Dopey Adventure, Day 2

We knew today was going to be a busy day. First we had to hit the expo to get our race packets. Then we had fast passes for rides at Epcot. Finally, we had to hit up Hollywood Studios. We had been informed that the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, which was ending its run after this year, would be extended to Wed, Jan 6th. Since none of us had seen them, we felt like we had to go. We knew this probably was not the recommended way to spend the day beofre the Dopey Challenge but day 1 was "only" a 5K so we figured, "The heck with recommended behavior" and went on with our plans.

First up, the expo. I've never seen an expo quite like a Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend expo - and I've run the Chicago Marathon, one of the world's "Big 6". The expo takes place in multiple buildings. We planned to get there when it opened because I wasn't planning on doing this Dopey thing again so I thought I might want to buy some race merchandise. I knew from experience the official runDisney stuff sells out quick so there we were on the bus to the expo at 9:30.

The line to get in to stand in other lines.

When we got there, there was a line to get into the expo, made all the more pleasant by the drizzle that started to fall. Finally we were in. I wanted to hit the official race merchandise first and after several cast members directed us in the wrong direction, we finally realized we had to go to a different building. When we got there, we discovered another line to get into the official merchandise area. After picking out the items I wanted, I stood in line for 15 minutes to pay. The couple in front of me spent $651 on merchandise. This was insane. I hadn't even gotten my packet yet and I was exhausted. Honestly, I think it was the most stressful part of the whole week.

After taking a deep breath and a bathroom break, we were ready to tackle the packet pickup. It went smoothly, though the line for my bib number was by the far the longest one in the building. I showed my ID, signed away my first child stating that I was indeed who I claimed to be, and slid over to have my mug shot taken. They would be looking this photo up on Sunday after I finished the marathon to make sure it was me and that I hadn't sold or given away my bib to anyone else. They do this before handing over your bling.

Mickey has our hearts.

What have I gotten myself into?

With our official expo business done, Dan, Wendy and I headed out, stopping to take some fun photos on the way to the buses. We headed back to the resort, dumped our bags, grabbed lunch and headed out to Epcot. We rode Test Track and the Finding Nemo ride. Dan and Wendy had reservations at Le Cellier for a nice steak dinner so I walked around on my own for a while and went to get some photos with some of my favorite characters. I may or may not have been the only adult in line who was not accompanying a small child. I'm a child at heart - that counts, right? Goofy must have sensed that about me because he encouraged me to dance a little jig with him.

Goofy could tell I was game for a little fun.

Me and my pal.

Minnie isn't so bad either.

With Epcot handily taken care of for the night, we boarded a bus for Hollywood Studios, where we were herded like cattle into the section where the light extravaganza could be found. We got there just as a music and light show started. It was magnificent. Even fake snow fell from the sky. Wendy, Dan and I all agreed we were so happy we hustled over there to see it before it was gone for good. Right after the light show, the evening fireworks display started, set to a Star Wars soundtrack. Since I'd never seen a Star Wars movie, Wendy explained what each part of the show represented.

We got to see the famous Osborne Lights! 

Pictures do NOT do this justice!

As the show ended, I pulled out my phone to check the My Disney Experience app and saw that the wait for one of our favorite rides, the Tower of Terror, was pretty short. So we left Dan on a bench and took off to squeeze a ride in before we left. We didn't get back to our room until about 11:00 and we had an early wakeup the next day for the 5K so we headed to bed. Before I crawled under the covers, I checked my Garmin VivoActive and saw my walking mileage for the day: 15 miles. Oops.