Post-Trip Report: Katie’s runDisney Spirit Runs in the Family (February 2024)

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

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VIRGINIA: My name is Virginia and I am your host.

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VIRGINIA: Thank you for joining me today.

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VIRGINIA: If you like what you hear, please do me a favor and rate or review the podcast on whatever platform you're listening on now.

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VIRGINIA: It only takes a moment and it really does help the show to move on up in the rankings.

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VIRGINIA: And if you leave a review, I would love to read it on an upcoming episode.

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VIRGINIA: This week, I welcome back Katie to the podcast.

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VIRGINIA: If you missed Katie's pre-trip episode, she has two plus three travelers on Instagram.

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VIRGINIA: So that means they are a family of five.

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VIRGINIA: As annual pass holders, Katie's family gets down to Disney a lot, but this trip was going to be Katie's seven-year-old daughter's first run Disney event running in the 5K.

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VIRGINIA: What was she the most excited for?

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VIRGINIA: Earning that medal, of course.

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VIRGINIA: After the mother-daughter team finished their race, the rest of the family had to hit the road and get back to North Carolina for her daughter's dance competition.

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VIRGINIA: But Katie stayed behind to participate in the 10K and have a day of Disney fun to herself.

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VIRGINIA: I think that catches you up now.

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VIRGINIA: So let's hear from Katie.

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VIRGINIA: Welcome back to the podcast, Katie.

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VIRGINIA: And listeners, you may remember Katie was formerly Catherine, but now we are very tight.

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VIRGINIA: So we're going by Katie.

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VIRGINIA: Welcome back.

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VIRGINIA: I'm so excited to hear how this trip went.

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VIRGINIA: And we'll start right off at the top.

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VIRGINIA: How was the travel down there?

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VIRGINIA: Because you were doing a long drive from North Carolina down to Orlando, and you mentioned that you were going to get your kids out of school a little early.

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VIRGINIA: So I guess my first question before you get into how the road trip was, like, did the kids tell their teachers they were leaving to go to Disney?

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VIRGINIA: How does that work?

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VIRGINIA: Or are you just like, we have a family obligation?

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KATIE: I am very honest with my teachers and tell them, like, we're going to Disney.

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KATIE: So they all know when I take my kids out, because this is not uncommon for us.

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KATIE: We will go a few times and I take them out.

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KATIE: And I'm kind of in the last stretch of not feeling bad for taking my kids out since she doesn't have any state testing yet.

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KATIE: So it hasn't become like, you know, a big deal yet.

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KATIE: So second grade is not as big of a deal.

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KATIE: And yeah, we took them out and we drove the nine hours and we actually just got a hotel slightly off property, close to the highway so that we could just plunk them in beds, which that didn't happen.

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KATIE: They were wired and awake at 11 o'clock at night.

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KATIE: And I was like, guys, you have to go to bed.

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KATIE: And so eventually we all went to sleep.

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VIRGINIA: So how far were you from the parks at that point?

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VIRGINIA: Like, were you on the outskirts of Orlando?

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KATIE: We were at a property right off of 4 in, right by SeaWorld.

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KATIE: So, not far.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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KATIE: We got all the way there, just didn't want to go too far off the highway so we could just pop back on and drive in in the morning.

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VIRGINIA: So close enough that they were seeing billboards and knew exactly how close they were.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So that was Tuesday, February 20th.

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VIRGINIA: So your first real day was Wednesday, February 21st, and you were headed over to Epcot.

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VIRGINIA: And I noted that you had specifically on your list to make sure that you got that hey-hey magnet.

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VIRGINIA: So did you claim your hey-hey magnet?

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KATIE: So I did, but we actually pivoted a little and we started in Animal Kingdom that morning.

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KATIE: So we went over to Animal Kingdom.

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VIRGINIA: So how did you make that decision?

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KATIE: We hadn't been to Animal Kingdom in so long.

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KATIE: And so I also wanted my youngest to be able to see the Lion King show because I hadn't seen it.

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KATIE: And I thought he would love it.

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KATIE: Now that the monkeys are back and all the aerial things are fully back, the show is 100% again.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: I am flashing back.

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VIRGINIA: Yes, we were there on the same day and we realized that we were in the same Lion King show on opposite sides of the theater, but I didn't see your messages until well after you had already started to head out of the park.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: I wish I had taken some pictures of like the actual show because perhaps you would have been in the background.

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KATIE: Maybe you're in the background of ours.

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KATIE: I'll have to look.

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VIRGINIA: You have to look.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: So I'm in the section that was doing the lion motion and we were probably like the third or the fourth row, like right behind the folks that were like families of people in scooters and wheelchairs.

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VIRGINIA: And I was on what would have been your left side, that end.

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VIRGINIA: Like we were kind of like the second family in from the row.

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KATIE: Well, after this, I'll have to scroll through the pictures and see if I see you because I remember you had your green ears on.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: And it, well, I think probably took them off for the show so I wouldn't block somebody's view.

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VIRGINIA: But if you do see me, please send me the photo and we can like zoom in and do like a little circle and post it on our stories.

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KATIE: Yes, because we were elephants that trip.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: You did an excellent job.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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KATIE: So anyhow, so we pop it over there and then we got to see that he kind of lost interest in the middle.

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KATIE: I mean, a three year old really can't, you know, his attention span is just so long.

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KATIE: And then we actually got back and we stayed at Art of Animation.

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KATIE: And so in the cars, suites, and our room was ready.

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KATIE: And so we popped over there, dropped our stuff off, and then we took the Skyliner over to Epcot.

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KATIE: And I did get my Hey Hey Magnets, which I was very excited about.

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VIRGINIA: Good.

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VIRGINIA: And listeners, if you're not familiar, when you are an annual pass holder, they constantly are rolling out new annual pass holder magnets that we get for free, but you have to usually pick them up in person.

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VIRGINIA: And occasionally they will mail you a magnet, but like the really good ones, the highly sought after characters, they seem to only do in person.

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VIRGINIA: And so everyone wanted Hey Hey.

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KATIE: Yeah, you have to be in person and show your ID.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah, not just your annual pass holder ID.

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VIRGINIA: Like you have to show your driver's license to prove it to you, which I think is hilarious.

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KATIE: Well, I mean, because the kids have it too.

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KATIE: And so like, you know, they scan your magic band and all that kind of stuff.

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KATIE: But like, they ask the kids their name, they'll be like, what's your name?

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KATIE: They say it to be able to get their magnets and say, yeah, no formal ID.

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KATIE: We got those.

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KATIE: But the nice part about when we got there was that all the topiaries for Flower and Garden started to come up.

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KATIE: And so as we came around World Showcase, we got to see, you know, Peter Pan and Bambi and Winnie the Pooh.

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KATIE: So it was fun to be able to see those popping up.

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KATIE: And then I love the blanket of flowers that is around like the little lake area that goes underneath the monorail.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Oh, me too.

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KATIE: It smells so good when you walk past there.

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KATIE: So it was really nice to like get a little glimpse of what was coming, even though we weren't there for the start of Flower and Garden.

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VIRGINIA: You know, that that water that you're talking about where they always put the little blanket of flowers.

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VIRGINIA: I just recently learned, I think it was in a Mouselet's TikTok video that the reason or maybe it was the dapper Daniel.

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VIRGINIA: I don't know.

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VIRGINIA: I watch all these people.

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VIRGINIA: And one of them mentioned that there was a sinkhole there.

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VIRGINIA: And that is why there is a body of water and we cross a bridge to get over into World Showcase there because they had to fill something in to stop the sinkhole and they can't put a building on top of that space.

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KATIE: Interesting.

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KATIE: Fun fact.

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VIRGINIA: I didn't know that.

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VIRGINIA: Fun fact.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: I love all those little hidden details that they find solutions that I always just think like, oh, this is just a pretty body of water that they put flowers on to and adds to the architecture.

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VIRGINIA: But no, it's there for a reason.

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KATIE: Yeah.

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KATIE: Good to know.

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KATIE: Yeah.

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KATIE: So we played around World Showcase.

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KATIE: One of our favorite things to do or my daughter's favorite thing to do is go to Club Cool.

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KATIE: And so we have to try.

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KATIE: She has her favorite one.

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KATIE: She doesn't like soda.

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KATIE: She doesn't like anything bubbly, but she will drink Joy from Club Cool.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: I love Joy.

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VIRGINIA: I love Joy.

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VIRGINIA: It's so good.

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VIRGINIA: It's the only non-carbonated one in the dispenser.

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VIRGINIA: And if you do like carbonated, I highly recommend mixing it with the cucumber sprite.

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KATIE: Oh, I haven't.

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KATIE: The cucumber sprite is my favorite.

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KATIE: So that's normally what I get.

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KATIE: So I want to try that next time.

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KATIE: But yeah, that's the only one because it's non-carbonated.

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KATIE: And so she drinks that one.

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KATIE: She asks for it and she sits there.

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KATIE: She drinks like three cups of it and then she's like, okay, I'm good.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: What did you get into next?

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KATIE: And then so we also I'm like looking at my pictures to be able to give you like a timeline of what we did.

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KATIE: And so one of the things my kids enjoy doing now is pin trading.

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KATIE: And so it's a great place to do some pin trading.

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KATIE: And we picked up a few new pins and traded things around.

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KATIE: We also, I was telling you before, I make and I also distribute the cast member appreciation tokens.

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KATIE: So little keys or little name tags that look like their name tag.

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KATIE: Well, it says thank you for making magic, but it looks like their name tag.

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KATIE: And so we hand those out all over the place.

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KATIE: And so I had made about 100 for this trip, even though we're only there for a short period of time.

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KATIE: And the kids just love giving them to all the cast members.

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KATIE: It's just to make them smile and to be able to show the kids like how to appreciate and acknowledge other people for doing good things.

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KATIE: We're just, you know, doing their job.

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KATIE: And we just talk about, you know, how much it brightens other people's day by us just telling them thank you and giving them such a small token.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah, that's amazing.

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VIRGINIA: And they're really nice looking.

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VIRGINIA: I saw that you were giving them out, but I had no idea that you made them.

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VIRGINIA: So that is amazing.

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VIRGINIA: I will definitely be checking out your Etsy shop.

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VIRGINIA: How long did it take you to make 100?

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VIRGINIA: Is the machine slow or is it like a fast machine?

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KATIE: It depends on how intricate it is.

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VIRGINIA: Well, the key looked intricate.

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KATIE: The keys are actually a faster cut than the other things that I make because when it engraves, it takes longer to engrave.

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KATIE: The cut is very quick.

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KATIE: So I can cut about 100 of them in an hour.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: And then the engraving, you have to do separately.

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KATIE: Well, it does it all at one time.

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KATIE: So it will cut and engrave.

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KATIE: It does everything.

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KATIE: Yeah.

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KATIE: And so depending on which token I'm making, the keys are pretty quick because there isn't that much that I engrave on it.

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KATIE: It's more of the cutout.

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KATIE: But the name tags, the ones that look like their name tags, take longer because it has the castle engraved on it and that kind of thing.

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KATIE: So those take a little bit longer.

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VIRGINIA: One of those things that if I did not live in New York City, I surely would have something like this in my crafting room, but lack of space because that sounds so cool.

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VIRGINIA: I would constantly be thinking of like, oh, I could just make that.

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KATIE: So I started making things during the pandemic for my kids to do, like little crafts and stuff like that, that they could color and paint so that I'd get like, you know, five minutes of peace.

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KATIE: And so that it turned into my friends wanting things.

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KATIE: And then so it just kind of went from there.

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KATIE: I wasn't planning on making a little small business out of it, but I ended up doing that.

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KATIE: And so I sell those on Etsy.

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VIRGINIA: That's really cool.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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KATIE: So that night we ended up pivoting.

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KATIE: My husband is a constant reservation checker for dining and he saw that Chef Mickey's came up and we have not been to Happily Ever After six years.

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VIRGINIA: Really?

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VIRGINIA: You haven't been since it came back.

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KATIE: Right.

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KATIE: I haven't been since it came back because my daughter, like we saw it with my daughter because we did a fireworks reservation.

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KATIE: And then with my second son, this was his first, he just turned five.

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KATIE: So this was like his birthday thing.

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KATIE: And it was the first time he saw it.

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KATIE: And so the only way that we said that we would do it with all three kids and not trying to get into traffic and get on the bus and all that kind of stuff to get back because you do have to take the bus back to Art of Animation is that if we got a dining reservation at the Contemporary.

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KATIE: And so he'd been stalking it all day and we got a Chef Mickey's and we went and had dinner.

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KATIE: And actually last year for my middle's birthday, he had breakfast at Chef Mickey's on his birthday.

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KATIE: So now it's becoming a tradition that his birthday is Chef Mickey's.

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KATIE: And so we did his birthday there.

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KATIE: And then we walked over and watched the fireworks and were able to walk back to the car so that we didn't have to get on any Disney transportation to get back to our hotel.

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VIRGINIA: Nice.

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VIRGINIA: Excellent.

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VIRGINIA: Excellent pivoting.

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VIRGINIA: Well done.

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VIRGINIA: How was the food at Chef Mickey's?

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VIRGINIA: I still have never eaten there.

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VIRGINIA: I had, I think, like three Chef Mickey reservations for our February trip and ended up canceling them all.

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VIRGINIA: So I still have never made it over there.

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KATIE: So I definitely like their breakfast better than dinner because they're breakfast and then dinner.

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KATIE: They don't do like a lunch.

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KATIE: And my kids eat more breakfast foods.

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KATIE: So maybe I'm swayed that way because then I feel like I'm getting more for my money.

00:14:23.448 --> 00:14:25.988
KATIE: But they didn't have a lot of things for dinner.

00:14:26.428 --> 00:14:31.888
KATIE: And during the month of February when we went, it was the soulful menus.

00:14:32.508 --> 00:14:34.808
KATIE: So they had this really good mac and cheese on there.

00:14:34.828 --> 00:14:40.548
KATIE: I forget who they were naming the dish for, but it was nice to have like the mac and cheese because my kids would eat that.

00:14:40.988 --> 00:14:44.588
KATIE: And they do have a lot of options.

00:14:45.568 --> 00:14:50.308
KATIE: And so we like it also because of the character interactions.

00:14:50.328 --> 00:14:51.808
KATIE: They're typically really good there.

00:14:52.528 --> 00:14:58.928
KATIE: And now that they've kind of started to bring more things back, the kids get to get up and dance with the characters and my kids love doing that.

00:14:58.948 --> 00:15:03.368
KATIE: And so being able to dance with them and play around, one of their favorite things to do.

00:15:03.408 --> 00:15:04.708
KATIE: So it was a good time.

00:15:05.868 --> 00:15:08.248
VIRGINIA: And how did you enjoy Happily Ever After?

00:15:08.268 --> 00:15:11.328
KATIE: I'm a Happily Ever After crier.

00:15:11.328 --> 00:15:13.808
VIRGINIA: So yeah, that's what I was waiting to hear.

00:15:14.348 --> 00:15:14.928
VIRGINIA: Did you cry?

00:15:17.628 --> 00:15:20.228
VIRGINIA: And do you get made fun of by the kids when you cry?

00:15:20.248 --> 00:15:25.908
KATIE: So the youngest did not get to see it because he fell asleep.

00:15:26.128 --> 00:15:28.308
KATIE: So that was our fear of ever doing it.

00:15:28.328 --> 00:15:30.928
KATIE: So he fell asleep in the stroller, slept through the entire thing.

00:15:31.888 --> 00:15:33.848
KATIE: And my middle was tired.

00:15:33.868 --> 00:15:35.788
KATIE: So I held him up so that he could see.

00:15:35.808 --> 00:15:38.628
KATIE: So by the end of it, my arms were extremely tired.

00:15:39.128 --> 00:15:40.668
KATIE: But he thought it was cool.

00:15:41.128 --> 00:15:45.328
KATIE: I took some pretty good pictures because I hadn't gotten fireworks pictures in so long.

00:15:45.348 --> 00:15:51.968
KATIE: And my phone actually is a way better quality since I had been taking pictures at Happily Ever After.

00:15:53.808 --> 00:15:57.988
VIRGINIA: The quality that you can get from your phone these days is really amazing.

00:15:58.008 --> 00:16:03.648
VIRGINIA: And it's so nice not to have to necessarily carry around a big, you know, bulky camera.

00:16:04.288 --> 00:16:04.488
KATIE: Yeah.

00:16:04.508 --> 00:16:05.748
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:16:05.968 --> 00:16:11.748
VIRGINIA: So Thursday, February 22nd, you had originally planned to rope drop Hollywood Studios.

00:16:11.928 --> 00:16:12.888
VIRGINIA: Did you do that?

00:16:14.288 --> 00:16:15.208
KATIE: We did.

00:16:15.448 --> 00:16:22.468
KATIE: And I will tell you, we being at Art of Animation and being able to get on the Skyliner and over there was so nice.

00:16:22.588 --> 00:16:23.428
KATIE: And we switched.

00:16:23.728 --> 00:16:32.548
KATIE: So people that don't know this, I don't know if you're familiar on the Skyliner, you can just push your stroller in, but it has to be a single stroller.

00:16:32.568 --> 00:16:36.348
KATIE: It can be a double if it's front and back, but our double is a side by side.

00:16:36.368 --> 00:16:39.568
KATIE: So we always had to fold up the stroller to get in.

00:16:39.768 --> 00:16:44.448
KATIE: So this trip we decided we're bringing two single strollers for the boys and my daughter had to walk.

00:16:44.668 --> 00:16:47.848
KATIE: And it was a game changer to be able to push two strollers on there and off.

00:16:47.868 --> 00:16:50.248
KATIE: I didn't have to like unload all of our stuff.

00:16:50.288 --> 00:16:52.668
KATIE: And so that was good.

00:16:53.008 --> 00:17:02.348
KATIE: And the kids, they're, I always ask them what they want to do because I can always pick what I want to do, but they get to choose.

00:17:03.768 --> 00:17:04.248
VIRGINIA: I'm sorry.

00:17:04.268 --> 00:17:21.928
VIRGINIA: Before we move on, I do want to ask in terms of the choice to do two single strollers, you really loved that choice for Skyliner purposes, but how did that work out for you in terms of like going through security and for like the rest of your part going needs?

00:17:22.068 --> 00:17:27.548
VIRGINIA: Was it better to have two singles or for those purposes, was it better to have a double?

00:17:28.468 --> 00:17:32.008
KATIE: So I will say having two singles.

00:17:32.028 --> 00:17:33.028
KATIE: So here's the other thing.

00:17:33.048 --> 00:17:37.428
KATIE: It is a good benefit to have the two singles because then each parent is pushing.

00:17:37.428 --> 00:17:41.248
KATIE: And so through security, we both go through the same security line.

00:17:41.268 --> 00:17:51.028
KATIE: So in the morning, if they only allow one adult with a stroller, so going through security, since we each are with a stroller, we get to go together.

00:17:51.068 --> 00:17:58.228
KATIE: Otherwise, one of us would have to get in the stroller line, one of us would have to get in just the single line, and it doesn't match up always.

00:17:58.308 --> 00:17:59.608
KATIE: So that's helpful.

00:18:00.008 --> 00:18:08.548
KATIE: And then just having separate spaces, you know, children don't always interact well together when they're sitting next to each other in the stroller.

00:18:08.568 --> 00:18:10.728
KATIE: So to be able to separate them and everything is nice.

00:18:10.988 --> 00:18:11.708
VIRGINIA: To say the least.

00:18:13.388 --> 00:18:24.348
KATIE: So one hack that we also have that is super helpful in two strollers, I will tell anybody else that gets a popcorn bucket, ask for the little cups.

00:18:24.788 --> 00:18:35.388
KATIE: So instead of giving my kids the entire popcorn bucket, we give them a cup and fill it with the popcorn and then refill their cup because I hate when they spill the entire popcorn bucket.

00:18:35.408 --> 00:18:36.828
KATIE: I'd rather them spill a cup.

00:18:37.608 --> 00:18:46.308
KATIE: That's our favorite hack at Disney is that you ask for the little cups and then I keep the popcorn bucket.

00:18:47.628 --> 00:18:48.028
VIRGINIA: Nice.

00:18:48.788 --> 00:18:50.188
VIRGINIA: Definitely a good idea.

00:18:50.208 --> 00:18:52.448
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:18:52.468 --> 00:18:53.848
VIRGINIA: So you're on the Skyliner.

00:18:54.068 --> 00:18:57.048
VIRGINIA: And how did you determine what you're going to do first?

00:18:57.588 --> 00:18:57.848
KATIE: Yep.

00:18:57.848 --> 00:19:01.408
KATIE: So when we go over again, I asked my kids, like, what do you want to do?

00:19:01.428 --> 00:19:08.288
KATIE: So when we get in, they chose Mickey and Minnie's Run Away Railroad because it's just a classic at this point and they love it.

00:19:09.228 --> 00:19:13.788
KATIE: And our decision was also easily made because Slinky Dog was down.

00:19:13.808 --> 00:19:16.748
KATIE: It was having a later open time.

00:19:16.768 --> 00:19:21.948
KATIE: And so that's normally what we rope drop because that line gets so long.

00:19:22.128 --> 00:19:27.188
VIRGINIA: I think that happened the day that we went to Hollywood Studios too, because we had a lightning lane scheduled.

00:19:27.508 --> 00:19:29.568
VIRGINIA: And when we showed up, the lightning lane was so long.

00:19:29.648 --> 00:19:32.488
VIRGINIA: And my sister and her fiance were like, What on earth?

00:19:32.508 --> 00:19:33.388
VIRGINIA: This is a lightning lane.

00:19:33.408 --> 00:19:34.048
VIRGINIA: What's going on?

00:19:34.608 --> 00:19:39.068
VIRGINIA: And I was like, the only explanation I have is it probably was down at the very beginning of the day.

00:19:39.088 --> 00:19:44.028
VIRGINIA: So I'm like, that, why is it down so often right at the beginning of the day?

00:19:44.048 --> 00:19:44.828
VIRGINIA: I don't get it.

00:19:45.308 --> 00:19:45.748
KATIE: I don't know.

00:19:45.848 --> 00:19:46.328
KATIE: I don't know.

00:19:46.348 --> 00:19:47.068
KATIE: I want to know.

00:19:47.128 --> 00:19:47.808
KATIE: But I want.

00:19:48.528 --> 00:19:52.388
KATIE: So that kind of made our decision easy.

00:19:52.408 --> 00:19:58.208
KATIE: And so once we did that, then we were able to hop over to Midway Mania.

00:19:58.548 --> 00:20:00.068
KATIE: Again, another favorite ride.

00:20:00.088 --> 00:20:05.408
KATIE: So we did Mini Mickey and Midway Mania before Park opened for regular day guests.

00:20:06.068 --> 00:20:09.968
VIRGINIA: And how was your performance on Midway Mania?

00:20:10.528 --> 00:20:16.188
VIRGINIA: This go around because you mentioned that you always try to beat your husband, but you never do.

00:20:16.208 --> 00:20:16.548
VIRGINIA: So.

00:20:16.568 --> 00:20:19.308
KATIE: I'm still not successful.

00:20:19.968 --> 00:20:28.668
KATIE: I will say I was handicapped the first time we rode at this trip because I had the tiniest one with me and he has to pull the cord.

00:20:28.868 --> 00:20:29.808
VIRGINIA: Oh, okay.

00:20:29.828 --> 00:20:32.088
KATIE: So I was not in charge of that this time.

00:20:32.108 --> 00:20:35.208
KATIE: So I think I get a pass.

00:20:35.788 --> 00:20:36.808
VIRGINIA: Oh yeah, for sure.

00:20:36.948 --> 00:20:37.428
VIRGINIA: For sure.

00:20:37.648 --> 00:20:38.368
VIRGINIA: Interference.

00:20:38.788 --> 00:20:39.708
KATIE: Interference, yep.

00:20:40.188 --> 00:20:50.628
KATIE: And then one of the best things, I don't know if everybody who listens knows this too, you can check where characters are going to be and what time they're supposed to appear next in the My Disney Experience app.

00:20:51.288 --> 00:21:00.468
KATIE: And so as we came out of the gift shop and the exit from Midway Mania, we knew where Jesse and Woody were going to meet.

00:21:00.488 --> 00:21:07.928
KATIE: And so we got in line right there and we waited about five minutes and then they came out and we got to do, we were like third family in line.

00:21:08.648 --> 00:21:10.568
KATIE: Got to have a nice meet and greet with them.

00:21:10.588 --> 00:21:13.028
KATIE: And it's always fun to be able to do those meet and greets.

00:21:13.668 --> 00:21:13.968
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:21:14.068 --> 00:21:14.668
VIRGINIA: Very cool.

00:21:14.748 --> 00:21:15.208
VIRGINIA: Very cool.

00:21:15.328 --> 00:21:20.748
VIRGINIA: And I just realized that we've been calling it Midway Mania for folks who are newer to the Disney sphere.

00:21:20.768 --> 00:21:27.208
VIRGINIA: It's Toy Story Mania now and some of us can't shake the Midway part of it.

00:21:27.508 --> 00:21:28.808
VIRGINIA: It sounds so natural to me.

00:21:29.568 --> 00:21:30.548
KATIE: It will always come.

00:21:30.608 --> 00:21:30.848
KATIE: Yeah.

00:21:30.868 --> 00:21:31.588
KATIE: Midway Mania.

00:21:33.788 --> 00:21:35.228
KATIE: That's a hard one to change in my brain.

00:21:35.428 --> 00:21:35.748
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:21:37.688 --> 00:21:38.008
KATIE: Yeah.

00:21:38.028 --> 00:21:39.708
KATIE: And so we did that.

00:21:39.728 --> 00:21:43.228
KATIE: And then we also went down and tried to meet some more characters.

00:21:43.268 --> 00:21:48.828
KATIE: So we went into the Pixar Plaza area and got to see Mrs.

00:21:48.848 --> 00:21:49.508
KATIE: Incredible.

00:21:49.528 --> 00:21:53.428
KATIE: We waved to Soli because he had a long line, so we didn't wait for him.

00:21:53.568 --> 00:21:59.768
KATIE: And we got to say hi to Frozone and just kind of walk around that area.

00:21:59.788 --> 00:22:06.408
KATIE: It's kind of nice to be in there because it's nice and quiet and a little out of the hecticness of Hollywood Studios.

00:22:07.148 --> 00:22:17.168
VIRGINIA: Yeah, it's a good little like, I want to use quotes to say like, secret break place, but if you need a place to sit down, I think there's a couple benches, but there's also a curb.

00:22:17.188 --> 00:22:19.488
VIRGINIA: So if you don't mind sitting on a curb.

00:22:20.228 --> 00:22:27.608
KATIE: Well, there's also, it's kind of a cool picture place back in there too, where they have the Pixar lamp that you can go and take a picture across.

00:22:27.868 --> 00:22:31.848
KATIE: And that's also where you can find Jack Jack's cookies.

00:22:32.228 --> 00:22:32.648
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:22:32.648 --> 00:22:33.308
VIRGINIA: Yep.

00:22:33.368 --> 00:22:39.808
VIRGINIA: It's just off to the side where you would get a Jack Jack num-num cookie, whatever it's called.

00:22:41.268 --> 00:22:41.568
KATIE: Yep.

00:22:43.908 --> 00:22:49.788
KATIE: So that was kind of it that we did in the morning because again, since we're annual pass holders, we go quite often.

00:22:49.828 --> 00:22:58.548
KATIE: And so we came back to the room and the boys got to hang out and my daughter and I went over to the Run Disney Expo.

00:23:00.268 --> 00:23:10.368
VIRGINIA: So you were mentioning in the pre-trip that you could go really at any time and pick up your bib and there was a virtual queue if you wanted to look at the merchandise.

00:23:10.468 --> 00:23:13.788
VIRGINIA: So did you put yourself into the virtual queue?

00:23:14.148 --> 00:23:19.988
VIRGINIA: And if so, can you do that from your room or do you have to like, where do you do the virtual queue from?

00:23:20.748 --> 00:23:21.048
KATIE: Yep.

00:23:21.108 --> 00:23:25.548
KATIE: So we did put ourselves in the virtual queue and you can do that.

00:23:25.608 --> 00:23:30.828
KATIE: You have to be within 45 miles of Disney to put yourself in the virtual queue.

00:23:30.848 --> 00:23:31.668
VIRGINIA: That's very generous.

00:23:32.388 --> 00:23:32.728
KATIE: Yes.

00:23:32.968 --> 00:23:36.048
KATIE: It's 45 miles, like 45 minutes is kind of what they say.

00:23:36.068 --> 00:23:44.008
KATIE: And so people that are driving in in the morning as they're driving in can get on the virtual queue because that opened at 930.

00:23:44.028 --> 00:23:45.008
KATIE: So or 830.

00:23:45.848 --> 00:23:46.368
KATIE: I can't remember.

00:23:46.388 --> 00:23:48.048
KATIE: Is it 830 or 930?

00:23:48.068 --> 00:23:48.888
KATIE: I set myself an alarm.

00:23:49.508 --> 00:23:52.448
KATIE: And so I know it was different than, you know, the 7 a.m.

00:23:52.448 --> 00:23:54.068
KATIE: for other virtual queues.

00:23:54.088 --> 00:23:59.128
KATIE: And so we went over there and it was nice to be able to get in and we grabbed our bibs.

00:24:00.188 --> 00:24:07.708
KATIE: But I was not expecting because I guess last year I went a little bit later in the day instead of at lunchtime ish.

00:24:08.548 --> 00:24:13.068
KATIE: Last year we went later and then this year we went earlier at lunchtime ish.

00:24:13.348 --> 00:24:20.108
KATIE: And the lines, I'm just I'm looking back to my pictures because I couldn't like I sent pictures to my husband while we were in line.

00:24:20.448 --> 00:24:28.448
KATIE: They had you know the switchbacks in different rooms of the ESPN arena that we were in.

00:24:28.828 --> 00:24:32.208
KATIE: So you be able to get down to get your bib.

00:24:32.488 --> 00:24:39.508
KATIE: We went through a whole bunch of switchbacks and then to get in to go see the merchandise we went through a whole bunch of switchbacks too.

00:24:39.968 --> 00:24:44.788
KATIE: So it was really long lines to get all the things but we got all of our bibs.

00:24:44.808 --> 00:24:56.348
KATIE: We got pictures with the different mile markers so my daughter and I did the 5k so the 3.1 that was fun and then I did the 10k so 6.2.

00:24:57.168 --> 00:25:01.548
VIRGINIA: So how long did it take you to get through the merchandise queue at the end of the day?

00:25:03.028 --> 00:25:03.728
KATIE: Oh my gosh.

00:25:04.688 --> 00:25:05.268
KATIE: Let's see.

00:25:05.288 --> 00:25:13.468
KATIE: It took I think it took a good 45 minutes.

00:25:14.668 --> 00:25:15.048
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:25:16.108 --> 00:25:19.248
KATIE: Yeah, it was a long time to get through there.

00:25:19.768 --> 00:25:21.488
VIRGINIA: Did you end up buying anything?

00:25:22.988 --> 00:25:26.168
KATIE: My daughter, we got her a finisher shirt.

00:25:26.808 --> 00:25:32.528
KATIE: It was kind of going for like what she wanted so we got her a finisher shirt and she wanted one of the hats from the Princess Weekend.

00:25:33.208 --> 00:25:34.048
KATIE: So she got that.

00:25:34.488 --> 00:25:40.908
KATIE: And then my sister-in-law did the virtual race so she wanted some stuff too so I grabbed that for her.

00:25:40.928 --> 00:25:43.148
KATIE: That was all we got.

00:25:43.528 --> 00:25:49.168
KATIE: And then we went down and we got to go to the other part of the expo and look at all the other merchandise they had for sale.

00:25:49.348 --> 00:26:00.368
KATIE: So we did that and then we came back and by that time the boys had played on the playground and they were ready to go do some more things in the park.

00:26:00.448 --> 00:26:03.008
VIRGINIA: When you say playground, do you mean over at Art of Animation?

00:26:03.508 --> 00:26:03.748
KATIE: Yep.

00:26:03.768 --> 00:26:06.208
KATIE: They have a really cute playground at Art of Animation.

00:26:06.228 --> 00:26:07.728
VIRGINIA: Oh, I did not know that.

00:26:08.588 --> 00:26:09.808
VIRGINIA: Where is it located?

00:26:10.188 --> 00:26:14.168
KATIE: So you have the pool and then there's the splash pad.

00:26:14.188 --> 00:26:20.048
KATIE: So like if you're coming from like the main entrance and the food hall and everything, it's pool, then splash pad.

00:26:20.308 --> 00:26:23.048
KATIE: And as you're making your way towards the skyliner, it's right behind that.

00:26:23.208 --> 00:26:24.948
KATIE: It's themed in really, really well.

00:26:24.968 --> 00:26:26.208
KATIE: It looks like a coral reef.

00:26:27.828 --> 00:26:28.048
KATIE: Oh.

00:26:28.068 --> 00:26:29.588
KATIE: It's got slides and things.

00:26:30.308 --> 00:26:30.708
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:26:30.848 --> 00:26:34.488
VIRGINIA: I feel like I've probably walked right past that and just thought it was decor.

00:26:35.888 --> 00:26:36.108
KATIE: Yep.

00:26:36.388 --> 00:26:45.308
KATIE: If there's no kids on it, it looks just like it's decor, but it's actually like there's slides and all kinds of little things like tunnels for them to go through and run around and that kind of thing.

00:26:45.328 --> 00:26:45.528
VIRGINIA: So.

00:26:45.548 --> 00:26:46.228
VIRGINIA: That's really cool.

00:26:46.248 --> 00:26:47.088
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:26:47.428 --> 00:26:47.768
KATIE: Yeah.

00:26:47.788 --> 00:26:48.508
KATIE: So it's right there.

00:26:48.828 --> 00:26:55.828
KATIE: So we ended up going back into Epcot and my kids had to ride Figment because that's a lot.

00:26:55.848 --> 00:26:57.448
VIRGINIA: You said that was a favorite ride.

00:26:58.908 --> 00:27:05.948
KATIE: And then it was a good time for us to go and play in Moana's Journey of Water.

00:27:06.668 --> 00:27:09.568
KATIE: So they'd been in it before, but it had been a little bit.

00:27:09.588 --> 00:27:10.508
KATIE: So we went in there.

00:27:10.528 --> 00:27:14.048
KATIE: We were not planning on that 100%.

00:27:14.688 --> 00:27:16.648
KATIE: So we didn't bring any change of clothes for our kids.

00:27:17.408 --> 00:27:20.068
KATIE: And our tiniest one soaked himself.

00:27:20.568 --> 00:27:28.288
KATIE: And so he went pantless and just wore his jacket and we had to pull up for him and sit on turf wear.

00:27:28.308 --> 00:27:31.628
KATIE: So he stayed in the stroller for the rest of the time that we were there.

00:27:34.928 --> 00:27:35.628
VIRGINIA: Oh, that's funny.

00:27:36.028 --> 00:27:37.888
KATIE: Of course, that's when we had to go to Club Cool.

00:27:38.168 --> 00:27:44.928
KATIE: So, you know, we went back to Club Cool and we actually met up with some of our friends that we met on Instagram too.

00:27:44.948 --> 00:27:47.748
KATIE: So you've previously talked to them.

00:27:47.768 --> 00:27:50.048
KATIE: It was Sachi and Forty.

00:27:50.068 --> 00:27:56.808
KATIE: And so we met up with them and so took some pictures in Club Cool with them.

00:27:57.328 --> 00:27:57.688
KATIE: Yeah.

00:27:57.868 --> 00:28:08.628
KATIE: And the kids loved all hanging out because when we saw them last time at Christmas time, Forty came and hung out with me and my family and like the kids and we did different rides.

00:28:09.088 --> 00:28:12.668
KATIE: Sachi kept them a space in line to go see Jordan Fisher.

00:28:13.388 --> 00:28:14.528
VIRGINIA: Oh, okay.

00:28:14.528 --> 00:28:16.988
VIRGINIA: You were the family that she mentioned in it.

00:28:17.008 --> 00:28:17.468
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:28:17.808 --> 00:28:18.148
KATIE: Yeah.

00:28:18.588 --> 00:28:19.488
VIRGINIA: Oh, fantastic.

00:28:20.108 --> 00:28:22.588
KATIE: So we had all the kids running around and they had so much fun.

00:28:22.608 --> 00:28:28.148
KATIE: And so when I mentioned that they were going to be there at the same time, my daughter was like, Oh my gosh, are we going to see Forty?

00:28:28.168 --> 00:28:29.088
KATIE: Are we going to see Forty?

00:28:29.108 --> 00:28:31.348
KATIE: So that's like her Disney buddy now.

00:28:31.668 --> 00:28:33.428
KATIE: So they always want to see each other.

00:28:33.948 --> 00:28:37.408
VIRGINIA: We had dinner with Sachi and Forty the night before we left for our trip.

00:28:38.148 --> 00:28:40.088
VIRGINIA: And it was actually the first time I had met her in person.

00:28:40.228 --> 00:28:43.308
VIRGINIA: So we had recorded and everything and had never met in person.

00:28:43.548 --> 00:28:45.888
VIRGINIA: And we were like, we both live in New York City, we have to make this happen.

00:28:46.808 --> 00:28:58.488
VIRGINIA: And the timing worked out that we went the night before we left and she was leaving the next morning to go also down to Orlando, but to go hop on a cruise first.

00:28:58.648 --> 00:29:01.408
KATIE: Yeah, we saw them that night before they left to go on the cruise.

00:29:01.788 --> 00:29:02.128
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:29:03.808 --> 00:29:05.688
KATIE: That's what we saw them and I've got.

00:29:05.988 --> 00:29:13.148
KATIE: But yeah, after we saw them, we were like, we're done, because we have to get up early anyhow and tiny one has no pants, so.

00:29:17.208 --> 00:29:26.508
VIRGINIA: Yeah, it's going to be one of those stories that you're going to tell for years to come, you know, when he's like 16 and will be embarrassed by it then.

00:29:28.368 --> 00:29:29.308
KATIE: And we have pictures of it.

00:29:29.328 --> 00:29:30.588
KATIE: You're in Club Cool with no pants.

00:29:30.608 --> 00:29:31.188
KATIE: Okay, cool.

00:29:31.328 --> 00:29:31.608
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:29:34.088 --> 00:29:35.628
KATIE: That's not one we will ever recreate.

00:29:38.548 --> 00:29:43.548
VIRGINIA: I haven't heard you say that you went on Living With the Land yet, and you said that that was your favorite ride.

00:29:43.568 --> 00:29:44.728
VIRGINIA: So did you make it over there?

00:29:44.748 --> 00:29:46.348
KATIE: Make it on there.

00:29:47.388 --> 00:29:52.748
KATIE: It's hard to convince the kids sometimes to go go in there.

00:29:52.768 --> 00:29:57.668
KATIE: I love it, but they just sometimes what they want to do kind of trumps what mommy wants to do.

00:29:58.488 --> 00:29:58.928
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:30:00.628 --> 00:30:02.988
VIRGINIA: Next time you get down off enough.

00:30:03.188 --> 00:30:03.448
KATIE: Yeah.

00:30:04.448 --> 00:30:05.048
KATIE: It'll be there.

00:30:05.248 --> 00:30:10.848
KATIE: So but yeah, we went back and then our alarms went off at three o'clock.

00:30:11.328 --> 00:30:11.728
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:30:11.748 --> 00:30:20.608
VIRGINIA: So this was Friday, February 23rd, and you said that you wanted to be checking in at Epcot between 330 and 4 a.m.

00:30:21.288 --> 00:30:25.508
VIRGINIA: So how did your daughter handle getting up at that hour?

00:30:25.628 --> 00:30:35.748
VIRGINIA: Was the excitement of doing her first race enough to jumpstart her out of bed and have the energy to get over to the starting line?

00:30:36.648 --> 00:30:36.928
KATIE: Yeah.

00:30:37.008 --> 00:30:40.028
KATIE: We went back and then we went to bed early enough.

00:30:40.048 --> 00:30:43.748
KATIE: And then when we woke her up, she was kind of a little groggy.

00:30:43.768 --> 00:30:48.348
KATIE: But then the excitement got there and started to do her hair.

00:30:48.368 --> 00:30:50.308
KATIE: And we put on matching outfits.

00:30:50.488 --> 00:30:52.948
KATIE: And so she was excited to go do that.

00:30:53.148 --> 00:30:58.468
KATIE: And we ended up getting over to Epcot right around four.

00:30:58.688 --> 00:30:59.488
KATIE: So it was good.

00:30:59.508 --> 00:31:01.428
KATIE: We left our hotel room at 315.

00:31:01.848 --> 00:31:06.588
KATIE: But we waited outside for a while because there weren't buses.

00:31:06.608 --> 00:31:07.948
KATIE: They bring the buses.

00:31:07.968 --> 00:31:14.028
KATIE: And so it was like there was this long stretch that they did not have any of the buses coming over.

00:31:14.068 --> 00:31:15.348
KATIE: And so it was very unfortunate.

00:31:15.368 --> 00:31:16.688
KATIE: We stood there for a long time.

00:31:17.068 --> 00:31:20.908
KATIE: Probably didn't get on the bus for at least 20 minutes and we were out there at 315.

00:31:22.228 --> 00:31:23.988
VIRGINIA: Were there a lot of other people waiting with you?

00:31:24.428 --> 00:31:25.408
KATIE: There were, there were.

00:31:25.648 --> 00:31:27.708
KATIE: And then like four buses came right in a row.

00:31:27.728 --> 00:31:30.768
KATIE: So it was very like, so they must have been like caught up somewhere.

00:31:31.788 --> 00:31:35.948
KATIE: But we got over there and it was good and we got to stand in our corral.

00:31:35.948 --> 00:31:40.288
KATIE: And she didn't want to take any pictures with any of the characters before.

00:31:40.308 --> 00:31:44.808
KATIE: She just kind of wanted to get where we needed to be and kind of wait there.

00:31:45.128 --> 00:31:50.268
KATIE: And that's where she kind of got tired and was a little upset that like, why are we just standing here?

00:31:50.308 --> 00:31:51.608
KATIE: How come we're not going yet?

00:31:51.628 --> 00:31:58.368
KATIE: Like that part of getting into your corral and just waiting was where the boringness of the morning came.

00:31:59.028 --> 00:32:04.708
VIRGINIA: Was she aware that that was something that would happen or was that kind of a surprise to her?

00:32:04.888 --> 00:32:07.028
VIRGINIA: Like, what kind of preparation did you give her for the morning?

00:32:07.508 --> 00:32:09.488
KATIE: So I told her there would be some standing around.

00:32:09.508 --> 00:32:19.828
KATIE: But I think so we ended up before we even started the race, we walked a mile and a quarter from where the buses drop you off to like all the way through.

00:32:20.028 --> 00:32:24.168
KATIE: Like past Spaceship Earth and then around until where the corrals are.

00:32:24.508 --> 00:32:25.868
KATIE: And so she was like, oh, that's it.

00:32:25.888 --> 00:32:26.268
KATIE: We're done.

00:32:26.288 --> 00:32:28.608
KATIE: And I was like, no, no, like we haven't even started yet.

00:32:28.988 --> 00:32:29.348
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:32:29.788 --> 00:32:30.528
VIRGINIA: Oh, okay.

00:32:32.008 --> 00:32:40.128
KATIE: So she was like, so she just kind of didn't understand like the waiting that would have to happen before they let like groups go.

00:32:40.248 --> 00:32:47.308
KATIE: And so then once we started moving and you heard people and that kind of thing, then it started to be more exciting for her.

00:32:47.328 --> 00:32:48.828
KATIE: We made friends with people around us.

00:32:48.848 --> 00:32:56.068
KATIE: She did bring her bracelets because I don't know if you heard this year was a lot of bracelet trading like they do at Taylor Swift concerts.

00:32:56.088 --> 00:33:00.128
KATIE: And so on our way down, she'd made some bracelets and so she was trading with people.

00:33:00.148 --> 00:33:03.908
KATIE: So she had them all up her arm and she was ready to ready to make her trades.

00:33:03.928 --> 00:33:07.728
KATIE: And so this one person actually dressed up as like the bracelets.

00:33:07.748 --> 00:33:09.088
KATIE: And so we traded with her.

00:33:09.108 --> 00:33:09.868
KATIE: And then, oh, really?

00:33:09.888 --> 00:33:12.528
VIRGINIA: What did that look like?

00:33:12.548 --> 00:33:14.608
VIRGINIA: How do you dress up as bracelets?

00:33:14.628 --> 00:33:16.548
KATIE: She was wearing like a black, like all black.

00:33:16.708 --> 00:33:23.448
KATIE: But then around her, she, like, strung ball pit balls to make, like, the bracelet.

00:33:23.468 --> 00:33:30.068
KATIE: And then, like, I forget what the words across her said, but it was like bracelet trading or something like that.

00:33:30.208 --> 00:33:31.628
KATIE: So, you know, we did that.

00:33:31.648 --> 00:33:35.668
KATIE: And, like, you could see people had, like, carabiners that had just, like, bracelets on them.

00:33:35.688 --> 00:33:37.628
KATIE: And so they were just trading with people left and right.

00:33:37.708 --> 00:33:38.048
KATIE: So...

00:33:38.648 --> 00:33:39.648
VIRGINIA: Oh, that's really cool.

00:33:39.968 --> 00:33:40.548
KATIE: It was fun.

00:33:40.568 --> 00:33:47.208
KATIE: And so that kind of helped her in that boring time to, like, look for other people that were trading bracelets, so...

00:33:47.228 --> 00:33:47.368
VIRGINIA: Mm-hmm.

00:33:48.048 --> 00:33:59.448
KATIE: And then as we were getting into, like, the start area, because they, like, let each corral go so that it's not overcrowded by people, we actually got to see Jogging Jack Sparrow.

00:33:59.468 --> 00:34:01.308
KATIE: I don't know if you follow him on Instagram.

00:34:01.468 --> 00:34:02.168
VIRGINIA: I don't.

00:34:02.168 --> 00:34:04.248
VIRGINIA: Tell me about Jogging Jack Sparrow.

00:34:04.268 --> 00:34:06.548
VIRGINIA: I mean, I imagine he's Jack Sparrow and he jogs, but...

00:34:07.408 --> 00:34:09.608
KATIE: Yes, and he does it in full costume.

00:34:09.668 --> 00:34:10.868
KATIE: And he is...

00:34:10.948 --> 00:34:14.008
KATIE: he's been doing all the different races, like coast to coast and all that kind of thing.

00:34:14.028 --> 00:34:17.428
KATIE: And so his Instagram, if you have not followed him, he is hilarious.

00:34:18.908 --> 00:34:23.988
KATIE: He, I mean, in character and costume the whole time.

00:34:24.368 --> 00:34:25.908
KATIE: And he runs in his costume.

00:34:26.628 --> 00:34:31.788
KATIE: And people along the way have started to give him the airplane bottles of rum.

00:34:34.828 --> 00:34:37.248
VIRGINIA: That's funny.

00:34:37.388 --> 00:34:37.688
KATIE: Yeah.

00:34:38.108 --> 00:34:42.588
KATIE: If you need like a, you know, brain break or that kind of thing, a good one to follow.

00:34:42.908 --> 00:34:44.668
VIRGINIA: I will definitely link to it in the show notes.

00:34:44.828 --> 00:34:47.548
VIRGINIA: I guess technical question about him and I'll look for myself.

00:34:47.568 --> 00:34:51.228
VIRGINIA: But does does he wear boots to do this running?

00:34:51.248 --> 00:34:56.008
KATIE: So it's like, you know, you can put the boots over top of like sneakers.

00:34:56.248 --> 00:34:57.008
VIRGINIA: Yes, yes, yes.

00:34:57.128 --> 00:34:57.408
VIRGINIA: OK.

00:34:57.428 --> 00:35:02.448
KATIE: So it's like a faux boot with like an elastic piece that goes under a sneaker.

00:35:02.468 --> 00:35:03.428
KATIE: So he is wearing sneakers.

00:35:03.448 --> 00:35:04.168
KATIE: He's not wearing boots.

00:35:04.868 --> 00:35:05.208
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:35:05.308 --> 00:35:08.048
VIRGINIA: I feel much better for him about this situation.

00:35:08.308 --> 00:35:09.168
KATIE: Yes, but like.

00:35:10.068 --> 00:35:10.788
VIRGINIA: Oh, my goodness.

00:35:10.788 --> 00:35:11.248
VIRGINIA: OK.

00:35:11.268 --> 00:35:17.068
VIRGINIA: So listeners, Katie's holding up a phone and he looks exactly like Johnny Depp in costume.

00:35:17.088 --> 00:35:19.128
KATIE: Yeah, he's like, he's amazing.

00:35:19.448 --> 00:35:24.068
KATIE: And so like I've seen like, you know, posts about him, but to like actually meet him was pretty cool.

00:35:24.528 --> 00:35:28.688
KATIE: So yeah, I can we can definitely post that picture too if you want it.

00:35:29.588 --> 00:35:32.708
KATIE: He's just he's he does it for every race.

00:35:34.108 --> 00:35:36.308
KATIE: So anyhow, so it was fun.

00:35:36.768 --> 00:35:44.008
KATIE: So finally, like, you know, every time that a wave of people gets released, they shoot off the fireworks and going.

00:35:44.028 --> 00:35:45.188
KATIE: And so it was fun.

00:35:45.208 --> 00:35:47.028
KATIE: My daughter got to see the fireworks keep going.

00:35:47.048 --> 00:35:50.248
KATIE: And she kept on the excitement kept on going.

00:35:50.268 --> 00:35:53.688
KATIE: So then once we passed the start line, you know, people walk and run there.

00:35:53.708 --> 00:35:55.448
KATIE: The 5K is untimed.

00:35:56.028 --> 00:35:57.508
KATIE: So there are no balloon ladies.

00:35:57.888 --> 00:35:59.308
KATIE: You know who balloon ladies are.

00:35:59.328 --> 00:36:05.208
KATIE: And so then the boring, I guess the boring part of our race started.

00:36:05.488 --> 00:36:11.248
KATIE: So we went out and like behind Epcot into backstage areas.

00:36:11.268 --> 00:36:15.828
KATIE: We came up by test track and then out past like the Mexico Pavilion.

00:36:16.608 --> 00:36:20.468
KATIE: And then the next part of our race, there was a mile that way.

00:36:20.488 --> 00:36:23.148
KATIE: And then we went all the way around World Showcase.

00:36:23.208 --> 00:36:26.008
KATIE: And they had obviously the topiaries were up.

00:36:26.288 --> 00:36:29.288
KATIE: We got some cool pictures in Japan.

00:36:29.648 --> 00:36:34.288
KATIE: And they had all kinds of great characters out, like rare characters.

00:36:34.928 --> 00:36:36.208
KATIE: That you don't see that often.

00:36:36.508 --> 00:36:39.908
KATIE: It was Aurora with Prince Philip and then the three fairies.

00:36:40.808 --> 00:36:43.628
KATIE: And we passed like we you wouldn't know who it was.

00:36:43.648 --> 00:36:46.048
KATIE: And there's like this really long line and you get up to see who it was.

00:36:46.068 --> 00:36:47.408
KATIE: And then you have to go get back in line.

00:36:47.428 --> 00:36:50.748
KATIE: And when we would get up to the see who it was, I was like, oh, my gosh, that's really awesome.

00:36:50.768 --> 00:36:52.468
KATIE: You never see the fairies.

00:36:52.968 --> 00:36:54.288
KATIE: And I was like, do you want to go get in line?

00:36:54.308 --> 00:36:55.428
KATIE: And she was like, no.

00:36:55.448 --> 00:36:59.468
KATIE: It's like we don't we don't have to finish at a certain time.

00:36:59.488 --> 00:37:00.988
KATIE: I was like, we can go wait in line.

00:37:01.008 --> 00:37:01.948
KATIE: She's like, the line's too long.

00:37:02.348 --> 00:37:05.328
KATIE: So I kind of took pictures as we walked past.

00:37:05.328 --> 00:37:09.748
KATIE: And we didn't stop for any characters because she was focused on getting her medal.

00:37:10.528 --> 00:37:14.368
VIRGINIA: Oh, you're like, you'll get the medal regardless of how long it takes you.

00:37:16.208 --> 00:37:18.268
KATIE: So I got her to stop.

00:37:18.288 --> 00:37:26.148
KATIE: There was the topiary of Figment with the flowers around him and then Spaceship Earth in the background.

00:37:26.288 --> 00:37:27.488
KATIE: So we took that picture.

00:37:27.508 --> 00:37:33.008
KATIE: And then they also had a spot where you could take a picture with the new Walt statue, the Dreamer.

00:37:33.728 --> 00:37:35.328
KATIE: So we took that one.

00:37:36.008 --> 00:37:39.408
KATIE: But she was like, you keep making me stop for photos.

00:37:40.068 --> 00:37:41.808
VIRGINIA: She's like, you're ruining my time.

00:37:41.828 --> 00:37:46.688
KATIE: So like it was constantly like, I want my medal, I want my medal.

00:37:46.708 --> 00:37:48.028
KATIE: So we kept on going.

00:37:48.748 --> 00:37:57.048
KATIE: And as we got closer, so you go all the way around World Showcase and then we came back out towards the front past Spaceship Earth.

00:37:57.548 --> 00:38:02.008
KATIE: And then that's where like the finish line was, was out back in the Epcot parking lot.

00:38:02.828 --> 00:38:05.868
KATIE: And as we got closer, she was really excited.

00:38:06.008 --> 00:38:08.248
KATIE: You know, they've got PhotoPass people all along the way.

00:38:08.268 --> 00:38:11.988
KATIE: So I was telling her to like, raise her hands and like, act like you're having fun.

00:38:12.008 --> 00:38:13.508
KATIE: And she's like, Mom, I don't do that.

00:38:17.748 --> 00:38:18.928
KATIE: Back into my heart.

00:38:18.948 --> 00:38:19.928
KATIE: I was like, look, smile.

00:38:21.328 --> 00:38:26.188
KATIE: So as we went on further in the race, she started to do a little bit more.

00:38:26.548 --> 00:38:32.328
KATIE: But our finish line photo, she had some sass in her face and her hand up.

00:38:32.468 --> 00:38:36.368
KATIE: And I was cheering her on and she crossed the finish line.

00:38:36.388 --> 00:38:40.788
KATIE: And as we crossed the finish line, they didn't hand you the medal first thing.

00:38:40.808 --> 00:38:41.748
KATIE: You got a Powerade.

00:38:41.768 --> 00:38:43.108
KATIE: And she's like, where's my medal?

00:38:43.608 --> 00:38:45.728
VIRGINIA: Oh my gosh.

00:38:46.708 --> 00:38:48.108
KATIE: So she collected her Powerade.

00:38:48.128 --> 00:38:49.008
KATIE: She collected, you know, no water.

00:38:49.668 --> 00:38:51.568
KATIE: And she's like, where is my medal?

00:38:52.068 --> 00:38:53.628
KATIE: So she couldn't wait to get her medal.

00:38:54.648 --> 00:38:58.868
KATIE: And so we finally got our medal and it was great.

00:38:58.968 --> 00:39:03.388
KATIE: So she was very excited to put it on and show it off.

00:39:03.588 --> 00:39:10.688
KATIE: And they have characters in like the starting area before you like go into the different corrals.

00:39:10.988 --> 00:39:12.428
KATIE: And so she humored me then.

00:39:12.448 --> 00:39:16.008
KATIE: And we took pictures with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider afterwards.

00:39:16.028 --> 00:39:16.788
KATIE: So she had her medal.

00:39:17.248 --> 00:39:18.528
KATIE: So then she could take pictures.

00:39:19.248 --> 00:39:21.308
KATIE: So we Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.

00:39:21.328 --> 00:39:22.648
KATIE: And then we went and saw Tiana.

00:39:23.128 --> 00:39:26.768
KATIE: And so we got to do some of the princesses, which was fun.

00:39:28.288 --> 00:39:31.648
KATIE: But some of the other ones like so this the 5K was themed to Ariel.

00:39:31.668 --> 00:39:34.508
KATIE: So Ariel's line was really long after.

00:39:35.128 --> 00:39:37.408
KATIE: We just, you know, long line, forgot it.

00:39:37.428 --> 00:39:40.088
KATIE: So anyhow, but yeah.

00:39:40.108 --> 00:39:47.028
VIRGINIA: So you mentioned that you you had planned to go over to Magic Kingdom after this to take photos with your medal.

00:39:47.108 --> 00:39:48.128
VIRGINIA: So did you do that?

00:39:48.148 --> 00:39:53.788
VIRGINIA: And if so, did you get a photo in front of Ariel's ride with your Ariel medals?

00:39:54.488 --> 00:39:57.048
KATIE: So I don't know why I didn't think of that.

00:39:57.548 --> 00:39:59.988
KATIE: But yes, we did go over to Magic Kingdom.

00:40:00.368 --> 00:40:02.088
KATIE: And I will tell you along the way.

00:40:02.308 --> 00:40:06.668
KATIE: So we went and parked at the TTC because we packed up our room for them.

00:40:06.688 --> 00:40:11.228
KATIE: And we got all the kids because my husband was driving all three kids home right after this.

00:40:11.568 --> 00:40:11.908
KATIE: Yes.

00:40:12.048 --> 00:40:14.248
KATIE: So we packed them up.

00:40:14.428 --> 00:40:17.228
KATIE: We drove over to the TTC, got everything in there.

00:40:17.268 --> 00:40:20.588
KATIE: And then we asked the kids, again, we asked them how they want to get over.

00:40:20.608 --> 00:40:22.168
KATIE: Do you want to ride the boat or do you want to take the monorail?

00:40:22.188 --> 00:40:23.628
KATIE: And so they opted for the monorail.

00:40:24.788 --> 00:40:26.148
KATIE: And so we got on the monorail.

00:40:26.648 --> 00:40:28.568
KATIE: And remember those tokens I was telling you about?

00:40:28.988 --> 00:40:30.288
KATIE: They were handing them out left and right.

00:40:30.308 --> 00:40:34.648
KATIE: And so they gave one to one of the people operating the monorail.

00:40:35.388 --> 00:40:37.928
KATIE: And he said, Hey, you want to come here and do something cool?

00:40:37.948 --> 00:40:41.008
KATIE: I was like, Of course we do.

00:40:41.328 --> 00:40:49.048
KATIE: And so my daughter got to go sit in the cabin of the monorail and pretend she was driving the monorail.

00:40:49.068 --> 00:40:50.988
KATIE: So she got to sit in the captain's chair.

00:40:51.008 --> 00:40:51.308
VIRGINIA: Yep.

00:40:51.328 --> 00:40:52.708
VIRGINIA: I saw the video footage.

00:40:52.728 --> 00:40:55.088
VIRGINIA: So it is it is on Katie's Instagram.

00:40:55.108 --> 00:40:56.548
VIRGINIA: If anybody wants to check it out.

00:40:57.008 --> 00:40:57.308
KATIE: Yeah.

00:40:58.068 --> 00:40:59.528
KATIE: So she she got to go there.

00:40:59.548 --> 00:41:03.548
KATIE: And so that was really fun that she she got to sit up front.

00:41:04.828 --> 00:41:07.448
KATIE: And then we stopped.

00:41:07.468 --> 00:41:10.668
KATIE: So that was the first stop at the Polynesian.

00:41:10.688 --> 00:41:15.368
KATIE: Then when we stopped at the Grand Floridian, because we were in the first cabin right there, he goes, you want to do something cool again?

00:41:15.388 --> 00:41:16.848
KATIE: I was like, of course we do.

00:41:17.248 --> 00:41:21.228
KATIE: And so he brought her back in and let her sit down again.

00:41:21.248 --> 00:41:23.208
KATIE: And then she got to honk the horn of the monorail.

00:41:23.668 --> 00:41:24.188
VIRGINIA: Oh, wow.

00:41:24.588 --> 00:41:26.648
KATIE: So it was really cool.

00:41:26.708 --> 00:41:33.888
KATIE: So it was you never know what's going to happen when you we don't ever expect anything in return when we hand those out.

00:41:35.008 --> 00:41:37.788
KATIE: We always just want to give it to somebody to make their day.

00:41:38.508 --> 00:41:41.388
KATIE: And so it was that was an extra special treat.

00:41:41.768 --> 00:41:42.108
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:41:42.188 --> 00:41:44.708
VIRGINIA: And I think that's a lesson for everyone.

00:41:44.708 --> 00:41:46.188
VIRGINIA: You know, just show your appreciation.

00:41:46.188 --> 00:41:48.108
VIRGINIA: And sometimes it comes back to you.

00:41:48.768 --> 00:41:50.488
VIRGINIA: And when it does, it's amazing.

00:41:50.508 --> 00:41:56.628
VIRGINIA: And if someone cast member specifically, not just some random person says, do you want to see something cool?

00:41:57.188 --> 00:41:58.628
VIRGINIA: Your answer should always be yes.

00:42:02.708 --> 00:42:05.968
KATIE: So we never want anything in return other than a smile.

00:42:05.988 --> 00:42:08.408
KATIE: We just want to be able to make their day.

00:42:09.148 --> 00:42:18.708
KATIE: So we went over and got into Magic Kingdom and we took our metal pictures in front of the castle and wanted to make sure that we got those in.

00:42:19.408 --> 00:42:22.188
KATIE: And we asked the kids if they wanted to ride any rides.

00:42:22.568 --> 00:42:24.368
KATIE: And they'd been asking to go to the arcade.

00:42:24.628 --> 00:42:27.788
KATIE: And so I was like, I don't want to take you to the arcade in the hotel.

00:42:27.788 --> 00:42:29.788
KATIE: So I was like, I got one better.

00:42:29.808 --> 00:42:32.308
KATIE: Let's go to the arcade over in Magic Kingdom.

00:42:32.688 --> 00:42:36.528
KATIE: So you can go over into Frontierland and you can shoot the guns for free.

00:42:36.548 --> 00:42:39.648
KATIE: So we went over there and they didn't know they could do that.

00:42:39.668 --> 00:42:42.908
KATIE: And so now I think that's going to happen every trip because I thought that was the coolest thing.

00:42:43.208 --> 00:42:49.408
VIRGINIA: Well, as a parent, I highly recommend grabbing a Dole Whip and then sitting yourself on one of the steps right by the guns.

00:42:49.488 --> 00:42:53.508
VIRGINIA: And then you just sit there and they do what they want, you know, till they get tired of it.

00:42:53.528 --> 00:42:54.928
VIRGINIA: And you sit there and enjoy your Dole Whip.

00:42:55.108 --> 00:42:56.468
KATIE: We did a little bit opposite.

00:42:56.528 --> 00:42:59.108
KATIE: We shot the guns and then we went and got the Dole Whip.

00:43:00.608 --> 00:43:01.688
KATIE: They all wanted the Dole Whip.

00:43:01.708 --> 00:43:02.468
KATIE: So we got the Dole Whip.

00:43:02.488 --> 00:43:09.308
KATIE: And as we were sitting there eating our Dole Whip, one of the bears, and I can't remember, I think it's Big Al.

00:43:09.328 --> 00:43:09.888
KATIE: It is Big Al.

00:43:10.088 --> 00:43:14.268
KATIE: So Big Al was walking around and they wanted to go give him a hug and that kind of thing.

00:43:14.288 --> 00:43:18.828
KATIE: And so somebody behind us had all their pins laid out for pin trading.

00:43:18.848 --> 00:43:25.088
KATIE: And we watched Big Al walk over there and he was interacting with them and asking about the pins and everything.

00:43:25.108 --> 00:43:30.768
KATIE: And he was like, oh, the cast member helping him was like, oh, you trade the pins, right?

00:43:31.268 --> 00:43:32.948
KATIE: You get one that kind of thing.

00:43:33.248 --> 00:43:34.728
KATIE: And he's like, I don't have any pins.

00:43:34.748 --> 00:43:38.908
KATIE: And so my middle son saw that and was like, he needs a pin.

00:43:39.268 --> 00:43:43.308
KATIE: And so he took one of our pins and went over and gave it to Big Al so that he could trade it.

00:43:45.008 --> 00:43:46.648
KATIE: So that was really fun.

00:43:46.668 --> 00:43:49.948
KATIE: So he was really excited that he got a pin trade.

00:43:50.388 --> 00:43:51.488
KATIE: And he helped out Big Al.

00:43:52.208 --> 00:43:53.928
VIRGINIA: I want to ask about the pin trading.

00:43:53.928 --> 00:43:59.688
VIRGINIA: Have you always done pin trading or was this newer for you all?

00:44:00.808 --> 00:44:03.768
KATIE: we've pin traded for a couple years.

00:44:04.228 --> 00:44:08.148
KATIE: But it's whenever I remember to bring their pins or I remember to put them somewhere.

00:44:08.308 --> 00:44:13.868
KATIE: And we always had them on their lanyards and then I put their lanyards in a bag.

00:44:14.128 --> 00:44:16.388
KATIE: So we never had a book.

00:44:16.788 --> 00:44:25.568
KATIE: And so our babysitter or nanny during the pandemic, she is a cast member and she's currently making her magic in Disneyland, Paris.

00:44:27.068 --> 00:44:30.008
KATIE: And she sent us a pin trading book from Paris.

00:44:30.588 --> 00:44:32.548
KATIE: And so we now have that.

00:44:33.028 --> 00:44:38.388
KATIE: And so I'm better now with bringing pins and making sure that they have their pins and ones they can trade.

00:44:38.408 --> 00:44:40.388
KATIE: They've got some on their lanyards and they've got some in the book.

00:44:40.788 --> 00:44:45.268
KATIE: And so they like to do it a lot because they like to look at all the different ones and start collecting them.

00:44:45.728 --> 00:44:48.188
KATIE: And so I constantly get pins.

00:44:48.208 --> 00:44:59.588
KATIE: So I will go when we're in town, I'll head over to the character warehouse and grab some pins at a cheaper price that I know they're not going to want to keep so that they have pins to trade.

00:45:00.088 --> 00:45:08.788
VIRGINIA: Yeah, I'm new to the pin trading world because it's not something I've ever wanted to do when I buy pins, which is not that often.

00:45:09.308 --> 00:45:10.608
VIRGINIA: It's usually like resort pins.

00:45:10.868 --> 00:45:12.188
VIRGINIA: I buy them because I want to keep them.

00:45:12.788 --> 00:45:17.548
VIRGINIA: And Alex never, you know, I never introduced it to him, so he didn't even really know it was a thing.

00:45:17.588 --> 00:45:26.728
VIRGINIA: But when we went with my nephews, I had been collecting pins from the character warehouse for years because our trip was supposed to happen for years and I had to keep getting pushed off by the pandemic.

00:45:27.128 --> 00:45:30.368
VIRGINIA: So this was the first trip where we did pin trading.

00:45:30.668 --> 00:45:37.788
VIRGINIA: And the best pin trading opportunities we had were always guests that had those pin trading books.

00:45:38.608 --> 00:45:53.208
VIRGINIA: When we were going up to the boards, of course, occasionally my nephew would see one he wanted to trade, but as an adult, I'm sitting here looking at these pins and I'm like, even the ones I bought at the character warehouse at reduced prices are so much better pins than what the options are on the pin trading board.

00:45:53.448 --> 00:46:05.028
VIRGINIA: But then you would see individuals with hundreds of pins and they would be like, oh, you know, for that you can look at anything on these pages but not these pages because they're more rare.

00:46:05.048 --> 00:46:15.128
VIRGINIA: And it was a lot of fun to look at, but it was like I have never noticed this going on because I wasn't trying to be a participant in pin trading.

00:46:15.148 --> 00:46:20.008
VIRGINIA: So it was, you know, a whole new world to put Aladdin.

00:46:21.208 --> 00:46:36.868
KATIE: Yeah, we we, because my kids are so small, meeting three, five and seven, we typically avoid like the individuals who pin trade because having little kids come up, I understand, is a little crazy.

00:46:37.248 --> 00:46:47.048
KATIE: So we typically stick to like the pin boards or the ones that my kids enjoy the most are actually the ones that are the blind pin trades at the different places.

00:46:47.068 --> 00:47:03.768
KATIE: So like, I know Riviera in their gift shop, they have it and it's like a square box and it has like little boxes and so they get to pick a number and then they pull it out and then it's like I don't know, something with this like blind trade, like they like those blind bags and they like the blind, you know, all that kind of stuff.

00:47:04.128 --> 00:47:10.288
VIRGINIA: For listeners who are not familiar, what Katie's talking about, it sort of looks like an advent calendar.

00:47:10.428 --> 00:47:14.248
VIRGINIA: So you pick a number and you open the little drawer or door or whatever it is.

00:47:14.608 --> 00:47:14.908
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:47:15.028 --> 00:47:15.328
KATIE: Yep.

00:47:15.328 --> 00:47:19.848
KATIE: And so first, they like doing that better than like going up and picking them sometimes.

00:47:21.048 --> 00:47:23.908
KATIE: My kids just kind of pick what they think looks fun.

00:47:23.928 --> 00:47:26.768
KATIE: They're not like after a certain collection or anything like that.

00:47:26.768 --> 00:47:36.388
KATIE: So it's something that we can do when parks are busy or things are, you know, we just need something to do that's not waiting in a line or, you know, like that kind of thing.

00:47:36.408 --> 00:47:39.168
KATIE: So it gives them something to like look forward to doing.

00:47:39.728 --> 00:47:48.608
VIRGINIA: Yeah, I will say with some of the guests, it was very, you know, transactional and them telling, you know, in terms of how you can pick from this page.

00:47:48.808 --> 00:47:59.888
VIRGINIA: But I remember we spoke with one guy who specifically was at Epcot that we came across and he had his pen book opened up on top of a trashcan because what else do you do at Epcot but use a trashcan as a table?

00:48:00.568 --> 00:48:03.148
VIRGINIA: And he was really helpful.

00:48:03.168 --> 00:48:09.428
VIRGINIA: Like he, my nephew who's seven was really the one doing a majority of the pen trading got into it.

00:48:09.988 --> 00:48:15.828
VIRGINIA: And this guy was like looking at what he had on his lanyard and he was like they don't make these anymore.

00:48:15.848 --> 00:48:19.648
VIRGINIA: You should hold on to that one and was like really giving him some tips.

00:48:19.848 --> 00:48:28.408
VIRGINIA: And I have to admit, like as we walked up to these individuals, I was thinking I don't know anything about pin trading or value or anything like that.

00:48:28.428 --> 00:48:36.368
VIRGINIA: And I was a little concerned in the back of my head that somebody was going to try to take advantage of him because he's seven and he just sees something that looks cool.

00:48:36.388 --> 00:48:42.768
VIRGINIA: But so I really appreciated that I didn't feel like for the most part anybody was trying to do that, you know.

00:48:42.968 --> 00:48:44.528
VIRGINIA: So that was nice.

00:48:44.628 --> 00:48:46.268
KATIE: I don't think anybody would try to take advantage.

00:48:46.288 --> 00:48:52.448
KATIE: And like I think like my kids, like I don't, you know, we're not doing it because they're rare pins.

00:48:52.468 --> 00:48:55.208
KATIE: Like I know some of the people, how they let you pick from certain pages and things.

00:48:56.408 --> 00:48:57.148
KATIE: We do it for fun.

00:48:57.488 --> 00:48:59.968
KATIE: So if they like it, I'm, that's fine.

00:49:00.128 --> 00:49:01.988
KATIE: I'm not, I'm not concerned about it.

00:49:02.008 --> 00:49:05.368
KATIE: Like I do have some pins, like before pin trading was like a really huge thing.

00:49:05.388 --> 00:49:09.928
KATIE: I have some from my childhood from when I was like five and six, and I'm not letting my kids touch those.

00:49:12.008 --> 00:49:13.088
VIRGINIA: No, nor should you.

00:49:13.968 --> 00:49:15.848
KATIE: They're on my goofy hat from when I was little.

00:49:15.868 --> 00:49:16.948
KATIE: So yes, they are.

00:49:16.968 --> 00:49:18.388
KATIE: Oh wait.

00:49:18.468 --> 00:49:25.608
VIRGINIA: The goofy hat that has like his, his snout, I guess you'd call it, that sticks out with the two teeth and the ears that hang down to the side.

00:49:25.888 --> 00:49:28.008
KATIE: I had that one, but I didn't put my pins on that one.

00:49:28.288 --> 00:49:28.668
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:49:28.708 --> 00:49:30.448
VIRGINIA: Is this like the tall goofy hat?

00:49:30.868 --> 00:49:31.168
KATIE: Nope.

00:49:31.188 --> 00:49:32.388
KATIE: This is completely different.

00:49:32.408 --> 00:49:33.568
KATIE: It's from like the 90s.

00:49:33.848 --> 00:49:37.448
KATIE: It's like a letterman's jersey and it has goofy like embroidered in it.

00:49:38.108 --> 00:49:38.468
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:49:39.948 --> 00:49:40.228
KATIE: Cool.

00:49:40.788 --> 00:49:41.168
VIRGINIA: Old school.

00:49:41.188 --> 00:49:41.648
KATIE: It's vintage.

00:49:42.968 --> 00:49:43.348
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:49:43.708 --> 00:49:47.228
VIRGINIA: We have reached the age where people call things vintage.

00:49:47.888 --> 00:49:49.548
VIRGINIA: Including us.

00:49:49.648 --> 00:49:50.208
VIRGINIA: Including us.

00:49:50.248 --> 00:49:51.548
VIRGINIA: But we're a good vintage, right?

00:49:51.928 --> 00:49:52.808
VIRGINIA: Yes, we are.

00:49:53.808 --> 00:49:54.268
VIRGINIA: Alright.

00:49:54.288 --> 00:50:00.908
VIRGINIA: So after taking your photos with your medals, like you had mentioned, your husband and the kids were going to be driving back to North Carolina.

00:50:00.928 --> 00:50:12.728
VIRGINIA: And for anyone who didn't listen to the pre-trip, that was because your daughter had a dance competition and you had already booked this run Disney trip before she was a competitive dancer.

00:50:13.488 --> 00:50:21.208
VIRGINIA: And so they were heading back for that, but you had another race to run and so you booked a flight to get to come back after you finished that.

00:50:21.208 --> 00:50:23.868
VIRGINIA: So how was their drive home?

00:50:24.208 --> 00:50:29.428
VIRGINIA: And then back to you, you got to have a solo day for the rest of the day.

00:50:29.548 --> 00:50:30.608
VIRGINIA: What did you do with yourself?

00:50:31.148 --> 00:50:45.388
KATIE: So they dropped me off and there was actually a clothing line that they were having a pop-up shop and I went and waited in the line, but then they ended up selling out of stuff before I could even get in to see the shopping.

00:50:45.468 --> 00:50:47.168
KATIE: So I was a little disappointed there.

00:50:47.448 --> 00:50:48.648
VIRGINIA: What was this pop-up shop?

00:50:49.068 --> 00:50:50.428
KATIE: It was Crowned Athletics.

00:50:51.368 --> 00:50:52.568
VIRGINIA: Oh, I've heard of this.

00:50:52.808 --> 00:50:53.468
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:50:53.608 --> 00:51:03.088
KATIE: I really like them and I use I wear like all the sports bras and things like that and I know a lot of people that run in them, but I, it just it kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

00:51:04.508 --> 00:51:11.308
VIRGINIA: I keep seeing them get tagged on Instagram, but it's basically like running an exercise attire that looks like Disney princesses.

00:51:11.768 --> 00:51:12.008
KATIE: Yeah.

00:51:12.448 --> 00:51:13.908
KATIE: And so I've really liked them.

00:51:13.928 --> 00:51:20.708
KATIE: I've worn them for years, but then it's kind of gotten like so much more popular that people are liking them.

00:51:20.808 --> 00:51:25.528
KATIE: And it just, she doesn't have as much inventory and things are always out of stock.

00:51:25.548 --> 00:51:27.608
KATIE: And so it just kind of becomes very like cutthroat.

00:51:27.668 --> 00:51:29.088
KATIE: And so I'm not into that.

00:51:29.108 --> 00:51:30.708
KATIE: So I kind of was disappointed.

00:51:31.068 --> 00:51:36.708
KATIE: So after I did that, I walked back to our resort and kind of just rested since I was up at 3 a.m.

00:51:37.228 --> 00:51:39.468
VIRGINIA: Wait, what do you mean you walked back to your resort?

00:51:39.908 --> 00:51:41.968
VIRGINIA: Where was the pop-up shop located?

00:51:42.168 --> 00:51:43.308
VIRGINIA: And where were you walking from?

00:51:43.328 --> 00:51:46.028
VIRGINIA: Because I'm imagining you walking along the highway.

00:51:48.808 --> 00:51:50.188
KATIE: I walked and then skylinered.

00:51:50.208 --> 00:51:50.608
KATIE: How about that?

00:51:52.968 --> 00:51:55.448
KATIE: It was at the Swan Reserve.

00:51:55.568 --> 00:52:02.448
KATIE: And so I walked over from the Swan Reserve around behind Boardwalk and over to Hollywood Studios.

00:52:02.468 --> 00:52:06.448
KATIE: And then I cut that skyliner back over to Art of Animation.

00:52:06.468 --> 00:52:08.288
KATIE: I didn't walk along the highway.

00:52:08.308 --> 00:52:10.108
KATIE: I was safe.

00:52:11.368 --> 00:52:12.788
KATIE: So anyhow, I did that.

00:52:12.808 --> 00:52:15.988
KATIE: And then I rusted for a while.

00:52:16.488 --> 00:52:20.688
KATIE: And I kept on checking on them as they were driving home just to see how things were going.

00:52:20.708 --> 00:52:22.748
KATIE: And so they made it home safely.

00:52:23.328 --> 00:52:37.608
KATIE: And so my choice was I went over to Hollywood Studios and grabbed myself some Tachos from Woody's Lunchbox and sat in Toy Story Land and watched everyone else's kids scream and was thankful they were not mine.

00:52:40.668 --> 00:52:41.908
VIRGINIA: That sounds amazing.

00:52:41.928 --> 00:52:47.288
VIRGINIA: You did say that one of your favorite things to do was grab coffee and people watch.

00:52:47.308 --> 00:52:56.988
VIRGINIA: So I will say coffee can be substituted with anything, like grab a coffee, grab a Tachos, grab an adult beverage at the Brown Derby Lounge and sit and watch.

00:52:57.048 --> 00:52:59.328
VIRGINIA: Whatever floats your boat on that particular day.

00:52:59.688 --> 00:53:00.028
KATIE: Yep.

00:53:00.048 --> 00:53:05.988
KATIE: So Tachos it was, and I just kind of sat there and watched the world go by for a while.

00:53:06.068 --> 00:53:07.748
KATIE: And that was really it.

00:53:07.768 --> 00:53:10.448
KATIE: I just did that and I didn't even ride anything.

00:53:10.468 --> 00:53:19.888
KATIE: I just kind of meandered my way back and then went back so that I could go to sleep pretty early again so that we could wake up at 2.30 in the morning again.

00:53:19.908 --> 00:53:26.108
VIRGINIA: So Saturday, February 24th, you were running the Rapunzel themed 10K.

00:53:26.628 --> 00:53:30.268
VIRGINIA: And this one is a little bit different than the 5K you did the day before.

00:53:30.288 --> 00:53:34.168
VIRGINIA: So you mentioned that the 5K is not timed, therefore there are not balloon ladies.

00:53:34.648 --> 00:53:44.788
VIRGINIA: And for anybody who's not familiar with Disney, the balloon ladies are the group of ladies with balloons who kind of carry the back end of the race.

00:53:44.808 --> 00:53:50.448
VIRGINIA: And if you get behind them, they will sweep you up and you aren't able to finish.

00:53:50.748 --> 00:53:52.908
VIRGINIA: So that was the case with the 10K.

00:53:53.148 --> 00:54:02.528
VIRGINIA: You were under the pressure of the balloon ladies who I'm sure are perfectly nice and don't look threatening at all, but no one wants to be swept by a balloon lady.

00:54:02.548 --> 00:54:05.008
VIRGINIA: So tell us how the race went.

00:54:05.028 --> 00:54:07.188
VIRGINIA: Like what was it like getting into your corral?

00:54:07.208 --> 00:54:08.228
VIRGINIA: Were you in a good corral?

00:54:08.708 --> 00:54:15.228
VIRGINIA: And did you at any point during the race have a fear of getting swept by the balloon ladies?

00:54:15.528 --> 00:54:25.328
KATIE: So I got there pretty early and our nanny that was making magic in Disneyland Paris now, she actually flew back because she was doing the challenge.

00:54:25.348 --> 00:54:27.328
KATIE: So I got to see her and it was really awesome.

00:54:27.348 --> 00:54:29.328
KATIE: She brought us some treats from Disneyland Paris.

00:54:29.368 --> 00:54:30.728
KATIE: I had some nice chocolate.

00:54:31.188 --> 00:54:33.888
KATIE: And so I was in a pretty good corral.

00:54:34.208 --> 00:54:38.428
KATIE: However, last year when I did it for the first time, I started with the balloon ladies.

00:54:39.168 --> 00:54:44.188
KATIE: So I had this like fear in the back of my head that like they were behind me.

00:54:44.288 --> 00:54:49.648
KATIE: And so I wasn't as calm as I should have been because I was in a whole corral ahead of them.

00:54:49.668 --> 00:54:50.488
KATIE: So I had time.

00:54:50.508 --> 00:54:55.008
KATIE: I don't know what like it was just a mental psych that I had, you know, going on.

00:54:55.468 --> 00:55:00.348
KATIE: And so I took off and I ran, would say we run out of Epcot.

00:55:00.368 --> 00:55:03.648
KATIE: And the first part of the 10K is pretty much all highway.

00:55:03.988 --> 00:55:08.648
KATIE: So it kind of stinks for the first, first half of the race.

00:55:09.028 --> 00:55:10.728
KATIE: You're like three miles on the highway.

00:55:10.748 --> 00:55:13.268
KATIE: And you go up an on ramp.

00:55:13.368 --> 00:55:15.208
KATIE: And so that's kind of interesting too.

00:55:16.308 --> 00:55:16.728
KATIE: All right.

00:55:17.628 --> 00:55:21.268
KATIE: So you're literally just the highway and you do the on ramp and anyhow.

00:55:21.588 --> 00:55:28.008
KATIE: So along the way, Moana was out meeting and there were a couple other princesses out meeting.

00:55:28.048 --> 00:55:40.768
KATIE: And so my thought process and some of the meet and greets, because like you can stop and you know, it does take time because everyone slowly makes their way to take the pictures with the princesses or whoever happens to be out.

00:55:41.768 --> 00:55:51.628
KATIE: And so if I can see that character in the parks, I don't typically stop to take the picture of the route because I want to stop for characters that I hadn't seen before or that are rare characters.

00:55:54.288 --> 00:55:57.848
KATIE: So I did stop for, it was either the Evil Queen or Maleficent.

00:55:57.868 --> 00:56:01.308
KATIE: And I was really hoping Maleficent was going to be there because I've had a picture with the Evil Queen.

00:56:01.768 --> 00:56:06.068
KATIE: And so right before I got up to the start of the line, they flipped and I got the Evil Queen and not Maleficent.

00:56:06.328 --> 00:56:07.068
VIRGINIA: Oh, no.

00:56:07.648 --> 00:56:09.248
KATIE: But it was okay.

00:56:11.188 --> 00:56:18.248
KATIE: So that was right after mile three and she was right before we turned to go backstage into Hollywood Studios.

00:56:18.308 --> 00:56:23.048
KATIE: So we came in backstage by where Lightning McQueen's Driving Academy is.

00:56:23.528 --> 00:56:28.668
KATIE: And then right around there, past Rock and Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.

00:56:28.908 --> 00:56:30.208
KATIE: So then we came there.

00:56:30.568 --> 00:56:38.328
KATIE: Last year, we kept on continuing and we turned left and went down like the main drag of Hollywood Studios.

00:56:38.348 --> 00:56:45.108
KATIE: But this year, we turned right after Beauty and the Beast Sing Along and went down that like back way where they let you out for Fantasmic.

00:56:46.648 --> 00:57:00.488
KATIE: We came out front of Hollywood Studios there and then you ran past the Skyliner to where like the buses are and then the little path that connects Hollywood Studios to Boardwalk, we run down that path.

00:57:00.508 --> 00:57:01.388
KATIE: So we ran down there.

00:57:01.768 --> 00:57:02.228
VIRGINIA: Really?

00:57:03.388 --> 00:57:10.488
VIRGINIA: That, I don't think I imagined the race going on like a regular old sidewalk like that.

00:57:10.968 --> 00:57:14.428
VIRGINIA: Because it seems like it would, yeah, be too narrow.

00:57:14.448 --> 00:57:14.908
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:57:15.188 --> 00:57:15.608
KATIE: Yep.

00:57:15.828 --> 00:57:22.568
KATIE: So that narrows and it's kind of frustrating because some people are walking, some people are running.

00:57:22.588 --> 00:57:24.548
KATIE: So you kind of have to like navigate your way.

00:57:24.568 --> 00:57:29.708
VIRGINIA: So do people follow the like, I'm going slower, so I'll be on the right side rule?

00:57:30.328 --> 00:57:33.388
KATIE: So there is a few run Disney rules.

00:57:33.408 --> 00:57:35.408
KATIE: So if you haven't done it before, I learned this last year.

00:57:35.708 --> 00:57:43.468
KATIE: So to start off too, if you're in Corral A, which is the first one, obviously, those are like the serious runners.

00:57:43.748 --> 00:57:46.488
KATIE: You have to have proof of time and they put you up there.

00:57:46.488 --> 00:57:49.848
KATIE: And so those people typically run the entire race.

00:57:49.868 --> 00:57:50.908
KATIE: They don't stop for anything.

00:57:50.928 --> 00:57:54.028
KATIE: They just keep trucking and try and go the fast as they can.

00:57:54.488 --> 00:58:02.388
KATIE: And then it gets the slower your time that you submit when you register, the further back in the corrals that you'll be.

00:58:04.468 --> 00:58:09.928
KATIE: And so the serious runners take off and then the people are a little bit faster go and then slower, slower, slower, slower.

00:58:10.168 --> 00:58:14.608
KATIE: So it is unfortunate that the slowest people start in the corral with the balloon ladies.

00:58:16.748 --> 00:58:18.208
KATIE: You kind of have to keep going.

00:58:18.828 --> 00:58:21.028
KATIE: So I guess that was my mindset.

00:58:21.048 --> 00:58:32.128
KATIE: But anyhow, so when you are running and you're going to walk, because a lot of people do the Jeff Galloway running program and he has a whole princess thing set up and you can meet him at the Expo and all that kind of stuff.

00:58:32.388 --> 00:58:33.508
KATIE: He does like a run walk.

00:58:34.708 --> 00:58:42.348
KATIE: And so when you're when you're shifting from running to walking, you raise your hand and keep your hand up as you move over to the right.

00:58:42.368 --> 00:58:45.428
KATIE: That lets people know that you're transitioning from a run to a walk.

00:58:45.608 --> 00:58:46.588
VIRGINIA: It's your turn signal.

00:58:47.028 --> 00:58:48.028
KATIE: Yeah, it's your turn signal.

00:58:48.048 --> 00:58:51.488
KATIE: And then again, you raise your hand when you're going from a walk to a run.

00:58:51.508 --> 00:58:54.048
KATIE: So people around you realize that you're going to start running more.

00:58:54.068 --> 00:58:57.228
KATIE: So it kind of alerts the runners around you that you're changing your pace.

00:58:58.548 --> 00:59:05.848
KATIE: So but in that area of between that walkway between Hollywood Studios and Boardwalk was, yeah, tight.

00:59:07.968 --> 00:59:09.348
VIRGINIA: Oh, OK.

00:59:09.608 --> 00:59:11.588
VIRGINIA: At least it's not super long, you know.

00:59:11.628 --> 00:59:12.688
KATIE: No, it's not terrible.

00:59:12.988 --> 00:59:15.848
KATIE: So you get up there and then we came around the Boardwalk.

00:59:16.348 --> 00:59:21.008
KATIE: And in there, it's kind of treacherous because the Boardwalk is slippery.

00:59:22.228 --> 00:59:25.768
KATIE: But Anna and Elsa were meeting right there as you got on to the Boardwalk.

00:59:26.448 --> 00:59:32.888
KATIE: So we came around there and then up and over the bridge and then into the backside, the International Gateway of Epcot.

00:59:33.828 --> 00:59:38.168
KATIE: So we actually turned right before where the Skyliners are.

00:59:38.328 --> 00:59:41.548
KATIE: There's like that little road that goes behind into Epcot, and that's where we turned in.

00:59:42.248 --> 00:59:45.208
KATIE: And right there, Asha from Wish was meeting.

00:59:46.908 --> 00:59:47.328
KATIE: Yeah.

00:59:47.348 --> 00:59:49.028
KATIE: The other one that I forgot about earlier.

00:59:49.048 --> 00:59:55.188
KATIE: So earlier in the race, like on the first three miles of the race, like Pocahontas was meeting.

00:59:55.468 --> 01:00:01.108
KATIE: But the one that I didn't stop for, that I'm kind of kicking myself that I didn't stop for, Esmeralda was meeting.

01:00:03.208 --> 01:00:05.008
KATIE: And so I'm like, I should have stopped for her.

01:00:05.028 --> 01:00:08.568
KATIE: But I just, you know, in my brain, I was like, I have to keep going.

01:00:08.668 --> 01:00:09.628
KATIE: Bloom ladies are coming.

01:00:09.648 --> 01:00:10.388
KATIE: I have to keep going.

01:00:12.548 --> 01:00:13.028
KATIE: I don't know.

01:00:13.428 --> 01:00:15.268
KATIE: So, yeah, so you got to see that.

01:00:15.288 --> 01:00:17.308
KATIE: And then you came around to World Showcase.

01:00:17.788 --> 01:00:23.788
KATIE: Then we came down and under like past Club Cool and that kind of thing and towards Spaceship Earth.

01:00:24.428 --> 01:00:29.548
KATIE: And then we made our way towards like the front of the park there and the back.

01:00:30.188 --> 01:00:31.828
KATIE: So we went kind of backstage again.

01:00:31.848 --> 01:00:37.648
KATIE: And as you came around there, they had the like drum players from Japan playing.

01:00:39.488 --> 01:00:42.348
KATIE: So like on the backside, they were able to have like all these drums set out.

01:00:42.368 --> 01:00:43.268
KATIE: And like, so it's kind of fun.

01:00:43.288 --> 01:00:46.628
KATIE: Like they have like, so as you're running, it's not just running.

01:00:46.648 --> 01:00:48.468
KATIE: They've got something always along the way.

01:00:48.488 --> 01:00:54.368
KATIE: So like, there's a DJ or there's, you know, characters or there's somebody out there, like pumping you up as you're going.

01:00:54.388 --> 01:00:59.388
KATIE: So like you only go like the most, like a half a mile without having something to pique your interest.

01:00:59.568 --> 01:01:04.468
KATIE: So I think that's the only way that, you know, I will only run for Disney and that's why.

01:01:05.888 --> 01:01:09.968
KATIE: So, but then Ivanka Dream, she was at the end.

01:01:09.988 --> 01:01:11.448
KATIE: I don't know if you remember her.

01:01:11.468 --> 01:01:12.348
VIRGINIA: I don't.

01:01:12.628 --> 01:01:13.108
VIRGINIA: Who's that?

01:01:13.628 --> 01:01:15.348
KATIE: I think she's from Enchanted.

01:01:17.368 --> 01:01:18.208
VIRGINIA: That's why.

01:01:18.268 --> 01:01:21.028
VIRGINIA: Because I think I've seen that movie once.

01:01:21.528 --> 01:01:21.808
KATIE: Yeah.

01:01:21.988 --> 01:01:27.268
KATIE: And then as we came around, there were, there was a high, or there was a choir group singing.

01:01:27.288 --> 01:01:33.108
KATIE: And it was like, you were so amped up because of this choir group.

01:01:33.128 --> 01:01:34.628
KATIE: I don't, can I play them singing?

01:01:34.648 --> 01:01:35.688
KATIE: Can you hear it if I do that?

01:01:36.248 --> 01:01:37.128
KATIE: All right, let's see.

01:01:37.148 --> 01:01:38.428
SINGER: Thank you.

01:01:43.745 --> 01:01:49.285
KATIE: So they were like singing and like, how can you not feel like, yes, as they're like singing and amping you up.

01:01:49.445 --> 01:01:50.805
VIRGINIA: And that's a high school group?

01:01:51.185 --> 01:01:51.765
KATIE: Yeah.

01:01:52.725 --> 01:01:53.625
KATIE: It was really good.

01:01:53.705 --> 01:01:56.165
KATIE: And then that was right before Mile 6.

01:01:56.625 --> 01:02:01.225
KATIE: And then you come around the curve and then you see the finish line, you're like, yes, I can do this.

01:02:02.425 --> 01:02:05.965
KATIE: It was so great to be able to finish and do that.

01:02:06.105 --> 01:02:09.825
KATIE: And so I got my medal and I had packed.

01:02:09.845 --> 01:02:13.905
KATIE: So when I left that morning, I had packed my 5K medal too.

01:02:15.005 --> 01:02:17.085
KATIE: And so they have a gear place.

01:02:17.105 --> 01:02:20.325
KATIE: And so you can put your clear bag in there and they hold it for you while you're at the race.

01:02:20.345 --> 01:02:21.885
KATIE: So I put my medal in there and that kind of thing.

01:02:21.905 --> 01:02:28.165
KATIE: Because when I was done, I quickly gathered all of my things and I walked over to the monorail.

01:02:28.545 --> 01:02:32.165
KATIE: So I did get my plastic cheese because they give you like a box when you're done running.

01:02:33.245 --> 01:02:34.705
KATIE: Snacks and that kind of stuff.

01:02:34.725 --> 01:02:37.505
KATIE: And so everyone talks about the plastic sheets that you get in your box every year.

01:02:39.005 --> 01:02:42.045
KATIE: I always joke like I ran 6.2 miles for some plastic cheese.

01:02:43.485 --> 01:02:45.465
VIRGINIA: So what time did you finish the race at?

01:02:46.285 --> 01:02:50.405
KATIE: I finished around 7.10.

01:02:51.565 --> 01:02:51.985
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:02:52.145 --> 01:02:58.325
VIRGINIA: Because your flight back to Raleigh-Durham was at 12.15, I think you said?

01:02:58.765 --> 01:02:59.625
VIRGINIA: 12.15.

01:03:00.225 --> 01:03:01.105
KATIE: So 7.10.

01:03:01.125 --> 01:03:01.525
VIRGINIA: Tight morning.

01:03:02.085 --> 01:03:03.045
KATIE: Yeah, it was a tight morning.

01:03:03.065 --> 01:03:06.205
KATIE: So I ran over and so I went and I got my gear bag.

01:03:07.145 --> 01:03:13.685
KATIE: And I headed over towards the monorail because I wanted to go get my pictures at the castle with both of my medals.

01:03:14.265 --> 01:03:22.265
KATIE: And so I headed out and like on the opposite side of the parking lot is where the buses were that would take you back to resorts.

01:03:22.505 --> 01:03:22.765
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

01:03:22.785 --> 01:03:26.225
KATIE: And then you walked to the opposite direction to go to the monorail.

01:03:26.845 --> 01:03:29.345
KATIE: So I walked all the way over to the monorail and it wasn't running yet.

01:03:29.825 --> 01:03:30.305
VIRGINIA: Oh, no.

01:03:30.325 --> 01:03:33.285
VIRGINIA: And I was like, what time does it start?

01:03:33.865 --> 01:03:35.065
KATIE: It didn't start until 7.30.

01:03:35.305 --> 01:03:42.205
KATIE: So by the time like I walked all the way back over to where the buses were to take like a bus to the contemporary, the monorail would have been running.

01:03:42.225 --> 01:03:49.485
KATIE: So I just sat there and people watched because it like caught my breath and ate my plastic cheese while I waited for the monorail to open.

01:03:50.365 --> 01:03:53.425
KATIE: And then I was the first and only person on the monorail over.

01:03:54.005 --> 01:04:07.765
KATIE: So I had a private monorail ride and I did get over to Magic Kingdom and I got to take my pictures and I got one of the cool pictures where they do the magic shots with Minnie and Mickey that look like they're running too.

01:04:07.845 --> 01:04:08.165
KATIE: So.

01:04:08.605 --> 01:04:09.585
VIRGINIA: Oh, I didn't know about that.

01:04:09.825 --> 01:04:10.725
KATIE: Yeah, they're really cute.

01:04:10.745 --> 01:04:11.805
KATIE: It's a cute magic shot.

01:04:11.825 --> 01:04:15.705
KATIE: So they like are cheering along with you in front of the castle.

01:04:16.465 --> 01:04:18.385
KATIE: They got their bibs on and everything.

01:04:18.405 --> 01:04:28.125
KATIE: And so I took my pictures and then I got myself a Starbucks and slowly wandered down Main Street and out to the busses.

01:04:28.485 --> 01:04:36.645
KATIE: And I had a private bus back to Art of Animation and got a chat with the bus driver there and gave her one of our.

01:04:36.745 --> 01:04:38.085
KATIE: No, I didn't get to give her one of my tokens.

01:04:38.105 --> 01:04:41.225
KATIE: I did a cast compliment for her because I did not have one of my tokens.

01:04:42.525 --> 01:04:43.225
KATIE: It was really nice.

01:04:43.245 --> 01:04:43.265
VIRGINIA: Nice.

01:04:43.865 --> 01:04:48.605
KATIE: And so then got back and I showered and called my Uber.

01:04:49.005 --> 01:04:57.665
KATIE: Oh, so I ended up making it to the airport in time and our flight got delayed on the ground because of air traffic.

01:04:57.725 --> 01:05:00.225
KATIE: But we took off like 20 minutes late, but I made it.

01:05:01.425 --> 01:05:07.665
VIRGINIA: And did you make it to your daughter's dance competition because you said that she had to dance at six that night.

01:05:08.125 --> 01:05:08.905
KATIE: So I did.

01:05:08.925 --> 01:05:10.445
KATIE: I made it to the dance competition.

01:05:11.025 --> 01:05:11.945
VIRGINIA: Fantastic.

01:05:12.745 --> 01:05:18.925
KATIE: I got home and my sister-in-law helped and got her space buns for her hair all done and we made it there.

01:05:19.205 --> 01:05:21.185
KATIE: We made it down to the competition in time.

01:05:21.205 --> 01:05:25.405
KATIE: We pulled up as they were like getting her group together to do their practice.

01:05:25.425 --> 01:05:27.685
KATIE: So like it was tight, but we got it.

01:05:27.805 --> 01:05:35.345
KATIE: And then she did her dance and she got to do her medals and all that kind of stuff and their awards and made it home.

01:05:35.965 --> 01:05:41.105
KATIE: I didn't nap at all because I ended up talking to somebody on my flight the entire way home when I planned on napping.

01:05:41.125 --> 01:05:42.105
KATIE: So I was awake.

01:05:42.585 --> 01:05:44.665
KATIE: Yes, I did not sleep at all.

01:05:44.825 --> 01:05:48.725
VIRGINIA: Was it an involuntary conversation type situation?

01:05:52.125 --> 01:05:52.425
KATIE: Yeah.

01:05:52.585 --> 01:05:55.585
KATIE: So I chatted the whole way home, didn't sleep.

01:05:55.945 --> 01:05:56.285
KATIE: Yeah.

01:05:56.305 --> 01:06:01.905
KATIE: So I got to dance and I didn't we didn't get home from dance competition until like 8 p.m.

01:06:05.325 --> 01:06:06.285
KATIE: Yeah, until 8.

01:06:06.305 --> 01:06:12.045
KATIE: And then I think I finally like got everybody to bed and was able to finally fall asleep at like 9 p.m.

01:06:12.065 --> 01:06:16.185
KATIE: And I think as soon as I started to fall over into the pillow, I fell asleep.

01:06:17.685 --> 01:06:19.345
KATIE: And then the next thing was my son's birthday.

01:06:19.365 --> 01:06:22.785
KATIE: So it was like it was still an end there.

01:06:23.005 --> 01:06:26.645
KATIE: But now a little celebration at Chef Mickey's and.

01:06:27.965 --> 01:06:32.465
VIRGINIA: That sounds like an amazing trip and a great first race for your daughter.

01:06:33.285 --> 01:06:37.165
VIRGINIA: We talked at the beginning of the show about maybe getting her to come on and say hello.

01:06:37.185 --> 01:06:39.665
VIRGINIA: So let me see if she's willing.

01:06:43.945 --> 01:06:44.645
VIRGINIA: Hello.

01:06:45.005 --> 01:06:46.745
KATIE: What did you think about your first run Disney race?

01:06:46.885 --> 01:06:56.345
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: What I thought about my first run Disney race was that it was really challenging, but it was actually really exciting for me.

01:06:56.365 --> 01:07:00.245
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: I thought it was really cool and I would probably do it again.

01:07:01.145 --> 01:07:02.605
VIRGINIA: And what about getting up so early?

01:07:02.625 --> 01:07:08.565
VIRGINIA: Because I understand it was still dark out and that everybody else was still sleeping.

01:07:08.625 --> 01:07:09.465
VIRGINIA: So how was that?

01:07:09.725 --> 01:07:13.485
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: Getting up really early was a little bit of a bummer.

01:07:14.665 --> 01:07:18.565
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: And I did not really like getting up that early.

01:07:18.585 --> 01:07:23.865
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: But at least like when we got on the bus, it was like my eyes were finally getting up.

01:07:23.945 --> 01:07:28.505
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: So I think that was okay, because I'm a little used to it.

01:07:29.965 --> 01:07:31.345
KATIE: Because Waylon wakes me up a lot.

01:07:31.785 --> 01:07:33.625
VIRGINIA: It was worth it in the end though, right?

01:07:33.645 --> 01:07:36.025
KATIE: Yeah, what was it worth it in the end?

01:07:36.065 --> 01:07:37.465
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: Getting my medal.

01:07:39.125 --> 01:07:40.345
VIRGINIA: What does your medal look like?

01:07:40.965 --> 01:07:43.205
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: My medal looked like Ariel.

01:07:43.745 --> 01:07:46.125
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: So it had two sides.

01:07:46.245 --> 01:07:50.365
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: One had Ariel on it and the other side had Sebastian and Flower.

01:07:50.785 --> 01:07:52.005
VIRGINIA: Oh, that's so cool.

01:07:52.425 --> 01:07:53.945
VIRGINIA: Have you shown it to all your friends?

01:07:55.045 --> 01:07:57.205
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: Yeah, I showed it in my classroom.

01:07:57.345 --> 01:08:00.665
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: I did a whole entire community.

01:08:00.685 --> 01:08:03.005
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: I got to talk about it and answer questions.

01:08:03.025 --> 01:08:05.525
KATIE: You did show until on Monday at school.

01:08:06.005 --> 01:08:06.965
KATIE: They give you a shirt.

01:08:06.985 --> 01:08:12.345
KATIE: So no matter if you buy a shirt or like each race that you do, you get a shirt.

01:08:12.385 --> 01:08:17.085
KATIE: So she got her and it was actually the correct size that you use sizes for the 5K.

01:08:17.505 --> 01:08:21.765
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: And it was worth it because I got lots of skittles and lots of drinks.

01:08:21.785 --> 01:08:23.185
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: I got like four drinks.

01:08:23.325 --> 01:08:26.305
KATIE: She's talking about the box that you get afterwards.

01:08:26.505 --> 01:08:28.045
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: And I got like four drinks.

01:08:30.865 --> 01:08:33.045
KATIE: You got all the Powerades.

01:08:33.105 --> 01:08:37.465
KATIE: She got all the Powerades and then she was still looking for that medal.

01:08:38.805 --> 01:08:42.025
VIRGINIA: So you'll definitely do another race in the future.

01:08:42.045 --> 01:08:44.645
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: I would do another race in the future.

01:08:44.665 --> 01:08:45.065
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: I would.

01:08:45.545 --> 01:08:45.965
VIRGINIA: Okay.

01:08:45.985 --> 01:08:47.285
VIRGINIA: So this question is for your mom.

01:08:47.545 --> 01:08:50.945
VIRGINIA: How old do you have to be to do a race other than the 5K?

01:08:51.685 --> 01:08:51.965
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: Yeah.

01:08:51.985 --> 01:08:59.345
KATIE: So typically, if you think about it, so 5K is a 5 year old, 10K is a 10 year old, and then the half is 14.

01:09:00.885 --> 01:09:01.305
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:09:01.325 --> 01:09:04.845
VIRGINIA: So in a couple years, you could join your mom in the 10K if you wanted.

01:09:05.825 --> 01:09:08.505
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: Only in about three years.

01:09:09.125 --> 01:09:12.005
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: Basically two, because I'm almost eight.

01:09:12.025 --> 01:09:13.625
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: So basically like two years.

01:09:14.005 --> 01:09:14.705
VIRGINIA: When's your birthday?

01:09:15.385 --> 01:09:17.645
KATIE’S DAUGHTER: My birthday is April 1st, the day after Easter.

01:09:20.205 --> 01:09:20.725
VIRGINIA: Nice.

01:09:21.405 --> 01:09:22.145
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:09:22.165 --> 01:09:26.105
VIRGINIA: Well, we will all be thinking of you on your birthday as you turn eight years old.

01:09:26.665 --> 01:09:30.645
VIRGINIA: So congratulations on completing your first Run Disney Race.

01:09:34.385 --> 01:09:42.905
VIRGINIA: Well thank you so much for taking the time to talk through all the details of your trip and for sharing your daughter's experience as well.

01:09:43.425 --> 01:09:49.125
VIRGINIA: I hope that you all will continue to share this Run Disney connection with each other.

01:09:49.145 --> 01:09:53.865
VIRGINIA: It sounds like something that you can have just for the two of you.

01:09:55.105 --> 01:09:57.265
KATIE: Maybe this is a start of a tradition.

01:09:57.405 --> 01:09:57.965
VIRGINIA: I hope so.

01:09:58.205 --> 01:09:58.845
VIRGINIA: I hope so.

01:09:59.445 --> 01:09:59.945
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:10:00.005 --> 01:10:08.565
VIRGINIA: Well, listeners, take a look at Instagram if you want to see some photos from the trip and we hopefully will catch each other on the parks at some point.

01:10:09.605 --> 01:10:10.245
KATIE: We'll have to.

01:10:10.265 --> 01:10:11.285
KATIE: We'll have to at some point.

01:10:11.605 --> 01:10:12.185
VIRGINIA: Yeah, I know.

01:10:12.205 --> 01:10:13.545
VIRGINIA: You're down there often enough.

01:10:13.565 --> 01:10:15.125
VIRGINIA: I feel like it's inevitable, right?

01:10:16.545 --> 01:10:17.005
VIRGINIA: All right.

01:10:17.025 --> 01:10:17.765
VIRGINIA: Thank you so much.

01:10:20.345 --> 01:10:22.165
VIRGINIA: Thank you, Katie, for joining me on the show.

01:10:22.505 --> 01:10:28.025
VIRGINIA: You can find Katie on Instagram at 2plus3travelers, and that's the number two and the number three.

01:10:28.465 --> 01:10:34.385
VIRGINIA: I hope everyone will make sure to check out Katie's Etsy shop or her website where she sells those cast member thank you tokens.

01:10:34.605 --> 01:10:38.645
VIRGINIA: They are so cute and a great way to say thank you to the cast members who make the magic.

01:10:38.865 --> 01:10:40.685
VIRGINIA: The links are both in the show notes.

01:10:41.085 --> 01:10:45.805
VIRGINIA: You can also follow Katie's adventures on YouTube where she is also 2plus3travelers.

01:10:46.725 --> 01:10:48.085
VIRGINIA: That is all for today.

01:10:48.525 --> 01:10:52.125
VIRGINIA: Until next time, keep daydreaming about where you long to be.