runDisney Royal Family 5k 2013

On Saturday morning, my daughter and I participated in the runDisney Minnie and Mickey Royal Family 5k. She loves Minnie and Princesses, so I knew she would love this event!  She was not happy to wake up at 5 am, but she was much more happy when I told her we were going to wear our Minnie dresses.  We got to the Epcot parking lot where the event started.  Right away, we got in line for a picture with Princess Minnie and Prince Micky.  Then it was time to go to our corrals!

The corral system is a very new thing for a runDisney 5k.  From what I gathered, the corrals were assigned based on when you registered for the event rather than speed, but no one official has confirmed this.  Since we were in the stroller division, we were in the last corral--corral E.  As usual, runDisney did there best to keep the time waiting in the corral as fun as possible.  There was music, jokes, and lots of fun banter by the announcers.  Each corral got there very own special send off, complete with fireworks!

We waited about 45 minutes to start the race!  Half of the runners had completed the race before we got to start.  It was crazy waiting for so long. My daughter, along with lots of other kids, had fallen asleep in her stroller.  But finally, we were off!  The course was the same as last year.  We ran (walked) the outer perimeter of the Epcot parking lot for about a mile before entering a back stage area of World Showcase, just behind the Mexican pavilion.  This was when the fun started!

Once we were in the park is when we started to see characters.  We saw Mulan, Snow White and Dopey, Belle in her blue dress, Marie the cat, and Princess Daisy with Prince Donald.  We were also fortunate enough to get a preview of sorts of the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.   We saw topiary's of Hook, Peter Pan, Tick Tock the croc, most of the princesses with their prince's, and some Toy Story characters.  It was beautiful to see them in the early morning sun light.

I very much enjoyed doing this race with my daughter.  She had so much fun!  She was a little scared of the character at first, but then she really got into it.  We crossed the finish line and a volunteer put a medal around her neck.  She was so proud!  I loved seeing her like that.  Some friends from home were waiting for us at the finish.  They are a fellow NICU grad family.  We have got to know them over the past few years, so it was so nice to see them that the finish.  I can't wait to do another event with my daughter.

A dream is a wish...

--Amy

All About the Tangled Royal Family 5k

Very late last night, I got an incrediable offer.  An offer that I did not have to even think about.  I said yes instantly.  Last night, a blog read and friend offered me a bib for the Tangled Royal Family 5k.  My husband and I have been discussing over the past few months about doing the 5k together, but he was never in to it, so I let it go and it sold out.  I was kind of bummed when it sold out, but I figured there is always next year.  I am so appreciative to my friend, you know who you are, for giving me this oppurtunity. 

Last night I did a crash course of learning about the Tangled Royal Family 5k.  I learned that I have to be at the Epcot parking lot by 6:15 am.  I put the word out to my Facebook friends and I found a ride from the Bay Lake Tower to the race.  The course starts in the Epcot Imagine parking lot.  We will run thought all the counties of Epcot’s World’s Showcase.  To finish out the race, we will run through Future World past Spaceship Earth and back into the Imagine parking lot thought the finish line.  Each finish will earn a finisher mediallion. 

My only delemma is what to wear.  I know I was asking you all yesterday your opinion about what to wear to the race.  Know that I am doing the 5k too actually makes this an easier decision.  As of right now, my plan is to wear my pink SparkleSkirt! to the half and my Rapunzel purple outfit to the Tangled Royal Family 5k.

 

I plan to use the Tangled Royal Family 5k as a warm up for the Disney Princess Half Marathon on Sunday.  This will not be a PR race for me.  I am going to take it easy, have fun on the course, hopefully get some great pictures and get a fell for how a runDisney race works. 

On a very sad note, registration for the Disneyland Half Marathon is closed.  It filled up before I could register.  I looked just this morning at it and it was 93% full.  I figured I still had a few days before registration closed.  Boy was I wrong!  Sadly, I will not be doing the Disneyland Half in 2012 and will not be a Coast to Coast runner this year. 

Are you doing the Tangled Royal Family 5k?  Are you dressing up?  Have you ever done a 5k the day before a Half Marathon?

A dream is a wish…

--Amy