Well, there are definitely some Star Wars and Disney things to talk about here lately. And what have I been doing? Ignoring this space because "reasons". Yep, I do a lot of ignoring these days in favor of focusing on other things, but I also know that getting back into the things I once loved is also extremely important. Thus, here I am. In the virtual writing flesh.
Today I want to write about something silly because it makes me happy and because it's Disney related and because NINE POUND LEMONS. That's right. You hear me. Nine pound lemons.
Anyone who has gone to EPCOT with me has been inevitably dragged on the Living with the Lands ride. And - also inevitably - I will seek, point at, and then excitedly jabber about the nine pound lemon trees that live inside the greenhouse. Seriously, I love them. I don't know why. I like lemons. Lemons are great. Lemons are tasty, and they're cool looking, and they make great drinks and desserts and things. But they're all of this to the nth degree when they're nine freakin' pounds (and sometimes even larger).
During our "year of Disney" to celebrate the Nerd Husband's and my 5th wedding anniversary, we decided to take the Behind the Seeds tour at EPCOT. This was such an unexpectedly awesome tour, and I am so glad we decided to take it. It was relatively inexpensive for a Disney tour. The website currently lists adults prices at $25 and child prices at $20, and the tour time is listed around one hour (but ours lasted around 1.5 hours or so because of reasons I'll explain later). The day we decided to go, we just walked up the counter outside of the Soarin' ride, made our reservation, purchased our tickets, and waited for our tour time.
We were lucky that day. There were four of us on the entire tour - all adults and all home-gardeners. The cast member giving the tour seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself because we kept asking questions and were genuinely interested in everything going on. He kept us longer than usual and even led us a little of the beaten path so we could get a better look at things. We got to visit the fish farm and feed the fish (talk about feeling like a child, throwing a bunch of fish food in and then watching fish just go everywhere). We learned about hydroponics, picked up our own plan for a homemade hydroponic garden, and taste-tested veggies from the greenhouse. We learned about weird plants, how they grow things, and how they use the things they grow. We got to see and touch things we'd ordinarily only be able to look at.
And then - oh, then, my good people - we got to the nine pound lemon trees.
I squealed a little - maybe even outwardly. It was obvious I was excited for no really good reason other than ginormous citrus fruits. But the tour guide talked about things, and I listened and tried to remain calm. Then he reached into a basket and pulled out not one but two huge nine pound lemons. "Who wants to hold one?"
I was kind. I let the other couple who was there hold the lemons first, but buddy, when it was my turn, I was so stinking excited. Here I was! The fruit of my efforts (ha!) realized! I had a lemon! No! Two lemons! (The Nerd Husband gave me his to hold, too.) The thoughts that went through my head jumbled around and basically exploded into TWO NINE POUND LEMONS IN MY HANDS LOOK THEY ARE REAL OMGOODNESS.
There's a picture that goes along with this. If I ever find it, I'll post it. Because the look at my face is childlike joy. It's kind of embarrassing and amazing all at the same time.
So today's moral is do the thing. Find your happy. Find your nine pound lemon. Hold it and realize that it's real, tangible, and truly worthy of loving simply because it brings you joy.
Oh, and I bought a nine pound lemon dress. It's actually just a dress covered in lemons, but lemons are cooler when they're nine pound lemons. Love makes you do crazy things.
So today, I raise a glass of nine pound lemonade (I've heard it's tasty from the cast member who gave us our tour) to the nine pound lemon tree of Living with the Lands. May you continue to bloom and blossom and bring me citrusy joy for the remainder of my days.
Showing posts with label Epcot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Epcot. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
A Bit of Food and Wine
So the Nerd Husband and I took a little trip down to Disney World for a four day weekend at very beginning of October where we attended two new-to-us events: the International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. We both did quite a bit of research and reading up to the point of our trip. NH took the Food and Wine festival because he's the resident foodie in our house (aside from our kitty who miraculously munched her way into and through an entire sample bag of treats while we were away - that's another story). I researched the Mickey's No...ok, let's abbreviate this thing: MNSSHP. That's what all the hip-Disners are calling it.
For the sake of me rambling on and on and on and...yeah...I think we'll just split these two events up into two separate posts. So I'll start you off with a bit of Food and Wine.
Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival
A bit of background on my Nerd Husband. NH loves his menus. Loves them. I introduced him once to TripAdvisor a few years ago, and he's hooked. His Disney website of choice is AllEars.net, and he frequently looks up new restaurant videos and reviews. There have been nights before our trips that I'll be lying on the couch, and he'll sit there reading Les Chefs de France menu to me. This is who he is, and this is how we are. I love it. Even our friends ask now, "Where is NH picking for us to eat on the next trip?" Knowing all of this, you can get a better idea of why NH was so excited for this trip and the opportunity to visit all of the many Food and Wine booths that graced Epcot.
At least part of each day of our four day trip was spent at Epcot. Eating. I don't think we even tried that many food items at the Flower and Garden (and food) Festival in April. The number of booths and choices was just insane and oh so yummy. There were only a few things that I'd cross of my list for the next time (surprisingly, not a fan of cheese bread). But here's a run-down of all of our delectable tastes:
Australia
1. Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Peas (Amazing!)
Belgium
1. Beer-braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes (so yummy)
2. Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream (how could this ever be a bad thing?)
3. Stella Artois Hard Cidre (very crisp and fresh, similar to the taste of an Angry Orchard Crisp)
Brazil
1. Pão de Queijo: Brazilian cheese bread (not a favorite; I ended up not finishing it. The texture just put me off)
Canada
1. Canadian cheddar cheese soup served with a pretzel roll (um...yes; so much yes)
2.“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce (again with the yesses)
China
1. Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles (good, but nothing special here)
2. Happy Peach with Dekuyper Peach Liqueur and Myers’s Dark Rum (amazingly wonderful)
Farm Fresh
1. Loaded Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Nueske’s® Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onions (probably one of my favorite things here)
2. Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider (so crisp and cool; I'll be hunting for this in stores)
France
1. Boeuf Bourguignon: Cabernet Sauvignon-braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes (France FTW - this was wonderful)
Germany
1. Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham and Cheese (this was good, but a bit on the heavy side for me; not a win in my book)
2. Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce (but this was a win)
Ireland
1. Twinings® Pumpkin Chai Tea Frozen Cocktail with Caramel Vodka (this...choked me at first with Vodka - lol - it was good, but whoa...)
Japan
1. Grilled Spicy Edamame tossed with Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce and Chili Powder (so good and fresh, and we felt silly when we both took a bite and then promptly remembered you do not eat the outside of the edamame pod...oops)
2. Garlic Shrimp: Marinated Shrimp sautéed with Garlic and Butter and served over Rice (amazingly wonderful and simple)
Mexico
1. Taco de Camarón: Battered Shrimp served over a Flour Tortilla with Crispy Purple Cabbage and Chipotle Mayonnaise (I adored this one, and I'm not usually a fan of purple cabbage or mayonnaise)
Patagonia
1. Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Purée (so so wonderful and tender - loved this)
Scotland
1. The Tipsy Laird: Whiskey-soaked Cake with Lemon Cream and Toasted Oats (I wanted to make this...and eat it every day)
South Korea
1. Korean-style BBQ Beef with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi (I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did because I hate cucumber, but this was amazing - one of my favorites of the festival)
Wine and Dine Studio
1. Seared Scallop, Truffled Celery Root Purée, Brussels Sprouts and Wild Mushrooms featuring Melissa’s Produce (the first thing we tried...and I almost cried because I loved this scallop...and who knew we liked brussel spourts and celery root?)
Refreshment Port
1. Pineapple Dole Whip Soft-Serve Ice Cream (because...how do you not?)
You'll notice that we're lacking in the "wine" aspect of the list, really. We aren't big drinkers, so that part of this festival didn't really appeal much to us. And the research that NH found that said that Epcot can turn into a frat-party as the weekend evenings roll around...well, that's pretty much true. There is no shortage of "Drinking around the world" shirts with all of the various puns using "wine" and "beer". That's not so bad...but the obnoxiousness that can come along with too much alcohol can start to become a bit much. So we actually started to avoid the place as the evening wore on, and we would take off for other parks or back to the hotel. That was truly a good tip that we got in our research.
One nice perk that we encountered at Epcot during the Festival was the Chase Cardholder Lounge at the American Adventure. All you had to do was show that you held a Chase credit card of any type, and you were admitted into the Lounge. The lounge was located on the private third floor of the American Adventure building, so that was a treat to get to see a "private" space on Disney property. They provided air conditioning (bonus!), 3 freestyle Coca-Cola machines, coffee, a cash bar, and ample charging stations for cell phones. It was great to take a break and just cool down in the lounge.
Speaking of cooling down, I have to admit that I think this trip was hotter than the one we took in July, and NH agrees with me. I'm not sure if it has to do with the placement of the sun in the sky or what it is. The temperature definitely wasn't hotter, but it felt hotter. The intensity of that sun was just crazy. So we definitely utilized the "duck into the shade and/or air conditioning when you can" strategy to this trip. Forcing ourselves to rest and stay out the heat definitely made this entire trip more laid-back and relaxing, too, so it wasn't such a bad thing. We didn't have too much of an agenda aside from attending the Food and Wine Festival and MNSSHP, so we didn't feel too bad about it.
Speaking of MNSSHP...that's up next...
For the sake of me rambling on and on and on and...yeah...I think we'll just split these two events up into two separate posts. So I'll start you off with a bit of Food and Wine.
Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival
A bit of background on my Nerd Husband. NH loves his menus. Loves them. I introduced him once to TripAdvisor a few years ago, and he's hooked. His Disney website of choice is AllEars.net, and he frequently looks up new restaurant videos and reviews. There have been nights before our trips that I'll be lying on the couch, and he'll sit there reading Les Chefs de France menu to me. This is who he is, and this is how we are. I love it. Even our friends ask now, "Where is NH picking for us to eat on the next trip?" Knowing all of this, you can get a better idea of why NH was so excited for this trip and the opportunity to visit all of the many Food and Wine booths that graced Epcot.
At least part of each day of our four day trip was spent at Epcot. Eating. I don't think we even tried that many food items at the Flower and Garden (and food) Festival in April. The number of booths and choices was just insane and oh so yummy. There were only a few things that I'd cross of my list for the next time (surprisingly, not a fan of cheese bread). But here's a run-down of all of our delectable tastes:
Australia
1. Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Peas (Amazing!)
Belgium
1. Beer-braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes (so yummy)
2. Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream (how could this ever be a bad thing?)
3. Stella Artois Hard Cidre (very crisp and fresh, similar to the taste of an Angry Orchard Crisp)
Brazil
1. Pão de Queijo: Brazilian cheese bread (not a favorite; I ended up not finishing it. The texture just put me off)
Canada
1. Canadian cheddar cheese soup served with a pretzel roll (um...yes; so much yes)
2.“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce (again with the yesses)
China
1. Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles (good, but nothing special here)
2. Happy Peach with Dekuyper Peach Liqueur and Myers’s Dark Rum (amazingly wonderful)
Farm Fresh
1. Loaded Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Nueske’s® Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onions (probably one of my favorite things here)
2. Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider (so crisp and cool; I'll be hunting for this in stores)
France
1. Boeuf Bourguignon: Cabernet Sauvignon-braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes (France FTW - this was wonderful)
Germany
1. Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham and Cheese (this was good, but a bit on the heavy side for me; not a win in my book)
2. Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce (but this was a win)
Ireland
1. Twinings® Pumpkin Chai Tea Frozen Cocktail with Caramel Vodka (this...choked me at first with Vodka - lol - it was good, but whoa...)
Japan
1. Grilled Spicy Edamame tossed with Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce and Chili Powder (so good and fresh, and we felt silly when we both took a bite and then promptly remembered you do not eat the outside of the edamame pod...oops)
2. Garlic Shrimp: Marinated Shrimp sautéed with Garlic and Butter and served over Rice (amazingly wonderful and simple)
Mexico
1. Taco de Camarón: Battered Shrimp served over a Flour Tortilla with Crispy Purple Cabbage and Chipotle Mayonnaise (I adored this one, and I'm not usually a fan of purple cabbage or mayonnaise)
Patagonia
1. Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Purée (so so wonderful and tender - loved this)
Scotland
1. The Tipsy Laird: Whiskey-soaked Cake with Lemon Cream and Toasted Oats (I wanted to make this...and eat it every day)
South Korea
1. Korean-style BBQ Beef with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi (I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did because I hate cucumber, but this was amazing - one of my favorites of the festival)
Wine and Dine Studio
1. Seared Scallop, Truffled Celery Root Purée, Brussels Sprouts and Wild Mushrooms featuring Melissa’s Produce (the first thing we tried...and I almost cried because I loved this scallop...and who knew we liked brussel spourts and celery root?)
Refreshment Port
1. Pineapple Dole Whip Soft-Serve Ice Cream (because...how do you not?)
You'll notice that we're lacking in the "wine" aspect of the list, really. We aren't big drinkers, so that part of this festival didn't really appeal much to us. And the research that NH found that said that Epcot can turn into a frat-party as the weekend evenings roll around...well, that's pretty much true. There is no shortage of "Drinking around the world" shirts with all of the various puns using "wine" and "beer". That's not so bad...but the obnoxiousness that can come along with too much alcohol can start to become a bit much. So we actually started to avoid the place as the evening wore on, and we would take off for other parks or back to the hotel. That was truly a good tip that we got in our research.
One nice perk that we encountered at Epcot during the Festival was the Chase Cardholder Lounge at the American Adventure. All you had to do was show that you held a Chase credit card of any type, and you were admitted into the Lounge. The lounge was located on the private third floor of the American Adventure building, so that was a treat to get to see a "private" space on Disney property. They provided air conditioning (bonus!), 3 freestyle Coca-Cola machines, coffee, a cash bar, and ample charging stations for cell phones. It was great to take a break and just cool down in the lounge.
Speaking of cooling down, I have to admit that I think this trip was hotter than the one we took in July, and NH agrees with me. I'm not sure if it has to do with the placement of the sun in the sky or what it is. The temperature definitely wasn't hotter, but it felt hotter. The intensity of that sun was just crazy. So we definitely utilized the "duck into the shade and/or air conditioning when you can" strategy to this trip. Forcing ourselves to rest and stay out the heat definitely made this entire trip more laid-back and relaxing, too, so it wasn't such a bad thing. We didn't have too much of an agenda aside from attending the Food and Wine Festival and MNSSHP, so we didn't feel too bad about it.
Speaking of MNSSHP...that's up next...
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Star Wars Dark Side 10K - Part 2
We woke up Saturday morning while it was still dark outside (again). I think the alarm was set for 2:45 AM or so. We dressed quickly and headed out to the bus stop to be there by 3:30 AM. I'd finished the Asajj Ventress costume, and I was pretty darned proud of it. It was time to take it out and show it off and be Sithly! There was a line at the bus stop at our hotel, but it wasn't too bad of a wait and the bus pulled up quickly. We hopped on, and we were off to the races.
It was awesome driving on the property in the dark. Pulling into the Epcot parking lot where it's just a barren wasteland of parking spaces but you can see Spaceship Earth in the distance - that was just cool. We pulled up to the drop off area, and we kind of blindly followed the crowds as we walked...and walked...and walked to the main area. It was kind of a ridiculous walk, honestly. There were a few volunteers, some people checking bags. We didn't have to worry about any of that, so we figured we'd have plenty of time to maybe get a picture or two with some characters or some schemes.
When we got to the main area, it looked like the party had been in full swing for hours to be honest. If busses didn't start running until 3:30 (and we were on that bus), where did all of these people come from? The lines for the characters and photo scenes were outrageous, and they were already announcing the fact that they were closing the lines in 15 minutes because it was almost time to get people to their corrals. Weird. But maybe it's always like this. I have no idea; it's my first event.
So we enjoy the DJ silliness and fan crazies - DJ Elliott was providing some entertainment, and it honestly felt like being "home" at a Star Wars Celebration. So that part was pretty neat, and we decided not to worry about the pictures. It's not like we couldn't grab those at a convention later on. I saw one other Asajj Ventress costumed runner, but other than that, Asajj wasn't anywhere to be seen! That kind of made me sad considering all of the time she got on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but oh well. About 20-30 minutes went by or so, and then they announced they were moving people to the corrals. So we follow the herd (literally) to our corrals, find corral E, get in place and get ready.
Get ready to be smushed in with a bunch of other people for about an hour and a half, unable to sit, unable to stretch, unable to do anything but stand and watch Star Wars trailers and have conversations with the people around you. And freeze. It was pretty darned cold that early in the morning, and we just kept having to think warm thoughts and huddle together. I guess that was one good thing about being packed in so tightly. But the wind was just brutal at times.
The Nerd Husband and I spent time pointing out costumes in the sea of people who just kept flooding into the corral section. It was seriously never-ending, and they kept packing us in tighter and tighter. I knew right then there was going to be no way I could run this thing. Not in the slightest. Even if I had a hope of breaking through in some way, I had a feeling it was going to be like this most of the 6ish miles we had to go.
They released each corral with a length of 10-15 minutes in between. Something like that. I didn't time it; it would have annoyed me far too much, I think. But I spent my time in a pleasant mood instead - watching the fireworks and cheering for the corrals as they were released. Patiently waiting to move up, and finally...it was our turn. Corral E. The "Evil" Corral as we then referred to ourselves. It's the Dark Side 10K, after all.
We got our on your mark, get set, gooooooooooo - FIREWORKS! I filmed it on my phone, we walked until we go to about the start line, and then jogged lightly over the start - because c'mon, you kind of have to start off a run at least kind of running. I think I gave a thumbs up to the camera guy, but who knows if it was broadcasted on the screens to corral F (the only folks left waiting to start the race).
We did our running through the Epcot parking lot and met up with a high school band who was playing Star Wars music. That was a great pump-up, and it made me so excited to be outside running(?) at Epcot. We managed to do a few run/walk intervals, but it was proving to be difficult to keep up with our interval timer on my phone. Even this early on, we were kind of bottle necking in places - especially as we moved our way into Epcot. It was then that we decided that we would do what we could with our intervals, keep up with the folks that were close to us in the corral, and speed up when necessary to not get swept. Honestly, this was the best decision of the race - the decision to not make it a "race".
I never even saw the mile marker for the first mile - who knows what I was gawking at. It could have been the backstage view of Epcot, trying to figure out what the buildings were for and what they housed in them. Or waving at the cast members who were cheering for us. Or checking out the back gate that was open into Mexico as we rounded the corners to Star Wars music playing. The lights on the Mexican pavilion as we made our way into the park and up the pathway toward the entrance to the World Showcase. Or looking at the giant screen playing Star Wars movie clips. Of course, then there was Spaceship Earth - that ball never ceases to amaze me. Somewhere in there I think I saw Artoo and Vader, and I just kept staring at it all and smiling and walking quickly or jogging a bit when I could find a place to break through.
We rounded into Canada and the UK, and then the path took the bridge toward the "back door" of Epcot with the intent of moving on to the Boardwalk area using a little bridge. It was kind of a narrow little pain-in-the-butt pathway, let me tell you. But again, we treated it like a walk-fest when we couldn't do our intervals. No big deal until you see the balloon ladies, right? (The balloon ladies, by the way, are women who do Disney races and walk at the back of the pack at the correct official pace time. It's my understanding that they carry balloons so you can see them, and you don't want to fall behind them because then you will be swept. I am proud to say we never saw the balloon ladies.)
The best thing about this little narrow path was a lady at the end of it who was cheering people on. She had a sign that said sometime like "Good job, Random Stranger. You can do this!" It literally made me laugh of loud, and I said, "Thank you, Random Stranger! That's awesome."
The Boardwalk was just a nightmare to run on with all of those people - lol. So we walked it. And then we walked quite a bit of the pathway from the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios, doing little jog spurts when we could get into a good groove and not get in the way. I was starting to worry around this time that it was going to rain on us; we felt a few little misty drops, but that was about it. We ran under a little bridge down by the river that they had bathed in deep red lights and Darth Vader's breathing was playing on a loop. It was pretty cool, but that was about the only thing we saw until we got to Hollywood Studios.
I honestly don't recall what characters or stops or anything were in Hollywood Studios. It was just neat seeing the whole place in the early dawn light. The lights were still on, and the cast members just seemed genuinely thrilled that we were up and out this early in the morning being stupid.
From here on out, the pathway is kind of a blur to me, and I'd have to sit down with a map to really show you were we were. I remember seeing an alligator in a little bog-like thing off of a main road. That was a fun little pit stop. I think my favorite part of this last bit of the run, though, was running down this little dirt/gravel access road. We were surrounded by trees and everything, and it felt a bit like running through Endor. I loved that.
The homestretch was back at ESPN Wide World of Sports, complete with dozens of costumed Rebel Legion and 501st folks. I stopped long enough to ask a stormtrooper if I could take a selfie with him, and he obliged. And then...
FINISH LINE!
I filmed going across the finish line, too. They were calling out names of people as they crossed, but I don't remember hearing my name. Not a big deal. I finished. I got my medal placed around my neck, and I was given a box of goodies. There was really no place to sit down except on the pavement which was weird, so we just took our box of goodies and our awesome medals and decided to head back to the bus. There were huge lines waiting for the bus, and we were all very hot and tired and still standing and waiting. That was just...hard. Really hard. We got in a conversation with teh couple in front of us, and it helped pass the time.
Back at the hotel, I prompted pulled off my shoes. Wearing new socks was a bad idea, and my feet were swollen. That never happened during any of my training sessions, so it was a new one. I let my feet rest and I gobbled through some of my goodies. Then the Nerd Husband took a nap, and I drew up a hot bath and relaxed. Who needs a hot tub when you've got a bath tub? Yay, value resorts!
After our rest, we decided to head out to actually get to enjoy the Epcot Flower and Garden festival, and we spent the rest of the day on our feet. My phone told me at the end of the day that it was my "most active day ever" - clocking in at a crazy 18.25 miles. Holy. Mother. Of pearls.
So as a conclusion regarding the Dark Side 10K race - all-in-all, I had a pretty good time with it. Did I have some gripes? Yep. Did I have some nerdy geek moments? Yep.
Let's start with the complaining first. ;)
Gripes
Fangirl Squee-worthy Moments
It was awesome driving on the property in the dark. Pulling into the Epcot parking lot where it's just a barren wasteland of parking spaces but you can see Spaceship Earth in the distance - that was just cool. We pulled up to the drop off area, and we kind of blindly followed the crowds as we walked...and walked...and walked to the main area. It was kind of a ridiculous walk, honestly. There were a few volunteers, some people checking bags. We didn't have to worry about any of that, so we figured we'd have plenty of time to maybe get a picture or two with some characters or some schemes.
When we got to the main area, it looked like the party had been in full swing for hours to be honest. If busses didn't start running until 3:30 (and we were on that bus), where did all of these people come from? The lines for the characters and photo scenes were outrageous, and they were already announcing the fact that they were closing the lines in 15 minutes because it was almost time to get people to their corrals. Weird. But maybe it's always like this. I have no idea; it's my first event.
So we enjoy the DJ silliness and fan crazies - DJ Elliott was providing some entertainment, and it honestly felt like being "home" at a Star Wars Celebration. So that part was pretty neat, and we decided not to worry about the pictures. It's not like we couldn't grab those at a convention later on. I saw one other Asajj Ventress costumed runner, but other than that, Asajj wasn't anywhere to be seen! That kind of made me sad considering all of the time she got on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but oh well. About 20-30 minutes went by or so, and then they announced they were moving people to the corrals. So we follow the herd (literally) to our corrals, find corral E, get in place and get ready.
Get ready to be smushed in with a bunch of other people for about an hour and a half, unable to sit, unable to stretch, unable to do anything but stand and watch Star Wars trailers and have conversations with the people around you. And freeze. It was pretty darned cold that early in the morning, and we just kept having to think warm thoughts and huddle together. I guess that was one good thing about being packed in so tightly. But the wind was just brutal at times.
The Nerd Husband and I spent time pointing out costumes in the sea of people who just kept flooding into the corral section. It was seriously never-ending, and they kept packing us in tighter and tighter. I knew right then there was going to be no way I could run this thing. Not in the slightest. Even if I had a hope of breaking through in some way, I had a feeling it was going to be like this most of the 6ish miles we had to go.
They released each corral with a length of 10-15 minutes in between. Something like that. I didn't time it; it would have annoyed me far too much, I think. But I spent my time in a pleasant mood instead - watching the fireworks and cheering for the corrals as they were released. Patiently waiting to move up, and finally...it was our turn. Corral E. The "Evil" Corral as we then referred to ourselves. It's the Dark Side 10K, after all.
We got our on your mark, get set, gooooooooooo - FIREWORKS! I filmed it on my phone, we walked until we go to about the start line, and then jogged lightly over the start - because c'mon, you kind of have to start off a run at least kind of running. I think I gave a thumbs up to the camera guy, but who knows if it was broadcasted on the screens to corral F (the only folks left waiting to start the race).
We did our running through the Epcot parking lot and met up with a high school band who was playing Star Wars music. That was a great pump-up, and it made me so excited to be outside running(?) at Epcot. We managed to do a few run/walk intervals, but it was proving to be difficult to keep up with our interval timer on my phone. Even this early on, we were kind of bottle necking in places - especially as we moved our way into Epcot. It was then that we decided that we would do what we could with our intervals, keep up with the folks that were close to us in the corral, and speed up when necessary to not get swept. Honestly, this was the best decision of the race - the decision to not make it a "race".
I never even saw the mile marker for the first mile - who knows what I was gawking at. It could have been the backstage view of Epcot, trying to figure out what the buildings were for and what they housed in them. Or waving at the cast members who were cheering for us. Or checking out the back gate that was open into Mexico as we rounded the corners to Star Wars music playing. The lights on the Mexican pavilion as we made our way into the park and up the pathway toward the entrance to the World Showcase. Or looking at the giant screen playing Star Wars movie clips. Of course, then there was Spaceship Earth - that ball never ceases to amaze me. Somewhere in there I think I saw Artoo and Vader, and I just kept staring at it all and smiling and walking quickly or jogging a bit when I could find a place to break through.
We rounded into Canada and the UK, and then the path took the bridge toward the "back door" of Epcot with the intent of moving on to the Boardwalk area using a little bridge. It was kind of a narrow little pain-in-the-butt pathway, let me tell you. But again, we treated it like a walk-fest when we couldn't do our intervals. No big deal until you see the balloon ladies, right? (The balloon ladies, by the way, are women who do Disney races and walk at the back of the pack at the correct official pace time. It's my understanding that they carry balloons so you can see them, and you don't want to fall behind them because then you will be swept. I am proud to say we never saw the balloon ladies.)
The best thing about this little narrow path was a lady at the end of it who was cheering people on. She had a sign that said sometime like "Good job, Random Stranger. You can do this!" It literally made me laugh of loud, and I said, "Thank you, Random Stranger! That's awesome."
The Boardwalk was just a nightmare to run on with all of those people - lol. So we walked it. And then we walked quite a bit of the pathway from the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios, doing little jog spurts when we could get into a good groove and not get in the way. I was starting to worry around this time that it was going to rain on us; we felt a few little misty drops, but that was about it. We ran under a little bridge down by the river that they had bathed in deep red lights and Darth Vader's breathing was playing on a loop. It was pretty cool, but that was about the only thing we saw until we got to Hollywood Studios.
I honestly don't recall what characters or stops or anything were in Hollywood Studios. It was just neat seeing the whole place in the early dawn light. The lights were still on, and the cast members just seemed genuinely thrilled that we were up and out this early in the morning being stupid.
From here on out, the pathway is kind of a blur to me, and I'd have to sit down with a map to really show you were we were. I remember seeing an alligator in a little bog-like thing off of a main road. That was a fun little pit stop. I think my favorite part of this last bit of the run, though, was running down this little dirt/gravel access road. We were surrounded by trees and everything, and it felt a bit like running through Endor. I loved that.
The homestretch was back at ESPN Wide World of Sports, complete with dozens of costumed Rebel Legion and 501st folks. I stopped long enough to ask a stormtrooper if I could take a selfie with him, and he obliged. And then...
FINISH LINE!
I filmed going across the finish line, too. They were calling out names of people as they crossed, but I don't remember hearing my name. Not a big deal. I finished. I got my medal placed around my neck, and I was given a box of goodies. There was really no place to sit down except on the pavement which was weird, so we just took our box of goodies and our awesome medals and decided to head back to the bus. There were huge lines waiting for the bus, and we were all very hot and tired and still standing and waiting. That was just...hard. Really hard. We got in a conversation with teh couple in front of us, and it helped pass the time.
Back at the hotel, I prompted pulled off my shoes. Wearing new socks was a bad idea, and my feet were swollen. That never happened during any of my training sessions, so it was a new one. I let my feet rest and I gobbled through some of my goodies. Then the Nerd Husband took a nap, and I drew up a hot bath and relaxed. Who needs a hot tub when you've got a bath tub? Yay, value resorts!
After our rest, we decided to head out to actually get to enjoy the Epcot Flower and Garden festival, and we spent the rest of the day on our feet. My phone told me at the end of the day that it was my "most active day ever" - clocking in at a crazy 18.25 miles. Holy. Mother. Of pearls.
So as a conclusion regarding the Dark Side 10K race - all-in-all, I had a pretty good time with it. Did I have some gripes? Yep. Did I have some nerdy geek moments? Yep.
Let's start with the complaining first. ;)
Gripes
- The walk from the bus pick-up/drop-off to the Expo and the Finish Line.
- This was just hard. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered me, but I was trying to prep for a race. And then afterward, I was trying to recover from a race. I felt like all of that walking just tacked another 5K onto my distance, to be honest. Can we just move the bus area closer to wherever it is we need to be?
- Expo merchandise
- There was nothing left that was worth getting, and we were there very early on the 2nd day of the Expo. My guess from reading message boards and other blogs is that local eBayers come out, purchase a bunch of merchandise, and then resell at crazy prices on eBay. Sure enough, I did some searches, and that's what happened. I hate this. Please, there are some people who this is their first race. Maybe just having a magnet to put on our cars would make us feel kind of cool, you know?
- Narrow pathways and too many people - not able to "race"
- I understand that part of this is because I was in the next-to-the-last corral, but surely something could have been done. Maybe even split up the last couple of corrals. I don't know, but it was kind of upsetting to not be able to do what I'd trained to do. I accepted that fact early on, though, and it made life easier. Next time, I know - submit a proof of time and get in an earlier corral.
- More entertainment in some places
- There were times when there was just...nothing. Not a lot of times, but I know there's that stretch of road from Hollywood Studios until the access road where my greatest entertainment was the girl who complimented my Asajj hat (without realizing what it was) and the alligator I saw in the bog. I didn't need much, really. Maybe even just some music or a random Star Wars character holding a sign. Nothing big. But there were times it just seemed quiet.
- Fix the Race Day photo weirdness
- If you're on the first bus at 3:30, but by the time you get to the Race all of the photo ops are closing...something is wrong. Severely wrong. If you need to start busses earlier, that's fine. If you need to start the festivities later, then that's okay, too. But it doesn't seem okay that for some reason those of us who stayed on property got left out of the photo op fun.
- Fix the Race Day walk to the corrals
- Did we really have to trek that far to our corrals? lol Holy cow. I mean, I really don't care in the long run - what does it matter? But that just seemed a bit of a stretch to me.
- Seating at the Finish line - benches, maybe
- I'm not sure how to fix this one, but I saw so many people sitting in the sun on the pavement trying to eat their banana. It was hot and uncomfortable, and there they sat. It didn't seem quite fair, and I think that's why we just opted to go to the busses. Maybe a tent? Some bench seating or something?
- Buses
- More of them, maybe? Or just shaded areas to wait for them?
Fangirl Squee-worthy Moments
- 501st and Rebel Legion volunteers
- I was so glad to see all of those costumers out there supporting the runners and walkers. That truly made my morning because there were so many of them and so easily accessible to everyone for pictures and whatnot. Those of us who couldn't afford to wait in official character lines got a chance to take a picture with these folks, and that was just awesome. I really appreciated them being there.
- Epcot backstage
- Why this made me as happy as it did, I have no idea. There isn't much back there, but it still felt like I was getting away with something by being somewhere I'm traditionally not allowed to be.
- Epcot in the early morning
- What more can I say? Epic.
- High school band playing Star Wars music
- This pumped me up quite a bit, and I needed it after standing in the wind for about an hour and a half. Thank you, bandies!
- Random Conversations with strangers
- I'm weird; I know. But this is the part of a convention that always means quite a bit to me - getting into random conversations with random people that you'll never meet otherwise. You meet these people right now - in that moment - because you're sharing something cool. You're sharing fandom. And yes, I'm a natural-born introvert, but I still love interactions like this.
- Getting to wear my medal to the park
- You get into all sorts of conversations with people. You exchanges congratulations with other racers. You get congratulated by cast members, and some of them even stop to admire your medal. It was just another way to meet more smiling people; I liked that.
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