Princess Half Marathon Weekend 2014--Part 1 (Arrival and the 5K)

This trip, my runniversary of my first half marathon, was going to be very different than the first year that was for sure. We were making it a whole family trip this time! After we had made reservations but before we had our flights A decided she wanted to run the 5K really bad, we with some work on things, we were able to make it happen. The only issue was we could not get all the nights we needed at Bay Lake Tower (because of lack of points and available 2 bedroom units) so we decided to try another split stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge/Bay Lake.

Our flight down was interesting. It was supposed to be warmer that day but some how it wasn't and it snowed, sleeted and was NASTY that afternoon. We even had ThunderSnow (a thunderstorm but with snow). The drive to the airport was horrible and I was so stressed until we got to the gate only to discover the flight was delayed. Then we found out we had to move to the other end of the airport because our original plane had been hit by lightening and they needed to check it out! After deicing we were on our way.

Of course we were the last drop off from the Magical Express and we were all so hungry. Check in was quick and we got to the room. While I got the kids settled, my mom and Jeff went to get food in the other building (we were at Kidani and the food was at Jambo). A wonderful friend had picked up all our race stuff and dropped it off and while we were downstairs for that, my secret Princess showed up with an amazing bag of stuff for the weekend! Things were off to a great start!

Our room was amazing! We were at the end of the Savannah and the first night we saw a zebra off the balcony and then other animals throughout the weekend. Also, a dedicated two bedroom is so nice, even nicer that a 2 bedroom lock off!!!

We ate fast since we had an early morning and it was off to bed for us.

I was up by about 3am because I was excited and I slowly got up and ready. I got A up at 4am and rushed her through so we could be on the bus at 4:30am, she did awesome and was in a great mood. We made the quick bus ride to Epcot and met up with some friends for fun and pictures. We danced and had a blast before heading to the corrals.

When we were deciding on costumes, we let A pick and she wanted to do Minnie Mouse. With some help from an amazing friend (who made the skirts) we were coordinated and ready to run!

We were in Corral B and we started off good. On the bus over, A had said she wanted to stop for every picture. Well the first stop was the Bugs from Bugs Life and she had NO INTERESTED! We joined up with a running friend at this point who stayed with us for the rest of the race. She has little ones too so she knew what it is like to run with littles. We sprinted, we walked, we ran, we sprinted again. It was just fun.

As we got into the World Showcase, Dopey was in Germany and we had to stop!!! Dopey is never out. A was complaining she wanted to run but she smiled and had fun.

Not a lot further and we were in Morocco and Jasmine was out with the Genie, another must do even though at this point A was ready to go!! We skipped the rest of the stops (I think there were 6 total on the course) but she was OK with posing in front of the ball with me!

It was not a fast race and I did not even wear my watch but it was one of the most fun races I have ever done. To be able to do it with my mom and my amazing daughter made it great. Seeing her get her medal at the end and how happy she was made the extra early morning completely worth it. I hope she continues to love these kind of experiences.



After the race, we went back and got the boys and headed to the Magic Kingdom (where else would we go) for some fun. We had a great time as usual. We kind of missed the old Fastpass system but I will admit the new system was not bad for us and worked out well. By the time we left, A was exhausted and I was glad we had the stroller with us!

After lunch my dad arrived and we met back at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, swam and then had dinner at Cape May. Then we took a trip through Epcot before calling it a night. Tomorrow was the 10K and day one of the Glass Slipper Challenge. Let the fun begin, again!

Kona Chocolate Run

Well this was supposed to be my break out race, the amazing 10K following the marathon, my chance to move up for placement for Princess Weekend. Instead it was a flop and it was 100% my own fault.

Since Detroit, I have been slacking with training. I could go through the list of excuses that I had been using but in the end it boiled down to, I just took too much time off and I paid for it.

In the week leading up to the race, the weather did not look to promising. It was supposed to be warm (low of 56) but rain was in the forecast. I wasn't worried about rain as long as the temperate held out.

Saturday before the race we decided to make the trip over to Plymouth to get the race stuff. It was a bit of driving but I prefer to not have to worry about stuff that morning if at all possible. Plus, I wanted my jacket!!! We got there not too long after opening and there was no problem getting in and getting our stuff and getting out. The kids checked out the expo area (their favorite thing to do) and we headed home.

Sunday dawned very rainy. Actually when I woke up it was POURING. Oh well, I got ready and headed over to meet my mom and Jennifer. It was going to be mom's first 10K and I was so excited for her. The drive in was fine and we found a parking spot with no problems. No rain at this point. We got over to the start and met up with another friend Janie and her mom and friend for pictures!!! So far the rain had stopped and was holding out.

The race had 2 starts for the 10K and we were all in the 2nd wave. It was 10+ minute mile pace. I was really hoping to be towards the front of this group but life had other plans. I just was not feeling it from the very beginning. I was pushing during each interval. By the half way mark the rain started. Then the rain really started. It was really warm though so it was not really unpleasant. It was about this point Jennifer and I came upon a group doing 2:1 intervals too. Tony and crew were cheering and having a blast. We stayed with them for the next 2.5 miles then I was just done. I told them to go ahead and I would get to the finish.

It was not pretty and it was nowhere close to a PR but I finished in 1:10. The end of the race had a chocolate buffet but by the time we got to the finish the line was around the park with no sign of the end. We decided it was not worth the wait and went to the finish line to see my mom. We got to see her cross which was awesome. She did so great and I hope I have convinced her she can do more races!!!

I did love the course, it was through the neighborhoods of Plymouth and I will for sure do another Kona race!!!

Visiting Walt DisneyWorld now that I have runDisney!!!

We just got back from our family trip to WDW. Yes, we are one of "those" families who love Disney and vacation there whenever possible. Right now it is the perfect escape for all of us and we love it. When we told Abby we might not be back for 2 years she broke down saying it wasn't far (we used all our points for this amazing whole family trip so we need to take a year off to get back on cycle). We will have to see if we can really not go next year!

Now how does a family trip in June have anything to do with runDisney? First, I met up with some amazing ladies I met while training. We all did the Princess Half Marathon together in 2013. We have stayed together and are still there for one another. Go Princess Posse!!! We met at the Tea Room at the Grand Floridian and had a wonderful time!!

Another fun thing was at the Beach Club we were having dinner at Cape May and I ran into a guy wearing a runDisney Marathon shirt and I commented. We ended up talking about Dopey, Marathon weekend, Coast to Coast and the Glass Slipper Challenge!!! It was fun!

Finally on my last day, I was wearing my pink I DID IT T-Shirt from Princess and while checking out at the Emporium the lady checking me out said she was doing the Glass Slipper Challenge and was trying to work out how to do Tinkerbell!

I know it sounds cheesy but it was almost like a club. I loved being down there, seeing the race route and dreaming ahead to next year!

I cannot wait.

More things to know about runDisney events at WDW

In a previous post I tried to cover some of the hints/tips and things I have learned about runDisney. One thing I did not cover specifically was the morning of the race.

You know, that wonderful middle of the night, anxiety heavy time when we are rushing to get to the starting line to wait?

runDisney has a LOT of space to work with for running events at Disneyworld and they seem to take advantage of it. I am going to speak specifically to the Princess Half Marathon since I ran it this year but from reports, this is very similar for the other locations (though Wine and Dine and Tower of Terror do use a different start and end point).

Host Resorts: Disney does a good job of making sure runners can get to the events without having to have their own transportation. Since many visitors to WDW rely on the Disney system this only makes sense. runDisney identifies specific resorts as host resorts for events. They provide direct transportation from these resorts to the races and the expo. If you do not stay at a host resort you are on your own to get there. This year for both Marathon weekend and for Princess Half Marathon weekend, ALL Disneyworld resorts (including DVC) were host resorts which made it nice and easy for the runners.

Using Transportation for the runDisney events: I will say that Disney again did a great job. The buses for the Expo and Races were in the same place as the park buses at Beach Club (and I assume all others). They also had a Cast Member stationed out there to keep the participants informed! The best part is they use the Magical Express and Mears buses not the park buses so if you over hydrate the day before there is a bathroom on board!

It was similar coming back from the events. It was easy to find where you should be to get your bus and there were cast members telling you where to go and to help! I found the entire process easy.

***Note: Some resorts share a bus and others do not. Some also share for certain events and not others so you may have stops but you will get there.

Timing for Transportation: My advice here is the earlier the better. For some events Disney is working on moving over 20,000 people in a short time frame. Buses for the races start running at 3am and I recommend trying to be on as early as possible. I am a worrier by nature so I was out at 2:45am and on the first bus. We sailed right to Epcot and the staging area with ease. I think I arrived about 3:15am. I know other people got to the bus stops later and there were traffic issues getting the buses into Epcot. Personally I would rather have time to stand around and meet up with friends, shop, potty and other things than stand in line. I know people who got on one of the last buses at 4am and had to rush to their corral. So early is key for runDisney events.

Staging Area and Corrals: Be prepared mentally that while the staging area and bag check are not far from the bus drop off, the corrals are quite a walk (I heard someone used their GPS and it was just under 2 miles). After you check your bag, you are on your way to the corrals. It is a long walk but it is done slowly (come on, with 20,000 people nothing goes really fast) but it doesn't tire you out. You can stop at a PoP, eat a snack, chat or take pictures. Once in the corrals it is another long wait but Disney does a great job of having music and entertainment to keep everyone going and not falling asleep.

Finish Area: The finish area for the Princess Half (and I believe the Mickey Full and Donald Half) are near the start line so when you finish you are back where you began to get your snacks, your bags and the buses back to the resorts!

runDisney events can seem overwhelming but honestly if you read what is given or ask Cast members at the resorts (NOT ON THE PHONE), you will have no problem navigating the events.

And runDisney does it again!!!

Last month runDisney announce a new challenge. This one takes place during the Marathon Weekend in January. It involves 4 days of running and over 40 miles (actually 48.6 miles to be exact). It is called the Dopey Challenge and involves a 5K on Thursday, 10K on Friday, 1/2 Marathon on Saturday and a Full Marathon on Sunday. It encompasses the Goofy Challenge that has been around for awhile that is the 1/2 and full in the same weekend.

The announcement of the Dumbo Double Dare for Disneyland weekend was new and exciting. It was exactly 1/2 of the Goofy Challenge and it was something most people can image doing whereas Goofy is just Goofy. Some have questioned if the Dopey Challenge is too much. For me while I hope one day to be able to do at least part of this challenge, it is just not possible for me to miss 3 days of school at one time in January, well actually to miss that amount of time ever.

Well today runDisney just announced the Glass Slipper Challenge. This is a 10K on the Saturday of Princess Half Marathon Weekend and the 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. In addition to that, if you are able to complete the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in January and the Princess Half Marathon, you will earn a special Coast to Coast medal that runDisney released today. The old Coast 2 Coast will still be available but you can only get the special one if you do Tink and Princess.

This was the announcement that appeared on the runDisney Twitter feed today. It has created quite a buzz in the Disney running community.

I am so excited to do the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge in August/September and earn my Coast 2 Coast medal for doing Princess. Now this has added one more thing that I want to do. I am afraid that it is not possible to do everything but I do not want to miss out on the chance to do something special that is happening now.

The first good thing is that Tinkerbell weekend is MLK weekend and again in 2014 we have the Monday off so it would be possible to travel to Disneyland to complete the race weekend. I could also do Princess again in the same way I did it this year. It is going to require me to depend on my running friends since it will be impossible for me to get into town early enough to get to the expos to get my race stuff. Missing the expo will be sad but the races are the most important right?

Now there is the cost. These are not local races and it involves travel expenses. I am glad I have about 40 days to decide anything. I am also glad I have such a supportive family.

I am going to be dreaming of this for now though.


For more information here is the official runDisney Blog Post

2013 Martian Invasion Recap

I just completed my 2nd Half Marathon. This week, as the race approached I was having a hard time with this for some reason. I was a ton more nervous and anxious about the race. I was not as well trained as I wanted to be and I had set some pretty hard goals for myself, doable but hard.

One Friday night, I learned that the Half and Full courses were flooded. It was not a huge surprise since it had been raining most of the week and Hines Drive seems to flood if too many people spit on it. So I got up knowing it would be an alternate course but I didn't know anything else.

My mom, Abby and I headed out about 7:20am. After a quick pee stop at Walmart since I was unsure of what it would be like at the start, we got there and parked a little after 8am. I felt bad since I had wanted to see Andrea start but we had to park almost a mile away and Abby walks really slow sometimes plus we had to have a comic break on the walk. While we were there, Abby saw 2 dogs and she asked "are those real?", she just could not believe this pretty walk dogs were real. The owners had quite a laugh!

The other big "issue" with this race was what to wear. I was afraid of being too cold but I was also afraid of getting too warm. I ended up deciding on my long pants (not my lined ones), SparkleSkirt, long sleeve shirt, RawThreads T-shirt and my running jacket with my gloves.

Here we are at the starting area. I have no idea why the BondiBands did not show up better here but oh well. Abby was freezing and of course hungry while we waited so I gave her my heavier coat I was not wearing to run in.

She was cute and so excited to be able to go to another "BIG" race with me.


From there we heard the announcement about the course. The first one was flooded (as I already knew) but the alternate course had construction on it so we were running on the alternate's alternate. The marathon runners had to do the course twice and I felt bad for them.

We lined up kind of middle of the pack and waited. For some reason the race started about 8 minutes late!!! We came out FAST and did Mile 1 in under 10:30. It was also really hilly which shocked me because I had no idea there were hills in Dearborn. Kind of like being surprised by the hills in Rochester last summer, oops!

We settled into a good pace and focused. They had a couple later stops close together but then we went into a subdivision. Since I have no idea what was the old course and what is new, I just went with it. Mile 3-5 (or so) were around houses. The roads were pretty pot hole filled and you had to watch your footing but it was OK. There were no water breaks in there though which was OK but it messed with my fueling. I usually fuel by distance and since I could not predict the next stop it was odd.

At the half way point we were on track for the 2:30 finish we both wanted. Problem was, it was windy and it made breathing weird the whole time. I wasn't sure we could keep the same pace for the end but we tried and I think I would have made it but around Mile 11, my calves felt pregnant. And by that I mean they were moving like my stomach did when I was pregnant. Totally weird like I had aliens. Not painful but not great either.

Then the last mile was basically dead on into the strongest wind of the race. It was ROUGH! Jennifer and I stayed together until the last .30 miles. I told her to go ahead since I wasn't sure what I had in me. When we turned the final corner she was right ahead of me and so I should have pushed harder.

At the finish line Abby and I mom were there with a sign they had made! It was so wonderful to see. Also, a teacher from work was volunteering at the finish line so I got to see him!!

Overall, I am disappointed in myself. I should have trained harder and done more and I will!!

2 Days and Counting

Well, this race is not like Disney in a lot of ways but most importantly is the WEATHER. About 8 days ago the weather was showing that it would be sunny and about 54 as a high. As the last week has gone on, the weather predictions have gotten worse and worse.

Right now here is what it is showing:

So, Princess was HOT and humid and now Martian is going to be cold and windy. I think I am going for running extremes this year or something. I am not completely sure.

My last long run was so beautiful and I was really hoping for a great day to run this weekend.

To add to this, my mom and Abby are coming out with me and I feel horrible. It is going to be a long day and it is going to be cold. I want them there but I do not want them to be miserable. I feel bad and it hasn't even happen.

To add to this, it has been raining this week. Unfortunately the half and full courses run along a local flood area. In 15 years, flooding has not been an issue for the race, but this year it might be. Here is the latest update from the race officials:

As of tonight, the half course is still OK but with more rain tonight, no one can be sure. We should know more tomorrow.

Finally, I have not run as much as I should have. I know I am not trained well and I am not at myself. It has been cold and my foot has been bothering me so I was focusing on rest and not making it worse. I did go for a massage last night and it really relieved a lot of the tension so I feel better but that does not mean I have run enough miles.

Overall, I have my goals set for this weekend but I am still not sure where I will end up race morning.

A Goal---Sub 2:30
B Goal---Sub 2:45
C Goal---Sub 2:52 (PHM time) and to have fun with Jennifer on the course

I hope the alien invasion is good for all of us. Wish me luck and warp speed!

Race Nightmares with Disney memories added in

My next Half Marathon is exactly 1 week from today. Hard to believe that in terms of knowing if I can do it or not, I am OK but now that I have one under my belt I think it is time for me to panic about other things. Last night I had way too much to eat at the Melting Pot so maybe that was what led to my nightmare or maybe it is just early race jitters, who knows, either way, I am going to make sure my dream does not become reality.

My dream was set at the Martian Half which was strange since I have never been to the course. In my dream it was actually the corrals at Princess. As I was waiting for the race to start in the dark (this race starts at 8:45am so it will NOT be dark), I looked down and saw I was wearing black shorts and my Princess in Training pink shirt. That was not right at ALL. Jennifer and I had carefully coordinated our outfits for the Martian purple and green theme. So I told my mom that I had to run home to change since it was only around the corner (don't I wish).

So I ran home, changed and got back only to discover I did not have my race bib or any of my fuel. Actually there was NOTHING in my SparkleSkirt pockets. Who wears a SparkleSkirt without taking advantage of the pockets? So I did what every normal runner does in the middle of the night, I went home a 2nd time to get everything.

By the time the race started/I woke up, I was so stressed out and flustered that I was completely unsure how the race would go.

Now, I will make sure that I have everything out and ready for the race, especially since it is a good 30 minute drive to the start. There are so real things I am slightly worried about but I really cannot control them so I am trying to not worry. First, I have read parking SUCKS and since the half is the last race of the day to start we will be getting there after the Marathon, 5K and 10K runners. Second, it is supposed to rain a good part of the beginning of this week. Most runners would say "So, that isn't race day" except this race goes along an area that is quite often closed for flooding (someone though building a road below the water table made sense) so I have no idea what happens if the road is flooded. If cars can't use it, how in the world can we run on it? Maybe it will turn into a swim instead? Finally, Abby and my mom are coming out and they are planning to come with me and stay the entire time. I am worried they will be cold, bored, lost, unhappy, frustrated and a whole bunch of unpleasant things.

And I am also slightly concerned because I have not put in as many miles as I had wanted to. My foot was really tight and I figured rest would be better than miles at this point. I hope I am right come next weekend!!

Princess Half Marathon Weekend--Keys to the Kingdom Tour

On the Monday after the race, I decided to take advantage of the fact that we did not have the kids with us on this trip so we booked the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at the Magic Kingdom since you had to be 16 or older to go on this tour and that will be a long way off with the kids.

Now, I was unsure if this was a wise move but it was something Jeff really wanted to do so did I, plus with the DVC discount it was really reasonable.

When we got up in the morning it was super foggy. We could not even see the Magic Kingdom from our balcony. I was really hoping it would get better as the day went on.

Now to make it to the tour we had to get our luggage dropped off, our bags stored and out of the room by about 8am. That actually went really smoothly and while I was a little stiff as we first started out, I was fine by the time we made it to the Magic Kingdom. We got through the ticket lines and headed into the actual park through the ADR/Tour entrance. We checked in at City Hall and got our name badges and put in our orders for lunch at the Columbia Harbor House.

We had to wait a few minutes for the tour to gather and get going but it wasn't bad. I was able to go in and get stickers, buttons and maps for a surprise for the June trip. I also got to snap a couple empty park pictures. Jeff was not in the picture posing mode so we did not get any Photopass shots which I am sad about. I should have thrown my medal on and taken a few alone but I didn't even think of it.






Just after 8:30am, Steve our tour guide came over to show us around for our tour. The first thing he told us was that we could not take pictures while we were on the tour. He did say he would look the other way if we were not backstage but I never took my camera out because I was trying to follow the rules.

One of the first things he told us was about the statues in the center and then the one in front of the castle. The one in center past the flag pole is of Roy Disney while the one in front of the castle is the famous one of Walt and Mickey.

For the actual tour I am not going to give away too many things since it is special and magical and I do not want to take away from someone else'e experience but feel free to ask if you want to know more!

We started the tour on Main Street where we were told about the meanings of the writing on the windows. I have been down Main Street probably 20 times in the last 12 months and I never noticed this detail. Steve managed to position us perfectly about 1/2 way down so we could see the crowds rush in when they let them in. It was kind of funny, especially since he told us they had the ropes up so people would be slowed down for a few minutes before they could get to the rides.

We walked towards the castle and then left into Adventureland. The details here are so amazing and it is so neat how Disney makes sure you know when you are moving from one land to another. The first ride we went on was the Jungle Cruise. Now for some reason, I had it in my head that I HATED this ride. Well, I don't. I can't wait until June to take the kids one it. The ride was very interesting because Steve did all the talking and we did not hear the usual story but instead found out a lot about the ride and this history. Very neat.

We went into one of the restaurants for a break and got to see one of the Portals for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game and to learn some things about Pirates of the Caribbean. From here we headed backstage. Now this was cool because it was the same place we went backstage the day before during the race. We got to see where the floats were stored and it was cool to see it with no runners or water tables and to remember the run.

We strolled through Frontierland and into Liberty Square. One thing I will offer is sometime when you are walking through the Magic Kingdom look at the windows in the different areas.

From there it was time for lunch at Columbia Harbor House. I had the grilled chicken salad and Jeff had the shrimp. Yummy as always. We ate with a really nice couple from Kentucky. They had been given the tour as a gift from their kids and they were on an adults only trip too!!

After this break it was time for the 2nd half of the tour. We went to the Haunted Mansion which Jeff and I both love! It was really neat to hear the story about it and to ride it and to get to watch for details. Then it was time to head backstage again. We went into the utilidoors and got to even see the one stairwell the President got use when he was at the Magic Kingdom. The history of Disney is so awesome and it was just so neat.

Overall the tour was long at just over 5 hours but well worth it. I am so glad we did it.

The trip was awesome and wonderful and way too fast. We went back for a quick bite to eat at the Contemporary and then it was on the Magical Express and to the airport. Honestly I cannot wait to get back for another trip with more park time and another runDisney weekend!

My first real run since the Princess

I say real run because I had done another slow and short run earlier in the week but this was the first time I got everything together to go out with a goal in mind. Earlier this week I had gone out since it was nice and sunny but the 30 degrees felt a lot colder than I had planned and the run ended with a neighborhood dog wanting to pace me. I gave up.

Today I had an hour to get my run in and get back because I thought Jeff had to work today (turns out he didn't but forgot to tell me).

I was worried that this run was not going to go a lot better since 90 seconds in I realized that while my Garmin was keeping time it was not logging the distance. So I shut off the workout and restarted. NOW, I was in business.

The weather today was perfect. Capris and my Princess Half t-shirt from the race made me feel happy and the weather just made me smile. It was about 50 when I went out and the sun was shining. Days like this make living in Michigan great.

I only got in 4.5 miles (due to what I thought was my time limit) but it felt good to get out there. I had not taped with knee since I was not going over 6 miles but I will admit my right knee was not thrilled with me at the end. I could run but it was sore. I guess now that my left knee survived my first half, my right wants some attention. Not my first choice but whatever.

I am just glad to be running again and that the days are getting longer. With Jeff's long hours I know am going to have to be creative with my running but I have my next race in a month and I have goals I will meet! (even with tape on my knees)!!

Princess Half Marathon Weekend--Part 5 (Celebrating the Finish)

After the race Jeff and I had to pack everything up from the Beach Club and make our move over to Bay Lake Tower. Now, some people may think we were NUTS to move right after the race but we did have our reasons. First, we knew dinner was going to be on the monorail route and also we had scheduled the Keys to the Kingdom tour for 8:30am on Monday so being close to the Magic Kingdom was worth it.

We took a taxi over because we wanted to not have to worry about the luggage transfer since we knew we had to be able to get ready for dinner later. We had no idea if the new room would be ready but I had done online check in and said we were arriving early so I was hopeful.

We got to BLT and checked in. Our room was ready and we were SO happy. We had booked a Theme Park View Studio. I had requested a high floor but with online check in they ask would you rather have your request met or the room ready early and I said, ready early! Turns out we were on the 5th Floor which is the lowest floor for Theme Park view so I was a little worried but I did not need to be! We had a great view.

Now moving from a 1 bedroom to a studio was a shock. I had read how small the studios at Bay Lake are but I was surprised. It was even smaller than our room at the Contemporary, or so it seemed but it might have been because of the kitchenette.

Also, it has a queen bed instead of the king in the 1 bedroom, it seemed so much smaller.

I did love the picture and the theming. Especially after the Beach Club Villas. It was nice there but I prefer the new duvets with the accents over the full comforters like at Beach Club.

The couch and balcony were nice but again, seemed really small after the larger villa. This couch is only a full pull out instead of the queen in the 1-Bedroom

Here is the kitchenette. It had a mini fridge, microwave, toaster and a lot of storage (which was weird.

The bathroom was nothing special but at least they have different sinks than they do at the Contemporary which is good. No water overflowing from it!











Once we were settled, Jeff really wanted to take a little rest since he had been up since about 6am before we went to eat again and head to the Magic Kingdom. I honestly felt awesome and I really wanted to try and get lunch at Be Our Guest but I decided since I had dictated so much of the weekend to let Jeff have some fun. We rested for about 45 minutes. He dosed and I uploaded pictures and tried to rest but I was really keyed up.

We ended up going to eat at the Wave at the Contemporary. Food was good but the service was HORRIBLE. I had on my medal and my I Did it shirt but our waiter was so busy toasting with the table next to use over their races that he kept forgetting we were even there. We had someone else take our orders and get drinks. He was just horrible and completely rude. I think this is one of the only times I have tipped poorly at Disney.

After this we headed to the Magic Kingdom. I really wanted to get pictures with the Princesses with my medal so I got us Fastpasses for them. We had about 2.5 hours until we had to head back for dinner so we kind of wandered. Since it was the middle of the day the lines were a little long. We went over to the New Fantasyland to see the new castles and the Little Mermaid ride. We ended up just walking around and finally we went to the Hall of Presidents. I love this place but I know the kids are too young. We had time before the show so we walked around. I loved it just as much as I used to.

We headed to the front of the park to go see the Princesses but for some reason the Fastpass line was HUGE once we got in. I have never been there when it was so bad. Jeff was impatient and didn't want to wait and I felt dumb staying alone so we handed our Fastpasses off and left. I am sad I did not get 1 picture with a Princess with my medal but what can you do.

Then it was time to go and get ready for our amazing dinner at Victoria and Albert's. I had been dreaming of dinner here for over a year but since you have to be over 10 to dine here and we knew it would not work when the kids were with us, this was the perfect time. When planning for this, I had tried to pick a dress with comfy shoes but I don't have one of those so I settled for my silver ones but I brought my Croc sandals just in case in my purse.

We took the monorail over and we had no delays. We were a couple minutes early but we just relaxed in the peaceful waiting area. It was so nice in there. Once we were seated we quickly realized we were in the Princess section! Everyone around us had medals on (I had mine my purse) but after some persuasion from Margaret, I put it on!!

We were given our personalized menus. Mine was different because everything with garlic had been removed but I had tons of choices. I was also told that the chef would make me a appetizer portion of an entree so I could have 3 choices I would enjoy.

Here are the menues from the evening:

Dinner was amazing, here are so pictures from it:

 Amuse-Bouche to start the evening. A crepe with vanilla and crab, salmon, lump crab with avocado and tomatoes.











This was the cold appetizer. I ordered the masago crusted shrimp and it was amazing! The noodles under it were so good.

Jeff got the octopus with black garlic and he enjoyed it!


We both ordered the Diver Scallop with a fennel "ring" on the top for the fish course.

For the hot appetizer we again got different things. I ordered the Duck Breast and the roasted cauliflower. I enjoyed the cauliflower but my duck was not my favorite.

Jeff had braised Oxtail and cherry ravioli and liked it.



For the main dish Jeff decided he was going to do the add on and go with the Australian Kobe-style beef tenderloin. He originally ordered it medium but changed it to be prepared however the chef recommended. It came out perfect and was so tasty. Jeff also said the garlic mashed potatoes were the best he had ever had!








I ordered the Free Range chicken that is grown on some farm in North Carolina! It really had a wonderful gamey taste, not at all like the usual chicken you get. It also had homemade gnocchi that were amazing. The vegetables were really fresh and delicious.







After all of this, it was time for dessert the cheese course! Now before this, we had already had five courses and three fresh made breads that the pastry chef had prepared. I honestly liked the first one the best, it was a sourdough roll that was perfect! Jeff enjoyed one that was prepared with grains that were milled in his home country in Europe (I forget where) and sent over. He also uses a yeast he brought with him 19 years before to make it. Each also came with a specifically prepared butter to compliment the bread and each did!

For the cheese course I went with the white chocolate gelato with tableside shavings of white chocolate. Of everything we had, this was heaven. Actually I want more right now!!!

Jeff went with the tradition cheese tray and it went from a mild cheese to a very strong one at the end.







After dinner we were offered coffee or tea. Both are brewed at the table using a special brewing system. I had wanted to try the coffee just for the experience but I just was not feeling coffee so I went with an Oolong tea that was the perfect end to the evening, but the food was not over yet.

We still had dessert. Both Jeff and I went with the Souffle and WOW. I had the Hawaiian Kona Chocolate one and Jeff got the Grand Marnier version. Both were so good. Just like on the cooking shows, they were perfect inside. Erich Herbitschek is truly an amazing pastry chef.

Finally the evening was coming to a close. We were presented with one final tray of candies. There was a candy/gelatin version, a tart and a salted caramel. Even though we were bursting we had to eat them because they were too good to pass up.

At the end of the meal the check is presented in a box. I guess they don't want you to forget about it!

Before leaving the wonderful Maitre d'Hotel and hostess took pictures of us!

Here we are together in front of the main dining room.















And here are Margaret and I showing off our medal together after the best dinner celebration ever

Victoria and Albert's really was a once in a lifetime adventure. It was amazing and I do not regret it but it is not something I will do again for a very long time. Disney has many amazing restaurants (though none that compare to this that is for sure) so I am sure it will be years before we return!

It was a long dinner and we did miss WISHES which was sad but we had a wonderful time. We went back to Bay Lake Tower to change and while there Extra Magic Hours were going on at the Magic Kingdom we decided to stay in and relax and watch the castle since we had to get up so early the next morning.