Disney is, as we all know, an empire. They do things a certain way, and you pay a high price for it (literally, it's expensive to register and expensive to go and stay there to do it). My first trip to Disney World was to run the Goofy Challenge. I was worried I'd hate it; I don't like Florida (too hot and humid), I don't like crowds, and generally, I like smaller races. Why in the world would I sign up for this race? Same reason I signed up for NYC, Boston, and Chicago: they're banner races, I wanted to run them once. Checked that box at Disney too, and glad I did.

I ran the Goofy with the American flag and I convinced my husband to run the half with me so I wouldn't go too fast. We lucked out with the weather - while it was kind of humid, the temperature was actually not bad. Cool mornings and early start times helped a lot. So here's my rundown:

Hotel: Amazingly, if you're an SPG member, the Swan & Dolphin hotels are tough to beat. They are also Disney properties, so we were able to stay on property and use points. Sweet! Great location and amenities. We still had free shuttle access to the parks and to the race starts and back at the end. Fantastic food, strolling to the boardwalk was nice, and we got to see some of the parks.

Expo: I was underwhelmed by the expo. It seemed dimly lit and kind of lackluster. A lot of the merchandise was picked over and there just wanted much. I didn't buy anything. The shirts were kind of nice, good graphics and unique, but a little on the small side. While we're on the swag, the medals were great. Three big medals with the Disney characters and nice ribbons. Loved hanging those on my wall.

Races: The start times to both races are very early, but that, to me, was awesome. I was back at the hotel early giving us time to explore, dine, visit a park, etc. (all by design, I'm sure). There are shuttles that dos you off at the start village, then you go through security (not bad) and the usual hang around and wait time. Then there's the long trek to the corrals. Good for a warm up! There are many corrals and waves that are supposed to seed you based on pace/finish time, but much to my annoyance people were jumping barriers left and right to move up. I hate that.

Anyway, there are fireworks at the start, a whole big production, and then you're off. The courses were pretty good. Very flat, and pretty windy in some places. You do get to go through the parks, which is the fun part, and there are Disney characters all over the place. I didn't care about time too much, so I stopped to take several photos (if the line was too long I skipped it). The half went through Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and the full ran through Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom (I hear that if you go a little slower, you can ride the Everest ride while still running the marathon, which is unique), ESPN (wide world of sports, maybe?) around a baseball diamond, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. There are some long, boring, and lonely stretches between parks where there's not much scenery, but that's the price you pay for running through each property.

My personal opinion: it was worth it. I hadn't ever been to Disney World and I had fun, even as a crowd-hating adult. It actually wasn't as crowded as I feared and it's very clean and well-run. There's obviously a lot to do so it's one of those fun build-a-little-trip-around-it races to do with your spouse or family. I may never go to Disney again, after all. The half and full marathons were far from my fastest races but that's okay, I knew that going in and sometimes it's way more fun to just enjoy the sights and take some photos with Goofy. It's a great way to cross Florida off your list if you're a 50 stater, and if you're like I am, it's another box checked.