Walt Disney World

It’s Go Time! 2023 Marathon Weekend Details and Packing Checklist

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Its hard to believe that after what feels like 50 years of planning, we are less than a week away from the 2023 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend!

If your house looks anything like mine, there’s an intersection of holiday cleanup and Marathon Weekend prep that makes the household look a bit like a Wall-e cityscape – but it’s all good stuff, so I’m not going to sweat it. In the offhand chance you’re caught up in the same turbulence, I’ve put together a checklist to help navigate the packing part. The rest may be up to the travel gods, who have seemed pretty angry lately.

My 90s-inspired Dopey costumes:

So far the weather is looking pretty ideal for Marathon Weekend. Thursday is forecast for a high of 80, and Fri – Sun, the high is not expected to get over 73. What that means for us runners is that while we’re waiting in the corrals, the temps should be in the 50s. Temps during the races probably will hover in the low 60s. Ski parkas probably won’t be required, although I still recommend bringing a throw-away layer of some kind. The only day where there is a bit more chance for rain is Thursday for the 5k. Fingers crossed that the weather leaves us alone in the pre-dawn hours!

  • Costumes: If at all possible bring at least the first day’s costume in carry-on luggage. What a bummer if you make it to Florida but your costume doesn’t
  • Costume accessories: Don’t forget your “finishing touches”: ears, character companions, & other props
  • Undergarments: Have you planned out bras, leggings, shorts for all your outfits?
  • Socks: Unless you have access to laundry facilities, bring extra!
  • Throw-away clothes: It can be pretty cold waiting in the corrals. Bring some cheap clothes to toss away before you cross the start line. runDisney donates everything left behind to charity. Other options include mylar blankets (you’ll need to bring your own) or garbage bags. Garbage bags are also great to sit on while you’re waiting.
  • 2 pairs of running shoes: This is especially important if you are doing Goofy / Dopey. There’s nothing worse than starting out the day with a pair of wet, nasty shoes.
  • Dry clothes: For after the race. You can gEAR -check them and change in a port-a-potty.
  • Sunscreen
  • Anti-chafing cream
  • Sunglasses
  • Fuel for the course: Generally Gu or some other fuel is available, but probably not exactly what you want exactly when you want it. Do yourself a favor and bring along your “must-haves”.
  • Fanny pack or other belt: If you don’t have pockets in your costume, you’re going to want to carry a phone and some cash or a credit card. You can’t buy a margarita in Mexico without some pesos!
  • Headphones
  • Smart watch
  • Magic Band
  • Chargers of all kinds: watch, phone, headphones, Magic Band +
  • Power bank

Packing List (race-related stuff only – you’re on your own for the rest):

Other notes to keep in mind:

Virtual Queue for Merchandise

runDisney will once again be utilizing a virtual queue for merchandise purchase on the first day of the expo. Check out this previous post on how the virtual queue works.

Merch preview has been released! Here’s the sneak peak:

Bibs and Corrals

Bib numbers have not been released yet. You can expect to get them when the check-in passes are emailed, probably on Monday, January 2. You won’t know your corral placement until you actually pick up the bib.

Above all, if you’re headed to the Marathon Weekend, enjoy it all! Take it all in! And if you see me sporting one of those awesome costumes, please say hi!!

2023 Marathon Weekend Details Released – Course Maps!

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Anticipation has reached a fever pitch and today the official 2023 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Event Guide has been released. Here’s the scoop on the race courses!

As always, the published maps are almost invisible to the naked eye, but I’ve had a look at the courses with my magnifying glass and have a few thoughts.

5K

This is the same course for the recent Wine & Dine. Starting from the back of the Epcot parking lot, the first mile is a bit dull in terms of stuff to look at, but we’ll be full of plenty of anticipation and will be busy trying not to step on the other runners.

Once we hit the entrance to Epcot near Mexico, it’s all fun ’till the end. A loop around the World Showcase Lagoon should yield a few character stops. During the Wine & Dine they were in Norway, France and near the UK.

Another great photo op is as you cross the bridge back into Future World. You’ll get an awesome view of Spaceship Earth on the way to the finish line.

Rumor has it that the sculpture of Te Fiti has just been installed in Moana: The Journey of Water which is still under construction. Not sure if we’ll get a glimpse at this angle in the dark, but it’s possible.

The course makes a right turn and heads backstage between Mission: Space and Test Track and snakes to the finish line on the other side of the parking lot. Woo-hoo!

10K

Starting from the same spot in the back of the parking lot, the course heads in the opposite direction. We get the boring highway running out of the way up front with a couple of zig-zags and hairpin turns, then it’s back to the park.

Passing behind The Land and into the park to run in front of Journey into Imagination, the course takes a right into United Kingdom and briefly backstage to re-emerge near the Skyliner station.

After a loop around the Boardwalk, the course heads back through the International Gateway into Epcot. A spin through the back of France drops the runners back on the the main concourse around the World Showcase Lagoon.

Once back in Future World, the finish is the same as the 5K – by Test Track and behind Guardians of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to the fun-filled finish.

Half Marathon

The start for the Half Marathon is moved out to Epcot Center Drive. We get a lot of the boring highway miles out of the way early as we head up to Magic Kingdom.

In Magic Kingdom, its the iconic run up Main Street and then a spin adound Tomorrowland and through Fantasy Land and through the Castle for the best photo op of the course.

The course heads through Adventureland past Pirates of the Carribean and then behind the soon-to-not-be Splash Mountain and out of the park on the quest for the water treatment plant…

From there it’s pretty much a straight shot back to Epcot, except for a little loop-de-loop right at mile 10.

Off to the Epcot parking lot and then finally sweep across Future World to our now very familiar finish line run.

Full Marathon

Once again we start out on Epcot Center Drive and do A LOT of looping around on the highways before there is much to see. To be completely honest I really like it this way. I like to get the dull stuff out of the way first so that there’s more to look at late in the race when I want to die.

Between mile 2-3 the course passes through Future World and then do ANOTHER loop around the Epcot parking lot. I really hope they have a lot of character stops and distractions planned here because it’s a long run up to Magic Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom course adds a bunch of interesting sharp turns and I am expecting tons of course congestion. The good news is that we should see most of the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Next is the long jog through the waste water treatment plant again and the we head towards Animal Kingdom. The AK loop is a little interesting. We head through the park and past Everest (yes, you can ride if the park is open). Instead of exiting the park through the front gate, the course doubles back and makes a complete loop to the back of the park.

The next piece of the course is a bit controversial. The route I have run in the past went through Wide World of Sports (which I hated HATED), but instead this year, we head to Blizzard Beach. Yeah at first that sounds great, but if you zoom in, it’s just the Blizzard Beach parking lot. Really. With tons of turns and zig zags. I think I am underwhelmed.

Finally, the miles are starting to wind down and its just a quick hit at Hollywood Studios. The course really only kisses a corner of the park, and it doesn’t even look like we run Hollywood Boulevard. I’m OK with this for 2 reasons: A) by the time most runners get here, the park will be open and the race does complicate operations on the narrow streets. B) by the time most runners get here they just want to get to the finish line as fast as possible. Screw the sight seeing.

Finally, we head back to the Boardwalk and into Epcot through the International Gateway. Taking a right and heading the long way around the World Showcase Lagoon, finally we are so close. Don’t forget about the margaritas in Mexico. I am sending a runner ahead to get in line for me so that I can cross the finish line with a margarita in hand (before the Balloon Ladies).

That’s it! One more pass through Future World down our familiar finish route, past the gospel singers and we are there! Marathoners! Goofys! Dopeys! Hoooray!!!!

Castaway Cay 5K

I’ll be honest, I have no frame of reference here. This race is for lucky guests who are cruising on the Disney Wish immediately following Marathon Weekend.

I think the course at Castaway Cay is always the same. There is actually a running for every cruise that stops here, but this is THE running – meaning the only one with a non-rubber medal. Have fun, lucky cruisers! Maybe some day I’ll get to join you.

runDisney FAQs: Top 10 runDisney Questions Answered

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Marathon weekend is around the corner! Although the event guide hasn’t been released yet, you can find answers to some of the most common runDisney questions here!

1. I registered but now I can’t run. Can I sell or transfer my bib?

This is hands-down the most asked question on the runDisney forums. It makes complete sense – to get a spot in a race you have to register nine months ahead of time. Sooo much can happen in that time. Injuries, pregnancies, emergencies, failure to train and a thousand more things can happen. Unfortunately the one-word answer is no. runDisney does not permit any transfers, sales or deferments at this time. Rules have changed over the years: long ago they offered deferments (I got one when I was pregnant half a lifetime ago), sometimes they have offered partial refunds via a gift card (not so much recently). The current policy is absolutely no transfers permitted. If someone were to run under someone else’s bib, the potential penalty is permanent ban from runDisney races – for both parties. Just. Not. Worth it. Not.

2. What’s the best Disney Resort to stay at on race weekend?

Honestly… the only parameter is budget. ALL the Disney resorts offer race day transportation. For most people that’s the crucial question, and the easy answer is take your pick. The Disney resort offerings go from almost afforable to “People can actually pay this??? Like, for more than one night???” At the low end you get a very acceptable motel room with coffee and a fridge. At the high end you get… I’ll be completely honest. I’ve never stayed at the high end. Rumor has it that it’s better.. and quieter. The “value” resorts are often full of school groups and the party crowd. But I will also be very clear, despite my insomnia, noise has never kept me awake at a value resort.

3. I am staying at [XYZ Disney Resort]. Do they offer race-day transportation?

See above. Yes, they all offer race-day transportation. There have been some rather frightening stories of bus drivers getting lost on the way to the start line. I know that sounds impossible, but there are many road closures on race mornings, so those could potentially be contributing factors. I do advise you to grab the earliest bu possible from your resort, if nothing more than for peace of mind.

There are also a few off-property hotels that offer race day transportation. I’d suggest doing a quick internet search, particularly for the hotels in the Disney Springs area. These hotels are the most likely to offer these packages.

The scary, scary Balloon Ladies

4. I am a new runner (or I am currently running 15-minute miles). I am so scared of the Balloon Ladies. Help.

Ok, this isn’t really a question, but the prospect of being swept has kept more than a few newbies and some experienced runners awake for nights on end. The much feared “Balloon Ladies” are the last to cross the start line and run at a steady 16-minute mile pace. They are the unofficial harbingers of the sweep. If you fall behind them, the race officials can pull you off the course and put you on a bus.

There are many factors that will impact whether or not runners behing the Balloon Ladies will actually be swept, including congestion on the course and where you are in terms of milage. While there are rumors out there that they can’t sweep you if you are in the park or just outside the park, that’s actually not true. Sweeping is completely at the discretion of the race officials. The only place you’re truly safe from being swept is at the finish line.

That being said, if you are able to run any of the course at all, a 16-minute walking pace, even for a few miles should be achievable for most. If you find yourself falling behind, just keep moving. There are no guarantees, of course, most people who have trained and keep moving have reported a succcessful finish.

5. I just bought these shoes, but I am not sure about them. Anyone else have the same experience?

I personally wouldn’t put a ton of faith in the opinions of well-intentioned Facebook commenters on particulars of running shoes for my body. Every shoe fits every person differently. Maybe if there’s some poor manufacturing issues you might get some confirmation on social media, but beyond that, I’d urge you to talk to a qualified fit specialist at a legit running shoe store.

6. I am trying to plan my race day nutrition. Should I bring my own fuel? What kind of hydration is available.

Shorter races like 5K and 10K generally have a number of water stops, but not much else. Half marathons will have Power Ade and some sort of fuel like Gu or Sport Beans. There are more options at the full marathon, which will also offer bananas and candy at some point. The course maps which are published a few weeks before the race will detail what’s available. If your nutrition is important, I suggest you check the course maps carefully. The last time I ran the full marathon there wasn’t a banana in sight until at least mile 9 and I was STARVING by then… it was way too late. I would have been wise to carry a snack with me.

7. I’m following [XYZ] program and I missed a run. What would you do?

We all miss runs, it happens. And rarely is it a reason to panic. I do think this is an area where crowdsourcing some advice can be helpful. You’ll find many experienced runners from numerous training programs stepping up to give advice. Ask away!

8. I missed out on registration. How can I run my race?

As we’ve covered in a previous blog post registration is a stressful and fast process that leaves a lot of would-be racers disappointed or empty-handed.

One option is to raise money for a designated charity. You can find participating charities on the runDisney site under Plan Your Trip> Travel Providers & Charities.

The other option is to stalk the runDisney site to see if registration will re-open for your race. It does happen from time to time, but as with initial regisration is likely to sell out quickly. Just keep checking or follow the Twitter account @runDisRegStatus which offers updates when races re-open.

9. I am staying at Disney, but not running a race. Where are there some good running trails?

Disney has actually published a list of places to run on property. You’ll be able to find options at most resorts. Some of the most popular ones include:

  • Around Seven Seas Lagoon at the Magic Kingdom resorts
  • Around the Boarwalk at the Epcot area resorts
  • Around Hourglass Lake between Pop Century and Art of Animation resorts. This one is particularly fun, because if you turn on your GPS watch while running, the trail will look like the shape of Olaf from Frozen!

10. What’s the best post-race watering hole / breakfast spot?

OK, so if you’re looking for a watering hole after a 5K or 10K, you probably need some help because you’l definitely be done by 9:00 a.m. That being said, you may be able to find some champagne at the finish line. A lot of folks are looking for breakfast spots after one of these races. Might I suggest Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort? No matter where you settle, make sure you have a reservation. Anything better than a resort food court may still need a reservation, particularly if it is character dining.

As for watering holes, there are two great options. If you have a park ticket, head over to Epcot to drink “around the world” and grab some pics with your medals. If you don’t have a park ticket, grab the bus from your resort over to Disney Springs. You can bar hop to your heart’s content and take in some live music at the same time. Whatever you decide, leave the driving to the Disney pros and have a well deserved blast!

Got more questions? Hit me up! Drop a comment!

#MedalMonday Update: Springtime Surprise REVEAL

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Many are anxiously awaiting the Marathon Weekend Event Guide – but today the Disney Parks Blog gave us a little taste to whet our appetites while we wait – the 2023 Springtime Surprise medal reveal!

All 3 races feature characters from favorite Pixar films. Let’s take a look:

Cars 5K

Featuring Lightning McQueen

Monsters, Inc. 10K

Boo’s door opens to reveal Mike & Sully!

Toy Story 10-Miler

Buzz, Wooody and some aliens

Springtime Surprise Challenge

Nemo, Dory and Crush

It’s hard to tell if any of the medals other than the Monsters, Inc. have a special surprise, but in keeping with the theme of the weekend, lets hope for some.

I’m really digging the Toy Story medal. How about you? Drop a comment and let me know your favorite.

Wine & Dine Weekend 2022 Wrap-Up

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Phew! The dust has settled, hopefully all the travelers have made it home safely, so let’s recap the weekend that was Wine & Dine. As with anything, there were highs and lows, I’ll try to cover everything I saw here, but as always, drop a comment if I missed something.

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The Best

The start line: For me the best part of any race weekend is the party atmosphere at the start line. It’s a big costume ball with sneakers, and boy were there some great costumes! Carissa and Riley were there, providing the hype and fireworks blasted each wave across the start line. It was so great to be back in person.

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The Worst

Half Marathon: The entire Half Marathon experience was pretty much the worst this weekend. It started with really high humidity and some light rain, and just went downhill from there. The new course they tried out was narrow and filled with soul-crushing highway miles towards the end. I got the worst corral placement possible. Stuck in the back, there were more walkers than runners and more bottlenecks than stretches where I could actually run at the pace I wanted. There was also a disappointing lack of etiquette on the course. Walkers spread out across the entire path making passing impossible, but in their defense, there really wasn’t any “right” for them to move to. With humidity climbing and paces slowing, it was pretty much 13.1 miles of prolonged frustration.

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The OK-est

Afterparty: The afterparty was the busiest I can remember seeing Epcot. At least at the start of the evening, lines for everything were pretty long. Since party-goers were welcomed to the park at 5 pm and day guests didn’t leave until 9 pm, there was a lot of overlap. I heard that things opened up after 10 pm, but after 3 days of being up at 2:30 am, I didn’t make it that far. I did try a couple of delicious Festival foods – the French fry flight and the pork lettuce wraps, but I called it a night early since I needed to catch a plane in the morning. I was going to try to get on Guardians of the Galaxy, but the line stretched out to the Creations shop when they opened it, and my sore feet weren’t having it.

Virtual Queue: To try to manage crowd flow, runDisney utilized a vitrual queue for race merch shopping. To join the queue, you needed to be geographically within 45 miles of Wide World of Sports. This ended up throwing a monkey wrench in a lot of peoples’ days, especially those who live locally. It wasn’t horrible, but I heard many cases of people waiting at least 2 hours for their groups to be called.

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Brushes with Greatness

I was lucky enough to catch up with two of my heroes! Puppet Runner (+Remy) and Jeff Galloway, who inspired me through the last quarter-mile and got me across the finish line.

I also connected with a number of people I know from Facebook groups and Instagram. So much fun to see meet these amazing comerades.

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Achievements Unlocked

Going in to the weekend I really had 2 goals:

  1. Don’t get swept
  2. Stop at some character stops to get some pics.

I’ve always been so terrified of the Balloon Ladies that I have never dared stop. I was determined this time to get some pics with characters… but I have to be completely honest, it almost sank me during the 5K! As I mentioned earlier I started in the back. There were 3 character stops in Epcot. Olaf was hanging out in Norway and the line was ridiculous so I kept moving. Remy and Emile were posted in France and I figured it was now or never. If I waited for the perfect moment I would end up empty-handed again so I got in line and waited. And waited. Then the characters went on break. And I waited. Finally they returned and the line started moving again and I got my first treasuered character pic. That’s when I realized ALL the runners had passed. I saw one person hobbling by on crutches, and after that, it looked like the staff was wrapping up. That’s when I kicked it into high gear and went straight for the finish. (Not last!)

I was still struggling with time, but I did manage to grab a few over the course of the weekend:

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And Some Final Thoughts on Costumes

So this was the first time I went all-in on costumes. I’m not crafty or rich, so this was a bit of a stretch for me. Running with a friend, we decided to do couples costumes. They worked, although maybe not to the degree I hoped they would. The biggest issue was my selection of a full-body polyester cat costume. Unfortunately it was the longest race, the hottest race, and it was raining at the start line. Mr. Mittens made it 3 miles before I had to start removing pieces. It was a matter of survival. Oh well. I was very cute for the one pic I took in the hotel room.

And in the end, a good time was had by all. I’d love to see your costumes, too! Find me on Instagram @disneyparkrunner and show me what you’ve got!

Save the Dates! 2023-2024 Walt Disney World race weekends have been announced

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While we’re all eagerly awaiting the return of Disneyland races, we can start planning for Florida Races for next season.

  • November 2-5, 2023 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend
  • January 3-7, 2024 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
  • February 22-25, 2024 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
  • April 18-21, runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend

2022 Wine & Dine Course Maps Released

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The 2022 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Digital Event Guide has been published and the course maps that everyone has been clamoring for have finally been unveiled. My initial reaction was “Wow, that’s a whole lot of highway.” I am trusting that our event planners have been hard at work to keep their promise that “every mile is magic.” We’re going to need some magic between miles 6.5 and 11 on the half marathon course. It looks like 5-6 miles of desert to me, right about when we’re all going to hit the wall.

Unfortunately the maps published aren’t high-res, and they don’t blow up very well. The digital event guide does have a link to an interactive map, which might be more useful for study. I’ve scrutinized them, and I’ll try to describe what I am seeing for those of you who don’t have the eyesight or the patience to zoom in to a grainy picture.

5K Course

Our 5K course starts at the back of the Epcot parking lot and wraps around the parking lot to the access road that orbits the park. We hit mile 1 just before entering the World Showcase near Mexico (sorry, too early for margaritas). Then it’s a lap around the World Showcase with a quick jog behind the International Gateway and the back side of United Kingdom.

We return to the lagoon to complete the loop and head into Future World. The we will take a right at the big pit and head into World Discovery and exit the park between Test Track and Mission Space. We run through no-mans-land behind The Wonders of Life and The Wonders of Xandar (Cosmic Rewind) to finish at the edge of the parking lot. I’m not sure what’s going on with that finish line experience. Perhaps it’s due to construction, but it feels rather anti climactic not to finish under Spaceship Earth.

10K Course

For the 10K, we will head out from the parking lot in the opposite direction, do a funny curleyque and run on the highway for a few miles till we get to the back entrance of the Hollywood Studios. We’ll head down Sunset Boulevard past the Tower of Terror and then a left to head out the main entrance. From there we take a left along the waterway towards the Boardwalk and finally to the International Gateway a to finish in Epcot pretty much the same as the 5K course.

Half Marathon

Here’s where I may get a little whiney. For the Half Marathon we start somewhere outside the parking lot (which I imagine means roads will be closed earlier – get there early!) There’s a bit of back-and-forth around the parking lot. Its past mile 3 before we even get into the park. After a swing aroung the lagoon, with a jog behind France, we exit and head through the Boardwalk towards the Studios.

We get to see just about everything in the Studios, including Galaxy’s Edge, before exiting to possibly the longest 6 miles in history. After the euphoria of the Studios, we face nothing to look forward to, at about the time it starts getting really tough physically and mentally.

If we survive this torture, it’s back through the parking lot to Future World, around the pit and the same basic finish as the other races.

I’m sure it will all seem much more entertaining when we’re in the moment, and that beautiful Half Marathon and possible Challenge medal will take the pain away when we cross the finish line. Here’s to some magical races, everyone!

Princess Half Marathon Weekend Medals Revealed

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I’m a bit late to the game in posting this, but runDisney has revealed the medals for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend!

Jasmine – 5k
Belle – 10k
Moana – Half Marathon

To be completely candid I’m not 100% in with the style of the medals for this one. I think it’s supposed to harken back to a Mary Blair look, but I’m not sure they nailed it. Of the three single race medals, I like Jasmine (5k) and Moana (Half) the best. There’s just something I’m not buying about the 10k Belle medal. Guess which race I am running? Yes. This particualar weekend I am only running the 10k. Oh well. Can’t win them all.

Fairy Tale Challenge – 19.3 Miles

The Fairy Tale Challenge medal (10K+Half Marathon) is an entirely different story. I am so in love with this medal. Its classy and elegant, and wishing it would be hanging on my wall in February. Oh well. Airfares during that particular week are just too steep for me. Flying home on Saturday after the 10k prevents me from needing to sell a kidney on the black market to fly home after the half marathon.

Either way, I’m so excited I’ll get the opportunity to participate in Princess Half Marathon Weekend! So which medals have you wishing on a star? Leave a comment and let me know!

Wine and Dine Weekend means FOOD

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So I have to admit I’m maybe a little too excited about spending a guilt-free (post-half-marathon) evening eating my way around the World Showcase. The Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend is of course meant to be the culmination of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, and the after party is a “private” party for Half-Marathon runners and their guests to enjoy the Festival foods with access to some of the big attractions and short wait times.

I was lucky enough to be at the Food and Wine Festival back on opening day in July and got to try a few things. It was a quick hit –we were park-hopping and had a special meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table planned for later in the day. We didn’t want to fill up too much do spoil our appetites for later.

I was also not thinking clearly, because I didn’t take any pictures of the Festival foods we tried. So I’ll have to share pics I found on the Disney website. I am guessing they’ll forgive me since I am basically providing them free advertising here.

If you’ve not experienced a Disney food festival before, they are wonderful ways to sample all kinds of new flavors with low commitment. Everything is small bites, though I’m sure you already know, nothing is cheap, just small.

When my daughter and I go to the food festivals we follow a couple of rules:

  1. Everything is shared. No exceptions (except alcohol)
  2. Nothing is off limits, for this one day
  3. Stop when you’re full, not after…
  4. Therefore, study the menu hard ahead of time

We only hit a couple of booths – France and Japan. My daughter is obsessed with escargot (weird for a teenager, I know) but that was first on the list.

A view of France while standing in line for escargot.

Off to France we went. We ordered:

  • Beignet aux Trois Fromages (warm donut with 3 cheeses)
  • Brioche aux Escargots (escargot, brioche, creamy garlic & parsley sauce)
  • La Passion Martini Slush (vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron, cranberry and passion fruit juices)
    • To be super clear, this was for me, not the teenager. But rest assured it was YUM.

The verdict: Both the beignet and the escargots dishes were tasty, but we regretted ordering 2 items that were so bread-heavy. They were too similar to work together (maybe they should have taken that into consideration while planning the menu). The amount of escargot on the brioche was a little disappointing, but it was delicious and nonetheless satisfying.

Takoyaki
Beignet
Escargot

Next on our super-fast spin around the lagoon was a stop in Japan for some octopus, maybe because my teenager is not quite normal. To be honest I like octopus, too, although knowing how intelligent they are I feel a little guilty when they are on my dinner plate. We ordered:

  • Takoyaki (Octopus, green onion, and cabbage bites) (with some other Japanese stuff)

The verdict: Skip this one. We needed a microscope to find the octopus in all that breading. As I already mentioned, we were breaded-out at this point. The cabbage was pretty yummy though.

By now we were thirsty and we backtracked into Morocco. We found a non-alcoholic special iced tea that I can’t seem to find on the Festival menu. My recollection was good flavor, but way too sweet, so keep that in mind.

Sunshine on opening day of the Festival!

That’s what I know about first-hand. Let’s look at what I am dreaming about for the Wine and Dine after-party:

  • Australia: Sweet & Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp (shrimp, pineapple, pepper, onion, and snap pea)
  • Disenfranchised (Simmering Sips, near Port of Entry): Guava Mousse on a Sugar Cookie (coconut-lime whipped cream)
  • Canada: Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup (self-explanatory)
  • Mexico: Taco al Pastor (pork belly, corn tortilla, chipotle black beans, pinapple, pickled onions, chives)
  • Also Disenfranchised (The Noodle Exchange, near Disney Traders): Chinese Char Siu Pork Udon (mushrooms, bok choy, pickled egg)
  • And Also Without Passport (The Swanky Saucy Swine, near Disney Traders): Grilled Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wrap (charred corn salsa, pickled red onion, cilantro-lime crema)

Which brings me to the final item of discussion: poutine. It’s a fan favorite. It’s also sometimes a delicate subject for me. My running partner (who will be with me on Wine and Dine Weekend) originates from Québec: birthplace and home of poutine. He’s a purist, and not at all interested in alternate, haute-cuisine takes on the north-of-the-border hangover staple. The Refreshment Port (near Canada, eh) is offering two types of poutine: traditional, and braised beef.

If you’re new to poutine, as I was not long ago, let me give a very brief primer.

3 ingredients:

  • French fries
  • Beef gravy
  • Cheese curds

It is both disgusting and delicious at the same time. It is generally used for medicinal purposes anywhere people speak French and endure winter 8.75 metric months of the year.

To me, the braised beef option, with a garlic and herb cheese sauce, sounds delightful. Upon initial consultation with my Québecois expert, he is… not impressed. I think this will likely be “settled” at the after party. But, to be completely honest, if I try everything on my wish list, there will be no room left for traditional poutine. I might just forfeit now, to make everyone’s life easy and enjoy the evening.

Either way it’s one night in food and rollercoaster heaven. The next morning I hop on a plane for reality. We’ll see who wins the poutine wars. With no official judging criteria, perhaps I stand a chance. What’s your stance on poutine? Will you be trying the plain of fancy version? Drop a note in the comments!

Costumes are the crowning touch on race weekends!

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There’s a lot to do to get ready for a runDisney weekend…first you have to secure a spot, you actually have to train (easy to forget about that in the excitement surrounding registration), make travel arrangements, park reservations and that’s it, right? Wrongo!!! The most important question might be WHAT are you going to wear??? Now there’s nothing saying you have to wear a costume to run, but come on, you’re running in the happiest place on earth and the costumes are a big part of the show!

Running costumes can be a bit tricky, because you want to have fun, of course, but you do actually have to be able to move in your costume. You never know what you’re going to get for weather at 5 a.m. in Central Florida. Probably TMI, but my first marathon (January, of course) I was in the median of the highway vomiting with heat exhaustion. The next marathon, wishing I’d selected ski pants and a parka instead of leggings and a t-shirt.

Checking out everyone’s costumes is a huge part of the fun for the Disney races. The level of creativity is usually off the charts. Costumes can be simple, but some of them are extravagant. But whatever you choose, rest assured you’re probably making someone’s day while showing off your Disney side.

There are a few guidelines on the runDisney site. Most of them are for safety purposes, with the biggie being that no masks are allowed.

My own efforts are underway. Please don’t laugh.

You know you’re in trouble when you start planning costumes for non-Disney races! This number makes its debut next weekend at the Hartford Half Marathon.

I am in love with the idea of costumes, but I definitely have a handicap. I can’t sew – not one stitch. Now if it invovles a stapler, a hot glue gun, or fusible bonding web, I might have a chance, but the results are usually questionable. I’ve always been a fan of putting stuff together from thrift store finds. It can be quite satisfying, but I’m realizing that with all the “extras” that I need to finish a costume this way, I’ve probably spent just as much as I would have if I’d purchased a professional costume, and the results are often well, clearly handmade (I think the bougie description is “folk art”). There is still a statisfaction in creating your own “something” out of a pile of thrifted rags, so if nothing else, there is that.

The skirt on the left was a thrifted maxi-skirt. I cut it short and stuck some ribbons and remnants on there to make it look like Luisa’s skirt from Encanto. The black fabric for the dumbbells was a big mistake. If I were to do it over again, I’d use felt. Also, this skirt will need a slit. There’s no running in a pencil skirt, no matter what the fabric!

On the right is a bunch of stuff from another thrift store run that I will attempt to turn into Namaari from Raya and the Last Dragon. Whether or not this will be successful remains to be seen. Stay tuned, Dear Readers!

Thankfully there are a number of people who specialize in making beautiful and functional running costumes that are perfect for the occasion and don’t look amateur like my meager efforts.

Here are some of my faves:

WeRunForFun

Every race has it’s own theme, and thankfully, WeRunForFun has thought of everything! This Etsy shop has something for all the upcoming race icons and heroes! Prices range from around $39-$65, depending on the item. You can find printed dresses, skirts, shirts, leggings – even sports bras, perfectly themed for the upcoming runs. I’m a little bit obsessed with the 90s themed skirt for the marathon – it would go perfectly with Pleasure Island shirt I’ll be rocking that weekend!

Tutu Factory

If you’re looking for something with that extra special kick (i.e. bling) www.TutuFactory.com knocks it out of the park (Into the Parks??) Prices vary depending on the size ordered and the complexity of the costume. These are handmade beauties (the kind that don’t look like folk art). Custom orders may also be available. You can choose just the tutu, just the top, or full costumes. You might need to add some accessories to complete the look.

Sunday Morning Active

Sunday Morning Active goes deep into the vault when to comes to characters and themes, and you are likely to find some obscure wins when you’re shopping here! Expect to spend between $49-$69 on these classic yet innovative looks. The items are printed and are spot-on in every way. And please don’t tell my daughter about the Queen of Hearts options. Just don’t.

Any way you look at it, costumes are so much fun. I’d love to see what you’re wearing! Find me on Instagram and show me your best looks!! @disneyparkrunner