Our Marathon Weekend at the Fort 2015

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

Well, I guess it is time to get around to doing a trip report before I forget what we did!  We have been pretty busy since we got home, but I have a little free time, so here goes!  

 

Andy (Thrill Shakespeare), our two sons (the Shakespearelets), and I had been out of town all during our two week Christmas break only to head back to school and pack for a camping trip in less than a week.  The weather in central Georgia was cold (for here anyway) in the twenties and thirties so the Fort's forecast of forties and fifties sounded good - except that whole part about tent camping!  I figured I would pack every available blanket, but our usual system of queen air mattress for Andy and me while the boys did sleeping bags on each side just worried me.  I opted to go ahead and buy a twin air mattress to add to the mix.  We packed the little heater and the box fan.  In Florida you will most likely need both in the same trip, if not the same day.

 

We packed the truck on Wednesday night so that only left packing the two coolers the next afternoon.  We headed out right after school.  We made decent time with only a few bathroom stops and a Bojangles biscuits-to-go stop. Before long I was queuing up our WDW/Fort entrance music on the ipod (Mickey Mouse March on Oh, Mickey, Where Art Thou?) and cheering our way under the purple gate.  

 

We all went in to check in and, for some strange reason, surprised the CMs by cheering when we found out we were not only in 1500, but in 1520 - our favorite site.  The nice lady at the desk pulled out the map to mark our way, but was a bit slow in finding the path, so Andy pointed it out to her.  She was a bit chagrined.  

 

We headed over to our site and started setting up the tent.  It was around ten o'clock so we tried to keep the boys quiet in the truck watching a video, but they were so excited to be there it was a losing battle.  We got the tent up, the air mattresses blown up, blankets everywhere, and heater going.  Ready for a chilly night!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

WooHoo another Fiend trip report!! First?

 

I also love 1520!!!

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

Continuing on....

The next morning we got up and set up our canopy and fixed breakfast.  

This has been a really good tent.  We had to patch a spot on the bottom that had come unsewn, but nothing major.  It has made several trips!

 

Our general set-up. 

 

Love our Cars' and Mickey lights!  I tried the camping trick I had read about using badge clips to keep the lights where you want them.  Other than them rusting a little from all the rain, they were great.

 

 

 

And here is another vital part of our camping experience: our panini!  It works great for those breakfast sandwiches, chicken tenders or patties, pre-cooked hamburger patties, grilled cheese, etc.  

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

WooHoo another Fiend trip report!! First?

 

I actually did one last summer, but I think that is all.  I am a slacker..... but I am trying to change!

Welcome aboard.

I may try to knock this one out pretty quick before I lose momentum!

[Beckers 1,136]

In!

[sherryberry 35]

That panini is an awesome idea! I can't wait to hear more!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I'm in! Great start!

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

Ok, I had to take a break - my battery was down and had to plug in the laptop- but that was ok.  I needed to recover from laughing at the Weird Al song Andy was listening to about working on the Jungle Cruise.

 

After breakfast we headed to ESPN Wide World of Sports for the marathon weekend expo and to pick up Andy's packet for the Goofy (the half and whole marathons) and the boys' Mickey Mile packets.  We looked and bought merchandise and heading down to the fields for the kid races.  

 

I have to say I really like how they handle these.  They have the same kid races for 3 days.  There is a diaper dash (they let babies crawl on a mat), 100, 200, 400, and 800 meter dashes, and a one mile race.  The kids have a race bib that has a claim ticket the parent has to pull off before the race.  You can't take your kid out of the finish area unless you have the ticket in your hand to claim them, even if you ran with them.  The kids get a t-shirt, medal, snacks, and a high five from Mickey himself.  The youngest DS did better than usual but the eldest did worse - he felt like he was coming down with the cold I had.  Thankfully, he felt better later.

 

 

All of this occurred in cloudy, windy, cold, upper 40 degree weather.  We decided to head back to the Fort and have some yummy late lunch at Trails End.  Delicious as always!  Afterwards we went to the tent to rest a while.  

 

As the evening approached we saw the forecast had changed and would be getting cooler instead of warmer.  The night before had been cold.  Andy rolled up in a sleeping bag on the smaller mattress and I was sandwiched between the boys on the bigger one.  I didn't sleep much, but I could make sure they stayed covered up.  Andy suggested we hit the Kissimmee Wal-Mart in search of some more food and a bigger heater.  We figured it would come in handy at home, too.      

Success!  This bad boy did the trick!

 

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

In!

Welcome!

 

That panini is an awesome idea! I can't wait to hear more!

You would not believe what all we have cooked on that thing!  Andy even put fruitcake on it once.  

 

I'm in! Great start!

Thanks!  Glad to have ya.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

One thing that will help more than even the heater is electric mattress pads on those air mattresses. Makes all the difference!

[sherryberry 35]

Hey, that heater is the same as what we're using in the tent right now! It really heats it up in here! I think it's great that your kids are running races too!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Love that the kids did a race. Cute!!!

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

The next morning the boys and I stayed at the site while Andy did the half marathon.  We ate breakfast and then snuggled back in the tent with our new heater and the boys worked on their homework.  The down side of taking them out of school for a Friday and Monday was that the classwork and homework would be due when we got back.  For the 1st grader it was no big deal, but the 4th grader had a ton to do.  It didn't help that he had no interest in doing it at Disney!  After Andy got back from the race and boiled a little in the hot tub we headed over to Downtown Disney.  

 

Our monkeys waiting at the bus stop.

 

The boys had been waiting for this trip to the Lego store for months!  We let them look for a long time and spend their Christmas Disney gift cards.  The youngest picked out a Star Wars set, but the oldest wanted figures and to get a large cup of the odd, cool pieces.  There were a bunch of kids saying, "Ok, that's good" and a bunch of us parents going "No, wait, if we shake it and combine some we can get more in!"  

 

We FINALLY got to eat at Ragland Road!!!  We had tried before, but it had been closed for a private event.  Yum!  The food was amazing and the entertainment was wonderful.  Even our kids were impressed.  Of course it isn't everyday they get creme fraiche' with their pancakes!  

 

 

 

 

 

We headed back to our site to rest a bit.  While Andy napped to prepare for another 3 a.m. alarm and 26.2 miles, I took the boys to the Meadow to the playground, shopping in the the Trading Post, and the campfire sing-a-long to see Chip and Dale.  It was crowded so we only got to see Dale.

 

 

 

Then it was off to bed on a slightly warmer night.  The boys and I needed to get up a little early the next morning!

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

One thing that will help more than even the heater is electric mattress pads on those air mattresses. Makes all the difference!

Have to remember that! We are hoping to have a pop up within a year or so and I am sure they would help even in there.

 

Hey, that heater is the same as what we're using in the tent right now! It really heats it up in here! I think it's great that your kids are running races too!

It IS a good one!  We have used it in the garage since we came home as we unpacked stuff.  It's a keeper.

 

Love that the kids did a race. Cute!!!

They love it.  I think this was their third time to do it.  We are thinking we may not be able to pull them out of school next year, though.    It gets tougher as they get older.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

Count me in too!

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

The next morning Andy headed off to do the marathon about 3:45.   I dozed off and on and then got the boys up about 6:30.  We ate, dressed, and headed out to try and catch transportation to do a little race cheering.  

 

Now, for those who haven't chased a loved one around the World on marathon weekend, it can be tricky.  The runners can get transportation from the resorts to Epcot early in the morning and back after they finish.  However, if you are a spectator and are relying on Disney transportation you may have trouble getting away from your resort.  The areas where you can see your runner are on Main Street of MK, all by T&T, outside Animal Kingdom, ESPN, Hollywood Studios (inside if you have park tickets but the runners run out the gates and all along the sidewalk/benches/grass after they exit), and Epcot (in the park and in the parking lot as they cross the finish line - really hard to see unless you have purchased a cheering pass and sat there all morning).

The race starts around 5:30 am but with 25,000 or so runners, they do it in waves.  You need to know when your runner starts and how fast they are projecting to pass each spectator point OR just get Runkeeper or another tracking app on your phones.  

 

Last year my in-laws were with us so they kept the boys.  I rode in the truck with Andy to Epcot, caught the monorail to Contemporary, walked to MK and entered at 5:00 to stand on Main Street and watch the sunrise.  It was a lot of fun, if a little tiring standing on the asphalt for 2 hours.  But hey, I wasn't doing the running!  After I saw Andy run through I caught a monorail to T&T, a bus to AK where I saw him, then a bus to HS to check on him, and finally a bus to Epcot to meet him as he finished.  

 

Since the boys would be trekking with me this time we simplified.  We planned to meet him at AK which was around the 13th mile.  We caught a bus from our site's stop, but had to wait for a long time for a bus from AK to come.  Then, with all the road closures and traveling to just about the farthest point on property, it was a really long ride.   We made it to AK and to a viewing spot with about 15 minutes to spare!

 

We had on our florescent shirts (so Andy could find us) and had signs so we could cheer him and all the other runners on.  

After we saw him we snapped a photo at the tree (glad it was still up)!

 

 

At this point I should probably admit that I did not take one single picture of Andy running.  I had my hands full with 2 boys, 6 signs, and crazy crowded areas.  No problem, though, the runDisney people took a few dozen great photos of him that we can purchase at the cost of a few arms and legs.  Hopefully Andy will jump in add more to this TR!

 

We headed to Hollywood Studios and found a great place to cheer on a bench out away from the crowd.  One of my students' dad even spotted me as he ran by!  I missed seeing her mom, but in some areas the runners are in groups of 20 or more and it is hard to notice all of them.  I had a hard enough time just watching for Andy.  At this point it is around mile 23 so many of the runners are hurting and struggling.  I had saved our more encouraging signs for this time and had about an hour or so to wait for Andy to come through.  It was very moving to see the runners read our signs and then say "Thank you so much for being here", "You guys rock", "We're going to make it because of you".  Our boys high-fived and fist pumped many runners.  One lady even stopped and handed our youngest a Stitch pin.  We had to move to a bus stop overhang because of rain but we were glad to be there for the runners.  

 

After we saw Andy we left HS and headed to Epcot.  We knew we wouldn't catch him before he finished but we had other plans!  The boys were ready for a snack and were a little bummed about not getting monorail or boat rides since we weren't doing parks.  They had gotten a few bus transportation cards and wanted the other types.  We got apple fritters at that little kiosk under the monorail (wow, they were good) and grabbed a monorail back to T&T.  We had to take the launch to MK because there was a monorail down on that track.  By then it was raining and this adventure was taking a good bit of time!  At MK we got to the Fort launch waiting area and watched the tractor push monorail teal off the track.  Then we got the boys their boat ride to the Fort.  After a bus back to the site it was time for lunch and rest!  

 

That afternoon we rested, worked on homework, and enjoyed a visit from Grumpy and Grandma!

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I'm in. I'm in.

I wish I could talk DW into going tent camping again. Even if it was just for a weekend at the lake. Our tent hasn't been unpacked for over ten years. I wonder if it would still work? Waterproof? Material still intact or rotted away.

Its cool that the boys took part in the marathon weekend.

Keep it coming.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

I'm in!  Wow... did I read this correctly, half marathon one day...followed by a full marathon the next?  Wow!!

 

The panini grill...great tip!  I'll have to keep that in mind :)

[ependydad...Doug 176]

These trip reports make me miss tent camping! We are doing the 5k in a couple of weeks. We waited too long to register for the kids fun runs, but my wife, daughter, and I are doing the 5k together. My mother-in-law will stay in the room with our 2 year old son.

Pretty amazing that Andy could do a 1/2-one day and the full the next!

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

These trip reports make me miss tent camping! We are doing the 5k in a couple of weeks. We waited too long to register for the kids fun runs, but my wife, daughter, and I are doing the 5k together. My mother-in-law will stay in the room with our 2 year old son. Pretty amazing that Andy could do a 1/2-one day and the full the next!

 

Man... you people make me feel lazy 

[ependydad...Doug 176]

Man... you people make me feel lazy 

Oh- it'll be ugly. We were supposed to be prepared to run it and haven't done a lick of prep.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

I'm in.  Better late than never.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I'm in.  Great job so far.

 

I love the boys' "Run Dad" t-shirts with the moustache.  Very well done.  Did you make those yourselves?

 

TCD

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Oh- it'll be ugly. We were supposed to be prepared to run it and haven't done a lick of prep.

 

Haha... okay then!   At least you're going to give it a go!  Hmmm.... maybe I should get off the computer and at least do a few jumping jacks 

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

I'm in. I'm in.

I wish I could talk DW into going tent camping again. Even if it was just for a weekend at the lake. Our tent hasn't been unpacked for over ten years. I wonder if it would still work? Waterproof? Material still intact or rotted away.

Its cool that the boys took part in the marathon weekend.

Keep it coming.

Glad you're here!  I did not grow up camping.  My parents, sister, and I went once and it was miserable.  We had no clue what we were doing.  Andy's family had a pop up and used it for 30 years at the Fort and even cross country.  I am learning/getting mad skills every time we go.  In fact, I have had such a feeling of accomplishment after these last 2 trips that staying in a hotel would feel like wimping out.

 

I'm in!  Wow... did I read this correctly, half marathon one day...followed by a full marathon the next?  Wow!!

He did.  Of course now they have a 5K on Thursday, 10K on Friday, Half marathon on Saturday, Full on Sunday.  People who do all of them get the additional Dopey medal.  Andy did the 5K, half, and whole a few years ago.  Now it is just soooooooo expensive there is no way we can afford to take off work and pay for the races to do it all.