Long time no update! I've been extremely busy doing everything and nothing, but today I'm back with a new blogpost! I will talk with you a bit about the Run Disney event I attended at Disneyland Paris! This year, it was the first time ever that a Run Disney Race was breaking out of the USA and coming to an international park! I was luckily enough to get my hands on an entrance to both races and the Inaugural Party! Let's get talking about it!
Official info & websites
Run Disney website: Run Disney Disneyland Paris website
Photopass website for park photos, onride photos and photos of the party Official Photopass
RunDisney Photopass website for photos of the race Run Disney Photopass
Pricing
Health & Fitness Expo: FREE
Kids Run: €12 (medal & tshirt included)
Ratatouille 5K: €29 (medal & tshirt included)
Half Marathon 21K: €69 (medal & tshirt included)
Inaugural Party: €79 (food included)
Rice Party at Buffalo Bill's: depending on seating area
Thursday September 22nd
With the general event-related happenings starting on the Friday, I arrived on Thursday during the afternoon. The line to enter the expo was crazy! Before going in, you were checked if you had all the needed documents. You had to check your bib number indicated on your voucher and go to the corresponding stand to pick up your essentials for the race. An envelop with your number, a guide to the event all in a clear plastic bag (gEARbag), which is the only bag you can use to keep your belongings in during the race and have it stored at the same desk on the run itself.
The running number had a small area on the top which could be ripped off to go and pick up your shirt included in the entrance fee. For the 5K it was the shirt i'm wearing in the first picture. In another queue you had to go and exchange your party voucher for a ticket and wristband.
I got myself a special RunDisney photopass which was linked to your running number and could be used in the park during the three days of the event. The price was 40 euros (32 with annual pass discount). For me it was totally worth the money, as they charge 12,99 per individual picture you want after the event or 50 euros for all digital downloads. I got about 40 pictures, so I'm on the good end. I do feel like you had stop for character opportunities during the race to get a good amount of pictures, as I barely have any while running or crossing the finish line.
After a first quick peek at the Expo, we ran to the Disneyland Park to catch parade. I went back to the hotel quite quickly that night to be well rested for the days to come.
Friday September 23rd, 2016
My first and actually only full park day! With the running events being on both morning of the following days, I didn't get to go to parks much to enjoy all the things, but the events were all worth it! I've started my day off meeting some characters around the parks and went to see Mickey & the Magician with my American friends! Here are some pictures from around the park!
After some fun in the parks, we went back to the expo, but it was really hard to take pictures there, so most of the stuff of the expo is in my vlog along with some messages from the characters and footage of the inaugural party.
We watched parade, and decided to go and get in line to enter the Inaugural Party. The line was quite big already for the opening at 7pm. And I must admit, this party was the biggest disappointment of the weekend. For the 79 euro entry fee we paid, we got 5 character meets, 2 open restaurants (food was included) and about 7 attractions that were open. The lines in the restaurants were huge! All to get frozen or cold food, that was far off healthy to run on in the following days.
Character opportunities consisted off Mickey & Minnie, Woody, Sully, Spider-Man AND the one and only Captain America, who made his Paris debut for the event!
We rode Ratatouille and RC Racer and left the party early, because the next day at 7am was the big moment: the first ever Disneyland Paris 5K!
Wake up Call at 4am! OH MY GAWD! The race is starting at 7am, so we all were asked to be there at 6am! The loads of people! The presenters said there were about 5.000 runners present! The atmosphere was quite special. Everyone was as excited as nervous, all the staff looked very nervous too! Dressing up was encouraged, so I decided to dress up as Sadness from Inside Out!
This was the racing course
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Saturday September 24th, 2016
Wake up Call at 4am! OH MY GAWD! The race is starting at 7am, so we all were asked to be there at 6am! The loads of people! The presenters said there were about 5.000 runners present! The atmosphere was quite special. Everyone was as excited as nervous, all the staff looked very nervous too! Dressing up was encouraged, so I decided to dress up as Sadness from Inside Out!
This was the racing course
The starting and finish line were actually outside the parks, but oh my god all the chills running through the open gates and down Main Street! There were drink stops spread around the racing course where you could get sports drinks and water. There were Photopass photographer spread around to, either with a character or just on their own for a picture while you were running. I loved being sadness and had my picture taken with so many other lovely runners. I'll put all the pictures here and also my two favorite outfits I've spotted: a lady dressed as Bing Bong and two ladies dress as Abigail and Amelia Gabble (the geese from the Aristocats)
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Yes I made it!
As the perfect celebration, I went to Auberge de Cendrillon with my parents afterwards and bumped into my buddy Remy who was giving a VIP tour.
My parents went home quite early, I watched parade with my American friends again and we had a little touch of extra magic happen after parade.
Watch this day in motion here:
Sunday September 25th, 2016 An unexpected ending
Sunday took a well unexpected turn! I wasn't supposed to do the 21.1K, but I did! I got up at 4am again for the 7am start and was signed to coral C, where I found my friend Hoodsie right away! The corals were started in waves, with approximately one minute in between, so in the end we started at about 7.40 and this was the race course we followed:
Challenge accepted! The adrenaline kept me going, as the cast members of all shops and attractions were outside their shop/ride to cheer for the runners, in the nearby villages people were outside their homes! The atmosphere was amazing! Also the character photo opportunities were the most amazing ever! I met over 10 new characters!
A special thank you goes out to Amanda, Stephen and Daniel, who had been waiting for me to pass Sequoia Lodge (which was all the way at the end) for ages. Thank you so much for being there, I meant the world!
Just crossed the finish line- selfie!
I had to rush for the train as I was leaving at 1.50 and only finish at about 12! I was so happy to take these two babies home!
The moving images of the last day:
I hope you enjoyed this excessive round-up of the Disneyland Paris Inaugural Half Marathon! Feel free to leave a comment below!
xx Gaëtane
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