Hi!
I ran my first half, the 2011 Princess, this year. I was a complete newbie as well. I looked at both the Hal Higdon and Galloway plans and used elements of both. I can provide you with what I did, if you wish.
My running tips:
- Invest in good running shoes. If you don't know if you pronate or suppinate, speak with your local running store and they should be able to help guide you. You'll appreciate it so much more in the end.
- Don't overtrain. I didn't even set a time goal until near race time and it was a very generous one based on my training speeds. You're there to finish, first and foremost.
- Be sure to practice with the things you plan to wear/use/eat on race day, in advance. Try out different fuels (gels, jubejubes, snacks, etc.) because everyone handles things differently and relying on what the race provides might mean an upset stomach. This means also running test runs in any costume items you plan to wear (I didn't do this but I can see why it would help).
My Princess Tips:
- Bring a camera. My family and bf thought I was nuts but I insisted on bringing one and I didn't regret it. I have photos and videos from leading up to the start line (a good 20 minute walk in the dark) to the finish. Many of them are up on the Princess facebook page
here. They all agreed afterwards it was a great idea (this also applied to my costume, but they changed their minds when they saw just how many others also dressed up.

Mine was very tame compared to many). Posting them on my FB page has motivated a lot of my friends to start running, some even want to run this race.
- When registering, list the fastest, reasonable time for you. I felt I could do sub-2:45 but without a prior race I couldn't list that. I listed as close to it as I could though. I ended up in Corral C or D (I forget at this point) which gives you a much bigger bumper from the sweeper.
- Dress up. I don't mean you have to go full out, but it's not everyday you have an excuse to wear a tutu or tiara. Go with what's comfortable for you, but I recommend doing something because it just makes it so much fun. Plus, you'll find a lot of people are so friendly in complimenting you.
- Wear your finisher medal at the parks that day or the day after. We went to MK after I cleaned up and I had no less than 30 cast members stop me and congratulate me. I was so proud. Plus, in the Main Street Electrical Parade, Cinderella congratulated me from her float.

Everyone around me was shocked. The same goes for Epcot where I met cast members who ran it.
- Sign up your spectators (and any long-distance cheerers) for the racer tracking. My bf used it to know when I'd be arriving since I don't have a cell phone and my parents (I live in Canada) used it to follow my progress in my first real race. They immediately sent my bf an e-mail to congratulate me. It meant a lot since I was running alone. Just remember you have to activate it so do it as soon as it's available.
- Use the bathroom before you board the bus and hold off on using it for the first few miles if you can. I'm very serious here:
My trip tips:
- Stay at a host hotel, even if you don't use the runDisney plan. The buses to the expo and the race take a lot of the hassle out of it. Just be sure to be there a little early. I got there at 3:40 and didn't board a bus until 4 due to the fact my stop was one of the last ones and the buses filled up fast. It gave me time to talk and meet other racers though which I appreciated as I was running the race alone.
- Check out other discounts besides the runDisney ones. We ended up using a different one that saved us more money, so browse around before deciding.
Hope this helps! I have many more pictures if there's something specific you want a visual of.