tales from a far-land

Day two in Walt Disney World, started very early for me.  This was my race day.  I participated in Goofy's 5K Challenge.  It was my first ever Disney race and I can definitely say it was one of the best races I have ever run.  What a very fun race atmosphere.  We ran right through Epcot at daybreak. And there were a ton of characters that you could stop and take photos with along the race course. So.much.fun! Race bib and shirt  Running through Epcot  The Epcot ball at sunrise Finisher's Medal  Photo with Pluto After the race, I walked over to the Epcot gate entrance to meet up with my family.  Day two was devoted to Epcot.  We spent all day in the park.  Here are some of the fun rides and adventures we experienced ... Soarin', Test Track, Mission Space Orange, visited with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy, walked around World Showcase, enjoyed Turtle Talk with Crush, The Seas with Nemo & Friends and Journey into ...

We started our Walt Disney World family vacation on Wednesday morning at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As soon as we entered the park, we enjoyed the Great Movie Ride and then headed to our first character dining experience of the trip - breakfast at Hollywood and Vine.  The kids loved all of their character dining experiences.  They loved taking pictures with them and having them sign their autograph book.  We spent the rest of the morning visiting more rides and shows including Muppet Vision 3D, Star Tours, Indian Jones Epic Stunts Spectacular, and Toy Story Mania. At around two o'clock, we took a little break from the park to head over to the RunDisney Expo.  We needed to pick up our race packets, bibs, and shirts.  If I have one critique of the entire weekend, it would be the Expo. It was a madhouse.  Since Josh was running the half marathon, he had to go to one location to retrieve his bib number, while I, who was running the 5K, had to go to an entire...

This past January, my family was given an amazing gift.  We were given the opportunity to visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for four amazing days.  Thanks to Cigna, I was selected as one of fifty broker partners to participate in the RunDisney race weekend at Walt Disney World.  And I was able to take my entire family with me!  It was, by far, one of the best racing (and vacationing) experiences I have ever had.  We stayed on property at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. We visited a new Walt Disney World park each day.  I had the opportunity to dine with the president of Cigna, David Cordani, and hear his thoughts on the future of healthcare.  I ran my first Disney race through Epcot at sunrise. We enjoyed watching my kids experience the magic of Disney over and over again. I know it sounds cliche, but it was a truly "magical" family vacation.  One I am sure we will not be able to repeat in our lifetime. Departing at PHX Sky Harbor ...