Trip--October, 2010-the big 4-0!! - Updated 4/5 - Baby Boy is Born! - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Trip--October, 2010-the big 4-0!! - Updated 4/5 - Baby Boy is Born!
I haven't been around the boards in ages (seriously, like 4 years?). Between job and life changes I didn't have much time for cruising the boards and planning Disney like I used to. Not that I didn't do Disney--I certainly did, several times, I just didn't write trip reports and pretty much relied on my stock pile of information from years past.
The quick version of the last four years: bigger/better job with more responsibility, divorce, Disney trip, discovering I hate the bigger/better job, dating (god, that's a nightmare!), meeting Mr. J, Disney trip/Marathon, getting even bigger/better job, moving from NY to Detroit (I know, who moves to Michigan to work!!??), Switzerland trip, Disney Trip, Ireland, Ironman, Italy, Disney Trip again, job keeps getting better (although perhaps not as big), Long Course Triathlon Nationals...that brings us to now. Four trips coming up: Texas for the Lonestar Triathlon, Washington, DC for a wedding, Italy with Mr. J (cause he loves it!!) and the insane trip this pre-trip report is about.
Why is it insane?
1. 40. This is my birthday trip. I'll be 40. I've actually had to get used to it already, because triathlon events categorize atheletes by age and to make it simple, your age is considered to be how old you will be on the last day of the year. So since January 1, USATriathlon has considered me a 40 year old. That doesn't make it better. Anyway, back to 40. A long time ago, when I had no money I decided that on my 40th birthday I would eat at Victoria and Alberts. Well, its here. And while its still expensive, I can now make the splurge and with careful planning not worry about next months bills.
2. USATriathlon Long Course Nationals/Tri Club Nationals are being held on October 2. That's the weekend I chose to start my birthday trip. I hadn't planned on going again. See, last year I qualified for World Championships, but opted not to join Team USA and go to Germany because Mr. J and I had already planned a trip to Italy that conflicted. Really, I didn't feel bad. Team USA makes you pay to transport your bike, buy the sweatsuit, use the team hotel, etc and its becomes insanely expensive. Not to mention that I qualified by the skin of my teeth and would basically be going to Germany to get my a$$ handed to me. Flashforward to this winter's newletter from USAT. Nationals are at Myrtle Beach. Its the only qualifier for Worlds. And Worlds? In Las Vegas!! That means if I qualify I can totally go!!! Then I realize that October 2 is the first day of the Disney trip. No worries...here's the skinny: I fly to SC on Friday AM, rent a car to Myrtle Beach--all my equipment etc will be in a team van already on site, race on Saturday AM, barring really bad bike wrecks, I'll drive back the airport, fly to MCO at 4PM ish, Mr. J will fly in to MCO that evening as well, we get our car, and into BWV by 8PM. Late dinner at Jiko is likely. See, totally fine. I do feel really bad for whoever gets to sit next to me on the plane though, I won't have time to shower and I might still be in my race shorts...
3. In case I didn't mention it, I'll be turning 40.
Last fall Mr. J and I went for a free dining weekend and hit the Food and Wine Festival. Being foodies and winos, this was a great weekend!! We upgraded to the deluxe meal plan so we could do all signature restaurants (you pay $25ish more--but with the base plan free, its a bargain!) and used the snack credits for the FWF booths. We had dinners at Jiko, Yachtsman, and Citricos. We ate just about everything in Epcot. We drank untold amounts of wine (markup anyone?). We went to some seminars. In short, we had a great time and decided to return to do it again.
We are fortunate to have two Disney Visa's that are used for personal and business expenses. Mr. J can often charge 5-8k a month to his visa when working with multiple customers (he works on very expensive heavy equipment and when something needs fixing, he pays for it and bills them...) so our Disney points have really racked up in the last two years, making a return to FWF and dinner at V&As very reasonable.
First task--rent me some DVC points for BWV. After last year's stay at ASM we decided that while its inexpensive, the travel to Epcot would be easier from BWV. By renting points for standard view studio we paid only a bit more than ASM would cost and we would be able to walk (okay, stumble) back to our room after a tour of the world and its wine. and beer. and those really yummy frozen vodka things....
Knowing that the 11 month window for BWV would mean DVCers snapping up standard view studios I contacted some folks I'd rented from previously and managed to snag one. We rented the points upfront in November and it now feels like we never even paid for it! I love planning ahead. At the same time, I had a trip I had to cancel and ended up with a credit good for one year with Airtran, so the multilegged journey I had planned use that credit. While I know that one way tickets/multi leg flights are expensive, that I'd paid for that ticket 6 months earlier made the pain much less!
While waiting for my 180 day window for ressies at V&As, I started training again. After Nationals I had two months off (that included the Oct FWF trip...), gained some weight, and slept a lot. But in January it all started again. Biking indoors on the trainer, running indoors on the treadmill, getting up at 4AM to get it all done--all with any eye towards October's race. The first stop on that plan is Texas for the Lonestar 70.3 race, a long course tri that will be windy and hot but a good test. Its only three weeks away and I'm back down to the right weight, my speed is looking good, and I'm running well. But the best thing this week was making my ressie on Monday. I called the dedicated line, spoke with a fabulous CM, and am now booked for my 40th birthday dinner on October 3 at 8:30. Given that its the day after a huge race I can look forward to two more things: I'll be super hungry and I'll fit in what ever dress I choose to wear.
So now its back to sit tight for awhile. I didn't make other ressies, I know we want to eat at Jiko, but am not sure if Saturday or Monday is better. We are talking about day to day plans, like should we go to a waterpark on sunday and FWF on monday? Our tickets are gone from previous trips, so we also aren't sure if we should get the 10 day again, with no expiration and park hopping or just buy what we need for this trip. And plane tickets. Got to get the plane tickets. I'm waiting until June to start looking, they schedules aren't very solid this far ahead and I've got to make sure I can catch the flights.
In any case, I'm very excited and find myself returning to the boards to read about everyone's plans and its a little like it used to be for me. When we make some additional decisions, I'll be back to post!!
In an effort to give myself some way to count down the days/weeks and not go insane I've decided I'll do a once a week Pre-Trip update in which I'll ask the most pressing questions I have (some days that's not too pressing) and update you all on my training/racing (not that exciting for most, but since its essentially a part time job and interwoven with this trip, I'm doing it anyway!).
topics on my mind at the moment, to be discussed in depth over the next few weeks are: Disney Related Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween What to Wear to V&As First night dinner Return to the Flying Fish How much wine is too much? How much food is too much? Hopper? 10 Day? Waterpark? Mickey Bars?
Race Related Do I need new tri shoes? (For heaven's sake, we all know I need regular shoes!) Are my aerobars too low? Are my aerobars too high? Is that supposed to hurt? How wrong is it that half my diet is 'Power Gel'? How much wine is too much? Is it too hot? cold? rainy? windy? Will I make from the finish line to the airport in time?
work related should I stop doing this while in a meeting?
I realize now that I never indicated trip length or even introduced the participants!! Plus I need you all to give me some advice.
First things first--the trip is only three nights, Saturday, October 2-Tuesday October 5. It really started as a 40th birthday trip for me, but given the Tri schedule could also be a big celebration too. Its me, who you've met. And Mr. J. Who is not the Mark in my user name (trying to figure out how to change that without getting a whole new account...). Mr. J visited Disney twice before me, once with his parents as a kid and once with his ex-wife in a two day off-site commando experience that left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He and I have known each other since we were kids, same church, same swim coach, he even lived on the same street as my parents when he was married. His first trip with me changed his mind about Disney. We stayed at POFQ for marathon weekend, had dinner at Jiko and Cali Grill, took naps in the middle of the day, drank around the world and generally relaxed. SOLD! We've traveled together quite abit, thanks to frequent flier miles, rewards cards and work. While typically TYpe A, he lets me plan all the trips, partly because I like to do it, partly because I haven't led him astray yet. Sometimes I think it would be great if he planned my 40th for me, but it would really take some of the joy out of it for me.
Plus, there is no way he can figure out my vacation spreadsheets. (I'm secretly in love with Excel...)
On to my question: MNSSHP. Its on Saturday, October 2. Our flights (if I make mine...) will land at 8:26PM. Do we go?
Pros: I love Halloween, I've never gone to this, it goes late enough that getting there won't be a problem, its sounds like its fun Cons: Its alot of hurrying up and rushing around, at $50+ its pretty steep for a few hours of candy, I'll be pretty darn tired after a 70.3 mile race in the AM
Alternatives: Just check in to BWV and get a ressie at Flying Fish for 9:30ish (yes, we normally eat dinner that late).
Thoughts? View of MNSSHP? Flying Fish is the option because its in the hotel.
Which reminds me of a story that we still make jokes about: In January 2009 we went to Flying Fish, second time around, both times at the chef's counter. For some background, Mr. J is very fond of wearing hats, he loves himself a fedora, and fancies a day when men return to wearing dress hats all the time, everywhere. He imagines himself as a Don Draper of Mad Men kind of guy. For a man who never wears a suit to work he owns more suits than is normal. And shoes. He's like a girl. With really big feet. Anyway, when we go out to dinner we like to get very dressed for it. That includes careful selection of a hat (again, like a women, he defends each one as necessary!). Before you get all Miss Manners on me, he doesn't wear it at dinner. Hats at the dinner table are inappropriate. Okay, so we get dressed as we would, he's wearing a brown felt fedora with a slight tweed pattern to it. I can't remember what I wore. We stop at the bar in the lobby of BW to get a drink or few and then head to dinner, but first we stroll around the boardwalk a bit. Our dinner ressie is approaching and we get to the door of Flying Fish, where Mr. J opens the door for me (always!!). I step inside, but before the door can close behind us, a host (maybe a manager, who knows) says, "sir, you need to remove your hat, our dress code does not allow hats." The door wasn't even closed yet and certainly Mr. J was going to remove his hat, but this was a rather gruff request.
Okay, so the hat is off and Mr. J is a little annoyed that someone assumed he wouldn't know to take his hat off. We order wine and dinner and are enjoying ourselves until Mr. J spots the man in the gi/track pants combo. See, Mr. J views the dress code as real thing, even though we all know its super flexible at WDW. He's annoyed that he, a man in a suit and hat, was pounced on at the door, but that a dude in white gi and black track pants with white stripes down the side was not given a second look drove him nuts!! He actually tried to get me to stand for a picture in which the gi would be in the background.
Now whenever I ask Mr. J what he plans to wear to X or Y, he usually says, "I don't know, I was thinking about wearing a gi..." He never does (see attached pic!!)
Wow, that went way off track...back to the question at hand---MNSSHP or not!!
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wow 70.3 miles?? even 7 sounds excruciating lol
to answer some q's you could never have too much food or wine at the FWF
if your flight is landing at 8:26 I would say no to MNSSHP, by the time you get luggage and leave MCO it could be another full hour.
is there an alternate night to do MNSSHP? It is alot of fun
70. 3 comes from 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.
No MNSSHP anyother night, that's why I'm considering it. I forgot to even ask what my costume should be!!
I'm thinking we'll have only carry on bags (my bike/race gear is staying behind with my team, the sponsor moves it for us) and a rental, so we can be out fairly quickly...but the hour is probably realistic.
More opinions please!! (and did I see Cruefest on your countdown??? I'm embarrassed to admit how much time I've spent figuring out what I would say if I ever actually met Vince!!)
I'm going to second Janice's 'no' to MNSSHP. I think it should be more of an all or nothing kind of party - hopefully you'll get to come back another time when it's going on.
I so get where Mr J is coming from with the whole dress code thing - seems crazy that a hat - and a nice one at that - is criticized right off the bat, but track pant aren't?!
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And a big congrats on doing so well in the triathlons! 
at that last question! Great questions though!
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