Marathon Weekend 2021

[camaker]

Speaking of registration, I guess it’s time to start figuring out which races to sign up for before early registration next week. Then onto resort reservations too.

Is it bad that I already have my resort reservations!? I am ready to sign up for Dopey! Let's do this!!!

I took the virtual run registration madness as a warning sign. Since I was going to need resort reservations anyway, I went ahead and booked with a TA. I’m in for Dopey.

 

[leholcomb]

I took the virtual run registration madness as a warning sign. Since I was going to need resort reservations anyway, I went ahead and booked with a TA. I’m in for Dopey.

Yep - I'm in for Dopey as well. My first! Snagged a club level Contemporary room while I was at it.... I guess Disney doesn't even have to ask for my money anymore... lol

 

[BigEeyore]

I've had my DVC reservation for MW locked in since February for Friday-Monday, but now I'm thinking Dopey because I am so homesick for WDW! And still feeling cheated that I didn't get to run SW!

 

[MissLiss279]

I've had my DVC reservation for MW locked in since February for Friday-Monday, but now I'm thinking Dopey because I am so homesick for WDW! And still feeling cheated that I didn't get to run SW!

Same! - except through Tuesday. Now I have to see if I can purchase OTU points next month or book somewhere else for the first two or three nights.

 

[Disneyslowrunner]

I had a trip planned for June with my family, but will be cancelling. Even if they reopen, it’s too much of a risk. The grandparents are high risk, running around in 90+ degree weather in a mask, going on vacation at the first reopening during a pandemic sounds like the beginning of a disaster film...and since Florida is still basically a hot spot...but, still hoping to reschedule for marathon weekend. Funny, once you cant go someplace, you just want to go more. Each day I lean towards Dopey instead of Goofy.

 

[Mgslalala]

Signing up for the 10k and the marathon this week. Nice to have something to work towards since all my other races (except Chicago atm!) have been binned. Quick tip. We booked boardwalk for 12 nights over race weekend, with Virgin holidays in the UK. Hunting around subsequently we’ve now swapped to beach club, club level and saved well over a thousand dollars. With all the uncertainty about there’s some deals to be had, worth having a look around if you have already booked, you might get lucky

 

[lhermiston]

Good morning, runDisney all-stars!

For this week's Sundays are for Disney what are your favorite Disney memories? List as many as you'd like!

My family memories are a little more general:

- My twins' first trip in Kindergarten
- My youngest's first trip when she was almost 3, especially when she picked out an Elsa dress that she wore *everywhere* for a year
- The one time we actually rode Kali River Rapids (out of five trips) and one of my daughters got soaked (I lied and said she wouldn't get wet to get her on the ride ... oops)
- Going on Splash Mountain a bunch of times during MW 2019
- Staying out late with my twins the night before the full in 2019
- Family meals, especially Ohana, Boma, Chef Mickeys, Cinderella's Royal Table

runDisney memories:

- Finishing my very first full in 2017
- Finishing my first Dopey in 2019
- Scoring a ROTR boarding group with @FFigawi during the 2020 10K
- My first real Disney fun run - the 2020 half with John, @Bree and @rteetz
- The Goof Troop Roving Road Party!

Have a great week and stay safe, everyone!

 

[FFigawi]

Good morning, runDisney all-stars!

For this week's Sundays are for Disney what are your favorite Disney memories? List as many as you'd like!

runDisney memories:

- Finishing my very first full in 2017
- Finishing my first Dopey in 2019
- Scoring a ROTR boarding group with @FFigawi during the 2020 10K
- My first real Disney fun run - the 2020 half with John, @Bree and @rteetz
- The Goof Troop Roving Road Party!

Rogue Two is one of my favorite memories too! As is the Goof Troop Roving Road Party (TM), along with:

- Disney on Ice 2010, my first Disney race weekend and one that's certainly unforgettable
- Flying over from Iraq to see @Keels in front of BC as she was on her way to finishing her first full
- Getting together with some of my Disney running friends for ice cream at Beaches & Cream on Saturday after the half every year
- Any and all of the DATW on Monday after the full
- Riding Space Mountain continuously for 2 hours as a kid when hardly anyone else was in the park

 

[lhermiston]

- Any and all of the DATW on Monday after the full

How could I leave out DATW?? The Irish car bombs and the look we got from Mary Poppins was worth the price of admission.

Goof Trooooop!

 

[kilowan]

Family
-taking my boys to DL for the first time in 2006
-surprising the same boys with a trip to DL in 2011
-first family vacation to WDW 2019
-growing up the first ride every year with my mom was If You Had Wings
-Honeymoon in WDW, meet my wife working at a Disney Store in MA. She had worked in DL also.

Running
-Doing my first Dopey and Full in 2019
-5k with the boys MW 2019
-5k with wife W&D 2019

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Favorite Disney Memories?

- My wedding
- Finishing the Star Wars Half Marathon
- My Robotics competitions in the EPCOT Parking Lot & the EPCOT after parties with them

 

[rteetz]

Every trip brings different memories.

Non-runDisney
2004 - staying at Pop Century and we went to the lobby to refill our mugs. I of course being a excited kid wanted to look at the gift shop. So I go around the corner to look and I go back to the the drink refill station and my sister and family friends were gone. Luckily I knew where our room was and my parents were there so I ran across through the parking lot. About a half hour later or so my sister and friend come rushing back saying they had no idea where I went. This was really heavy pre-cell phone usage too.
2017- I had the opportunity to go to the Dis 20th event and see Jodi Benson perform and be there for a private viewing of Illuminations.

RunDisney
2015 - my first race ever which got me hooked. We also celebrated my grandmas birthday which would be her last time at WDW.
2016 - my first half
2017 - my first full/Dopey but that came with the canceled half.
2018 - Ran for the first time with other people. Wine and Dine that year also started hanging out with many from here.
2019 - First in line for Everest thanks to @PrincessKP
2020 - Goof Troop!

 

[Disneyslowrunner]

SAFD:
One of my favorite memories was doing a Half Ironman Triathlon at Disney Fort Wilderness. Particularly, getting in the water (Bay Lake) just was the sun was coming up and then every time I took a breath while swimming I would see the castle lit up. That said, I was simultaneously freaked out because I knew there are alligators in pretty much every body of water in Florida and morning and dusk are the most dangerous times, particularly if you are splashing by the shore. It was a very relaxing trip with my family and the entire experience is one of the things that got me into doing Run Disney after an extended period of getting really out of shape and gaining a ton of weight.

 

[shellott-hill]

SAFD:

Non-runDisney:

• Taking my DS for a haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop during a boys-only surprise trip.
• Cinderella's Royal Table with my DD, after Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, all dressed up like Cinderella.
• Pirate's League with DS - full Jack Sparrow dress up in preparation for Halloween party.
• DD first ride on EE - some forceful encouragement was needed and a "I survived Everest T-shirt" had to be bought.

RunDisney:

• 2018 - First Disney Half-Marathon - during Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend. DD running her first 1 mile race at ESPN, Crossing the finish line of the half with my DS. I still love the Snow White medal! The running obsession is cemented.
• 2020 - Disney Marathon Weekend - was able to run the half again and collect the Donald medal. This is where I convinced myself to train for Dopey 2021. Insanity ensues...

 

[SarahDisney]

General:
- 2008 "last-minute" trip (planned about a week in advance) with my sister ... this is the trip that got me hooked
- FastPass+ bonanza in 2015
- First time at Be Our Guest ...it was my first ADR as an adult and I was worried about everything (especially because we don't order off the menu and get separate pre-ordered food) and everything turned out to be perfect
- Early mornings in Toy Story Land (we went 2 days after it opened)
- 18 hours at MK on July 3rd
- My first 4 park day

runDisney memories:
- First Princess 5K in 2015
- First time running into Magic Kingdom (marathon 2019)
- Riding Expedition Everest during the marathon
- Being with my sister the first time she ran through MK


So ... 95% chance I'm in for 5K/10K. Just have to decide if I want to register on my own or through a travel agent. Once we get closer, I'll decide on dates, but right now I'm thinking arrive mid-day Wednesday for expo only, parks Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and fly home Sunday night.

 

[Neon Cactus]

General:
- Ditching college classes in 1986 to go to Disneyland and they had a sneak preview of Star Tours. We rode it three times. Then went to the 60 hour opening party in January 1987 and sleeping on the Peoplemover at 3am
- Going to Disney World in January 1990 and the Studios and Pleasure Island had just opened.
- Driving to the Neon Cactus at Disneyland Hotel to watch sports and drink beer on weekends, then going to Disneyland and riding the Teacups buzzed. One of the best times was when our waitress said John Stamos was there and he asked her who we were because we walked in and got hugs from all the waitresses.
- Taking several friends for their first WDW trip. They had the Food and Fun Card, dining plan plus unlimited recreation, for $40 a day.
- Going to Club 33
- Disneyland's 40th birthday. After the ceremony, I took a shortcut through Plaza Inn and nearly bumped into Michael Eisner in the restaurant. He was waiting for some people so I got to talk to him for a few minutes. Then I went outside right as Randy Travis was walking in.
- My first trip with both daughters in December 2004. My oldest daughter was four and really wanted to go to Blizzard Beach. The highest temperature of the trip was 55 degrees so I took her then and we had the park almost to ourselves.
- Christmastime, especially the Osborne Lights, Candlelight Processional and Grand Floridian.

RunDisney:
- First Disneyland 5k in 1995. First event I'd ever run and first time I heard about the Disney World Marathon.
- Finishing Disney World marathon in 2016. Then I found out about the Coast to Coast medal and I did the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland in September.
- Finished Dopey Challenge this year.
- DATW, both last year and this year. This year was a little bit better because I was able to stay for every country and the pictures with Goofy, Mary Poppins and British Revolution.

 

[Barca33Runner]

I’m going to go with the “picture tells a thousand words” method since I could write a million on this subject:

 

[camaker]

SAFD: DW and I were dating when we took my daughters DD5 and DD9 to WDW to celebrate younger DDs 5th birthday with a Chef Mickey’s character breakfast in summer, 2003. It was DWs first trip to WDW and she enjoyed it so much she wanted to go back for an adult trip. I suggested that she plan a trip for us over New Year’s 2003-2004.

She had a great time putting our trip together, blissfully unaware that I was shopping for a ring in the background. I acquired it (shipped to me at work) with her none the wiser and we headed down on our post-Christmas trip.

Our first stop is always the MK and after heading down Main St, we stopped in the castle courtyard and I asked her ”wouldn’t it be romantic if I pulled a ring out and proposed right here in front of the castle?” She sighed and said it certainly would be. So I said “Ok. Let’s get some lunch at Columbia Harbour House and ride Haunted Mansion” and off we went.

Later that afternoon we headed back across the castle courtyard to go to Tomorrowland and I pulled her aside into one of the picture spot alcoves and asked her to marry me. Surprisingly, she said yes, and the rest is Disney history!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Sigh - I miss WDW.

 

[BigEeyore]

Too many memories to share but I will list a few (wow this is making me very nostalgic and homesick!)

Non rD:
- Growing up, my dad would take me to DL a couple of times a year. We always went straight for the Matterhorn and stayed until park closing.
- My first job at age 16 was at DL in Fantasyland food service - some of the best times of my life were my two summers working at DL!
- Taking my own kids to WDW (since I now live in GA) - I simply cannot pick the highlight memories myself so I asked my girls. My oldest said her best memory was when we took her for her birthday a couple of years ago - we had a really fun dinner at the Skipper Canteen and watched the fireworks. My youngest said her favorite memory was last year when we walked into GE for the first time, and all of our jaws dropped. We felt like we had just walked onto a Star Wars set.
- In 2018 I had an AP, and my dad happened to be visiting WDW with some friends of his (he lives in AZ now), and it was on my birthday weekend so I flew down and spent the weekend having fun with my dad, and it was really special that he and I got to have a day at Epcot together, just the two of us, like it was when I was little.

rD:
- My first rD race was the Princess half in 2011 (also my first half). It not only got me hooked on rD, it has led to lots of fun and accomplishments with endurance running and triathlons.
- My first marathon was at WDW in 2013 (it was SO hot) but I had a blast and cried the last mile (side note - I still cry the last mile!)
- First Dopey in 2016 - did it with a good friend of mine and had a great time.
- All the SW race weekends - so much fun to run AND geek out at the same time!
- 2018 marathon - ran with 3 friends and we managed to stick together for 26.2 miles. We were singing along with Sweet Caroline on World Dr and it was just awesome.
- 2020 DATW - getting to actually meet some of these great people on these boards IRL was fantastic and I hope to see you in the future!