Tinker Bell Race Weekend at Disneyland - Part 1

     
The Tinker Bell Race Weekend is a part of the runDisney Race series that happens during Mother's Day weekend at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim , California.  The weekend consists of a Race EXPO at the Disneyland Hotel, Neverland 5K on Friday, Tinker Bell 10K on Saturday, and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon on Sunday (Mother's Day).  

I had been looking forward to this trip for over a year... pretty much since the last day of my trip to the Tinker Bell Race Weekend in 2015.  This was my 4th Tinker Bell Race Weekend... BUT my first taking one of my children along.  My 10 year old daughter has shown lots of interest in running and has done several local races with me over the past few years.  So... we put our sights and our pennies in a jar for over a year to save up for this trip. 

A girl's trip to Disneyland for Mother's Day weekend and lets throw a few races in for fun!

We flew out of Seattle VERY early Thursday morning May 5th... we were traveling with my friend Merritt... who has done Tinker Bell twice before and had been my travel partner in 2015.  She was game to do the trip with us... not minding having Makenna join us!  

On the plane and ready to go!

We traveled down early because the Race EXPO at Disneyland opened on Thursday... we needed to be there to get a full day in at the EXPO and rest up for our early start of races the next day!  The Neverland 5K at Disneyland had a 5am start time on Friday morning.  We had planned to not go into the Parks on Thursday so it was EXPO, lunch, and rest up for the next morning!  Makenna was excited about the pool at our hotel too so we made time for that.

The EXPO which was located at the Disneyland Hotel was fun (crowded) ... Our flight out of Seattle was at 6am... we arrived in Orange County by 9am... at our hotel and headed to the EXPO by 10:30am... we dropped our things at the hotel and headed over to the EXPO. We acquired our bibs, had a chance to shop the EXPO merchandise, and successfully checked into our hotel room.  We stayed at the Best Western Stovalls which is a Good Neighbor hotel just off official Disney property located on the corner of Katella and Disneyland Drive.   I have stayed at the Stovalls for the Tinker Bell Race weekend every year since 2013... a good location for access to the EXPO and the Parks.

We had some fun at the EXPO... meeting Jeff Galloway and some special photo opportunities.

 Official line for the TINK Merchandise... "Pack your patience!"

 Found Chip for a selfie in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel!

 Jeff Galloway and his wife Barb (not pictured) - always genuine and inspiring!

 Honda is a new sponsor of Autopia so they had a fun Photo Op at the EXPO!

View from our room at the Best Western Stovalls - you can see California Adventure... 

We had lots of fun looking around the EXPO... had lunch at Trader Sam's (restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel), and headed back to our hotel to check into our room and enjoy some down time.  Later on that evening we headed over to Downtown Disney and had dinner at Earl of Sandwich.   After a yummy dinner we went back to our hotel to lay out our things for the Neverland 5K in the morning!  

Up next... Neverland 5K Race Recap!

  Were you there?  What goodies did you pick up at the EXPO?

If you could dream of a destination race... where would you go??? 

Tinker Bell Half Marathon 2015 - Mother's Day

I once again had the opportunity to take a trip to Anaheim, California and participate in the Tinker Bell Half Marathon in May of 2015.  It took place over Mother's Day weekend in May.  

Let me give you a little background...
The Tinker Bell Race Weekend began at Disneyland in 2012 - the Inaugural weekend as a part of the runDisney Race Series offered through runDisney at both of it's North American theme parks (Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Flordia).  In 2012 the Tinker Bell Half weekend at Disneyland consisted of a 5K and Half Marathon races respectively and took place in January.   I did not participate that year because - well at that point for me personally - running (or walking for that matter) a Half Marathon was a total out of the question... no way... a complete impossibility.  Or at least I thought...

Fast forward... I did it!  The 2nd year of Tinker Bell in 2013 I somehow trained, made the trip, and participated in my first Half Marathon... (and I did the 5K too)!  It was a total - off the charts - awesome experience!  ...and I was hooked!

Tinker Bell Half Marathon 2013

I came home after that first trip and signed up for more races... a lot more... and I registered to go back to the Tinker Bell Half at Disneyland again... and again!

Tinker Bell Half Weekend 2014

Obviously - I LOVE it and can't stay away.  If I could afford to do more runDisney I would!  

This past May of 2015 - we were set and ready - I was traveling this year with friends and we were definitely making this a girl's weekend!  We flew down from Seattle early Thursday morning the 7th of May.  The Race EXPO was opening that morning and we were registered for the 5K and the Pixie Dust Challenge so we wanted to make sure we were there early enough to get all of our needed Race EXPO things (bibs, shirts, and free stuff) as well as have time to shop a bit at the fun Disney Race EXPO. (The Pixie Dust Challenge is a registration that combines the 10K and the Half Marathon as a "Challenge" and then you receive an extra medal and shirt in addition to the regular things.)  Our flight was an early one out of Seattle and we flew directly into John Wayne airport in Orange County - which I think is the most convenient when traveling to Disneyland from one of the local airports.  We made it with no major glitches... checked in at our Good Neighbor Hotel - Best Western Stovalls and we were off to the EXPO!

The EXPO was a bit crowded when we got there (which was about 10am) - we had some fun shopping the official merchandise and then made our way around to the other booths.  As usual runDisney had a good mix of booths and merchandise available... as well as an interesting and helpful speaker series that took place at scheduled times on the main stage.

Now... this Blog post is suppose to be about the Half Marathon that took place on Sunday - May 9th - Mother's Day... specifically... so lets get down to it.  I did write about the Neverland 5K HERE and the Tinker Bell 10K HERE.  I had done this actual half marathon twice before... so there were no big surprises... or should I say Brand New to me things about it.  It was still an AMAZING experience and so much fun I can't even explain it... this year was a little different because I was doing this race as a part of the Pixie Dust Challenge and would receive and extra medal for my accomplishment at the end!  (which I did... yeah me!)  runDisney added this feature to the race for this year... the 10K had been added in 2014 but not part of any challenge.  I had done both the 10K and the Half in 2014 as well.

Photos on the course tell the story best...

 The start line - Corral C

 Looking Back from Corral C

 Time to make this REAL!

 CARSLAND!

 Running through Sleeping Beauty's Castle is the BEST!

 I am so sorry Tink... your line is just toooooooo long!

 The line for "Brother" the Disneyland Horse was much shorter... 

he's one of my faves anyway!

 After our spectacular Finish!  

This is my friend Merritt - Love her Rosetta costume!

The BLING!

So... the Tinker Bell Half Marathon... another one is in the books.  So much fun and an experience that is really hard to explain unless you do it for yourself!  You are in luck for 2016... at least at this point because there is still room to register and experience it for yourself!  Check out runDisney's website and read all about it!  ...Or pick one of runDisney's other events that they offer throughout the year - you will not be disappointed... Disney delivers!  Whether you are already a runner/active person or not... setting goals is key to maintaining - so if you love Disney and want a supercalifragilous way to stay motivated... you have found it!  

I am so looking forward to going back in 2016... (Yes - I am registered!) BUT this time I am taking my daughter with me!  She will turn 10 in April and will be old enough to participate in the 10K!  Of course we registered for everything we could... because when you go all that way - you might as well run them ALL!!!  So... Makenna will do the 5K and the 10K!  I will be participating in the 5K and the Pixie Dust Challenge (which consists of the 10K and the Half Marathon!)

Leave me a comment below!  I LOVE to hear other people's stories and hear about other events!

Have you done one of the runDisney races?  Which one is your favorite?

What kind of fitness events or goals help to keep you motivated?

Tinker Bell 10K - May 9th, 2015

As a part of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend - I ran the Tinker Bell 10K on May 9th along with about 10,000 other people!  The 10K distance (6.2 miles) is definitely my favorite - especially at Disneyland!  I ran this Inaugural Race last year and this year as a part of the Pixie Dust Challenge !  (WARNING - This entry is SUPER photo heavy... I took A LOT of photos during the 10K)

Post Race with the bling!

The 10K corrals were located on Disneyland Drive so we made our way there from our hotel (a VERY short walk from our off property hotel the Best Western Stovalls) in the wee hours of Saturday morning!  The race was set to begin at 5:30am - so to be forward in my corral I wanted to be in my corral slightly before 5:00am.  To quote my niece... "Don't complain you didn't have enough room or you couldn't see... Just be FIRST and then there won't be issues!"

 Looking forward toward the start line - Corral C

Looking Back - Corral C

As I waited for GO time... 

The 10K course is just plain AWESOME!  Most of this race takes place in and around the 2 Disney Parks... running is almost effortless when you are having so much fun!  Seriously!

10K Course Map courtesy of runDisney

I took a bazillion photos during this race... because - why not?  

 Heading down Harbor Blvd

 Access tunnel by California Adventure 

(I love that they added lights and music inside the tunnel this year!)

 Where or when else would I get to sit in the driver's seat of the Disneyland Fire Truck???

If you check the course map miles 2 - 4 were entirely in Disneyland Park or it's backstage areas... running through these backstage areas is so fun and interesting to me (I am a super Disney geek - I know).

 Big Thunder Mountain

 I secretly want to live HERE!

 A moment of sadness for how blurry this photo is... 

 Right this way folks...

 Ladies and Gentlemen... the BACKSIDE of the castle...

 How did they know... It was my unbirthday that day!

 It's a Small World

 Headed to Toon Town!

 More Backstage...

 Disney Plants!

One random Tinker fairy...

All of these buildings... they are making magic in there!

 It wasn't Mother's Day until the next day - but I will take it!  

Cast Members who cheer are AWESOME!

 California Adventure!

I didn't happen to take pictures of each of them but runDisney had the Fairy Photo Ops out in force!  All along the route you had your choice of MANY photo ops with the Disney Fairies!  That was great to see!

This looks out of order but it really isn't... we came through Carsland from the back and only ran by this sign first... if you know the area you get it...

There is Pixie Dust all over the ground here...

 CARSLAND is so awesome!

 Backstage near the Performing Arts area!

.2 Miles to go!!!

What the Finish Line looked like for 2015!

At the finish with my hard earned medal!  Loved this course and everything about this race... I will say that one thing I missed from 2014 was that it was so light out at the start of the race.  When this weekend was in January (the previous 3 years) it is MUCH darker out at the start of the race and the lights on inside the theme parks are so awesome!  So... I missed that this time.

Love this race - definitely my favorite of all the races!  The Half Marathon is fun too but of course more challenging to actually finish (wink wink)!

Now... get to bed early for the BIGGIE!  The Tinker Bell Half Marathon is coming up!

What is your favorite distance to run?

What kinds of things would you be excited to see being given access to the backstage areas of a Disney Park?