Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do

Monday 2.24.14

After such an epic day I was excited for something a little more low-key. I knew today was going to be tough.

I started off my day by sitting by the pool with Karen. It was so amazing to sit in the Happiest Place in the World and have a heart to heart with someone you love! Yes, Karen, I love you!

Afterwards I got back to the hotel and changed quick to meet Kristy and Anne for our version of the Last Supper. Kristy, my perfect twin, made reservations again at a place I had never tried! I love when she does this by the way haha

As we were checking in I had to take a photo of just about everything I saw. This spot to me was like a little hidden gem!

Of course a Cast Member talked me in to being IN the next photo of it!

We took a photo together <3 I still can't believe how lucky I am to have found not one, but two sisters on this vacation. <3

The decor inside just makes your jaw drop and your head tilt back. Disney did a good job with this one. It takes a lot to impress me now on property and I was truthfully blown away by the ambiance of the Tusker House.

We were seated and almost immediately Kristy and I needed to eat, we were starving! The food is set up similar to a marketplace, so inviting. I wish I had taken photos of each food station. Next time.

They had everything you could imagine here AND MORE. I couldn't NOT get biscuits and gravy. I mean it was staring at me.

They had Jasmine rice, blintz's, tatter tots, scrambled eggs, home fried potatoes, coffee cake. It was a carb heaven!

All the characters were walking around in their best safari gear. Daisy stopped by to say hi. Check out those lashes, girl!

Oh Donald!

Of course Goofy was there too!

And you can't have a party without the Main Mouse, Mickey!

Sadly, yet again I got stuffed very fast.

After we were done with breakfast we decided to go to MGM. Kristy and Anne had to make the Magical Express by like 2.30pm I think and we wanted to ride Tower of Terror before having to go back to Pop.

Kristy, my fabulous vacation Fast Pass Planner, told us we had a little time before we were dropped in a service elevator so we walked around Pixar Studios.

Yup...Saw another Green Army Man. And yes I did push my way in front of a child. I just needed a quick photo and they were going to ask for an autograph. It wasn't my proudest moment but it needed to be done.

And what is a trip down the Streets of America without Singing in the Rain?!

After our ride on Tower of Terror, which I laughed the whole way through. We got 'thirsty'.

Lucky for Kristy and Anne, I knew JUST the place!

THE HOLLYWOOD BROWN DERBY LOUNGE!

Citizens Take Flight- Margarita Flight: Mango, Classic, Pomegrante.

And some desserts they now offer at 3 for $9.. (I should have just gotten a ginormous slice of grapefruit cake)

And a girl can't say no to a Champage Flight. The red one in the middle was the yummiest.

I didn't want the day to end. We were having so much fun.

Sadly the girls needed to get back to the hotel. We got on a bus back to Pop. When we arrived at the Magical Express Bus Stop I didn't want to prolong the sadness too much. I gave them both a hug a hurried away. P.S. I'm really bad with goodbyes. 

I stopped into the shop off the lobby and walked around to clear my head. I looked at my phone 2.30pm... TWO THIRTY PM! I realized my parents would be taking Ryan to the recruiter at that very time! I quickly called him and was incredibly relieved I was able to get to talk to him. I wished him good luck, told him I loved him and was very proud of him and hung up.....and then I cried. By the candy. I felt a little silly but then again...Ryan has never 'gone away'. He and I both stayed close for college and I kinda got used to seeing him at my parents all the time.

I immediately had an idea for a Graduation gift for him. And off I went with a purpose.

I changed out of my dress and got into leggings and a tee and figured now would be a better time than any to try out the Gladsoles I got. I'm not going to talk about them too much as I want to do a separate post about them. They are that awesome, trust me.

I made fast pass reservations for the princesses and boarded a bus to the Magic Kingdom.

My first stop was Ariel.... let's just cut right to the chase. I sobbed. Like SOBBED on her shoulder. I didn't anticipate having everything hit me in her Grotto but hey, I guess it needed to happen. She was amazing when I told her I Ryan was leaving for the Army and said he was a brave man and a ton of nice stuff. She will forever hold a spot in my heart. I am sorry about the water works though Ariel.

Then it was over to Cinderella and .....welp, not Aurora, must have been taking a nap or something.

Rapunzel was great! She told me my hair was awesome and made sure She was on one side with hers and I was on one side with mine. She said we had to show it off haha. It sure helped me keep it together while I was with her.

Although I began to keep my composure much better thoughout the rest of the day I found myself randomly crying/tearing up when I saw something that reminded me of him. Trust me, I know he's going to be okay and he's in Boot Camp/Basic Training its just this kind of change is a HUGE change and I'm having a little trouble working through it.

This Snow White was much more pleasant and less weird than the last one I met.

Gaston. Doucher. Bottom Line.

I wanted to stop for Merida but the line was a joke.

After realizing that the monorails were down AGAIN I waited almost 60 minutes for a boat to the Poly. I think the wait was worth it for this view though.

When I got there I made friends with a soldier on temporary leave with his family. I helped them find the lobby and thanked him for his service. I headed up to the Kona Cafe to get some coffee for my parents and charged my sadly dying phone.

Once the coffee was done I realized since I had asked my friends to raise a glass for Ryan I needed to as well.

I made my way to the Barefoot Pool Bar and grabbed a margarita and an outlet.

Na Zdrowie Baby Ryan!

Sammy came by a little later to pick me up for dinner. I was hitting another place I had never gone before. The Maya Grill at Coronado Springs.

We didn't need to wait very long for a table at all.

Our waiter kept calling us princesses all night. I have to admit I enjoyed it.

The food was amazing! Enchiladas Suizas

Fried Ice Cream and Churritos for dessert. mm mm mmm

We were both stuffed and tired. 

2014 Princess Half Marathon Race Recap

Sunday 2.23.14

Honestly by this time I was very, very tired. I don't know how you Dopey runners did it, 4 mornings in a row... When we got to the parking lot of EPCOT Kristy and Anne went to the Race Retreat and Sammy and I just wanted to go sit down haha. 

Perla, Suzy, Anne and Anna!

We hung out for a little and watched this female comedian. She was absolutely hysterical. It was a nice change from the DJ being the only one talking.

We followed the mass exodus toward the corrals as that was the best place to sit and stretch. I dropped back again to be with Sammy, she didn't have a time to submit when we registered and I did. I was a little nervous about the Balloon Ladies but really I had nothing to worry about it.

There were so many people this year it seemed. I think it was only because there were more corrals. I think that was the best possible choice runDisney could have made. It was so cool to watch a soldier deployed wish his wife a happy birthday and good luck on the jumbo screen.

I started to feel sick, ya know how you feel right before you throw up....yeah, that kinda sick. I thought I was doomed and spent all of my energy focusing on not vomiting. Brandi came over to say hi and that helped big time.

I was so happy we began sending the corrals off.

When we began I realized right away that I had to pee. I was so angry that with such a wait all the hydration I had been doing was going to backfire on me. I think we made it past mile 1 and I was able to find a port-o-potty line that wasn't dumb.

We made the choice not to stop for any characters before this. After the Jingle Jungle 5k, Wine and Dine Half, WDW 10k and the two other races this weekend we had gotten just about every character we wanted to so far.

Although people complained about the humidity and fog, I thought it was a gorgeous view and a gorgeous temperature to run in.

3.1 miles came up fast and Sammy and I were feeling good.

I knew the villains would be coming up and as much as it broke my heart to not stop... I couldn't bring myself to get in the line.

Ticket and Transportation is one of the most perfect spots to gain some extra confidence. The amount of spectators is sure to get your adrenaline pumping. I love how much support the audience is giving you.

Such a cool idea for entertainment!

I remember this downhill and direct uphill as the place where my shoes last year got so dirty and yet again....this year I have extra dirty shoes.

Similar to the T&TC this is probably one of the most moving turns a runner in Disney will take on their course. You start to see Main Street U.S.A and the crowds and you hear the cheering...if it doesn't give you goosebumps then you are not running Disney correctly.

It may have been foggy out but the trip up Main Street was breathtaking.

This is a great place to see some pretty creative and funny signs.

As you make the turn towards Tomorrowland the castle becomes clearer.

Sammy and I did momentarily get in line for Buzz but he had to go check on something or other and Sammy knew he'd be taking more than a minute or two.

While everyone was waiting for Mickey and Minnie to take photos with Sammy and I found the Sword and the Stone more appealing. I wish it wasn't so blurry.

As you pass through the castle you have trumpets being blown and people cheering.

Anne and I spent the whole race do-see-do-ing back in forth. At the castle I finally snagged a photo with her. It honestly took us 1800+ miles to finally see each other.

Love it!

I love going through Liberty Square after coming out of the castle

We stopped for a picture with Woody in Frontierland. OH! I think I forgot to mention, Sammy and I were Suzy and Perla. I was Suzy, she was Perla.

Almost half way there!

I was pleasantly relieved to hear "Let It Go" instead of Roar or one of the other ridiculous choices we were given this year.

On the strip of road near the Grand Floridian there were less characters this year than I remember last year. But I did decide to stop for a photo I passed up last year.

And had fun with the Mickey Mouse golf cart.

The next couple of photos were Luna Bar motivational posters. Such a cute idea. These were sandwich boards of the poster boards you could get at the expo.

At the Clif Bar stop I was feeling oddly okay, more so than I remember last year. I grabbed some fuel and continued to run. The Razberry flavor is really delicious.

Sadly we had to pass up on the Hero's. We weren't sure how our pace was and didn't want to take any chances. Sorry Herc.

Mile 10 I had a huge surge of energy. I knew from last year that the Sargent would be on this hill and it was my goal to get a photo with him. As I powered up the hill I passed Vanessa and Anne, both who shouted words of encouragement! Love you two!!!

Almost as soon as I took the photo I started drafting a text to my parents and Ryan. He would be leaving the next day for Basic Training. As soon as I sent the text I could feel the tears starting to fall. I blocked out everyone around me (including Sammy, I'm sorry Sam) and began to run faster. The only issue with crying while you run is that you cannot actually breathe effectively. I didn't anticipate the emotions of him leaving that next day and me not actually getting to see him off hitting me at mile 10. It was such a boost to my body, I dont remember feeling any pain, I remember feeling unstoppable.

It took me about a mile to calm myself completely down and not cry anymore but I still had the boost of power I was working with.

Thank goodness for Disney music on a jumbo screen.

Sammy and I knew how close we were to the end. We could taste that last 1.1

We felt good and the line for Princess Sofia was pretty much non-existent so we stopped to say hi!

Only having a little while left I got excited to run towards World Showcase and back towards Spaceship Earth that would end the 13.1 mile journey we had been on. But wait! The comedian from this morning!!! I had to stop and say hi! She is awesome and runDisney needs to bring her back again!

The gospel choir is a pretty dramatic way to envision your end but it's cool to see another group of people excited for you.

Jester Goofy!!!!

DONE! DONE! DONE! Glass Slipper Challenge Finisher! Princess Half Marathon #2 in the books!

I do not remember there being ladies to dust you with glitter last year but this lady pretty much made my finish line experience!

I snapped a photo by accident as she grabbed me and congratulated me! She was so enthusiastic and genuine! <3

We were pushed towards those same lines as the day before to get our bracelets marked and receive our Glass Slipper Challenge medals. How gorgeous are they!

When we got back I showered and I went to charge my phone and lay down for 'just a second'. Well, 'just a second' turned into about oh maybe an hour and a half! YIKES! I wanted to meet up with Karen from Losing the Glass Slippers at EPCOT for a drink and was wasting time!!

I stopped in France to grab a drink. The line at the race Champagne tent was way too long so I figured here is where I could have a celebratory sip.

The weather was beautiful, my medals were heavy and the champagne was cold.

One of the acrobats gave me the universal sign for bottoms up and winked at me as they headed off to prepare for their show.

I ended up walking to Japan to meet Karen. After meeting her FINALLY in person at the meet up I was excited to get to spend undivided attention time with her.

I followed her journey to Princess Half bling almost from the beginning. Her and I immediately connected and I am so happy we became friends <3 Both of these photos are hers. GO CHECK OUT HER BLOG! Losing the Glass Slippers

While we were sipping our drinks in France we watched a proposal happen in front of our eyes!

Afterwards we got to watch the French acrobats in action!

I truthfully had such a fantastic time! Kim, Karens friend was there as well and I fell in love with her too! I love how with running you don't just make one friend you make at least two!

After our Strongbow in the United Kingdom, Karen, Kim and the girls walked towards the buses and I hopped on the monorail towards the Magic Kingdom. Sammy and I wanted to spend some time there before our dinner reservation.

I can't help but laugh at this photo, it pretty much sums up everything haha

I was starving by this time though, so I stopped by Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, it's on the right after the bridge from Main Street U.S.A to Liberty Square.

After all the calories I burned I was dying for fried dough and powered sugar. And no, I did not ask for more powdered sugar, this is what they gave me. 

I couldn't eat the whole thing but it was able to hold me over until our dinner at Grand Floridian. I love Sammy so much, she knew how much I love the People Mover and met me there. We hopped on and took a ride around. We had such a good time.

The ride around Tomorrowland ended way too fast but we needed to get to dinner. Sammy and I did stop for a photo op though.

After you run 3 races, selfies with Cinderella's Castle are a must.

Oh yeah and Main Street.

I love everything about Disney.

Maybe Sammy will remember but I can't remember what transportation we used to get there but I think it was the monorail.

Months and months and months ago Sammy made reservations at 1900 Park Fare for us. I had never eaten here before and was very very excited to. I knew there were characters BUT I didn't realize it was Cinderella themed!

Cinderella came around and was slightly awkward.

Then we went up and got food. I dont know if it's the fact I hadn't eaten a lot that day and I was so hungry I couldn't eat more than the little amount I did or what but the food was very delicious. That is shown in the fact that I ate so fast I didn't take a photo of it. I did, however, snag a shot of the desserts. mmm mmm mmm.

Prince Charming gets and A+ for being so adorable with these two little girls.

Drizella was by far the funniest of all the characters. Samantha had turned around to explain to the lady sitting behind her how she did her sock bun hair style and Drizella got so upset that Sammy wasn't giving her the attention 'she deserved' so she let out a yell.

Anastasia also stopped by our table.

Lady Tremaine was so cool too. She walked up and I promptly informed her that Sammy and I dressed up as her daughters for our 10k race, she was so impressed and asked if she could wear one of my medals. Of course I allowed her. I even had her wear the GSC one!

Sammy and I were spent by the time we got back to the room and passed out. I had one day left with Kristy and Anne. Sadly Sammy had to go back to work.