Official 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend!

[klmcleod]

Question for you guys who have run races at DL before. I'm thinking to go ahead and book at hotel for Tink weekend that has free cancellation in case we end up not coming or the pricing for the DL hotels gets more reasonable. Anyway, I can see a lot of hotels that look to be right across the street from either Disneyland Park or California Adventures. My question is, which of those areas gets you closest to the start line for the races?

ETA: I guess I'm assuming you can walk to the start from these hotels, but is that true or do you have to take some kind of shuttle?

I think you are smart to book something that you can cancel. I booked Best Western Park Place Inn (on Harbour) before registration and was able to book a pretty good rate. I checked recently again and there are no rooms for the date span. Guessing that people registered and then booked hotels. Now I'm sure some will open up again as people change their minds, but I say book and then look until you find a place that you like/want. I choose BWPPI due to price and traveling with non running sister.

 

[lurkergirl]

Question for you guys who have run races at DL before. I'm thinking to go ahead and book at hotel for Tink weekend that has free cancellation in case we end up not coming or the pricing for the DL hotels gets more reasonable. Anyway, I can see a lot of hotels that look to be right across the street from either Disneyland Park or California Adventures. My question is, which of those areas gets you closest to the start line for the races?

ETA: I guess I'm assuming you can walk to the start from these hotels, but is that true or do you have to take some kind of shuttle?

You'll be able to walk without taking a shuttle, although they do have shuttle service.

For hotels that are on Harbor or Katella, you'll have to walk partially around the park basically. All but the 5K starts next to the Grand Californian/Paradise Pier. If you stay on the Harbor-side, you would just walk from that entrance through the Esplanade and Downtown Disney to the staging/Family Reunion area. If you are closer to the Disney Hotels on Katella, you can walk to Disneyland Drive and Downtown Disney to get to the staging/Family Reunion.

 

[roxymama]

Is the opening to the corrals (aka bag check) for the half marathon towards the front corrals, the back corrals, or somewhere in the middle? I assume the front corrals are closest to downtown Disney and the the back ones extend down towards katella?
I realize I can just follow all the pixies on race morning, but I'm an over planner.

 

[lurkergirl]

@roxymama I just pulled up the event guide for 2016 and they started at A roughly at the top of Downtown Disney on Disneyland Drive and went back towards Katella down the street. There were two security checks I believe, one coming from Mickey & Friends and the other coming up from Disneyland Drive through Downtown Disney into the Family Reunion area where Bag Check is. They both sort of collide as you are funneled to the corrals, if that makes sense.

The entrance to the corrals is closer to the parking structure, at the end of the Downtown Disney parking lots.

 

[Ariel484]

@roxymama go wild with your planning self!

2016 Event Guide:
http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/2016TinkProgram.pdf

Corral maps:

 

[roxymama]

@roxymama go wild with your planning self!

2016 Event Guide:
http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/2016TinkProgram.pdf

Corral maps:

Whooo BOOOOY, It's like Christmas in October! Love me some event guides
So it looks like that little section that says "runners" is where we enter into the corrals? After going through bag check. Right?
I think I know what corral I will be in based on all the previous year bib assignments BUT will not say it out loud or type it since I know there's never a sure thing with anything race related until bibs are assigned.

 

[courtneybeth]

@Ariel484 - Which was the first race to implement the 2:45 requirement for corral placement vs the 3:15 at Disneyland --- was it Tink or Disneyland half?

I'm curious as to how the corral layout will change since there's not many listed on the 2016 guide.

(On a side note: after finally achieving my first 2:59 half marathon this weekend, I am so crushed that the requirement is 2:45 and not the 3:15 - oh well, something to keep working towards.)

 

[Ariel484]

Whooo BOOOOY, It's like Christmas in October! Love me some event guides
So it looks like that little section that says "runners" is where we enter into the corrals? After going through bag check. Right?
I think I know what corral I will be in based on all the previous year bib assignments BUT will not say it out loud or type it since I know there's never a sure thing with anything race related until bibs are assigned.

I *think* that is where we enter the corrals, yes. I can't really remember, I was just blindly following everyone else.

@Ariel484 - Which was the first race to implement the 2:45 requirement for corral placement vs the 3:15 at Disneyland --- was it Tink or Disneyland half?

I'm curious as to how the corral layout will change since there's not many listed on the 2016 guide.

(On a side note: after finally achieving my first 2:59 half marathon this weekend, I am so crushed that the requirement is 2:45 and not the 3:15 - oh well, something to keep working towards.)

I *think* it was Disneyland last year, but I cannot remember for sure.

The corral layout is sort of a crapshoot...

Disneyland had J corrals in 2014, G corrals in 2015, then back up to J in 2016.
Tink had G corrals in 2015 and F corrals in 2016 (can't find any other listings earlier than those).

So it goes up and down for Disneyland races. I really think it depends on how many people submit PoT, and how many actually register for the race (they just closed registration last year before it filled, so there weren't as many participants). I always got the impression Tink was a smaller race, so I'd be surprised to see them add more corrals...could be wrong but that is my guess. They can't add too many more because I just don't think they have the space for it compared to WDW.

I'm curious to see how the courses change with the construction going on.

 

[courtneybeth]

I always got the impression Tink was a smaller race, so I'd be surprised to see them add more corrals...could be wrong but that is my guess. They can't add too many more because I just don't think they have the space for it compared to WDW.

I'm always happy with a smaller race and smaller corrals. Navigating around Fairy Wings and runners 3-4 across is no fun. I thought the way that Disneyland Half was handled this past September was one of the better races I've seen... not the 10K, just the half. I liked how the corrals were laid out and it felt about the right amount of people in each. Just wish that H wasn't in the bridge because standing on that was hard on the knees and they didn't let us sit for very long.

 

[roxymama]

@Ariel484 - Which was the first race to implement the 2:45 requirement for corral placement vs the 3:15 at Disneyland --- was it Tink or Disneyland half?

I'm curious as to how the corral layout will change since there's not many listed on the 2016 guide.

(On a side note: after finally achieving my first 2:59 half marathon this weekend, I am so crushed that the requirement is 2:45 and not the 3:15 - oh well, something to keep working towards.)

Ugh, so close! I only like rule changes when they benefit me, so I get it.

I think where I am at right now (2:24) would make it very very hard for me to improve enough to go up a corral from where I think I am. So now it's just wait and pray that they don't cut off the corral I think I will be in right before me. There's a chance I could get a better pace at my 15k in October, but I'm going to not try to count any chickens yet. I don't think I'm going to run any races longer than a 5k between my 15k and proof cutoff.

 

[ZellyB]

So, I realize that if I actually do Tink I'm going to have to do actual research some for this trip. We've done WDW enough times that I feel like I can plan those trips out without thinking any more, but Disneyland is a whole different story. I'll need to start frequenting the DL forum, I guess.

 

[roxymama]

So, I realize that if I actually do Tink I'm going to have to do actual research some for this trip. We've done WDW enough times that I feel like I can plan those trips out without thinking any more, but Disneyland is a whole different story. I'll need to start frequenting the DL forum, I guess.

SAME! YES, THIS!
Everyday at lunch I've been on youtube with my headphones in watching DL hacks/DL tips/paper fastpass strategies, even videos of people walking from hotels to the parks in real time. It's weirdly freeing that I can do whatever I want once I am there (no kiddo or extended family), but I still like to plan. I'm sure I'll get burnt out by the end of the month and then get re-excited as we get closer.

 

[dis_or_dat]

I don't know if this helps. Depending on where you enter, you don't need to go through the bag check section before heading to the corrals. When you go down the main "street" of Downtown Disney, at one point you can veer off to bag check (towards espn zone) or veer off to the corrals. If I recall correctly, it's almost in front of Disneyland Hotel. One word of warning, the bag check is VERY far from the corrals. There's a lot of porta-potties there and the line is much shorter than the ones closest to the corrals. The first corral you reach is the last corral and then on the way up to the starting line. Also bag check was very good and very efficient.

 

[lurkergirl]

Whooo BOOOOY, It's like Christmas in October! Love me some event guides
So it looks like that little section that says "runners" is where we enter into the corrals? After going through bag check. Right?
I think I know what corral I will be in based on all the previous year bib assignments BUT will not say it out loud or type it since I know there's never a sure thing with anything race related until bibs are assigned.

Yeah, you sort of wind your way through Downtown Disney (between the ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe) to the the Downtown Disney lots, half of which are the runners Staging/Family Reunion area. That is where bag check is...but as I said, there is also a secondary screening area as you come from the other direction (Mickey & Friends). It all sort of collides as you are funneled into the corral area, which is higher up...closer to the parking structure.

 

[roxymama]

Just an FYI that Costco Disneyland 2017 packages are up on the Costco travel site as of today. There is no availability for Paradise Pier when I checked for the range of 5/12-5/15 (your dates may vary from mine), but there is DL Hotel and GCA availability. However, it is still too rich for my blood for a short girls trip. But figured I'd let everyone here know if you want to check it out.
I have to save up for deluxe WDW stuff in October

 

[The Expert]

Just looked at Costco. A direct comparison for my dates against the rD "discounted" rates and buying everything else included alacart still makes Costco about $600 more. Bummer.

 

[roxymama]

Just looked at Costco. A direct comparison for my dates against the rD "discounted" rates and buying everything else included alacart still makes Costco about $600 more. Bummer.

I just did the same and I'm failing to see the savings too! I had hopes, but oh well.

 

[bek]

@roxymama go wild with your planning self!

2016 Event Guide:
http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/2016TinkProgram.pdf

Corral maps:

Thanks for posting! My DIL got the $349 runDisney rate for Paradise Pier. Since my granddaughter is coming with us to run the 5k and I have a bum knee, it looks like PP will be better for us than the Harbor choices. We were leaning towards the Courtyard at Theme Park entrance but the rate was going into the $300s. PP isn't much more with the rD rate and my GD and I can easily walk to my DIL's 10k and Half to cheer her on.

 

[Ariel484]

Thanks for posting! My DIL got the $349 runDisney rate for Paradise Pier. Since my granddaughter is coming with us to run the 5k and I have a bum knee, it looks like PP will be better for us than the Harbor choices. We were leaning towards the Courtyard at Theme Park entrance but the rate was going into the $300s. PP isn't much more with the rD rate and my GD and I can easily walk to my DIL's 10k and Half to cheer her on.

Sounds like a fun weekend!!

I really do like Paradise Pier a lot. Such a great location!

 

[roxymama]

Can we talk fairy wings? Anyone have any advise from wing-wearing experience from previous Tink races? Anyone have any recs for places to purchase wings that worked well for you. I don't plan to be running hard, but still running at a good clip maybe off an on. Something not-lime-green might be where I'm heading so would likely have to be not disneystore.

Thanks! And I realize its still so early but I thought with Halloween stuff going on clearance now might be a good time to think about it.