Neoflynn
Run Nick Run
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2015
Giveaway Time!
@Keels You are simply awesome !!!!
![Title :worship: :worship:](http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/love30.gif)
I guess if I had to pick something that interested me I would pick the recovery sandals (size 10
![Title :confused3 :confused3](http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/confused24.gif)
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
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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!
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!
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?
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.