Cold, Wet Saturday

Oh my, Susan and I felt so bad for the half-marathoners this morning when we awoke at 5:30 am and heard the rain drops pecking at the roof of our camper.  Knowing that thousands of people were milling around in that frigid rain trying to stay warm before the start of the race made us cringe!  Today, after bundling up in multiple shirts, sweatshirts, leggings, pants, coats and gloves (did I say it was COLD?) and grabbed our umbrellas, we ventured out to Hollywood Studios. 

The only good thing about the cold, wet weather is that Floridians don't like to go out in cold weather so there were only die-hard tourists like us at the park.  We were able to ride Toy Story Mania, Rock-N-Roller Coaster and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror multiple times with little or no wait and these attractions typically have lines that are an hour or more.

After riding everything we wanted several times, Susan had the idea to go over to the Beach Club to a cozy little restaurant called Beaches and Cream.  They have an excellent chicken noodle soup that was calling to our chilled to the bone bodies.  Afterwards, we played a few games in the nearby game room.  We then walked over to Epcot where we listened to the Voices of Liberty singing group and watched (snoozed during) the American Adventure show.  We finished up the evening back at Hollywood Studios with a hearty dinner at 50's Prime Time of pot roast (me) and meat loaf (Susan). 

We're now getting our stuff ready for our frigid marathon tomorrow and our early alarm at 2:15 am.  Yikes!

Dreary Friday

Hi all.  Sorry I didn't post about yesterday's activities but Susan and I were pretty busy.  As nice as Thursday was, we knew it wouldn't last - Friday was a coolish, dreary day.  We decided to visit Animal Kingdom as we didn't make it to that park during our previous visit in October for the International Food & Wine Festival.  We did all of our favorite things, including the Expedition Everest roller coaster, Nemo show, Lion King show and the Kilimanjaro Safari ride.  You can see I'm wearing my new FREE sunglasses with free strap though a little while after this picture was taken, it got completely overcast and then started sprinkling.  It continued to mist and sprinkle the rest of the day, hence dreary Friday.

Speaking of the safari ride, Susan was the photographer and she managed to capture the rear end of most of the animals on the savannah.  We got a good laugh out of it.  :-)

Pasta in the Park

Hello again!  Picking up where we left off yesterday, after setting up camp and having lunch, Susan and I went to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex to pick up our race packets and browse through the merchandise at the Health and Fitness Expo.  Packet pickup was straight-forward and crowds were pretty well managed.  We did have to make an extra trip back out to the parking lot because I'd forgotten our "proof of time" from the Huntsville Half marathon Susan and I had run back in November.  We're in the "D" corral, right behind the "elite" runners so we shouldn't have to deal with passing all the walkers like we did in the half-marathon last year.

We both bought us some new running gloves that were a bit thicker and better at moisture wicking than the ones we already had.  I also got a free pair of running sunglasses.  We happened upon the booth where Susan had purchased running glasses at the Expo last year and mentioned to the person there that one of the ear pieces had fallen off so she couldn't use them.  The lady told her that her glasses were warranted for life so she or I could pick any glasses we liked except for the very best and could have them for free.  Can't beat free!  She also gave us both free straps and free storage pouches for our glasses.

We also taste tested various samples of gel, gelatin squares and power bars and grabbed some samples to take with us to eat early in the race.

After a few hours, we headed over to Epcot where we attended the "Pasta in the Park" event.  We got there a bit early so we decided to walk through Innoventions to kill some time and to warm up (getting chilly after sunset).  As it turned out, they were doing Segway introductions so Susan and I signed up.  We'd done one of the Disney Segway tours 3-4 years ago and really enjoyed it and were looking forward to trying out the newer generation models.  They did seem easier to maneuver than the older units.               

The Pasta Party turned out to be a nice activity.  Things started out with a nice buffet featuring various green, potato and pasta salads, pasta, broiled chicken and brownies.  Also included were bananas, water, fruit punch and lemonade.  There was a cash bar with beer and wine.  There were also character photo opportunities, which we took advantage of.  We met two couples from Canada that had come down to run.  One couple was doing the Goofy Challenge (both half marathon and full marathon) and the other was doing the half marathon.  The third couple at our table was from Birmingham, AL and they were proudly wearing their Alabama Crimson Tide gear.  It was nice visiting with them all.

After a nice couple of hours Susan and I decided to head back to the campground to watch the BCS National Championship game.  We found a TV in Crockett's Tavern and were able to watch through the first half, by which time the Tide had established a commanding lead.  Go SEC!

We've Arrived!

We arrived at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground just after noon and it is fabulous here.  Temps I think are around 60 but with the bright sun shine I'm comfortable in my t-shirt.  Susan and I set up camp on campsite 1734 and we're enjoying it as we're right across from the Comfort Station (showers / restrooms).  Susan fixed us some soup (chicken and herb dumplings) for lunch and we're heading out to the Health and Fitness Expo to pick up our race packets and free-bee stuff.  Here are a few photos of our campsite.

2010 Disney World Marathon Itinerary

Hello all!  Our upcoming trip to Disney World is for the 2010 Disney marathon.  Susan and I have been training for 8 months for this race and we're really psyched to be running it.  We will be blogging during the trip so be on the lookout!  Below is our daily itinerary:

Thursday, January 7th
Check-in @ Fort Wilderness Resort
Go to Wide World of Sports for Health & Fitness Expo and pick up race packets
Attend "Pasta in the Park" pre-race dining event at Epcot

Friday, January 8th
Theme park day
Dinner at Bistro de Paris in Epcot @ 7pm

Saturday, January 9th
Theme park day
Dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios @ 5:35 pm

Sunday, January 10th
Disney's Marathon Race Retreat @ 3-5:30 am
Marathon start @ 5:50 am
Disney's Marathon Race Retreat open to 2:30 pm
Dinner at Boma in the Animal Kingdom Lodge @ 5:30 pm

Monday, January 11th
Theme park day
Celebration dinner at Victoria & Albert's @ 5:30 pm

Tuesday, January 12th
Depart Fort Wilderness Resort for home

2008 Food & Wine Photos

Yeah, these are a year late but oh well. Picture #1 is Susan with our Happy Limo driver. Picture #2 is inside Epcot, showing the theme of the 2008 festival, which we thought was kind of a lame name "Cities in Wonderland". Picture #3 is Susan on a bench near the China pavilion. Picture #4 are chefs from Puglia, Italy doing a demo on how to make fresh pasta. Picture #5 is Susan near the France pavilion. Picture #6 is Susan sitting in front of the entrance garden to Epcot. Picture #7 is me pigging out on a sausage from the Germany pavilion. Picture #8 is Susan with Crescent Lake, the Yacht Club and Dolphin resorts behind her. Picture #9 is me overcoming my dread of hammocks (goes back to a fall from one in Cozumel, Mexico).

2008 Food & Wine Festival Preps

This will be the 6th year in a row Susan and I have trekked to Epcot to attend the International Food & Wine Festival and I don't think we'll ever get tired of it. This year, we're excited to be staying at the Dolphin hotel, which is a short walk from the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. We've also decided to extend our stay from our normal "long weekend" to 4 full days plus whatever time we tour on Sunday. Below is our itinerary. We have the two main events on Friday and Saturday and will be spending most of the rest of the time touring Epcot's World Showcase, sampling the various food and wines. We also will try to catch any new/renovated attractions we've not yet seen at the World.

Tuesday, October 21st

Flight from Huntsville, AL to Orlando International via Atlanta
Happy Limo to the Dolphin
Sleep

Wednesday, October 22nd

Epcot, Food & Wine Festival

Thursday October 23rd

Epcot, Food & Wine Festival

Friday October 24th

Epcot, Food & Wine Festival - Culinary demonstrations, seminars and wine tastings

Taste of Spain -- A unique, casual dining experience to discover, taste, and enjoy regional food & beverages from Spain. Chefs, wineries, and breweries from Spain prepare local tastes for guests to enjoy in a walk-about event. Features live entertainment from Spain.

Saturday, October 25th

Epcot, Food & Wine Festival - Culinary demonstrations, seminars and wine tastings

Party for the Senses, Eat, Drink and Celebrate -- Feast on this tribute to the sensory arts! Begin your evening with a reserved seat at the Eat to the Beat concert series at the America Gardens Theatre. Following the show, World ShowPlace becomes the setting for an amazing evening showcasing the talents of more than 25 eminent chefs and over 25 wineries and breweries. Wander amongst various tasting stations in the midst of imaginative décor and exciting atmosphere.

Sunday, October 25th

Epcot, Food & Wine Festival - Culinary demonstrations, seminars and wine tastings
Return flight from MCO to HSV