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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / rundisney princess half marathon weekend: expo & pre-race

rundisney princess half marathon weekend: expo & pre-race

March 10, 2016      13 Comments

On a happier note, let’s start talking about the runDisney Princess Half Marathon weekend.2016_PRN_Logo_Half

I was mostly excited about this event (the other emotion was nervousness). For one, it’s kind of a goal to do one of every runDisney event at some point. For another, this would be my first serious challenge, incorporating a 10K and a half marathon back-t0-back.

There was a lot of build up, both in training and preparation. Not only did my buddy, Steph, and I have to work on the actual miles, but we had to figure out our costumes, and then go one step further and ready ourselves for the trip and hotel stay. Racecations are a blast, but it’s a lot, making sure all the fuel and socks and accessories are packed and charged and ready to go. Forgetting things isn’t the end of the world, especially in an area like Orlando, but it does create extra stress and it’s best to pack thoroughly and avoid all that extra static.

We were ready!

On the Friday before the races, after all the kids were off to school, Steph picked me up for the trek to Orlando. It was an easy drive and we pulled into Walt Disney World in the late morning.

The plan was to go directly to the  ESPNWide World of Sports to pick up our packets and visit the Expo, before heading to the All-Star Sports Resort to see if a room was ready for us to check in.

There had been rumors about the insanity of the Expo circulating around the internet. Packet pickup and vendors opened on Thursday and apparently, the lines were out of control, shoppers were rude and aggressive and people were making off with bags of purses, shoes and product. I was a little nervous about it, because I despise crowds, and also because I didn’t want to deal with any shenanigans. Luckily, we parked easily and walked right into the nearly empty packet pick up area to get our bibs and shirts.

Before we left the area, we were also able to purchase an advance package with MarathonFoto. For the last few runDisney events I’ve done, runners could purchase a $100 MarathonFoto credit for $75. Since a CD or download of digital images costs in the vicinity of $70, it was always a good deal. The customer service rep also informed us that there would be a Glass Slipper Challenge package, which would combine all photos from both races, so it was a no-brainer.

The merchandise and vendor portion of the Expo was located in another building and we made our way over.

The scene here was a bit different.

It was just a wee bit overwhelming. We didn’t have much shopping to do, so we kind of clung to the outskirts of the crowd. I really wanted an “I Did It” shirt with the 19.3 mile distance on it and Steph wanted that and a magnet. While a lot of the official event merchandise was picked clean, there were plenty of both of those (although the shirts were  “supervised” by cast members – inventory was folded on shelves behind a table. One shirt of each size and style was out on display, but then you had to request your item from the CM). We both walked away with exactly what we wanted.

And some fun pictures, too.

After all that, we were starving, so we opted for lunch at the little grill attached to the convention center. It was fine for a quick burger and some water. The weekend’s weather was going to be warm, so we wanted to make sure we continued to keep our hydration on point.

We were pleasantly surprised to be able to check right into our room at the resort, too. While the value resorts at Disney aren’t the most luxurious, we got a great rate (only $10 more than the off-site place we normally select) and it was worth it for us to be able to use the shuttle system for the races in the mornings. We took a moment to freshen up and then it was off to Epcot for a wander around and dinner.

For whatever reason, we were both really tired, and after a couple of rides, we decided we just wanted to see some characters and people watch before our reservation at Via Napoli. We knew we had to be up the next morning in time to make a 3:30AM shuttle and shutting it down early was on our minds.

Oh, and snacks. We thought about snacks.

At dinner, we shared arancini and a small Neapolitan pizza, and we each had a glass of red wine. And then we hightailed it back to the resort to get our things sorted and get ready for bed.

It was looking to be a phenomenal weekend.

Have you ever run any big race challenges?

What kinds of things to you purchase from huge race expos like this one?

 

 

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Comments

  1. lacey@fairytalesandfitness says

    March 10, 2016 at 2:46 pm

    This was the first yr in several yrs we did not participate in the Princess wkend. I heard that the expo was a bit overwhelming, especially this yr. They should definitely keep up with restocking the inventory for those who can’t make it the first day.
    Glad to hear you got what you wanted.

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      March 10, 2016 at 11:44 pm

      I guess I just don’t understand the mad dash for 18 wine glasses, 30 magnets and 12 purses. Disney isn’t going to do anything about the chaos because they are making money hand over fist, but I feel badly for those who get caught up in the hysteria and for those who really want just one personal souvenir and have to fight to get it.
      runswithpugs recently posted…rundisney princess half marathon weekend: expo & pre-raceMy Profile

      Reply
  2. brittney @ corral b says

    March 10, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    excited to read your race recaps! i did the dumbo double in 2014 and i’m planning to do princess next year, so this will be a great read!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      March 10, 2016 at 11:44 pm

      I’m excited to write them! I would love to get out to Disneyland for a race!
      runswithpugs recently posted…rundisney princess half marathon weekend: expo & pre-raceMy Profile

      Reply
  3. Stacie Seidman says

    March 10, 2016 at 5:30 pm

    I can’t wait for the recap!!!! Way back when I ran my very first half, it was the Princess half. I ran with my sister-in-law and a close friend. We stayed at All Star Sports too! Since we ran together, we bought one race photo cd, and split the cost 3 ways. We were all in the pictures so it didn’t make sense to buy three.
    Since it was all of our first half marathon, we also got the I did it tee’s. I still have mine. That one is definitely special.
    Stacie Seidman recently posted…Thursdays ThreadsMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      March 10, 2016 at 11:46 pm

      It was Steph’s first half, so I definitely understand wanting to commemorate with souvenirs. I like the cotton blend “I Did It” shirts they sell better than the tech shirts in the race packet, but that’s just personal preference.

      It was a good experience.
      runswithpugs recently posted…rundisney princess half marathon weekend: expo & pre-raceMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    March 10, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    True story: I’ve never even been to Disney! But I heard that the Princess half expo was amazing. And I need that pretzel. Stat.

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      March 10, 2016 at 11:47 pm

      The pretzel was really good. I don’t know what happened, but we just got so hungry while we were waiting for dinner. We wanted ice cream, but couldn’t find any, so this was the next best thing!
      runswithpugs recently posted…rundisney princess half marathon weekend: expo & pre-raceMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Elena says

    March 11, 2016 at 1:05 am

    I ran the princess once and loved the entire weekend. Definitely some logistics and a bit of chaos with all the people…but am so glad I had the experience!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      March 11, 2016 at 1:58 am

      There were definitely some challenges, but with that many people it’s kind of hard for everything to run perfectly smoothly. I think the event is well done for what it is. I don’t know that I will run Princess again, just because there are so many other Disney races I want to try.

      Reply
  6. Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says

    March 11, 2016 at 2:23 am

    I ran a 5K and half marathon in the same weekend and it was tough! Disney looks like such an amazing experience. I don’t like the crowds of expos so I’d probably be a little overwhelmed too. I like the picture of you guys at the finish line!
    Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Merino Wool BUFF Product ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Coach Henness says

    March 11, 2016 at 3:23 am

    Fun times! I love to see the little vendors at big expos like this. I look for unique or novel things I’ve never tried before (but not to try for the race…just to save for later).

    Reply
  8. Toni says

    March 11, 2016 at 1:50 pm

    Looks like an amazing weekend! I haven;t done a runDisney race but now that I live so close I plan to next year!
    Toni recently posted…2016 Newport 10K Giveaway #Newport10K #JerseyCityMy Profile

    Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have pugs and a hedgehog, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!
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