Tag Archives: runDisney Wine & Dine

5 Reasons to Visit Walt Disney World in November

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The truth is, we have and would visit our favorite vacation destination any time of the year. Walt Disney World in November, though, has wonderful advantages and I’m here to share…

5 Reasons to Visit Walt Disney World in November

Magic Kingdom Entrance in October

The Weather – If you love feeling like you’re in a tropical paradise without those sweltering summer temperatures, November’s a good bet! It’s also a typically very low month for rain in Florida (average of 3 days of rain). With average highs are in the upper 70’s and average lows in the upper 50’s, packing a few layers will get you from rope-drop to park closure in comfort and being able to enjoy pool time at your resort is a strong possibility.

Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival – So much to love about these 87 days! Since the festival runs nearly to Thanksgiving, there’s lots of opportunity to take in those concerts, food booths, and extra special offerings in November. We love getting to Epcot early so we can enjoy a few attractions before eating our way around World Showcase for lunch. Sharing plates makes this technique last longer before all available intestinal real estate is used up and we start feeling nap-ish.

Magic Shot at MNSSHP

Parties – In November, it’s possible to go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on the same trip! This year, the Halloween party’s last night is on November 1st and the Christmas party begins on November 8th. Plan ahead and you can hit both of these popular Magic Kingdom events in a single vacation. We’ve yet to experience Mickey’s Vary Merry Christmas Party, but it’s on our to-do list. Maybe next year.

Decorations – Just like the parties, November provides a small opportunity to see both fall and holiday decorations in the parks. After the last Halloween party, the fall decor comes down. By the first Christmas party (November 8th in 2019), Magic Kingdom is all decked out! If you love holiday decorations, wait until later in November and prepare to be amazed. Every park, resort, restaurant – the variety and volume of decorations is simply spectacular. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think the combination of charming decorations and fun holiday music in Disney’s Hollywood Studios may be my favorite for overall experience.

runDisney opportunities – With the Food & Wine Festival comes the Wine & Dine runDisney events. Since this year will be our first to try them, I can’t tell you yet how they compare to the others we’ve done. I am welcoming the opportunity to burn off enough calories to feel completely guilt-free about all the food booths I’m going to visit.

Have you been to Walt Disney World in November? How did it compare to other times you’ve visited?

WDW Marathon 2020 – Proof of Time

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I was born a procrastinator. If my mom hadn’t been induced on her due date with me, I would have procrastinated my own arrival I’m sure. I always say it’s because I work better under pressure, but that doesn’t apply to today’s example. I procrastinated (or maybe I just didn’t think ahead) – and there was a price to be paid for my inaction.

As I’ve mentioned before, we try to always submit a proof of time for runDisney races that accept it (half and full marathons). For the Wine & Dine Half, we used a 10K time from last fall – easy peasy! When Joseph and I registered for the Dopey Challenge and the marathon portion of the entry asked for proof of time from either a half or full marathon run after January 2018, I realized I should have thought of this much sooner…like last winter! We skipped a favorite December half in Lafayette, Louisiana last year and we should not have done that. Now I needed half marathon race times for Joseph and I and didn’t have them. I checked the deadline for submission – October 8th.

I’d just have to find a half for us to run before the deadline. Easier said than done! I checked the half marathon calendars for four states and found only one possibility – The Walkons Independence Bowl Kick Off K’s Half Marathon in Shreveport on September 28th. I got us registered and started waiting for some fall weather. It never came. Everyday the meteorologist on TV kept saying the temperatures were 10 degrees above average with no break in sight. September 28th arrived with a low of 76-degrees and a projected high in the low-to-mid 90’s. With a 7:00 am race start, we could at least hope to finish the race before the thermometer hit 80.

WDW Marathon 2020 – Proof of Time

In spite of the hilliness of the course, which started at mile 3, we made good time in the early miles. We grabbed water at every opportunity and snacked on Sport Beans somewhere around mile 7. Shortly after that, we mixed some Tailwind into our water at the next aid station. After that, we (mostly I) had issues and we slowed WAY down.

Backing up for a second, our original plan was to finish in 2:15 to 2:20. We’d done it before and were sure that if we had any break in the heat, we could do it again. When the weather was making our training runs nearly unbearable, we cheered ourselves up by believing there was no way the low temperatures could keep being in the mid-70’s. It was almost October – we were bound to catch a break! Oh, it was not to be.

If only we could have kept our average for the first 8 miles going. We would have finished in just under 2:17. Instead, we started taking walk breaks and whining (again, mostly me) about pain, heat, and generally feeling like we were running on the surface of the sun. We crossed the finish line together (I did ask Joseph to leave me to die a few miles earlier, but he stayed with me to the bitter end) in 2:27:26. The temperature when we started was 78 and 80 when we finished with 80% humidity. On a funny note, I still scored a 3rd place age-group prize from Orangetheory Fitness. I managed to beat some of the other old ladies, so there’s that.

Proof of time has officially been submitted for Dopey 2020. Maybe we won’t be in the last corral. We’ll see. Technically, our time was too slow to really make a difference, but we’re hoping for a bit of pixie dust anyway.

I dusted off the old YouTube channel and put this all in video form, which you can find here if you’re interested. I promised Joseph I’d buy him pizza at his favorite restaurant and after 13.1 miles, nothing could have tasted better!

Guess what this weekend’s weather is supposed to be? Yup, lows in the 60’s. Back to training for the Wine and Dine Challenge. Anyone else going to be there with us?

Our 2019 Strategy – Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival

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We’ve never had a bad visit to Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival. It sometimes gets a bad reputation for rowdy crowds and over-imbibing merrymakers, but our experiences have always been positive. Bear in mind that we are firm believers in that early to bed, early to rise adage – especially at Walt Disney World, so we may be inadvertently avoiding the worst festival guests. That being said, we’re well into the planning homestretch for this year’s Food & Wine visit and I’m getting pretty stoked!

Our 2019 Strategy – Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival

While I don’t do as much extensive pre-festival planning as some, I always make sure to start my research on the Disney Food Blog’s festival pages. I find I rarely have to look anywhere else for the scoop on all things delicious and entertaining. This year I’ve got two major considerations as I build my must-try list: Limited festival time and a big appetite.

Our 2019 Strategy - Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival

Limited Festival Time

Because we’ll be at Walt Disney World for slightly less than four days, We’ll need to be strategic about making the most of our Epcot time. Fewer attractions and more World Showcase is the plan. The Eat to the Beat Concerts during our visit will feature Sheena Easton, Kris Allen, and Boyz II Men. Personally, of the three, I’d pick Sheena Easton if there’s enough time to watch a bit. In the 80’s I loved her music and for a time Sheena and I even sported the same hairstyle. (I’m humming the morning train song now as I type.)

Our 2019 Strategy - Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival

Big Appetite

As you may already be aware, our favorite son, Joseph, and I are running the Wine & Dine Challenge for the first time this year. Nothing like running 19.3 miles in two days to make a body mighty hungry! Also, burning lots of calories makes me feel less guilty about the food booth indulgences. Some of this year’s choices are outstanding and my wish-list top five include (in no particular order):

  • Brazil – Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato and Onions
  • The Alps – Venison Stew with Crushed Potatoes
  • Flavors from Fire – The Steakhouse Blended Burger: Blended Beef and Mushroom Slider with Brie Cheese Fondue, Arugula, and a Truffle and Blue Cheese Potato Chip on a Brioche Bun
  • Spain – Seafood Salad with Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and Smoked Paprika
  • Thailand – Red Hot Spicy Thai Curry Beef with Steamed Rice

The only repeat is the Crispy Pork Belly – Raymond and I both love it so much that we once stopped in at Epcot and made our way to World Showcase just to split an order on a super-crowded Saturday night. We were on our way to dinner someplace like Yachtsman Steak House, but had to make time for that one dish. It was the only thing we did in Epcot that day. Even saying the words…crispy. pork. belly. Makes me happy.

While we may not get as much time at Food & Wine as we’d like this time, I plan on making the most of this limited opportunity. If I can manage to squeeze in an order of Morocco’s Spicy Hummus Fries or a bowl of Refreshment Port’s Duck Confit Poutine with Fig Demi Sauce and Brie Cheese Fondue, I’m going for it.

Are you a fan of Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival? What are your favorite dishes?

The Road to runDisney 2019 & 2020

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My past runDisney experiences look like this: Princess, Princess, Star Wars, Princess. As hard as it was to pass on those early-in-the-year events this year, Joseph and I are registered instead for the Wine & Dine 10K and Half-Marathon in November. Why not try an entirely new race experience? AND Food & Wine Festival calories would never seem less fattening after all that running. But wait! There’s more! In January 2020, we are also registered for the Dopey Challenge. Crazy? Maybe. Let’s discuss.

Seems like it’s my destiny to run a full marathon once every 10 years or so. My first was in early 1999 (Austin, Texas) and I thought once was enough. I ran 26.2 miles in a respectable 4 hours 20 minutes and didn’t feel compelled to repeat the experience. Ever. Until 2010 when I inexplicably wanted to run the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama. It was December, the course was hilly and painful, and those miles took a good bit longer at 46 than they did at 34. I actually cried when I found Raymond after I crossed the finish line, vowing never to do it again. Which brings me to The Dopey. For those unfamiliar with this challenge – runners can enter all four races held during the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend and earn six different finisher medals. One each for the 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon. Then separate medals are given for completing Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge (half and full marathons) and the Dopey Challenge (all four events). Yes, that’s 48.6 miles in four days, but let’s not dwell on pesky details.

Why would I (I’ll be 55 in November) want to do this now? The answer has many layers. Joseph is all in, so I won’t be alone. It’ll be his first full marathon and I’m thrilled he wants us to do it together. Ten years is obviously how long it takes me to forget how difficult it is to train for, complete, and recover from a marathon (I’m avoiding thinking about four days of events right now and how little sleep that means). I’m feeling fantastic – I just had a checkup and all the routine tests indicate I’m in good shape health-wise. In the back of my mind I’ve always wanted to do the Dopey and I’m not getting any younger. I’m kind of feeling like it’s now or never. But who knows? In another 10 years I may be ready to go again.

Are you a runDisney fan? What events are in your future? Will you be at Wine & Dine or the WDW Marathon weekend?