Ready, Set, Jet!
Packing for a quick weekend getaway is easy…race costumes each in their gallon ziplock bags, plenty of Sports Beans and KT tape, and a spare rain poncho and mylar blanket. Throw in some mouse ears, Sparkle Skirts and a Magic Band and I’m ready to go!
Late to Bed, Early to Rise!
Second only to the training, the hardest part of any Disney race is the early wake-ups, especially if you’re running more than one race! This morning was no different, except the 5K starts at 6:15 a.m. instead of the 5:30 a.m. start times for the 10K and the Half Marathon! Woot! Woot!
Knowing we had to be on the bus from Pop Century no later than 4:00 a.m., we staggered our wake-ups at 2:30 and 3:00. Luckily, we laid out our race outfits the night before and just had to take turns jockeying for the sink and mirror! (The most challenging part was getting my Pocahontas’ tattoo on straight! Getting it off is another story…!)
Pocahontas (me) and Cruella (my bff Tiffany) headed for the buses! Pop Century is a fabulous host hotel…a single bus stop and always plenty of buses. We were quickly loaded and whisked away to the ESPN parking lot!
Corral 101
Once we made the trek through bag check, we split up. Tiffany wanted to check out how long the character lines were. (It looked like both Snow White and Sleeping Beauty were meeting separately.) I still had to pick up my bib-my flight had been delayed and I missed the Expo!
I headed to the Runners Relation tent and showed my signed waiver and license. Though this is highly unpublicized, this is still offered to runners as a courtesy due to unforeseen circumstances. Though I am careful not to abuse it, I would gladly pay the fee they piloted a few years ago in order to have my bib waiting for me at my hotel, stress-free!
Once my bib was pinned and bag checked I felt so much better! We decided the character lines were too long, and instead, people watched while listening to the DJ! We snapped a bunch of photos and selfies, and looked for photographers. Since the switch from Marathonfoto to Photopass there don’t seem to be as many photographers roaming around early morning-but we knew they’d be all over the course!
As we headed to Corral A, it was one last stop for water and porta-potties! We moved to the front of the corral and waited to be released. They informed us of a new procedure…that corrals would be released in mini-waves to limit the number of runners starting at once. Similar to the procedure they use at rope drop at the Parks, two Cast Members holding a rope would walk each new group up to the starting line.
After the National Anthem and an awesome preview of the new Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast, it was our turn! We were in the third mini-wave for Corral A. It was a really nice change to be able to run right away, instead of having to walk, waiting for the bigger crowd to dissipate!
On Course
A 5K is 3.1 miles, and we knew the first mile would primarily be highway. It’s a nice, easy way to warm up and get into the groove. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold. No Mylar blankets or throw-away clothes needed! (Did you know Disney collects, washes and donates every piece of the runners’ discarded clothing?)
Nothing can quite prepare you for rounding the corner into Epcot and seeing the World Showcase lit up in pink lights for Princess Weekend! It is spectacular! You almost wish you could stop right in your tracks-but another Princess would be sure to run right into you-keep moving!
Running in the dark before the park opens is such an amazing experience! Photopass photographers were busy on the course snapping away! I typically get between 15-20 course photos per race, so it’s a great deal!
As the sun came up, we completed the loop around World Showcase and made our way past the Seas with Nemo and Friends. Another water stop (Powerade only after finishing) and less than a mile to go! My prop, Meeko, was easy to hold and run with. I actually kind of forgot about him!
Another on-course perk is running into your running buddies! The camaraderie you develop with other runDisney runners is amazing-even when they live all over the country! I’m an admin for a small running group on Facebook and I love these women! Shout-out to all of the Princesses in Disney’s PHM Fabulous and Fantastic Corral F and Beyond! (You may have noticed brevity is not my thing!)
One of my favorite parts of the course is when we approach Spaceship Earth! I attempted to get my signature jumping picture but the photographer insisted I hold my bib down so it wouldn’t flap up and obscure my number. (I guess next time I should remember to use safety pins on the bottom of my bib, too! LOL!)
Character Stops
As always, character stops were plentiful and varied during the 5K! I wish I had stopped for the first ones I saw-the Vikings in front of Epcot’s Norway! (I am a Swede after all…my maiden name is Johansson!) Even though the 16 minute mile pace isn’t as strictly enforced during the 5K, (I have never heard of a single person being swept) it’s tricky not always knowing what lies ahead!
I did, however, stop for a photo with this awesome Pocahontas! We were definitely a minority amongst all the Belles and other princesses!
I feel like I willed the next character stop-it was Meeko!!! Dressed as Pocahontas, carrying a little plush Meeko of my own, there was no way I wasn’t stopping! Meeko even held baby Meeko-I was so excited I almost dashed off without him!
As we headed into Germany we saw a long line, and then realized why…it was Dopey! Though he was out for Wine & Dine this past November, he is still a pretty rare character and we were psyched! Most people don’t ever meet him unless they wait hours at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for the money shot with all seven dwarfs! This one was non-negotiable!
As we made our way around World Showcase we also stopped for Abu in Morocco (not particularly cute), and then Cinderella’s mice, Suzy and Perla, in France! I was so excited to meet both, especially because they were frequently being switched in and out, and most people only got their picture with one of them! (Confession: It was much less exclusive than I thought…they were meeting later that day in Magic Kingdom by the castle wall! LOL!)
The final characters were the performers from the Festival of Fantasy Parade posing with runners near The Seas with Nemo! Typically found on the Ariel float, they looked like beautiful and exotic sea anemones! I chose not to stop for this photo op, but I did get a selfie with the iconic Spaceship Earth!
Will Run for Bling!
Before we knew it, we were crossing the finish line! I was so excited to get my first runDisney 5K medal that was actually metal and not plastic! The Chip design from Beauty and the Beast was adorable! We posed for our finisher pics, grabbed our banana (phones) and snack boxes, and got in line for a celebratory pic with Snow White!
Post-Race Celebration
Shower? Nap? Ice bath? Nope! We hopped on a bus to Magic Kingdom via the Polynesian…time to open the Parks! Our first stop was to show off our new medals to Tink. She sprinkled me with Pixie Dust so I could continue to run fast for the rest of the weekend. (My friend suggested she should have sprinkled me with antibiotics…I was still recovering from a sinus infection and bronchitis!)
While hitting the hub for the obligatory castle/medal photo op, we ran into the Dapper Dans just milling around! Not only were they happy to pose for pictures-they SANG the Cruella Deville song to Tiffany! I have to admit…I am STILL jealous! (They also told me they loved my Sacagawea costume-LOL!)
Finally, we made our way to Crystal Palace for a well-deserved breakfast, followed closely by everyone’s favorite snack-the Dole Whip! The only thing that would have made our perfect morning any better was rum!
Run??? We thought you said rum! We’ll be sure to come back for the Disney Princess 5K next year-especially if we can find some rum!
Jacqueline lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children and cat. You can follow her on Instagram at @morphingintominnie and @neverlandpress.
On our next day at Magic Kingdom, they insisted we go play. We walked over to the “Crow’s Nest”, located just past the Adventureland sign as you’re heading toward Frontierland. One person in our party went inside, since it’s a fairly small space, and picked a map they hadn’t previously completed. The game is loaded onto your Magic Band, and each child is given their own map. Within just a couple of minutes, we were off!
The decor was rustic – lots of wooden beams, hanging lanterns, and animals on the walls. The cast members were extremely friendly and helpful – the whole experience felt very homey and comfortable. The breakfast was reasonably priced and I was able to apply my AP discount, which was great.
