2011 Marathon weekend trip report - COMPLETE!! 4/5 - Page 7 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Beth, I love all your photos, but this one really tells the story. And what is amazing is that we know Rick was really not feeling well, but he looks like he just finished a stroll around WS. And you look like a woman who has run hard and earned that medal!!!
Yeah, what's up with that?!? He's Mr. Cool-as-a-Cucumber after what he put me through? Hmph!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disney_duke
Such hard work. I know all too well! The chronological photos are such a story in themselves. You did it - High Five!!!! Heck, High 20!!!
You DO know!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillybean
I love that you two crossed the finish line hand-in-hand!
Jill
We talked about doing that early on in the race. I'm just glad I remembered!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Staci Schwarz
YAY! I loved seeing the pictures of you crossing the finish line. Awesome! I am also doing the full marathon next year. I did a half here in Des Moines last year and I totally fell in love with the race experience, but I can't imagine doing my first marathon anywhere but Disney! Hopefully as a seasoned pro you'll have all sorts of practical advise to offer a newbie like me. And I might finally get to meet you in person!
Staci, I'm so proud of you! I agree that WDW is the best place for your first full; in fact, for me, it's the ONLY place for a full! I honestly can't imagine being motivated to go that far anywhere else! We'll definitely need to meet up. Will your whole family be there, or just you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by I live with a 'Stitch'!
Great photos!
The one of you two crossing the finish line hand in hand brought tears to my eyes!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
I love that you two crossed the finish line hand-in-hand!
Just found this report today, Beth. Really enjoyed it! Just wish I had found it before. Seeing your medal in your sig pic kinda killed the suspense. Congratulations to both you & Rick on your HUGE accomplishment!
Wow! I just love the finish photo with the clock in it! How cool! And from the pics I could tell that you were still running with a lot of people when you got to DHS. I was worried that you could lose your way! LOL!
__________________
Donning my Wellies to cut Peat in Scotland
Melissa
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
After the race, we went back to the race retreat to find the place almost empty! There was still some food left, so we had a nice little lunch. As I recall, there were chicken caesar salad wraps, potatos, eggs, Powerade, Coke products, and water. We were enjoying our lunch when my dad called from Hawaii to see how the race went. I started to cry a little bit when I answered the phone, because my dad was the one who really encouraged me to register for the race in 2010 when I really didn't think I would be ready by then. He was very supportive throughout my training and I was very happy to be able to tell him that we'd finished the race.
Before we left the tent, I was able to get my picture taken with some more Toy Story friends.
We drove back to POFQ, and must have showered and changed, but I really don't remember much of the post-race period. I had made an ADR for Raglan Road, because I wasn't sure if we'd want to do any parks after the race, and I've been wanting to get to that restaurant for about three trips. However, this was before the WDW Radio team announced their post-race meet at Epcot for about the same time as our ADR. We decided to skip DTD and hit the meet instead.
We didn't have to be at Epcot until 6:00, so we decided to go to the Studios. We'd been there our first day, mainly to try and get the Red Velvet Cupcake from Starring Rolls. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we didn't get to try the cupcake that I'd read about on the Disney Food Blog. We got to the park about 4:30 and had a couple of PP pictures taken.
We headed right to Starring Rolls, only to be foiled again. I looked around for a sign that would indicate the hours, and found that it closed at 4 p.m. Oh well, we'll catch it another time. The waits were too long for both ToT and RnRC, so we decided to take the animation class again. The first day, we drew Louis from Princess and the Frog, and today we got to draw Minnie! Did you know that her full name is Minerva?
It was time to head to Epcot, so we drove to the Beach Club, planning on eating at Beaches and Cream after the meet. As we passed Stormalong Bay, this couple stopped us to ask us about our medals. It was a very interesting conversation, with the two of them talking over each other. They seemed friendly, but a bit odd. We extricated ourselves from the conversation as quickly as we could so we could be on our way.
We walked to Epcot, and as we entered the International Gateway, we commented on the gate that we had used that morning during the race. I tell you, the marathon has completely changed the way I view Walt Disney World. We will forever make comments like, "Remember when we rode Everest during the race?" or "There's the gate we used to get into Magic Kingdom during the race!"
We headed directly to the United Kingdom, where our teammates were meeting outside the Rose and Crown. It was the first time we'd seen most of them since before the race, so there were hugs of congratulations all around. We were particularly proud of Deanna, Lou Mongello's wife, who had rocked her first full marathon with a time of a little over 5 hours!
I was trying to figure out what was down by my feet. I just remembered that I had given Lou my Wisconsin sweatshirt when we saw him on Main Street, and he had returned it to me. I think that's the sign of a true friend: someone who will hold onto your sweaty shirt for you!
I'd hoped that we could all eat together, but most of the group had eaten already, so after we chatted for a while, our stomachs told us it was time to go. Having given up our Raglan Road ADR, we had no place to go for dinner. We stopped at almost every TS place around the lagoon, including Via Napoli and the new Mexican restaurant, but there was no room at the Inn. Curse you, free dining! I felt like telling people, "I'm a planner, really! I'm not usually like this!"
We ended up at the counter service place in Mexico, and while it wasn't great food, it was filling. We also purchased margaritas, which were quite tasty. We'd thought about staying for Illuminations, but since we were so tired and had already seen it twice this week, we headed back to the Beach Club. The only regret I have is not staying for the American Adventure show. This is the first trip in a very long time that I didn't get a chance to see it. After Everest and it's a small world, AA is my favorite. My dad served in the military for 25 years, and my brother is currently serving. We are a very patriotic family, and I especially love the montage at the end.
Something funny happened as we started to leave through the IG. We were still carrying our margaritas, and we were told by the CM that we could not take them out of the park. I guess I usually finish my beverage much more quickly, but these things were huge! I regretfully dumped my FAB (fantastic adult beverage) in the trash and we took the boat back to the Beach Club. We must have been super tired, because we skipped Beaches and Cream. I don't normally say no to ice cream, but we were full from dinner and just wanted to get some sleep. We drove back to POFQ and were in bed by 9:30.
Here's a little bit about our time at POFQ.
It was our first time at a moderate, and I enjoyed it. Didn't miss POP at all. Not. at. all. Our TA requested Building 6 or 7, which I believe are the newly renovated rooms. We got Building 3. Not renovated, but still plenty nice. Quiet, hardly saw another person while we were there, except in the food court. We didn't get to use the pool, although the hot tub was very tempting. We mostly left in the morning and came back at night, although we did come back one day for an afternoon nap. We used the food court only to fill up our water bottles.
Up next: Marathon Monday and heading home...
__________________
Last edited by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince; 03-30-2011 at 09:29 PM..
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Great shot with Woody and friends in the Race Retreat! My friend and I did the Retreat in 2008 and found it very nice.
I wonder how close we were to seeing each other..... my (extended) family and I headed to Beaches and Cream for dinner as well, somewhere around 4 or so. (I only remember the time because the Packer game started at 4:30 and the boys in our group could NOT miss it!!) It was jam packed with a party of 20 people, so we ate at Hurricane Hannah's instead. Then the kids played in the sand for awhile and we headed through the IG into Epcot too!! We strolled the other direction though, slowly to Japan and then headed back to the Beach Club. We were so close!!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the French Quarter. It's one of my favorites. Actually, it's probably my favorite, but I'm forcing myself to try other moderates too.
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
I wonder how close we were to seeing each other..... my (extended) family and I headed to Beaches and Cream for dinner as well, somewhere around 4 or so. (I only remember the time because the Packer game started at 4:30 and the boys in our group could NOT miss it!!) It was jam packed with a party of 20 people, so we ate at Hurricane Hannah's instead. Then the kids played in the sand for awhile and we headed through the IG into Epcot too!! We strolled the other direction though, slowly to Japan and then headed back to the Beach Club. We were so close!!!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
the pics.
The chronological photos are such a story in themselves. You did it - High Five!!!! 
Heck, High 20!!!
I am also doing the full marathon next year. I did a half here in Des Moines last year and I totally fell in love with the race experience, but I can't imagine doing my first marathon anywhere but Disney! Hopefully as a seasoned pro you'll have all sorts of practical advise to offer a newbie like me. 
Susan
Claytrgtshooter (Minnie Lor's Hubbie)
There was still some food left, so we had a nice little lunch. As I recall, there were chicken caesar salad wraps, potatos, eggs, Powerade, Coke products, and water. We were enjoying our lunch when my dad called from Hawaii to see how the race went. I started to cry a little bit when I answered the phone, because my dad was the one who really encouraged me to register for the race in 2010 when I really didn't think I would be ready by then. He was very supportive throughout my training and I was very happy to be able to tell him that we'd finished the race.
Curse you, free dining! I felt like telling people, "I'm a planner, really! I'm not usually like this!"
Linear Mode
