runDisney / New Balance Shoes - product tested by my 10 year old boy

One year ago last month (January of 2013) I was at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend at Disneyland.  You can read about that weekend HERE and HERE if you like.  A couple of years ago runDisney entered into a partnership with New Balance shoes.  New Balance actually designed and released 2 versions (men's and women's) of "Disney running shoes" in 2013.  I hemmed and hawed about purchasing a pair of these prior to going to TINK and then I wasn't able to even have an opportunity to purchase because when I attended the Tink weekend in 2013 New Balance had only brought a VERY LIMITED amount of shoes to the TINK EXPO so by the time I got to the EXPO they were LONG gone.  So sad!  Here is a photo I snagged online of the first edition of the shoes.  I still dream about owning a pair of these... I just saw a pair (slightly worn and IN MY SIZE) appear on EBAY last week.  I bid on them but was sad when the price exceeded what I was willing to spend on a pair of used shoes.  They actually ended up selling for OVER what they were new!  Can you believe that?  Pssst... New Balance... bring back the originals!

Photo courtesy of runDisney/New Balance

Anyway - fast forward to January of 2014... New Balance had promised a new batch of shoes to be released that month.  They didn't disappoint... New Balance actually came out with 4 new styles (6 if you want to count the kid shoes as separate designs)!  

Photo courtesy of runDisney/New Balance

I was still in love with the original women's design from 2013 but I figured if I liked the shoes I would possibly buy some if I had the chance when I headed down to the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend in mid January 2014.   runDisney and new Balance did a much better job this second time around with being prepared for the demand.  They had a queue system in place for purchasing the shoes also.  Basically it worked like this... you got in a line to be able to input your texting information into a kiosk... then you were free to leave and then you would receive a text later for when you should return for your slotted "purchase time".  It worked pretty slick.  No problems for anyone in out party.  We came back when we got our texts and waited may 10 minutes before someone was helping us.  I tried on the Pink Minnie shoes and couldn't help my self... I had to have them.  Then I started thinking about my kiddos.  These shoes were well made and MORE then I would normally spend on any pair of kids shoes.  BUT... I had planned on bringing each of my kids something home and what could be better then a cool pair of Disney shoes.  Basically my souvenir money was burning a hole in my pocket.  So I went home with these... for my two older kids...

and these... for me.

I didn't buy them for running but really just bought them for fun.  So my real point of this post is to review how they have held up... I can't really give a good review of the Pink Minnies... I haven't worn them a ton.  They are very comfortable - I will give them that!  I had some issues with the insert slipping around when I first wore them but then my husband suggested using some shoe glue on the actual insert and that solved the problem.   My daughter hasn't worn hers very much either... she loves them... but doesn't want to get them dirty or "ruin" them.  We have worn them to match at a few 5Ks...

Safeco Field - Refuse to Abuse 5K - Summer 2014

So mine and my daughter's shoes still look awesome and are in practically brand new condition (I bought my daughter's a little big to last as long as possible).  My son - on the other hand is SUPER HARD on his shoes... he has worn the heck out his Sorcerer Mickey shoes.  I have to say though that considering how hard he is on shoes... these shoes have held up so well!  Don't get me wrong... they are well worn and have smelled better... (gross I know)... but he is still wearing them most days... there are no holes... the soles haven't cracked... and Mickey is still smiling!  These were pricey shoes but worth it in my book!  Here are a few photos of the Sorcerer Mickey shoes... one year later after a 10 year old boy has had his way with them... I will say that I have thrown them into the washer a few times in the past year but never dried them in the dryer.  Let me also add that this is a lot more money then I would normally spend on my kids' shoes... it was a total splurge! 

Recently runDisney released the 2015 versions of the runDisney running shoes and "re" released the 2014 versions for more sales because they were so popular... I am glad for those people who didn't have the chance to buy the ones they wanted in 2014... or for those that are just finding runDisney and deciding they can't live without the shoes either.  The new 2015 versions were met with some disappointment ... there are elements that I do like about the 2 new versions of the shoes but not enough to purchase them.

Photo courtesy of runDisney/New Balance

My only complaint?  BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL Minnie Mouse shoes... please???  I must have them!

Photo courtesy of runDisney/New Balance

Do you own a pair of the runDisney shoes?  Which ones?

What Disney characters are you hoping that New Balance will use next in their designs?  

Thursday Throw Back - Remembering the runDisney Meet Up Tinkerbell Half Weekend - January 18, 2013

What is a runDisney Meet Up???

My friend Krissy explains and then shows how they work and how in the world you get to be a part of one of them...  CLICK  HERE to see what Krissy has to say!

I made what I think is a really cool slide show mixed with photos I personally took and some that were taken by runDisney the morning of this awesome Meet Up!  If you would like to watch it CLICK BELOW... the photos are in order of how it all went down...


Lots of running... and stopping... and photo taking... and talking... and tweeting... and eating... so much fun!


Have fun watching!  If you prefer to view it in a larger screen just click on the "Slidely" word on the lower left corner.

runDisney Meet Up Tinkerbell 2013 by Slidely - Slideshow maker

runDisney Mommy guilt... trips to Disney without my kids...

Okay let me explain... rewind to December of 2011... we had a glorious family trip to Disneyland.  We had saved for 2 1/2 years!  We took our oldest niece (who is in her 20s) along with us so we wouldn't kill each other while in the midst of the magic.  We had two rooms at our perfect off property hotel!   It was a fantastic, magical, and unforgettable trip!   

 

The kids, at that time were 7, 5, and 3... perfect for the magic!  The saddest part of the whole trip was waiting for the shuttle bus at the end of the whole thing and looking at my kids faces as they watched other families scurrying for the turnstiles and we... we were on our way home.  

 Waiting for the shuttle bus on Harbor Blvd... to take us to the airport... sniff sniff.

We have 3 kids... and basically a one income household.  It took some amazing creativity to save up for this trip.  Especially considering what we had been through financially in the 3 years prior to this trip.  (long story)  So it was amazing that we made it there at all!  We headed home with fireworks  sparkles in our eyes to start saving up again!

This is our bank that sits on the bar in our kitchen!  Every piece of spare change goes in it!

Fast forward now to the Spring of 2012... I made a big change in my life and started running to get in shape and lose some weight.  I had discovered in the Fall of 2011 this little thing called runDisney!  My main motivation to keep running and do more races was the chance to possibly go to Disneyland and run in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon.  I hadn't given it a ton of thought as to whether we would bring the kids or not when I finally went.  In the summer of 2012 the registration opened for the 2013 race and I registered.  About a week later after I had talked to my husband about a hundred times about how excited I was... I went back to the runDisney web site and registered my husband and myself the Neverland 5K as well.  I couldn't imagine going and not experiencing EVERYTHING the weekend had to offer us!  We decided that it would be too much in so many ways to try and make this a family trip.  So we decided we were going but the kids were not.  

I didn't feel too badly about this at first... I mean don't get me wrong... I would LOVE to take my kids to Disneyland as often as possible but realistically we live north of Seattle... this = $$$ folks.  Plane fare, hotel, FOOD, etc... it adds up people!  We knew that with the two of us going alone... we could cut some corners and get by fairly cheaply (for Disney standards).  We stayed off property... we didn't eat 3 squares a day... that alone saved us a ton!

  
The trip was amazing but so many times during the trip I caught myself being so grateful they weren't with us... it was crowded... so crowded in the Parks.  Especially the days following the race.  They would have driven us nuts and been somewhat miserable... it was HOT for January... like in the 80s during the day.  As adults we were LOVING this... but my poor little children who are used to the Seattle January weather would have been overheating. (How am I doing making up reasons for feeling better they weren't there?)  On the other hand there were MANY moments that I wished they WERE there.  That first ride on Radiator Springs Racers... oh my babies are going to LOVE this I thought!  (I almost cried on the ride imagining their little eyes dancing with the amazement).   

 

Single Rider line for Radiator Springs Racers

Seeing Carsland light up at dusk... oh I thought... they are going to LOVE this!   I could go on and on with moments we had that were so much fun that I wished they were all with us!  Having a kid free 5 days in the middle of the magic though was on the flip side amazing!  We wore out the "single rider" option on many attractions... something we wouldn't have been able to do as much if the kids had been with us.  We relived a bit of our Disneyland honeymoon (13 years ago) and ate at the Blue Bayou... and a big splurge we ate at Carthay Circle at DCA the night before we came home.  

Blue Bayou

Oh ... but constantly that guilt hovered in the background.  Not that I took a vacation without children... I think couples with children NEED to do that from time to time... but that we went to Disneyland without them.  I KNOW we are not the only ones out there to do this!  In my runDisney social media connections I have "met" many who travel solo to the parks... sans kids I mean.

So... here I am again... the Fall is looming. (I dislike the Fall... because Winter is after that and I really dislike Winters in Seattle)  When we returned last January from our amazing Racecation to Disneyland... my husband told me he wanted me to register for Tinkerbell 2014.  Really?  He knew it was important for me that I keep that goal out in front of me and have something to work towards.  It took me about a half of a second to say "OKAY!"  But my next thought was... oh no... I can't go AGAIN without the kids?  Can I?  Is that fair to them... see Carsland AGAIN when they haven't even been once.  (The sad thing is my youngest son who is now 5 thinks he has been to Carsland because we watch the Carsland attractions on youtube a lot) Once again - we live north of Seattle... my oldest son (who is now 9) has been to Disneyland 3 times in his short 9 years.  

 

My oldest at 21 months with some friends... (circa Dec 2005)

My oldest at 3 yrs old and now sister who was 15 mos at the time... (circa July 2007) 

My oldest at 7 yrs old, daughter now 5, and youngest son 3 yrs old (circa Dec 2011) 

MANY of our Northwest friends think this is quite excessive!  They are shocked when they learn this and can't believe it really.  Are you kidding me?  I was born in Anaheim after all... I can't and wouldn't Disney deprive my own children.  I will take them at every opportunity!

BUT... here I am planning another Disneyland trip without them.  This time my husband is going to stay home in Washington with the kids and I am going with a group of other moms who are also participating in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend.  (all of them leaving children at home too) I am sad the kids aren't going... but this isn't the right trip to take them.  Money wise at least... 

Crowds will be thick... we can't afford an entire family trip at this point... If we lived closer to Southern California it would make more sense... we would go more often and it wouldn't such a big deal to go once or even twice sans the kids.   So I deal with the Mommy guilt again... we WILL go again as a family... we are saving for it.  

Hoping for the Spring of 2015... seems like an eternity from now.

If you have children do you do "fun" vacations without them?  

If you have children and do runDisney races... do you go solo or make the race weekends a family affair?

Chime in if you go solo and leave your kiddos at home... I need to know I am not the only one doing this... and living with a bit of guilt!