12 Months of Medals: My 2015 (And Beyond!) Running Challenge

[Neoflynn]

Giveaway Time!

@Keels You are simply awesome !!!!

I guess if I had to pick something that interested me I would pick the recovery sandals (size 10) because I am really rough on my feet not just from running but I also have a job that keeps me on my feet all day so my feet hate me when I get home. I know that without taking care of my feet there is no way ill be able to tackle 26.2 come January so this is one area I'm really trying to improve on. Hope that qualifies as a proper response

 

[Keels]

@Keels You are simply awesome !!!!

I guess if I had to pick something that interested me I would pick the recovery sandals (size 10) because I am really rough on my feet not just from running but I also have a job that keeps me on my feet all day so my feet hate me when I get home. I know that without taking care of my feet there is no way ill be able to tackle 26.2 come January so this is one area I'm really trying to improve on. Hope that qualifies as a proper response

I bought my husband a pair and he wore them all day after the Half on Sunday and then all day on Monday (until dinner, when I made him put on real shoes) when we were in the parks and he just raved about them!

Also, if you're hard on your feet - don't be afraid to treat yourself to a pedicure! And take the wife too, if she's in to that! Even a basic one will do wonders, and it's a fun little couple time. If she's like me, she'll be proud and impressed to be the wife at the spa getting a pedi with her husband!

 

[cavepig]

Wow how nice of you! I'm looking forward to reading your trip & race reviews. I'm writing my first ever trip report for it, & actually found it fun. I'm always scared to try new stuff, but got hooked with Clif energy gels after the Jan marathon had them. I'm always surprised to read people who don't want to use anything or even stop to drink on course. Never used a Garmin, just Runkeeper right now on my phone - Do you find them to be close or is Runkeeper off from the Garmin? When I started running we went out and measured stuff with the car, which seems so funny now! Great job last weekend though on your first Run Disney events, aren't they a blast!

 

[Dis5150]

@Keels That is so nice of you! Socks! I would be thrilled to try out some compression socks! I was thinking of getting some black ones (after convincing DH that I needed yet another kind of socks for running!) for duel purposes, 1. to go with my costume and 2. to help my legs actually feel better after running my first half! Until I started running, I had no idea things like socks and tech material made such a difference! But as I slowly am adding to my running clothes, I actually get better times when I wear the recommended stuff. My first training runs were in cotton gym clothes and socks. I am always super excited to try out new things people recommend!

ETA: I don't know sock sizes but I wear a 8 1/2 shoe.

 

[LSUlakes]

@Keels you are awesome! Runners are just good people for many different reasons and acts like this add to it.

 

[roxymama]

Seriously? You are too kind! You know I would be tempted to send you something right back though because I'd just have to. Even if it was something silly or Chicago-ey.

I'm going to ask for a Garmin for Christmas (ok, I already asked for one), but I think the two things that may help me most are the hydration belt because come Jan I'm jumping into the crazy world of distances over 5k (gulp!!!) And as you said...your original goals have been extended..that's how I am right now with 10ks and 8ks (and maybe just maybe a 10 miler or half) on the horizon next year.
The other thing that I would be interested in would be recovery sandals because it wasn't until recently I realized how gross sweaty socks and sneakers can be when at brunch hours after a race...also why do I always end up walking like an additional 3 miles after every run back to my car or a restaurant etc?
I'm a size 8.5 (or 9) women's shoe and a size Large (14 in pants) if that matters with the belt.

I'm looking forward to your trip reports!

 

[Keels]

Keep 'em coming, y'all! I'm having a ladies brunch with my running buddies here after our run on Sunday and I'm going to let them start to pick who gets what!!

 

[Keels]

Disneyland Half Marathon: Day 1
Leaving on a Jet Plane

So, in a span of about 72-hours I had changed my flight three times leading up to Departure Day. Why, you ask? Well, initially, I was slated to come in mid-morning on Thursday. After hearing about how packed out it got at the Expo, I decided to move my flight to an earlier arrival on Thursday morning (like 7 a.m.), which would mean either a WAY EARLY wake-up call for this night owl or an overnight stay at the in-terminal hotel at DFW. I settled on the early wake up call and changed my plans to drop my dogs off at the kennel a day earlier.

Then, after talking to the husband and making a quick phone call to American Airlines, I found out that with my status that I could change my flight to leave on WEDNESDAY early evening for ... no charge! I called Marriott to add an extra day on to my hotel in Anaheim (with points, yesssssss ...) and figured that was that. No early wake-up call, no extra charge to stay at the airport hotel, I could fall asleep on California time and wake up early to go hang out with the crazies in the Expo merchandise line.

Tuesday morning, I get up and take my husband to the airport - he was heading to California early to attend some meetings in the new home office in Marina Del Ray. He wouldn't be joining me in Anaheim until Friday afternoon.

After dropping him off at DFW, I went and treated myself to my pre-race pamper session - manicure, pedicure and mini-hot stone massage on my legs. Heaven! I hit Happy Hour with a couple of friends and then went home to finish packing and to spend quality time with the dogs before I shipped them off to Dog Jail for almost a week. And it was time to check in for my flight! I went to AA.com, where I was offered an opportunity for a Same-Day Flight Change. Being curious, I went ahead and looked - just to see. If it wasn't too exorbitant, maybe I could get to California even earlier - before the parks closed - so I could spend a little quality Disney time.

Lo and behold. There it was. An 11 a.m. flight, with availability, for the low, low, low change fee of ... $0. Would I take it? Did I take it?

OF COURSE I did. Of course, I had a few logistics issues to straighten out.

1. I already had a 5-day park-hopper pass, with all of those days spoken for. So, I needed to figure out the best (and cheapest) way to get myself into both parks on that Wednesday. Also, it was after 5 p.m. Central Time, so anything I needed to do, I needed to do fast.

We had purchased a single-day park-hopper for my Dad, who was no longer making the trip to California. My mom was planning to use that for an extra day on Friday. Instead, I called my good friends at GET Sports and added a fourth day to her park-hopper ticket (for $25 grand total on the change fee). That meant the single-day ticket would be mine for Wednesday. Score! Thanks for being open and accommodating until 5 p.m. Pacific Time, GET Sports! I love you!

2. I had to change my SuperShuttle arrival time. LAX is usually a disaster, and the last thing I wanted to do was have to wait around even longer because my anticipated arrival time was way off. A quick call to SuperShuttle and with that resolved, the last thing I had to do was tell the husband I would be arriving in California much earlier than expected.

Of course, he didn't really have a problem with it. Or, at least he acted like he didn't really have a problem with it.

So, with a decently early wake-up call ahead of me, I skipped Tuesday night trivia and was in bed watching baseball with visions of Radiator Springs Racers and Dole Whips dancing in my head.

-----------------------------------------

Wednesday Morning

I was actually up and dressed before my housekeeper arrived at 8 a.m. (trust me - she was VERY surprised by this. Her first thought was to ask me if something was wrong with my husband ... nope! I'm just heading to Disneyland!).

I loaded the three dogs into my SUV - which is no easy feat, let me tell you - and we were off to the kennel. Dropped the pups off and I was on my way to DFW!

Parked terminal-side and hauled my bag up to the check in area at the International Terminal (which is BY FAR the best terminal at DFW - Terminal D). When I did my Same-Day Flight Change, there were no seats available to pick and I would be assigned one at the airport. Checked my bag, get my boarding pass and ... SCORE! Window Seat. In Main Cabin Extra. In an Exit Row. That's like a $50 seat upgrade! Thanks AA!

Had a quick mimosa and breakfast taco across from my gate and it was time to board.

Flight was smooth and uneventful, made even more pleasurable by the fact that they were showing "Pitch Perfect 2", which is one of my current faves.

Landed at LAX, waited about 15 minutes to grab my bag and then it was outside to wait for the SuperShuttle.

SuperShuttle Experience: As soon as my flight landed, I received a text message to self check-in, so I did. This was basically moot as I still had to find the attendant at my stop and check in with him. He told me it would be about 30 minutes before my van arrived (GRRR), but luckily his time estimation was way off. I watched the convenient tracker map as my little van made the loop to my terminal. I was on my shuttle about 15 minutes after getting my bag at Baggage Claim. We hit two more terminals with no pickups on our way out of the airport and then we were on our way to Anaheim! Traffic was ... LA. It took about 1:15 to get from LAX to Anaheim, which isn't bad all things considered. It usually takes me an hour to drive from Santa Monica to Anaheim, so this wasn't an unexpected commute time.

There were six stops to be made by my van, including one incredibly rude woman who didn't know where she was going and took it all out on the poor driver. "I'm going to Disneyland. The hotel at Disneyland." - so he takes her to the Disneyland Hotel, which isn't what she was looking for. "This isn't Paradise Pier", and you can probably guess how the rest of that conversation went.

Anyway! We kept making stops until finally (and lastly!), it was my turn! I pulled up to the Fairfield Inn on Harbor, a Marriott property.

The Fairfield Inn on Harbor: If you've followed along any of posts, you've probably noticed one thing - I'm pretty much a brand loyalist when it comes to traveling. And I'm pretty much a points slave. I almost exclusively fly American Airlines and I almost exclusively stay at Marriott properties.

When we first started planning this trip months ago, the plan was for me to stay at the Fairfield Inn until the rest of our traveling party arrived on Friday, when we would all move to a stay at the Disneyland Hotel. We would also all leave on Monday morning to fly back to Texas and Florida.

Well, like most things in my life (if you haven't noticed), plans change and they always change pretty rapidly. M and her family were looking to try to cut costs for this trip as they're planning to add another kid to the family next year and were proactively saving for that. So, the nightly difference between the Fairfield (which I had booked for all of us at $118/night) versus the rate at the Disneyland Hotel ($300+/night) was the first area we decided to cut.

Am I sad to have missed out on the Disneyland Hotel? Yes. BUT. Cutting costs on the hotel meant we ALL got to do a lot more "value adds" for the weekend. Like, I got to fly out on Wednesday and stay until Tuesday. I got to do the Disneyland 5K. Husband and I got to eat at the Chef's Counter at Napa Rose. M and her family got to add on two character meals, which made it a total of 4 outstanding sit down meals for the three of them. We got to get AMAZING seats for the Rangers-Angels game. Plus, I got a lot of Marriott points to push me to the next elite level.

The Fairfield Inn did NOT disappoint. We all had "king suite" rooms on the third floor - basically, that meant a king bed with a sitting area/pull-out sofa bed. When I checked in, I upgraded M and her family to a "character" room ... they got an adorable Princess-themed room! And B, M's almost-8 year old daughter really enjoyed the sleeper sofa.

The third floor of the hotel also features the Pizza Hut Express, which also sold breakfast foods and to-go beverages. We would load up on beer and water for the room while we were there to have back when we'd return from the parks every day.

We also all faced the pool ... which meant WE FACED DISNEYLAND! Like, standing outside my door, I could see the spires of Space Mountain, Grizzly Peak and Mickey's Wheel of Death. It ALSO meant we had a front-row seat to the Disneyland fireworks. Look, for $118/night, you pretty much CANNOT BEAT that, not at Disneyland and not at WDW. So I was a happy camper.

The Fairfield is obviously an older Marriott property, but the rooms were clean and bright. They were also EXTREMELY quiet. The hotel was booked out for the weekend, and I swear I never heard a peep except for maybe some kids having fun in the pool at 10 a.m.

The walk to bag-check at Disneyland takes maybe 10 minutes, depending on if you have to wait for the light or not.

I dropped my suitcase, swapped out purses, grabbed my sunglasses and external battery and I was off! All in all, about 2 hours after I landed at LAX, I was on my way to the parks.

To Be Continued ...

 

[roxymama]

I fully admit I'm clapping my hands with glee about being able to see the park from your hotel (and the fireworks too!) I'm keeping this hotel in my mental filing cabinet for future DL trips.

Also I bow down to the travel plans all filling into place. I've always secretly wanted a day in the parks by myself. One day!

 

[Keels]

Disneyland Half Marathon: Day 1
Radiator Springs or Bust!

I made it through back check at the Esplanade in a breeze, and was headed to my first stop of the day ...
No, not DCA just yet. I had to head to ESPN Zone.

Why was a trip to ESPN Zone my first stop? Well, I had purchased tickets for our whole traveling party through GET Sports. One, I did this because the price was incredibly cheap. Second, I could pick them up at the Expo free of charge versus being mailed to me.

Third - and this was one of the best things about my GET Sports experience ... I could pick up my park tickets EARLY in the lobby at ESPN Zone on Wednesday! Score! So, off I went.

Ticket pickup was incredibly easy - showed them my ID, signed off on my final purchase agreement and they handed over all my tickets.

Now I was ready to hit the parks!

My first entry for the day was California Adventure. I was using a one-day park hopper ticket, so this park-hopping experience was a little different that the rest of the days. I'll talk about that at the end of my post.

Having done DCA and DLR solo last summer, I felt strong to pretty strong in my plan for accomplishing as much as I could before the relatively early closures that day. I was in DCA by 3:30 - DCA was set to close at 8, with Disneyland closing at 9. I really only had three goals: Radiator Springs Racers as much as I could, get a Dole Whip and ride Big Thunder Mountain while the fireworks were going on.

First stop! Radiator Springs. Understandably, all of the FastPasses for this day were gone. But, seeing as it was just lil ole me on this trip, I went straight for the Single Rider line. I rode two times with MAYBE a combined wait of 10 minutes. AND both times, I rode in a car that got shiny new whitewall tires! It was my first-ever passes through those rooms. I've always been in the paint shop!

A quick check of MouseWait and I was off to do my favorite solo park strategy - the quick-turnaround Fast Pass.

The Quick-Turnaround Fast Pass: So, basically my strategy is to find any attraction I want to ride that has available FastPasses with a return time less than 20 minutes from acquisition time (unless the standby line is 15 minutes or less). I will grab said FastPass, mosey over and grab a beverage and then make my way to the next attractive I want to ride with times in a similar situation. This basically allowed me to ride three rides, have a beer and not wait in line. For example, this was my first pass-through:
1. Get ToT FP
2. Get beer at Award Weiners
3. Get Soarin' FP
4. Ride ToT
5. Get California Screamin' FP
6. Ride Soarin
7. Ride RSR Single-Rider
8. Ride California Screamin'
9. Get beer at Sonoma Terrace

That's four headliners in less than an hour!

I would repeat this strategy again about an 45 minutes later after a little sit-down at Sonoma Terrace, where I would add to my world-famous and popular* Instagram series #BeersAndEars.

So, by about 6 p.m., I'd ridden ToT three times, Screamin' three times and Soarin' twice. I'd also done five passes on RSR. I'd originally planned to stay at DCA until around 8, and possibly for World of Color (my favorite!), but at that point, I was ready for a change of scenery. So, off to Disneyland I went!

A Little Note About Park-Hopping: So, you know how I mentioned that my park-hopping on a one-day ticket was a little bit different than on a multi-day ticket? Here's the deal:

When you enter a park for the first time on a multi-day park-hopping ticket, the CM at the turnstile will write your name on your ticket AND take your photo on their handheld device.

Going forward, all you'll need to do is scan your ticket to enter either park. When they scan your ticket, you hear a little sound that sounds similar to a birdie going "chirp", your picture pops up on the screen and you're allowed to enter.

For a SINGLE DAY park-hopper ticket, they don't bother with the photo. You'll need to go through the correct exit and get a invisible hand-stamp on your hand that will show up when you enter your next park.

So, for you first timers, just a heads up! Handstamp for one day, no handstamp for multi-days!

There's just something so amazing about walking into Disneyland (or Magic Kingdom). My first job was at Magic Kingdom entertainment, so I spent many a day (and night) performing on Main Street. I just love the sights, the sounds, the hustle and bustle. I love the little nods to the legacy of Walt, and I always have to stop by and say a little "Thank You" at the Partners statue.

So, after wandering around (and making a few purchases), I grabbed a locker, stuffed my bags in them and began my next quest. I wanted to ride all the mountains, and ending with Big Thunder Mountain while the fireworks were going on.

The key was getting a BTMR FastPass with an opening window that began about 5 minutes before the fireworks - the BTMR queue is a little bit long and windy, and I know it gets backed up at popular times (especially during the fireworks). With that Fast Pass secured, I went out to battle the Yeti on the Matterhorn (ouch! SO not my favorite ride, but my Imagineer friend was responsible for the add-on Yeti effects and I wanted to see his hard work), and then headed over to Space Mountain.

With two more mountains complete, and a little time to kill, I hit up Pirates of the Caribbean. Hands down - Pirates at Disneyland surpasses Pirates in WDW, in my opinion. The extra drop, the modern theming and even the bayou tour at the beginning just give an original, beloved ride a really current and modern facelift.

I still had some time to kill before my BTMR Fast Pass, so I went strolling through Adventureland on the way to Frontierland. Indiana Jones had a short wait - but I decided to pass on that. With my ticket to the Anniversary Party the next night, I knew I would be able to get plenty of rides on Indy done during that time period. ALSO. Indy breaks down a lot ... I was worried that I'd be stuck on Indy during a down time and I'd miss my fireworks on BTMR.

I went to Critter Country and saw that Splash had only a 5 minute line, so in I went. 5 minutes actually meant more like "walk on". I was originally supposed to be sitting in seat 4 on my log, but the little boy in seat 1 started to freak out and the CM asked if I would switch.

Ugh. OK. This would easily be the worst decision I made that day. I. Got. Soaked. Like drowned rat soaked. I was wearing jeans and a half-sleeve shirt, since I knew it would be getting cooler at night, so ... I'll just let you imagine what being soaked in attire like that felt like.

I briefly thought about giving up and going back to the hotel to change into warmer clothes and relax. But. NO! I came in town early to ride BTMR under the fireworks and I was going to do it, wet jeans and all!

I made my way to the FP entry for BTMR and joined the line with, oh, about 1 million other FP holders that had the same idea as me. Obviously, the ride had been down during some part of the day which allows FP holders to return whenever they want. Also, I guess Disneyland is testing out something for AP holders ... over the course of the weekend, I saw many AP holders walk up and have their AP scanned for immediate FP access. I guess that's one way to make AP holders at a largely-populated AP park happy if Disneyland decides to go to FP+? IDK.

Anyway. I was almost to the boarding platform when the fireworks started. And, about five minutes into the fireworks, I was on my little engine that could heading up the big hill with an amazing view of the fireworks.

Let me say - it was all INCREDIBLY worth it. The sights and sounds of the fireworks really added to the ambience of the ride. I would do this a million times again, except I would not ride Splash Mountain before.

Once I finished BTMR, I decided it was time for me to head out. A quick glance at my MLB.com app showed me that my beloved Texas Rangers were tied with the San Diego Padres in the 7th inning. I knew that if I hustled, I could make it back to ESPN Zone for the ending of the game. I could also grab a drink and some dinner while I was sitting at the bar.

So that's what I did. Rangers won! And the bartender even had the manager switch the Rangers game over to the game on sound throughout the whole restaurant for me (if you go to sports bars, you know how big of a deal this is!). I celebrated the win, caught up on emails and text messages using the free WiFi at ESPN Zone and then set out for the 20 minute walk back to my hotel to turn in for the night.

I had an early wake-up (well, for me!) because Thursday was EXPO DAY!

To Be Continued ...

* - #BeersAndEars is not world-famous, nor is it popular.

 

[Keels]

Disneyland Half Marathon: Day 2
You Say EX, I Say Po ... EX-PO, EX-PO
(Also known as How I Spent Way Too Much Money in Less than 60 Minutes)

With a 7:30 a.m. wake-up call, I officially begin my very first-ever RunDisney race weekend!

I woke up, dressed, dawdled around a little bit and then began the 20-minute or so walk to the Disneyland Hotel through the Esplanade. Today was also an early-entry morning to Disneyland, which I briefly toyed around with doing instead of waiting in line to get in to the Expo. But - I had five more days at Disneyland! I really had this one shot to guarantee I got everything I wanted at the Expo.

I actually wandered down to the packet pick-up area first, just to familiarize myself with how everything is laid out there. It's pretty self-explanatory - really similar to packet pick-up at our local major marathon weekend. I actually liked how packet pick-up was separated from the Expo floor itself. This was one thing I really didn't like about Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans - I get what RnR is doing, they really want you to visit the vendors while you pick up all the various parts of your packet (one booth for bib, one booth for chip, one booth for t-shirt, one booth to show your ID to get a wristband for beer), but it was just confusing and frustrating because of lack of signage or a true route to all the booths.

RunDisney does it well - downstairs for your race weekend essentials, upstairs for anything you might want to purchase (Official Merchandise, Vendor Merch) as well as your official race shirts.

I went to the upstairs ballroom to begin my wait for Official Merchandise. I had briefly thought about getting my packet first, as we hadn't seen t-shirts and I wasn't really sure I wanted to buy an Official shirt until I saw what color scheme was on the race shirts. But, I decided to get in line anyway after I saw how many people were already in the ballroom.

I was in the 12th or so "chute", which was taped off rows of 30 people. We were told they would begin bringing us into the official merchandise line chute by chute at 9:30. I was in the second grouping of colored wristbands (albeit at the tail end of it), so I was feeling pretty good about the selection of merchandise when I got there.

I began my wait in line at about 8:45 and officially made my way into the merchandise booth at 10:30. So, logistically (for those of y'all worried about this kind of thing), they march your "chute" of people down to the official merchandise area, where you wait in another shorter line for them to let you in to buy things. Once you are about the enter, they cut off your wristband - I guess so people can cut the line for a second trip through to buy things.

So, all in all, I waited about 1:45 to purchase my Official Merchandise.

I had a pretty lofty list of things I wanted to buy - pending design, of course - but instead I ended coming out with very little. I skipped on the Official "I Did It" shirt, because I was just not thrilled with how the diamond shape was covering up the course map on the back. Plus, they were regular cotton v-necks, and I was hoping for something more tech-fabric like since I rarely wear full cotton shirts to work out in.

I did buy the black and blue Official race jacket (which I LOVE! I actually wore it back on the plane on Tuesday!), as well as Disneyland Half marathon running hat, some medal pins for friends and a Coast to Coast v-neck (which now means I won't have to early to grab one at Wine & Dine). I took my purchases to a nearly empty checkout room ... I don't know if people were just not buying anything, but I was pretty surprised to see this.

Truth be told, I thought I'd purchase more Official race-specific merchandise than I did (I Did It shirt, Sweaty Band, etc.), but I'm sure my credit card is happy with me that I didn't.

After that, it was downstairs to pick up the bulk of my official race gear. Which means I was picking up:
1. Half Marathon Bib
2. 5K Bib
3. Two Platinum ChEAR Packages
4. Anniversary Party Wristband and Swag

Both the Half Marathon and 5K Bibs would require me to go back upstairs for my shirts, which worked out well since I needed to hit Sparkle Athletic and Fit2Run before I left the Expo anyway.

Bib pickup was easy. I loved the cute luggage tag we got for the Half Marathon! It's actually on my small rollerboard now and will be taking its maiden voyage on my trip to New Orleans next weekend!

ChEAR Package Pickup: About three weeks prior, my Dad had decided not to make the trip to California for various reasons. I had already purchase the Platinum ChEAR package for him and was afraid that it would be a wash and I'd be out the money.

A call, email and return call from RunDisney verified that while I could not transfer the ChEAR package to someone else, since I was the one who paid for the packages, I could pick them both up. Sweet.

So, I went to the non-existent line for ChEAR Squad and grabbed the wristbands, blankets, clappers, free parking passes and the Gear Bags to hold all the stuff. When it was time to pull the t-shirts, I asked for a Women's Small (for my mom) and a Youth Medium instead of the Extra Large for B to have. No problem. ChEAR Squad packets picked up, I went on to wait in the WORST line of the day. The line for the Anniversary Party.

Basically, it became a little bit of a cluster because it was at packet pick-up that they were offering you the option to buy the Anniversary Pin. So, you wait in one line to get your wristband, park ticket, parking pass, map for the party and super-cool backpack. Then you have to put your wristband on and go wait in a second line to buy the pin.

I still had four stops to make upstairs (t-shirt pickup for two different races, potential t-shirt exchange, Sparkle Athletic and Fit2Run) and it was already nearly 11:30 with me having a lunch reservation at 1, so I bailed on the pin. I'm a little bit sad about that after seeing it, but I'm pretty sure I can find one on eBay if it breaks my heart to miss out.

So, I mule on upstairs with:
2 Gear Bags full of ChEAR Swag
1 large bag with Official Merchandise
1 sling backpack with my Anniversary Party gear in it.

First stop was by Sparkle Athletic where I picked up a new skirt I'd been wanting, then I hit Fit2Run where I had to buy BodyGlide for my husband who left his at home. Dummy. Wasting $14 on that later and it was over to grab my t-shirts.

Also, just as an FYI - in the main Expo portion, there is a bar set-up by the exit door with beer, wine, cocktails, soda and water. How I wish they had this set up in the ballroom where we were waiting in line to enter the Official Merchandise tent. You hear me RunDisney? I spend more money after I've had a brunch cocktail!

I did, in fact, have to swap out a t-shirt but that was an easy process. I took all of my bags, ducked in to a corner to try and consolidate the many bags I had and then headed out of the Expo. I ended up having to skip the super-cute photo in the Castle setup because of my lunch reservation at one which was rapidly approaching.

I left the Expo at 12:15, loaded down with bags and a little tired from the waiting and running around. It was at this point that I decided to call and cancel my reservation at Blue Bayou. Luckily, they were very understanding (I imagine they had no problem filling my table with someone waiting in line), but I was a little disappointed to miss a meal there. Next time, though - and hopefully I won't have to dine alone!

So I made my way to the Esplanade where it took me a few minutes to go through bag check (because I had 1 million bags), and then I promptly went over to the locker bank by the entrance to Disneyland. $8 later, I had a locker for the day that would hold all of my Expo goodness.

From there, I went over to DCA and went straight to the Carthay Circle Lounge for a mimosa and a lobster roll (OH - and a box of the AMAZING Anniversary Truffles to take back to my room). I also bought a new pair of 60th Anniversary Silver Sequin ears (because they matched my outfit better), and then wandered around for a little bit before it was time to make my way over to Disneyland for our Dole Whip meet-up, followed later by the Anniversary Party!

Not having anything to expect having never been to a RunDisney Expo, I would say I'm glad I went - but I probably wouldn't wait that long for official merchandise again, unless it's something REALLY special (like the Coast to Coast shirt, or the Anniversary jacket). I'll probably skip the Expo at Wine & Dine except for packet pickup, so the next merchandise I'll be on the hunt for will be at Dopey in January.

The other two Expos I've attended, while either chaotic and disorganized or not to the same scope, I felt were a little more enjoyable because of the layout AND multiple opportunities to buy snacks or beverages. Also, my legs were not happy with me after having to sit on the really scratchy carpet in the ballroom in a little ball because people were taking up too much space outside of their "square".

But these are all first-world problems.

Continued in Next Post

 

[Keels]

I fully admit I'm clapping my hands with glee about being able to see the park from your hotel (and the fireworks too!) I'm keeping this hotel in my mental filing cabinet for future DL trips.

Also I bow down to the travel plans all filling into place. I've always secretly wanted a day in the parks by myself. One day!

For the price, it really can't be beat! You can also see the monorail as it passes by from Tomorrowland. I had room 347, which was at about the halfway point of the pool and it was awesome. Friday night, I went to sleep before the fireworks started and I woke up because I thought there was a crazy thunderstorm outside. NOPE! Just the fireworks! So loud - it's like the were launching right beside us!

Also, another plus point for the hotel - the "gift shop" was open from 6 a.m. - Midnight and offered a full selection of snacks and beverages. Think big bottles of water for half the price of what you'd pay in the parks for a small bottle. I would grab a big bottle of water and a sugar-free Red Bull on my way out every morning.

My mom even bought all the fixin's she needed to make herself an in-room vodka tonic when we'd come back from the parks to clean up before dinner at the gift shop, for less than the price of a cocktail at a hotel bar.

Also - as for touring the parks by myself ... it's really fun, because I can move quicker and do what I want, when I want.

The downside? It can get a little lonely if you've got long days planned. Plus, it's a little bit harder on the eating if the parks are crowded - like, for a QS, you can have one person get in line to order the food while another grabs a table. Yeah, it seems like a minor thing, but when it's hot and you're hungry - it can make you hangry!

Also, I like to enjoy a few beers or cocktails or glasses of wine throughout the day, with a nice little rest. Which, again, is not everyone's style but it's what makes me happy and I have fun trying new things that I can't necessarily get back home.

 

[LSUlakes]

Disneyland Half Marathon: Day 2
You Say EX, I Say Po ... EX-PO, EX-PO
(Also known as How I Spent Way Too Much Money in Less than 60 Minutes)

With a 7:30 a.m. wake-up call, I officially begin my very first-ever RunDisney race weekend!

I woke up, dressed, dawdled around a little bit and then began the 20-minute or so walk to the Disneyland Hotel through the Esplanade. Today was also an early-entry morning to Disneyland, which I briefly toyed around with doing instead of waiting in line to get in to the Expo. But - I had five more days at Disneyland! I really had this one shot to guarantee I got everything I wanted at the Expo.

I actually wandered down to the packet pick-up area first, just to familiarize myself with how everything is laid out there. It's pretty self-explanatory - really similar to packet pick-up at our local major marathon weekend. I actually liked how packet pick-up was separated from the Expo floor itself. This was one thing I really didn't like about Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans - I get what RnR is doing, they really want you to visit the vendors while you pick up all the various parts of your packet (one booth for bib, one booth for chip, one booth for t-shirt, one booth to show your ID to get a wristband for beer), but it was just confusing and frustrating because of lack of signage or a true route to all the booths.

RunDisney does it well - downstairs for your race weekend essentials, upstairs for anything you might want to purchase (Official Merchandise, Vendor Merch) as well as your official race shirts.

I went to the upstairs ballroom to begin my wait for Official Merchandise. I had briefly thought about getting my packet first, as we hadn't seen t-shirts and I wasn't really sure I wanted to buy an Official shirt until I saw what color scheme was on the race shirts. But, I decided to get in line anyway after I saw how many people were already in the ballroom.

I was in the 12th or so "chute", which was taped off rows of 30 people. We were told they would begin bringing us into the official merchandise line chute by chute at 9:30. I was in the second grouping of colored wristbands (albeit at the tail end of it), so I was feeling pretty good about the selection of merchandise when I got there.

I began my wait in line at about 8:45 and officially made my way into the merchandise booth at 10:30. So, logistically (for those of y'all worried about this kind of thing), they march your "chute" of people down to the official merchandise area, where you wait in another shorter line for them to let you in to buy things. Once you are about the enter, they cut off your wristband - I guess so people can cut the line for a second trip through to buy things.

So, all in all, I waited about 1:45 to purchase my Official Merchandise.

I had a pretty lofty list of things I wanted to buy - pending design, of course - but instead I ended coming out with very little. I skipped on the Official "I Did It" shirt, because I was just not thrilled with how the diamond shape was covering up the course map on the back. Plus, they were regular cotton v-necks, and I was hoping for something more tech-fabric like since I rarely wear full cotton shirts to work out in.

I did buy the black and blue Official race jacket (which I LOVE! I actually wore it back on the plane on Tuesday!), as well as Disneyland Half marathon running hat, some medal pins for friends and a Coast to Coast v-neck (which now means I won't have to early to grab one at Wine & Dine). I took my purchases to a nearly empty checkout room ... I don't know if people were just not buying anything, but I was pretty surprised to see this.

Truth be told, I thought I'd purchase more Official race-specific merchandise than I did (I Did It shirt, Sweaty Band, etc.), but I'm sure my credit card is happy with me that I didn't.

After that, it was downstairs to pick up the bulk of my official race gear. Which means I was picking up:
1. Half Marathon Bib
2. 5K Bib
3. Two Platinum ChEAR Packages
4. Anniversary Party Wristband and Swag

Both the Half Marathon and 5K Bibs would require me to go back upstairs for my shirts, which worked out well since I needed to hit Sparkle Athletic and Fit2Run before I left the Expo anyway.

Bib pickup was easy. I loved the cute luggage tag we got for the Half Marathon! It's actually on my small rollerboard now and will be taking its maiden voyage on my trip to New Orleans next weekend!

ChEAR Package Pickup: About three weeks prior, my Dad had decided not to make the trip to California for various reasons. I had already purchase the Platinum ChEAR package for him and was afraid that it would be a wash and I'd be out the money.

A call, email and return call from RunDisney verified that while I could not transfer the ChEAR package to someone else, since I was the one who paid for the packages, I could pick them both up. Sweet.

So, I went to the non-existent line for ChEAR Squad and grabbed the wristbands, blankets, clappers, free parking passes and the Gear Bags to hold all the stuff. When it was time to pull the t-shirts, I asked for a Women's Small (for my mom) and a Youth Medium instead of the Extra Large for B to have. No problem. ChEAR Squad packets picked up, I went on to wait in the WORST line of the day. The line for the Anniversary Party.

Basically, it became a little bit of a cluster because it was at packet pick-up that they were offering you the option to buy the Anniversary Pin. So, you wait in one line to get your wristband, park ticket, parking pass, map for the party and super-cool backpack. Then you have to put your wristband on and go wait in a second line to buy the pin.

I still had four stops to make upstairs (t-shirt pickup for two different races, potential t-shirt exchange, Sparkle Athletic and Fit2Run) and it was already nearly 11:30 with me having a lunch reservation at 1, so I bailed on the pin. I'm a little bit sad about that after seeing it, but I'm pretty sure I can find one on eBay if it breaks my heart to miss out.

So, I mule on upstairs with:
2 Gear Bags full of ChEAR Swag
1 large bag with Official Merchandise
1 sling backpack with my Anniversary Party gear in it.

First stop was by Sparkle Athletic where I picked up a new skirt I'd been wanting, then I hit Fit2Run where I had to buy BodyGlide for my husband who left his at home. Dummy. Wasting $14 on that later and it was over to grab my t-shirts.

Also, just as an FYI - in the main Expo portion, there is a bar set-up by the exit door with beer, wine, cocktails, soda and water. How I wish they had this set up in the ballroom where we were waiting in line to enter the Official Merchandise tent. You hear me RunDisney? I spend more money after I've had a brunch cocktail!

I did, in fact, have to swap out a t-shirt but that was an easy process. I took all of my bags, ducked in to a corner to try and consolidate the many bags I had and then headed out of the Expo. I ended up having to skip the super-cute photo in the Castle setup because of my lunch reservation at one which was rapidly approaching.

I left the Expo at 12:15, loaded down with bags and a little tired from the waiting and running around. It was at this point that I decided to call and cancel my reservation at Blue Bayou. Luckily, they were very understanding (I imagine they had no problem filling my table with someone waiting in line), but I was a little disappointed to miss a meal there. Next time, though - and hopefully I won't have to dine alone!

So I made my way to the Esplanade where it took me a few minutes to go through bag check (because I had 1 million bags), and then I promptly went over to the locker bank by the entrance to Disneyland. $8 later, I had a locker for the day that would hold all of my Expo goodness.

From there, I went over to DCA and went straight to the Carthay Circle Lounge for a mimosa and a lobster roll (OH - and a box of the AMAZING Anniversary Truffles to take back to my room). I also bought a new pair of 60th Anniversary Silver Sequin ears (because they matched my outfit better), and then wandered around for a little bit before it was time to make my way over to Disneyland for our Dole Whip meet-up, followed later by the Anniversary Party!

Not having anything to expect having never been to a RunDisney Expo, I would say I'm glad I went - but I probably wouldn't wait that long for official merchandise again, unless it's something REALLY special (like the Coast to Coast shirt, or the Anniversary jacket). I'll probably skip the Expo at Wine & Dine except for packet pickup, so the next merchandise I'll be on the hunt for will be at Dopey in January.

The other two Expos I've attended, while either chaotic and disorganized or not to the same scope, I felt were a little more enjoyable because of the layout AND multiple opportunities to buy snacks or beverages. Also, my legs were not happy with me after having to sit on the really scratchy carpet in the ballroom in a little ball because people were taking up too much space outside of their "square".

But these are all first-world problems.

To Be Continued ...

Looks like you where having a lot of fun so far. A hour in line to buy stuff at an expo is a little more time than I would be interested in spending on my feet. I've been to really small expos and probably one of the biggest ones of them all, and at the end of the day, they pretty much all have the same stuff. The exception is the race merchandise, and that's where the demands is at for some races (Disney, NYC, Boston, etc.). You had a lot of stuff to get done in there as well, my feet feel tired just reading about it. I hope to do the WDW expo in less than 45 min. I am looking forward to hearing about your races!

 

[Keels]

Looks like you where having a lot of fun so far. A hour in line to buy stuff at an expo is a little more time than I would be interested in spending on my feet. I've been to really small expos and probably one of the biggest ones of them all, and at the end of the day, they pretty much all have the same stuff. The exception is the race merchandise, and that's where the demands is at for some races (Disney, NYC, Boston, etc.). You had a lot of stuff to get done in there as well, my feet feel tired just reading about it. I hope to do the WDW expo in less than 45 min. I am looking forward to hearing about your races!

Yeah, I had a lot of crap I had to go pick-up in addition to the Official Merchandise wait. In retrospect, I wish they had better/more pictures of the Expo stuff on their social media. If I had seen that they really did pick the best of the best of the items to show, I doubt I would've waited in the line.

That said, picking up everything and getting everything (with the exception of my husband's half marathon stuff) was the reason I justified going in early to California.

The wait was another reason why I went ahead and bought my Coast to Coast stuff ... jinx or not. I just really don't want to go through the hassle at Wine & Dine, since I don't think I'll be picking up any race-specific merchandise from there. The only reason I may go to the W&D Expo early is to see the whole process for Official Merchandise, since I'll be gunning for All Things Dopey in January.

I'll probably hit Race Recaps tomorrow. But, just a little teaser ...

What does a runner do when her Bluetooth headphones die at Mile 9?? Stay tuned to find out!

 

[LSUlakes]

The downside? It can get a little lonely if you've got long days planned. Plus, it's a little bit harder on the eating if the parks are crowded - like, for a QS, you can have one person get in line to order the food while another grabs a table. Yeah, it seems like a minor thing, but when it's hot and you're hungry - it can make you hangry!

Also, I like to enjoy a few beers or cocktails or glasses of wine throughout the day, with a nice little rest. Which, again, is not everyone's style but it's what makes me happy and I have fun trying new things that I can't necessarily get back home.

I do not think I could do the parks alone. I have never going to a movie or out to eat alone, so I doubt I would go to a theme park either. I once had brunch with DD when she was 16 months old while DW was working. She at least sometimes responds to me and I don't look to crazy talking to her...

The second sentence confirms you would do really well at a LSU tailgate. I mean who doesn't like to day drink?

Arent you coming into NOLA this weekend or next?

 

[Keels]

I do not think I could do the parks alone. I have never going to a movie or out to eat alone, so I doubt I would go to a theme park either. I once had brunch with DD when she was 16 months old while DW was working. She at least sometimes responds to me and I don't look to crazy talking to her...

The second sentence confirms you would do really well at a LSU tailgate. I mean who doesn't like to day drink?

Arent you coming into NOLA this weekend or next?

Yeah, I'm one of those weirdos that doesn't mind a little alone time. I'm a SAHW and my husband works out of the house, so I think that's one of the reasons why I stay up so late - just a little quiet time to myself! I have no problem going to a meal or a movie by myself, especially if it's something I really want to do.

And yeah ... I'm pretty much an expert tailgater. Day drinkin' is one of my most favorite weekend things!

I'll be in NOLA next weekend - Thursday through Monday ...

 

[Krynn]

I'm loving your trip report Keels!

 

[cavepig]

I saw people getting tickets scanned right by the entrance and wondered what that was all about. So a special AP FP test?

Sounds like crowds weren't bad until the weekend/Labor Day, which is what we had. I think I like Disneyland Pirates a smidge better too.

We didn't get much merchandise either (a lot was gone by Friday afternoon anyway), just a coast to coast shirt for me and a Dumbo blue shirt for my brother since they were out of L & XL Mens cut in the coast to coast. SO, smart move getting your coast to coast now in case your size is gone at Wine & Dine.

 

[Keels]

I saw people getting tickets scanned right by the entrance and wondered what that was all about. So a special AP FP test?

Sounds like crowds weren't bad until the weekend/Labor Day, which is what we had. I think I like Disneyland Pirates a smidge better too.

We didn't get much merchandise either (a lot was gone by Friday afternoon anyway), just a coast to coast shirt for me and a Dumbo blue shirt for my brother since they were out of L & XL Mens cut in the coast to coast. SO, smart move getting your coast to coast now in case your size is gone at Wine & Dine.

That's the best I could gather from some AP holders I talked to in line. You could either do it for right then or for another time and come back. I don't know if it was a test, or if there was a number you could do at any time (which wouldn't make sense if you could walk up and get one). BUT, if that's the case, it's definitely a pretty sweet perk to have as an AP.

I also had my ticket scanned by a research person upon nearly EVERY entry into the park on any given day, and was asked my zip code. It seems like DLR is really putting a lot of effort into research for targeted marketing - and I know if they start offering deals for us here in Texas, it will be a lot easier to get my husband to go back on a regular basis. We had dinner at Napa Rose on Monday night, after having brunch at Steakhouse 55 on Sunday after the half, and he was really impressed by the properties - even to the point to where he said it would be nice to come down for two days and a night in the parks during a work trip. Don't have to ask me twice, even though he kinda blanched when he looked at the price of the Grand Californian.

As for the parks - they were downright delightful on Wednesday and Thursday, and even for the most part of Friday. Saturday was pretty crowded - which we expected - but we also scheduled a late lunch at Wine Country Trattoria (PERFECT pre-race lunch) and then left early to go to a 6 p.m. Rangers-Angels game. So we were able to pretty much do everything we wanted to on Saturday before lunch and that's all that matters.

 

[Dis5150]

The Fairfield Inn sounds like I good deal. I will check it out if we ever decide when we are going to Disneyland. Disneyland is my "home" park, since I spent most of my life in Cali and that is where we always went. Last trip we splurged and stayed at the Grand Californian and that was NICE! But that was a one and done thing!

You would think Disney would have taken advantage of all the people held "captive" in the Expo line waiting to get in, by selling food/drink/alcohol!