RunDisney Race Recap – Glass Slipper Challenge 2016

Glass Slipper Challenge Medals 201619.3 miles, two days, tons of Disney fun!  There’s nothing quite like a runDisney event for combining all the elements of a well-coordinated race with all the magic of Disney.

RunDisney Race Recap – Glass Slipper Challenge 2016

Last year during the 2015 Princess Half Marathon Weekend, I completed my first three runDisney events (Frozen 5K, Enchanted 10K and Princess Half Marathon) and vowed immediately to return this year.  Lots of things were the same, a few were different, and all of it made me begin planning for 2017.Princess Half - heading for the castle

What was the same?  The race courses for the 10K and half marathon (I skipped the 5K this time), the abundant Disney characters, and the absolute precision with which every aspect of each event is coordinated.  Princess Half FantasylandYou can count on consistency of delivery – Disney races are expensive, yes, but Disney goes to great lengths to make sure runners have all the necessities and plenty of extras for a great time.  Safety first, announcements along the course warn runners of everything from speed bumps to a potentially slippery Boardwalk.  Plenty of medical tents, port-o-johns, and aid stations can be found along the way.  Volunteers (seems like thousands) are everywhere and when not handing runners something to drink, are cheering their hearts out all along the way.  runDisney Snack BoxThe post race experience is fantastic – smiling volunteers are waiting to check on you and present you with your medal.  Tables are set up to make sure you get some water and a snack box.  Again, this is very well organized!  Oh, and the medals are absolutely the best!

What was different?  I had friends at the 10K!  Nick and Dave (and Dave’s awesome wife, Anne) were with me for the 10K…well, pre-race anyway and it made a huge difference in the fun quotient!  Enchanted 10K - Nick, Lisa, DavePost-10K I ran in to my friend, Heather (aka Tangled Diva at Tips from the Disney Divas and Devos).  runDisney-Enchanted-10K-Heather-and-LisaThe expo seemed a bit fancier this year – if there were footmen on hand for pictures and door-opening last year, I missed them.  Footmen with Nick, Dave, and Lisa During the races, I expected the same characters I saw last year and while some were there, others were not – replaced by different characters (Jack and Sally instead of the Villains), or not replaced at all – notably the pirate ship and Jack Sparrow were missing on the half marathon course.  Sally and JackPocahontas and MeekoI felt like runners held back (understandably, maybe, due to confusion about what’s now allowed?) on costumes and dressing up.  The weather this year was perfect after last year was downright freezing for most of the weekend.  If it’s even possible, I felt like there were more volunteers along the courses this year and they were generally more enthusiastic than last time.  I loved the pink jackets they wore and I’d have taken a picture of them for you except…the dead phone thing.

I’d like to give a special thanks to those pink-coated volunteers!  Around mile 8 during the half marathon, I took pictures of some turkeys I saw beside the race course and after that my phone completely died. (The Tom turkey was romancing some lady turkeys and he was putting on quite a show!)  Disney World TurkeyI realized immediately that I’d been stupid by not confirming a meeting location for Raymond and I once the race was over – now I couldn’t call him to tell him where to find me.  Enter the helpful volunteers!  One very kind woman texted Raymond for me to let him know exactly where he could find me and we met up post-race exactly as planned.  On the bright side of my phone dying, I finished the race four minutes faster than I did last year – no phone meant no more picture-taking or time-wasting.

I’m absolutely committed to participating in a runDisney event in 2017!  It might not be the Glass Slipper Challenge, but I know for sure…no matter which event I pick, it’ll be magical!

Are you a runDisney fan?  Which race(s) do you love most?  Any recommendations for next year?

WDW – Short Term Sacrifice / Long Term Gain?

RM-Animal-Kingdom-Construction-WallsIt is easy to focus on the negative.  It’s human nature for most folks – even if you tend to be a glass-half-full person most of the time, change is tough!  I’ve mentioned it several times before, but feel the need to weigh in again today after watching the Disney fan community erupt on social media in opposition to recent cut-backs, closures, price increases, and event changes.  Over the past few days a Disney survey collecting opinions on the proposed addition of $15 per night resort fees has caused quite a stir and those fees don’t yet exist.  Food offering changes are also a hot button for Disney park fans.  Heck, I’ve expressed my own disappointment over the loss of the Roasted Pork Shank from Gaston’s Tavern and the Sweet and Spicy Chicken Waffle from Sleepy Hollow (both beloved Magic Kingdom snacks!).RM-Gaston's-Pork-Shank-and-Lefou's-Brew

WDW – Short Term Sacrifice / Long Term Gain?

I can hear my buddy, David Hodges (co-host on The Disney Exchange Podcast), reminding me that Disney is a for-profit company with enormous reach, global interests, and shareholder obligations.  I’m sure cost-control and profit margins do have quite a bit to do with some recent changes like the cutbacks on live entertainment in Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios along with ticket price increases.IMG_3289

In the back of my mind though, I can’t stop thinking about the other stuff.  The new rides and attractions under construction at Walt Disney World.  (The two new Disney Cruise Line ships that were just announced.)  No, I don’t want to pay more for a Disney vacation, but I DO really (really, really REALLY!) want to ride the new rides, see the new shows and explore the new lands.  UGH!  I’m supposed to be whining with the other Disney fans about the greed, the money-grubbing, the ridiculous cost-cutting…but all I can think about is that perhaps Disney World will be better after these growing pains have been dealt with.  RM-Construction-WallsMaybe, just maybe, after closures, construction walls, and cutbacks we will find that all of it… the inconvenient and expensive changes and adjustments…has been worth it.  What if the painful short-term sacrifices produce exceptional long-term gains and our favorite vacation destinations emerge better than they’ve ever been before? As for me?  I’m willing to wait and see for myself if all the upheaval has been worth it.  I’m optimistic that I’ll find true Disney vacation happiness still exists on the other side.

What about you?  Where do you stand with recent Disney vacation changes?

 

Disney Dining Review – Narcoossee’s

Narcoossee's ViewWith so many restaurants to choose from at Walt Disney World it can take quite a while sometimes to make a repeat visit to one.  In the case of Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, it took us 26 years to dine there for a second time.  Certainly this wasn’t because we didn’t enjoy our first dinner there.  We really did have a great experience.  It’s just that on the next several Disney vacations, we had children with us and chose more kid-friendly options.

Disney Dining Review – Narcoossee’s

A few weeks ago we finally made our way back to Narcoossee’s and were pleasantly surprised that the experience was even better than we remembered!  Excellent menu, delicious food, top notch service, and a couple of seasonal extra-special surprises made the evening absolutely wonderful.  Narcoossee’s is a signature dining location, so it takes two table service credits if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan…is it worth it?  We think so.  (See current menu here.)Narcoossee's Dining Room

Narcoossee’s is located on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon.  The décor is beautiful and, on the night we dined there, we were mostly among other adults with a few families that had mostly older children.  The tables offer great views (even if you’re not sitting right next to a window) and the open kitchen is entertaining in its own way.  Narcoossee's Open KitchenOne thing we noticed right away was that our server, Tom, was a professional – he knew how to pace our meal and how to add the extra touches that made what we thought would be a nice dinner into an extra special one.Narcoossee's BreadOf course, bread came first and we ordered appetizers and a bottle of wine.  The menu offered so many tempting items, we actually passed up an artisanal cheese offering (so unlike us!) in favor of the Maine Lobster Bisque for Raymond and the Prince Edward Island Mussels to share.  Narcoossee's Lobster Bisque Narcoossee's Mussels AppetizerWe were very pleased with our selections.  When we finished, Tom brought us warm towels for hand-washing and suggested we take our wine out onto the deck to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.    Narcoossee's Hot TowelsTom promised to hold our entrees until we returned and encouraged us to enjoy the show.  How great was this??!!  We stepped outside and spent the next little while sipping wine and taking in the view.Narcoossee's view of MK fireworks Narcoossee's view of fireworks at MKAs promised, when we returned to our table, our entrees were delivered and they were delicious!  Raymond opted for the Key West Shrimp and Garganelli Pasta (“Wild Florida Shrimp, Spinach, Oven-roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pistou, Comté Cheese, and Chardonnay-Garlic Cream“) Narcoossee's Pasta Entreewhile I chose the Coriander and Shichimi-spiced Seared Ahi Tuna (“Charred Beans, Gai-lan, Green Papaya, and Sesame Sticky Rice with Ginger-Kaffir Lime Broth“), which sounds fussy and complicated, but was actually pretty straight forward in both presentation and flavor.  The seared tuna was the star of the show and the rest was a perfect supporting cast.  Narcoossee's Tuna EntreeGenerally, we’re huge fans of spicy, well seasoned foods and these entrees fit the bill perfectly.  Completely satisfied, we decided to catch the little boat from the Grand Floridian back to the Polynesian, then use the stroll from the boat dock to the Moorea building to digest a bit before calling it a night.  Grand Floridian Boat TransportationWe noticed the outdoor movie had drawn a small crowd and appreciated again how those great Disney touches can make vacations so magical.Polynesian Movie Night Inside OutWe gave Narcoossee’s a definite thumbs-up!  Have you enjoyed Narcoossee’s?  Was your experience similar to ours?  If you haven’t eaten there before, has this restaurant even made it onto your dining wish list?

 

Disney’s Kona Café Breakfast

If you’re staying on the monorail resort loop, you can’t go wrong with breakfast at Kona Café!  Best know for the World famous Tonga Toast, this awesome eatery in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is a great place to enjoy the most important meal of the day!  (Note:  Kona Café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and if you’re using the Disney Dining Plan, requires one table service credit per meal.)

Disney’s Kona Café Breakfast

Tonga-Toast-Kona-Cafe

World Famous Tonga Toast

We’re not normally the kind of Disney vacationers to waste time on a sit-down breakfast.  Usually, we like to get a jump on the day by arriving at our chosen park destination at opening (or shortly thereafter).  During our post-Christmas WDW visit, though, you may recall we’d decided to do things a bit differently and booked a ton of dining reservations…including breakfast!  Kona-Cafe-ViewWe’d only been to Kona Café for dinner once prior to our first breakfast there.  I was looking forward to trying Tonga Toast (even though I prefer savory over sweet most of the time at breakfast).  Our breakfast experience was wonderful!  So much so, Raymond specifically asked to go back one morning a few weeks ago.  Now that we have TWO breakfasts at Kona under our belts (LOL!  I crack me up!), I’ll tell you specifically why we love this place so much.

Convenient location from Magic Kingdom and any monorail resort.  Hit Kona early before heading to Magic Kingdom or rope-drop Magic Kingdom for an Extra Magic Hour then catch the monorail over to the Polynesian for breakfast.  Maybe you’d rather have a leisurely breakfast and relax.  If you’re staying at the Contemporary or Grand Floridian resorts, Kona Café is just a short ride away.

Very tasty menu options – sure to please everyone.  Yes, the Tonga Toast is famous, but we absolutely love the egg-white omelet with goat cheese which comes with a humongous bowl of fresh, gorgeous, delicious berries.  Kona-Cafe-BerriesNot enough?  Try the grits!  Seriously, if you’re a fan, these are without a doubt the best grits at Walt Disney World.Kona-Cafe-Breakfast

The Coffee!  It’s fantastic.  Of course, it’s Kona coffee!  Absolutely wonderful and the very best part?  Your server will be happy to prepare a to-go cup for you to take with you when you leave.  We enjoyed our coffee while waiting at the bus stop – we were still very sleepy!Kona-Coffee-To-Go

Top notch service.  Sure, it’s “only” breakfast, but the service is noteworthy.  The servers we had were kind, friendly, and very professional.  We thought it added a certain special-ness to the experience that started our day off with extra Disney magic.Kona-Cafe

Have you tried breakfast at the Kona Café?  Are you a Tonga Toast fan?