The New *Official 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon Thread*

[bskelly07]

I just registered!
I am so excited! Everything fell in to place that I can go and participate in the Princess Half!!!

My name is Amanda and I will be making this trip solo unless I can talk a friend in to joining me. I look forward to meeting some of you during the weekend. I am flying in Thursday and flying home on Monday morning. Wish I could stay longer but I am a college student and this way I can arrange my schedule so I wont miss any classes. (I will be in class that Monday night)

I am going to ask to join the FB group now.

Our situations are IDENTICAL. Except I'm probably going to miss my classes on thursday just so I don't have to do everything on saturday. I ran the Disneyland Half this past September, and the girls I went with decided to leave a day later so we got there late friday night and did the expo/park all day saturday. It was EXHAUSTING. Not to mention my feet freakin' hurt by the time we got back to the hotel! BAD idea, I wouldn't recommend this for anyone!

I probably won't be doing any of the parks this year, which makes me a little sad. I've never been to Disneyworld before, so I feel like if I'm going to do the parks I need to set ample time aside to do it. Not only that, but I'm also flying solo. Who wants to do Disneyworld by themselves?! Wah. But I'm REALLY excited to just run through the park and see everything, it'll definitely distract me from what I'm actually doing (running).

Also looking at everyones food inputs are really helpful! Is it recommended that you make reservations? Or is that for specific restaurants? I'm interested in the thanksgiving dinner sounds DELISH!

 

[bskelly07]

someone just posted another pic over on a PHM FB group...they said it came in an email today from runDisney about entering the contest for a night in the castle. That pic shows maybe half of the lanyard...it's actually light pink to match the stones and purple lettering...the part you can see says "1/2 Marathon" with "5th Anniversary" on a banner beneath that.

If it's pink I'm going to be squealing like a 4 year old going to disneyland for the first time! ahhaha I LOVE pink! It'll make my first PHM medal even more worth it !!! MOTIVATION!

 

[joan4mickey]

Got an email from runDisney...
I just want to say goodluck on the runDisney/Lady Footlocker sweepstakes to all those that have FB. Lots of fun prizes.

I sent an email saying I thought it wrong that one can't participate if they don't have FB. I don't:-(

 

[sissy_ib]

Our situations are IDENTICAL. Except I'm probably going to miss my classes on thursday just so I don't have to do everything on saturday. I ran the Disneyland Half this past September, and the girls I went with decided to leave a day later so we got there late friday night and did the expo/park all day saturday. It was EXHAUSTING. Not to mention my feet freakin' hurt by the time we got back to the hotel! BAD idea, I wouldn't recommend this for anyone!

I probably won't be doing any of the parks this year, which makes me a little sad. I've never been to Disneyworld before, so I feel like if I'm going to do the parks I need to set ample time aside to do it. Not only that, but I'm also flying solo. Who wants to do Disneyworld by themselves?! Wah. But I'm REALLY excited to just run through the park and see everything, it'll definitely distract me from what I'm actually doing (running).

Also looking at everyones food inputs are really helpful! Is it recommended that you make reservations? Or is that for specific restaurants? I'm interested in the thanksgiving dinner sounds DELISH!

I am doing the Expo on Friday morning then hitting Epcot for EMH. I already have my parks all planed out! lol I am solo so if anyone else is solo PM me and maybe we can hang out in the parks and at the expo. I plan on an easier day on Saturday. I had a crazy schedule written out then I had to tell myself to take a step back!! The entire point of the trip is to finish 13.1 miles on Sunday!

I am hopping I can get a M/T/W schedule for my classes next term... If not I will just have to miss. I am missing a week this term for our cruise!!! I feel a little guilty but the discount we got was too good to give up.

For dining there are so many good places at the resorts. Do you know where you are staying? I am not doing any sit down places this time...Ok, I may try to get a reservation at Le Chefs de France in Epcot... I loved it in January. If you want set down meals you want to make reservations.

 

[bskelly07]

I am doing the Expo on Friday morning then hitting Epcot for EMH. I already have my parks all planed out! lol I am solo so if anyone else is solo PM me and maybe we can hang out in the parks and at the expo. I plan on an easier day on Saturday. I had a crazy schedule written out then I had to tell myself to take a step back!! The entire point of the trip is to finish 13.1 miles on Sunday!

I am hopping I can get a M/T/W schedule for my classes next term... If not I will just have to miss. I am missing a week this term for our cruise!!! I feel a little guilty but the discount we got was too good to give up.

For dining there are so many good places at the resorts. Do you know where you are staying? I am not doing any sit down places this time...Ok, I may try to get a reservation at Le Chefs de France in Epcot... I loved it in January. If you want set down meals you want to make reservations.

I have no idea where TO stay! I sort of looked today on the RunDisney site, just for pricing etc. But I still don't know where is a decent place that's decently priced. Is it smart to stay at a resort? With Disneyland there are a ton of different hotels surrounding the area, as well as the disney resorts. So I don't know if it's anything like that here or not. Like I've said, I've never been to Disneyworld/Orlando so I'm a bit scatter brained on what to dooo. Any recommendations are gladly welcomed .

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

It's official! I'll be working on my C2C next year! I signed up for Tink today. All I have left to do is book my air....oh, and the training. Soooooo psyched!

 

[becky11]

I just figured out yesterday that I'm booked on a cruise that leaves out of Miami the same day as the PHM. There's no way I can run the race, jump in a car for 4 hours, and get on a cruise ship - not possible.

I *want* to defer my registration to 2014. I saw the post a while back that had a form that's supposed to talk about it. However, I looked all over that form and only saw the ability to transfer to a different race - not defer.

Am I missing it? Is there somewhere else I can look? Does anyone know an E-mail address I can send an E-mail to?

I'm horrified that I didn't look at the calendar properly before committing to this, but the cruise is The Rock Boat - it's not a 'normal' cruise and I can't just reschedule it. Plus, it's our only grown-up vacation my husband I take each year.

Ugh!

 

[bskelly07]

It's official! I'll be working on my C2C next year! I signed up for Tink today. All I have left to do is book my air....oh, and the training. Soooooo psyched!

How were you able to sign up for tink?! I really wanted to do that next year but it's been sold out!

 

[cimrk01]

Looks like it might be pink

Source

 

[longhorns2]

How were you able to sign up for tink?! I really wanted to do that next year but it's been sold out!

Get travel will sell you a spot if you book with them.

 

[sissy_ib]

I have no idea where TO stay! I sort of looked today on the RunDisney site, just for pricing etc. But I still don't know where is a decent place that's decently priced. Is it smart to stay at a resort? With Disneyland there are a ton of different hotels surrounding the area, as well as the disney resorts. So I don't know if it's anything like that here or not. Like I've said, I've never been to Disneyworld/Orlando so I'm a bit scatter brained on what to dooo. Any recommendations are gladly welcomed .

I grew up in southern California so I know all about staying in a good neighbor hotel at DL! You will want to stay at a WDW resort. WDW is so big. Pretty much all the resorts are nice. I have stayed in the value resorts and the deluxe and they all have their charm. If you stay on property you wont need a rental car as you can take Disney's Magical Express to and from the airport for free.

 

[fashionista311]

i don't run races for medals...but i must say, the anniversary medal is so pretty, it's making me want to book a flight to orlando to feb STAT!

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

How were you able to sign up for tink?! I really wanted to do that next year but it's been sold out!

Get travel will sell you a spot if you book with them.

Exactly. www.gettravel.com has registrations available. $250 includes race registration and a one day park ticket. When I netted out the ticket price-$83 the price for the race was less than I paid the other day to sign up for the Princess. Since I want theme park tickets anyway, it worked out well. Oh, and unless you are from the LA area, you are required to book at least one night at a hotel as well.

Good luck! I hope you get signed up!

 

[JerzPrincess]

I grew up in southern California so I know all about staying in a good neighbor hotel at DL! You will want to stay at a WDW resort. WDW is so big. Pretty much all the resorts are nice. I have stayed in the value resorts and the deluxe and they all have their charm. If you stay on property you wont need a rental car as you can take Disney's Magical Express to and from the airport for free.

Check on the run disney site for a resort on property that is for the half marathon. They offer free shuttles to and from the race. They should have at least one in each price range. You have to be there so early race morning that normal bus service won't be available.

 

[Never to old]

Got an email from runDisney...
I just want to say goodluck on the runDisney/Lady Footlocker sweepstakes to all those that have FB. Lots of fun prizes.

I sent an email saying I thought it wrong that one can't participate if they don't have FB. I don't:-(

I agree

 

[Never to old]

I saw someone had posted that the sweepers are out at mile 4 and 10. Does anyone know if they are really out at all of the miles? I am still trying to get my time down. I would just like to finish it, even if it means I am last across the finish line.

 

[longhorns2]

I saw someone had posted that the sweepers are out at mile 4 and 10. Does anyone know if they are really out at all of the miles? I am still trying to get my time down. I would just like to finish it, even if it means I am last across the finish line.

Honestly, you can be swept at any point that Disney feels they need to get folks off the road. So just keep moving!

I don't think they are parked at certain places just waiting- I remember seeing reports last year that ladies were swept at mile 2! I have also read reports of sweeping at mile 7.

But yes, 4 and 10 seem to be the "usual" places that people are swept.

Rumor has it that if you get past mile 11 and into Epcot, you won't get swept. I can kinda attest to this as I was just heading up over the incline that takes you to Epcot at mile 11 when I saw 2 guys ride past me in bikes with red flags sticking out of their back pockets! I thought I was going to have to put my hustle on... but thankfully they just kept riding off into the parking lot and out of view. They were part of the sweeper team, but they were leaving the course at that point, so I was safe to finish. phew!

I have never seen the balloon lady, so I don't know when she got off the course that year either.

 

[Cripey]

Anybody have a certain mileage that you just hate? I have some werid mental block with 5 milers...I LOATHE 5 milers and I can't figure out why, or how to get past it. According to my training schedule (which right now is for the Tink half since I'm doing that before the PHM) I start 5 milers on Thursdays from here on out until it's time to taper. No surpises...it's how my schedules always are, but I just struggle so much with 5 milers for some reason...and I'm dreading today's already.

 

[joan4mickey]

I saw someone had posted that the sweepers are out at mile 4 and 10. Does anyone know if they are really out at all of the miles? I am still trying to get my time down. I would just like to finish it, even if it means I am last across the finish line.

Not sure, but I have heard that there are balloon ladies...people carrying balloons that you have to stay in front of. Hopefully some one that has been in danger will show up here and help.

It would be good if you could get a 10k time to help move you up a corral and that would give you some cushion. There are lots around Thanksgiving, just make sure it is chipped timed and don't get at the back of the pack. Use it as a "training/dress rehearsal". If you are doing the walk/run test it. Give it all you got, maybe it will work into your training schedule distance too.

 

[sissy_ib]

Not sure, but I have heard that there are balloon ladies...people carrying balloons that you have to stay in front of. Hopefully some one that has been in danger will show up here and help.

It would be good if you could get a 10k time to help move you up a corral and that would give you some cushion. There are lots around Thanksgiving, just make sure it is chipped timed and don't get at the back of the pack. Use it as a "training/dress rehearsal". If you are doing the walk/run test it. Give it all you got, maybe it will work into your training schedule distance too.

If you don't send in a time at all what happens? I have never done a 10K, only 5Ks so I just put that I could finish in 2:45 since that was the minimum time without proof. Will they throw me in the last corral? Do they use your 10K min/mile time and assume that will be your half min/mile time?

Lots of questions I know! I am doing another half in January so I will have that time. (I signed up for that a few weeks ago then this week found out I can go to WDW)