Okay, so here is my opinion. Firstly, the cost was extraordinarily high. Well over $200 to run through the half marathon. Packet pickup took place at the Disneyland Hotel. You have to park at Downtown Disney (which is free for two hours) and then head to convention hall. Parking was pretty full on a Saturday, but I got in eventually. To pick up the bib, you started in one place. Then you had to walk to the expo to get your swag bag and t-shirt. There were many people working, and so there was no line at either place.

The expo was disappointing for me. There was nothing being given away, no samples of products to speak of... quite opposite of what I have come to experience at events like Rock N Roll, etc, where the running event seems to be about fun, rather than profit. I looked around for merchandise, and literally everything was for women... which to an extent I understand as it was Tinkerbell-themed, but there were almost 4,000 men in the half marathon... it seems like a missed business opportunity, and just kind of insulting, frankly. My coworkers husband and I found the only guy shirt available, and it was freakin cool... Star Wars and Running... yep, we both shelled out the $36 for one. They also had a cool Tervis Tumbler that was RunDisney themed for the usual $25 price, but I passed.

By the time we made it through bib and packet pickup, then through the expo, our two hours were up. I chose to eat at a restaurant in order to validate my parking for an additional two hours. Then I made my way to check in at the hotel. I stayed at America's Best, where the rooms were all renovated to laminate floors and new bedding. It was 1.1 miles from Disney, so the perfect walking distance and I didn't have to pay to park. Because I booked in advance, the room was only $77. The people working were so nice, room was great, it was close to Target (where I needed up going because I forgot my Glukos gel and had to go get some Up gummies instead).

I had a short sleep, as the race started at 5:30am. I got up at 4, got ready (hit the Starbucks next to the hotel that also opens at 4am), and started my walk. I met friends at the starting line at 5am, and it was getting very busy, very quickly. There were far too many people confined to a space that was far too small. No one was comfortable. Eventually, we made our way to our corrals, and I moved back to C to start the race with them (this was their first half). Disney music was playing while we were awaiting the start, but we were honestly hoping for something a bit more lively at 5:30 in the morning. It would have been cool to see Tink, Peter Pan, or Hook working the start line, but alas...

Once the race started, I was happy we exited parking lots and got onto the road quickly, because there were way too many runners and not enough space. I was looking to pass people that had no business being in corral C it would seem, as they were walking... three, four, five abreast. I saw a lady fall hard, so I ran to pick her up. She said she was good, and the always-supportive running community wiped her off and got her back on her way. I love seeing that kind of stuff. The course continued and after a couple of turns, we entered the backlot of the parks. We went through Cartland and there were a few characters posing. We went though Disneyland and saw several more characters posing. The lines were quite long to take pictures with them, but I was really trying to take advantage of the flat course, so I didn't stop. I really liked seeing the park empty, however, so I snapped a few terrible selfies that were blurred due to the motion and low light.

Before long, we were in the streets of Anaheim, and here's where the course got boring. There was literally nothing to look at out of the ordinary. I did like all the family and friends with signs, the Red Hat Ladies, and the local high school cheer squads. I love seeing community people cheering on the runners... it's gives me an extra kick every time. Around mile 8, I picked up the free GU gels and thought I would try one. Coffee and Vanilla were the two choices. I love both, but not after 8 miles of running. It wasn't my cup of tea. It was too thick, wouldn't go down, and had an aftertaste that obviously a ton of people love, I just wasn't one of them. I prefer Glukos, where it it more of a liquid and less of a gelatin.

A few more boring miles and one reaches the last stretch. Mile 12 leads you back toward the park and you run through the parking lost and the back lot again. There is a quick hill down, then back up, a trek through Downtown Disney, and before you know it, mile 13 is done. I looked at my watch, and realized my pace had quickened since mile 10, and so I started sprinting with everything I had left for the last 100 meters... passing several people. As I crossed, I didn't see anybody holding medals, but I looked at my watch which stated I broke 2:07... a PR by nearly 12 minutes! I kept walking, collecting myself, and finally found the medals being handed out. I actually liked this... there is normally a huge crowd after every finish and you can't get through the herd of people. This worked out and was a clear positive. After collecting my medal, I walked about another 50 yards and found the free bananas and water. Yay? After some more walking, you get your RunDisney box of post-race snacks. This was terrible. There was applesauce. Cheese product. A peppermint chocolate (who wants peppermint after 13.1?). An Oreo cookie. So the whole box was trash except for the cookie (many people ate the applesauce, but I would have rather had a second banana, to which the told me no). I felt bad tossing good food out, so I carried the box with me back to the hotel. n the parking to, before you exit, they offered cups of Dasani waiter. I would rather have had a second bottle of water than a cup, but hey, whatever.

So, to recap, this was insanely overpriced for the experience. You get no ticket to the park (not even a discount), and the pre-race and post-race festivities need some work. The Disney brand is all about the experience, and it's why we don't mind spending so much to go to their parks. However, for an event that costs more than a park ticket, the experience is subpar, at best. Unfortunately, I had already signed up for the Dopey DoubleDare Challenge. I am hopeful the experience will be better than this one. I should an idea after the 5k on Saturday. If it appears to be the same, I will look to take my time and stand in line at the all the characters, because there is clearly no reason to hurry to the finish.