2021 Virtual Princess 5K (at Pop Century!)

With our Disney trip still in the works despite the virtual switch of the Princess Half Marathon weekend,  I knew I still wanted to save some of the races for our time on actual Disney property. Although I'd only initially registered for the Fairy Tale Challenge alone, I added on the 5K after the virtual switch. I'll admit, it was the theme that got me. Prior to this, I didn't own any Little Mermaid runDisney anything!

The night before my run, I took a look at the running route around Pop Century which mostly included the path around Hourglass Lake (roughly 1.3 miles). 

Off we go!

Character "stops" anyone? Well, I found a few! It never dawned on me that I could have taken some of these photos in the Little Mermaid section at Art of Animation. (face palm)

The Skyliner began operating during my run and it was so beautiful and peaceful in the morning! 

Mile 2...almost done!

...and with that, my Disney Princess 5K was done! I'll admit, it was nice not having to wake up at 2:30 a.m., take a bus and sit in a random parking lot for an hour waiting on a race to begin. With that being said though, I really really miss runDisney!!

Throughout this run, I encountered so many runners who were out there doing the same as me...running bibs, costumes, sparkle skirts, and all! Everyone was so encouraging and friendly, and there was even a group out there handing out bananas to runners! Even though it wasn't a "true" runDisney event, these little elements sure made it feel like "home" and it made for an amazing and memorable experience. 

Up next: Our day at EPCOT! 

Disney 2021: Ice Storm, Traveling, and Pop Century

Our most recent February Walt Disney World vacation had an interesting start to say the least! With a ridiculous ice storm set to cross our area, we had to make a last minute decision that included several changes. In the end, my idea of adding a little extra magic to the beginning of our trip was the option that topped the rest and I wasn't even mad about it! 

Our original plans included: Flying out of Houston, TX on Wednesday (day 3 of the ice storm), staying 3 nights at Pop and 3 nights at Copper Creek, then flying back home the following Tuesday. 

We were also traveling with a few friends and had a couple of options. We reviewed all of the dates/times to possibly change our flights at the last minute and there was no way anything would work with our tight schedule. Jason worked that Sunday and we had a very small window to work with since the ice storm was set to hit that Monday.

Ultimately, our friends decided to keep their flights, drive up to Houston on Sunday evening (prior to the ice storm), stay three nights at a hotel near the airport, then chance their flight on Wednesday. We debated this option but I knew being cooped up in a hotel with a 4 year old for three days likely wouldn't be the best option. I also didn't like the idea of driving towards the ice storm because I had a feeling we would get stuck. (Not to mention the fact that I would be a nervous wreck the ENTIRE time!)

After a bit of arm twisting, I finally convinced Jason that our best option was to cancel our flights to take the flight credit for a future trip, then leave Sunday night after he got home from work and begin the drive to Florida. It's about a 12-13 hour drive without stops and I knew we could do it. The instagram poll I put out there also had an overwhelming response to drive, so that's what we decided to do!

Despite the chaos, we still took a little bit of time to celebrate Valentines Day ahead of our departure. 

A Valentines Day tradition of ours is chocolate covered strawberries. We've had these every Valentines Day since we began dating so I knew it had to happen this year, too! (circa 2006)

We packed all day Saturday and Saturday evening and on Sunday morning, Brayden and I went to church before returning home to pack some more!

I despise last minute anything, but we got it done! 

One perk to driving was the fact that we could bring our own food and not have to worry about a click-list or insta-cart once we arrived!

Thankfully, my parents were able to keep our dogs for a few days at their house. With the roads projected to be non-drivable, I was worried my dogs would be home alone for days (and they would have been if not for my parents)!

With pipes wrapped and faucets dripping, we crossed our fingers, hoped for the best, and began our drive to Florida.

Since Jason worked all day on Sunday and didn't get home until 7 p.m., we got a late start and decided to stop at a hotel in Pensacola on our way. Pensacola is half way and this plan worked out perfectly for us!

That Monday morning, we woke up and checked our cameras back at home. What's all of that white stuff? It's not supposed to be there! 

If you guys remember, just 6 months ago, we were hard hit with two hurricanes and now this ice storm. My heart went out to those living in campers while fixing up their homes. Our area had power outages and water outages and we couldn't treat our patients for an entire week. Needless to say, it sounded like a hot mess.

Back in Florida, we made it to Walt Disney World around 6 p.m. that evening. I added two nights on at Pop Century and stopped by the front desk to make sure we could keep the same room for the entire 5 nights we would be at Pop. Thankfully, someone behind the scenes had already made it happen! 

Our room was ready upon arrival and we were on the second floor which meant Brayden got to ride the elevators! He was thrilled!!

We absolutely love these renovated rooms at Pop! You also can't beat the Skyliner!

Brayden's favorite part was "his" Pluto bed!

So fun!

After getting settled, Jason and Brayden hit up the pool while I attempted to find dinner. Several friends back at home asked why I wasn't sending pictures and I felt bad about sending pictures of us in the beautiful Florida sunshine while they were freezing away at home!

For dinner, we chose the pizza combo from the Pop food court and it was delicious! It also came with a salad and breadsticks. With no dining plan, we ate on this thing for a couple of days and it was perfect!

The following day was Fat Tuesday and a "play day" for us since we weren't originally planning on being at Disney that early anyway! I love extra and unexpected relaxing days at Disney so I was all for it! 

Up next: Disney Springs and a little surprise!

Pop Century & The Skyliner

Hello and welcome to the start of my November Walt Disney World and Disney Dream trip recaps! Although I've already shared my thoughts on the Wine & Dine Half Marathon races and the Christmas Party, these recaps will be from the trip itself.

For starters, we had a large group of people traveling with us and we decided to stay at Pop Century. I'd never stayed at a refurbished room there and most of our party had never stayed at Pop at all, so it was a no brainer.

High Points of Pop:

• The refurbished rooms are fabulous, for real - they seriously make it feel like you aren't staying at a value resort.
• The Skyliner is SO cool (more on that in a bit)
• This resort has the greatest theming! 
• The food court has plenty of offerings
• They were very much into the runDisney thing - see backdrop above! How cute, right?!

Low Points of Pop:

• SO. Many. People. (it's a huge resort, though...what can you expect?)
• Lines, lines everywhere! We stood in lines for check in (because something wasn't working right on one of our group's apps), we stood in a ridiculous line to check our bags....did I mention so many people? All of this was on the first day and once we made it through those hiccups, we were good to go.
• That's it! We seriously enjoyed Pop!

We were placed in the 50's building which granted us perfect access to the Skyliner!

These rooms are beautiful and feel so clean!

I loved the bed/table combo (also known as a murphy bed) as well as the plank, no carpet flooring.

Even Pluto wasn't forgotten about!

The bathrooms received a makeover, too.

I loved the extra storage. It was so convenient!

One downside to the refurbished rooms for me would be the lack of a bathtub, because my toddler still likes to take baths. He didn't mind the shower, though.

I still giggle about these...

A welcome letter and Mickey card were waiting for us on our bed when we arrived.

From our doorway, you could see the pool. The 50's section was really cute and if we stayed at Pop again, I would totally request it next time.

The walk to the skyliner was a super short one, just around the back of the 50's building. SO convenient!

It makes a beautiful visual, too.

Seriously, when are they going to add on to the skyliner and place it at other resorts? :)

What started out as a quick ride to Epcot turned into Brayden's new fascination and definitely his favorite "Disney ride". He seriously talks about the skyliner all the time. Point of View videos, anyone? Y'all feel me on this?

On the morning of our cruise, Brayden mentioned the skyliner at least 10 times, so we decided to hop a quick ride from Pop over to the "main hub" at Caribbean Beach. I knew there was a Joffrey's there with a specialty coffee, so I figured it was a win win for all of us! We had plenty of time to kill, so why not?

He. Was. So. Excited!

That face, though...priceless!!

The specialty drink offering is the Toffee Flight. It's sea salt caramel toffee with dark chocolate and toffee crumbles and it's VERY good!

Jason ordered iced...

...and I ordered mine hot.

Both were very good, but I felt as if the flavor was stronger in the hot beverage.

Also, they sold giant blue donuts there and this child got his eye on it...

Giant blue donut for the win! When in Disney, right?

I randomly caught this cast member making sidewalk art!

I don't even have that much talent with a pencil much less water!

Overall, I loved our stay at Pop Century and would seriously do it all again if given the chance. As I mentioned before, the food court had good offerings, the shop was a decent size, the refurbished rooms look amazing, and the skyliner was so very convenient!

What are your thoughts on Pop? Have you stayed in a refurbished room?