Post-Trip Report: Elizabeth’s Princess 10k Trip (February 2025)

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VIRGINIA: Welcome back to Where I Long To Be, a Magical Trip Report Podcast.

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VIRGINIA: I am your host, Virginia.

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VIRGINIA: Before I dive in today, I wanted to let you know that I am planning to take a week off, so there will not be an episode next Monday, March 31st.

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VIRGINIA: I had planned a while back to take either the 31st off or April 7th due to the first week in April being particularly busy at work.

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VIRGINIA: I was going back and forth on which day, and over the past week, based on some other things I have going on, I have decided that next Monday will be the best day for me to take that break.

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VIRGINIA: So after this episode, you can look forward to the next one being released on Monday, April 7th.

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VIRGINIA: It's just one week, so hopefully you can wait that long.

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VIRGINIA: At this point, I am all booked up with people traveling through June, so now I am in the beginning stages of filling up the second half of 2025.

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VIRGINIA: If you have a trip planned in July through December, or if you know someone who fits the bill and would make a good guest, please reach out sooner rather than later.

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VIRGINIA: You can use the link in the show notes or by going to the website, which is whereilongtobepodcast.com.

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VIRGINIA: If you didn't get a chance to listen to the pre-trip episode, I'll catch you up real quick.

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VIRGINIA: Elizabeth, who was on the show in August, you might remember her based on the dinner she and her husband were lucky enough to have at Victoria and Albert's, is back after a fun filled trip to Walt Disney World.

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VIRGINIA: This time she was traveling with her mom, her sister, her daughter, Hope, who is nine, her cousin and her cousin's daughter, Emory, who is almost seven.

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VIRGINIA: The group stayed at Saratoga Springs Resort and they had one park day planned after Elizabeth and Hope finished up their Princess 10K run Disney race.

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VIRGINIA: It was on that Magic Kingdom Day that Elizabeth and I had the pleasure of seeing each other.

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VIRGINIA: And so if you want to see the picture that we took, you can find that over on Instagram.

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VIRGINIA: For the end of the episode, you'll also hear an appearance by a very special guest.

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VIRGINIA: Yes, Hope herself is on to talk about her experience with the run and all the fun.

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VIRGINIA: And I guess the sun if we're going to be rhyming.

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VIRGINIA: And whether she thinks that she and her mom might ever do a half marathon.

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VIRGINIA: Okay, I think we're ready to get going.

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VIRGINIA: Here's Elizabeth.

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VIRGINIA: Elizabeth, welcome back.

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ELIZABETH: Thank you for having me.

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ELIZABETH: I'm so excited to be here.

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VIRGINIA: I'm so excited to be here as well.

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VIRGINIA: And you and I are friends in person now.

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ELIZABETH: Yes, that was so magical.

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ELIZABETH: I mean, to use a trite expression, it really was.

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ELIZABETH: That was so fun.

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VIRGINIA: It was.

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VIRGINIA: And we'll get to that point in the story, I'm sure.

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VIRGINIA: But let's get into all of the details.

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VIRGINIA: So let's just start with your flight.

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VIRGINIA: So I know that you were picking up, I think, your cousin and her daughter.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: And going to a very early morning flight.

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VIRGINIA: How did all that pan out?

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ELIZABETH: It was the trip of early mornings, which any run Disney participant will understand, but it did.

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ELIZABETH: It started with our departure from Omaha slash arrival in Orlando.

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ELIZABETH: And my daughter and I woke up at our home at like 2.30 in the morning and picked up my cousin and her daughter.

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ELIZABETH: Yes, around 3 in the morning and headed to catch a very early flight from Omaha.

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ELIZABETH: So it all worked fine.

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ELIZABETH: We woke up when we were supposed to.

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ELIZABETH: We picked them up when we were supposed to.

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ELIZABETH: My cousin's daughter, Emory, just turned 7 and she did not know that we were going or where we were going.

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ELIZABETH: Oh, okay.

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ELIZABETH: Yes, I know.

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ELIZABETH: It was a big, big surprise for her that my daughter kept well.

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ELIZABETH: And so yeah, we got there and they were getting in the car at their house and my cousin said to Emory, Emory, do you like adventure?

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ELIZABETH: And Emory said, actually, I love adventure.

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ELIZABETH: And Hope got to tell her where we were going and it was just, it was, again, I think, I think the word, I think the word of the night is going to be magical, but it really was magical and we even at whatever, four o'clock, no, at that point, three o'clock in the morning, we drove to the Omaha Airport and, and got on our flight to Orlando.

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VIRGINIA: And I know you had a layover.

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VIRGINIA: Did everything go well with that?

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VIRGINIA: It was a Chicago layover, right?

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: Because every time I think Chicago, I think running through an airport like Omaha.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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ELIZABETH: No, no, it was, it was not urgent.

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ELIZABETH: It was, it was just fine.

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ELIZABETH: And it was a, it was a nice layover.

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ELIZABETH: You know, I, I consider the perfect layover to be like an hour, you know, from, from landing to take off again, because it's enough time to get off the plane, stretch your legs, go to the restroom, maybe get a snack, but then you're not waiting forever for the next flight.

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ELIZABETH: And we were just so ready to, to get to MCO and to get to Disney.

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ELIZABETH: So we just went from one plane to the next, and it worked seamlessly.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: I know that your mom and sister were arriving at MCO shortly after.

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VIRGINIA: You're not too long.

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VIRGINIA: So how did all that coordination go?

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VIRGINIA: I can't remember if you were flying into the same terminal or not.

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ELIZABETH: Yes.

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ELIZABETH: I, I think it was the same terminal.

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ELIZABETH: Their flight was delayed, which, you know, that that just happened.

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ELIZABETH: So it didn't work quite in the same timeline as we anticipated.

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ELIZABETH: But my cousin and her daughter and Hope and I got there and had a little lunch and we're still able to get our ride to Saratoga Springs from Orlando Magical Rides, which we absolutely love.

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ELIZABETH: A big shout out to them for anybody who's listening and looking for transportation from the airport to the resorts.

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ELIZABETH: We absolutely love their service.

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ELIZABETH: And it was planned that my mom and sister would join us from that, but they were delayed enough that we just decided to go to the four of us.

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ELIZABETH: And it was still lovely.

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ELIZABETH: And we still got to our resort.

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ELIZABETH: But my mom and sister were just a little ways behind us a little later than we expected.

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VIRGINIA: OK.

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VIRGINIA: And I'll make sure to put that link for Orlando Magical Rides in the show notes for anybody who's looking for a reliable source of transportation.

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VIRGINIA: So how much later did they end up getting over to Saratoga?

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ELIZABETH: Yeah, really not that much.

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ELIZABETH: I think their overall travel time was delayed by about an hour, an hour and a half.

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ELIZABETH: So again, late enough that we didn't wait for them with our ground transportation, but not so late that it threw off our day at all.

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ELIZABETH: So my cousin and her daughter and Hope and I were able to get to Saratoga, which we absolutely loved.

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ELIZABETH: And you might have a separate question for that, so I won't jump ahead.

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ELIZABETH: But we just loved Saratoga Springs, our whole stay.

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ELIZABETH: But there is just nothing like, and I'm sure so many of your listeners understand there's nothing like just getting into that Disney bubble on your first day.

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ELIZABETH: And it's just so wonderful and so much excitement.

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ELIZABETH: So we got to experience that.

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ELIZABETH: And my mom and sister weren't far behind.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: Well, let's get into Saratoga then.

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VIRGINIA: So you had requested a room in the paddock section.

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ELIZABETH: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: Did you get your request?

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ELIZABETH: We did.

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ELIZABETH: And I think at least in recent memory, it was the first time that My Disney Experience told me much earlier than we could have anticipated checking in that we had a room already, like it just said.

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ELIZABETH: Like it was one of those, again, magical moments where we land.

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ELIZABETH: And I checked the My Disney Experience and our room number is there.

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ELIZABETH: And it says we can go direct to our room.

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ELIZABETH: And it was the section we wanted.

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ELIZABETH: It was a fantastic building that was basically evenly spaced from one of the main pool areas, the main lobby area, Disney Springs.

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ELIZABETH: So it really was just what we had wished for.

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VIRGINIA: Here's my theory, because that happened to me for our trip in February, the one where we saw each other.

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VIRGINIA: The first two nights we were at Old Key West.

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VIRGINIA: Old Key West is also a very large resort, just like Saratoga Springs is.

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VIRGINIA: And my theory is that if you've landed and you've opened up your My Disney Experience app, it knows where you are if you're letting it track your location.

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VIRGINIA: And it sees, oh, they're already nearby.

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VIRGINIA: We've got this room.

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VIRGINIA: Let's go ahead and get this one matched up.

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VIRGINIA: That's my theory, because my room at Old Key West was ready at like 1030 a.m.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: Which is insane.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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ELIZABETH: I absolutely did not expect that, like, obviously, you don't want to be disappointed.

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ELIZABETH: And it says check ins at four, but that is a very workable theory, Virginia.

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VIRGINIA: Right.

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VIRGINIA: Because most of the time, when I stay at a DVC resort, the check in is at four, sometimes after, just because people who are coming down and staying in a DVC villa, sometimes will have groceries.

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VIRGINIA: And it's like, in many cases, especially with long time DVC owners, it's a little bit more of a staycation, you're using the resort more.

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VIRGINIA: And so I think people just take their time getting out.

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VIRGINIA: Sure.

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VIRGINIA: But with those two properties specifically, because they're so big, I think it's much easier for them to just turn over the rooms.

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ELIZABETH: Well, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.

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ELIZABETH: Yeah, absolutely.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So what did you end up doing on this first day?

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VIRGINIA: Because I know that you needed to go to the Run Disney Expo, but you also thought maybe you'd go to Disney Springs for part of it.

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VIRGINIA: So how did it all pan out?

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ELIZABETH: Yes.

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ELIZABETH: So we arrived at the paddock section of Saratoga Springs.

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ELIZABETH: And again, I just have to reiterate how wonderful, because again, I know people listening just like just love to relive it and or anticipate it, which is how wonderful it is to get into that Disney bubble and step foot on your on your resort property for the first time.

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ELIZABETH: They get checked into your room.

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ELIZABETH: So I think also because my mom and sister were a little delayed, we really just indulged in that and took our time getting into our room.

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ELIZABETH: My cousin's daughter and my daughter were so excited to get into the room and start unpacking and setting up.

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ELIZABETH: And their favorite thing is to watch Safety Smart on the Disney TV, which is such a unique Disney only experience.

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ELIZABETH: And I don't know, Alex is probably a little too old for it at this point.

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VIRGINIA: But I don't know what Safety Smart is.

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ELIZABETH: It's a wonderful Disney Resort exclusive program narrated by Timon and Pumbaa.

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ELIZABETH: And they're just these many episodes that in their characteristically comical Timon and Pumbaa way, talk to kids about different safety issues from fire safety, water safety, being truthful and real.

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ELIZABETH: I mean, like all of these many episodes that my kids are just so excited to get to when we check into a Disney Resort.

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ELIZABETH: So they did that, we got unpacked.

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ELIZABETH: I walked to the Carriage House, which is the main lobby area of Saratoga Springs.

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ELIZABETH: That is just beautiful, just to pick up some bottled water.

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ELIZABETH: And my cousin and I had wanted to have a welcome drink for my mom and sister when they got to our villa.

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ELIZABETH: So I got the Once Upon a Vine wine, which is like a Disney Resort exclusive, very reasonably priced, but delicious wine brand that we always just delight in enjoying when we're there.

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ELIZABETH: And then my mom and sister, actually, when they got there, and we were tracking their location and communicating, but when they got there, they actually had their Uber driver drop them at the paddock grill and pool area so that they could have a bite to eat and we could meet them there.

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ELIZABETH: So we hung out there and kind of checked out the pool area for the first time.

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ELIZABETH: And it was such a fun welcome and reunion to see them.

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ELIZABETH: And then the girls had a great time showing them to our room and checking in all together.

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ELIZABETH: And then, Virginia, it was time to go to the Run Disney Princess Half Weekend Expo at Wide World of Sports.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: How many of your group headed over there?

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ELIZABETH: All of us.

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VIRGINIA: Oh, okay.

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ELIZABETH: Yes.

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ELIZABETH: So my and Hope's first experience with a Run Disney Half Marathon slash Run Disney Expo was last year.

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ELIZABETH: And we didn't know what to expect.

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ELIZABETH: And so we had left my mom and sister last year at the time back at our resort.

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ELIZABETH: But this time, after having experienced that, we knew how much fun those expos are and how much they have to offer.

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ELIZABETH: So we asked that the rest of our party come with us just to enjoy it.

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ELIZABETH: And I'm so glad we did because, yeah, all six of us went.

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ELIZABETH: The Run Disney bus transportation to the expo was flawless.

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ELIZABETH: It was very easy to get a bus to take it there.

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ELIZABETH: We knew where we were going this time.

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ELIZABETH: So we just had such a fun time at the expo.

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ELIZABETH: And one of the pictures I'm going to send you for the show notes is the four of us adults, my mom, my sister, my cousin and I, just being at the Wide World of Sports, having a great time.

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ELIZABETH: My daughter took the picture and we bought these, again, Princess Weekend, you know, signature plastic cups, which does not sound like a big deal, but we got these signature Run Disney Princess Expo drinks in them and we're just cheersing and just having a great time walking around the expo and doing the logistical things, like picking up our shirts and picking up our bibs, but also just really fun character meet and greets and just experiencing and enjoying the ambiance.

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VIRGINIA: Did you end up getting any Run Disney merchandise or any of the merchandise that was at any of the other sellers?

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VIRGINIA: Because I was shocked having gone to my first Run Disney Expo the day before, how many vendors there were and all, I mean, you forgot glitter at home, they have glitter for you.

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VIRGINIA: They had everything, including normal stuff for running.

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ELIZABETH: Yes, that is exactly right.

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ELIZABETH: They have everything and anything.

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ELIZABETH: But what's amazing about what all the Expo has to offer is we didn't buy any of that.

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ELIZABETH: We intended to, but we didn't even go to the Run Disney Princess Weekend merch area because we were just having such a good time, again, doing the logistical things, but also we met Abu, like we had these little girls with us.

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ELIZABETH: So we met Abu.

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ELIZABETH: We had a character meet and greet pictures with Daisy.

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ELIZABETH: And then we experienced one of my unexpectedly favorite character meet and greets ever, and that was Cinderella's carriage footman.

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ELIZABETH: They were outside the area.

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ELIZABETH: I don't know if you saw them.

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ELIZABETH: I met them, but they were so fun to interact with.

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ELIZABETH: So we got just a really fun character interaction with them, obviously just very unique, I think, for that particular event and experience.

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ELIZABETH: So we didn't do any merch shopping again we intended to, but there was just so much else to do that we were occupied with all of that.

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VIRGINIA: Wow.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: It was a little bit overwhelming for me, but partly that was because it was the first day of the expo.

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VIRGINIA: So too many people.

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VIRGINIA: And I had Charles and Alex with me, and they were not interested in shopping or doing anything like that.

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VIRGINIA: So I saw that stuff happening.

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VIRGINIA: We walked through the things.

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VIRGINIA: And then I went into the Run Disney Merchandise area.

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VIRGINIA: They found a place on the floor on the side, and they both sat and looked at their phones.

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VIRGINIA: And I wandered around and looked at what I wanted to look at.

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VIRGINIA: We still managed to spend, I think, close to four hours in ESPN total.

00:15:18.574 --> 00:15:19.294
ELIZABETH: Absolutely.

00:15:19.394 --> 00:15:21.554
VIRGINIA: I don't know where the time went.

00:15:21.554 --> 00:15:22.994
ELIZABETH: I know.

00:15:22.994 --> 00:15:33.574
ELIZABETH: And to your point, I actually had that in my notes too, that I did feel like we could take our time a little bit more because we did go to the Expo on the second day.

00:15:33.574 --> 00:15:38.294
ELIZABETH: So similarly to your experience this year, last year, Hope and I did the 5K.

00:15:38.294 --> 00:15:40.714
ELIZABETH: So we had to be there on that first day of the Expo.

00:15:40.714 --> 00:15:43.874
ELIZABETH: And it just was so much busier, much more chaotic.

00:15:43.874 --> 00:15:45.374
ELIZABETH: Again, not in a negative, bad way.

00:15:45.374 --> 00:15:48.554
ELIZABETH: It just was so much busier because so many more people were there.

00:15:48.554 --> 00:15:54.254
ELIZABETH: And I just said so many times, I think, to my mom and cousin and sister this time, like, wow, we're here on the second day.

00:15:54.334 --> 00:16:00.214
ELIZABETH: I can't tell you how much more just open and calm and less busy it was.

00:16:00.214 --> 00:16:09.714
VIRGINIA: I had been talking to Jon, who's the WGW runner before this, to kind of get a sense of what it was going to be like.

00:16:09.714 --> 00:16:23.214
VIRGINIA: And I think it might have been better because there were such a rush to get things that were popular, that then I would see somebody holding something and be like, oh, where'd you get that?

00:16:24.214 --> 00:16:25.374
VIRGINIA: There were no more left.

00:16:25.374 --> 00:16:39.314
VIRGINIA: So I feel like going on a second or a third day would make it easier to just go, this is what there is, this is what I have to choose from and not have that FOMO of, wow, I really wanted that zip up track jacket or whatever.

00:16:39.314 --> 00:16:42.554
ELIZABETH: Yes, I absolutely think that that has to be accurate.

00:16:42.554 --> 00:16:43.794
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:16:43.794 --> 00:16:44.634
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:16:44.634 --> 00:16:49.214
VIRGINIA: Well, after your run Disney experience, what did you do for the rest of that day?

00:16:51.294 --> 00:17:08.314
ELIZABETH: One of our most special restaurant experiences in the Sarasota, Tampa, Lido key area of Florida is Columbia's, which is an amazing restaurant that we've enjoyed with our Florida family for so many years.

00:17:08.994 --> 00:17:21.714
ELIZABETH: My mom surprised all of us with a reservation to Columbia's in Celebration, Florida, which I got such like a first time experience and education on that area.

00:17:21.714 --> 00:17:30.454
ELIZABETH: But we went to Columbia, so off Disney property, but still a very special area, still a very special Disney area and a very special place for our family.

00:17:30.454 --> 00:17:35.854
ELIZABETH: So we were all just very excited to do that on our arrival day.

00:17:35.854 --> 00:17:40.194
ELIZABETH: And yeah, that's what we enjoyed for dinner after the expo.

00:17:40.194 --> 00:17:43.514
ELIZABETH: And it was only like a five, 10 minute Uber ride.

00:17:44.194 --> 00:17:56.494
ELIZABETH: And so we enjoyed that and then went back to Saratoga Springs to go to bed as easily as we could with another very early wake up the next morning.

00:17:56.494 --> 00:18:00.494
VIRGINIA: How early was it that you got up the following morning?

00:18:00.494 --> 00:18:12.994
ELIZABETH: I mean, we, I would say we had our things pretty well organized the night before, but Hope and I still had certain outfits that we wanted to wear, certain makeup, certain hair.

00:18:12.994 --> 00:18:20.914
ELIZABETH: So I think, actually, I think it was the same time wake up that we had the day before for our flight about 2.30 in the morning.

00:18:20.914 --> 00:18:35.814
VIRGINIA: Yeah, I got up for the 5K, I would say, at a similar time because I also wanted to make sure I was wearing my outfit, did my hair, my makeup, and it was really all for naught because it was so cold.

00:18:35.814 --> 00:18:37.434
VIRGINIA: It was just covered up completely.

00:18:38.054 --> 00:18:43.914
ELIZABETH: You had the coldest day of that weekend, and none of them were warm.

00:18:43.914 --> 00:18:55.634
ELIZABETH: Even when you're in Florida, listeners, when you are getting up at 2.33 in the morning in February, it's still going to be chilly, but Virginia, you for sure had the coldest day of the weekend, yes.

00:18:55.634 --> 00:19:02.314
VIRGINIA: We talked about this before on your pre-trip, how it would probably be very cold.

00:19:02.314 --> 00:19:07.794
VIRGINIA: Did you end up bringing any of the Mylar blankets or any toss-away clothing?

00:19:07.794 --> 00:19:08.914
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:19:09.474 --> 00:19:21.634
ELIZABETH: I feel that one of the reasons the corrals to me this year felt like we waited less was just because we were more prepared, not only for the weight but for the weather.

00:19:21.634 --> 00:19:28.334
ELIZABETH: We did bring the emergency Mylar blankets that we just had wrapped around ourselves until the last possible moment.

00:19:28.334 --> 00:19:31.034
ELIZABETH: I did get toss-away clothing.

00:19:31.034 --> 00:19:38.534
ELIZABETH: However, what's funny is my daughter Hope is here with me, and the toss-away clothing I bought her for $3 at Goodwill she's really attached to.

00:19:38.534 --> 00:19:45.714
ELIZABETH: That came right back home with us, stayed on her the entire race, and, listeners, she is literally wearing it and modeling it for Virginia at this very moment.

00:19:45.714 --> 00:19:46.754
ELIZABETH: She's modeling it right now.

00:19:46.754 --> 00:19:47.974
VIRGINIA: It's gorgeous.

00:19:50.294 --> 00:19:52.334
ELIZABETH: We had hand warmers, back warmers.

00:19:52.334 --> 00:19:55.374
ELIZABETH: We were prepared in a way that we weren't last year.

00:19:55.374 --> 00:20:04.774
ELIZABETH: We were more comfortable in the corrals, which counts for a lot when you're waiting, as you know now, for an hour, an hour and a half for the race to actually begin for you.

00:20:04.774 --> 00:20:05.394
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:20:05.394 --> 00:20:08.854
VIRGINIA: Which, to me, it felt like it went by pretty quickly.

00:20:08.854 --> 00:20:09.094
ELIZABETH: Yeah.

00:20:09.094 --> 00:20:14.714
VIRGINIA: So I didn't think it was that bad, partly because they've got a stage and people are talking.

00:20:14.934 --> 00:20:15.934
VIRGINIA: What were they saying?

00:20:15.934 --> 00:20:16.774
ELIZABETH: Content entertainment.

00:20:16.774 --> 00:20:19.274
VIRGINIA: It was very early in the morning.

00:20:19.274 --> 00:20:25.994
VIRGINIA: But it was just the fact that there was sound going on and lots of people to look at and see what they're wearing.

00:20:26.294 --> 00:20:27.774
VIRGINIA: I kept myself entertained.

00:20:28.114 --> 00:20:39.134
VIRGINIA: I will say, if you need to drink a coffee before a race, I would recommend making your own coffee before you go or something, because the coffee that they had as an option there was not very good.

00:20:39.134 --> 00:20:40.474
ELIZABETH: Oh, really?

00:20:40.474 --> 00:20:41.654
VIRGINIA: Yeah, yeah.

00:20:41.654 --> 00:20:42.814
ELIZABETH: That's really interesting.

00:20:42.814 --> 00:20:52.594
ELIZABETH: See, listeners, I would not recommend this, but I do feel like I not necessarily intentionally, but almost dehydrate myself before the race.

00:20:52.594 --> 00:20:55.214
ELIZABETH: I mean, I'm thinking like, gosh, I don't have to go to the bathroom right away.

00:20:55.774 --> 00:20:58.194
ELIZABETH: I'm not a coffee drinker anyway, so that's not an issue.

00:20:58.194 --> 00:21:05.934
ELIZABETH: But as soon as we get going in that race, you better believe every hydration station, I'm like pounding the water, pounding whatever they're offering.

00:21:05.934 --> 00:21:08.274
ELIZABETH: But that is a good tip, Virginia.

00:21:08.274 --> 00:21:11.274
ELIZABETH: Good to know for next time or for anybody who is a coffee drinker.

00:21:11.274 --> 00:21:13.854
VIRGINIA: I mean, I didn't drink a full cup just because it didn't taste that good.

00:21:14.254 --> 00:21:20.394
VIRGINIA: To be honest, mostly I bought the cup of coffee because it was so flipping cold.

00:21:20.434 --> 00:21:20.634
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:21:20.654 --> 00:21:26.694
VIRGINIA: I was like, I'll drink a little and then I just held it like a little match girl or something.

00:21:28.114 --> 00:21:30.054
VIRGINIA: So that was fine.

00:21:30.054 --> 00:21:31.354
VIRGINIA: They did have the water.

00:21:31.354 --> 00:21:34.214
VIRGINIA: They had, I assume there was Gatorade.

00:21:34.214 --> 00:21:34.594
VIRGINIA: I don't know.

00:21:34.594 --> 00:21:40.174
VIRGINIA: I just grabbed a water because I was trying to, I was trying not to stop throughout the whole thing.

00:21:40.174 --> 00:21:40.674
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:21:40.674 --> 00:21:43.934
VIRGINIA: So anywho, all right.

00:21:43.934 --> 00:21:45.774
VIRGINIA: How did your bounds turn out?

00:21:45.774 --> 00:21:48.494
VIRGINIA: I see that you're wearing your race shirt today.

00:21:48.494 --> 00:21:49.154
ELIZABETH: I am.

00:21:49.154 --> 00:21:50.814
VIRGINIA: Hope is wearing a Jasmine.

00:21:50.814 --> 00:21:51.834
ELIZABETH: A throwaway gloves.

00:21:51.894 --> 00:21:53.034
ELIZABETH: Oh, and that too, yes.

00:21:53.034 --> 00:22:00.074
VIRGINIA: But a t-shirt, yes, that goes with your game because you were bounding as Raja and she was bounding as Jasmine.

00:22:00.074 --> 00:22:02.494
VIRGINIA: So how was that?

00:22:02.494 --> 00:22:03.494
ELIZABETH: Thank you for asking.

00:22:03.494 --> 00:22:04.674
ELIZABETH: It worked out.

00:22:04.674 --> 00:22:05.814
ELIZABETH: It worked out so well.

00:22:05.814 --> 00:22:14.614
ELIZABETH: I loved our outfits and I feel like much like going into the Disney parks where you see all of these outfits or matching t-shirts that people have planned.

00:22:14.614 --> 00:22:21.314
ELIZABETH: Part of the fun of run Disney races to see the outfits that people are wearing and people really go all out.

00:22:21.474 --> 00:22:24.094
ELIZABETH: So people appreciated our outfits.

00:22:24.094 --> 00:22:27.114
ELIZABETH: We appreciated so many other outfits.

00:22:27.134 --> 00:22:36.094
ELIZABETH: One thing I will say and I think the ladies who are your listeners will especially appreciate this, but this is what I wrote down in my notes, if I may.

00:22:36.094 --> 00:22:41.594
ELIZABETH: There's a reason the run Disney pros recommend you do trial runs for costumes.

00:22:41.594 --> 00:22:49.414
ELIZABETH: Pulling up cheap tiger leggings right from the start was probably not my best way to do it 10K.

00:22:52.394 --> 00:22:53.394
ELIZABETH: It all was good.

00:22:53.694 --> 00:22:55.054
ELIZABETH: I'm very tight B.

00:22:55.054 --> 00:22:59.314
ELIZABETH: I didn't do a trial run or walk in my outfit the way I was supposed to.

00:22:59.314 --> 00:23:06.534
ELIZABETH: Thus, I was literally pulling up these leggings the whole race, but it did not compromise my enjoyment.

00:23:06.534 --> 00:23:07.814
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:23:07.814 --> 00:23:13.014
VIRGINIA: Did you do any stopping along the way for characters or anything like that?

00:23:13.694 --> 00:23:14.714
ELIZABETH: No.

00:23:14.714 --> 00:23:24.794
ELIZABETH: I think because it was our first 10K and thus our first timed run Disney race, I shouldn't have been as worried.

00:23:24.794 --> 00:23:25.814
ELIZABETH: We were fine.

00:23:25.814 --> 00:23:27.634
ELIZABETH: We were in Corral E.

00:23:27.634 --> 00:23:33.094
ELIZABETH: We couldn't even see the balloon ladies, which for people familiar with run Disney races will know what that means.

00:23:33.094 --> 00:23:42.414
ELIZABETH: But for those who aren't, they are the last people of the last Corral who are basically timing and making sure that the very last people are maintaining a 16-minute mile.

00:23:42.874 --> 00:23:49.174
ELIZABETH: So we were fine, but I was still very concerned about being fine and being ahead of things.

00:23:49.174 --> 00:23:55.574
ELIZABETH: That in retrospect, I wish for my little Aladdin fan, I would have stopped to see the genie.

00:23:55.574 --> 00:24:01.394
ELIZABETH: But those lines get so long and even to your point, you're trying to keep pace and trying to keep up.

00:24:01.394 --> 00:24:06.914
ELIZABETH: And you see a line like that and you just think, especially in those first couple miles, I can't possibly stop.

00:24:06.914 --> 00:24:07.894
ELIZABETH: We have to keep going.

00:24:07.894 --> 00:24:10.874
ELIZABETH: So we really didn't stop much at all.

00:24:11.154 --> 00:24:20.894
ELIZABETH: We ran almost the first couple miles, with the exception of walking and uphill on ramp on the course.

00:24:20.894 --> 00:24:30.614
ELIZABETH: We really didn't stop until we hit, I believe, the Nemo Aquarium Restroom in Epcot was our first stop.

00:24:30.614 --> 00:24:39.954
ELIZABETH: And then that's where we kind of gained some comfort with our pace and our place and just feeling like we could slow down and enjoy a little bit more.

00:24:40.174 --> 00:24:46.354
ELIZABETH: But we were pretty, pretty consistent and constant those first three miles for sure.

00:24:46.354 --> 00:24:47.114
VIRGINIA: Wow.

00:24:47.114 --> 00:24:48.374
VIRGINIA: Yeah, that's amazing.

00:24:48.374 --> 00:24:50.634
VIRGINIA: I commend you for doing the 10K.

00:24:50.634 --> 00:24:54.014
VIRGINIA: I mean, the 5K felt like long enough to me.

00:24:54.014 --> 00:24:54.574
ELIZABETH: Yeah.

00:24:54.574 --> 00:24:58.274
ELIZABETH: Yeah, we, I should have, I should have been in better shape.

00:24:58.274 --> 00:25:03.514
ELIZABETH: I should have conditioned more, but it was so, it was so fun and so enjoyable.

00:25:03.514 --> 00:25:11.234
ELIZABETH: And I just remember last year thinking after the 5K, I still had some energy and I thought, Oh my gosh, I could keep going.

00:25:11.234 --> 00:25:17.634
ELIZABETH: But I will tell you not to jump ahead too much, but man, after the 10K this year, I just, we were wiped out.

00:25:17.634 --> 00:25:19.274
ELIZABETH: We were wiped out for sure.

00:25:19.274 --> 00:25:24.394
VIRGINIA: I would love to do another Run Disney Race, but I have two requirements.

00:25:24.394 --> 00:25:28.534
VIRGINIA: One is that it needs to be at a warmer time of year.

00:25:28.534 --> 00:25:36.194
VIRGINIA: So my friend Jeanette, who does a lot of Run Disney events, recommended the springtime surprise for me because of the weather.

00:25:36.834 --> 00:25:51.834
VIRGINIA: And then my other requirement, I think, is that I would either want to do the event towards the beginning of my time in Orlando or have a trip that is specifically to do the race as opposed to combining it with vacation days.

00:25:51.834 --> 00:26:02.234
VIRGINIA: Because that's what really made me tired was knowing that I had, at that point, already had nearly a full week at Disney walking and doing all the Disney things you do.

00:26:02.234 --> 00:26:08.914
VIRGINIA: And so it would have been better if I had just kind of gotten it out of the way at the beginning and then been able to enjoy the week.

00:26:08.914 --> 00:26:11.154
ELIZABETH: That is very understandable.

00:26:11.154 --> 00:26:17.274
ELIZABETH: Yes, for us, it was like day one slash two, if you consider our travel day a day.

00:26:17.274 --> 00:26:19.674
ELIZABETH: So I do think we had that energy and momentum.

00:26:19.674 --> 00:26:24.334
ELIZABETH: Whereas when you're toward the end of a Disney trip, you don't have that as much.

00:26:24.334 --> 00:26:26.514
VIRGINIA: Right, exactly.

00:26:26.514 --> 00:26:27.174
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:26:27.174 --> 00:26:37.794
VIRGINIA: Well, let's talk a little bit more about your resort because I know that after the race, you were going to be doing some resort time and also some Disney Springs time.

00:26:37.794 --> 00:26:38.094
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:26:38.094 --> 00:26:44.974
VIRGINIA: How long did it take you to get from Saratoga Springs over to Disney Springs in terms of walking time?

00:26:44.974 --> 00:26:45.634
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:26:45.634 --> 00:26:57.834
ELIZABETH: Again, I was just so pleased with the section of Saratoga Springs and the building we were in because I really did feel like it was so centrally located to the things that we were really interested in.

00:26:57.834 --> 00:27:18.914
ELIZABETH: It was like a 10-minute walk, but at the most, really, I think more like a 7-minute walk to the main carriage house, which is the lobby area, community hall, all of that, and the paddock section where we were had its own pool, and that was only about 5 minutes away, and then Disney Springs was only about 7 minutes away.

00:27:18.914 --> 00:27:25.854
ELIZABETH: So I really felt like it was an easy, fairly quick, convenient walk just about any of those places.

00:27:27.174 --> 00:27:27.754
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:27:27.754 --> 00:27:30.554
VIRGINIA: What did you think about the rooms themselves?

00:27:30.554 --> 00:27:32.694
VIRGINIA: Because they had a renovation a couple of years ago.

00:27:32.694 --> 00:27:33.114
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:27:33.114 --> 00:27:37.354
VIRGINIA: And I just think that the rooms are gorgeous.

00:27:37.354 --> 00:27:39.094
ELIZABETH: Gorgeous.

00:27:39.094 --> 00:27:56.354
ELIZABETH: And yes, it just felt fresh, definitely renovated, light, airy, still had these beautiful, but subtle, but beautiful Disney touches with Disney characters, and the space was just very well done.

00:27:56.354 --> 00:27:57.354
ELIZABETH: It was very smart.

00:27:57.354 --> 00:28:01.594
ELIZABETH: So absolutely accommodated the six of us beautifully.

00:28:01.594 --> 00:28:03.594
ELIZABETH: We never felt like we were on top of each other.

00:28:03.594 --> 00:28:04.694
ELIZABETH: We had plenty of space.

00:28:04.694 --> 00:28:06.874
ELIZABETH: I mean, I just felt it worked so well.

00:28:06.874 --> 00:28:10.254
ELIZABETH: And we would absolutely stay at Saratoga Springs again.

00:28:10.254 --> 00:28:16.094
ELIZABETH: My daughter and I said that as we were walking around the property, you know, this was for our girls' trip with six girls.

00:28:16.094 --> 00:28:18.614
ELIZABETH: The villa we were in accommodated that so wonderfully.

00:28:18.794 --> 00:28:29.354
ELIZABETH: But we would go back with our boys with my husband and my son and think, you know, we could almost, almost, it would be a little more space than we needed, but stay in the same room and just enjoy it.

00:28:29.354 --> 00:28:31.214
ELIZABETH: But we could stay in a studio room too.

00:28:31.214 --> 00:28:34.794
ELIZABETH: And I mean, we just, we were very impressed with the property and the space for sure.

00:28:34.794 --> 00:28:35.654
VIRGINIA: I really enjoyed it.

00:28:35.654 --> 00:28:41.974
VIRGINIA: I know that sometimes Saratoga gets a lot of flak and it's just because, you know, it's a resort that's been around for a while.

00:28:41.974 --> 00:28:42.634
VIRGINIA: Sure.

00:28:42.634 --> 00:28:46.234
VIRGINIA: But with this renovation, it doesn't feel tired or anything.

00:28:46.414 --> 00:28:47.294
ELIZABETH: It is a beautiful resort.

00:28:47.294 --> 00:28:48.154
VIRGINIA: I completely agree.

00:28:48.154 --> 00:28:56.354
VIRGINIA: And I think that the fact that it's so close to Disney Springs, that's worth a lot to me, even though it is farther away from some of the parks.

00:28:56.354 --> 00:29:07.174
VIRGINIA: It is one that if you have the opportunity to stay there and have a rental car, I think go for it, if it's a great price and, you know, if you can build that into your budget.

00:29:07.174 --> 00:29:07.614
ELIZABETH: Sure.

00:29:07.614 --> 00:29:13.694
VIRGINIA: But having stayed at Old Key West this recently, I do not feel that way about Old Key West at all.

00:29:14.374 --> 00:29:17.414
VIRGINIA: Old Key West, I'm like, no, we're done.

00:29:17.414 --> 00:29:19.234
ELIZABETH: That is a really interesting comparison.

00:29:19.234 --> 00:29:25.974
ELIZABETH: And I do wonder how much of that is because Saratoga Springs has been more recently updated.

00:29:25.974 --> 00:29:31.954
ELIZABETH: Like, do you feel that way just because the rooms felt more tired and less renovated, less updated?

00:29:32.714 --> 00:29:39.574
VIRGINIA: I don't think so because we did not really like their quick service option.

00:29:39.574 --> 00:29:41.874
VIRGINIA: It's just kind of like a walk-up window.

00:29:41.874 --> 00:29:42.014
ELIZABETH: Yeah.

00:29:42.234 --> 00:29:47.154
VIRGINIA: I mean, sort of like boardwalk, there's no seating inside the quick service.

00:29:47.414 --> 00:29:50.414
VIRGINIA: It's all outdoor picnic table style.

00:29:50.414 --> 00:29:55.974
VIRGINIA: And we just didn't really enjoy all of the resort amenities that they had there.

00:29:55.974 --> 00:29:59.394
VIRGINIA: The restaurant, what was it called?

00:29:59.394 --> 00:30:00.254
ELIZABETH: Olivia's?

00:30:00.254 --> 00:30:01.214
VIRGINIA: Olivia's.

00:30:01.214 --> 00:30:01.574
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:30:01.574 --> 00:30:04.274
VIRGINIA: Olivia's, the breakfast was amazing.

00:30:04.274 --> 00:30:07.974
VIRGINIA: Some of the best fried chicken I've ever had in my life.

00:30:08.054 --> 00:30:16.694
VIRGINIA: So definitely, I think that's, if you're going to be in that area anyway, or if you end up staying at Old QS, Olivia's is fantastic.

00:30:16.694 --> 00:30:22.554
VIRGINIA: But the other things there we just didn't love, and on top of that, the rooms are very tired.

00:30:22.554 --> 00:30:29.194
VIRGINIA: And on top of that, and this is something that won't be true every time, but the boat wasn't running to Disney Springs.

00:30:29.934 --> 00:30:35.614
VIRGINIA: And that's one of the things that you go to a resort like that for is the easy access to Disney Springs.

00:30:35.694 --> 00:30:40.134
VIRGINIA: So you still had to get on a bus to visit Disney Springs.

00:30:40.134 --> 00:30:54.514
ELIZABETH: Right, and so yes, so to compare Old Key West and Saratoga Springs with Saratoga Springs, not only proximity to Disney Springs, but the functioning boats, I can see where that would be a huge advantage.

00:30:54.514 --> 00:31:00.314
VIRGINIA: Right, because at Saratoga Springs, if the boats are down, you still in most cases could walk.

00:31:00.314 --> 00:31:05.414
VIRGINIA: I mean, there might be some of the, like the tree houses are pretty far away, something like that.

00:31:05.514 --> 00:31:13.114
VIRGINIA: But there's so much of the resort that walking would not be that big a deal for, only some of the places may be on the outskirts.

00:31:13.114 --> 00:31:19.074
VIRGINIA: Or even then, if you're on the outskirts, you could take an internal bus and get to a place in the resort that is closer.

00:31:19.114 --> 00:31:20.374
ELIZABETH: Easily.

00:31:20.374 --> 00:31:29.514
VIRGINIA: Anyway, all right, let's get on to the Disney Springs time, because I know that you had a reservation for my new favorite restaurant, somewhere else on the lake.

00:31:29.554 --> 00:31:29.934
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:31:29.934 --> 00:31:34.794
VIRGINIA: There was also some talk, though, about potentially having lunch at Rainforest Cafe, though.

00:31:34.794 --> 00:31:36.474
VIRGINIA: So did you end up doing that?

00:31:36.474 --> 00:31:37.114
ELIZABETH: We did.

00:31:37.114 --> 00:31:38.794
ELIZABETH: We did both of those things.

00:31:38.794 --> 00:31:43.114
ELIZABETH: Rainforest Cafe turned out to be such a fun experience.

00:31:43.114 --> 00:31:44.494
ELIZABETH: I'm glad we did it.

00:31:44.494 --> 00:31:47.674
ELIZABETH: The kids, obviously, and our crew really enjoy it.

00:31:47.674 --> 00:31:59.974
ELIZABETH: Let me be honest, the adults enjoyed it too, but the animatronics and just the theatrical schtick there with the rainforest thunderstorm and all of the animals moving and calling, it was very entertaining.

00:31:59.974 --> 00:32:12.634
ELIZABETH: Our little Emory, my cousin's daughter, was celebrating her seventh birthday while we were at Disney, so she had her pin, and so everywhere we went, a celebration was made of that, and at Rainforest Cafe was no exception.

00:32:12.634 --> 00:32:18.694
ELIZABETH: Our server was wonderful, and our server brought Emory a little cupcake.

00:32:19.314 --> 00:32:25.994
ELIZABETH: We were just together and still had that first slash second day energy, and it was a great time.

00:32:25.994 --> 00:32:26.374
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:32:26.374 --> 00:32:27.634
VIRGINIA: Tell me about Summerhouse on the way.

00:32:27.674 --> 00:32:29.054
ELIZABETH: I would love to.

00:32:30.074 --> 00:32:42.494
ELIZABETH: Of all the places we ate and we, oh my gosh, we had so many amazing, amazing meals even with just a short, long weekend trip for, I think every adult certainly in our party, Summerhouse was the favorite.

00:32:43.574 --> 00:32:49.434
ELIZABETH: So we were sitting at just what I think is the perfect table.

00:32:49.474 --> 00:33:01.354
ELIZABETH: We were out on their veranda porch area that's open air, watching the lake, watching the, I'm not going to call it the right thing, but the big balloon.

00:33:01.354 --> 00:33:02.914
ELIZABETH: What is that called at Disney Springs?

00:33:02.914 --> 00:33:06.414
VIRGINIA: I think it's called an aerophile or something like that.

00:33:06.414 --> 00:33:08.794
ELIZABETH: We were just watching it and it was windy enough.

00:33:08.794 --> 00:33:13.054
ELIZABETH: People were still going up and down, but it was absolute entertainment.

00:33:13.054 --> 00:33:14.934
ELIZABETH: Like, is it going to land this time?

00:33:14.934 --> 00:33:16.954
ELIZABETH: Like every time it did, thank goodness.

00:33:17.114 --> 00:33:21.994
ELIZABETH: But so that was entertaining and just like the ambiance of Summer House.

00:33:22.394 --> 00:33:25.094
ELIZABETH: It's such, my sister would say, it's such a vibe.

00:33:25.094 --> 00:33:26.754
ELIZABETH: It's such a good vibe.

00:33:26.754 --> 00:33:33.674
ELIZABETH: And so we had the best drinks, the best food, the best service, like the best ambiance.

00:33:33.674 --> 00:33:36.994
ELIZABETH: I really, it's the second time I've been to Summer House.

00:33:36.994 --> 00:33:40.694
ELIZABETH: And somehow I liked it even more than I did the first time.

00:33:40.694 --> 00:33:48.174
ELIZABETH: It's just really, really growing in my list of favorites at Disney Springs, but also probably across property.

00:33:48.174 --> 00:33:49.094
VIRGINIA: For sure.

00:33:49.094 --> 00:33:51.634
VIRGINIA: What were some of the favorite things that you had?

00:33:51.634 --> 00:33:58.714
ELIZABETH: Yeah, we had the truffle fry appetizer, and that was delicious.

00:33:58.714 --> 00:34:00.994
ELIZABETH: They have a Brussels sprout on the menu.

00:34:00.994 --> 00:34:02.794
ELIZABETH: That was delicious.

00:34:02.794 --> 00:34:07.174
ELIZABETH: We did get like their Summer House variety rosé.

00:34:07.174 --> 00:34:13.134
ELIZABETH: We got a couple bottles of that, and it was crisp, refreshing, again, delicious.

00:34:13.494 --> 00:34:15.774
ELIZABETH: And then just, you know, all sorts of entrees.

00:34:15.774 --> 00:34:18.734
ELIZABETH: The girls loved their kids' meals.

00:34:18.734 --> 00:34:21.614
ELIZABETH: I mean, everything just felt just right.

00:34:21.614 --> 00:34:23.014
ELIZABETH: The salads, the wraps.

00:34:23.014 --> 00:34:28.994
ELIZABETH: I mean, they have a wide variety of a California style menu, and we just enjoyed everything that we had.

00:34:28.994 --> 00:34:33.994
ELIZABETH: But those truffle fries definitely stand out in my memory as the perfect start.

00:34:34.994 --> 00:34:37.434
VIRGINIA: Well, you know what my next question is?

00:34:37.434 --> 00:34:38.314
VIRGINIA: The cookie bar?

00:34:39.954 --> 00:34:40.674
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:34:40.674 --> 00:34:41.674
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:34:41.674 --> 00:34:43.494
ELIZABETH: Listeners, I really didn't know that.

00:34:43.754 --> 00:34:52.714
ELIZABETH: I just anticipated that because the cookie bar is another thing that I just like I'm growing in my appreciation for it and we absolutely did.

00:34:52.714 --> 00:35:17.914
ELIZABETH: In fact, so this is whatever, our 16, 17, 18 of our 10K day, so I was tired and I offered to take the girls to the cookie bar and then back to our resort while my mom and cousin and sister took a boat to Port Orleans French Quarter to get some Mickey Beignets which I also love.

00:35:17.914 --> 00:35:24.234
ELIZABETH: But we just got the almond cookie from Summer House which was delicious.

00:35:24.634 --> 00:35:49.894
ELIZABETH: The peanut butter cookie, the sprinkle cookie, and so the girls and I took those cookies, took them back to our villa at Saratoga Springs and did some face masks, watched Toy Story 3, had our cookies and just had a lovely little night in after Summer House while the other grown-ups went down to Port Orleans French Quarter.

00:35:49.894 --> 00:35:50.814
VIRGINIA: Oh, wow.

00:35:50.814 --> 00:35:52.014
VIRGINIA: Those cookies are so good.

00:35:52.434 --> 00:35:53.674
VIRGINIA: They're my type of cookie.

00:35:53.674 --> 00:35:57.014
VIRGINIA: I love a nice chewy cookie like that.

00:35:57.014 --> 00:36:00.134
VIRGINIA: And that almond one is so good.

00:36:00.134 --> 00:36:02.254
VIRGINIA: I had the peanut butter one this trip, too.

00:36:02.254 --> 00:36:04.314
VIRGINIA: I had, like, I think one bite of the sprinkled one.

00:36:04.314 --> 00:36:06.014
VIRGINIA: So I've had all the ones that you mentioned.

00:36:06.014 --> 00:36:07.434
VIRGINIA: Yes, yes.

00:36:07.434 --> 00:36:10.074
ELIZABETH: And we made them last for, like, three days.

00:36:10.074 --> 00:36:12.154
ELIZABETH: I mean, these are not small cookies.

00:36:12.154 --> 00:36:12.754
VIRGINIA: No, they're huge.

00:36:12.754 --> 00:36:15.554
ELIZABETH: This cookie bar is the size of...

00:36:15.554 --> 00:36:16.894
ELIZABETH: I was about hyperbole.

00:36:16.894 --> 00:36:20.294
ELIZABETH: It's not the size of a dinner plate, but they're big.

00:36:20.594 --> 00:36:22.354
VIRGINIA: It's the size of a bread plate.

00:36:22.354 --> 00:36:23.134
ELIZABETH: Right?

00:36:23.134 --> 00:36:23.574
ELIZABETH: Right.

00:36:23.574 --> 00:36:29.554
ELIZABETH: So we spread them out and just snacked on them all weekend long, and it was just delicious.

00:36:29.554 --> 00:36:31.114
VIRGINIA: So, so good.

00:36:31.114 --> 00:36:32.874
VIRGINIA: And they sell other things there, too.

00:36:32.874 --> 00:36:42.814
VIRGINIA: And I was so tempted to get the candle, because if you go to the restroom while you're there, they have the summer house candle burning, and so you can smell what it smells like.

00:36:43.394 --> 00:36:50.934
VIRGINIA: It smells so good, but candles are heavy, and I resisted because putting that in my luggage didn't sound like a great idea.

00:36:50.934 --> 00:36:51.854
ELIZABETH: We were the same.

00:36:51.854 --> 00:36:53.614
ELIZABETH: We had the same thoughts all weekend.

00:36:53.614 --> 00:36:54.754
ELIZABETH: We packed light.

00:36:54.754 --> 00:36:55.394
ELIZABETH: Oh, that's not true.

00:36:55.394 --> 00:37:02.094
ELIZABETH: I mean, like, we tried to pack light unsuccessfully, but did not have a whole lot of extra space in our luggage.

00:37:02.094 --> 00:37:02.454
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:37:02.454 --> 00:37:08.534
VIRGINIA: So what time did you all make it to bed that night after such a long day?

00:37:08.534 --> 00:37:22.574
ELIZABETH: I think the girls and I were in bed by 9 o'clock, and my mom and sister and cousin upon returning from Port Orleans French Quarter were very respectful and very quiet.

00:37:22.574 --> 00:37:27.794
ELIZABETH: I don't remember exactly what time they got in, not crazy late, maybe 10, 10.30.

00:37:27.794 --> 00:37:32.634
ELIZABETH: And yeah, I had a great, great rest that night.

00:37:32.634 --> 00:37:40.494
ELIZABETH: Not only to rest after our run Disney Princess 10K, but to prepare for Magic Kingdom all day the next day.

00:37:40.854 --> 00:37:41.174
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:37:41.174 --> 00:37:43.674
VIRGINIA: Well, let's start at the very beginning of the day.

00:37:43.674 --> 00:37:47.774
VIRGINIA: Just walk me through everything you did from the moment you got up.

00:37:47.774 --> 00:37:48.114
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:37:48.114 --> 00:37:48.874
ELIZABETH: Okay.

00:37:48.874 --> 00:38:00.954
ELIZABETH: So we tried to be very strategic and very planned when it came to going to Magic Kingdom that day because we knew that the half marathon was going on.

00:38:00.954 --> 00:38:09.714
ELIZABETH: So for listeners who don't know, it starts with the 5K, which Virginia attended, then it's the 10K, which Hope and I did, and then it's the half marathon the next day.

00:38:09.894 --> 00:38:15.274
ELIZABETH: So the races just get bigger and more populated as the weekend goes on.

00:38:15.274 --> 00:38:21.434
ELIZABETH: So we tried to be really strategic about getting to Magic Kingdom, knowing that roads would be closed, transportation might be limited.

00:38:21.434 --> 00:38:25.774
ELIZABETH: But even as strategic and planned as we tried to be, it wasn't enough.

00:38:25.774 --> 00:38:36.914
ELIZABETH: So we probably tried to get a minivan because we had an early reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table that we were really excited for.

00:38:36.914 --> 00:38:38.854
ELIZABETH: It was an eight o'clock reservation.

00:38:39.014 --> 00:38:44.334
ELIZABETH: So theoretically, we would have been among the first in the park for this breakfast reservation.

00:38:44.334 --> 00:38:50.154
ELIZABETH: But we tried to get minivan for up to an hour, I don't know, just unsuccessfully.

00:38:50.154 --> 00:38:53.874
ELIZABETH: It was so tricky because of the run.

00:38:53.874 --> 00:39:01.674
ELIZABETH: So we did eventually end up just going to the bus stop, you know, trying not to be too frustrated or too downtrodden.

00:39:01.674 --> 00:39:07.554
ELIZABETH: But just knowing that, what I do believe about Disney is that even when things go a bit awry, things will work out.

00:39:07.554 --> 00:39:13.214
ELIZABETH: Like if you keep your head up and keep your spirits as high as possible.

00:39:13.214 --> 00:39:21.254
ELIZABETH: And as some of our favorite YouTube vloggers would say, like, patient pants on, like more often than not, things will work out.

00:39:21.254 --> 00:39:33.494
ELIZABETH: So we got to that bus stop and sure enough, the very first bus to pull up for us was a Magic Kingdom figment bus, which was extra exciting for the girls.

00:39:34.014 --> 00:39:42.074
ELIZABETH: And so we got on that bus and a ride to Magic Kingdom from Saratoga Springs probably should have taken 20 minutes.

00:39:43.014 --> 00:39:48.694
ELIZABETH: But because of the run, I think we were on that bus for maybe 45.

00:39:48.694 --> 00:39:49.734
VIRGINIA: Oh, my word.

00:39:50.774 --> 00:40:00.134
ELIZABETH: So the morning was not what we anticipated it being in terms of plan, in terms of strategy, in terms of transportation.

00:40:00.134 --> 00:40:07.854
ELIZABETH: But Virginia, I wrote down, I wrote down in my notes a quote that we kind of kept reiterating and trying to manifest on this bus ride.

00:40:07.854 --> 00:40:18.234
ELIZABETH: And that is, even if it's taking us longer to get there than we anticipated, we are still on a figment bus to the magic kingdom.

00:40:18.234 --> 00:40:21.994
ELIZABETH: Like with some of the people we love most, like that's still a very magical thing.

00:40:21.994 --> 00:40:38.374
ELIZABETH: And I just think in any Disney trip, if, if we can just keep in mind how fortunate we are and how happy we are, and the fact that we are in the most magical place on Earth, I know that sounds so trite and cheesy, but I do think that that just kind of maintains the spirit that you want to carry with you.

00:40:38.374 --> 00:40:39.914
VIRGINIA: That's so true.

00:40:39.914 --> 00:41:00.054
VIRGINIA: And I know that that it's very easy, especially if you are taking a trip that is maybe once a year, once in a lifetime, that sort of thing, to let yourself get down when things don't go the way that you would hope they would, especially considering how much it costs to go to Disney.

00:41:00.054 --> 00:41:00.694
ELIZABETH: Absolutely.

00:41:00.694 --> 00:41:01.534
ELIZABETH: Absolutely.

00:41:01.534 --> 00:41:02.534
VIRGINIA: But you're right.

00:41:02.534 --> 00:41:12.014
VIRGINIA: Just take stock of who you have with you and the fact that you have the ability to be there at all, and there is still magic to be had.

00:41:12.714 --> 00:41:17.894
VIRGINIA: A Disney trip will never go 100% according to the way that you thought it would.

00:41:17.894 --> 00:41:18.494
ELIZABETH: Yep.

00:41:18.494 --> 00:41:19.994
ELIZABETH: And all your points are valid.

00:41:19.994 --> 00:41:21.954
ELIZABETH: And so frustration is valid, too.

00:41:21.954 --> 00:41:28.574
ELIZABETH: But I just think, yeah, carrying with you as much optimism as possible is always a good thing to have in your tool belt.

00:41:29.174 --> 00:41:29.454
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:41:29.454 --> 00:41:34.134
VIRGINIA: It's like, feel your feelings, but then wash it off and let yourself move on.

00:41:34.134 --> 00:41:34.334
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:41:34.334 --> 00:41:34.714
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:41:34.714 --> 00:41:36.014
VIRGINIA: Exactly.

00:41:36.014 --> 00:41:37.354
VIRGINIA: Spoken like a true teacher.

00:41:37.354 --> 00:41:37.694
VIRGINIA: Redirect.

00:41:37.694 --> 00:41:37.994
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:41:37.994 --> 00:41:38.714
ELIZABETH: Thank you.

00:41:38.714 --> 00:41:40.394
ELIZABETH: Thank you.

00:41:40.394 --> 00:41:42.554
ELIZABETH: So I feel like we did that well.

00:41:42.554 --> 00:41:43.834
ELIZABETH: Don't get me wrong.

00:41:43.834 --> 00:41:50.794
ELIZABETH: I was still, you know, my composure was intact, but my internal panic mechanisms were still firing.

00:41:50.794 --> 00:41:56.314
ELIZABETH: I was, you know, communicating with the chat on My Disney Experience saying, We are so late.

00:41:56.314 --> 00:41:57.774
ELIZABETH: This is taking so long.

00:41:57.774 --> 00:41:59.994
ELIZABETH: We're an hour past our reservation.

00:41:59.994 --> 00:42:03.474
ELIZABETH: Like we tried our best and they were just very reassuring.

00:42:03.834 --> 00:42:09.334
ELIZABETH: And again, reassured me in as many ways that they could, that everybody would accommodate us as much as we could.

00:42:09.334 --> 00:42:11.414
ELIZABETH: And sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

00:42:11.414 --> 00:42:16.554
ELIZABETH: We were able to get into Cinderella's Royal Table when we got there.

00:42:16.554 --> 00:42:20.014
ELIZABETH: But even before that, we got into the Magic Kingdom.

00:42:20.014 --> 00:42:31.794
ELIZABETH: And as we were walking up toward the castle, we made it in perfect time for Mickey and Minnie and the gang to be greeting us and welcoming us at that nine o'clock hour.

00:42:31.794 --> 00:42:45.034
ELIZABETH: So again, something that wouldn't have happened that way had we been on time was still a really, really wonderful way to walk into the Magic Kingdom with those girls.

00:42:45.034 --> 00:42:47.314
VIRGINIA: How did you enjoy your breakfast?

00:42:47.374 --> 00:42:49.434
ELIZABETH: Oh, easily.

00:42:51.074 --> 00:42:51.894
ELIZABETH: It was wonderful.

00:42:51.894 --> 00:43:07.554
ELIZABETH: The last time, the last and only other time we've been to Cinderella's Royal Table was probably 2021, when things had just started reopening from the pandemic.

00:43:07.734 --> 00:43:12.114
ELIZABETH: So Cinderella was greeting people, but the princesses were not there.

00:43:12.114 --> 00:43:15.614
ELIZABETH: So this was our first princess dining experience.

00:43:16.674 --> 00:43:17.254
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:43:17.254 --> 00:43:19.834
VIRGINIA: Were you wearing your medals?

00:43:19.834 --> 00:43:20.854
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:43:20.854 --> 00:43:21.214
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:43:21.214 --> 00:43:23.094
VIRGINIA: Because Jasmine comes in, right?

00:43:23.094 --> 00:43:23.974
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:43:23.974 --> 00:43:24.694
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:43:24.694 --> 00:43:24.814
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:43:24.814 --> 00:43:26.794
VIRGINIA: Was she impressed with your Jasmine medal?

00:43:26.794 --> 00:43:29.074
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:43:29.074 --> 00:43:33.094
ELIZABETH: Just ask just the right Jasmine questions.

00:43:34.954 --> 00:43:39.934
ELIZABETH: Jasmine remarks, very impressed that we'd made it through a 10K without a magic carpet.

00:43:39.934 --> 00:43:41.634
ELIZABETH: We must be so adventurous.

00:43:41.634 --> 00:43:42.874
ELIZABETH: We must be so brave.

00:43:42.874 --> 00:43:53.734
ELIZABETH: So all the right things to say, and it was such a fun interaction, and Hope actually had the idea on her own to have the princesses sign her 10K shirt.

00:43:53.734 --> 00:44:01.614
ELIZABETH: So her 10K shirt is full of all of the princesses from Cinderella's Royal Table, all of their signatures.

00:44:01.934 --> 00:44:03.514
VIRGINIA: That's a great idea.

00:44:03.514 --> 00:44:04.314
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:44:04.314 --> 00:44:16.774
VIRGINIA: After breakfast, I know that you were hoping to get a virtual queue for Tiana, and then you were trying to look at everyone's priorities and kind of decide what you were going to be doing for the day.

00:44:16.774 --> 00:44:17.014
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:44:17.014 --> 00:44:21.894
VIRGINIA: So what were you able to cram into this magical day?

00:44:21.894 --> 00:44:23.414
ELIZABETH: Right.

00:44:24.374 --> 00:44:36.934
ELIZABETH: I really did think that we were able to cram in and accommodate with compromise, of course, with flexibility, of course, a little bit of everyone's wishes.

00:44:36.934 --> 00:44:50.094
ELIZABETH: So my cousin and I and the girls were the ones, the four of us who did Cinderella's Royal Table, and my mom and sister had their own run-related transportation issues on their way to Magic Kingdom as well.

00:44:50.094 --> 00:44:51.074
ELIZABETH: So that wasn't unique.

00:44:51.074 --> 00:44:52.554
ELIZABETH: That was kind of a theme of the morning.

00:44:52.554 --> 00:45:01.314
ELIZABETH: But once they got there, they were able to do Seven Doors Mine train right away, and some other rides that they really wanted to prioritize.

00:45:01.314 --> 00:45:06.914
ELIZABETH: So we divided and conquered right away, but in a way that worked well for everybody.

00:45:07.134 --> 00:45:11.894
ELIZABETH: And after breakfast, they were still doing some rides and some of their own things.

00:45:11.894 --> 00:45:32.494
ELIZABETH: So Hope was really excited to introduce pixie dusting at Sir Mickey's to Emory, which is where you go to Sir Mickey's, and these lovely cast members do a little fairy mantra over the girls and sprinkle their heads with pixie dust or glitter.

00:45:32.494 --> 00:45:44.754
ELIZABETH: And then we even did the Disney Photo Pass there at Sir Mickey's with a glass slipper for Emory, who was dressed as Cinderella, and a magic lamp for Hope, who was dressed as Jasmine.

00:45:44.754 --> 00:45:59.334
ELIZABETH: So we just kind of still had some fun princess time, and then we met my mom and sister at Cinderella's carousel for our first ride all together, which just felt very princess-esque and very fitting.

00:45:59.334 --> 00:46:08.734
ELIZABETH: After that, we actually checked my Disney experience, and I think Seven Doors Mind Train was only listed as like a 40-minute wait.

00:46:08.734 --> 00:46:11.474
ELIZABETH: I think that there's give and take.

00:46:11.474 --> 00:46:19.954
ELIZABETH: While the transportation to Magic Kingdom on that half marathon day was tricky, the crowds were low, especially in the morning.

00:46:19.954 --> 00:46:31.314
ELIZABETH: So to have a 40-minute Seven Doors Mind Train queue well into park open is a gift that we just took advantage of.

00:46:31.314 --> 00:46:40.354
ELIZABETH: So my mom and sister gladly wrote it again, and the six of us all got to write it, and it was, I mean, I think it was a 40-minute posted wait, and we only waited 20.

00:46:40.354 --> 00:46:43.734
ELIZABETH: So it was easy and so fun.

00:46:43.734 --> 00:46:45.334
ELIZABETH: I love that ride.

00:46:45.334 --> 00:46:45.674
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:46:45.674 --> 00:46:46.894
VIRGINIA: It's so fun.

00:46:46.894 --> 00:46:47.734
ELIZABETH: Yeah.

00:46:47.734 --> 00:46:48.694
ELIZABETH: So that was great.

00:46:48.694 --> 00:46:55.234
ELIZABETH: And then after that, we went to Under the Sea with Ariel, which was posted as five minutes of the time.

00:46:55.234 --> 00:46:58.594
ELIZABETH: And I think it actually ended up being a 20-minute queue, which, whatever.

00:46:58.594 --> 00:46:59.394
ELIZABETH: We were together.

00:46:59.394 --> 00:47:00.594
ELIZABETH: We were having a great time.

00:47:00.594 --> 00:47:01.294
ELIZABETH: It was all fun.

00:47:01.294 --> 00:47:04.254
ELIZABETH: And like you, Virginia, Ariel is my favorite princess.

00:47:04.254 --> 00:47:10.774
ELIZABETH: So anytime I get to embrace that and experience that attraction is always a fun one.

00:47:10.774 --> 00:47:24.574
ELIZABETH: And then after that, my mom and sister had a mobile order at Columbia Harbor House, which I highly recommend anyone try if they like lobster rolls or shrimp or any classic seafood dishes like that.

00:47:24.574 --> 00:47:28.434
ELIZABETH: And my cousin and I and the younger girls just kind of took our time.

00:47:28.434 --> 00:47:29.374
ELIZABETH: We went to the restroom.

00:47:29.374 --> 00:47:30.314
ELIZABETH: We got some water.

00:47:30.674 --> 00:47:37.774
ELIZABETH: We just kind of took our time making our way to our Tiana's Bayou Adventure virtual queue.

00:47:37.774 --> 00:47:47.534
VIRGINIA: And the queue, I realized that as I was getting my notes ready for today, that was, was it the last day that they were doing virtual queue at all?

00:47:47.534 --> 00:47:48.734
ELIZABETH: I think it was.

00:47:48.734 --> 00:47:49.594
ELIZABETH: I think it was.

00:47:49.594 --> 00:47:57.854
ELIZABETH: I think it was the very next day that Walt Disney World scrapped the virtual queue for both Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy.

00:47:57.854 --> 00:47:58.474
ELIZABETH: Is that right?

00:47:59.754 --> 00:48:00.474
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:48:00.474 --> 00:48:04.714
ELIZABETH: I think those then became standby lines as soon as our trips were over.

00:48:04.714 --> 00:48:05.294
VIRGINIA: I know.

00:48:05.294 --> 00:48:05.694
VIRGINIA: I know.

00:48:05.694 --> 00:48:08.874
VIRGINIA: It was kind of like, well, gotta get this in before it goes away.

00:48:08.974 --> 00:48:12.614
ELIZABETH: And that was actually my first virtual queue experience.

00:48:12.954 --> 00:48:14.914
ELIZABETH: So I guess, I mean, yeah, silver lining.

00:48:15.214 --> 00:48:17.854
ELIZABETH: I was glad to experience that because I thought it was really slick.

00:48:17.854 --> 00:48:19.014
ELIZABETH: It worked really well.

00:48:19.014 --> 00:48:32.454
ELIZABETH: I think our total wait time for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, the virtual queue was only about 30 minutes, which to be honest, the first time I ever did that ride was during the Christmas Party in November.

00:48:32.454 --> 00:48:44.434
ELIZABETH: And so we just, because it was a Christmas Party, a little bit different situation, we just kind of raced through that queue, which was great, but also meant we didn't get to appreciate all the details.

00:48:44.434 --> 00:49:00.374
ELIZABETH: And there are so many details within that Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction, from the beignet recipe on her kitchen counter that my sister and cousin took a picture of, to all of these awards and accolades she'd received and all of these pictures.

00:49:00.374 --> 00:49:08.254
ELIZABETH: So I kind of appreciated the 30 minutes that we had to be in line and just kind of taking in the ambiance and environment that they have in that.

00:49:08.254 --> 00:49:10.854
VIRGINIA: Did you enjoy the ride that day?

00:49:10.854 --> 00:49:12.714
ELIZABETH: Oh, I loved the ride that day.

00:49:12.714 --> 00:49:16.954
ELIZABETH: And in fact, I feel like I liked it better the second time.

00:49:16.954 --> 00:49:21.774
ELIZABETH: So again, this was the second time I wrote it, the first time being the Christmas Party, which was the first time ever.

00:49:22.374 --> 00:49:26.034
ELIZABETH: So just to take it all in and try to understand the story.

00:49:26.034 --> 00:49:29.474
ELIZABETH: And, you know, the last time having written it been on Splash Mountain.

00:49:29.474 --> 00:49:37.534
ELIZABETH: Like I just felt like I appreciated it more and just kind of took it all in better the second time and I really enjoyed it.

00:49:37.534 --> 00:49:38.414
VIRGINIA: I love it.

00:49:38.834 --> 00:49:40.594
VIRGINIA: It is just so sweet.

00:49:40.594 --> 00:49:49.694
VIRGINIA: And I love the look of, I've always loved the look of a tree with the Spanish moss hanging off of it.

00:49:49.754 --> 00:49:53.414
VIRGINIA: So that's like a vibe I love in real life anyway.

00:49:53.414 --> 00:49:56.194
VIRGINIA: So that with the flowers and it's just so pretty.

00:49:56.194 --> 00:49:58.634
ELIZABETH: The fairy lights and lightning bugs.

00:49:58.634 --> 00:49:58.854
ELIZABETH: Yeah.

00:49:58.854 --> 00:50:00.174
ELIZABETH: It's very pretty.

00:50:00.174 --> 00:50:00.554
ELIZABETH: Very pretty.

00:50:00.554 --> 00:50:01.034
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:50:01.034 --> 00:50:04.174
VIRGINIA: I'm tempted by so much in that critter corner store.

00:50:04.174 --> 00:50:04.474
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:50:05.794 --> 00:50:10.514
VIRGINIA: But I don't think I ended up buying anything but it's a for, did I buy something?

00:50:10.514 --> 00:50:16.234
VIRGINIA: I don't even know, but there's a lot of really good stuff in there to take a peek at if you are in that area.

00:50:16.894 --> 00:50:19.974
VIRGINIA: Were you on your way to this ride when we saw each other?

00:50:19.974 --> 00:50:20.734
ELIZABETH: Not quite.

00:50:20.734 --> 00:50:33.074
ELIZABETH: So this was my first time ever, and I'm probably going to say this wrong again, which is par for the course, but this was my first time experiencing the new system.

00:50:33.614 --> 00:50:34.634
ELIZABETH: What is it called?

00:50:34.634 --> 00:50:35.534
VIRGINIA: Multipath.

00:50:35.534 --> 00:50:36.914
ELIZABETH: Thank you.

00:50:36.914 --> 00:50:39.594
ELIZABETH: Hope just said that at the same time you did.

00:50:39.594 --> 00:50:42.034
ELIZABETH: So yes, it was my first time experiencing the multipath.

00:50:42.134 --> 00:50:53.454
ELIZABETH: So we were headed toward, I believe, our first attraction for our multipaths, which was Pirates of the Caribbean.

00:50:53.454 --> 00:50:55.954
ELIZABETH: So we wanted to get to that.

00:50:55.954 --> 00:51:01.054
ELIZABETH: So we went and did Pirates of the Caribbean, which is always one of my favorites in the Magic Kingdom.

00:51:01.054 --> 00:51:06.354
ELIZABETH: Then it was after Pirates of the Caribbean that I was walking back through Adventureland.

00:51:06.354 --> 00:51:15.734
ELIZABETH: We were going to go back to Main Street and enjoy a Casey's Mint Julep Lemonade in the parade that I heard, Elizabeth.

00:51:15.734 --> 00:51:24.014
ELIZABETH: And I turned and listeners, it was our favorite podcast host, Virginia, saying my name, which was so exciting.

00:51:24.014 --> 00:51:25.494
VIRGINIA: And that's when we met.

00:51:25.494 --> 00:51:34.114
VIRGINIA: And that could not have been better timing because we were literally heading out to go back to Grand Floridian to go to the airport.

00:51:34.114 --> 00:51:36.414
VIRGINIA: So that was my last opportunity.

00:51:36.534 --> 00:51:40.914
VIRGINIA: I was like, if I don't see Elizabeth on the way out of this park, it's not happening.

00:51:40.914 --> 00:51:42.254
ELIZABETH: Again, magical.

00:51:42.254 --> 00:51:43.734
VIRGINIA: There it happened.

00:51:43.734 --> 00:51:44.654
ELIZABETH: Yeah.

00:51:44.654 --> 00:51:45.934
ELIZABETH: And it was so fun.

00:51:45.934 --> 00:51:48.714
ELIZABETH: It was just, yeah, it was serendipitous.

00:51:49.254 --> 00:51:50.894
ELIZABETH: It was perfectly magical timing.

00:51:50.894 --> 00:51:53.654
ELIZABETH: So I was very excited.

00:51:53.654 --> 00:51:57.274
ELIZABETH: And so I was with my cousin and her daughter and my daughter.

00:51:57.274 --> 00:51:59.294
ELIZABETH: So it was the four of us again.

00:51:59.294 --> 00:52:05.174
ELIZABETH: And I got to meet your husband and your son and got to exchange some little gifts I had got in.

00:52:05.174 --> 00:52:05.774
VIRGINIA: I know.

00:52:05.774 --> 00:52:06.894
VIRGINIA: Thank you so much.

00:52:06.894 --> 00:52:08.254
VIRGINIA: It's so cute.

00:52:08.254 --> 00:52:14.794
ELIZABETH: I had got in, Virginia, one of those little, for those of you who know, you know, Bath and Body Works Princess Collabs.

00:52:14.794 --> 00:52:23.034
ELIZABETH: I got her one of the aerial hand sanitizers and she gave me and all of our crew a Where I Long To Be podcast sticker, which I absolutely adore.

00:52:23.034 --> 00:52:27.034
ELIZABETH: So it was just, it was my favorite meet and greet of the weekend, Virginia.

00:52:27.034 --> 00:52:29.534
ELIZABETH: But it was a quick, it was a quick meet and greet.

00:52:29.534 --> 00:52:33.014
ELIZABETH: But I'm excited to see that picture we took again in the show notes.

00:52:33.334 --> 00:52:35.754
VIRGINIA: Yeah, yeah, no, it was, it was amazing.

00:52:35.754 --> 00:52:48.574
VIRGINIA: I love meeting people in the park and especially people that I've actually gotten to sit down and talk to and because it, even though you're meeting for the first time in person, it just feels like running into an old friend.

00:52:48.574 --> 00:52:50.374
VIRGINIA: And it really does.

00:52:50.374 --> 00:52:51.354
VIRGINIA: It's so cool.

00:52:51.354 --> 00:52:52.434
VIRGINIA: It's so cool.

00:52:52.434 --> 00:52:54.594
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:52:54.594 --> 00:52:55.394
VIRGINIA: Good times, good times.

00:52:55.394 --> 00:52:57.254
VIRGINIA: And thank you so much for the gift.

00:52:57.254 --> 00:53:03.254
VIRGINIA: I still haven't made it into the Bath and Body Works because I just have not had time lately.

00:53:03.254 --> 00:53:05.074
VIRGINIA: I want to go smell all the scents.

00:53:05.074 --> 00:53:05.834
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:53:05.834 --> 00:53:06.514
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:53:06.514 --> 00:53:07.094
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:53:07.094 --> 00:53:11.054
ELIZABETH: It's a little easier for me given where I live and the accessibility.

00:53:12.194 --> 00:53:12.994
ELIZABETH: But I went on that.

00:53:12.994 --> 00:53:15.694
VIRGINIA: We have a Bath and Body Works store in my neighborhood.

00:53:15.694 --> 00:53:16.114
ELIZABETH: Okay.

00:53:16.114 --> 00:53:16.474
ELIZABETH: Well.

00:53:16.474 --> 00:53:19.914
VIRGINIA: It's literally like it would take me 10 minutes to walk there.

00:53:19.914 --> 00:53:20.514
ELIZABETH: Okay.

00:53:20.514 --> 00:53:22.454
VIRGINIA: I just haven't had the chance yet.

00:53:22.454 --> 00:53:23.214
ELIZABETH: I get it.

00:53:23.214 --> 00:53:23.754
ELIZABETH: I get it.

00:53:23.754 --> 00:53:25.334
ELIZABETH: But it is really fun.

00:53:25.334 --> 00:53:25.874
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:53:25.874 --> 00:53:26.354
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:53:26.674 --> 00:53:28.734
VIRGINIA: I love that store most times of the year.

00:53:29.574 --> 00:53:31.814
VIRGINIA: I'm a scent person.

00:53:32.334 --> 00:53:33.294
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:53:33.294 --> 00:53:35.974
VIRGINIA: What else did you get done this day?

00:53:35.974 --> 00:53:36.534
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:53:36.534 --> 00:53:40.374
ELIZABETH: So after we met, we did head over to Main Street.

00:53:40.374 --> 00:53:46.754
ELIZABETH: It was time with the girls to just kind of take a sit and take a rest and take a break.

00:53:46.754 --> 00:53:48.274
ELIZABETH: We'd been doing a lot.

00:53:48.274 --> 00:53:54.094
ELIZABETH: So we headed over to Main Street and got a snack at one of those Main Street carts.

00:53:54.234 --> 00:53:58.094
ELIZABETH: We went for the Mickey Pretzel and the popcorn.

00:53:58.094 --> 00:54:01.854
ELIZABETH: But I have to say, and again, some of your listeners might know exactly what I'm talking about.

00:54:01.854 --> 00:54:03.534
ELIZABETH: For those who don't, I would recommend it.

00:54:03.534 --> 00:54:09.114
ELIZABETH: But my cousin picked up those candy nuts from that same snack cart, and they were delicious.

00:54:09.114 --> 00:54:17.774
ELIZABETH: I will seek them out every time I'm back in the Magic Kingdom, like candy pecans or cashews or walnuts or something.

00:54:17.774 --> 00:54:19.394
ELIZABETH: But they were absolutely delicious.

00:54:19.394 --> 00:54:21.174
ELIZABETH: So we got a snack.

00:54:21.714 --> 00:54:29.474
ELIZABETH: Timing was perfect, where we were able to stand in kind of a little castle alcove and watch the Friendship Fair.

00:54:29.474 --> 00:54:36.094
ELIZABETH: Then we went and got our Casey's Mint Julep Lemonades, which is always a good tradition, one that we enjoy.

00:54:36.094 --> 00:54:38.614
ELIZABETH: We sat, rested, and snacked for a bit.

00:54:38.614 --> 00:54:49.654
ELIZABETH: And then we joined a curb and watched the 3 o'clock parade and just really enjoyed slowing down for a bit, mid-afternoon, to enjoy all of that.

00:54:51.694 --> 00:54:54.314
VIRGINIA: How were you feeling at this point?

00:54:54.314 --> 00:55:05.794
VIRGINIA: Because you've done a lot in this day already, but after having the busy day you had the day before and the travel day before that, yes, was that all catching up to you?

00:55:05.794 --> 00:55:07.274
ELIZABETH: Maybe a little bit.

00:55:07.274 --> 00:55:11.654
ELIZABETH: And in a blessed way, it was getting very warm.

00:55:11.654 --> 00:55:25.014
ELIZABETH: You know, we complained about the cold, you know, a mere whatever, 28, 30 hours prior, but then it was getting very warm in the Main Street sun.

00:55:25.014 --> 00:55:37.414
ELIZABETH: But I still feel like given that we had a relatively short amount of time there, we were still very much planning on and energized as much as possible to take advantage of the rest of the day.

00:55:37.414 --> 00:55:52.974
ELIZABETH: So after the parade, we had another multi-pass attraction for Peter Pan, which is such a classic, such a fun one, but not one that I want to stand in a big, long, normal queue for.

00:55:52.974 --> 00:55:57.514
ELIZABETH: So that was super, super fun to experience through the multi-pass.

00:55:57.514 --> 00:55:59.154
ELIZABETH: So we did that.

00:55:59.154 --> 00:56:04.014
ELIZABETH: And then we had our next multi-pass attraction at Haunted Mansion.

00:56:04.014 --> 00:56:09.634
ELIZABETH: Again, a classic, I mean, one that we all just enjoyed so much.

00:56:09.634 --> 00:56:10.674
ELIZABETH: So we did that.

00:56:10.834 --> 00:56:18.434
ELIZABETH: And then we were kind of at a place where it was like, okay, how much do we keep doing?

00:56:18.434 --> 00:56:20.694
ELIZABETH: This was four, four-thirty.

00:56:20.694 --> 00:56:24.494
ELIZABETH: We could have kept stacking and maximizing that multi-pass.

00:56:24.494 --> 00:56:29.894
ELIZABETH: And we did, I believe we added like Buzz Lightyear and some other attractions.

00:56:29.894 --> 00:56:44.114
ELIZABETH: But we also had a dinner reservation at Tony's Town Square Restaurant, which is one of our absolute favorite places to go, honestly, in all of Walt Disney World, but especially at Magic Kingdom.

00:56:44.114 --> 00:56:47.734
ELIZABETH: My cousin and her daughter are big Lady and the Tramp fans.

00:56:47.734 --> 00:56:51.234
ELIZABETH: They had these adorable customized Lady and the Tramp sweatshirts.

00:56:51.234 --> 00:57:04.334
ELIZABETH: So it's something we were very much all looking forward to, and kind of left it open to, we'll just kind of see how we feel after dinner in terms of, do we keep going hard at Magic Kingdom or do we kind of wrap things up?

00:57:04.534 --> 00:57:12.554
ELIZABETH: So we headed to Tony's Town Square and had as fabulous, honestly, a time there as we always do.

00:57:12.554 --> 00:57:16.294
VIRGINIA: So how long did you last after that?

00:57:16.294 --> 00:57:20.574
VIRGINIA: Because I wrote down, we want to do Happily Ever After.

00:57:20.574 --> 00:57:22.454
ELIZABETH: I know, Virginia.

00:57:23.554 --> 00:57:24.994
ELIZABETH: I did.

00:57:27.954 --> 00:57:31.454
ELIZABETH: We had an absolutely wonderful time at Tony's.

00:57:31.454 --> 00:57:34.674
ELIZABETH: Let's just say it this way, it was the perfect end cap.

00:57:34.674 --> 00:57:39.014
ELIZABETH: It was the perfect night cap to our time at Magic Kingdom.

00:57:39.014 --> 00:57:41.574
ELIZABETH: So we did not make it to Happily Ever After.

00:57:41.574 --> 00:57:43.134
ELIZABETH: But that's okay.

00:57:44.314 --> 00:57:52.594
ELIZABETH: Again, I think another recipe, another piece of the recipe for success at Disney World is to know your limits also.

00:57:52.594 --> 00:57:55.314
ELIZABETH: And I felt this our last trip too, last trip.

00:57:55.314 --> 00:57:56.454
ELIZABETH: And we talked about this.

00:57:56.454 --> 00:58:04.954
ELIZABETH: I really wanted to see Phantasmic with the family, but you get to that late at night, especially with kids, especially after long days.

00:58:04.954 --> 00:58:17.994
ELIZABETH: And for me, I always feel like, you know, it'll probably be a more enjoyable evening if we pivot a bit and readjust our expectations and do something different than if we really, really, really try to push it.

00:58:17.994 --> 00:58:18.914
VIRGINIA: I totally agree.

00:58:19.154 --> 00:58:25.974
VIRGINIA: It's very easy to just feel like you should continue pushing hard because you're at Disney.

00:58:25.974 --> 00:58:26.614
ELIZABETH: Yes.

00:58:26.614 --> 00:58:27.514
ELIZABETH: And I get that.

00:58:28.294 --> 00:58:29.794
VIRGINIA: Yeah, I get it.

00:58:29.794 --> 00:58:37.354
VIRGINIA: But I hear what you're saying when even something as simple as saying, you know, I'm just really tired.

00:58:37.354 --> 00:58:45.514
VIRGINIA: I think I'm just gonna head back to the resort and sit and watch some, you know, whatever the resort TV station is.

00:58:45.514 --> 00:58:53.394
VIRGINIA: And that will bring you a lot more peace and joy than getting in two or three more rides.

00:58:53.694 --> 00:58:54.274
ELIZABETH: Absolutely.

00:58:54.274 --> 00:58:59.834
ELIZABETH: And here's the thing that is a piece of the puzzle of what keeps me coming back.

00:58:59.834 --> 00:59:04.234
ELIZABETH: And that is that there is Disney magic across that entire park.

00:59:04.234 --> 00:59:08.774
ELIZABETH: So yes, well, Happily Ever After is incredibly touching and magical.

00:59:08.774 --> 00:59:24.554
ELIZABETH: And I'm sad that we didn't do it, but like we went back and got a cocktail from the Turf Club bar and took it to the community hall where the girls colored some crafts and it was just more quiet and more calm.

00:59:24.554 --> 00:59:27.794
ELIZABETH: Like there was so much love and magic in that.

00:59:27.794 --> 00:59:37.574
ELIZABETH: So I think it is again, being able to pivot and take advantage of all that is available to you across the parks, even if it's not what you planned.

00:59:37.574 --> 00:59:39.074
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:59:39.074 --> 00:59:39.914
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:59:39.914 --> 00:59:45.974
VIRGINIA: Did you do anything else this day or are we ready to head into Monday the 24th, your departure day?

00:59:45.974 --> 00:59:46.414
ELIZABETH: Right.

00:59:46.414 --> 00:59:48.694
ELIZABETH: I mean, we did the community hall, which was awesome.

00:59:48.694 --> 00:59:55.374
ELIZABETH: That's one of my favorite things probably about a deluxe resort is that they have that amenity, which is a space where you can go.

00:59:55.374 --> 00:59:57.754
ELIZABETH: And they're staffed by amazing cast members.

00:59:57.754 --> 01:00:03.894
ELIZABETH: They have these awesome crafts at Saratoga Springs Community Hall.

01:00:03.894 --> 01:00:05.114
ELIZABETH: I hadn't seen this before.

01:00:05.114 --> 01:00:12.054
ELIZABETH: They had these black and white magnets of all of these Disney characters for free that you could color.

01:00:12.054 --> 01:00:22.014
ELIZABETH: So honestly, we hardly spent any money there because they're free crafts and opportunities were so fun and engaging for the girls that, again, the adults just sipped on a cocktail.

01:00:22.014 --> 01:00:34.754
ELIZABETH: The girls did their crafts and then we walked back and just had a nice night resting and reflecting on our trip and anticipating getting up the next day to pack, unfortunately.

01:00:34.754 --> 01:00:35.354
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

01:00:35.354 --> 01:00:40.734
VIRGINIA: For your return flight, you were flying out of Sanford, which is a little different.

01:00:40.734 --> 01:00:45.794
VIRGINIA: I can't remember if I asked you during the pre-trip, have you ever flown in or out of Sanford before this?

01:00:46.294 --> 01:00:57.214
ELIZABETH: Yes, we have because there is an airline called Allegiant that we like a lot coming and going from Omaha because they have very inexpensive tickets.

01:00:57.214 --> 01:01:06.414
ELIZABETH: Honestly, some of the service is a little different or I suppose objectively a little less, but we really enjoyed our experience there this time.

01:01:06.414 --> 01:01:09.294
ELIZABETH: It felt a little less crowded, a little less chaotic.

01:01:09.294 --> 01:01:11.234
ELIZABETH: It felt really clean, really spacious.

01:01:11.234 --> 01:01:12.434
ELIZABETH: We really enjoyed it.

01:01:13.474 --> 01:01:23.854
ELIZABETH: Yes, while the ground transportation from Walt Disney World to Sanford is a little longer, it felt worth it given the price and the experience we had.

01:01:23.854 --> 01:01:24.434
VIRGINIA: Okay.

01:01:24.434 --> 01:01:30.974
VIRGINIA: Did you have time to do anything at the resort that morning, given the added time?

01:01:30.974 --> 01:01:32.734
ELIZABETH: Yes, we did.

01:01:32.734 --> 01:01:40.454
ELIZABETH: Our flight back wasn't until about three in the afternoon, which was really nice, and it was a direct flight getting back in to Omaha by six.

01:01:41.614 --> 01:01:48.674
ELIZABETH: It felt kind of ideal because it gave us time to take our time packing, and it kind of is amazing.

01:01:48.674 --> 01:01:56.774
ELIZABETH: Though again, I'm sure people will understand with four women and two girls, like how much you can spread out over three days.

01:01:56.774 --> 01:02:06.334
ELIZABETH: We really took all the time that we had to pack back up, but not having to check out until 11, not having to leave the resort until about one.

01:02:06.714 --> 01:02:35.354
ELIZABETH: We were able to actually pack up, call Bell Services, and they were so wonderful to take our things back to the carriage house, and we walked over to Disney Springs one last time, and did one more round of World of Disney shop there, and got some last-minute souvenirs, and then we actually went to a spot that my parents had been on our last trip, and really enjoyed, and have been talking to us about, and that's Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar.

01:02:36.254 --> 01:02:37.854
ELIZABETH: Have you ever been there?

01:02:37.854 --> 01:02:54.194
VIRGINIA: I have not, and I have recently interviewed someone, I cannot recall who it was, who went there, and really enjoyed it, and I keep saying, I need to go, because I have two very big Indiana Jones fans in this house with me.

01:02:54.194 --> 01:02:55.874
ELIZABETH: They would love it.

01:02:55.874 --> 01:02:58.134
VIRGINIA: And I should say three, because I like it too.

01:02:58.134 --> 01:02:59.974
ELIZABETH: Right, include yourself.

01:02:59.974 --> 01:03:14.674
ELIZABETH: Yes, so that was kind of, it was a rainy day, but it was still kind of the perfect ending, to be able to still take our time in the morning, enjoy our resort, get over to Disney Springs, experience this new place that I've never been to before.

01:03:14.674 --> 01:03:15.474
ELIZABETH: It was super fun.

01:03:15.474 --> 01:03:16.774
ELIZABETH: We really enjoyed that.

01:03:16.774 --> 01:03:28.094
ELIZABETH: And after that, we were able to walk back to Saratoga Springs, and my mom had reserved Orlando Magical Rides again for the way back to Sanford.

01:03:28.094 --> 01:03:33.174
ELIZABETH: And it was a super comfortable, super easy transport back.

01:03:33.174 --> 01:03:34.734
VIRGINIA: Okay.

01:03:34.734 --> 01:03:38.454
VIRGINIA: Well, I think we are ready for our special guest.

01:03:38.454 --> 01:03:39.294
ELIZABETH: She's ready.

01:03:39.294 --> 01:03:40.534
ELIZABETH: She's been very patient.

01:03:40.534 --> 01:03:42.114
ELIZABETH: Thank you so much.

01:03:43.854 --> 01:03:45.954
VIRGINIA: Welcome to the podcast, Hope.

01:03:45.954 --> 01:03:47.734
HOPE: Thanks.

01:03:47.734 --> 01:03:49.894
VIRGINIA: I love your shirt, first of all.

01:03:49.894 --> 01:03:55.014
VIRGINIA: It says Girl Squad for the listeners, and has three princesses on it.

01:03:55.014 --> 01:03:56.854
VIRGINIA: But I want to know which one is your favorite.

01:03:56.854 --> 01:03:57.854
VIRGINIA: And I think I know the answer.

01:03:58.634 --> 01:04:00.194
HOPE: Jasmine in the middle.

01:04:00.194 --> 01:04:01.494
VIRGINIA: That's what I thought.

01:04:01.494 --> 01:04:06.874
VIRGINIA: Is that one of the reasons that you wanted to do the 10K because you knew it was her race?

01:04:06.874 --> 01:04:07.654
HOPE: Yeah.

01:04:07.654 --> 01:04:13.234
HOPE: But also like the 5K, it is easier and it does take less energy.

01:04:13.234 --> 01:04:17.074
HOPE: But we were ready to do the 5K again once we finished it.

01:04:17.074 --> 01:04:19.714
VIRGINIA: Did you do anything to get ready for it?

01:04:19.714 --> 01:04:24.394
HOPE: Basically, all we did was blue eyeliner for me.

01:04:24.394 --> 01:04:26.754
HOPE: And then we put on our clothes.

01:04:27.014 --> 01:04:32.014
HOPE: And then that was pretty much it because we already had our hair done.

01:04:32.014 --> 01:04:35.534
HOPE: That we slept with like the night before.

01:04:35.534 --> 01:04:38.134
VIRGINIA: That was a good idea to prepare it the night before.

01:04:38.134 --> 01:04:40.414
VIRGINIA: Because that is such an early morning.

01:04:40.414 --> 01:04:43.954
VIRGINIA: So did you get right out of bed when it was time to get out of bed?

01:04:43.954 --> 01:04:47.794
VIRGINIA: Or did your mom have to coerce you to get out of bed?

01:04:47.794 --> 01:04:49.874
VIRGINIA: Because it was time to get up and run.

01:04:49.874 --> 01:04:51.734
HOPE: She had to coerce me.

01:04:53.814 --> 01:04:55.014
VIRGINIA: But it was worth it, right?

01:04:55.254 --> 01:04:57.714
HOPE: Yeah, definitely worth it.

01:04:57.714 --> 01:05:01.794
VIRGINIA: So now you've done a 5K, you've done a 10K.

01:05:01.794 --> 01:05:08.814
VIRGINIA: The next step up in the running world at Disney, anyway, at least, is a half marathon.

01:05:08.814 --> 01:05:11.754
HOPE: You do have to be 13 for that, though.

01:05:11.754 --> 01:05:12.574
VIRGINIA: Oh, I see.

01:05:12.574 --> 01:05:13.734
VIRGINIA: You've researched it.

01:05:13.734 --> 01:05:14.934
HOPE: Three more years.

01:05:14.934 --> 01:05:16.574
VIRGINIA: Okay, three more years.

01:05:16.574 --> 01:05:18.874
VIRGINIA: So that's three more years of training.

01:05:18.874 --> 01:05:20.914
VIRGINIA: You'll be ready to go by the time it happens.

01:05:20.914 --> 01:05:21.954
HOPE: Probably.

01:05:21.954 --> 01:05:24.334
VIRGINIA: Do you think you could convince your mom to do one with you?

01:05:24.854 --> 01:05:26.834
VIRGINIA: No.

01:05:26.834 --> 01:05:31.794
HOPE: I think that's the highest we'll ever go until I'm like 15 or something.

01:05:31.794 --> 01:05:40.394
VIRGINIA: If you're 13, are you able to do the run by yourself, or do you have to wait for an adult to be willing to do it with you?

01:05:40.394 --> 01:05:50.534
HOPE: I think that you have to be 20 or over to sign up, but I think as like 15 and 16, you can do it by yourself.

01:05:50.574 --> 01:05:55.094
VIRGINIA: So you could run by yourself like you're adult, you could leave them behind.

01:05:55.094 --> 01:05:55.694
HOPE: Yeah.

01:05:55.694 --> 01:05:57.354
VIRGINIA: So that's what my son did to me.

01:05:57.354 --> 01:05:59.394
VIRGINIA: So my son is 14 and a half.

01:05:59.394 --> 01:06:01.254
VIRGINIA: We did the 5K together.

01:06:01.254 --> 01:06:05.194
VIRGINIA: And the minute they said go, he said, bye.

01:06:05.194 --> 01:06:07.714
VIRGINIA: And he took off.

01:06:07.714 --> 01:06:10.374
VIRGINIA: And he met us at the end.

01:06:10.374 --> 01:06:12.934
HOPE: How far was he ahead of you?

01:06:12.934 --> 01:06:14.614
VIRGINIA: I don't know.

01:06:14.874 --> 01:06:19.854
VIRGINIA: I have no idea how much time passed between when he finished the race and when we crossed the finish line.

01:06:20.454 --> 01:06:25.134
VIRGINIA: I know that at one point I was tracking him.

01:06:25.134 --> 01:06:32.134
VIRGINIA: And we were in sort of like the test track area to come in and go around World Showcase.

01:06:32.134 --> 01:06:36.214
VIRGINIA: And I looked at him on my phone because I can track and see where he is.

01:06:36.214 --> 01:06:39.374
VIRGINIA: And he was almost in the UK.

01:06:39.374 --> 01:06:42.234
VIRGINIA: So he was pretty far ahead.

01:06:42.234 --> 01:06:46.994
HOPE: Yeah, I would say he about finished like about 30 minutes before you got here.

01:06:46.994 --> 01:06:48.174
VIRGINIA: Maybe, maybe.

01:06:48.174 --> 01:06:54.234
VIRGINIA: I mean, to be fair, we were walk jogging, but mostly walking.

01:06:54.234 --> 01:06:58.434
VIRGINIA: Yeah, because I had been sick like a week or two before.

01:06:58.434 --> 01:07:03.114
VIRGINIA: So I did not have the ability to run if I had wanted to.

01:07:03.114 --> 01:07:10.394
HOPE: We mostly walked because like in January, I had like, I sprained my ankle.

01:07:10.454 --> 01:07:11.274
VIRGINIA: Oh, okay.

01:07:11.274 --> 01:07:15.734
HOPE: And it's been like hurting on and on like a lot of times.

01:07:16.754 --> 01:07:20.274
VIRGINIA: What was your favorite thing you did on this trip besides the run?

01:07:20.274 --> 01:07:23.614
HOPE: Probably spending time with my cousin.

01:07:23.614 --> 01:07:23.854
VIRGINIA: Okay.

01:07:23.854 --> 01:07:29.694
HOPE: Because we don't really get to like see each other that often, because we're all so busy.

01:07:29.694 --> 01:07:30.674
VIRGINIA: Oh, yeah.

01:07:30.674 --> 01:07:31.334
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

01:07:31.334 --> 01:07:40.534
VIRGINIA: It gets hard when you're in school and you have lots of responsibilities with your school activities, your after-school activities, your family commitments.

01:07:40.534 --> 01:07:44.094
VIRGINIA: I totally get it, even if you do live close together.

01:07:44.094 --> 01:07:46.614
VIRGINIA: What was your favorite ride you did?

01:07:46.614 --> 01:08:03.594
HOPE: Probably Tiana's, but saying that we didn't have a rain poncho, so my grandma put hers around my arm, and then after the picture was taken, I automatically ducked down.

01:08:05.254 --> 01:08:06.894
VIRGINIA: Were you in the front or the back of the boat?

01:08:07.674 --> 01:08:11.174
HOPE: We were in the middle, the old front.

01:08:12.294 --> 01:08:18.654
VIRGINIA: You get very wet in the front, even more than you did when it was Splash Mountain, in my opinion.

01:08:18.654 --> 01:08:28.454
VIRGINIA: Because we wore ponchos, we were in the front row, and when the splash came over, we had a pool of water in our laps on top of our poncho.

01:08:28.454 --> 01:08:30.714
VIRGINIA: I was like, thank goodness this poncho was here.

01:08:30.714 --> 01:08:33.474
VIRGINIA: Otherwise, I would just totally be soaked.

01:08:33.474 --> 01:08:34.634
HOPE: You would have to change.

01:08:34.634 --> 01:08:35.574
HOPE: You would have to change.

01:08:35.874 --> 01:08:37.014
VIRGINIA: Exactly.

01:08:37.014 --> 01:08:45.754
VIRGINIA: When I wrote it the time before that, I think I specifically asked if I could be in the back of the boat because I did not want to get wet.

01:08:45.754 --> 01:08:52.114
VIRGINIA: Pro tip, if you don't want to get wet that day, ask them for the back and they will wait and put you towards the back.

01:08:52.114 --> 01:08:58.554
HOPE: But a lot of the time, the front and the back get soaking wet because the front gets just coming straight on you.

01:08:58.554 --> 01:09:03.574
HOPE: But the back, you get the water from the back going on to you.

01:09:04.454 --> 01:09:07.634
HOPE: So, I feel like the middle is where you stay the driest.

01:09:07.634 --> 01:09:08.194
VIRGINIA: Okay.

01:09:08.194 --> 01:09:08.594
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:09:08.594 --> 01:09:14.814
VIRGINIA: I will have to give that one a go next time because I think I've only ever been in the front or the back, never in the middle.

01:09:14.814 --> 01:09:18.154
VIRGINIA: So I'll give it a try and I will let you know.

01:09:18.154 --> 01:09:21.474
VIRGINIA: When do you think will be the next time you might go down to Disney?

01:09:21.474 --> 01:09:23.694
VIRGINIA: Do you have any idea of plans?

01:09:23.754 --> 01:09:27.214
HOPE: Actually the next time that we are going down is with my grandma.

01:09:28.174 --> 01:09:38.574
HOPE: In July, me, my brother, and my mom are staying at Caribbean Beach while my dad and grandpa are going to Switzerland, Switzerland.

01:09:38.574 --> 01:09:39.634
HOPE: Oh, okay.

01:09:39.634 --> 01:09:40.974
VIRGINIA: Wow.

01:09:40.974 --> 01:09:41.914
VIRGINIA: That's exciting.

01:09:41.914 --> 01:09:44.574
VIRGINIA: Have you stayed at Caribbean Beach before?

01:09:44.574 --> 01:09:45.394
HOPE: No.

01:09:45.394 --> 01:09:50.654
HOPE: Our goal is to get every single time we go to Disney, if we stay at a different resort.

01:09:50.654 --> 01:09:52.654
HOPE: So we haven't stayed at this one yet.

01:09:52.654 --> 01:09:53.654
VIRGINIA: Okay.

01:09:53.654 --> 01:09:57.074
VIRGINIA: It's a lot of fun because you have access to the Skyliner.

01:09:57.074 --> 01:10:11.154
VIRGINIA: And in July, I'm going to guess you're going to want to take advantage of the pool and they have a good pool because I don't think I heard anything in your mom's plans about the pool getting used on this last trip.

01:10:11.154 --> 01:10:12.574
VIRGINIA: And I was there too.

01:10:12.574 --> 01:10:13.834
VIRGINIA: And it was just too cold.

01:10:13.994 --> 01:10:18.754
HOPE: We used to like once, but I think that was like the hottest day on the trip.

01:10:19.454 --> 01:10:19.934
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

01:10:19.934 --> 01:10:21.514
VIRGINIA: Well, at least you got to use it once.

01:10:21.514 --> 01:10:25.674
VIRGINIA: It was felt too cold to me to get in the entire time.

01:10:25.674 --> 01:10:27.294
VIRGINIA: I wanted to get in the hot tub too.

01:10:27.294 --> 01:10:32.494
VIRGINIA: And the hot tub was not available at the resort I was staying at because they were fixing it.

01:10:32.494 --> 01:10:37.034
HOPE: The hot tub was like the thing that me and my cousin stayed in most.

01:10:37.134 --> 01:10:43.694
HOPE: So like we started at the like pool and then just to get like used to that.

01:10:43.694 --> 01:10:49.154
HOPE: And then we went to the hot tub to get warmed up because the pool was like cold.

01:10:49.154 --> 01:10:50.934
HOPE: The pool was cold.

01:10:50.934 --> 01:10:53.854
VIRGINIA: Well, it has been so nice chatting with you, Hope.

01:10:53.854 --> 01:10:56.294
VIRGINIA: Thank you so much for taking the time to be on here with me.

01:10:56.294 --> 01:11:00.614
VIRGINIA: I hope that maybe next time if your mom's on again, maybe you can make another appearance.

01:11:00.614 --> 01:11:01.894
HOPE: I would like that.

01:11:01.894 --> 01:11:02.634
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:11:02.634 --> 01:11:03.874
VIRGINIA: Well, thank you so much.

01:11:03.874 --> 01:11:06.234
VIRGINIA: And I hope you have a magical rest of your night.

01:11:06.714 --> 01:11:07.874
HOPE: I will.

01:11:09.074 --> 01:11:10.294
ELIZABETH: Thank you so much.

01:11:10.294 --> 01:11:11.434
VIRGINIA: Oh, she's so sweet.

01:11:11.434 --> 01:11:14.894
VIRGINIA: And thank you for coming on the show again.

01:11:14.894 --> 01:11:17.614
VIRGINIA: You are always a lot of fun to talk to.

01:11:17.614 --> 01:11:19.974
VIRGINIA: And I hope that you will continue to come on.

01:11:19.974 --> 01:11:21.294
ELIZABETH: Thank you, Virginia.

01:11:21.294 --> 01:11:24.394
ELIZABETH: I love coming on and I love listening to your podcast.

01:11:24.394 --> 01:11:26.414
ELIZABETH: I love hearing other guest stories.

01:11:26.414 --> 01:11:31.954
ELIZABETH: And it's just really fun to share in the magic and memories of a really special place.

01:11:31.954 --> 01:11:32.774
ELIZABETH: So thank you for that.

01:11:34.554 --> 01:11:40.254
VIRGINIA: Well, until we talk again, I hope that your world continues to be magical.

01:11:40.654 --> 01:11:42.894
VIRGINIA: And I know it will be because you are magical.

01:11:42.894 --> 01:11:44.634
ELIZABETH: Oh, thank you for that.

01:11:44.634 --> 01:11:46.614
ELIZABETH: Thank you so much for having us.

01:11:46.614 --> 01:11:47.074
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:11:47.074 --> 01:11:48.874
VIRGINIA: We will talk again soon.

01:11:50.054 --> 01:11:53.214
VIRGINIA: Thank you again to both Elizabeth and Hope.

01:11:53.214 --> 01:11:57.914
VIRGINIA: You two are just a delight and are welcome back at any time.

01:11:57.914 --> 01:11:59.694
VIRGINIA: That is all for today.

01:11:59.694 --> 01:12:02.714
VIRGINIA: They say that March comes in like a lion and it goes out like a lamb.

01:12:02.954 --> 01:12:10.574
VIRGINIA: So, I am wishing you a beautiful week and hope that in your neck of the woods, Mother Nature won't pull the wool over your eyes.

01:12:10.574 --> 01:12:11.614
VIRGINIA: Get it?

01:12:11.614 --> 01:12:15.514
VIRGINIA: Yeah, you get it.

01:12:15.514 --> 01:12:17.614
VIRGINIA: Okay, that's enough puns for one outro.

01:12:17.614 --> 01:12:19.754
VIRGINIA: Keep daydreaming about where you long to be.