Members of the ChearSquad were allowed in the tent at 5:30 am so I had a bit of time to kill. It was pleasant outside and I had brought my Kindle so managed to read a number of chapters in my book before going inside. (Was also stunned that the Pens had lost to the Flyers in overtime. Guess the injuries to Letang and Dumo were a major reason) They had a very nice continental breakfast set up, AC, and were televising the start of each corral with fireworks and all. After a bagel, some coffee (FINALLY), and fruit, I headed out to the Ticket and Transportation Center (mile point 3.8) where the first spectator vantage point was.
Race conditions were pretty good - nice breeze, overcast and temp in the low 70s.
Met some really nice people and got clued in on how to track the runners on a map rather than just the updates the tracking texts provided. So I knew when Amy would be coming past. She was running a good pace and I had bought some G-2 for her and asked her if she wanted it. She breezed past and said no. No time to take a picture.
It was then a sprint to the monorail to Magic Kingdom where we had a special viewing area right in front of the castle. The tracking map must have been off, because I never spotted her. She really was moving fast. (Haven't decided what pics I want, so the race pics are still marked with "photo pass, but you can get the idea)
After I realized that she was ahead of the tracking app, I then returned to the Epcot parking lot and the race retreat tent. Went in and grabbed a diet coke and some water to wait for her to cross the finish line. Again, I spotted her approaching, but didn't get a picture face on. Glad the race photographers did.
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| Amy with sparkle green skirt and purple top channeling Ariel! |
She had her Finisher photo taken and then we met inside the Retreat Tent. Amy had a snack box from the race, but really needed some fluids. We saw that there was a bar setup and so I got in line to get a mimosa for her. Wouldn't you figure they ran out of champagne just as I got to my turn to order. So it was a diet coke instead with a side of some fresh fruit.
She was really pleased with her race time. I think she looks terrific and can't believe that she had just run 13.1 miles. We took some time for her to chill out and then went to get her medal engraved. Headed back to the resort about 11:30. By this time the sun was out and it had gotten very warm and we both commented that it was lucky that they only had to run about a mile in the sunny heat.
Back at the hotel we both flopped on the bed and just did some major decompressing. She had run 13.1 miles plus a few miles walking to the start and then to the bus to return. I had done about 4 miles just walking from viewpoint to viewpoint and then to retreat tent and bus. It felt good to stretch out..
Our next adventure was to Animal Kingdom. Amy had really done all the planning when she was coming by herself and it was lucky she was able to add me to her reservations and plans. We had a 3:00 Fast Pass to the Lion King Festival. We got there in good time and walked around before deciding that some nourishment was needed - Dole Whip found.
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| The Tree of Life that anchors the park |
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| A little mother daughter bonding time! |
It was a live show that features the music and characters from The Lion King.
The dancers were great with some tumbling and even a flame swallower.
Browsed through some stores and tried to find another attraction to see, but a number of them were closed for refurbishment or because it as late in the afternoon. Our next Fast Pass was for the Kilimanjaro Safaris. We boarded a overland vehicle an explored an number of different African ecosystems. Very lucky to see so many animals out and about.
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| Okapi |
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| Ankole watusi |
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| Baby and mother giraffes |
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| The Lion Sleeps Tonight! |
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| Ostrich eggs - 1 is the equivalent of 14 chicken eggs and are virtually crush poof |
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| White rhinoceros |
After the safari we had a few minutes to kill before the light show. That meant it must be margarita time. Sipped our drinks and enjoyed talking to a couple from Ohio. They have season tickets to Penn State football and said that we could contact them if we wanted to try to get tickets to the Pitt/Penn State game at STH prices.
We used a Fast Pass for the Rivers of Light show that took place around the lagoon. During this 15 minute show we enjoyed music, spectacular lighting effects and and a bit of fire. No fireworks due to the proximity of the animals.
It was definitely time for dinner and we headed to Tiffins for our 7:40 reservation. What an elegant restaurant. Amy had short ribs and I had a pan seared halibut with fingerling potatoes and green beans. Each entreé had a wine pairing that perfectly complemented the dish. The pic is a bit blurry, but you get the idea.
The park buses stopped running at 9 pm so we got a Lyft. I had 10 half price rides as a promotion so it was just over $3.00 to get a ride back to the resort.
Quickly changed into pajamas and watched the Oscars. Gasped when Olivia Colman won Best Actress, which she deserved, and was glad that Green Book got the award for Best Picture.
Pirates won another - on the road to 192-0! Finally bedtime!
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