Star Wars Dark Side – 4/15/18 – 4/23/18 – Day 8

Sunday 4/22/18

One more oh-dark-thirty wake up for the trip! We ate a quick breakfast and caught the first bus at 3:30. They had six, SIX! buses staged at Pop to take runners and spectators to the Magic Kingdom parking lot for the start of the Half! Heather and Ryan arrived very shortly after us and we met them just after bag check. We all met Captain Phasma, us with our medals. We happily served as their concierge, Kathy for Heather and me for Ryan, holding their items while they used the potties and then they made their way to their corrals. We got to see them start out and then made our way over to Epcot via the buses after Heather got going. She texted that she saw the Ewoks! I was so happy that she got to see them! Once we reached Epcot we checked out the merchandise tent and got another magnet. Then, since no runners had finished, we met BB-8, Darth Vader, and Kylo Ren, getting pictures with our medals! We worked our way over to the finish where the top runners were just starting to come across. We started chatting with other cheerers who showed us how to track our runners on the course. That was such a big help! It was great to follow our two along! We will definitely use that for future races! Ryan finished out strong and then came and met us in the stands. Heather was, frankly, struggling. She was in pain with blisters and having a tough go. Ryan and I both wanted to go out on that course and help coach her through. But that superstar finished it out! I was so proud seeing her cross that finish line knowing what she was going through! Stupid dust got in my eyes or allergies or something. We met up with her after medical for some huge, massive, squishy squeeze hugs! I just held her. She fought so hard! We ever so slowly got her to the bus. She went down once and I seriously thought Ryan and I were going to have to carry her, which I would have done without any thinking at all. We got them on their bus and then caught ours to Pop. Took a shower and a short nap, did I mention how early the wake ups are for these races?, and then enjoyed a very good bacon cheeseburger for lunch at Pop before heading out to Magic Kingdom. Kelly had been there all day and was running out of steam but I convinced her to stay as we were on our way. When we rolled up it was just raining a bit, our only breaking out of the ponchos the entire trip! Really it wasn’t bad either, by the time we got halfway up Main Street we had them off again.

We met Mary Poppins and then met up with Kelly! Mary loved our medals! We hadn’t walked the Swiss Family Treehouse in awhile so Kathy sent Kelly and me up while she sat and watched the bags. Her knees just don’t like that many stairs. We really enjoyed exploring it again and get this, we met a Photopass photographer on one of the landings! We got some really neat pictures together! We used our Splash FP (which unfortunately Heather and Ryan missed much like January…I have got to ride sometime with that girl!) while Kelly got a churro and she scored an overlapping Haunted Mansion FP with the four of us! We linked up MDE accounts to make it easier and then the three of us went to see Philharmagic! I love that show and it was even more fun with Kelly! Then we browsed Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe and saw the Muppets Declaration of Independence show while sitting on the patio right outside the shop as Heather and Ryan made our way to us, very understandably slowly, stopping to caffeinate at Starbucks. What a great, relaxing spot to watch the show! I almost hesitate to give that secret away! Once Heather and Ryan reached us we sat and chatted a bit while they enjoyed their Starbucks and then all went to use our Haunted Mansion FP. I must point out a huge thanks to both Heather and Kelly for taking care of me and leading me in the stretching room until my glasses transitioned to the dark. I have the best sisters ever! I made sure to put Kathy and Kelly in a doom buggy together since they were both wearing Paradise Fall Parkwear ears, Kathy her Haunted Mansion and Kelly had Dole Whip. That may be the first time I rode Haunted Mansion in my own doom buggy! The four of us then used our Peter Pan FP’s while Kelly got some pictures in the Under the Sea area. Kelly scored a 4th FP for us, and her 6Th! of the day for Space Mountain for herself, Kathy and me! We then walked up to Tomorrowland, slowly for our poor Heather who was still feeling the effects of the Half and my poor Kathy who was feeling the effects of the toe injury in the 5K, and all rode the People Mover. We sat with Kelly while Heather and Ryan took the car just behind us. Then we all saw Carousel of Progress together, with us three D-Cotters sitting in the middle of the group! I think that had to be one of the absolute best CoP’s ever! Kathy gave Ryan her magic band so he could ride Space with Kelly and me on FP and Heather and Kathy sat out and had a nice chat together. At that point we all decided we were hungry so we went to Pinocchio’s for some delicious supper. Then we all got some Main Street Castle pictures. Kelly totally owned it with her single pics after the couples were done! It was great! We all had ice cream from the Plaza and then Kathy called it a night after a very early morning. The four of us rode Pirates together, my first time seeing it since the auction scene change. Then we all called it a night with lots of hugs goodbye to Kelly and promises of more to come in October. I headed home to help Kathy pack and we had a pretty full bus. Sweet Caroline started and well, the bus folks new exactly what and where to sing along with! Such a fun end to the night!

Steps: 24,694
Miles: 11.14