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Monthly Archives: April 2011
Marathon Training – Running Teams
If you’re already in training and signed up for a Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort Race, you may consider joining a running team. There are dozens of options out there, and for me, they make the race even that much more special. Running teams aren’t necessarily for competition; often times, running teams help raise money for a charity or cause.
Many Disney communities or social media outlets have their own teams – I joined the WDW Radio Running Team after listening to a podcast discussing previous and upcoming races. The WDW Radio Team, for example, raises money for the Dream Team Project – their own specific donation to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. My husband and I joined together, purchasing our race gear (t-shirt and headband), and together raised money to make the required team donation.
Other Disney communities have running teams as well – for example, MouseChat.net’s podcast has created a team for the Wine and Dine 5k race. Aside from the Disney communities, there are also other race teams – Team in Training, for example, is a huge nationwide running team that offers trainers, either in person or online – and I even saw many trainers on the sides of the WDW Half Marathon encouraging their runners along during the race, while also raising funds and donating to cancer.
Whether you’re looking to find a race with similar charitable goals or just meet new Disney friends, running teams can be a lot of fun. Now, to create a Chip and Co. running team.. all we have to do is encourage Chip to start running! Make sure to leave a lot of comments here and on our facebook page to convince Chip to start running before January!
Resort Hopping 101: Taking the Monorail Express
One of our focuses on the website the past few months has been Quick Tips. We like to prepare you for the parks and offer up tips and tricks to making your vacation more enjoyable.
Today I want to talk to you about something outside the Disneyworld Theme Parks and that is the Disney World Resorts. Specifically the Monorail resorts. They are the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and the Contemporary Resorts.
Most people spend about 90% of the their time visiting the parks. I mean thats what your paying an arm and leg for right? I want to share with you something fun my family and I like to do outside the parks while at Disney World.
When we buy our park tickets we normally buy one less day just for touring the other things Disney offers. This tip is also great for rainy days or on days you need a break from the parks. So all aboard the Monorail Express!
Resort Hopping is time honored tradition with my family dating all the way back to the 80′s and my first trips to the House of Mouse. My family would stay off site and we would drive to and walk around some of the Disney resort just to get a feel what it was like to stay in these super expensive, posh resorts.
As I got older and started taking my own trips with my wife we would make our Disney Dining reservations at places like O’hana’s and just find ourselves walking around, exploring, shopping and taking tons of photos around the various resorts. After more and more trips to Disney we started to work them into our planning till we started to make a check list of resorts we have been to and ones we still needed to visit. Needless to say there are still a few we haven’t been to.
The Big 3 as we call them are the Resorts that the Disney’s Monorail stops off at, and some of the easiest to Resort Hop. All you have to do is jump on the Monorail and your there. Depending on where you are staying you might have to take a ride to the Ticket and Transportation Center or TTC first then ride the Monorail to the resorts.
We like to resort hop for meals and to break up the days. It’s nice if you have a child in a stroller as they can nap as you are walking around and shopping. Be sure to bring your camera Disney’s attention to detail is everywhere. You can easily do all 3 resorts in a day. Each one is different and has tons of things to view and experience. My favorite is the beach at the Polynesian Resort. Stop off for a snack or drink, check out the arcades, or go for a leisurely stroll.
Quick Tip – One of the best places to see the Magic Kingdoms Fireworks is from the beach at the Poly!
If you have never tried Resort Hopping and have never spent time at the Big 3 Resorts I suggest jumping aboard the Monorail Express and checking them out, it is very relaxing and a welcomed change from the Disney Parks. Also it is a great way to save a few bucks since that is one less park ticket you have to buy.
If you have ever tried this or have some must see’s at the Monorail Resorts let us know in the comment box below.
>>Chip
Princess Punch-up: Who’s Really the Fairest?
Beauty is only skin deep. Although we’ve all heard that saying, we still appreciate and are attracted to, a pretty face. And Walt Disney did little to correct that trend. His first three Princesses were heavy on the looks, light on true depth. But 30 years
have passed and the final six official Princesses have worn a different tiara.
So who would be the fairest Princess of them all if we added more than beauty into the equation? To find out, we will gauge each Princess on the following criteria: Independence; Judgment; Contribution; Personality; and of course, Physical Appearance.
Let’s start by meeting the contestants:
Snow White (1937) – SW
Cinderella (1950) – CIN
Aurora (1959) – SB
Ariel (1989) – LM
Belle (1991) – BEL
Jasmine (1992) – JAS
Pocahontas (1995) – POC
Mulan (1998) – MUL
Substitute: Rapunzel (2011) – RAP
Tiana had to bow out of the contest due to other commitments, and the fact that I haven’t seen her movie The Princess and the Frog yet.
Independence
SW, CIN, and SB definitely lose this category. They were little more than bystanders in their own lives. LM, BEL, JAS, MUL, and RAP all lived in restrictive times but were able to rise above that to find their own path. But each did rely on others to help them do it. So this round goes to Pocahontas.
This Indian Princess was independent from the get go! She had a strong will and a determination to try new things which ultimately led to bridges being built between two very different cultures.
Runner Up: Mulan
Judgment
Again, our first three Princesses didn’t have many decisions to make. Others did it for them, or to them, in the case of Cinderella. When she decided to venture out, it was under the protection of her Fairy Godmother. But that’s not enough to win this round.
LM also loses this round because she went to an evil Witch to get what she wanted! RAP also loses for trusting a thief, although no one could blame her considering the situation!
So that leaves it to the final four Princesses. JAS snuck out from the safety of her palace, but was in no real danger, as she could always identify herself for protection. POC and MUL both risked a lot and put them themselves in great danger, but it was for a
good cause.
But I’m giving this round to Belle. She decided to sacrifice herself, her freedom, and her future, to save her ailing Father. A nobler thing I can’t imagine!
Runner Up: Cinderella
Contribution
SW, CIN, and SB were all good housekeepers. They sang well and were kind to animals. For their times, those were good contributions.
LM, JAS, and RAP were more about their personal journeys. They did touch others along the way, but their stories were more about them.
That leaves BEL, POC, and MUL. BEL eventually left the Beast, although she did return. But I’m disqualifying her for that anyway. And although POC did make for peace, I have to give this round to Mulan. Hey, she helped win a war!
Runner Up: Pocahontas
Personality
All of our contestants have good personalities. But let’s see if we can eliminate some in a lightning round. SW: Too sweet. SB: Not enough to go on. LM: Possibly a bit selfish. BEL: A tad condescending to her ‘provincial’ neighbors? JAS: Spoiled. POC: A bit too intense. MUL: Conflicted.
I’m giving this to Cinderella. No matter how horrid everyone was too her, she just kept singing and working and… loving! Even after her Prince came, she didn’t hold a grudge against her wicked stepfamily. Now that’s character!
Runner Up: Rapunzel
Physical Appearance
This is purely a matter of taste. Some of the Disney Princesses are more overtly sexual than others, even though that’s not something we’re supposed to notice. But come on, a clamshell bra? Who wouldn’t notice? But for me, Jasmine wins this round!
Runner Up: Aurora
And the Winner is…
So if we add up the points, which is the ultimate Princess? The fairest of the fair? Rating each Princess on each of the categories with a 1 for least and 5 for the most relevant, the winner is:
Pocahontas
Runner Up: Cinderella. And hoping that both break a heel on the way to the podium: Belle
If you disagree, leave a comment and tell me why!
Walt Disney World Marathon Tips and Tricks: Don’t Leave Your Camera
I’m proudly a “back of the pack” runner, so this tip may not be for everyone. When I’m running, I’m out there to improve my own personal well being, not to be competitive and win races. Though I do like to improve on my own personal records, there are certain races that I’m okay with simply finishing.
My WDW Half Marathon time was much slower than any training speed or practice run I had previously finished. In fact, when running through the Magic Kingdom, I took nearly 14 minutes, when my average speed is somewhere from 10:30-11:15. Why? Because I took full advantage of the photo opportunities along the race. How many races have entertainment? I’ve done a few others now, and the only one that had any entertainment was Disney, so I wanted to enjoy it!
I brought my smart phone with me in my running belt (that orange belt you might notice in the picture) and used it as my entertainment (mp3′s), mile timer (cardio trainer app), and when needed, as my camera. My belt was also amazingly helpful to carry my race nutrition (yup, during a 13.1 mile race, you need “food”) and my phone comfortable. With an easy zipper, I grabbed my phone whenever we reached a new place: the Start Line, the Magic Kingdom sign when entering the Ticket and Transportation Center, the Magic Kingdom, etc…
With characters and other entertainment cheering you on and available for pictures every 1/2 mile or so, I took advantage and stopped at least 6 times for character shots. I easily paused my music, unplugged my headphones, and handed my phone to the cast member “friends” with the characters, and posed while they took our pictures.
While I appreciate and respect those runners that don’t stop from start to finish, I feel as though they’re missing out on the fun. To me, running straight through a Disney endurance race would be like running through Walt Disney World and ignoring the Magic that makes Disney the amazing place that it is – it can still be fulfilling and fun, but not the amazing experience it can be. I’ve even read it on runDisney – run Disney not to beat your personal record. Run Disney to experience Disney running.
Making Your Vacation Rental Safe for Kids.
If you have small children, your own home is probably childproofed, but your hotel room or vacation rental probably isn’t. Add that the natural tendency to unconciously lower one’s guard on vacation combined with excited children in unfamiliar surroundings and the potential for accidents is higher than it should be. You don’t have to panic though, just take a few steps to kid-proof your room and you can worry a lot less. The good news is that most of the safety equipment you’ll need will fit into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and none of it is expensive. Most importantly, you can install it without tools or marring the surface when you take it off.
Here are a few trouble spots that you’ll want to consider childproofing.
The front door. Make sure the upper latch is always locked as most hotel room doors are easy to open, even for a young toddler. If your child can reach the latch and your worried that he’ll try to get out, try a lever handle lock.
Bathrooms: It can be impractical to childproof a bathroom the way you would at home. If you’re worried about young toddlers getting hurt in the bathroom, keep them out altogther by using a door lock. Since most hotel rooms (including the ones on Disney property) have lever (or European style) handles, the lever lock mentioned above works well. For rental house with a lot of regular doors, a couple of packs of this type doorknob cover will solve the problem of little ones getting into rooms where they’re not safe or welcome (big brother’s room).
Your Resort Room Balcony: Most Disney resorts have two locks on the sliding-glass doors that go out to the balconies: One lever type that flips easily and another that’s slightly more difficult to unlock. Some, such as those at The Grand Floridian, are at the top of the door and difficult for little kids to reach, but newer resorts, such as Animal Kingdom Lodge, have them right next to the regular lock. Fortunately, the doors are heavy enough that smaller children can’t open them, but if you have kids who are especially creative, you may want to invest in an adhesive patio door lock.
Electrical Outlets. It’s super easy to pack a few outlet plugs. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find them left behind by the previous tenant.
The kitchen. Move any items that can hurt a child to the upper cabinets. This probably seems obvious, but I once stayed in a beach house rental where the previous guests had left a knife block full of sharp knives in the lower cabinets–which was promptly discovered by two toddlers! This type of cabinet lock will keep little hands out, doesn’t require hardware, and won’t harm the finish:
Your Rental House Pool: The big one. A lot of rental homes have pools. Most of them are, to an extent, childproofed. The real issue is that the alarm on the door only works if all the grown ups in the house remember to keep it set. Make sure you talk to the landlord before you visit to see what sort of steps he’s taken to make sure kids can’t get into the pool unsupervised. Even seasoned pool owners forget to set the alarm to the door that goes out to the pool, resulting in tragedies every year. You’ll want to have everyone in your group on the same page about the alarm and any possible door locks you add for additional comfort and safety.
Chris writes here and at Everything Walt Disney World. She’s also a member of the Mouse Chat Podcast and a travel agent with Pixie Vacations. Email her at ChrisW@pixievacations.com for information on how you can get a free $50 Disney gift card in addition to current discounts when you book your next vacation.
