Just Food & Wine Half Marathon trip report

Both of us where highly disappointed with Via Napoli. Maybe Kona is just that good anything would have seem eh in comparison. Or it could have been a combination of things that just made the experience sub par. I would discourage people from giving it a try, I would have to give it a second try before I would/could do that.

At Kona I had the Pan-fried Chicken with Coconut and Mango Sauces Polynesian Plate Lunch (Traditional Hawaiian favorite served with sticky rice and macaroni salad), droolworthy.

I'm trying to find some time to finish off the trip report before I forget what happened

As for space mountain... this was my second visit since to referb, first since adding music. I really didn't notice the music that much, it was just background music unlike RnR... nicely done.

Lasagna Verde is a spinach lasagna with white sauce opposed to tomato sauce

The lesson go with the pizza

Part 2...

I neglected to mention Thursday night ended with a trip to Paradiaso 37 where I enjoyed the Bacon and Pineapple Burger with a side caesar salad. By far the best meal of the day

Friday... this day was a partial Animal Kingdom day, and arrived for rope drop yet again. I knew I was going to take a trip or two on Everest, and I was fine going thru the queue line. So we made a bee-line to the Kilimanjaro Safari. It was an impressive safari, not only was I able to see Luna, the baby elephant running about but both lions where active. I also experienced the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail& Rafiki's Planet Watch. I enjoyed seeing the prime mates along the trails, but wasn't that trilled with Planet Watch so that was just a quick stop... I was getting bored with the animals and decided this was the perfect time and pay the Yeti a visit. I didn't tell my friend a single thing about the ride, which of course made the experience that much better... for two reasons. First my friend doesn't exactly enjoy thrill rides and in front of us was a 5-6 year old girl making her fourth pilgrimage of the young morning. Personally Everest looks formable, but it has to be the smoothest ride in the parks and is relatively tame... and when you compare it to Dinosaur how can not enjoy the trills. Lunch was an interesting endeavor, we stopped at Flame Tree BBQ, I wasn't in the mood to eat so I skipped this meal. While my friend ate on the patio and chatting, a duck attempted pick my pocket. A brave duck stuck it head my my pants pocket and attempted to pull a gum wrapper out of my pocket. Which in retrospect was had some interesting fore shadowing.

Dinosaur was our first post lunch attraction neither of us really enjoyed it. I don't think it really is that great of a ride... and I do enjoy Indiana Jones, its to dark to really see whats going oun around you and just way to jerky for no real reason. The set pieces never give the impression of terrain that rough. Granted the terrain should be rough since your driving thru a forest, but would you really be driving that fast thru a forest when no path/road exist? To make up for a lack luster experience we hopped back on Everest, before heading to see Lion King. We made the noon show just time time. Which worked out well since I wanted to head back to the resort around 1 and head over to the expo. I loved the show, as it kept my attention. Next time I'll have to see Nemo and compare the two.

The expo was as expected busses left the host resorts top and bottom of each hour, oll told by the time I left the WWOS around 2:30. Went back to resort looked thru the goodie bag and relaxed before heading to EPCOT for the night. First thing back at EPCOT we did the other side of future world... or that was the plan. While sitting out side of test track, waiting for a bathroom break to end, I was playing on my phone and who walks up? Len Testa, just as I opened Lines. Now I wasn't having the best day at all, I've been having issues with this chalazion on my eye lid, it was sore, I was a tad tired, and had a slight headache from the pressure of the chalazion pushing down on my eye ball. I wasn't exactly in friendly spirits, and I'm sure I didn't come off all that friendly. Len was kind enough to share with me that Sum of All Thrills was currently a walk on. How could I pass that up? I really didn't have time to think about creating my ride, it just seemed a little rushed. By time you "get" how the UI and tools work your time is nearly up. After Sum Of All Thrills was Test Track followed by Food & Wine... The food and wine portion should be its own entry.

Of course no night at EPCOT is complete with out IllumiNations. We camped out right outside of the Belgium booth along the shores of French-Morocco. No wind perfect setting, then 5 minutes to show time the wind picks up, right at us. With that said after the show my friend turned to me and said "thanks for running my life, I will never enjoy fireworks again".

Saturday... or race day. This was my calm do nothing day, or so I thought. I woke up a tad late but made it to the studios by 915-930. First thing I did was get a TSM fast pass for 230. I lingered about, experienced the back lot tour. Took in some streetmosphere, did a little pre-shopping and rode ToT 6-8 times with little to no wait. All before heading back to TSM for my fast pass re-entry. I made it 2/3 of the way thru the fast pass queue before the ride went down. It was getting late, I needed to nap and have dinner before heading to WWOS for the half marathon. I found a nice place to leave my pass before leaving the park.

Around 6 I started to prep for the half marathon I collected the essentials, but one thing was missing my drivers license. Yes I lost my drivers license, and I'm fairly sure I did that at EPCOT Friday night, going in and out of my pocket to pay for the various taste I indulged in. Ugh so many thoughts wonder thru your head at that moment. I stopped at the desk on my way out the busses, she called around but had no luck... and was given info for the WDW lost and found at MK, as everything eventually goes to that lost and found.

My thoughts on the half marathon. First I've never done anything like this, my first race period. My goal was to finish, finish under 3 hours. I finished at 2 hours 42 minutes and 7 seconds.... loved the entrance to AK, loved seeing the floats on the highway, LOVED running thru the studios... but I HATED the after party. WDW Today Episode 783 sums up the after party well to many people in such a small place. Last thing I wanted to do after running 13.1 miles was stand in line for 10-15 minutes. I used my free drink coupon at Refreshment Cool Post for a large diet coke sat down on the ground next to bridge and gate and just rested a bit before walking all the way to bus stop 13 for the All-Star resorts. If you just had 5 host resorts that disney was running transportation to after the event, why not put all the bus stops near the gate?

Thats all for tonight. I worked late tonight and I'm back early tomorrow.

I hope I'll find time to finish my report tomorrow... its been a busy few weeks.

Thanks to all for the congrats on finishing the race, much appreciated. As for my drivers license, lost & never found... ever after a visit to most wonderful place in all the world. Walt Disney Worlds main lost and found office.

The ending part of the trip a really really quick account. NO EDITING (except to add this warning), NO SPELL CHECK, NO PROOFING
Once again use caution when reading, you may loose a few brain cells trying to decode the babble.

Sunday... day after the Half Marathon I only managed to sleep a few hours. I was up in time for breakfast at the food court and found myself heading towards the studios. I made it around 10, I was able to get a fast pass for TSM, took in Beauty and the Beast, another TOT trip all before returning for my fist TSM adventure. While I loved the queue and theming aspects of the ride it really wan't for me. I enjoyed it but it isn't something I would wait 40+ minutes for. Finally after all that fun for the day it was time to exist the overly crowed park and head over to EPCOT, via waterway, for lunch. The crowds at the F&W booths where sparse, and I was able to enjoy many fine treats as we made our way around the showcase. We rode Maelstrom before heading back to resort. Nap time for me and pool time for my friend before heading over to the MK area for MSNSHP. Only to realize we had a dinner ADR at grand floridian cafe in just about 2 hours. We quickly readied ourselves... but managed to catch the wrong bus, DTD and not the MK.... and at the DTD stop turned into monorail resort bus. Some how it took us over an hour to go from DTD to the Contemporary where we transferred to the monorail. My friend LOVED walking down the staircase at the grand floridian, she said she felt like Cinderella. I'm sure thats what the goal of the staircase was... dinner of course was great as was MNSHP. I just didn't know what to do first. I knew enough to watch the second parade, and just have fun rest of the time. (BTW I really don't think the candy is all that good to merit the trick-or-treating but it was hard to pass that up). We where at it till the park closed, and was rode big thunder three times in a row... my legs where killing me walking up the path...

Really the last day was Monday, the only day where I really felt like I slept in. Yet I did manage to make it to DTD and enjoy breakfast at Wolfgang Puck Express. While I didn't fall in love with my breakfast choice, corn flake crusted french toast, it was really really good. I spent rest of the morning doing my tip shopping, bought a few vinylmation key chains for the fellow managers at work. Somehow each picked their own box and the character match their personalities, it couldn't have worked better if I actually put thought behind the purchases I did find it a tad difficult making purchases with on my photo id. The signature strip on the back of my Disney Visa was smudged... and well I really wanted my discount. I also used my key to the kingdom room key and I honestly never thought one about signing it. Never, even knew a spot existed to sign it. Once I completed my shopping I had the privilege to visit the Magic Kingdom last and found, nothing that magical since I wasn't able to find my photo ID. I filled out the paper work just in case before heading back to the resort. I did all the fun things called my home security of state, tsp, the airline, and the Osceola sheriff department for advise how to make it home without photo ID. Honestly none of them where that helpful. Since we had a dinner ADR and Boma, and I had no desire to sit around the resort I headed over to studios to walk around before going to EPCOT to catch a bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge. While at EPCOT I try the soup at the Canada both, while I'm not a soup person I thought it was something I had to try... I wouldn't say its great soup, but it isn't bad either and I can see how many people love it. I also managed to take a few nice pictures at EPCOT as I was heading for the bus. Boma was good for a buffet., nothing really stood out, except for the straws and desert. MK had evening extra magic hours and the goal was spend rest of the night enjoy the park. We arrived just as wishes started,and had a wonderful time. By 11 the lack of sleep finally caught up with me and I was looking to exit the park. This of course was the only time we truly had bad transportation. All the value resorts had extremely long lines. At one point Movies had three busses picking up at once, and pop had two. We we arrived at the bus stop a bus pulled out, we waited a good 45 minutes before the next bus arrived, and another 15 minutes after that till we where able to board.

Tuesday, the day of departure. My friend really wanted to meet one character, Mary Poppins. So where else would one have breakfast than 1900 Park Fare. What can you really say about breakfast, average food at above average prices all for the privilege of having your picture taken with a characters. We waited 10-15 mins after our meal to meet Mary, after all that would have been a total waste of money for breakfast if we didn't get the experience the one thing we came for right? After that the last day was spent just taking it all in. Left the magic kingdom after the 3pm parade, only time we saw it the entire trip... from a great vantage point in front of the train station. Monorailed over to EPCOT, I just had to get one more monorail ridded in before catching a bus back to the resort for Magical Express.

Oddly at the airport they had three other people go thru security at the same time I was who also lost their IDs. I was able to prove my identify with a credit card in my name as well as having the same name on my insurance card which matched the name on my boarding pass. I really don't know why one has to show ID... except it negates some hassle and the extended secondary screening.

All in all the trip was a blast, for the most part. By the time Tuesday rolled around I was looking forward to heading home. I wasn't feeling great, my eye was really bothering me, I was tired of being followed around playing tour guide. I would really love to do another Food & Wine Half Marathon next year, but I would change things up a bit. I would arrive a few day later and leave a few days later. What I really wanted to experience, Food & Wine, had huge crowds the first few days smaller crowds would have made the experience better.