Disney's Princess Half Marathon!

Sunday morning we rolled out of bed at 3am, pulled on our tutus (since we wore our running clothes to sleep) and left for the run! We packed our bag the night before that we would be able to check at the start line before running and pick up at the end.  I wore layers since it was chilly out at the moment but I knew I'd get warm while running and I figured it would get warmer as the sun came up.  It became apparent that most people wore disposable layers since the sidelines along the start line were piled with clothing.

Bundled up before the run!

Back to 3:30am: We took the shuttle bus from our hotel and arrived by at the check-in point by 4am.  From there we had to check our bag and walk about 30 minutes to the start line.  We were in corral E of A-H; right in the middle of the pack.  Corral A was suppose to start just before 6am, and we were just about 20 minutes after that.  The best part about the start of the run was the fireworks! And, they shot them off for each corral. It definitely motivates you to get moving!

Along the course there was always something to entertain us!

There were plenty of Disney characters along the route to stop and take pictures with.  Unfortunately there were always incredible long lines of people waiting, and, well, we just we're that patient.  We also quickly realized that the characters weren't the only lines to wait in along the route.  Beth and I decided that we wanted to be plenty hydrated, and therefore we would be willing to stop along the way at the bathrooms, but even with hundreds of porter potties there were always long lines!  We decided this half marathon was about having fun though, and so we stopped for a bathroom break along the way and of course took several breaks for photo opps!

Photo opp in the Magic Kingdom

The run was so much fun and it went by so quickly since there were always entertaining things along the route.  One source of entertainment was other runners' outfits! Everyone was so creative and I loved seeing how people decided to dress. I can only imagine all the crafting that went on before this run! There were also plenty of other surprises alone the route: a high school band playing for us, a hot air balloon, crowds of people cheering, and right at mile 13 was a gospel choir (so perfect!).

The route took us from Epcot up to the Magic Kingdom, looping through the park, and then back to Epcot.  Going through the Disney castle was definitely a highlight; and running through the park in general kept me entertained.  We were definitely excited though when we got back to Epcot!

Back in Epcot!

We finished just at 2:47:00. It was exhausting but I also felt really good afterwards. The run pumped me up and I'm pretty sure I caught the running bug; I'm ready for a second half marathon!  Not sure when I'll do another but I'm definitely up for it in the future.  However, I'm not sure anything could top the excitement of the Disney Princess half, and running in anything but a tutu will just seem boring from now on!

We finished! Beth & me with our medals!

Disney Weekend

Last weekend in Disney World was so much fun! After departing Atlanta around 3am we arrived at our hotel by 10am Friday.  Luckily they let us check in that early, so we could already get settled in our Fantasia-themed building.  We stayed at Disney's All-Star Movies Resort which is part of their group of 'value' hotels -- it's nice since you get the perks of staying on the Disney property (bus transportation and not paying for parking at the parks) without paying an arm and a leg.

Beth and I then headed to the half marathon expo event to get our number bibs and check out the free stuff. We were able to take the bus transport straight to the Wide World of Sports where it was being held, and then made the rounds to all the different vendors.  Even on Friday it was already a mad house in there, but we still had a lot of fun and wound up purchasing additional Disney paraphernalia.  I got a coffee mug with the run logo on it (note: don't put those event mugs in the dishwasher. oops!), and Beth got the same logo on a wine glass.  The vendors were so much fun though; we got free boxes of rice, yogurt to eat along the way, luna bars, and much more!

Disney's Princess Half Marathon Expo

Then we got back to the hotel and prepared to leave for a day in the Disney parks.  We had two days of park-hopper tickets for Friday and Saturday, so we wanted to make the most of our time.  Sunday morning was the half marathon, and we planned on just hanging out at the hotel and Downtown Disney to rest instead of taking on another park!

Friday our goal was Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom! We rode a few rides in the Animal Kingdom first; I hadn't been there since the park first opened, so it was fun for me to go back. I'd also never been on the Everest coaster, so that was the highlight for me.  The safari was fun too, but once you've been on the real thing then the Disney one is only good for triggering memories :)

Animal Kingdom

That evening we stayed in the Magic Kingdom until right around midnight. The rides were wonderful, as always, but so was the firework show -- one of my favorite reasons to stay in the park late.

Magic Kingdom

Saturday we dedicated to Hollywood Studios (MGM) and attempted to fit in Epcot also, but with 6pm dinner reservations in Downtown Disney we just didn't have time.  I hadn't been to MGM since... well, since it was actually called MGM, so it was great to go back! My favorite ride of the day was definitely the Toy Story 3D arcade game ride; worth the wait!

That night we were in bed by 10pm since our alarms were set for 3am for the half marathon. We could hardly fall asleep we were so excited! I'll post soon with race details! :)