If You are Going to Jump at the Finish Line, Be Sure You Stick the Landing – A 2018 Dopey Run TR

[ZellyB]

Ah, I do remember that about having to go through security to get back on the monorail! Definitely a pain when all you want to do is return to the room to shower and sit down!

Look at all of the shiny bling!! I'm looking forward to some bling pics!

I mean, it really wasn't that big of a deal, but like you said when all you want to do is get back to the room every delay seems huge.

I've not got lots of good bling pics unfortunately. Monday turned out to be a tough day.

OM GAHHHH Victoria & Alberts! It was a mistake to read this before lunch, I am sooo hungry now! The salt...glass (?) is too funny. I like how each different butter has a different "look" to it. It's awesome to see how different things are from meal to meal, from what I remember when we went in 2014, the only course I had that I see in your report is the Kobe beef (worth the upcharge!)...maybe the lamb was there too? It's great that they are so creative and change things up. I agree that the wine pairing is the way to go, even if it is pricey! And the coffee...well, you need that after the wine pairing.

Interestingly, the Kobe beef isn't an upcharge now. Like you, when we ate there previously it was, but now they have a Japanese Wagyu beef that is the upcharge item. I don't remember the lamb option previously either. Like you said though, that's one of the nice things about V&A, the menu does change some. We definitely needed the coffee after all that wine though.

Wow! What an experience and a great way to celebrate all your hard work! Your dinner looked amazing!

It's really is an experience and not just a meal. It's some of how I justify the price. LOL

 

[rteetz]

Wow that looks amazing! What a fantastic way to cap off the hard work and tiring weekend! I'd love to dine there someday.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

So shiny!!

I will be singing this the rest of the day... What a song

I had not realized that initially and I will say, that I didn’t think the monorail was nearly as advantageous for the races as I thought it would be.

I appreciate your honest review of being on the monorail. Looking toward next year, I have really thought about renting DVC points for marathon weekend (to stay in a monorail resort), but the inability to change dates is really tough for us that time of year. Maybe I just don't even need to worry about it!

So much Shine!!!

Beautiful!

I really enjoyed reading about your V&A experience. You and Chris clean up so nicely
The dishes are each plated SO beautifully and I'm sure are equally delicious. Maybe because I just ate lunch, but that cheese plate and coffee service (so cool!) are really speaking to me! What a great (& well deserved!) celebration dinner!

 

[PCFriar80]

Enjoyed reading your V&A review. I went from being hungry to being full! Love the butter challenge though! That's why I stick [no pun intended because it's actually a tub] to smart balance. Nice way to wrap up a long day.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

I just caught up with your report. I love reading about runDisney, even though I have never, and probably will never, do it. It's so amazing to me how many characters are out meeting and the skill of the runners is amazing to me! Very impressive!

I think not too long after this, we did loop around and then enter Epcot. It was awesome running through Epcot with everything lit up and the torches blazing and Disney tunes blaring. WE were having a BLAST!!

What an awesome moment! I don't run at all, so even a 5k seems hard to me, but these races seem like they actually could be fun.

Horace!! I was surprised more people didn't stop for him. Their loss was our gain though! Love this one.

Horace is so rare! I love it!

We were approaching France when we saw another character. I was planning to blow past, but then saw it was yet another new to me character who I happen to love, so

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Marie! Luckily her line wasn’t too bad. While we were waiting a very enthusiastic French contingent was cheering, so I jumped out to get their picture.

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This looks so amazing. All the people cheering would make me want to cry!

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DUCKTALES!!!

Scrooge McDuck! Wow! And their set piece is so cool!

After the turn by Mile 5, it’s that straight shot into the Magic Kingdom. There are so many people in there clapping and cheering, it’s incredible. If somebody could figure out how to bottle up that surge of energy and sell it, they’d make a fortune!

That's part of what interests me so much about runDisney, the cheers and enthusiasm from the sidelines. I've watched vlogs of these races and it makes me a little emotional seeing all the support.

Clarabelle!! Again with the short lines just like Horace. Where is the love people? But, worked for us!!

I love Clarabelle. She's a total classic character that does not get enough attention.

Gospel Choir!!

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What an amazing way to wrap up a race. I could imagine hearing a choir while finishing such an amazing task to be really uplifting!

And you dinner at V&A's looks incredible. I don't like fish and such, so it doesn't appeal to me especially, but it looks really good for sure. And the little purse table is a great touch.

Looking forward to the rest of your report.

 

[ZellyB]

Wow that looks amazing! What a fantastic way to cap off the hard work and tiring weekend! I'd love to dine there someday.

I highly recommend it, but just be prepared for the price tag. It's not an every trip sort of thing for sure, but for a very special occasion, it really is amazing!

I will be singing this the rest of the day... What a song



I appreciate your honest review of being on the monorail. Looking toward next year, I have really thought about renting DVC points for marathon weekend (to stay in a monorail resort), but the inability to change dates is really tough for us that time of year. Maybe I just don't even need to worry about it!

There were certainly some advantages to the monorail, but for the premium price, not sure it was really worth it. I'd say we enjoyed Beach Club more.

I really enjoyed reading about your V&A experience. You and Chris clean up so nicely
The dishes are each plated SO beautifully and I'm sure are equally delicious. Maybe because I just ate lunch, but that cheese plate and coffee service (so cool!) are really speaking to me! What a great (& well deserved!) celebration dinner!

It was awesome!

Enjoyed reading your V&A review. I went from being hungry to being full! Love the butter challenge though! That's why I stick [no pun intended because it's actually a tub] to smart balance. Nice way to wrap up a long day.

LOL on the butter. We were very tired and punchy, so we probably found it more amusing than it actually was.

I just caught up with your report. I love reading about runDisney, even though I have never, and probably will never, do it. It's so amazing to me how many characters are out meeting and the skill of the runners is amazing to me! Very impressive!

Never say never when it comes to running. I swore for years I wasn't a runner and then somehow became one.

What an awesome moment! I don't run at all, so even a 5k seems hard to me, but these races seem like they actually could be fun.


Horace is so rare! I love it!


This looks so amazing. All the people cheering would make me want to cry!

Scrooge McDuck! Wow! And their set piece is so cool!

The character meets on the runs are really great and so often unique characters that you don't see otherwise.

That's part of what interests me so much about runDisney, the cheers and enthusiasm from the sidelines. I've watched vlogs of these races and it makes me a little emotional seeing all the support.


I love Clarabelle. She's a total classic character that does not get enough attention.

What an amazing way to wrap up a race. I could imagine hearing a choir while finishing such an amazing task to be really uplifting!

And you dinner at V&A's looks incredible. I don't like fish and such, so it doesn't appeal to me especially, but it looks really good for sure. And the little purse table is a great touch.

Looking forward to the rest of your report.

You should check out runDisney more. Sounds like you'd really enjoy it. And there are lots of people in the 5K that walk the races rather than run them, so even if you don't routinely run, it doesn't mean runDisney isn't for you. Thanks for reading along.

 

[ZellyB]

Last Day in the Park

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The next day, Monday, was our last full day at Disney. Our original plan was to spend the first part of the day at Epcot with some Drinking Around the World and then end the day at MK with a viewing of Happily Ever After. What I haven't shared before is we were tracking some things with Chris' dad back at home. He was faced with a serious health issue that was going to require risky surgery. Originally it looked like that would be on the Wednesday after our Tuesday return, but on Sunday we got word he would be getting his surgery on Tuesday instead. So, Monday morning we were able to adjust Chris' flight and he would be flying out that afternoon straight to Kansas City without me to get there in time. With that change, we opted to just go to MK for the day and do what we could before he needed to leave for the airport. I'll tell you now that Chris' dad came through the surgery great, but sadly the overall prognosis for him is not good.

We got around fairly early and got on the monorail to MK. We got there shortly after opening, but we were both in need of some caffeine, so we stopped at Starbucks (LONG LINE) and got some coffee and a big cinnamon roll.



I was hoping crowds would be down some on this day since hopefully most of the holiday travelers would be gone, but frankly, it was still pretty busy. Since I'd originally planned to be in Epcot, I had no FP planned, so we were playing it by ear and picking up what we could for same day. We headed for BTMRR hoping standby wouldn't be too long yet. It was still a pretty long wait, but eventually we got to enjoy our ride.
https://flic.kr/p/23UrdD7


Next up was Chris' favorite ride Haunted Mansion
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I kept trying to get a Peter Pan FP+, but never did get lucky enough to score one. So, we opted for a ride with a routinely short wait. Little Mermaid.
https://flic.kr/p/23XdRn4


As we were walking back through the hub, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to get that medal shot I'd been wanting for 5 years.
https://flic.kr/p/FPmZyG


All the love!!

We got in a ride on Pirates next and then Jungle Cruise. I'd gotten lucky and scored some FP+ for those. I really wanted a picture with Mickey in Town Square as well, but the line was 60 minutes and no FP to be had even though I kept trying. So, since the main mouse was out, we thought we'd go see some other race mascots instead!

Goofy was up first. He was very excited about our Goofy medals.
https://flic.kr/p/23Uqfb7




And then came Donald!
https://flic.kr/p/K1kWgH

By this time, it was getting to be early afternoon and we needed to get Chris packed up and on his way to the airport, so back off to Poly we went. We grabbed a sandwich from Captain Cooks and got everything packed up. A quick request for Uber and I was sadly waving goodbye to my husband. I went back to the room briefly and finished getting the last of my own stuff ready for my departure in the morning and decided I needed a quick snack.





Too bad this had been such a cold weekend because we definitely didn't take advantage of the easy access to Dole Whips that we might have otherwise.

After my snack, I headed back for a solo evening at MK. I was curious if I'd have better luck getting FP+ options as a single rider. I was able to score some, but really nothing for the big headliners for the most part.

First up was Pooh and then I decided to head for the People Mover. I love this ride! As I was loading, the CM asked how many for me and I said, "Just me" and he was like, "Oh, you said that so sad." Which made me laugh.

https://flic.kr/p/22SyPcy
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Next I hit up a ride that I never get to ride with Chris because the spinning is not good for him. Dumbo!



Followed by a little Small World action.
https://flic.kr/p/22SyPmb


I managed to hit up Pirates again at some point in here as well and by then I decided it was time to find a spot for watching Happily Ever After. While I was waiting, I can tell you I was feeling sort of sad. I'd so looked forward to seeing this show and seeing it with Chris and I really wished he could be with me. I did really enjoy the show though. It was really neat to see the new castle projections and the fireworks were great.



They had announced that the park was going to stay open for certain attractions for an extra 2 hours, but by that time, I was done, so I headed out of the park and walked over to Contemporary to pick up some souvenirs for me and Chris and then back to the Poly. I grabbed another quick bite that I ate in the room and went off to bed.

The next morning, I finished up my packing and dropped my bags off. I had a little time to kill before leaving on Magical Express for the airport, so I bought my kids some hats and just took a few farewell pictures of the resort.
https://flic.kr/p/K1oFk4




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https://flic.kr/p/K1q8zB[/URL][/URL][URL='https://flic.kr/p/K1q8zB']
And then loaded up for the drive to the airport. Another fond farewell to the Happiest Place on Earth and this time with an uncertainty about when we would return.
[URL='https://flic.kr/p/K1q8zB']
Next up: Final thoughts
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[rteetz]

Sorry about Chris's Dad. That stuff is never easy. Glad you got some great MK time and photos before he had to go.

 

[PCFriar80]

Even when facing adversity you managed to make the most of the day! Best wishes for Chris's Dad and the entire family.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Very sorry about your father in law. And sad that your hubby husband had to leave before you. It would be a little sad for me to do those things alone if I had been planning to do them with a partner. But no matter what, it's Disney, so you can't be too bummed. And those shots you got of your hotel before you left are beautiful. I love the Poly and if I ever got a chance to stay Deluxe, I think that is where I'd choose.

 

[Ariel484]

I'm glad that you guys were able to move stuff around so that Chris could be home for the surgery...hugs to you and your family.

Fabulous medal shot!!

What the heck is Goofy doing in that first picture?! What a Goof!

Oh boy does that Dole Whip look good! I could go for one of those right now...we also did not take advantage of that during our Poly stay. In fact, we didn't get one at all that weekend! Must rectify that mistake.

 

[ZellyB]

Sorry about Chris's Dad. That stuff is never easy. Glad you got some great MK time and photos before he had to go.

Thank you. We did have some good MK time together and that was really nice.

Even when facing adversity you managed to make the most of the day! Best wishes for Chris's Dad and the entire family.

Thank you!

Very sorry about your father in law. And sad that your hubby husband had to leave before you. It would be a little sad for me to do those things alone if I had been planning to do them with a partner. But no matter what, it's Disney, so you can't be too bummed. And those shots you got of your hotel before you left are beautiful. I love the Poly and if I ever got a chance to stay Deluxe, I think that is where I'd choose.

Thank you. I really did like the Poly and think in better weather or on a different kind of trip we would have loved it there.

I'm glad that you guys were able to move stuff around so that Chris could be home for the surgery...hugs to you and your family.

Fabulous medal shot!!

What the heck is Goofy doing in that first picture?! What a Goof!

Oh boy does that Dole Whip look good! I could go for one of those right now...we also did not take advantage of that during our Poly stay. In fact, we didn't get one at all that weekend! Must rectify that mistake.

Thank you. Goofy was very entertaining. And, you missed out on a dole whip and we never made it into Trader Sam's.

 

[Ariel484]

Thank you. Goofy was very entertaining. And, you missed out on a dole whip and we never made it into Trader Sam's.

I think we all need a Poly re-do!

 

[ZellyB]

THE FINAL WRAP-UP

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So, that's it. After years of dreaming about it we finally achieved our Dopey Challenge. And, it was more than I had hoped for. I'd had a great training year and was feeling strong and while we never try for time (in fact we got personal worsts on every single distance ) we achieved the goal of having the best possible time and finishing feeling good and happy. I got to ride Everest finally, drink two beers along the way, get lots of character pictures and milk every last drop of enjoyment out of the victory lap around Epcot. For me, it was a near perfect race experience and one that I don't think I'll try to repeat. I mean, you never know, but I feel like I've done Dopey and it was so amazing, I'm not sure I'd want to do it again and risk something less than this.

​

Besides, there are other races (looking at you Wine & Dine - I need to actually get to run you) and fun Disney times ahead I want to experience, and the Dopey challenge is really an all-consuming trip that prevents you from fully enjoying the Disney experience from all aspects.

On property and the Poly and the monorail, wasn't quite all I hoped for. Like I said, certainly doing 4 races and the unusual cold weather hindered our enjoyment, but even at a good price for the Poly, I'm not sure I could justify the cost again. Maybe at a different time of year when we aren't running a lot of races, we might try it again though. There's no doubt it's a beautiful resort and being able to look across the lake and see the castle is pretty special.

We had some amazing food on this trip! NOM!!! I'm so glad we tried some new places and revisited some old favorites and I still have other new ones I want to try, but this was a great food trip.

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We were both set on making this our last marathon weekend for awhile. We've done 4 of the last 5 years and there are other places and races we felt we wanted to tackle. Chicago marathon in October being a major one! And, then...we experienced a really amazing marathon weekend. Within 2 weeks of being home, we both admitted we wanted to go again, so while we aren't firmly decided, I think WDW Marathon weekend 2019 is a high probability. We just really love Disney. What can we say?

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We both think though that we go back to "only" running the marathon. I loved the 5K and 10K, but the half just isn't my favorite race. And, the early arrival needed for the 5K race means less time after when the parks tend to lighten up, so for now, we are thinking to do the Marathon as a solo race in 2019. That could change, but I no longer have the drive to do Dopey like I did. And, the marathon remains my favorite race that gives me all the feels of running at Disney.

And, lastly, there's this guy.

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I would absolutely not be running like I am today if not for his constant support. Sharing this hobby with him has only strengthened our marriage and made me appreciate what a gem I got when I married Chris. Thanks for everything, baby, and here's to a lot more years of running together. There's always that BQ we hope to get when we turn 70.

Thanks to all of you for reading along and sharing the journey!!

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[rteetz]

Love it! Great recap and trip report! I agree with pretty much everything you said. Dopey is time consuming and takes away from the Disney experience. I’ll probably do it again but likely not next year. I also love the marathon and think the half is kind of meh. I’m glad you had a pretty perfect Dopey experience. Congrats to both of you!

 

[Ariel484]

Great wrap-up post! I found myself nodding along and mentally agreeing with almost the entire thing. Especially this part:

I feel like I've done Dopey and it was so amazing, I'm not sure I'd want to do it again and risk something less than this.​

Dopey is just such a beast, and so freaking expensive (!!), and it takes up the entire weekend, that I totally understand the mindset of wanting it to be a one-and-done. Like you, I had the perfect Dopey experience (2015) and don't feel the need to do it again. I thought I'd never be able to return to marathon weekend and not do Dopey, but why mess with perfection (and seriously, that half course is just meh)? I totally, totally get where you are coming from with this. The marathon is the best course anyway! And you can repeat your multiple beers/pretzel/Everest strategy!

You and Chris worked super hard this year and were so consistent - I was so impressed art your focus and determination when following along with your journal! I'm so happy that you got that perfect Dopey experience and that it was everything you hoped it would be, because both of you so deserved it!

You are KILLING me with that last picture!! You two are so cute!

Loved reading this, thanks so much for sharing!! Can't wait to hear about Chicago.

 

[ZellyB]

Love it! Great recap and trip report! I agree with pretty much everything you said. Dopey is time consuming and takes away from the Disney experience. I’ll probably do it again but likely not next year. I also love the marathon and think the half is kind of meh. I’m glad you had a pretty perfect Dopey experience. Congrats to both of you!

Thanks, Ryan and a big congrats to you as well. I'm really glad we got a chance to meet you in person and even funnier how many near misses we had with you during the races. Thanks for reading along.

Great wrap-up post! I found myself nodding along and mentally agreeing with almost the entire thing. Especially this part:

Dopey is just such a beast, and so freaking expensive (!!), and it takes up the entire weekend, that I totally understand the mindset of wanting it to be a one-and-done. Like you, I had the perfect Dopey experience (2015) and don't feel the need to do it again. I thought I'd never be able to return to marathon weekend and not do Dopey, but why mess with perfection (and seriously, that half course is just meh)? I totally, totally get where you are coming from with this. The marathon is the best course anyway! And you can repeat your multiple beers/pretzel/Everest strategy!

I thought about you after we finished Dopey and I felt comfortable saying one-and-done. I remembered your posts to that effect and was like, I totally get it now.

You and Chris worked super hard this year and were so consistent - I was so impressed art your focus and determination when following along with your journal! I'm so happy that you got that perfect Dopey experience and that it was everything you hoped it would be, because both of you so deserved it!

You are KILLING me with that last picture!! You two are so cute!

Loved reading this, thanks so much for sharing!! Can't wait to hear about Chicago.

Aw, thanks, Shannon. It was one of those really great years for us and I hope we can keep that going. And, don't worry, you'll get sick of hearing about Chicago. Thanks for joining in!

ETA: You'll always be my inspiration on these races. If not for your trip reports, I'm not sure we would have ever tried the marathon weekend. And look at us now.

 

[Ariel484]

I thought about you after we finished Dopey and I felt comfortable saying one-and-done. I remembered your posts to that effect and was like, I totally get it now.

*cringe* yeah, I probably should have kept my opinions to myself until after the weekend. I hope I wasn't being a buzzkill!

Aw, thanks, Shannon. It was one of those really great years for us and I hope we can keep that going. And, don't worry, you'll get sick of hearing about Chicago. Thanks for joining in!

YAY!

ETA: You'll always be my inspiration on these races. If not for your trip reports, I'm not sure we would have ever tried the marathon weekend. And look at us now.

Thanks so much, that is so nice of you to say! I hope you guys make it back for 2019!

 

[TeeterTots]

What a great recap! What can I say! I love your enthusiasm and you two are so cute. how awesome to have your hubby as your running partner and greatest support! I had an amazing marathon experience and often consider Dopey but I just don’t know?! The early mornings and how time consuming it is as you mentioned. I will definitely be back 2019 but likely just the marathon. Looking forward to seeing you there!

 

[SarahDisney]

Rolling butter ...

Sounds like you had a puree-ty good meal a V&A! (did you see what I did there? ... probably not, actually, that was terrible)

Also, I love your dress! You look so pretty! (I wear dresses a lot, so that's basically the first thing I notice, and then the person wearing the dress. Oh, and Chris looks nice too)

Oh, so sorry to hear that Chris had to leave early (and that things aren't looking good with his dad). That's rough.

I love your castle "all the medals!!!!" picture!!

Looking at your "posed" picture with Goofy ... I'm pretty sure he thinks he ran 39.3 miles in two days, not you guys.

Loved the recap, and I totally understand what you said about Dopey being a one and done - there are some things out there that you want to experience, but once you've done it, you're okay not doing it again. I'm glad you had such a good experience your first time and don't need any do-overs!

I hope to see you on Marathon morning next year!