Tiny Bits of Magic

Advice and info on parenting, family travel, and healthy family living from a mama of five

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Commemorative Items Capture the Magic of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend

Virtual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Blog Hop Directory



Commemorative tshirt purchased by Patty
http://margaritasmilesandmouse.blogspot.com/

The Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend is now just days away. There is no better way to celebrate the your hard work and accomplishment than with a commemorative item. Perhaps you have already started your “celebration” shopping by purchasing a Tinker Bell Half Marathon pin or necklace. These are great little items that not only show off your amazing feat of running 13.1 miles, but are also great to collect as you run other runDisney races. If you did not purchase these items during registration, never fear. Both the necklace and the pin are usually available at the Health and Fitness Expo and you can simply pick one up after you pick up your race packet (while supplies last, of course). Speaking of race packet, your registration includes a Tinker Bell themed tech tshirt. Last year they also included a great little backpack in the race packet and hopefully they will do the same this year.

Photo courtesy of www.13GoingonCrazy.com



Also, don’t forget the new runDisney shoes-available in two different styles each for men and women as well as the race specific shoe inserts and shoelace charm. These are unique items that will help you relive your achievement long after you’ve crossed the finish line.

Whether you are content with your included-in-the-registration tshirt or want to revamp your entire wardrobe so it screams “Look what I accomplished!”, commemorative items are a great way to remember your race day, to remember all the hard work and dedication it took to cross that finish line. Whatever you choose, your Tinker Bell Half Marathon commemorative items will capture that magic for years to come.

This pin (although not from the Tinker Bell race) commemorates my very first runDisney event



GOOD LUCK RUNNERS!!



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Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend-Family Fun Run 5K

photo courtesy of runDisney
The Disney Family Fun Run 5K is not only a great way to kick off your WDW Marathon weekend but is also great opportunity for your whole family to share in the magic of a runDisney event together. The Family Fun Run 5K will begin at 6:15 am on Thursday January 9, 2014. The course is a looped course and will begin in the Epcot parking lot, run around World Showcase and offer a spectacular early morning view of the World Showcase Lagoon. The course meanders back toward the front of the park, through Future World and makes a very scenic loop around Spaceship Earth.  Runners will then follow the course out of the park to the parking lot finish line. All finishers will receive a special Disney Family Fun Run 5K finisher’s medallion as they cross the finish line. A complete course map can be found  here.

http://sparklyrunner.blogspot.com


For those participating in the Disney Family Fun 5K next week, here are some important things to remember:

  • You must attend the packet pick up during Disney’s Health and Fitness Expo in order to receive your race participant bib. Packet pick up will not be available at the race itself.
  • All participants are required to sign a participant waiver which can be found in your final race instructions email or by clicking here. You must bring your signed waivers to packet pick up in order to receive your race bib
  • I recommend printing out a copy of your final race instructions to bring with you on race day. That way you have all the information you need in hand until you reach your corral. You can then simply dispose of the paper once you’ve reached the start line. 
  • If you are unable to pick up your own packet, you can have someone pick it up for you. Your “representative” will need a copy of your valid ID and your signed waiver along with a signed  Packet Pick-Up Authorization form .
  • The Disney Family Fun 5K course will not allow strollers, joggers, baby carriers of any kind, skates, scooter, bikes, skateboard, canes, crutches, or animals.
  • Costumes are encouraged and can add fun and excitement to race day, but do note that masks are NOT allowed and if your costume is deemed offensive to race officials, you will be removed from the course.
  • Bus transportation to the start line will be provided from Disney’s host resorts beginning at 4:15am. The monorail will begin running at 3am to accommodate race-goers. Participants should board a bus or monorail NO LATER than 5:30am in order to make it to the corral in time for the start of the race.
  • If you are NOT staying at a host resort, you will need to provide your own transportation to the start line. Plan accordingly as race day traffic can be VERY heavy. 
  • Return bus transportation to host resorts will run from 7am-9am
  • There are two on course water stations and well as post race refreshments. 
  • Don’t forget to plan a group meeting spot for after the race in case your party is not planning on running together or becomes separated on the course. You want to be sure you can be reunited amidst the crowd and you’ll want to most definitely get a photo to capture the memory of your accomplishment.
http://sparklyrunner.blogspot.com

Disney Family 5K’s are really a lot of fun for the whole family whether it is your first race or you are a seasoned runner.  Since there isn’t an age requirement for the 5K, anyone can participate as long as they can maintain the required 16-minute/ mile pace. And, since this event isn’t timed, participants can be free to enjoy the course with their companions without the pressure of trying to meet an official (and posted) time goal. There is really no better way to encourage your loved ones to get active than though a runDisney event. It will be a race like no other and will amaze you with on-course entertainment, character photo opportunities, and best of all you get to see the parks in a way that not many get to experience. While my family and I have yet to conquer the 5K during WDW Marathon Weekend, we have participated in several of runDisney’s other 5K races. Each of these events have been an unbelievable adventure for my family, as each time we get to experience the parks in a more quiet, serene way–usually just as the sun is rising. Every year we add another family member to our little running club and that makes our race days even more exciting. It is something we love to talk about together long after we’ve crossed the finish line.

For those of you who are participating in an event during the 2014 WDW Marathon Weekend next week, I wish you a big GOOD LUCK! For those who are not, remember, it is never to early to start planning your first or next runDisney event!  

My family of runners at the Royal Family 5K during Princess Half Marathon Weekend. We soon hope to be able to add the WDW Marathon Weekend 5K to our “club’s” list of accomplishments
Virtual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Blog Hop Directory

continue the fun! click on link to read more about WDW Marathon Weekend

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Sneak Peek at What’s New for runDisney in 2014 from New Balance

This weekend, New Balance gave fans a highly anticipated sneak peek at the new design for the official 2014 runDisney shoe. The 2013 design, which featured Mickey (men’s) and Minnie (women’s), was officially retired during the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend. The new design will feature Sorcerer Mickey (men’s) and Pink Minnie (women’s). Although New Balance will not fully unveil the new shoe until the Health and Fitness Expo during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January, they did offers eager followers enough of a teaser glimpse at their new design.  It looks as though the men’s shoe will be red and feature Sorcerer Mickey on the back. The women’s shoe appears to be a bright pink and has pink Minnie on the back. New Balance also unveiled the addition of  runDisney shoes for kids. The kids’ shoes will be the same design as the adult shoes, so Sorcerer Mickey for boys and pink Minnie for girls. idea, not only for
New Balance's 2014 pink Minnie women's runDisney shoe

New Balance’s 2014 pink Minnie women’s runDisney shoe
The New Balance runDisney shoes are only available at Health and Fitness Expos during runDisney event weekends. It has not been revealed if there will be any changes in price for the 2014 shoes or what the cost might be for the kids’ shoes. The price for the runDisney shoes in 2013 was around $125.
race specific lace keeper will offer a great way to commemorate your accomplishment

race specific lace keeper will offer a great way to commemorate your accomplishment
In addition to the 2014 shoe design, runDisney also announced the addition of other shoe accessories that devoted runners can purchase to customize their shoes and commemorate their endurance accomplishments.  Race specific shoe inserts, shoe box sticker to record race date and finish time, and a lace keeper type decoration have all been designed to allow runners to celebrate their accomplishments long after they have crossed the finish line.  At all of the runDisney events throughout the year, these packages will be available for purchase and runners can collect these little extras as they rack up their runDisney miles.
race specific shoe inserts

race specific shoe inserts
MY TWO CENTS: I was really excited about the news, not just about the new design or the added accessories–although those aspects are really enticing. I think the addition of the kids’ shoes is what is really newsworthy. New Balance and runDisney have recognized the growing community of families that run. Sure some nay-sayers would proclaim that this is just another way for Disney to make money. I won’t argue. It’s a great marketing strategy to not only make money on the shoes but on runDisney events themselves. But Disney is a company and companies need to make money to remain a viable business so they can stay in business (and continue to provide jobs for MANY)–but that is a topic for another time…..

Offering a Disney running shoe for kids is a great way to get kids excited about running.  If your kids are like mine and want to be just like mom and dad, these shoes are a great incentive to get your aspiring runner off the couch and out running consistently.  With the runDisney kids races, family 5k’s and now the addition of a kids running shoe, Disney has done a fantastic job of not only acknowledging and accommodating kid runners, but is also helping parents to lay the foundation for life long love of running. Just another reason to love runDisney 🙂

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My Attempt to Get a Pair of runDIsney Shoes

A few months ago, Disney named New Balance as the official shoe of runDisney. In honor of such an occasion, New Balance reveled an exclusive shoe made especially for runDisney. These new Mickey (men’s) and Minnie (women’s) shoes made their big debut in January at the Walt Disney World Marathon and were for sale to those attending the expo. Their popularity was overwhelming, resulting in a quick sell out. Whether it is due to their Disney theme or with the fact that they are, at this time, only being offered for sale at race expos, it is clear that that these shoes are very much in demand.  I, too, was immediately drawn to these shoes and was quite excited to learn that they would be sold at the Health and Fitness Expo during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend.
We planned on arriving at the expo on Friday morning before it opened at 9am. Apparently, everyone else had that same idea, as there were a couple hundred people lined up outside of the expo, located at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.  Since the shoes had sold out very quickly during both the Marathon and Tinkerbell expos, I knew we would be facing a large crowd. I just did not anticipate THAT large of a crowd! Fortunately, not everyone waiting for the expo doors to be opened was looking to score a pair of shoes. It was, however , an extremely LONG line that started near at the main doors, ran almost the entire width of the building before making a hairpin turn, doubling back to the entrance of the New Balance booth. I really wanted a pair of these shoes, but, to be honest, I wasn’t certain if it was worth waiting in line that long with all five kids. My husband, being the supportive and accommodating man that he is, said he would stand in line while I went to pick up our race packets. Packet pick up was a frustrating task in itself. I had to pick up my bib for the half marathon and 5k and also the bibs for the other three kids. Despite registering everyone at the same time, we all  had a vastly different bib number which meant waiting in separate lines for each bib. I waited in five different lines in order to obtain everyone number.  By the time I returned to the shoe line, just over an hour had passed and my husband was about half way through the line. We swapped spots and he went to pick up his bib. 
It was upon his return, 15 minutes later, that I realized I only had my Key to the World card with me–no cash no credit card. If you are unfamiliar with the Key to the World card, it is essentially your resort room key. It not only opens your door, but also holds your dining plan credits, can be used like a credit card to make purchases, and can also be used as your park ticket. So, in an attempt to travel light (and with five kids, I’m always looking to carry LESS stuff), I left my wallet back at the room, save my ID and Key to the World card. I began to feel ill. Did we just spend the last hour and fifteen minutes standing in line for NOTHING?  The answer, sadly, is yes. My husband, too,  had left his wallet back in our room and was only carrying the same cards as I. After a quick talk with the very nice people at the New Balance booth, we were informed that they did NOT take the Key to the World card and unfortunately we did not have the means in which to pay for a pair of shoes.  We had become so reliant on only needing our Key to the World cards during our visits to WDW, it did not even dawn on us that we wouldn’t be able to use it at the expo. So out of line we went—a perfectly good Disney morning wasted!
I will admit, I was pretty bummed. Partly because I REALLY thought I had a chance to get my very own pair of Minnie shoes but mostly because we spent all that time in line for nothing. We decided to head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to try to salvage the rest of our day. A very large cup of coffee and cheese danish later, I was feeling better. Small pangs of envy sparked very time a new tweet was posted about the expo or the runDisney shoes, but by late afternoon I was over it and decided it was just not meant to be.

I had planned on going back to the expo with Baby Girl to meet up with my sister and parents, as they still needed to get their bibs. Plus, with the morning fiasco, we did not get our race tshirts (some said THAT line was one to two hours long ) nor did I get a chance to peruse  the booths.  Baby Girl and I hopped a bus back to the expo. When we arrived, morbid curiosity got the better of me as I just HAD to know if the shoes had sold out. I followed the same path we had taken while waiting in line that morning  back toward the New Balance booth. There wasn’t a line and the closer I got the more certain I became that no one was waiting for shoes. When I reached the booth, there were two people trying on shoes–plain old running shoes. I stopped a saleswoman to ask her if by some weird chance they had a pair of the Minnie shoes. I was completely SHOCK when she said yes, they had run out earlier that afternoon but they had just gotten more in. I couldn’t believe it. I GOT MY SHOES!!

Okay so maybe its a LITTLE ridiculous the be that excited about a pair of shoes, but given that morning’s events I think I am entitled to a little craziness.  The shoes sell for $125, which may seem expensive but is really not that much more than I spend on good running shoes. It really irks me to see them being sold for double and even triple that amount on eBay, but since at this time the runDisney shoes will be sold exclusively at race expos, it is, I suppose, an option to those who do not have future plans for a runDisney race. While I suppose the “early bird catches the worm”, one cannot help but think that perhaps race participants should get first crack at the shoes, as they hold a special meaning to them, a meaning that does not involve dollar signs. It was the same situation during last year’s Princess Half Marathon with the special edition Dooney&Bourke bags. This year Disney remedied that situation by offering a presale  to race participants. Perhaps the same will occur for the shoes. Will New Balance mass market these shoes? I do not know. It is speculated that the answer is no, based on the success at the expos. As for me, I am enjoying my Minnie shoes. Since it is designed to accommodate mild to moderate pronators (fancy running term for people who’s foot turns, either inward or outward when they strike the ground), it is not a good shoe for me, personally, to use as a running shoe, as I have a neutral foot.  So, my runDisney Minnie shoes have become my everyday shoes and every time I  put  them on I feel just a little bit “magical”.

(you can read more of my articles about the Princess Half Marathon at WDW Fan Zone!)

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Coast to Coast Baby!!

The Coast to Coast Medal
When I started running 4 years ago, I never dreamed I would ever run a half marathon, let alone run TWO in one year. To have run two Disney half marathons, one on each coast, seems surreal (yes, I know the word “surreal” is one of the most overused words in the English language, like “journey”, but here it fits). I never, ever thought I would be holding a Coast to Coast medal in my hands, but I am, as I became one of Disney’s elite “Coast to Coast” runners when I crossed the finish line at the Disneyland Half Marathon. 
DH and Baby Girl at Expo
The Disneyland Half Marathon weekend kicked off at noon on Friday August 31 with the opening of the Health and Fitness Expo at the Disneyland Hotel. Our plan was to meet up with my sister and brother-in-law once we arrived at our hotel in Anaheim and hop on over to the expo for packet pick up.  While I usually enjoy perusing the expo, our time in Anaheim was limited (we planned a 10 day trip around CA and Anaheim was only our first stop). To be honest, since I’ve never been to Disneyland, I didn’t want to waste a single moment of Disney Park time. So, a quick stop at the expo was the plan for Friday night but unfortunately by the time we collected our luggage at LAX, got our rental car, and drove from LA to Anaheim, we did not have time. Instead, we went to the expo on Saturday afternoon. My parents were gracious enough to take four of our kids back to the hotel for a mid-afternoon rest and swim so DH and I (with Baby Girl in tow)could pick up our race packets. 
my C2C wrist band
Although this race was to be DH’s and my brother-in-law’s first half marathon (yay for them!), My sister and I had our eye on an even bigger prize-the Coast to Coast medal. The Coast to Coast medal is a medal given out to those (crazy) runners who have completed either a half or full marathon at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World within the same calender year. You still receive your finisher’s medal for each race, but at the finish line of the second race you move on to a special area where you receive this third medal. It was this medal for which we longed, giving up sleep, salty foods, and adult beverages all summer long. This was our reward.
At the expo, runners received their bib numbers, tshirts, special edition pins (if ordered in advance), and their Coast to Coast wristband, when indicated. The remainder of the expo was dedicated to a multitude of fitness and running related vendors as well as free mini-seminars.  It would have been a great way to spend the day if you were a local resident or if you had planned for a longer stay in Anaheim, but since were not a resident nor had extra time to spare, we only did a quick walk through. 
The four of us before heading out to the start line
My sis and I before the start of the race
The race began promptly at 5:45 am on Sunday, starting from the Disneyland resort area. We began our walk to the start line from our hotel at 4:30am. Since we were staying at the Park Vue Inn, we were just a short walk away from the corral area. Unfortunately, the walk to the start line was slow moving and quite congested. It wasn’t as bad as the walk to the corral at the Princess Half, but it we were still moving at a snail’s pace. Once we finally made our way to the corral area, the four of us parted ways, since we all had different estimated finish times, the four of us were in four different corrals. The final minutes leading up to the start of any race can be nerve wrecking, but for me it was almost overwhelming. This was because the week before the race, I was trying to get in one last run before we left for CA and injured my knee at mile 11. My knee hurt so badly I could not continue and had to call DH to come get me.  I was terrified that the pain would resurface, or worse, I would not be able to finish the race–the race I had traveled 2300 miles to run. I feared I would not get that coveted medal after all. 
Just before 6am, my corral took off. The course took us through California Adventure and Disneyland first, stretching the first 4 miles. This part of the run was incredible. Not only was there a ton to see like Cars Land and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, but I felt great running. Even though I had trained for this race using the Jeff Galloway method of run/walk intervals, I chose to run continuously as long as I felt comfortable because I wanted to get as far as I could “just in case”, as during my last run, it was during the walk interval that my knee became so painful, I could not move. It was just before mile 5 when things took a turn for the worse. At the hydration station between mile 4 and 5, I slowed to a walk to get a drink and that’s when the pain hit. The sharp burning pain in the center of my knee took me by such surprise that I almost fell over. Each walking step was more painful than the last. I hobbled a couple of feet and decided to try to run on it again. Once I got going, the pain seemed to subside. I continued to run for the next two miles, but at mile 7 I had to slow to a walk to eat my GU pack (I am just not coordinated enough to run and eat). The pain immediately resurfaced and brought me to tears. I absolutely could not walk. I tried to run again, and after braving through several moments of pain, it seemed to settle into a dull ache but was not unbearable. I continued to run and began to panic as I could feel myself becoming more and more fatigued, as my body was used to the run/walk method not continuous running. It is one thing to become fatigued while running and have the need to walk but I did not have that option. The pain in that knee when walking was so intense it was nauseating. I worried that each step would be my last because, quite honestly, the pain did not make sense. How could it hurt while walking but not running? I figured at some point the pain would cross over and I would feel it while running and I would be done. The worst moment, by far, was running into Angel’s Stadium. The downhill slope of the course as we entered the stadium caused so much pain that I sobbed……but I didn’t quit. 
DH and I post race
DH asked me after the race at what moment did I realize I was going to finish. My reply was that until I turned the corner and that finish line was 200 feet away I was certain that I would NOT finish. But I finished, we all did. And as I stepped over to get my Coast to Coast medal, I wanted to hug the guy who  said “Congratulations Margaret” as he hung the medal around my sweaty and smelly neck. I had finished!
My sister came in a little while after I did and we took our celebratory photos. She even had my dad bring her Princess Half medal to the finish line so that she could wear all three medals! It was truly a great moment for two girls who did not grow up as runners to have run not just one half marathon but two (and Disney races, to boot!). It was incredible to share in this experience with my sis. What’s next? My crystal running ball says marathon…..but Becca needs a bit more convincing. 
My sis and I with our medals. You can follow her on twitter @BeerRunBabe

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Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Recap

I cannot believe after so many months of training, planning, and prepping, my Princess Half Marathon Weekend is officially over. It was an amazing trip and a fabulous race. Well worth every drop of sweat 🙂

I decided to divide my blog postings about the race into two parts. Today’s post will be about the pre-race events
Expo

Although we arrived on Thursday morning, the official Princess Half Marathon kicked off on Friday morning at 9 am with the opening of the Fit for a Princess Expo. Located at the Jostens Center in in the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex,  participants could visit over 65 fitness/running related vendor booths. In addition to the vendors there was also a speaker series. The list of guest speakers included Jeff Galloway, Sage Steele, Susy Favor-Hamilton, and Jon Hughes. Topics discussed raced from nutrition to training to just plain motivation. We did not have the opportunity to sit and listen to the presentations as we were far too excited to visit the vendor booths and to be quite honest Baby Girl was not really in the mood to listen to advice on proper nutrition when running. 

The expo was great but the best moments came while vising the runDisney booth. As my sister, Becca, and I walked passed, I noticed a TINY sign that said “Limited number of Disneyland Half Marathon spots available” WHAT?!?  I couldn’t believe it.  In the week before the Princess Half, the Disneyland Half Marathon sold out (and in only 32 days), squashing my dream of earning my Coast to Coast Medal. Since this was Becca’s first half marathon, she wanted to wait until she completed the Princess Half before she committed to another one, just to make sure she could do it.  Although I knew she could do it, I understood her feelings and we decided to wait. We  never dreamed the Disneyland half would sell out in only 32 days. If you are unfamiliar with the Coast to Coast (C2C) medal, it is a special medal given to participants who run a half or full marathon in WDW and Disneyland within the same calender year. This is in addition to the regular medal that is given that the end of each race, so you really earn three medals for two races. The reason the Disneyland race sold out so quickly is that there are only two races in California that qualify for the C2C medal. One is the Tinkerbell half, which occurred in January, and the Disneyland half, which will take place Labor Day weekend.  So, if a guy were to want to earn a C2C medal, but did not want to wear fairy wings, there is really only one option.

Back to the sign…so I cannot believe my eyes. I turn to my sister (actually, I think I grabbed her arm and shook it hard) and show her the sign. We casually (and by casually, I mean we ran over like a couple of maniacs) strolled over the the guy running the booth and ask him if the sign was true. He says that they did indeed have spots. Apparently runDisney had saved 100 slots to offer at the Princess Expo. When we arrived at 11am on Friday, there were only 50 left.  We had to register right then and there. I quickly called DH to make sure this was okay, as we would all be traveling to California for this race (There was no WAY the kids were going to let me go to CA alone) and Becca called her husband. Once I got the go ahead, I began the registration process. While I was registering, Becca poked me in the side (actually, I’m pretty sure this time SHE shook ME) and said “He’s here! He’s really here!”. I was so wrapped up in this most fortunate event that I gave her a half hearted mumble of some sort.  I had only one thing on my mind. Once I completed my registration, I turned the computer over to Becca so she could register herself and her husband (DH was considering doing it but since we would not have anyone to watch the kids for the race, he was unable to commit).  As I walked to the other side of the table, I realized what she was trying to tell me…..HE WAS HERE. It was Jeff Galloway himself, standing right next to us. OMG!  What a day. If you do not know who Jeff is, is is the official runDisney running “coach”. He has written a multitude of books on running. He teaches new runners that anyone can run and uses the run/walk/run method.  I had to get a picture with him. After Becca finished her registration, I meandered over to him and introduced myself. Now, for those of you who know me personally, you know that I am a VERY shy person and it is very difficult for me to talk to a complete stranger. I don’t even call for pizza delivery for this reason. But the adrenaline from my excitement overpowered my fear and I did it! Jeff and I talked for a few minutes. He played with Baby Girl a bit and commented on writing a new book called “Crawl/Run/Crawl”. He had talked about research he and his wife have done on the benefits of kids running and the effects on school work and standardized tests. I mentioned how my three older children run with me, which he thought was awesome. I also told him how I did not come from a running family but that we have evolved into a running family. My dad has become a running, finishing his first 5k at age 56. We talked for a few more minutes about family bonding and running but I didn’t want to “hog” him as I was sure there were others who wanted to talk to him. I asked if we could get a photo together and he said “absolutely”.  It was a wonderful experience. He was so nice and talked to you as if you were an old friend (and not some crazy fan ). 

After we made our way around the expo, our final stop was the Official Merchandise booth. I was hoping to snag one of the Princess Half Marathon Dooney and Bourke handbags that were made exclusively for this race. When we had entered the expo, I peeked into the merchandise booth to see if I could find one, but I did not see them. Becca thought they may have their own booth somewhere due to their popularity. Much to my disappointment, we did not see them anywhere.  When we went back into the merchandise booth, I purchased a tech jacket. At the checkout, I asked the cashier what happened to the bags. She informed me that they had sold out in an hour. She thought it was strange because  last year, the bags did not sell out, so she was surprised that they went so quickly. I was disappointed but I was actually annoyed when, upon returning home, I discovered that there are a ton of them for sale on EBAY! So runDisney, if you are looking for suggestions for next year, how about limiting the number of bags you can buy or perhaps only half marathon participants  can buy one or two bags on the first day of the expo. I do feel that race participants should have first crack at such exclusive items…..just a thought.
So that was our experience at the Fit for a Princess Expo. It was a great time, came home with a bunch of freebies and samples, and best of all we got to meet Jeff Galloway AND are now on our way to earning our C2C medal! Next up….race day
Becca and I waiting for race transportation to take us to the Expo

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5 Tips to Make Your Family Disney Trip a Success

 
We’ve all watched the commercials. The harmonious family, holding hands down Main Street, riding Big Thunder Mountain, getting balloons, and snuggling together at the end of the day in front of Cinderella’s castle to watch fireworks. AAHH..the perfect ending to the perfect day. If your family is anything like mine, that is not EXACTLY how the day REALLY goes. Yes, there is happiness, excitement, and fun, but mix kids, crowds, and long days and you have the making for a monster meltdown. Yes, I said meltdown. Now, if you have never been to Walt Disney World (WDW) or traveled to WDW with children, this may come as a bit of a shock to you. The fact of the matter is, just because it is the “happiest place on earth” does not make it immune to the ever changing disposition of children. As a matter of fact, because you are out of your routine it may be that your children will be more likely to lose their coping skills.  What’s a parent to do? Here are 5 tips to making your family Disney trip a success

 

Family Disney Trip Tip #1: Establish a routine while on vacation.

Kids do well when they know what to expect. If they know that after lunch you head back to the resort for a swim, they are more likely to be cooperative during lunch (and eat quickly too). So try to create some sort of “schedule”. It doesn’t have to be rigid or extensive..make it simple. Our family’s plan usually consists of: Park, Swim, Rest, Park, Bed.

 

Family Disney Trip Tip #2: Go in with a plan.

For most Disney goers, every day of the vacation will have been meticulously plotted with dining reservations and Fast Passes. However, if you have not planned your trip down to the second, or perhaps you are taking advantage of Extra Magic Hours and are saving your Fast Passes for later in the day, you will need to go in with a plan. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. You can even do it on the bus on your way to the park.

Get out a park map (this is where My Disney Experience app comes in handy) and list all of the things that are a “must-do” for for family for the day. We have each kid pick the one thing they just have to do that day and then that is what we plan to do in the morning at the park. This allows everyone to have a say in what happens that day and if children know there is a plan to “do what they want” they are more likely to be cooperative when they are doing something they don’t really want to be doing.

The other benefit to making a plan is that you are not wondering the park aimlessly or trying to put together some sort of plan while there, in the crowd and heat.  Not that you have to have a plan that is set in stone, but having a general idea of what you want to see that day saves time and your sanity!Disney success tips

Family Disney Trip Tip #3: Get Up Early

When staying on site, utilize the extra magic hours. If you are staying off-site, plan on arriving at the park about 20 minutes before opening. I cannot even begin to tell you how this has dramatically changed our vacations for the better. Why? Because most people, while on vacation, opt to “sleep in” which means the parks are not as crowded.  This is good news for you because while most guest are still snoozing, you get first crack at ride.  You can probably ride most, if not all of the rides on your list before the crowds arrive-usually around 11am. By the time everyone else is arriving at the park, in the peak heat of the day, no less, you’ll have checked off most, if not all, on your must-do list, and will be ready to cool off back at your resort.

 

Family Disney Trip Tip #4: Mandatory Rest Time

Now, I know what you’re thinking “my child hasn’t taken a nap in years. Why would I waste my time going back to the resort”. Here’s the thing….Disney is not like your everyday routine. Little bodies are up early, walking great distances, staying up late….it takes it’s toll-usually in the form of whining, crying, or meltdowns. We instituted family rest time  years ago and it has dramatically DECREASED the number of meltdowns on our trip (No, it won’t get rid of them completely..sorry).

After a full morning at the park, we will leave around or after lunch time. We head back to our resort to swim and rest for a few hours. We then head back to the park around 4 or 5pm. Our kids are older now and of course haven’t napped in years. However, let me tell you they ALL look forward to afternoon rest time now. Most of the time all five of them will sleep, but every so often it’s just an hour to two watching tv quietly. After this rest time, the kids (and you) will be ready for round two.

Family Disney Trip Tip # 5: Skip The Night Time Extra Magic Hours

Now, this is a personal/family choice and I know my very dear friend would disagree with me on this point….but for our family the extra magic hours in the evening just do not work. First, everyone and their brother will stay up late, so it is waaayyyy more crowded. This translates into longer lines and less attractions checked office list. Plus, at the end of the night, when you are exhausted and ready to head back to the resort….so is everyone else. This makes the wait times for buses and monorails long. Now, they really might only be a 30 minute wait or so, but when you have over-tired little ones, 30 minutes can seem like an eternity.  Even now that my kids are older, with the youngest being 6, we still do not utilize nighttime Extra Magic Hours. My kids are all early risers, so it makes more sense for us to hit the parks early and head back to get a good night’s sleep. Again, you know your kids best, but my advice is that with little ones, skip it.

So, that is my advice. While this is not meant to be a complete list, it can be used as a general guideline when traveling with children of all ages. It may not create that “perfect” vacation the commercial depicts, but it may cut down on the “less desirable” moments while on vacation.

Disney success tips

Happy kids is cause for celebration!

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TOP 10 REASONS WHY I LIKE TRAVELING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD WITH A NEW BABY

On our recent trip to Walt Disney World, I was surprised as to how many people commented  on our new baby. She is four months old. Aside from the oodles of remarks about how adorable she is (and she really is), many people were shocked that I would venture to Walt Disney World with a new baby. My comment  was always the same “She is my fifth child and she is the easiest of them all”. Judging from the looks on their faces, I guess my response did not convince them of my baby bliss–or perhaps the strange looks were in response to my  five children.  I cannot be sure….but that is another post!
So I compiled a list of reasons as to why I enjoy traveling to WDW with a new baby:
10. FREE airfare! Yes, she flies for free as a lap child, saving me about $200. Plus, since she is nursing, having her snuggled in my arms and eating during take off and landing REALLY helped her to be comfortable and in turn made for an enjoyable flight for everyone

9. She doesn’t complain while waiting in line for rides or complain about going on the Carousel for the fifth consecutive time

8.Most of the time you can get a seat on a crowded bus or monorail, as people will usually give up their seat for a mama and her babe (of course, there are the select few who pretend not to notice a mother with a broken foot standing with her baby while they and their able bodied teenage girls sit comfortably….but I digress)



Stroller adorned with “1st Visit” button.

7. No complaints about when or where we will be eating or endless requests for snacks and drinks…seriously I think my other children were going through a growth spurt during our trip because  HOLY COW could those kids eat!
6. Great reason to head back to the resort in the middle of a hot day~Baby needs a nap!

5. FREE dining! Truly, hassle free, no cost dining. No meal decisions to make..no “I don’t want pb&j again”…
4. BABY CARE CENTERS. Each of the four parks have a WONDERFUL center where you can change and feed your baby. With comfy chairs and air conditioning, it is a great place to cool off and relax for a bit while baby enjoys her lunch or dinner. These facilities also offer restrooms, high chairs, and microwaves. It is a nice quiet place to nurse your baby as well. There is also a cast members on duty to assist you if needed and they do sell select baby/child care items.
3. Displaying the “My First Visit” button on the stroller and/or baby sling.

 
2. Four words…BABY IN MOUSE EARS

My 1st mouse ears!

1.Watching my new little one experience Disney magic for the first time.  While I know she cannot comprehend what she is seeing, she was, however, totally mesmerized by the all lights and music. Her excitement renews my own “Disney Magic”
There is my list. While a new baby at WDW presents some challenges, she was no more “work” than my older children.  It did take a bit of extra planning because she has different needs than the other children, but that doesn’t make it difficult or unenjoyable. If you are planning on traveling with a new baby here are some tips:
  • Most WDW resort rooms are equipped with a pack and play. If your little one will sleep in it, great! If not, be sure to ask for a crib (and yes, you have to be very specific and say “crib-not pack and play“. Otherwise, they will  either: A. tell you there is a pack and play in the room or B will bring you ANOTHER pack and play). Three out of my five kids would NOT sleep in a pack and play, so it was always essential that we nab a crib. You can request a crib when making reservations and when you check in.
    • Baby Girl enjoying some stretch time at BLT
  • Plan for baby seating if your little one is unable to sit up on her own. We gate checked our travel system so we could bring both the stroller and the infant car seat. It was a little cumbersome, but since Baby Girl can’t sit up yet, she cannot sit in a high chair at restaurants and I REALLY did not want to have to hold her at every meal. Another option is renting baby gear from a reputable service. We have done that in the past as well. 
  •  Provide time for baby to be out of her stroller/car seat. While she may be snug as a bug in her sweet little ride, she will want time to be held and stretch out. If you use a baby carrier or baby sling, pack it daily in your bag. You will be glad you did, especially for days when baby REALLY just wants to be snuggled. Keeps your hands free for taking photos or, like in my case, wrangling up the other kids.While at the resort, allow baby some time to stretch out on the floor. Now, if you’re a germaphobe like me, you’ll want to pack a blanket or playmat. We actually brought our play mat from home.  By allowing opportunities for your little one to be out of the stroller, you will actually be making it MORE enjoyable for her when she has to be in the stroller..which equals happy baby and happy family!
  • Keep in mind that all babies are different and that with a new baby, you need to be flexible. Some babies will be fine to go full force, all day at the park, while others will only be able to tolerate a few hours at a time. Utilize the baby care centers located at each of the parks for a quiet feeding time or head back to your room midday for a “rest and stretch” break.  Because most guests want to make the most of their time, money, and park tickets, it may be frustrating to not spend every moment at the park. To help alleviate the stress of “not getting to see everything” consider buying a park ticket that covers all the days of your stay. My pal @DIZKRAZKATE has a great blog post regarding park tickets..check it out..
  • Remember to restock your diaper bag with baby essentials. I know it seems like a silly reminder, but     we ACTUALLY forogt to do this one day and discovered at Chef Mickey’s we had run out of diapers! Luckily, we were staying at BLT, so it was just a short walk back to our room to restock. So it is just a good idea to double check your bag before you leave your room.
  • Finally, take A LOT of pictures and enjoy your magical vacation with your sweet bundle of joy. These tiny moments pass so quickly, so capture every minute of it.



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The Good, the Bad, and the “Magical” of our Walt Disney World Speciality Cruise

     On our trip to Walt Disney World a few weeks ago, my husband celebrated his 40th birthday. Since it was a “milestone” birthday, I wanted to make his birthday extra special. He is a great husband and an awesome dad to our kids, and we really wanted to suprise him with something fabulous.

     Yes, I did say surprise. That was the difficult part, planning birthday surpirses from 1100 miles away and keeping it a secret with FIVE children in the loop (okay, I guess baby girl doesn’t REALLY count since she is only 4 months old and cannot talk). It was difficult but not impossible.

     Like I said, I wanted to make his birthday fabulous and started brainstorming with DIZKRAZKATE, who would be traveling with us, about possible ideas. Our first idea was of course “Top of the World Lounge” at Bay Lake Towers, since BLT would be our “home” for this trip. This was a great idea and after discussing it, we decided that we would just make it the four of us (myself, DIZKRAZKATE and our DH’s) and leave all  8 of our children with my parents (Nana and Poppy) who were also traveling with us (Thanks again, Nana and Poppy). Now, if you have children, you are well aware that “grown ups only” nights are few and far between, and with five children (one a newborn) it is almost impossible. So planning a  grown ups evening would be something DH would truly appreciate…you know, grown up drinks, grown up conversation (or an actual conversation that wouldn’t be interrupted twenty times by bathroom requests and “he hit me” ‘s). After checking with Nana and Poppy, we were all set for our “drinks and Wishes” evening on the night of his birthday.

A couple of days later, I started thinking that this really was a HUGE birthday and I really wanted to make a big deal about it. I mean, seriously, how many people get to celebrate their 40th birthday at WDW with their family and closest friends? So, I started doing some research online to see what else I could find. My first stop was obviously the Moms Panel. I submitted a question to see if they had any ideas as to what to do for a 40th birthday celebration. Unfortunately, the request forms are word limiting,and because of this I was unable to include that we had already made dining reservation (as we were on the dining plan and had made those reservations five months earlier). So, it was a bit disappointing when I did in fact receive a respone that advised me to make dining reservations at his favorite restaurant. Back to square one….


Grand I

While playing around on the Disney website, I came across the Disney Floral and Gifts link. There, the kids and I looked though a few possibilities for a birthday surprise. They really liked the “Mickey’s Big Birthday Wish” package. While it would be an awesome gift, I was not convinced that this was the fabulous birthday surprise DH would love. After doing a little more searching, I found the Disney Recreation link. Holy cow! I discovered a whole new area of WDW resort activites, of which I had no idea exsisted. Golf reservation, bike rentals, fishing,  speciality crusies….SPECIALITY CRUISES! That was is!! After reading some reviews on various Disney related forums, I discovered that the crusies could be a bit pricey, were really awesome, but they booked up fast. It was advised on one site to make your reservations six months in advance…uh oh! It was Wednesday afternoon and his birthday was the following Wednesday. After discussing it with the kids, we decided to see if by some miricle we could book a cruise.

     The next day I called WDW-PLAY (yes, I know I waited yet another day, but I couldn’t make the reservations while DH was home…). After explaining my situation with the wonderful cast member on the other line, she began looking to see what might be available for that day. If you are unfamiliar with the speciality crusies, here’s the low-down. Basically, Disney has a couple of boats, in various sizes and capacities, that take you around the Seven Seas Lagoon (near Magic Kingdom), Bay Lake (near Magic Kingdom) or Crecent Lake (Epcot). You can rent these boats by the hour, for however long you’d like. Most people rent them for viewing fireworks on special occasions (weddings, birthdays, marriage proposals..etc). There are endless options, from just a basic drive around the lagoon to adding a hot meal, complete with butler service.  You can even have them pipe in the sound from the fireworks show, usually for an additional fee, depending on which boat you choose.

     So after talking for a few minutes with the CM, I realized it was going to take a miracle for this to work. Because of the size of our party (there were 14 of us), we could only fit on the Grand I Yacht. Plus, it had to be available on a Wishes” night (I got the impression from the CM that they do not  run the specialty cruises on the nights of the MNSSHP, but I am not certain) . So after A LOT of clicking and checking….we were in luck!! The boat was open…but on Sunday night, not Wednesday night, the night of his birthday. I decided to book it. Since we had already made plans for drinks on his birthday, planning the cruise on Sunday night would be just fine, plus he wouldn’t expect a birthday celebration days before the actual day! Given several choices, I chose to meet the Grand I at the marina at the Polynesian Resort (I was informed later that the Grand I never launches from there because the water is more shallow).
     Fast forward to Sunday evening…..The plan for the evening was to eat our quick service dinner at Captain Cook’s at the Polynesan Resort and then take a lesurily stroll down by the marina. This is where, unbeknownst to DH, that we would pick up the Grand I. Dinner went as expected and we were right on time. As we started down towards the Marina, the kids started getting squirrley. The kids were AWESOME in keeping this whole plan a secret. At this point, they all knew about it and that is no easy task for all 7 kids, ages 11, 8, 7, 6, 6, 4, & 3 to keep that big of a secret.  But as we got closer, they got excited. When we approached the water, there was a pontoon boat waiting at the dock decorated with a big “Happy Birthday” sign and balloons. Of course, when the kids saw this, they were jumping out of their skin. DH saw it and joked “Hey is that boat for me?”. I brushed him off with a “why would that be for you?” comment and we continued on our walk to “find the beach”

     You may be wondering why we did not just get on the boat at that time. Well, here is the deal. Like I mentioned before, you book by the hour and on the Grand I, the hour is quite expensive. Your time starts when you get on that boat. Since we were somewhat early (we were to meet the boat at 8:15 so we could be out on the water for wishes), I did not want to get charged extra. So as the rest of my party went along to “find the beach”, I ran back to the boat, just to double check that we were in the right place. At the boat, I asked the VERY VERY helpful captain if he was waiting for us…he checked and double checked and said
“no”. After talking a bit….I was at the wrong boat (duh, okay, I DO know the difference between a yacht and a pontoon, but with all the excitement and sleep deprivation…….well, I guess the birthday balloons confused me). He made a few calls and told me the yacht  would be waiting for us at the far end of the pier. Since it was getting close to the time. I quickly found the rest of our party and we made our way to the other, and very VACANT side of the pier. Panic!! I rushed back to the other boat to find the VERY VERY helpful pontoon captain and told him the boat was not there. He quickly called David, one of the CM in charge of the Marina who met us on our empty side of the dock. While David made several calls to find locate Grand I, time was ticking down to the start of “Wishes” and DH was becoming more and more annoyed because we were waiting at an empty dock. Thankfully, baby girl was a bit fussy and so he was walking with her, trying to get her to sleep. After a few calls, the captain of the Grand I said he had already picked up his party at the Polynesan and they were out on the water. Um ..No! We were sitting right there……

DH and a sleepy Baby Girl aboard the Grand I

    Here’s what happened. Remember the pontoon with the birthday decor? Well that party got on our boat (see, I’m not the only one who didn’t think of the difference between a yacht and a pontoon boat) and apparently at the same moment the marina was calling to find the Grand I, the people on our yacht were having an argument with the captain about the price they were to pay for their cruise, since it was VERY VERY different from  what they were quoted when making their reservation. Needless to say the Grand I was on it’s way to pick up the “right” party-US!. At this point, I was upset,  not mad but disappointed. My plan to just walk on the boat while the kids yelled “Happy Birthday” was ruined. Since we waited so long, I had to tell DH what had happened. He, of course, thought it was still awesome, especially that all of us could keep a secret!  Finally, the Grand I returned with 10 disgruntled people and pick up 14 more disgruntled people…..I’m kidding…I was fine once I knew that they would in fact get us out in time for the fireworks, which is all I really wanted anyway.   As the boat moved quickly (very, very quickly) to get us in viewing position, we explored the yacht. It was spectacular!! With 3 bedrooms, 2 bathroom, and  kitchen, it was incredible. The kids were beyond excited and DH was quite estatic himself. We were able to get to the viewing spot just in time for “Wishes” to begin.
     The sound from the show was piped into the yacht and is was the BEST fireworks experience of my life!! Afterwards, we cruised around the lagoon for the rest of our hour. We were even able to catch the Electrical Water Pagent. The captain did offer to take us around for however long we wanted at no extra charge, but we polietly declined as it was getting late and we did not want to spoil the evening with crabby children. 
     In typical WDW excellence, David took half off my bill, which I really appreciated. And while, perhaps things didnt go EXACTLY how I had invisioned , our specialty cruise proved to be a great time a DH had a “magical” birthday surprise!!