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

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VIRGINIA: You are listening to Where I Long To Be, a Magical Trip Report Podcast.

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VIRGINIA: I'm your host, Virginia.

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VIRGINIA: On today's episode, you'll hear my conversation with Katie, who is two plus three travelers on Instagram.

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VIRGINIA: That's the number two and the number three.

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VIRGINIA: In this pre-trip interview, I refer to Katie by her more formal moniker of Catherine, but you'll hear the switch to Katie in the post-trip report.

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VIRGINIA: If you have an upcoming trip and would like to be a trip report guest, please use the link in the show notes.

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VIRGINIA: I'm currently looking for guests with trips in May 2024 and beyond.

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VIRGINIA: And now here's Katie.

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VIRGINIA: Welcome back, listeners.

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VIRGINIA: I am sitting here with Catherine from Two Plus Three Travelers on Instagram.

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VIRGINIA: Catherine, thank you so much for being here today.

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KATIE: I am excited to chat with you this evening or this morning or whenever you guys are listening to this.

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VIRGINIA: So before we get into all the details of your upcoming trip, I want to hear a little bit about who you are.

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VIRGINIA: Where are you coming to us from in the world?

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VIRGINIA: How did you get into Disney?

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VIRGINIA: Who makes up your family?

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VIRGINIA: Are they as into it as you?

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VIRGINIA: So many questions.

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KATIE: There are lots of answers.

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KATIE: So I am in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

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KATIE: I did not grow up as a Disney kid.

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KATIE: I am new at Disney.

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KATIE: My parents took me a few times.

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KATIE: We took my daughter when she was little.

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KATIE: She's 18 months old, 20 months old, somewhere around there.

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KATIE: We were sitting in the Frozen Sing-Along.

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KATIE: The bubbles came down and her hands went up.

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KATIE: The magic just started right then and there for me.

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KATIE: I became hooked on Disney from that moment.

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KATIE: My husband actually caught it on film.

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KATIE: I started having tears in my eyes like, I have this whole entire thing.

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KATIE: Then it just became this happy place for us.

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KATIE: It was my husband, my daughter and I, and then I had my second.

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KATIE: My husband had to work in Orlando.

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KATIE: His company would pay for him to have a hotel room.

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KATIE: At the time, I was only working part-time and I could work remote before working remote was a cool thing.

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KATIE: We would go down to Orlando with him and I would take the kids into the parks, and he would go to work and we became annual householders at that point.

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KATIE: Then everybody just started loving it.

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KATIE: But then pandemic happened.

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KATIE: We're actually there the days right before the pandemic happened.

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KATIE: My husband and I were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary, and we did the capture your magic and did all that.

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KATIE: They were like, hey, we're going to close for two weeks, and then it wasn't two weeks.

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KATIE: So then pandemic happened and another baby happened.

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KATIE: So now two plus three travelers would be the two, my husband and I, and then the three kiddos.

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KATIE: So there's five of us.

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KATIE: That's where the name came from.

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VIRGINIA: What are their ages currently?

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KATIE: So our current ages, seven, almost eight, four, almost five.

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KATIE: He turns five in two weeks, and then the youngest is three.

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VIRGINIA: So you have your hands full.

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KATIE: Five and eight.

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KATIE: They're in it, man.

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KATIE: They're totally in it.

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KATIE: We're in it.

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KATIE: So we just went all the time and we loved it.

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KATIE: And then it just kind of became a thing for me to be happy and share, and then met the Disney community online, and it just kind of kept on going.

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VIRGINIA: So how often do you get down to the parks these days?

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KATIE: So for the last two years, I've been in a park every month.

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VIRGINIA: Wow.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: So do you go down by yourself sometimes?

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KATIE: So I've done a few things.

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KATIE: Currently in Chapel Hill, I live in a planned neighborhood, and so I'm known as the crazy Disney lady in our neighborhood.

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KATIE: And with Frontier Flights, I can get round trip flights for $39.

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KATIE: So I fly down in the morning, the flight leaves at 5.45, I get down to Orlando and to the lovely MCO carpet, and I'm there by like 7.30, take an Uber over, hang out for the day, and then the flight is back.

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KATIE: It leaves Orlando at 10.50, and I'm home at midnight and I drive home and I'm in my bed by 12.45.

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VIRGINIA: I don't think they have those kind of deals from New York City.

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VIRGINIA: Otherwise, I would be all over that.

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VIRGINIA: That's amazing.

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KATIE: Yeah, it's crazy.

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KATIE: And they're direct flights and it's about an hour and 10 minutes.

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KATIE: And it's Frontier, I joke.

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KATIE: They charge you to breathe on their flights because they charge you for everything, but you get to bring one bag and since I'm just going for the day, all I need is my Disney backpack.

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KATIE: So I have my Disney backpack.

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KATIE: There we go.

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KATIE: So I've done that and I've taken my daughter down for the day.

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KATIE: But then my husband has seen the joy and everything too.

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KATIE: So when the kids have a few days off of school, we're like, what do you want to do this weekend?

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KATIE: He's like, you want to drive down?

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VIRGINIA: So how long of a drive is it for you on those days?

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KATIE: It's about nine hours.

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KATIE: We drive down and we will wake up at like 3 a.m.

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KATIE: and take the kids from their beds, put them in their car seats, buckle them in, put some blankets on them.

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KATIE: They're up for normally about a half hour and then they fall asleep.

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KATIE: And then we get about halfway down by the time they wake up and want breakfast.

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KATIE: And we stop, we get them breakfast, and then they're pretty much good to go until we get to Disney.

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KATIE: So they know it.

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KATIE: And my middle, who's almost five, for the longest time when we got in the car, he'd be like, are we going to Disney today?

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KATIE: Like, no, dude, it's a school day.

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VIRGINIA: We're going to school.

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VIRGINIA: Calm down.

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KATIE: We're going to school, not Disney.

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KATIE: But they're totally in it and a little tangent for you, but it's a pretty cool one.

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KATIE: During the pandemic, when we were home, we were lucky to have a babysitter who was a furloughed cast member.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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KATIE: So she was friends with Elsa prior to the pandemic, and so she would come over to our house and babysit, like nanny or kids every day, and they would jam out to Magic Happens Parade, and they had a good time.

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KATIE: And so we've kept in touch with her.

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KATIE: So even when she got called back, she was in attractions and not in characters.

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KATIE: And so when she went to do attractions, she was at Avatar.

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KATIE: And then she got called back in this little place called the Palcyon, called her, and she got to be friends with Ray there.

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KATIE: And so it was pretty cool.

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KATIE: So she's kind of, she's been our connection to Disney too.

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KATIE: So that kind of keeps it going for us.

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KATIE: So whenever we would go down, we'd get to see her.

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KATIE: And it's been a lot of fun to have that connection as well.

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KATIE: The day before she left us to go back down to Disney, she actually had Elsa make an appearance and bring my daughter a dress to match hers at our house.

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KATIE: And it was just, it was a magical thing.

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KATIE: So like saying that we are just like the Disney family, all things I can bring back to Disney, right?

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KATIE: You can start talking to me about something and I can be like, oh, you know what?

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KATIE: That at Disney?

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KATIE: Like, I can do that because of how much we live, eat and breathe Disney.

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VIRGINIA: Well, that's why it's important to find your Disney community so that you can like have other people to talk with Disney about because, you know, strangely enough, there are people out there in the world who don't want to talk about Disney all the time.

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VIRGINIA: So we have to find our people, right?

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KATIE: Yeah, those aren't not my people.

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VIRGINIA: No.

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KATIE: People that want to talk Disney all day and I'm like, hey, look how cool this is.

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KATIE: Or did you see this is coming out?

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KATIE: Like, yeah, those are my people because they understand.

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KATIE: They have that same feel and need.

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KATIE: So, yeah.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: Well, let's get into all the details of this particular trip.

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VIRGINIA: So what are your dates and how did you decide on these dates?

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KATIE: So we are headed down our first night is currently the 21st of February.

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KATIE: But my husband and I looked at each other and we're like, let's go down on the 20th.

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KATIE: So we're going to try and get the kids ready from school and head on down on the 20th of February.

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KATIE: We'll probably get there really late and then wake up and get into the parks in the morning of the 21st.

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KATIE: And the reason for this trip is because my daughter and I are doing the princess half marathon weekend.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So daughter who is seven, almost eight.

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KATIE: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: So which race or races are you running?

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KATIE: So this started because last year I ran my first race ever.

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KATIE: I did the 10K last year and my daughter was upset because I got a medal and she didn't.

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KATIE: So out of the jealousy, I said, okay, I will go ahead and when registration happens this year, I will sign you up and because she is seven, almost eight, she'll still be seven when we run, she can only do the 5K, but I think that's enough for her.

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KATIE: So she and I will do the 5K and then I'm doing the 10K by myself.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So do those happen like one day after the other?

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KATIE: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: There is the word consecutive.

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KATIE: Yeah, consecutive days.

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KATIE: They are consecutive days.

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KATIE: So we will run on, so Thursday, we can go to the expo and get our bibs and our shirts and pick all that stuff up.

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KATIE: Friday morning is the 5K, Saturday morning is the 10K and then Sunday is the half if you happen to be running the half, which I'm not and then Monday, they're doing yoga.

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KATIE: So they switched yoga around this year.

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VIRGINIA: What are the themes of the 5K and the 10K?

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KATIE: So this year, the theme for the 5K is Ariel.

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KATIE: So they pick a princess to theme it around and then 10K is Rapunzel and then the half is Tiana.

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KATIE: And then if you do the 10K and the half, that's the challenge and then it's Frozen themed.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: Well, what is your daughter's favorite princess?

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VIRGINIA: Is she excited to be running an Ariel themed race and to presumably have an Ariel medal?

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KATIE: So she didn't care what, who it was on the medal, she just wants the medal, right?

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KATIE: Which I completely can understand.

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KATIE: She does like Ariel.

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KATIE: Her favorite princess, if you ask her, has always been Cinderella.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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KATIE: That's an old school classic.

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KATIE: I don't think there's a princess that she hasn't liked.

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VIRGINIA: She's never met a princess she didn't like.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So does everyone in your family have an annual pass at this point?

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KATIE: We all do have annual passes and they all just came up for renewal.

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KATIE: So that nice chunk of change happened.

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KATIE: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: I always talk about this.

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VIRGINIA: Like when we renew our annual passes, it always happens in July and it feels just like a stab in your heart to have to let go of that kind of money all at one time because as out of state annual pass holders, we have to pay for them all up front.

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VIRGINIA: But then I spend the remainder of the year thinking I'm going for free.

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VIRGINIA: So yes.

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KATIE: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: It's fine.

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KATIE: It's total girl mouth in the sense that like I paid for it.

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KATIE: So like every time that I went and I did the day trips, it was $39 for me to go.

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KATIE: I went to Disney for the day and it was $39 because the rest of it was free.

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VIRGINIA: Right.

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VIRGINIA: Exactly.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: And where are you going to be staying for this trip?

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KATIE: So for this trip, we decided we needed some space.

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KATIE: And so we are staying at the Art of Animation Family Suites.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: Have you stayed in one of those before?

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KATIE: We've stayed in a family suite, but it was a very, very long time ago.

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KATIE: It was one of the first trips we took when it was just my daughter and we didn't need that much space, but we took, we had it.

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KATIE: So now that we have five people in our family, we definitely need the space and the nice little kitchenette and the microwave because that makes kid meals of mac and cheese just so much easier.

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KATIE: So we will be staying in, I believe, a Cars themed suite.

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VIRGINIA: That is so much fun and you'll have access to the skylighter, it'll make it much easier.

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VIRGINIA: Perfect.

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VIRGINIA: All right, when you go down, do you typically use Genie Plus or purchase individual lightning lane?

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KATIE: When we go down, we do not typically use either because we do have the opportunity to go as often.

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KATIE: And so if I'm with somebody like when we went on, I took another mom friend and we went down for the day, we bought an individual lightning lane for Guardians of the Galaxy because that was a must do ride.

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KATIE: So we were like, we don't want to chance it, we don't want to any of that.

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KATIE: So we made sure that we purchased Guardians of the Galaxy when we went.

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VIRGINIA: Yes, because on your typical day trips, you are in the air when the virtual queue happens.

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KATIE: Yeah.

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KATIE: And so sometimes I actually will have my husband, I'm going to say it again, we're the crazy Disney family because his alarm every morning goes off at 6.57 and we're always like book your lightning lanes and it's because on our last trip we went and we set the alarm every day because I'll pull up my phone and he'll pull up his phone once the alarm goes off and he'll go on world clock and I'll have the virtual queue up and as soon as I see the tick over to seven o'clock, I'll hit refresh and we get our lightning lanes.

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KATIE: But he has not taken that alarm off of his phone since our last trip and that was before Christmas.

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VIRGINIA: I mean, maybe it just makes him feel like he's at Disney.

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KATIE: It's so I'm telling you, it's a part of our daily life.

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KATIE: Every morning it's at 657 Book the Lightning Lane.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So Tuesday, February 20th, what time you're flying or you're driving this time?

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KATIE: We're going to drive and so we'll probably get the kids out of school a little early.

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KATIE: So we'll leave probably lunchtime and then drive about nine and a half hours down and get down around 930 to Orlando.

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VIRGINIA: And where are you staying that first night or did you extend your Art of Animation stay when you decided to come earlier?

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KATIE: We have not extended our Art of Animation stay.

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KATIE: I'm still playing around with this.

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KATIE: I know I'm, you know, run a little close on time, but we also have Hilton points that we will stay at the Hilton's in Disney Springs.

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KATIE: And so for the first night, we might just do that so then we can switch over to Art of Animation.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

00:15:26.580 --> 00:15:36.420
VIRGINIA: So you're leaving it flexible, which you know what, if it's just for one night, that's perfectly fine way to do it because then you just pick whatever the best value is since it's just for a night.

00:15:36.540 --> 00:15:38.280
VIRGINIA: Literally all you're doing is sleeping there.

00:15:39.660 --> 00:15:40.080
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:15:40.300 --> 00:15:45.220
VIRGINIA: What park on Wednesday, February 21st are you planning to head to?

00:15:45.640 --> 00:15:49.580
KATIE: Because we are the annual pass holders, we need to go to Oak Cot and pick up our hey hey magnet.

00:15:50.040 --> 00:15:50.880
VIRGINIA: Yes, I do.

00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:52.040
VIRGINIA: Yes, you do.

00:15:52.060 --> 00:15:55.080
VIRGINIA: That is on my list to do while I'm there as well.

00:15:55.940 --> 00:15:58.580
VIRGINIA: And also Festival of the Arts, I mean.

00:15:59.280 --> 00:16:00.120
KATIE: You got to get it in.

00:16:00.540 --> 00:16:01.860
KATIE: Is that the last day of it?

00:16:01.880 --> 00:16:05.260
VIRGINIA: I, oh wait, you know what?

00:16:05.740 --> 00:16:08.860
VIRGINIA: I think the last day of it is the day before that.

00:16:08.880 --> 00:16:10.140
VIRGINIA: I think it's the 20th.

00:16:10.380 --> 00:16:15.760
VIRGINIA: It's either the 19th or the 20th and I'm thinking it's the 20th because the 19th is a holiday and they wouldn't do that on a holiday.

00:16:16.280 --> 00:16:17.560
VIRGINIA: Yeah, you're just going to miss it.

00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:18.080
VIRGINIA: Oh well.

00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:19.440
VIRGINIA: Never mind.

00:16:19.460 --> 00:16:20.000
VIRGINIA: Let's drink that.

00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:21.320
KATIE: So we might miss it.

00:16:21.880 --> 00:16:24.600
KATIE: So my daughter loves Guardians of the Galaxy.

00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:25.520
KATIE: She loves Tron.

00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:28.160
KATIE: So those are must do's whenever we go.

00:16:28.180 --> 00:16:33.760
KATIE: And Epcot is always fun for all ages.

00:16:33.780 --> 00:16:37.080
KATIE: My kids have always wanted to go.

00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:43.980
KATIE: We go to Disney to go to the playground at Epcot because that's what they want to do when we get there.

00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.280
KATIE: I'm shocked every time.

00:16:47.700 --> 00:16:55.880
VIRGINIA: It's actually on my list for this trip too, only because I told you before we started recording I'm taking my sister and her fiance and their kids.

00:16:55.900 --> 00:16:58.200
VIRGINIA: And so they have a seven year old and two three year olds.

00:16:59.020 --> 00:17:03.600
VIRGINIA: And so it will be the first time in a long time that I've gone with little kids like that.

00:17:03.920 --> 00:17:14.980
VIRGINIA: And so I'm trying to add things to my list that normally I would totally skip over like the playground at Epcot, like the boneyard at Animal Kingdom, all of those things.

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:19.100
VIRGINIA: It's going to I feel like that's a necessity when you have smaller kids with you.

00:17:19.420 --> 00:17:23.480
KATIE: So another one to add to your list then is we don't ride Mission Space.

00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:25.180
KATIE: I get very, very motion sick.

00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:29.020
KATIE: So but as you leave Mission Space, they have that indoor playground.

00:17:29.600 --> 00:17:33.800
VIRGINIA: Oh yeah, that's that's a good tip because I would have been avoiding that.

00:17:33.820 --> 00:17:34.140
KATIE: Yes.

00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:35.100
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:17:35.120 --> 00:17:38.680
KATIE: Yeah, so we go in the gift shop and go through the other way.

00:17:38.700 --> 00:17:41.960
KATIE: My kids love playing in there, especially this last summer.

00:17:41.980 --> 00:17:47.420
KATIE: We went for the week of Fourth of July and we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and it's hot.

00:17:47.620 --> 00:17:48.000
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:17:48.100 --> 00:17:55.980
KATIE: And so to be able to go inside and I can just sit and they can run around in air conditioning was was key.

00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:58.440
KATIE: So that's another good one to have in your back pocket.

00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:01.140
VIRGINIA: Thank you.

00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:02.040
VIRGINIA: I appreciate that.

00:18:02.780 --> 00:18:05.320
VIRGINIA: Is there anything else you're planning to do at UPCOT that day?

00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.360
KATIE: So my favorite ride is living with the land.

00:18:08.460 --> 00:18:10.040
KATIE: So that's always a must do.

00:18:10.580 --> 00:18:11.080
VIRGINIA: Me too.

00:18:11.120 --> 00:18:11.560
VIRGINIA: Me too.

00:18:12.340 --> 00:18:14.260
KATIE: I just have to do it every time.

00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:18.320
KATIE: One of the previous trips I went with my daughter, we did the Behind the Seeds Tour.

00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:20.520
VIRGINIA: Oh, we did the Behind the Seeds Tour once.

00:18:20.620 --> 00:18:21.960
VIRGINIA: Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:24.280
KATIE: Yeah, it was really interesting.

00:18:24.460 --> 00:18:25.600
KATIE: Did you get to meet Stanley?

00:18:26.140 --> 00:18:26.960
VIRGINIA: Yes, we did.

00:18:27.060 --> 00:18:27.360
VIRGINIA: Yep.

00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:30.500
VIRGINIA: I have video of us messing with Stanley.

00:18:31.800 --> 00:18:33.120
KATIE: Yeah, touching him.

00:18:33.140 --> 00:18:36.180
KATIE: You don't know what you don't know if you don't do the Behind the Seeds Tour.

00:18:36.200 --> 00:18:39.720
KATIE: You got to figure out who Stanley is and do that tour.

00:18:39.820 --> 00:18:49.660
KATIE: Just taking in the land pavilion, we enjoy that, but my kid's favorite is always figment and they know that bad smell is coming and they still want to ride it every time.

00:18:50.460 --> 00:18:53.660
KATIE: And so, yep, that's that.

00:18:53.740 --> 00:18:58.480
KATIE: Yeah, and just basically getting to ride the Skyliner and then walking around World Showcase.

00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:02.600
KATIE: It's a pretty chill kind of day for us.

00:19:02.800 --> 00:19:07.540
KATIE: Nothing huge that we have to get done, but just making sure we hit our favorites.

00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:13.300
VIRGINIA: And do you anticipate staying there the whole day or will you park hop?

00:19:13.540 --> 00:19:20.600
KATIE: We will park hop and this is like new territory because I haven't been back since all day park hopping has happened.

00:19:21.620 --> 00:19:27.940
KATIE: So I am kind of excited to be able to be like, oh, we're done at 10 a.m.

00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:32.760
KATIE: because my kids wake up at 5.30 in the morning and they're ready to go.

00:19:32.780 --> 00:19:34.460
KATIE: We are rope droppers every day.

00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:38.940
KATIE: So to be able to be like, okay, we've done what we want to do here.

00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:44.920
KATIE: Let's head somewhere else is going to be a little foreign because it hasn't been like that for so long.

00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:59.400
KATIE: So to be able to park hop before noon is going to be an interesting scenario, but I'm sure we'll end up probably from Epcot heading over to Hollywood Studios because we like to do some downy hunting when we're in Hollywood Studios.

00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:00.680
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:01.840
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:20:02.280 --> 00:20:06.000
VIRGINIA: Are your kids into all of the Star Wars things?

00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:23.100
KATIE: So because we have that magical connection that I was sharing with you earlier, my kids totally have gotten into Star Wars and my daughter tells everybody that Rey knows her name and my youngest son, his favorite character is Chewie.

00:20:23.560 --> 00:20:37.600
KATIE: And as soon as you walk from Toy Story Land or Out by Muppets and you shift and you have that visual and that auditory shift of the lands, he starts yelling for Chewie.

00:20:37.840 --> 00:20:38.840
KATIE: He knows where he is.

00:20:39.020 --> 00:20:42.140
KATIE: As soon as he walks into that area, he's like, I'm looking for Chewie.

00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:46.640
KATIE: And he's like on an all out sprint looking for Chewie because he has to go see Chewie.

00:20:47.140 --> 00:20:48.740
VIRGINIA: Oh, that's cute.

00:20:48.840 --> 00:20:49.520
VIRGINIA: Oh my goodness.

00:20:49.860 --> 00:20:56.240
VIRGINIA: I am very excited to see if my three year old nephews will get into the Star Wars thing.

00:20:56.280 --> 00:21:01.540
VIRGINIA: My fear is that we're going to get them lightsabers or something and it's going to be a mess.

00:21:01.580 --> 00:21:02.760
VIRGINIA: Three year olds with lightsabers.

00:21:04.100 --> 00:21:12.240
KATIE: We have lightsabers and we have the battle axe and we have all of the things and they live on top of our refrigerator, if that tells you anything.

00:21:12.260 --> 00:21:15.940
KATIE: So my three year old, yes, it lives on top of the refrigerator.

00:21:16.500 --> 00:21:16.940
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:21:17.360 --> 00:21:23.320
VIRGINIA: We have a million lightsabers here and I know that my seven year old nephew is into it.

00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:33.940
VIRGINIA: But that's as I'm thinking about when we're going through, particularly right after Star Tours where you can build your own in their plastic so it's not like you're getting the more expensive one.

00:21:34.320 --> 00:21:37.740
VIRGINIA: I was thinking maybe I should get the three of them lightsabers.

00:21:37.840 --> 00:21:40.580
VIRGINIA: And then I was like, wait a second, is that a recipe for disaster?

00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:41.260
VIRGINIA: I'm not sure.

00:21:41.560 --> 00:21:42.540
VIRGINIA: I'm still figuring it out.

00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:46.000
KATIE: And especially if you fly back with them too.

00:21:46.040 --> 00:21:48.740
KATIE: That's a little hard when you fly back with them.

00:21:48.760 --> 00:21:49.500
VIRGINIA: That's true.

00:21:49.580 --> 00:21:50.120
VIRGINIA: That's true.

00:21:50.140 --> 00:22:00.060
VIRGINIA: I did tell Alex, I was like, we have to ask my sister if that's okay on the side and make sure that it's okay.

00:22:00.080 --> 00:22:01.380
VIRGINIA: I don't want to get on her bad side.

00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:07.380
VIRGINIA: All right, so Thursday, February the 22nd.

00:22:08.260 --> 00:22:12.300
VIRGINIA: You mentioned that that was a day that you'll probably go to the Expo.

00:22:12.580 --> 00:22:15.840
VIRGINIA: Would you anticipate doing that sort of first thing of the day?

00:22:16.300 --> 00:22:21.660
KATIE: So the thing about the Expo, and this is now my second run Disney experience.

00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:23.060
KATIE: I did not know this last year.

00:22:23.340 --> 00:22:35.840
KATIE: With the Expo and you have a virtual queue, so anybody that's doing run Disney for the first time, when you have the virtual queue, that is just to get in for the merchandise for the run Disney race.

00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:50.140
KATIE: You can enter into the rest of the ESPN Wide World of Sports at any time and go pick up your bib, but the virtual queue is just that you can go in and buy the run Disney gear that is associated with your race.

00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:57.400
KATIE: So if you don't want to buy any of the shirts or pins or anything like that, you don't need to do the virtual queue.

00:22:58.380 --> 00:23:06.320
KATIE: So I didn't know that that was my first time doing it last year, and so I had a big learning curve and so this year I'm going to do it a little different.

00:23:06.340 --> 00:23:41.040
KATIE: So on Thursday, we'll end up going picking up our bibs and they have all the cool photo ops and you can go through the other vendors and things like that, and I'm sure we'll take some time going through there, but that will probably end up being at rest time and I'll have the two boys lay down with my husband and they'll take a rest and my daughter and I will head over to the expo, so hopefully we could time our virtual queue to get into the expo accordingly, because I'm sure this being her first run Disney thing that we are going to have to get some kind of souvenir from the expo.

00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:42.700
VIRGINIA: Oh yeah, that's a must.

00:23:43.220 --> 00:23:45.300
VIRGINIA: So what will you be doing that morning?

00:23:45.320 --> 00:23:47.340
VIRGINIA: Are you heading into a park, I imagine?

00:23:47.540 --> 00:23:48.180
VIRGINIA: Rope dropping?

00:23:48.660 --> 00:23:49.200
KATIE: Rope dropping.

00:23:49.460 --> 00:24:10.280
KATIE: We are there, and it'll most likely be Hollywood Studios because we have to get our daily dose of Slinky Dog and Toy Story Mania, and I try so hard each time to beat my husband at Toy Story Mania, but it just doesn't.

00:24:11.580 --> 00:24:12.760
VIRGINIA: Yeah, same way.

00:24:12.780 --> 00:24:13.100
VIRGINIA: I fail.

00:24:13.120 --> 00:24:14.860
VIRGINIA: I am the same way.

00:24:14.920 --> 00:24:24.540
VIRGINIA: I'm like, I don't know what I'm doing wrong here, but I'm going to chalk it up to he's had lots of years more experience playing video games and things like that than I have.

00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:26.560
KATIE: I will take that one too.

00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:28.560
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:24:28.700 --> 00:24:32.040
VIRGINIA: When you rope drop, you go to Slinky Dog first, right?

00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:32.620
KATIE: Yes.

00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:38.480
KATIE: That's typically our first one because throughout the day that will end up getting the longest line.

00:24:39.580 --> 00:24:43.440
KATIE: So let's knock out the ones that we know are going to get the long line that we're...

00:24:43.780 --> 00:24:48.880
KATIE: Even though the youngest can't ride it yet, we measured him last time and he's about a half inch too short.

00:24:49.280 --> 00:24:53.580
KATIE: So one day he'll get a ride and we'll all get to go on until then.

00:24:54.000 --> 00:25:09.320
KATIE: And one thing to note for people doing this with kids and traveling with kids and doing different rides by yourself or with one or two kids, as long as the older child is at least seven, so my daughter hits that, she can ride in a car by herself.

00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:17.460
KATIE: So since there are five of us and there's always like two seats or things like that, she can always sit by herself in the car in front of us.

00:25:17.480 --> 00:25:21.120
KATIE: And I can't tell you how many times cast members ask, how old are you?

00:25:21.220 --> 00:25:22.020
KATIE: And you're how old?

00:25:22.060 --> 00:25:25.080
KATIE: And she gets so annoyed of telling them, I'm seven.

00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:28.280
KATIE: But that's the rule for them.

00:25:28.300 --> 00:25:36.420
KATIE: So if you're trying to travel with multiple children and one of them is at least seven, then they can ride in the car by themselves.

00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:39.620
VIRGINIA: Do you ever take advantage of the rider swap?

00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:40.240
KATIE: We do.

00:25:40.300 --> 00:25:45.780
KATIE: So when we ride Slinky Dog, it's typically my daughter that will want to ride Slinky Dog twice.

00:25:45.840 --> 00:25:53.300
KATIE: And so we do set up rider swap and I'll go first with them and my husband hangs out with the young guest and then we'll flip flop.

00:25:53.320 --> 00:26:00.840
KATIE: And my son, the older son, the middle kid, always says that he wants to ride it twice, but he then doesn't want to.

00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:04.960
VIRGINIA: So win win for your daughter.

00:26:05.100 --> 00:26:05.600
VIRGINIA: That's fine.

00:26:05.620 --> 00:26:05.800
KATIE: Yes.

00:26:06.580 --> 00:26:06.880
KATIE: Yes.

00:26:07.360 --> 00:26:07.900
KATIE: Exactly.

00:26:08.300 --> 00:26:08.820
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:26:08.840 --> 00:26:11.200
VIRGINIA: So then expo rest time.

00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:13.840
VIRGINIA: And then what are your plans for after that?

00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:19.580
KATIE: So we need to hit up some Magic Kingdom because we haven't seen that yet on this trip.

00:26:19.600 --> 00:26:26.580
KATIE: And that's always a must do, you know, walking and doing Main Street, you know, going up to the castle.

00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:32.480
KATIE: And my favorite is always going to see pirates and I love the smell of pirates every time we go in.

00:26:33.540 --> 00:26:36.320
KATIE: And the kids love Space Ranger Spin.

00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:38.760
KATIE: So that's a must do for us as well.

00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:43.320
KATIE: And then also getting a dole lip and just sitting and chilling.

00:26:43.320 --> 00:26:57.500
KATIE: And I know not everybody has that luxury of doing that because when you're there and you don't get to go as frequently as once a month, which is I know insane, you want to get as much done as possible.

00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:08.880
KATIE: But I think having the time just to like sit and enjoy a dole lip with my kids and watch everybody else like running around and being crazy is it's kind of a fun moment to have for us.

00:27:08.900 --> 00:27:19.200
KATIE: So and especially not doing anything too crazy the night before we have to get up and at 3am and be down at Epcot parking lot by, you know, 334.

00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:26.640
VIRGINIA: Yeah, that was my next question was knowing what I know about Run Disney because I've interviewed a number of people who have done run Disney races.

00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:36.040
VIRGINIA: The time that you have to get up and everything you have to kind of plan for for that like well into the day before.

00:27:36.700 --> 00:27:42.900
VIRGINIA: What is your what is your thought as to like what time you will for sure leave Magic Kingdom by?

00:27:43.520 --> 00:27:46.100
VIRGINIA: What time will you be in bed?

00:27:46.120 --> 00:27:52.620
VIRGINIA: Do you think that your daughter will be able to go to bed as early as she needs to go to bed to make this happen?

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.860
KATIE: No, I'm shaking my head no, because she's going to be so excited.

00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:19.200
KATIE: I like I think I'm going to have to bring some melatonin and give her like one gram of melatonin to just like knock her out because I think she's going to be far too excited to go to sleep on time because it is important to I mean the kids go to bed normal school nights by 730.

00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:29.680
KATIE: So I think we'll just keep our usual routine, but us waking up at, you know, three o'clock 233 to get dressed and head out the door.

00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:33.780
KATIE: It's going to be it's going to be an early morning.

00:28:33.800 --> 00:28:38.260
KATIE: I don't think she has fully understood what she is signing up for at this point.

00:28:38.380 --> 00:28:38.800
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:28:38.820 --> 00:28:49.080
KATIE: And it's nice to have the Art of Animation suite because then she and I can get up and get ready hopefully with the door closed and let the boys still sleep while we're getting ready.

00:28:51.580 --> 00:28:52.000
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:28:52.020 --> 00:28:57.840
VIRGINIA: So getting up and out the door to be at UPCOT by 345, you said?

00:28:58.460 --> 00:29:06.500
KATIE: It's yeah, it's somewhere in the 330 to four o'clock range that you need to be into the park and check in kind of thing.

00:29:07.580 --> 00:29:09.140
KATIE: The buses bring you over there.

00:29:09.160 --> 00:29:15.940
KATIE: Some people I've read are very insistent on being on the very first bus over there.

00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:19.280
KATIE: And I don't know, I don't know that I can function like that.

00:29:20.280 --> 00:29:26.060
KATIE: I'm like, I will get there and we will get there because the 5k is untimed.

00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:35.860
KATIE: So that one's a little bit easier to not have to make sure you're as far up in a corral as possible to get a good start time in your corral.

00:29:36.060 --> 00:29:38.080
VIRGINIA: Are you going to be able to do this without coffee?

00:29:38.340 --> 00:29:39.440
KATIE: I did last year.

00:29:39.460 --> 00:29:40.740
KATIE: Okay, shockingly.

00:29:40.760 --> 00:29:44.500
KATIE: I thought I was going to be able to do it without anything.

00:29:44.520 --> 00:29:51.700
KATIE: But then by the time I got to the area where they had stuff happening, my body was like, okay, we're awake now.

00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:58.580
KATIE: So I got myself a banana and a water and I survived on that and made it until after to get some coffee.

00:29:58.600 --> 00:30:01.320
KATIE: But then it was lots of coffee.

00:30:01.760 --> 00:30:10.080
KATIE: And last year when I ran the 10k, it actually was on my middle's birthday and we had Chef Mickey's reservations at 930.

00:30:10.100 --> 00:30:13.100
KATIE: So I had to run it and then book it back and shower and change.

00:30:13.120 --> 00:30:15.980
KATIE: And we got over to the contemporary for Chef Mickey's.

00:30:18.940 --> 00:30:27.640
VIRGINIA: Well, that brings me to my next question is what are the boys going to be doing while the two of you are going and getting checked into your race and doing a race?

00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:32.720
VIRGINIA: Are they planning to meet you at the finish line or or no?

00:30:33.260 --> 00:30:34.780
KATIE: Hopefully they're still sleeping.

00:30:35.540 --> 00:30:40.220
KATIE: So here in lies our crazy, again, crazy Disney people lives.

00:30:41.500 --> 00:30:44.260
KATIE: My daughter is also part of a competitive dance team.

00:30:44.800 --> 00:30:50.600
KATIE: And when we booked this race, she was not on the dance team.

00:30:51.320 --> 00:30:56.600
KATIE: And just so happened that this weekend is one of her dance competition weekends.

00:30:57.220 --> 00:31:02.700
KATIE: And so, oh, wow, I had already paid all of the money to do the 5k and the 10k.

00:31:03.120 --> 00:31:21.540
KATIE: And so when we started chatting before, I said, Do you know my family is leaving on Friday and I'm leaving on Saturday because my husband is going to drive all three kids home after the 5k so that she can get home for her dance competition on Saturday.

00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:25.240
KATIE: So I told him, though, we have to go after the race.

00:31:25.580 --> 00:31:32.080
KATIE: We do have to go over to Magic Kingdom for some obligatory pictures with her castle and the medal.

00:31:32.100 --> 00:31:34.400
KATIE: And then they're all out to depart after that.

00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:41.200
KATIE: And then I'm going to have a solo day until I crash, which who knows what that's going to be.

00:31:41.220 --> 00:31:46.340
KATIE: But, you know, like a nap in a hotel suite by myself will be quite nice.

00:31:46.540 --> 00:31:55.600
VIRGINIA: So if you're doing a solo day, what do you anticipate you will want to do in terms of parks when you're left to your own devices?

00:31:55.620 --> 00:32:17.880
KATIE: I thoroughly enjoy grabbing a coffee and sitting on Main Street and just watching everybody else go by to see all the different families, all the different memories that are being made when people turn that corner for the first time and they see the castle for the first time since the castle Walt Disney World is just impressive down Main Street.

00:32:19.020 --> 00:32:23.860
KATIE: It's fun to be a bystander and see those things happening.

00:32:25.100 --> 00:32:35.480
KATIE: It's kind of like the fly on the wall when you just get to see other people and kind of see the joy that Disney brings you happening to others.

00:32:36.600 --> 00:32:48.840
VIRGINIA: Yeah, I did my first solo trip in May and some of my favorite things I did were just sitting on benches, reading my book, drinking coffee, people watching, that sort of thing.

00:32:49.260 --> 00:32:49.980
KATIE: Just to be there.

00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:55.900
KATIE: Like I told my husband, like we toyed around during the pandemic, we're like, well, we could just move to Orlando.

00:32:56.540 --> 00:33:01.040
KATIE: You know, like his job at that point was remote and so was mine and I was like, let's go there.

00:33:01.660 --> 00:33:06.300
KATIE: And I was like, you know, we could remotely work from, you know, Epcot or.

00:33:07.860 --> 00:33:10.100
VIRGINIA: And I think a lot of us had that thought.

00:33:11.760 --> 00:33:13.240
KATIE: Yes, I think a lot of us did.

00:33:13.260 --> 00:33:19.620
KATIE: A lot of Disney adults did, but we chased some Zillow leads, you know, but nothing panned out.

00:33:20.280 --> 00:33:22.180
KATIE: Yeah, still still a dream.

00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:30.420
VIRGINIA: All right, so you have a race to run the following day, which means it's going to be another early night to bed for you.

00:33:31.500 --> 00:33:34.220
VIRGINIA: Without the kids there, what time do you think you'll go to bed?

00:33:34.500 --> 00:33:36.780
KATIE: I'm hoping by 830.

00:33:37.820 --> 00:33:38.820
KATIE: Still be early.

00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:44.280
VIRGINIA: What time do you have to be at the race the next day?

00:33:44.320 --> 00:33:47.560
VIRGINIA: And is it also Epcot that you meet in for that?

00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:51.520
KATIE: Yes, so same time frame.

00:33:51.940 --> 00:33:55.300
KATIE: So Epcot is always the start and finish for every race.

00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:58.380
KATIE: So it's the same kind of thing.

00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:04.520
KATIE: I have to make sure that I get up and get on the bus, like 315, 330, and then over there.

00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:08.000
KATIE: And then the 10K is timed.

00:34:08.040 --> 00:34:10.320
KATIE: And so you have to do at least a 16...

00:34:10.340 --> 00:34:11.720
KATIE: I always get this messed up.

00:34:12.420 --> 00:34:14.560
KATIE: 16 mile a minute.

00:34:15.700 --> 00:34:16.220
KATIE: Is that right?

00:34:18.140 --> 00:34:20.060
KATIE: You have to complete a mile in 16 minutes.

00:34:20.080 --> 00:34:21.040
VIRGINIA: 16 minute mile.

00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:23.440
VIRGINIA: There we go.

00:34:23.560 --> 00:34:24.860
KATIE: See?

00:34:24.860 --> 00:34:25.960
KATIE: It just needs a process.

00:34:27.300 --> 00:34:30.560
KATIE: And so, yeah, so then they actually have the...

00:34:31.720 --> 00:34:33.440
KATIE: I didn't know this until my race last year.

00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:34.380
KATIE: They have balloon ladies.

00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:35.360
KATIE: I don't know if you know this.

00:34:35.520 --> 00:34:36.440
KATIE: Oh, I heard about that.

00:34:36.580 --> 00:34:39.340
KATIE: They are at the end and they keep that pace.

00:34:39.560 --> 00:34:42.480
KATIE: And if you fall behind them, then they sweep you and they take you back.

00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:44.260
KATIE: And so you don't get to finish the race.

00:34:44.700 --> 00:34:51.300
KATIE: So luckily, last year, well, I guess luckily and unluckily, I started with the balloon ladies.

00:34:51.560 --> 00:34:55.620
KATIE: I was released at the start line with them so I could see them behind me.

00:34:55.640 --> 00:34:57.440
KATIE: This is my very first Disney race.

00:34:57.440 --> 00:34:59.160
KATIE: I'm not a runner.

00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:00.200
KATIE: I had fun.

00:35:01.540 --> 00:35:05.480
KATIE: And so I took off and knew that I had to get out and ahead of them.

00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:13.760
KATIE: And so I missed some of the photo ops along the first mile and a half because I was like, I just got to get ahead of these ladies and I don't want to get swept.

00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:24.840
KATIE: So hopefully this year I can not start the race with them and kind of enjoy it a little bit more and get to see some of the more rare characters that are out along the race route.

00:35:26.700 --> 00:35:31.280
VIRGINIA: Well now, your family is driving back home for the dance competition.

00:35:31.340 --> 00:35:33.960
VIRGINIA: So that leaves you without a way to get home.

00:35:33.980 --> 00:35:36.000
VIRGINIA: So I'm assuming that you have booked a flight.

00:35:36.240 --> 00:35:38.440
VIRGINIA: And what time is that flight?

00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:42.400
KATIE: So my flight is at 12 15.

00:35:42.420 --> 00:35:46.940
KATIE: So I will arrive back in Raleigh at 2.

00:35:47.220 --> 00:35:52.100
KATIE: My daughter has to be at the dance competition at 4 and she dances at 6.

00:35:53.640 --> 00:36:02.240
KATIE: So I will still be able to be dance mom and put all of the makeup on and do the hair, hopefully, as long as my flight is not delayed.

00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:08.960
KATIE: So it'll be a go-go kind of day and lots and lots and lots of coffee.

00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:14.120
VIRGINIA: Yes, lots of running this trip, both in race format and not.

00:36:15.780 --> 00:36:16.880
KATIE: Yes, I don't know.

00:36:17.340 --> 00:36:18.620
KATIE: We're making it all happen.

00:36:18.700 --> 00:36:20.360
KATIE: So we'll see how it goes.

00:36:20.780 --> 00:36:23.700
KATIE: Maybe when we talk after it, I will be like, never again.

00:36:26.900 --> 00:36:36.720
VIRGINIA: Well, I will be very curious to hear how, especially how the 5K goes for your daughter, because even a 5K, that's kind of a long way for little legs.

00:36:37.140 --> 00:36:40.020
VIRGINIA: So that will be fun to hear how she enjoyed that.

00:36:40.040 --> 00:36:42.620
VIRGINIA: And I'm sure to see all the photos and everything.

00:36:42.720 --> 00:36:43.040
KATIE: Yeah.

00:36:43.060 --> 00:36:48.680
KATIE: So they, I will tell you, they release the routes for the races and you start in the parking lot.

00:36:49.160 --> 00:36:57.100
KATIE: And I think, and then for the 5K, you walk pretty much all the way around World Showcase and then towards Spaceship Earth and then back out.

00:36:57.460 --> 00:37:08.200
KATIE: And so I think for her, the anticipation of getting to get to World Showcase, then getting around World Showcase and then getting up by Spaceship Earth and then out will keep her going.

00:37:08.220 --> 00:37:14.360
KATIE: We've been doing some walks so that she knows how far Three Miles actually is.

00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:17.440
KATIE: So she says she's up for it.

00:37:17.460 --> 00:37:17.900
KATIE: So we'll see.

00:37:18.460 --> 00:37:18.820
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:37:19.420 --> 00:37:21.900
VIRGINIA: Well, it will be an adventure either way.

00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:26.040
VIRGINIA: Well, I hope that you have a magical trip.

00:37:26.200 --> 00:37:29.160
VIRGINIA: I know that I will be there at the same time as you.

00:37:29.380 --> 00:37:33.760
VIRGINIA: So I hope that if you see me in the park, we will stop and say hello.

00:37:34.260 --> 00:37:38.360
VIRGINIA: And then we will talk when you get back and hear how all of this went.

00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:42.400
VIRGINIA: So have a magical time and please be safe.

00:37:42.420 --> 00:37:43.020
VIRGINIA: Travel safely.

00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:43.980
KATIE: Thank you.

00:37:43.980 --> 00:37:44.540
KATIE: Yes.

00:37:45.320 --> 00:37:46.120
KATIE: It'll be a journey.

00:37:49.660 --> 00:37:51.820
VIRGINIA: Thank you, Katie, for joining me on the podcast.

00:37:52.020 --> 00:37:54.800
VIRGINIA: Katie's Post-Trip Report is live and ready for you now.

00:37:54.900 --> 00:37:56.420
VIRGINIA: So what are you waiting for?

00:37:57.000 --> 00:38:00.560
VIRGINIA: In the meantime, keep daydreaming about where you long to be.