Tinker Bell Half Marathon & Trip Report, Pt. 2

The Inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon started amidst the typical Disney fanfare that you would expect promptly at 5:45 am. Sean Astin ("Rudy," "Lord of the Rings") participated as well and was interviewed before the race started.



It always blows me away to see the thousands of people all crammed together like sardines. It was a good 3-4 miles before I could actually run comfortably without having to maneuver around fairy wings, costumes, and slower walkers who were blissfully unaware of those around them. Granted, the Tinker Bell Half Marathon was more of a "fun race," but it would still behoove Disney to have a costume corral of people that start at a different time to help make the entire event a bit safer for all.



It didn't take long for the sun to come out, which made the sites in the park much easier to see.



I ran a bit slower than I wanted to, but picked up a bit of steam during the last quarter mile as I saw Sean Astin come up behind me. I figured if I could keep up with him, it would be cool to be able to say that I crossed the line at the same time as "Rudy."



However, I lost steam and he crossed the finish line about 50 seconds before I did; on the positive side, my chip time was a minute faster than Sean's, which means he must have started before me. Still would have been cool to have him in my finish line photos!



My chip time was 1:58; I was glad to be under 2 hours, but it was still 5 minutes slower than my Disneyland Half Marathon time from September. The holidays were not kind to my training!



One of my coworkers, Laurie, ran the race as well. It was her very first half marathon and she kicked ass! I was very proud of her. Here we are showing off our bling.



After a quick shower, I headed back to the park to get some photos before meeting Laurie & her husband for brunch at Club 33. Blazingly beautiful flowers in Frontierland:



I love the themed characters in the popcorn machines:



A few shots of the Shooting Gallery:







I had time for one spin on Pirates of the Caribbean before brunch. It was great to see the familiar faces and characters:







And then just as my feet were about to scream out from all the walking, it was time for our celebratory brunch.



Mickey & Pluto were an extra special treat, especially for Laurie who was thrilled to get a post-race photo with the dynamic duo.



My pasta sampler was delicious.



We were so busy gorging ourselves that we didn't get a photo together until our plates were licked clean.



The balcony gives a great view of New Orleans Square below.



On the way out, I snapped another shot of the beautiful hand-painted harpsichord that was custom built for Lillian Disney:



And the trophy room. Note that the maximum capacity is 33!



After lunch, I made a beeline for Marceline's in Downtown Disney (since the Candy Palace is temporarily closed)...





and then dragged my exhausted body home for a long nap. What a great weekend!

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos at my Disneyland website.