For those that know me, they will tell you how driven I am. I do better when I set goals and can strive to achieve them. That is why I sign up for so many races (keeps me accountable), go on crazy hiking trips (love to push myself), try new things (can always get better), and so on. I am very bad at sitting still and relaxing.
On December 30, 2019, I reached out to American Cancer Society Team Determination about joining their Disney Wine and Dine half marathon team. They hadn’t even opened up registration yet, but I wanted to be one of the first to sign up. I had finished my third round of chemo that morning and needed something to strive for that didn’t involve treatments. I couldn’t think of a better thing to keep myself motivated than committing to a half marathon at Disney World in a year while raising money for American Cancer Society. My treatments, surgery, and reconstruction would be done by then and I would be embracing life hopefully cancer free. I had been struggling to find the energy to run at that point in time and I needed to know I could get back to it. I desperately missed my runs with friends and signing up for this race seemed normal.
Another thing people know about me is my love for Disney. I grew up on Disney, learned lessons from Disney, embraced family and friend fun with Disney. I took a side job as a travel agent specializing in Disney because I absolutely love sharing the Disney fun and ensuring everyone gets that magic. It only seemed fitting that I would end my year at Disney World. I invited friends and family to join for the race weekend and we ended up with an incredible group of 15 people! We were all running and half of us were raising money for ACS. I could not wait! For some it would be their first race ever! It was going to be my 4th half marathon at Disney with my dad. I was even going to introduce a few people to Disney World and the magic.
Well, we all know COVID ruined these plans, but I hadn’t given up on them. I am stubborn and when I saw the opening to complete my goals of running a half marathon and going to Disney, I had to achieve both. I had written off Disney and Universal when COVID hit and got worse, but then as Disney World opened back up, I was intrigued. In a way, it was a social experiment. Could Disney, Universal, and other parks open up during a pandemic and not become super spreader events? Could masks, social distancing, and lots of soap/hand sanitizer actually work? Months went by and it seemed like it did work. After much debate, I decided I wanted to give it a go and my parents agreed to join me. Plus it only made sense to tag it onto my road trip (DC is so close to Orlando….did I mention I am stubborn).
It was interesting planning a trip to theme parks with my dog. I found dog friendly hotels at Universal and Disney and was so happy the resorts were not full so there was room in the parking lots for my trailer. I learned every precaution being taken by the parks. I bought tons of Disney face masks. I knew from being a travel agent how the parks had modified operations. We also decided that if we ever felt unsafe, we would not stay in the park.
Universal
We spent 3 nights at Loews Royal Pacific at Universal since it was one of two dog friendly hotels at Universal. It is a beautiful hotel within walking distance of both parks. We spent two days exploring Volcano Bay Water Park (amazing!!!), Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios. By staying at a premium Universal hotel, we received complimentary unlimited express passes to use at the two parks which meant we pretty much never waited in line. My parents hadn’t been to Universal in a long time so I had fun showing them around. We felt safe the whole time. There were markers on the ground to remind people to keep their distance in lines. Every one was required to wear a mask at all times (minus the water rides and the water park). Before you got on a ride, you were given a squirt of antibacterial hand soap. Characters were out and kept at a distance. I actually saw more characters this trip than on my normal trips. I was even able to find time to go on two runs while there to keep my training up. We had an amazing time!
Disney
I love so much about Universal, but my heart is still addicted to Disney World. I decided to treat myself and stay one night at a deluxe hotel, the Yacht Club. I was so excited to stay at this resort and be able to walk to two parks and enjoy the amazing pool. It didn’t disappoint. We loved it. We spent an entire day exploring the resort, relaxing, and then we did go to Epcot to get dinner at the Food and Wine Festival.
Then we moved to Fort Wilderness and spent 5 nights in the trailer. Now I love my trailer, but it isn’t big and was not meant to fit 3 adults and a dog, but we made it work. Plus I got to experience camping at Disney World, which has always been a dream (yes I stayed at two of my dream Disney resorts in one trip). It was incredible to see the campsites decorated for Halloween. People really go all in on these decorations. Sadly, I had no decorations, but next time (there will be a next time), I will be prepared.
We spent 6 days at the Disney parks and I loved it. We took in the rides, ate way too much food, walked crazy distances, and always made it back for a midday break to hang out with Callie. I loved every minute of exploring Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios and it was even more special to see it with my dad who I have been watching Star Wars with since I was a kid. We treated ourselves to a few nice meals, which we normally skip during Disney vacations to spend more time in the parks. It was a great, exhausting trip. Again, we felt safe the whole time. The lines were longer at Disney given we didn’t have express passes and FastPasses are currently not available, but we made the best of it. Disney and Universal have done a great job doing everything they can to make the parks safe and ensure customers and cast members are protected.
(If you want to see more pics from Disney or Universal, stay tuned for later posts or visit Sam at The Vacationeer on Facebook or @samthevacationeer on Instagram)
I may not have gotten the trip I planned a year ago, but we had fun and I will still hopefully be able to take a wonderful trip with friends and family to run our race sometime in the near future (2021 or 2022). I still got to wear my “I Kicked Cancer’s Butt” button too!
Also normally there would be so many people in the background
My trip ended with a 28 hour drive home. I got to see my aunt and uncle on the drive home and enjoy a night with them outside of Atlanta. Then it was all about driving and getting home as soon as I could. After 5 weeks of socializing, it was time for a break.
I am so glad I took this trip when I did. COVID was around, but had not started to spike again. I took every precaution I could to ensure I stayed safe and so did the others around me. I needed this celebration after a rough year. It was everything I needed and I am so thankful to everyone I got to see (and for those I missed, I will be back).
Now about that half marathon goal, stay tuned for the next post to hear all about it.