Category Archives: Walt Disney World Events

Something Crazy: Princess Half Marathon

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I did something crazy today. I registered to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon on February 22, 2015.

I am so nervous and here’s why:

I. Don’t. Run. 

The farthest I have ever run was when I ran the Royal Family 5k in February of 2011.IMG_1682Despite not having trained a lick for that race, it was so much fun. I knew that I wanted to run another race in Disney World, and every time I saw RunDisney post pictures of people crossing their half marathon finish lines, fists up and tutus flaring in celebration of their accomplishment, a feeling would rise up inside of me.

I want to do that.

I made up my mind when I was pregnant with Lorelai that 2015 would be that year. Given that it was probably going to be my last pregnancy, I wanted to really get in shape and feel good about myself and my body again after delivering her. For the past six months, I have been mildly working out {can’t get too aggressive after just giving birth, unfortunately} and trying to change a few bad eating habits I had developed over three and a half years of being in an almost constant state of pregnancy. {Seriously. During a forty-two month period, I was pregnant for almost thirty months! All of my stinkin’ late babies…} A few months ago I started training with a running app on my phone, and for the first time ever, I am actually starting to enjoy running. It is one of those couch-to-race apps, so it was slow going at first and honestly a bit too easy for me, but I didn’t want to skip ahead on the training schedule because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t pushing myself too much. I really want to accomplish this, and I don’t want my tendency to be impatient to get in the way of that.

I am currently at the point of running three to four miles on my long runs and I’m averaging an eleven to twelve minute mile. I know that is despicable to some, but for me, that is a really big deal. I’ve got nothing but time between now and next February and I am looking forward to where my training will lead. I am trying not to set my standards too high, as not to disappoint myself. My goal is to get across the finish line of a Disney half marathon, not crush a seven-minute mile average.

So here’s to setting goals and working hard. Here’s to running 13.1 miles in an athletic princess costume through Cinderella’s Castle! Here’s to…something crazy. Disney Princess Half Marathon, I’m coming for YOU! I’ll be the one in a tutu.

With love, Malorie

24 Hours of Disney Misery

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Guys. Today is just awful!

Well, really today is great. I’m finally feeling like I’m reaching the end of the first trimester exhaustion {and the nausea is long gone}, it’s a gorgeous day, the boys are napping, and we have 32 days ’til the beach and are just around the river bend from 100 days until Disney. Even though all of these things are wonderful, today is a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day {as Alexander would say} because a little Green-eyed Monster is taunting me.

No, I don’t mean Mike Wazowski.

I mean Jealousy. Raawwwrrr!

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For only the second time ever, today Magic Kingdom is open from 6am to 6am. Twenty four hours of Disney Magic to celebrate their Monsterous Summer Event. I thought I was okay. I really did. I even woke up thinking, “Gee, I’m glad I’m not there. Look at those crowds!” and “Ugh! I’d be exhausted after 12 hours in the park, much less 24!”

I think that was the pregnancy talking.

Of course I follow many, many {probably too many} Disney FB pages and twitter feeds, so all I am seeing today when I glance at my phone is, “Ooo! Look how much fun we’re having! Look at all of the new merchandise. Check out all of the limited-time shows, dance parties, and more! Here’s a list of all the events taking place in the next 24 hours! Look at all of the new food items people are enjoying! Nana-nana-boo-boo! You wish it was you-ooo!”579447_10151688096243274_322460121_n 931168_10151688096168274_2114292473_n

{photos from Walt Disney World Facebook Page}

So what do you do when you have the Green-eyed Monster dancing the Macarena on your shoulder and reminding you of the Disney sweet treats you can’t eat?

Shut. Him. Down.

In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you!

So I am shutting it down folks. No more twitter or FB for the rest of the day.

As I type that, a bit of anxiety creeps in because part of me still wants to see all of the cool and fun things happening right now. As I type this, someone is being flung down the 40-foot-drop into the Laughing Place, while another someone eats a chili dog from Casey’s Corner, while I sit here and type out my miseries! Waaaaah!!!

I think it’s time to go have a popsicle and fill up the kiddie pool. Bye-bye friends and followers. I’ll see ya tomorrow when I’m not so sensitive.

Can I blame all of this on the pregnancy hormones, too?

With love, Malorie

May the 4th

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May the 4th be with you!

Sorry, guys, just had to do it.

Admittedly, I am a Star Wars fan. I went through a phase somewhere in middle school. No, I can’t name and identify every droid and aircraft {only some}, but they are truly great films and I can’t wait to share them with the boys when they get a bit older.

And one day, regardless of the fanatic fan-filled crowds, we will go to Star Wars weekend in WDW.

So how about you? Are you a Star Wars fan? Have you attended Star Wars weekend before?

With love, Malorie

Fun Facts ‘n Trivia: A Retro Anniversary

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Walt Disney World trivia:

On what date did Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida open?

If you guessed October 1, 1971, you are correct!

Tomorrow, Walt Disney World will celebrate it’s 40th anniversary with a special presentation that will start at 10:00 a.m. at the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage. Also rumored to be in the works is a special fireworks presentation that will accompany Wishes at 9:00 p.m. In remembrance of the decade in which Walt Disney World opened it’s doors, park guests have been invited via Twitter (user name @RetroDayWDW) to break out their retro 70’s garb and don it for their day in the park. How great is that?! It will be interesting to see how many guests actually take part. I may wear some 70’s inspired clothing tomorrow, just for the fun of it!

So here’s wishing Walt Disney World a very Happy 40th Anniversary!…and to the mouse that started it all.

Fun Facts ‘n Trivia: D23 Expo Info

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Hello! Today I will be guest blogging about a Disney fun fact for my wife, Malorie. I’m not sure if this is the last time she will let me take over the blog, so enjoy it while you can! 🙂

This weekend in Anaheim, California, the 2nd ever D23 Expo is being held at the Anaheim Convention Center. The D23 Expo is a part of D23, was introduced on March 10, 2009 by Robert Iger during the company’s annual meeting in Oakland, California. The name D23 refers to Disney and 1923, the year the company was founded. The goal of D23 is to communicate with Disney fans by “placing them in the middle of the magic.”

This year, The D23 Expo presents special panels and presentations, movie screenings, celebrity appearances and autograph signings, plus new insights into movies, TV shows, theme parks, animation, Disney history, and more. Celebrities that have appeared in the past include John Travolta, Patricia Keaton, Johnny Depp, Robin Williams, Selena Gomez, Tim Burton and more!

Some of the anticipated announcements from Disney lovers at this years Expo include the possibilities of a Monster’s Inc. Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a new Disney Vacation Club at Disney’s Grand Floridian, and more artwork and details on the new Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

Here are a few sneak peak pictures from the Expo center floor this year:

Entire Seven Dwarfs ride vehicle mock up!

New Fantasyland Model

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree vehicle for Disneyland

The new Minnie Mouse statue to be place in Fantasyland

Our good friends over at wdwnewstoday will have live coverage and streaming all weekend long at http://wdwnewstoday.com/d23. Feel free to check it out!

Until next time!

Tim

5k Trip Report: Part 2

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It’s Sunday.

One day after running the Beauty and the Beast Royal Family 5k.

And I’m sore!

My legs hurt, my back hurts, my ABS hurt!…but I’m loving it. It’s that I-know-I-did-something-good hurt…and we had such a great time! Here’s a run down of how yesterday went…

At 4:15am our alarm clock went off. We hopped out of bed (okay, so my mom hopped out of bed…I more slunk out of bed) and donned our athletic wear and running shoes, and without prick, pinned on our race bibs. Remember how I blogged the night before about maybe needing some Pixie Dust to help our untrained hinds cross the finish lines? Well, I might have sneaked some in my sneakers. 😉

By 4:50am we were out the door to catch the provided transportation from our hotel to EPCOT, where we would run the race. Buses ran from 5:00am to 6:00am at the Disney property hotels. You could also drive your own car, if you wished.

After a short bus-ride we arrived at EPCOT, where the runners were already starting to pile up. The buses dropped us off right at the start-line, where they had booths set up for people who had yet to pick up their race packets and a bag check for those who wanted to leave items behind while they ran. On the backside of the booths was a long chain-link fence. On the other side of that fence was where all of the pre-race festivities were taking place. They had tables set up with Powerade dispensers and red paper Disney cups, and placed throughout the lot were trash cans, recycling bins, and clothing bins for any outer wear that you didn’t want to wear while running and would like to donate. Oh, and lets not forget the lovely row of Porta Potties that skirted the lot along the backside of the fence, as well.

On the far end of the lot, right next to the starting line, a small stage was set up with a sound system and in front of it was a French village facade where Belle and the Beast were greeting and taking pictures with guests. Since we arrived early we were able to get our picture with very little wait.

Gaston made an appearance later on, but at that point the wait was so long, it was pointless to stand in line. I snapped a picture from the sidelines…

There was a D.J. and two hosts for the event, Rudy and Cassidy. They went around interviewing some of the runners, while the D.J. played some “warm up” songs for us, including the Cha-Cha Slide, the Hand Jive, and the Macarena!

There were so many people dressed up in costumes! Some silly. Some cute. Some….ridiculous. I wish I would have taken some pictures of them. I am sure they would have let me. I will have to do that next time. It was quite obvious, though, that the trending costume was a tu-tu. I suspected some women would be wearing them, because I had seen pictures online, but I had no idea so many women (and some men!!) would be wearing them. I have to admit, if my mom and I didn’t feel amateur enough already, we certainly felt it without a tu-tu. Like we had missed the memo.

About a half an hour before the race started we were all shoved into line in front of the start-line. After a couple more songs, the singing of the National Anthem, and a pep talk from the D.J., it was time to start the race. In true Disney fashion, Belle and Beast, along with the hosts and D.J., yelled

Be. Our. Guest!

and fireworks (yes, fireworks at 7:00 in the morning!) shot out from the start-line banner and the front of the massive crowd of runners hit the pavement running.

Now, incase you missed my Running the Race post from a few weeks back, I would like to reiterate that my mom and I are not runners. This was the first 5k we had ever run, and she was the only one that had somewhat trained. So there we were, pacing ourselves at a steady jog towards a cast entrance into EPCOT. I think the Beauty and the Beast song ironically and best described the two of us…

Both a little scared,

Neither one prepared…

You get the idea.

We finished the race at a despicable 43 minutes, but in our defense we did run the first mile and half without stopping, and we added to our time by taking a short potty break (c’mon, princesses have to powder their noses to make sure they are still pretty while they are running) and we stopped for a picture in front of Spaceship Earth. We would have loved to take our picture with the Disney celebrities we passed, but there were lines to greet them, and we didn’t have minutes to spare if we were going to make it to the finish-line in time. I guess the people waiting were sprinting from one character to the next. Over the course of the race we saw Mulan, Dopey, Snow White, Aladdin, Jasmine, and Pocahontas. I was impressed to see Pocahontas! She is rarely seen in the parks. I hate I didn’t stop to snap a picture of her.

We did end up walking a little bit, but overall we jogged most of the way, including our victorious pass across the finish-line. It felt so triumphant with the music playing and bleachers full of complete strangers cheering everyone across. I would be lying if I didn’t say a few tears were shed between the two of us.

At the end of the race we retrieved our “medals” and never felt more accomplished.

In addition, they were handing out bottled water, three flavors of Powerade, and little baggies of post-race snacks, including a banana, orange, bagel, trail mix, and sanitizing hand-wipe.

Confession: We skipped the healthy option and went for Mickey waffles back at the hotel.

Ahh hush-up! We deserved it. 😉

We did NOT eat those rice crispy treats! We took those back to our family. I promise.

We had an amazing time. What a great way to experience your first ever 5k! We are already making plans to do it again. Maybe we will train this time and get fast enough to actually stop and take pictures with characters. Maaaybe one day we will be able to work up to running the half marathon!

Heh. Maybe.

Thanks for reading along with us! Below are a few fun pictures from the first day of our trip that I couldn’t post because of my phone. Enjoy!

All packed up and ready to go! OF COURSE we have Disney luggage.

Thank you, GPS.

The Expo. Look at all those foks!

Race packet Pick-up.

We split a yummy salad for lunch. We usually split meals since the portions are large.

Relaxing by the pool.

Catching a bus to Magic Kingdom.

Sadly, we didn

Ahhh the Disney life.

Fun Facts ‘n Trivia: Trip Report

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Fun Fact for the day….I’m in Walt Disney World!

Okay, so that may not be a Fun Fact to you, maybe it is, but it’s definitely fun to me!

A few weeks ago I posted about running in the Beauty and the Beast Royal Family 5k. Well the time is now and my running shoes are laced and ready! My mom and I hopped in the car this morning at an early 5:00am with one thing in mind, Disney or BUST!

We arrived right on time, according to our Australian-accented GPS, and snagged our Race Packet from Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports. It included pre and post-race instructions, our number bibs and safety pins, a t-shirt, granola bar, and several promotional coupons, all tied up nicely in a lime green mesh backpack. We were so excited!

Next we decided to make the most of our day here, since we are planning on heading back home after we run tomorrow. First up, have lunch and then head to the pool. We are staying at AllStar Music.

After splashing around a bit, we jumped on the bus to Magic Kingdom and from there took the monorail to the Polynesian. We wanted to get some walking/jogging in tonight and we knew that there was a pretty nice path connecting the Polynesian and Grand Floridian that we could use to our advantage. We may have made some detours along the way… 😉

Now we are back at our hotel. We just finished dinner and I decided to give you guys a little trip report from the road. Sorry if this post doesn’t look at nice and neat as others. I’m having to blog from my iPhone. Thank goodness for iPhones, eh?

Welp, We are about to hit the sack because we have to be up to catch a bus to the starting line by 5:00 am. Wish us luck! We may need a little Pixie Dust to help us cross the finish line….we’ll see…

Sporting our race packets at the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Running the Race

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Boy oh boy.

This week has been a busy one. My initial intent was to blog every Tuesday. I wanted to be consistent but realistic in my blogging goals while maintaining a household and over-scheduled life that I like to call Being a Mommy. As you can see, it just didn’t happen for me this week. Tuesday my friend Katie and her youngest daughter Noelle dropped by for a much loved visit and then that night my mother-in-law and I had a girl’s night out in Atlanta. We went to see a production of Peter Pan and it was amazing! I was in heaven. [sigh.] Wednesday was my typical busy-Mommy day, so here I am on a Thursday morning trying to play catch up. I am determined to make the time…which is a great choice of words because this month in UpStreet, the K-5 ministry that I volunteer for at church, the virtue of the month just so happens to be determination! Running the race set out before us! Hebrews 12:1

Which in this post inspires motivation in more ways than one,  because I am excited to announce that I am going to be doing just that, running the race set our before me in Walt Disney World! My mom and I have registered to run in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Royal Family 5K on Saturday, February 26th!

And this just in…we DON’T run!!

Yikes!

Never ever have I EVER ran a 5K and I do not in anyway consider myself a runner. I’m a walker. Sometimes a brisk-walker. But more often than not, I’m a stroll-through-the-park kinda gal. I like to get my cardio in dancing. However, my mother has really wanted to run in a Disney race for a while. She has been training and getting ready and I am really proud of her. I decided just this week to come along beside her. I know running the whole way will not be in the cards for me, but I am looking forward to the whole experience…and to blogging about it as well!! So come the last weekend in February, look for me to talk about all the fun that goes along with “running the race” in Walt Disney World! Eek!