Friday February 20, 2015. Orlando, FL. With the windchill it was 28 degrees, sun eventually shined.

Parking / Transportation: Free parking available at Epcot in lot near start. If you were staying on Disney property a shuttle bus was available.

Participants were encouraged to gather near the corrals, coffee available, DJ & dance party happening. 30-45 minutes prior to start time we could get to our corrals. Many port-a-potties. Gear check available. It was freezing after I dumped my warm clothes at gear check.

Approx 10,000 runners.

Start: Corral start, lettered A through E. Could start in your assigned corral or a lower letter. After the live National Anthem the first corral was off, on time, with a fireworks salute. The next corral started a few minutes later and so on, each with fireworks.

The course started on the roads to Epcot. We passed by the first character, Minnie in a snowflake dress, then entered Epcot near Mexico, revealing the first glimpse of the world showcase. Mickey and Goofy were out on the course as well. Most of the 5k is around the world showcase and the back lots of Epcot.

We then ran near the fountain where the Frozen characters were greeting runners, then finished up with a run by Spaceship Earth. The finish line was in the Epcot parking lot.

The course was crowded, it narrowed and widened without warning in some places. Water only stops on this course, in paper cups. Pavement was wet, some spots could have been slippery. Otherwise there were no potholes or road hazards that weren’t marked. Each mile had a marker with a clock. Lots of volunteers, most were cheering. Not many spectators, as you can’t get into the park at this time or need to pay park fee.

No official times, more relaxed about sweeping, very family friendly.

Finish clearly marked with a banner and clock. Medals placed around your neck, rubber medal. Table for bottled water and Powerade, however there was no red left when we finished. Proceeded to get finishers photo, then on to post race banana & snack box. (corn chips, processed cheese dip, applesauce, drink mix, Krave cereal, luna bar and dried fruit)

Characters available for post race photos. However they were not main Disney characters, just Frozen themed.

Overall: Flat course, crowded, laid back. This is a perfect race for running with the family. If you were in the first corral, you could have easily set a PR, if you didn’t want to stop for any character photos.