runDisney – Expedition Everest Challenge and Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5K

Jaime and I are getting ready to run our second ever runDisney race this Saturday November 10, 2012.  This will not be the headline race (the Wine and Dine ½ Marathon) but the family fun run 5K – Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5K.  Our first ever runDisney event was the Expedition Everest Challenge in 2012.  It’s the only 5K headline event sponsored by runDisney.  With that said, this blog post will focus on what we are expecting and what our past race was like.

runDisney sponsors many ½ Marathon and Marathon events at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  All events, except for the Expedition Everest Challenge and Tower of Terror 10 Miler, are at the minimum ½ marathon events.  All ½ Marathon and Marathon events include a family fun run, which includes a 5K and kids runs.  These events are meant to target people who want to participate in the event weekend itself, but whom aren’t ready to dive into a minimum 13 mile run.  I also like to think they are there to get people excited about fitness and wellness, but yet again, not be intimidated by a minimum 13 mile run. 

Our first race was the Expedition Everest Challenge and this was a blast!  So many people were there in the most creative and elaborate costumes EVER seen.  Yes costumes.  runDisney is, I’m pretty sure, the only race where you can dress in a full body suite and be complimented for it.  People dress up like classic Disney characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Disney Princesses like Aurora and Ariel or even Disney quirks such as Yeti A and B mode (if you are a Disney’s Animal Kingdom fan you’ll get this), Earl from Up and Figment.  The people there are a huge perk. Also you get to see characters and take pictures with them during the run if you want, how fun!

The course itself was both good and bad.  The first mile of our 5K was completed in the parking lot, which is both intimidating and exciting all at once.  If felt like we were running in the parking lot forever. Once you entered the park the raceway became very narrow. With nearly 5,000 people on the run there was a huge mix of people who were taking the race very seriously and those just there for a fun challenge. What made this race unique though are the obstacles that must be completed. It was a fun change of pace to stop and run through tires or hop over hale bales but at the same time it slowed down the overall pace of the race. In addition to the obstacles, once the race portion was over came the scavenger hunt that was also factored into your overall time. We were not anticipating how confusing this would be, but luckily Jaime is good at puzzles!  There were a lot of people so if you are not ready for running in huge crowds a runDisney event may not be for you. The Expedition Everest race is one of the smaller runDisney events compared to something like the WDW Marathon that hosts over 20,000 people.

For the Expedition Everest Challenge all participants received real medals and post race party tickets with their registration fee, in addition to the standard race shirts and refreshments. Some may feel that the entry fee (around $100) was too expensive for a 5K race but we didn’t mind since the post race party was like an extra day in the park. The party went from the time you finished the race and scavenger hunt until 3am. Many rides were open including the Primevil Whirl, Dinosaur and of course, Expedition Everest! Some snack carts and beverage stations were also open. A fun quirk about the medals is that they are a compass, which embodies the expedition theme. One thing to note, however, is that the face of the compass is incorrect with some of the directions in the wrong places. Nonetheless, they are pretty great and it was cool to see all the proud finishers wearing their medal around the parks!

Overall the race was neat because we got to run through a park that is rarely open past sundown. The participants seem to take the event seriously but not so much so that if you are stuck on a clue during the scavenger hunt they wouldn’t help you. We were warned before the race began and again around mile 2 to be very quiet for a certain stretch of the race as we were running in a backstage area near were some of the animals sleep overnight. How cool is that?! The post race party was tons of fun, but since only some of the rides were open we did experience some long lines. Riding the signature attraction of the Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest, in the dark was an unforgettable experience that we partook in several times that night.

 

We look forward to this next race, the Jingle Jungle 5K, because it will be an early morning run through the Animal Kingdom. From the look of the map it seems that the race route has been changed, which is exciting. Maybe we will have less running through a paring lot and more through the park itself?

Taste of Disney Review: Kalua Pork Sliders

Danny and I both enjoy the process and reward of cooking at home. Most Sundays include planning our weekly menu and grocery shopping for the week. Recently we received a Disney Insider email with a recipe we knew would be a hit in our house. Not only was it a fairly simple dish in terms of ingredients but it was also crock-pot friendly! We made some (minor) modifications to the dish and were very happy with the results. We have even decided to throw this into our regular meal rotation.

What we made

Kalua Pork Sliders with Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise on Brioche Buns

We absolutely loved the spicy mayo. This condiment is so easy to do and versatile. I anticipate making this for many dishes!

What we changed

For starters, this recipe yields 15 sliders which are simply too much for our family of two. Now, that is not to say that we couldn’t down 15 little sliders, because they are that good, but since we try to eat sensible portions it seemed like a better idea to half the recipe. Enough for dinner and little left for someone’s lunch the next day.

Our local supermarket doesn’t carry banana leaves, sadly, so we had to do without for the purpose of our dish. Instead, Danny usually throws in a little garlic. I think next time I will recommend a splash of pineapple juice as well to really compliment the chutney.

Remember how I said that this was an easy-peasy dish? Well, part of that is because we did not make our own brioche rolls. We took the easy way out and purchased some King’s Hawaiian Rolls from the store and toasted them before serving. Way simpler, just as tasty!

Lastly, we have used both fresh and canned pineapple for the chutney. We love getting fresh pineapple whenever it is in season and pack it for lunches and snacks so we didn’t mind getting some for the recipe. With that said, I understand that some may be intimidated with the idea of hacking apart this tropical beauty. Canned pineapple works just as well. I suggest getting crushed pineapple so most of the prep work is already done. Crushed will also get you a better end result, consistency wise, otherwise you will have large chunks of pineapple on little buns.

 

The original recipe can be found here http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/taste-of-disney/recipe/pork-sliders

Carthay Circle Restaurant Review

Bar area in the main dining room
of the Carthay Circle Restaurant

With the recent overhaul of Disney California Adventure came a spectacularly themed new dining location for foodies and boozies alike. The Carthay Circle Restaurant is exquisitely themed after the venue where Walt Disney premiered “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” decades ago. On the main level of the building you will find a lounge serving a variety of food and drinks in addition to the restaurant check-in stand. Once checked in your host will escort you upstairs to the main restaurant. There is the main dining area, patio seating, and several smaller, private rooms. Alex, our server when we went in August, was very helpful in explaining the theming behind the rooms and pointing out all the little details that make a park Disney. For instance, in one of the smaller rooms there is a large table with an intricate stone base. The base was made to represent the wishing well in “Snow White” and rumor has it that John Lassiter himself had recently eaten at that very table. From the floor to the ceiling, the details of the Carthay Circle restaurant are breathtaking. But… the food is even better!

Danny and I had been drooling over the menu from the day the Disney Food Blog posted it and couldn’t wait for our trip to arrive.

We had debated over getting the Signature Fire Cracker Duck Wings or the Carthay House Biscuits for our starters. The wings are made with soy, lime, and Sriracha chili sauce whereas the biscuits are stuffed with white cheddar, bacon, and jalapeno. I’m sure you can see why this was such a debate. Lucky for us, the Carthay Circle threw us a curve ball when we were presented our table with a basket of warm sourdough bread and some butter. The decision to get the duck wings was then an easy one.

I am drooling a little thinking about how great these wings were. The Sriracha and soy was a wonderful compliment to the decadent, deep fried duck wings. It was a prefect balance of salt and spice. The wings were literally melting in our mouths. We especially appreciated the lime wedges as the hint of acid cut through the richness of the duck. This was a great portion to share but I wouldn’t say no to having this as an entrée in future trips.

Moving on to the entrees, I ordered the Strawberry-Lemond Roasted Organic Chicken Salad. The dish included jicama, haricot verts, upland cress and a buttermilk-lemon vinagrette. This is a wonderful, light, seasonal lunch. The greens were crisp with a great crunch and the chicken was very moist and juicy. The only thing I would change would be the dressing. I found the salad to be a little overdressed for my tastes but I think that was partly to blame for the fact that the dressing was so thin, which I wasn’t totally expecting; the dressing was, however, very flavorful and complimented the components of the dish well.

Danny’s lunch is something that I am still thinking about months later. He selected the Korean Pulled Pork Sandwich topped with Kimchi, Sriracha mayonnaise, a fried egg and cilantro; this also came with a side of fries. WOW! The pulled pork may have been the best I have ever had. As a fan of “traditional” barbequed pulled pork I really enjoyed the flavor profile of the sandwich a lot more than I thought I would have. The egg was expertly prepared and the runny yolk gave the meat an extra flavor dimension and some much needed richness to balance the Sriracha and kimchi. The fries came in their own little cup and were clearly a step above traditional park fries. Earlier I said I would consider getting the wings as an entrée, but that would only be if this sandwich is no longer offered. As much as I would like to go and try new things how could I knowing that this phenomenal dish is calling my name? Knowing that the Carthay Circle is prized for their wine collection, Danny wanted something to accompany his lunch. Once again, our server Alex was extremely helpful, talking through the available wines and what would go best with Danny’s meal. He ended up ordering the house chardonnay – this wine was sweet with notes of honey. Danny said that even though he enjoyed this wine, next time he would like to try something that has more of a California vibe such as a zinfandel.

Last but not least came time for dessert. Once again, the options were all mouth-watering. We selected the Toasted Lemon Pound Cake, with fresh blueberries, lemon curd and a Tahitian vanilla Chantilly. This was a taste of summer! The lemon pound cake was rich and sweet whereas the lemon curd was creamy and tart. I am a huge fan of the lemon-blueberry romance; taking a bite with a little of each component was heavenly. I don’t expect this to be on the menu come January during our next trip, a good thing since it will require me to try something new. I do hope, however, that it will be back next summer! If it is there when you go, which I hope you do, get it!

Hands down, our entire experience was outstanding. The ambiance, service, variety and food were second to none. For our dining reviews we are using a modified Iron Chef rating system which also includes overall ambiance and service since this isn’t a TV show where the chef will walk your dish over and explain things ;)

Taste: 10/10

Originality: 4/5

Plating: 4/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Service: 5/5

OVERALL: 28/30

5 For 5: Domestic Park Rankings

Last month I decided I wanted to do a monthly top 5 list with a random topic each month and what better day to post it than on the 5^th of the month?

This month we decided to rank our top five Disney parks!

Jaime’s Five:

1.       Disneyland

2.       Animal Kingdom

3.       Disney California Adventure

4.       Magic Kingdom

5.       Blizzard Beach

Many people, Danny included, are probably wondering why Animal Kingdom is number two and I will tell you. I LOVE it! What is not to love? You have great rides i.e. Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safari, Kali River Rapids and Dinosaur; there are fabulous shows i.e. Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo; impeccable attention i.e. lush landscaping, ornate buildings and décor, and even detailed sidewalks! Lastly, I love animals and going to the zoo. With this park you get a theme park and a zoo right in one!  I don’t care that it is sometimes called a “half-day park” because that just means I can go back to the hotel and take a nap before dinner and fireworks. That sounds like successful planning if you ask me!

Danny’s Five:

1.       Disneyland

2.       Disney California Adventure

3.       Magic Kingdom

4.       Blizzard Beach

5.       Hollywood Studios

So now, after reading these lists maybe you are asking yourself: Both of these fools put Blizzard Beach down over perennial favorites such as Epcot. Yes, yes we did. When you are in the hot, Florida sun all day nothing beats a great water park, complete with a sandy beach, fun water slides, and a never-ending lazy river. Parks are great, but when I am on vacation, sometimes I want to relax and not worry about standing in lines or getting to the next reservation. Blizzard Beach is a great way to relax, soak up some sun and have fun.

So there you have it, our first 5 For 5 post! 5 days late. Whoopsies!

What are your 5?

The Disneyland Corn Dog Cart Review

The Disneyland Corn Dog is something we wanted to try for a long time.  Key word, Disneyland Corn Dog. Not Disneyland Resort Corn Dog, but Disneyland Corn Dog. 

The reason I state this is because I, (Danny) had never had a Corn Dog from Disneyland Resort until our past trip in Summer 2012.  I have wanted to try a Disneyland Resort Corn Dog from the Corn Dog Castle at Disney California Adventure since it opened during the re-imagination of the park.  However, Jaime has tried a Disneyland Corn Dog from Disneyland Park, and was not blown away by it.  Why?  She violated the cardinal rule – she let it cool down.  However she had some hope to retry it.  So I gave in and tried (okay lets be real, insisted, we get a Corn Dog), from the Corn Dog Cart at Disneyland Park…

 

How was it you ask?  AMAZING!  See the pictures throughout this post and you will clearly notice we had no picture proof of how good the 3-4 Corn Dogs we got from the Corn Dog Cart were, because we inhaled them. 

Simply said – just get one.  And eat it right away.  And than eat another.  Yum!

Taste: 10/10

Originality: 3/5

Plating: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Service: 5/5

OVERALL: 28/30

Disneyland Post-Trip Wrap-Up 8.2012

It is a little hard to believe that it has been over a month since Danny and I were in Anaheim, California basking in the glory that is Walt’s Dream! We had such an amazing time and I can’t wait to be back in January. As you have seen, this is a very special place for us and it has been made that much more special for us this past trip. For a full run down on the pixie dust please see the previous post.

To bide our time until our next trip (51 days until we hit Orlando, but who’s counting?!) I hope to get back into the swing of blogging with some Disneyland dining reviews and a countdown. Who doesn’t love food and countdowns? Maybe if you are lucky Danny and I will be able to some sweet reflective posts of past trips, too!

Back to the wrap-up…

One of the most wonderful things about the Disney parks is that there is always something new to discover or experience. This trip was no exception and we were able to try new foods, new attractions, and even see a new land. To be completely honest there was not a single thing that disappointed us, unless you count Southern California road construction.

Some highlights of the trip include:

·         Riding the newly refreshed Matterhorn in Disneyland

o   Excellent as always but I am bummed about the new bobsleds. Maybe if a little extra padding was added to the seats I would have enjoyed it more. When there is another person in your sled to help absorb the shock you don’t notice how bumpy the track is… but now I do.

·         Seeing all of Radiator Spring

o   This was incredible! It is simply breathtaking to walk into and out of Southern California, out of California Adventure and into this wonderful world created by Pixar. From the shops to the food to the rides everything was on point. Do not miss this wonderful new land!

·         Eating at the Carthay Circle

o   I am drooling thinking about all the yummy food. You will have to wait and see a full review, but hint: it starts with Siaracha Duck Wings!

·         Animation Academy

o   Neither Danny or I had ever experience this attraction at the World or Land and man, we have been missing out! What I thought would be a waste of 25 minutes I could be riding a ride turned out to be a wonderful experience that even comes with a free souvenir! We ended up visiting this several times and drew Minnie Mouse, the Cheshire Cat, Goofy, and Oswald!

We also had the pleasure to eat many corndogs – not a single one got a picture taken despite our best effort to photo document everything we were eating. They were TOO GOOD to waste precious time taking a picture. Many people thing there is something magical about the popcorn at Disney and I do not disagree but … you will never get a better corndog than at Disney!

Overall it was a great time - even the weather was perfect!

…It was all started by a mouse

The first time Jaime and I traveled together was in the fall of 2009, when we went out to her Cousin Amy and Dave’s wedding in Orange County, California.  I went as Jaime’s date and we had a blast.  We had decided that while were there, the day after the wedding we would go to Disneyland - since it was conveniently in the neighborhood.  This was Jaime’s first ever trip to Disneyland (and a Disney Park) and my second trip to Disneyland (my first trip being when I was about 5-6 years old).  So need less to say, this was a very special trip for us both.  Little did we know how special it would be in our the tale of our story…

When we got there, all I could keep thinking was, “how is this park so small?”  I kept saying this because I kept comparing it to Walt Disney World in Florida, which I had been to three times (at the time, hahah), and which is huge in land mass. 

Now while I still had my clouded vision of Walt Disney greatness, Jaime helped me let loose.  We both let loose and had a blast at Disneyland.  We were laughing, enjoying the delicious food and having the best of times.  I felt like during that trip to Disneyland, we truly learned to “trust each other.”  More importantly though, I felt like we had fallen in love there!

She had no idea...

We have since visited Disneyland four times, and are planning a fifth trip in January 2013 (we will be running the Tinker Bell ½ Marathon during this trip).  We have also visited Walt Disney World two times, with a third trip right around the corner in November 2012 (we will be enjoying the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival and running in Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5k).  I like to think this clearly shows to not only ourselves, but also the world, that aside from us being clearly Walt Disney Obsessed, that Disneyland (and really Disney Parks) are our special place.  And just like Walt Disney’s story with theme parks bringing fantasy to reality, our fantasy wonderland began at Disneyland! 

Therefore, I felt no better place to give Jaime (and us really) a ring that was simple in nature – a plain band from Tiffany & Co. (Jaime's Aunt works there, so really I had no choice but to choose a Tiffany & Co. ring, but lets be honest, is Tiffany's a hard choice, hahah) – showing the world we live simple lives and like to have fun with each other, our families and our friends.  I also felt that it was important that we let our actions speak for us, rather than lettings someone or something speak for us; just like Walt Disney did with his films, TV shows, theme parks and so much more.  I felt the place where it truly started was the only appropriate place to give Jaime the ring that I felt was a symbol of us, together forever as The Happiest Couple on Earth, at The Happiest Place on Earth – Disneyland.  And a plain, yet elegant band would only further illustrate this story. 

I felt that while Disneyland was the best (and most obvious place) to give Jaime our rings, I felt it was important to remind her of how I felt, and saw, our story began, which was at Disneyland.  Walt Disney has been notably quoted for saying, “…It was all started by a mouse.”  And I wanted to tell Jaime that I felt like our story started with a mouse. 

My ultimate goal with this ring presentation was to get Mickey Mouse to present us with our rings.  I contacted the folks at the Disneyland Resort to see if this was possible.  They told me that they couldn’t get Mickey Mouse to do this, however they could make sure he was “in the neighborhood” where I did give her the rings…

So I had to choose the neighborhood.

Instead of choosing to give her the ring at Disneyland, I choose to give her the ring at Disney California Adventure; the second Disney park at the Disneyland resort, located next to the original Disneyland.  Why?  While both Jaime and I had been to Disneyland before, neither had never been to Disney California Adventure until the summer of 2011.  Before this, I had been to all the Walt Disney World Parks.  And we had been to Disneyland Park.  Never had either of us been to Disney California Adventure – together or separate. 

This park is dedicated to the State of California, and the California Walt Disney would have seen as a young man arriving there with aspiring dreams and big ideas.  It has undergone it struggles, like Walt himself – and more recently a renovation, or reimagination (however you look at it).  One important key aspect is that there has been an instillation of a statue of a young Walt Disney, in his mid 20’s with his luggage and a fully animated early drawing of (the pie eyed) Mickey Mouse.  This statue is called “Storytellers,” and is located at the front of the park on Buena Vista Street, which led to all of Walt Disney’s dreams coming true – and Jaime and my dreams, too!  This to me was the place to give Jaime the ring because, like Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, Jaime and I have so much hope for the future, and see so much together.  Next to this stature is a plaque that reads a quote from Walt Disney that reads, “We’re just getting started.”

So with this story in place (more like laid out to my crazy mind and to be told to Jaime), and Mickey Mouse arranged to be in the neighborhood…  I did it!  I lied for the betterment of Jaime’s surprise (shocking), and told her there was a show I wanted to see by the Storyteller’s statue, at the time Mickey Mouse was to be there and gave her the rings.  The Disneyland representatives had a million (okay five) camera folk there and took a bunch of photos and gave us Mickey Mouse Glow with the Show Ears (which ROCK) and brilliant fastpasses to World of Color.

It was all stated by a mouse…  And love!