Official 2016 Princess Half Marathon Thread

[preciouspups]

What?? Winging it at Disney?? To be honest that sounds lovely! I love planning a Disney trip, but sometimes it does hit me how ridiculous it is to plan every hour (between dining and FP+) of a future vacation!

Our last trip was planned to the second but that was because we had so much we wanted to see and do. We are doing a cruise in November and I'm planning a lot for that. For the Princess weekend we have a loose plan: Thursday, drive to my parent in Deland and spend the night. Friday, leave the kiddo there and drive to Orlando and over to the expo. Saturday, race and naps and showers and then probably Epcot. We might want to try some of the new restaurants that are coming to Downtown Disney but it doesn't appear they are open yet.

BTW... does anyone know if they have release the military discounts yet for 2016?

 

[bumbershoot]

Gonna do it because I have to- but I certainly don't want to. And that's a terrible mentality to have going into a run.....

I'm not sure it's so bad.

I've gone into yoga classes feeling like that, and it ends up fine.



Got BOG dinner, no problem at all. Also Wave breakfast my first morning there and Brown Derby after the 10K.

 

[inkedupmomma]

Question, on the day of the 10K, how long does the race take if you are in the last corral? What is the allotted amount of time? Also, once done racing, am I free to go, or is there a closing ceremony? Just trying to plan an ADR and meet up time for my family and not sure how to go about it.

 

[Ariel484]

Question, on the day of the 10K, how long does the race take if you are in the last corral? What is the allotted amount of time? Also, once done racing, am I free to go, or is there a closing ceremony? Just trying to plan an ADR and meet up time for my family and not sure how to go about it.

Based on my experience running the WDW 10K in January (same course and about the same number of runners - I'm assuming the corrals will be the same):

- there were F corrals. Corral A starts, then B, C, etc. Corrals started 8-10 minutes apart, so corral F started 40-50 minutes after corral A.
- Allotted race time: 16:00/mile pace, which starts once the last runner crosses the starting line. So if, for example, you start 10 minutes before the last runner you have 16 minutes x 6.2 miles + 10 minutes = 109.2 minutes (1:40ish)
- Once done racing, you grab your medal, post-race drinks, snack box, etc. You can wait in character lines, hang out or just grab a bus and go

 

[inkedupmomma]

Based on my experience running the WDW 10K in January (same course and about the same number of runners - I'm assuming the corrals will be the same):

- there were F corrals. Corral A starts, then B, C, etc. Corrals started 8-10 minutes apart, so corral F started 40-50 minutes after corral A.
- Allotted race time: 16:00/mile pace, which starts once the last runner crosses the starting line. So if, for example, you start 10 minutes before the last runner you have 16 minutes x 6.2 miles + 10 minutes = 109.2 minutes (1:40ish)
- Once done racing, you grab your medal, post-race drinks, snack box, etc. You can wait in character lines, hang out or just grab a bus and go

Im assuming I will be in the last corral as I do not have any races planned to be able to submit a time. Didn't know about post race drinks/snacks. Thanks for heads up. Also, no clue about character. Same ones that are there during the race, or different ones? I literally have no clue what to expect lol! Thanks for your reply. Also, would my kids be able to join and meet characters?

ETA- Also, what time does the first race start? i don't see a start time on the website. THANK YOU AGAIN!

 

[preciouspups]

Based on my experience running the WDW 10K in January (same course and about the same number of runners - I'm assuming the corrals will be the same):

- there were F corrals. Corral A starts, then B, C, etc. Corrals started 8-10 minutes apart, so corral F started 40-50 minutes after corral A.
- Allotted race time: 16:00/mile pace, which starts once the last runner crosses the starting line. So if, for example, you start 10 minutes before the last runner you have 16 minutes x 6.2 miles + 10 minutes = 109.2 minutes (1:40ish)
- Once done racing, you grab your medal, post-race drinks, snack box, etc. You can wait in character lines, hang out or just grab a bus and go

When I signed up I said my time was expected to be 14:01-15:00 pace. I'm wondering if I should change it to get into an earlier corral so I actually get more time to race.

 

[beachta1]

All your posts are making me think I need to get on making ADRs this week! There are so many restaurants I want to get back to and so many places I still haven't tried... decisions, decisions.

 

[Ariel484]

Im assuming I will be in the last corral as I do not have any races planned to be able to submit a time. Didn't know about post race drinks/snacks. Thanks for heads up. Also, no clue about character. Same ones that are there during the race, or different ones? I literally have no clue what to expect lol! Thanks for your reply. Also, would my kids be able to join and meet characters?

ETA- Also, what time does the first race start? i don't see a start time on the website. THANK YOU AGAIN!

I'm guessing not the same characters as during the race...they can only be in one place at one time. Those lines can get pretty long though.

Yep, your kiddos can meet the characters after the race too.

Weird that the start time isn't on the website! Start time was 5:30 last year so I assume it'll be the same this year.

 

[inkedupmomma]

I'm guessing not the same characters as during the race...they can only be in one place at one time. Those lines can get pretty long though.

Yep, your kiddos can meet the characters after the race too.

Weird that the start time isn't on the website! Start time was 5:30 last year so I assume it'll be the same this year.

Sorry, i don't know what to expect and can't find any info lol What I Meant was do the characters all meet up after race is officially done for those that skipped them during the race..does that make more sense? Just wondering what kind of characters to expect. Is everyone allowed to meet them or race participants only? Website shows 5:30 start time for the 1/2 but no times for the 5/10K. Thought that was odd. Still don't know what a safe time to eat will be :/

 

[bumbershoot]

do the characters all meet up after race is officially done for those that skipped them during the race

No. Not that I've seen. Maybe Princess is different though. I haven't seen any characters in the post-race area, apart from at the post-race extra-fee breakfast in 2014 over January weekend (and those were random Monsters University characters, not ANY we had seen in passing during the 5K).

Here is the event guide from this year's Princess. http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/pdf/princess/2015/2015-princess-race-weekend-program.pdf Should give you an idea of times etc.

I'd overestimate each bit of the morning. If it starts at 5:30, expect to start maybe 50 min after that if in the last corral. Use your expected per mile time to estimate when you're done. Give yourself time to get your checked gear bags (I've had it take almost no time to nearly half an hour at W&D when my friend at the end of the alphabet and I at the beginning both had a line to wait in, and then they couldn't find mine and had to search). There's a bit of an ending chute to go through, a way to cool down, as the food and drinks are just handed to you, and the medals are just after you cross the finish line.

If yu're leaving right after, you walk to buses or cars, you wait for the bus (can be immediate, can be ages). If you're going straight to a restaurant you don't have to include the cleaning up time as if you're going to your resort to clean up.

After last January's 5K I think we had one of the latest breakfast ADRs at the place that took over Cat Cora's at Boardwalk. I volunteered and DH and DS participated in the event, we had a car, we parked at BW and DS changed in the car and we were very slow, and we were early.

I'm not making ADRs before 1 after the 5K or 10K BUT we're staying at Bay Lake, and I figure I can go just about anywhere to get a breakfast if there are no walkins at The Wave, before going to a lunch ADR. Or just make do and then have that lunch.

 

[Ariel484]

Sorry, i don't know what to expect and can't find any info lol What I Meant was do the characters all meet up after race is officially done for those that skipped them during the race..does that make more sense? Just wondering what kind of characters to expect. Is everyone allowed to meet them or race participants only? Website shows 5:30 start time for the 1/2 but no times for the 5/10K. Thought that was odd. Still don't know what a safe time to eat will be :/

No, they're different than who is on the course from what I have seen. I think anyone can wait in the lines for them.

 

[jwjulie]

Woke up yesterday morning and completed a 7 mile run, the longest I've ever run in my life. Felt pretty good, only took a small nap afterwards, and spent the day relaxing. The GSC seems like it's becoming a reality, and I've never been so excited ( or proud of myself! ).

Woke up this morning and scored ADRs for the 6 of us for our trip. It's a short weekend, so we're doing 1900 Park Fare on Friday evening ( early ) since we have to get back and relax / rest up for Saturday. No reservations on Saturday, we're planning on either eating at the AoA or Pop food court ( staying at AoA ) or perhaps taking someone's car and going somewhere outside of Disney ( we have some locals in our group ) and relaxing then going to bed early. I did manage to score a BOG dinner for Sunday evening after the half, which I'm excited about!

Now I need to stretch out my calves - my right calf in particular is pretty tight today.

Good luck to all those training and racing!

 

[jen2207]

Got my ADRs done! but there were no Flying fish reservations for any of our days. None for the entire month of Februrary, as I just checked other random days. Anybody know what's going on there???

I booked Monsieur Paul's for a first time. Since we don't have kids this trip, thought it would be the only time we would really have to try it. Got Cali Grill for Sunday night post-race and may attempt our own monorail cocktail crawl ending at TOTWL too. If I can stay awake that is!!

 

[DVCFan1994]

Got my ADRs done! but there were no Flying fish reservations for any of our days. None for the entire month of Februrary, as I just checked other random days. Anybody know what's going on there???

I booked Monsieur Paul's for a first time. Since we don't have kids this trip, thought it would be the only time we would really have to try it. Got Cali Grill for Sunday night post-race and may attempt our own monorail cocktail crawl ending at TOTWL too. If I can stay awake that is!!

Flying fish will be closed. We wanted it for our BWV arrival day and I noticed it was not there. It is closed for renovations starting in early February according the CM I spoke with to inquire why I couldn't book it online.

 

[jen2207]

Flying fish will be closed. We wanted it for our BWV arrival day and I noticed it was not there. It is closed for renovations starting in early February according the CM I spoke with to inquire why I couldn't book it online.

Oh no! Wonder what it will be like after renovations. We only ate there once previously, and I was pregnant at the time. But I remember it being delicious! Although when pregnant, everything tastes good to me!!

 

[DVCFan1994]

Oh no! Wonder what it will be like after renovations. We only ate there once previously, and I was pregnant at the time. But I remember it being delicious! Although when pregnant, everything tastes good to me!!

It is one of our favorites, and our kids too. It is sort of a tradition for us too on arrival nights at BW. I am usually skeptical of renovations, there a few improvements I like as much as the original (Original illuminations anyone?) But, after the CA grill renovations I have renewed hope. That is one where I have enjoyed the new version as much as the original.

In training/race news, my sister ran a 57 minute 10k race this weekend. Thats 8 minute faster than my best time in the last year. Not sure I will be able to get near it prior to POT submission cut-off. I dropped back to run with her last year, heres hoping she will do the same for me this year!

 

[preciouspups]

In training/race news, my sister ran a 57 minute 10k race this weekend. Thats 8 minute faster than my best time in the last year. Not sure I will be able to get near it prior to POT submission cut-off. I dropped back to run with her last year, heres hoping she will do the same for me this year!

I kind of hate your sister right now! I am hurting so bad and really feel like I will never run again where I don't hurt or want to throw up!

 

[IrishMel21]

@IrishMel21 what training plan are you using??

I have a 14-miler scheduled for tomorrow but recently threw my back out (and then re-threw it out...ugh) so I'll be happy with 10-12 miles.

I am at the end of the 21k app by Clear Sky. I've used their 5k, 10k & 10k pacer apps and I really like them. I wanted to get a training plan in for the half complete before I actually have to start for real.

But I did it!! WOOO! I ran 13.1 miles in 2:08 with a 9:45 pace overall. I took breaks between and had 2 potty breaks but I ran every inch of the miles! At least I know I can do a half-marathon and it's not bad. Now it's all about working on improving the breaks and reducing them when possible.

 

[IrishMel21]

- Once done racing, you grab your medal, post-race drinks, snack box, etc. You can wait in character lines, hang out or just grab a bus and go

So last year was my first rD event so I had NO clue there were characters hanging around after the races. My BF & I just headed immediately to the bus after I got my medal(s), drinks, pics taken & snack boxes. Silly me! I'll definitely keep my eye out this year!!

 

[IrishMel21]

In keeping with the ADR theme, I woke up early on Saturday (after I thought my booking day was Friday - doh!) and got all of the reservations we wanted: Rose & Crown & via Napoli for lunch/dinner on Friday, Trattoria on the BW on Saturday, and BOG for lunch & The Plaza for dinner on Sunday (my birthday). I also got us a brunch reservation at 1900 for Monday however I think I want to see if I can see I can an early dinner one on Saturday and then we can do the Boardwalk on Monday.

I'm so excited to be running my first half marathon and then spending the afternoon in MK for my birthday! Cinderella, here I come!