took!

 

[gsrjedi]

Your photos are amazing - thanks for sharing them

Thanks a lot!

I'm always so enthralled in the Morocco Pavilion and end up forgetting to take pictures! Going into Epcot, I always tell myself to get pictures but never do once I get there lol. I love the pictures you took!

Thanks, Morocco is really a great place to just walk around and see everything.

 

[gsrjedi]

Finally got my last days' worth of pictures edited and catalogued, so I can get back and finish this up soon.

Day 5 - April 22nd - This Time I Might Not Make It

Once again I was up at 3 am getting ready. The bus this morning was once again full, but as the bus driver cheerily said "good morning" no one seemed too enthusiastic about what our immediate futures held. Today I repeated what had worked yesterday; relaxing and taking it easy as we waited to start. At least I was better equipped to handle the crowd as we made our way to the starting line and ended up in the first wave for my corral.

This was our route for today.
ESPN Wide World of Sports by Michael, on Flickr

I was slightly nervous about today. I knew I could keep the minimum pacing requirement, but I hadn't trained this far of a distance this time. Plus the announcers kept talking about how hot it was going to be and needing to stay hydrated.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

We were off and that initial excitement gets you going. About 1/2 mile in my shin splints came back and I was not happy. Luckily there was a medical station just past the first mile marker where I got some Biofreeze and then got in line for the bathroom. I don't want to describe it, I'll just say that somebody out there is nasty and leave it at that. As I exited the bikers were telling people in line that the balloon people were near and they may be come out behind the pace. Hearing that I kicked it up a notch. With the stops, mile 2 was my slowest of the day, but mile 3 would be my fastest. That was aided by the fact that we were passing by the waste management area of the resort and the smell was not too pleasant.

2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

Mile 4 brought us to Animal Kingdom, we entered near Harambe Market and ran through Africa to Pandora. Then past the Tree of Life to Dinoland USA to exit backstage. Only to run around back to the front of the park where people were starting to show up at about 7:30.

plant storage
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

Today was AK's 20th birthday
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

As I passed mile 6, I started to get really tired. We were coming up on Osceola Parkway and I was thinking to myself "I've got too far to go to be this tired already." I continued on though. I stopped at the next medical stop for more Biofreeze to help with some slight cramping. When I started up again I realized I had fallen behind the corral H 3:30 pace setters. I didn't even realize they were that close. Yikes. They weren't the people at the very back who made sure you weren't too slow, they just help to give you an idea of your relative pace; but I didn't want to be too far behind them. I was able to pass them by mile 8 though.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

Mile 9 put us back on the course from yesterday's 10K and back on the banked road that's a pain to run on.

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 5 - April 22nd - part 2

I had definitely gotten a second wind by now. We entered DHS on the same path as yesterday, only this time we were on one half of Hollywood Blvd since the park was beginning to open to regular guests. As I exited DHS another runner caught up to me and told that every time he'd catch me I'd run off again. It's funny how that happens because all day I was also keeping pace with other people as we ran along.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

After mile 11 we didn't turn towards the Boardwalk like yesterday, instead we turned towards the Yacht & Beach Club and ran along them until we reached our entrance to Epcot's backstage. Today we made a right and went the long way around World Showcase though. Around this time Moms was texting me that she was arriving.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

By this time I was exhausted. I knew I was close, and I was mostly walking by this point. That last mile felt so much longer than the others. Epcot was completely open by now so it was interesting to see how they had crossing points for guests to get around. Some of the people we passed already had apparently finished already since they had medals hanging off their necks. Eventually I reached mile 13 and the finish line.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

In the end I finished in 3:35:47 with an average pace of 15:51.
2018 Star Wars Dark Side Half-Marathon by Michael, on Flickr

bling-bling
Port Orleans - Riverside by Michael, on Flickr

This race was harder than the half-marathon I did in Anaheim previously. I enjoy the set up they have out in WDW for the RunDisney events more than what we had in DLR. I won't be back next year, but I don't think I'm retiring again. I still want to get that Coast-To-Coast Kessel Run medal.

Up next, apparently I'm still not sick of Epcot yet

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 5 - April 22nd - part 3

After I met up with Moms we were both hungry and she wanted McDonald's. We arrived a little before 11 and waited until they started serving lunch to get a couple Big Macs. Back in the room I fell asleep for a few hours. Since Moms still wasn't feeling too good we had cancelled our Rivers of Light package since it included lunch and she didn't think she could last the five hours from eating until the show. This opened up my afternoon. I was randomly checking the app for ADRs. A couple signatures were available and Moms liked the idea of ending the trip with a fancy meal. After checking some menus we decided on Narcoossee's. I was going to hit a park in the mean time. Even though I'd run through Epcot for the past three days and visited during normal hours the past two; I'd really only seen the Japan and Morocco areas. Going through WS is one of the unique WDW things I get to do when I visit so I really wanted to explore the other countries.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr

Stopped at La Isla Fresca for the Jamaican braised beef and Tropical Freeze. Both were good, especially the beef.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival - La Isla Fresca - Jamaican-braised Beef with Pigeon Pea Rice and Micro Cilantro by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival - La Isla Fresca - Tropical Freeze by Michael, on Flickr

Then it was time to visit where part of my family is from. Mexico! I loved how the entrance area had stuff about Dia de los Muertos. I browsed around for a bit. The line for Gran Fiesta Tour was spilling out so I decided not to wait.
Epcot - Mexico Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Mexico Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Mexico Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Mexico Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Mexico Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr

After visiting the land of my people, it was time for one of my WDW must-do's. School Bread! Still so good. I ate while I walked around Norway and was too busy eating to take pictures.
Epcot - Norway Pavilion - School Bread by Michael, on Flickr

I came to China and the film there was going to be starting soon. I've never seen it, so I stopped and waited. I still haven't seen it. As the start time approached the CMs came out and told us there was a malfunction and the next showing was cancelled. Maybe next time. I checked out the Shanghai Disneyland promotion before heading out.
Epcot - China Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - China Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - China Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - China Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr

I continued on down Germany way. I stopped in Karamell Kuche. The caramel popcorn was so tempting but I didn't buy any. I'm still not sure why. I can still smell it though.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Germany Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Germany Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr

Up next, more Epcot

 

[gsrjedi]

Day 5 - April 22nd - part 4

I stopped in Italy for some pictures.
Epcot - Italy Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Italy Pavilion - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Italy Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Italy Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr

As I got to America I had to stop at The Smokehouse for another F&G sampling. I wanted both of their main dishes, but went with the beef-brisket burnt ends slider. It was super messy, but oh so good. I kind of wanted to get in line and get another one.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival - The Smokehouse - Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider with Garlic Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue and House-made Pickle by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr

Having already gotten my exploration fill of the next three countries, I fast-forwarded to the UK. I looked around the stores, but nothing was really calling my name.
Epcot - France Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - United Kingdom Pavilion - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - United Kingdom Pavilion - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - United Kingdom Pavilion - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - United Kingdom Pavilion - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - United Kingdom Pavilion - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr

Despite the numerous flowers planted for F&G I stopped in Canada to check out Victoria Gardens.
Epcot - Canada Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Canada Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Canada Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - Canada Pavilion by Michael, on Flickr

I figured it was a good time to start heading out.
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot - 2018 Flower & Garden Festival by Michael, on Flickr
Epcot by Michael, on Flickr

As I was exiting I noticed SSE only had a 5 minute wait posted. Yeah, I can do that. Thanks to the Phoenicians I can write about my enjoyable trip through time.

A bus back to POR came after about 10 minutes and I was on my way.

Up next, HEA & dinner