The Year of Disney - A 2018 PTR. Updated 10/12x4!

Sounds like good plans for this day! MK + Chef Mickeys will be nice! You will definitely need rest before the race, so good idea to get back to the room early.
 
Or I might save that one for our second MK day and instead head up into Fantasyland and torture Jim for a bit on IASW.
:rotfl2:

Mickey waffles, mac and (plastic) cheese and Oreo bon bons sound like heaven to me.
Sounds like a perfect meal to me, too! :thumbsup2

And I’ll stand for a while and watch Jim gawk at the Legos if he didn’t already find the store on his own.
:laughing:

I'll see my entire gang (except for my sister in England) this weekend for Thanksgiving so I hope to have a better idea of where we'll be and when soon so we can try to plan a Dismeet! :goodvibes
 
Yay!!!! Exciting update! :woohoo:

Love sparkly MK in the morning!!!! Nothing better in life... Well, maybe a few things? :scratchin But in the top 3 for sure! ::yes::

Your ride plan sounds excellent - that is exactly how I'd do it... I like to start on one side of the park and work my way around through out the day... However - typically that plan is abandoned and we end up zig-zagging more often than not. LOL

Is Splash still open for you on this trip? I know it closes in Jan - just not sure of the date?

And yay for DS, WoD and getting your race bib!!! Such an awesome accomplishment! :woohoo: Super proud of you! Do you feel like you are ready?

Have a great day my friend! :hug:

D~
 
I am with you on the salmon. I thought I was the only person that didn't like it.

I hope to someday try Chef Mickey's. Maybe on the trip I am planning for my 50th birthday.

Nope, you aren't alone. I've never been a fan of salmon. Oh, I hope you get to try Chef Mickey's someday!

I really enjoy the expo. It’s cool to look around at all of the different stuff. I always spend too much on merchandise there too.

Looks like a great plan tho!

I'm sure I'll look around a bit but I don't plan on buying too much. I would like to get a Disney themed medal rack to hang all of my medals but I'm not sure how I would get it home. I may have to order one online.

Sounds like good plans for this day! MK + Chef Mickeys will be nice! You will definitely need rest before the race, so good idea to get back to the room early.

Thanks! I do hope I can get to bed fairly early that night.

:rotfl2:

Sounds like a perfect meal to me, too! :thumbsup2

:laughing:

I'll see my entire gang (except for my sister in England) this weekend for Thanksgiving so I hope to have a better idea of where we'll be and when soon so we can try to plan a Dismeet! :goodvibes

Chef Mickey's is definitely my kind of food! So many of the newer restaurants are just too fancy for me.

I hope you have a great time with your family. So did you find out any more about Disney?


Yay!!!! Exciting update! :woohoo:

Love sparkly MK in the morning!!!! Nothing better in life... Well, maybe a few things? :scratchin But in the top 3 for sure! ::yes::

Your ride plan sounds excellent - that is exactly how I'd do it... I like to start on one side of the park and work my way around through out the day... However - typically that plan is abandoned and we end up zig-zagging more often than not. LOL

Is Splash still open for you on this trip? I know it closes in Jan - just not sure of the date?

And yay for DS, WoD and getting your race bib!!! Such an awesome accomplishment! :woohoo: Super proud of you! Do you feel like you are ready?

Have a great day my friend! :hug:

D~

MK any time is definitely one of my favorite things! I love late night time hours just as much as first thing in the morning. Unfortunately the evening EMHs are the night before the race so I won't get to enjoy those this trip.

I don't mind zig-zagging if it's just me but Jim gets frustrated so I try to cater to him when I can.

Splash is open for our trip but I don't plan on riding it. I am just not a fan of getting wet and it will probably be a bit cold anyways.

I'm not quite ready yet for the race but I'm getting there. Training is going well although I did have a bit of an interruption this weekend with Thanksgiving. I planned on getting in a few workouts but I just got too busy!
 


Day 3, Thursday, February 4, 2018 Race Day!

Whoo Hoo! It’s finally race day! I plan to lay out all of my gear the night before so I can sleep as long as possible. My costume is not quite finished yet so I’ll leave you in suspense there but I promise I will post a picture once it’s done.

I’ll probably get up around 2:30 with a goal of getting out of the room by 3:00 am. Jim has no desire to watch the race so he will probably sleep a while longer after I leave.

The race doesn’t start till 5:30 am and I am sure I will be in one of the last corrals. I still want to get there fairly early because is a large DIS meet from 4 am – 5 am and I want to make sure I catch any meet and greets before the race. I’m looking forward to meeting Jackie (missjackiemcg), Ryan (rteetz) and all the other DISers running the race.

My main goal for this race is to get pictures with as many of the rare characters as I can without being swept off of the course. Since I know I will be at the back of the pack, I’m hoping I can keep up a good running pace in between meet and greets and use the time in line to catch my breath/rest my aching joints.

Once the race is over, I will head back to the room for to get ready for the day. Once I am ready, we will catch a bus to Hollywood Studios. I made our FPs for the afternoon because I was not sure how soon we would get to the park. We may be heading straight to our early 11 am lunch ADR at 50’s Prime Time.




I am always starving after a race so that’s why I made the ADR so early. 50’s Prime Time is another of Jim’s favorites and I will have to say that I’m really looking forward to a big plate of the pot roast.



And this awesome, huge peanut butter/chocolate cake for dessert.



I’m sure that Jim will order his usual which is the meatloaf.



We aren’t on the dining plan this trip so I doubt he will get a dessert. He doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth.

If we have time before lunch, we may hit up Launch Bay but if not, we will head that way after lunch.




I’m hoping the lines aren’t too long for the characters since neither of us has met Kylo Ren or BB-8 yet. I know Jim will want to spend some time in the dump shop. Last time, he brought home one of the expensive light sabers.

If we haven’t already found Jackie (missjackiemcg here on the DIS) and her husband by this time, we will be meeting up with them to share our first FP together from 2:05 – 3:05 PM for TOT.




Our second FP is for Toy Story Mania from 3:15 to 4:15 pm.



And our 3rd one is for Star Tours from 4:25 – 5:25 pm.



I am seriously thinking about giving Star Tours another try. The last time I rode it I got pretty sick but that was the day that I rode RnRC, TOT and Star Tours one right after the other. Plus I’ve added Sea Bands to my motion sickness prevention plan and they seemed to help a lot at an amusement park this summer. I’m sure it will be a last minute decision depending on how I’m feeling at the moment.

In between our FPs I want to try to get in meet and greets with Olaf and also Star Lord and Grout if they are still meeting. It will depend on the lines of course. We may also catch the Frozen show since Jim and I both love that one.




The Muppets and Jedi Training are also possibilities for filling in the time.



Once again I don’t know how hungry we will be for dinner but I wouldn’t mind grabbing some Dark Side chicken and waffles if they are still available at Backlot Express.



By 7 pm, I want to find a spot for Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular which starts at 8 pm. I did consider doing the dessert party again since we had so much fun the previous time. But I am planning on dragging Jim to a different dessert party later in the week and I figured he would not be happy doing two. The show will be all new to both of us. I’ve been back since it started but haven’t had a chance to catch it yet.

The park will be closed after the fireworks so we will take our time heading out, probably shopping a bit along the way. I’m sure I will be exhausted by this point and ready for bed.

Up Next: Day 4, Friday, January 5, 2018
 
Looks like a great day! The 5K is a really fun race. I love running through Epcot when its dark and the torches are lit. I hope to see you at the pre-race meet up too!
 
Your race plans sound good, I hope you get to meet some awesome characters!

Fun plans at DHS. It certainly will be a long day for you!
 


I honestly don’t expect to spend a huge time at the Expo. I’m not a professional runner by any means so the running merchandise doesn’t interest me too much. I will probably just get my bib and then check out the 5K merchandise for a Pluto shirt or something.

I am feeling the same way!! I mean, I'm somewhat interested in wandering around, but I can't see myself spending tons of money or finding anything that I really must have!

I’m looking forward to meeting Jackie (missjackiemcg), Ryan (rteetz) and all the other DISers running the race.

Yay, me too!!! :)

My main goal for this race is to get pictures with as many of the rare characters as I can without being swept off of the course. Since I know I will be at the back of the pack, I’m hoping I can keep up a good running pace in between meet and greets and use the time in line to catch my breath/rest my aching joints.

I think I read somewhere (probably around here somewhere!) that there isn't a strict minutes per mile cutoff for the 5K...meaning no balloon ladies. BUT, I could be wrong!! My plan is very much the same. I was able to run the entire 5K turkey trot we did on Thanksgiving, so that was a definite confidence booster. It's that 10K that's got me nervous!! But you better believe my plan is to stop for every character I can!!

If we haven’t already found Jackie (missjackiemcg here on the DIS) and her husband by this time, we will be meeting up with them to share our first FP together from 2:05 – 3:05 PM for TOT.

Yay again!! :)
 
I hope you have a great time with your family. So did you find out any more about Disney?
Kinda sorta :laughing: We're thinking either all of two of the following days: Saturday, Dec. 30, Monday, January 1, and/or Wednesday, January 3. I hope to know more today or tomorrow as I need to book FPs!!! :scared1:

I’m looking forward to meeting Jackie (missjackiemcg), Ryan (rteetz) and all the other DISers running the race.
Yay!!!

We may be heading straight to our early 11 am lunch ADR at 50’s Prime Time.
I loved this on my last trip! :thumbsup2

And this awesome, huge peanut butter/chocolate cake for dessert.
Oooh, how did I miss this?!

I’m hoping the lines aren’t too long for the characters since neither of us has met Kylo Ren or BB-8 yet.
Yes, you must do these meets - they were SO much fun!
 
Ok, reading your DHS plans, I feel like my plans for our dhs day is seriously lacking... :scratchin I think I am going to copy and paste your day right into my day? Lol. Since you won't get there until later because of the race, and we will also get there later due to Ohana... you don't mind if I copy you do you? Lol. Admittedly, I think it's your food pictures that did me in. :lmao: No 50's for us this trip, unless we belly up to the bar for the PB&J shake. ::yes::

Looking forward to seeing your running costume, I bet it will be great!

And jealous that you and Jackie get to meet!

D~
 
Looks like a great day! The 5K is a really fun race. I love running through Epcot when its dark and the torches are lit. I hope to see you at the pre-race meet up too!

I am really looking forward to the race! I wonder if it will still be dark by the time I make it to Epcot? :rotfl2:

Your race plans sound good, I hope you get to meet some awesome characters!

Fun plans at DHS. It certainly will be a long day for you!

I do hope there are some great characters along the way! I'm sure I will be exhausted by the end of the day.

I am feeling the same way!! I mean, I'm somewhat interested in wandering around, but I can't see myself spending tons of money or finding anything that I really must have!

Yay, me too!!! :)

I think I read somewhere (probably around here somewhere!) that there isn't a strict minutes per mile cutoff for the 5K...meaning no balloon ladies. BUT, I could be wrong!! My plan is very much the same. I was able to run the entire 5K turkey trot we did on Thanksgiving, so that was a definite confidence booster. It's that 10K that's got me nervous!! But you better believe my plan is to stop for every character I can!!

Yay again!! :)

The only thing I'm thinking about getting at the expo is a Disney hanger for my medals. But I'm not sure how I would get it home so I may just end up ordering one.

Oh, I hope there aren't sweepers! At the same time I don't want to take too long because I'll be anxious to get to HS.


Kinda sorta :laughing: We're thinking either all of two of the following days: Saturday, Dec. 30, Monday, January 1, and/or Wednesday, January 3. I hope to know more today or tomorrow as I need to book FPs!!! :scared1:
Yay!!!
I loved this on my last trip! :thumbsup2
Oooh, how did I miss this?!
Yes, you must do these meets - they were SO much fun!

Well I hope one of your days is the 3rd!

Not sure how you missed that peanut butter/chocolate cake. I don't think it gets a lot of attention on the DIS because everyone gets the milkshakes.


Ok, reading your DHS plans, I feel like my plans for our dhs day is seriously lacking... :scratchin I think I am going to copy and paste your day right into my day? Lol. Since you won't get there until later because of the race, and we will also get there later due to Ohana... you don't mind if I copy you do you? Lol. Admittedly, I think it's your food pictures that did me in. :lmao: No 50's for us this trip, unless we belly up to the bar for the PB&J shake. ::yes::

Looking forward to seeing your running costume, I bet it will be great!

And jealous that you and Jackie get to meet!

D~

Of course you can copy, I don't mind! I'm still trying to figure out how we are going to fill all the time in between FPs. There's just not a whole lot to do at HS right now.
 
Day 4, Friday, January 5, 2018

Before I start Day 4, I have a few other items to talk about.

First, I did FPs for the February trip this morning. Everything went smoothly and I was able to book for all of the days with no issues. I was even able to get a morning FP for FOP on our 5th day. I will check tomorrow to see what my Aunt and Uncle get and maybe tweak a few times to match some of theirs.

Second, my race costume is done! And if you know me at all, you will realize that the only character I could be was Pluto! I got the ears and skirt/tail combo off of Etsy. The shirt is a regular running shirt that a friend altered for me. She replaced the collar with a green one to give the appearance of Pluto's collar. I didn't want to wear something around my neck that would either choke me or flap around a lot. Of course I didn't think about the tail, it's going to be interesting to run with! Here's some pictures, please forgive my horrible selfie skills.







And finally, I put together my shirt/bag combos for each day. I have a total of eight bags now that are not holiday related so I decided to take four in January and four in February. I'm not sure many people care what I will be wearing but I like posting them and since it's my PTR, I'm doing what I want. :rotfl: So here's catch up from the first three days.

Day 1, Epcot



Day 2, MK/Race Expo/Disney Springs



Day 3, HS



OK, that catches up the outfits, let's move on to the actual purpose of this post, Day 4!


On Friday, we will be headed to Epcot. Here's my outfit for the day.



I haven’t quite decided where we will be heading first thing that morning. The selfish side of me wants to head directly to my favorite, Soarin’.



We won’t have a FP for this one and with the expected crowds this will most likely be our only chance to ride. Jim has not seen the new version but he is not a huge fan of Soarin’.

If I decide not to be selfish, we will head to meet Joy and Sadness. I think they are the only characters in Epcot that Jim has not met yet. But I saw them in March and don’t need to see them again.




After whatever choice I decide on, we will head to either the Seas building.



Or maybe Figment.



Jim isn’t a big fan of either but I’ve got to have a few things for me, right?

Our first FP is for Test Track from 9:55 – 10:55 am.




This one is definitely Jim’s favorite so I will let him do all of the car designing.

After Test Track, I may find Jim a bench or send him through the single rider line of TT while I head to Mission Space. I want to try out the new green side and Jim will not ride this one, he’s too claustrophobic. I’ve only done the green side because of my motion sickness issues.

Our next FP+ is for the Character Spot from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm.




After saying hi to Mickey, Goofy and Minnie, I’m sure that Jim will be getting hungry and I’m also pretty sure he will want to eat at Sunshine Seasons. He might surprise me but he’s fairly predictable. If we do go there I’ll end up with my favorite chicken and mashed potatoes with chocolate mousse cake for dessert.





Jim is a little more adventurous than me, he’s had a roast beef sandwich before and also the fish tacos, so I can’t really predict what he will get.

Our last FP+ is for LWTL from 12:40 – 1:40 pm which I plan to use after lunch.




Depending on timing, we will probably hit up the Visa Character meet and greet before making our way back to WS.



I plan to start World Showcase on the Mexico side.



I am positive we will meet Pluto and also Mexico Donald since they are our favorites.



The American Adventure is another must do for Jim.



I’m hoping to time our circle to arrive at the International Gate around 3:45 pm so we can hope a boat over to the Boardwalk and have a drink at the AbracadaBar. If we don’t get there, I’ll probably try to do the same with Mom in February. Neither of us are huge drinkers so it will probably be one drink and done. The Seashore Sweet (Absolut Citron, Odwalla Lemonade, Cotton Candy Syrup) sounds good to me and I’m pretty sure Jim will go with the Magic Mirror (Barcardi Rum, Soda Water, Mango Syrup, Sprite and Lime Juice). I’m more of a vodka fan while he’s a rum fan so those two will be perfect.

One way or the other we will need to be back in Italy for our 6:05 pm Via Napoli ADR. I knew that Jim would pick Biergarten and Rose and Crown but I told him we needed to try something different this trip and to pick only one of his two favorites and something new as our second Epcot meal. I was secretly hoping he would pick Via Napoli and he did! I haven’t been there since 2014 and I’m really looking forward to another one of these.




I’m pretty sure Jim will get pizza also but with lots and lots of meat on it. I am curious to see if he likes the pizza. He didn’t like Wolfgang Puck’s pizza because he said it was “too real”. I guess he’s just used to more processed food?

If it’s not too cold that night, I will probably skip dessert at Via Napoli and instead head to France for another one of these babies.




That’s the ice cream martini from L’Artisan des Glaces. I had it in March and cannot wait to have it again in January! I’m pretty sure it’s replaced the Vodka Slushie as my #1 alcoholic choice in France.

We will finish up the night by visiting any countries we missed and will also spend some time in Mouse Gears before heading out for the night. I’m hoping to get to bed a little early on this night because we have a super early morning coming up.

Up Next: Day 5, Saturday, January 6, 2018
 
Loved seeing all of your outfits! And your running costume is fantastic!!!

And your Epcot day... we are doing Via Napoli too, can't wait! Their cheese pizza is tdf!

The rest of your day sounds perfect, I think I will just copy your entire trip!

D~
 
Race costume looks great!

I have that same country bears 45th shirt!

Via Napoli is always great.
 
I'm not sure many people care what I will be wearing but I like posting them and since it's my PTR, I'm doing what I want. :rotfl:

I like seeing all your tees and bag combos, keep 'em coming! :)

I LOVE your costume for the 5K!! Of course there is no other character you could possible be!!!! Are you going to wear it to take pics with Pluto at DHS? I am torn on what to do--I really want to meet Baymax and Buzz dressed in my costumes, but not sure I'll be able to wear them all day....also I should probably shower at some point LOL
 
Not sure how you missed that peanut butter/chocolate cake. I don't think it gets a lot of attention on the DIS because everyone gets the milkshakes.
Well I certainly did get the milkshake, but I think I could have handled both :laughing: Or at least taken the milkshake to go :thumbsup2

And if you know me at all, you will realize that the only character I could be was Pluto!
Yep! We sure do! :goodvibes

Jim has not seen the new version but he is not a huge fan of Soarin’.
:scared1: I didn't know that was possible! :laughing:

Jim isn’t a big fan of either but I’ve got to have a few things for me, right?
Yes, you do! ::yes::

That’s the ice cream martini from L’Artisan des Glaces.
YUM
 
Hi Pluto! I never comment very much, but I DO enjoy reading your TR! The race sounds so fun. As soon as I have this baby, I'm getting my butt back into gear to run in a Disney race. Can't wait to read more!
 
I love your race costumes and your bags! I like seeing outfits :) I really need to try the ice cream martini, I think it might be a little more my style than the other slushies (though I technically haven't tried them...)
 
Love your race outfit! And all your daily outfits!

Your Epcot plans sound great!

Thanks! I'm hoping it's not too cold on race morning so that I don't have to mess up the costume by having to wear stuff underneath.

Loved seeing all of your outfits! And your running costume is fantastic!!!

And your Epcot day... we are doing Via Napoli too, can't wait! Their cheese pizza is tdf!

The rest of your day sounds perfect, I think I will just copy your entire trip!

D~

Thanks! I think all my outfits came together well for this trip.

This will only be my second trip to Via Napoli and I am excited!

Sure, copy away, I don't mind.


Race costume looks great!

I have that same country bears 45th shirt!

Via Napoli is always great.

Thanks, I am a little worried about the tail but I'm sure I'll survive for one race!

I think I knew that you had that same shirt. It was a must for us Country Bear fans!


I like seeing all your tees and bag combos, keep 'em coming! :)

I LOVE your costume for the 5K!! Of course there is no other character you could possible be!!!! Are you going to wear it to take pics with Pluto at DHS? I am torn on what to do--I really want to meet Baymax and Buzz dressed in my costumes, but not sure I'll be able to wear them all day....also I should probably shower at some point LOL

OK, I will! I like sharing them cause it helps me to stay organized. :rotfl:

Nope, definitely not wearing that outfit all day, I'd be way too cold and not really comfortable. And I definitely plan on showering after the race. :rotfl2:I am planning on meeting with Pluto before, during or after the race. I'm pretty positive he will be one of the greets that morning.


Well I certainly did get the milkshake, but I think I could have handled both :laughing: Or at least taken the milkshake to go :thumbsup2
Yep! We sure do! :goodvibes
:scared1: I didn't know that was possible! :laughing:
Yes, you do! ::yes::
YUM

More power to you if you could handle both! That cake is HUGE! I don't even think I finished half of it last time. My biggest regret was not being able to take the leftovers since we did lunch and weren't headed back to the room till late that night. It was a hot day and I knew it wouldn't have lasted.

Yep, it makes me sad that Jim's not a fan of Soarin' since it's one of my favorites. The heights even though they are not real, bother him. But he will ride it and I want him to see the new version.


Hi Pluto! I never comment very much, but I DO enjoy reading your TR! The race sounds so fun. As soon as I have this baby, I'm getting my butt back into gear to run in a Disney race. Can't wait to read more!

Hi and welcome! Thanks for joining in. Doing one of the Disney races has been a bucket list item for me for a while. I hope you get to do one someday.

I love your race costumes and your bags! I like seeing outfits :) I really need to try the ice cream martini, I think it might be a little more my style than the other slushies (though I technically haven't tried them...)

Thanks! I enjoy showing them off. :D

Those ice cream martinis are so good! I like the slushies but the martini is about the same cost and definitely gives you a lot more alcohol than the slushies.
 

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