Trip Report: Disneyland Half Marathon and Fantasyland

Last Sunday's Half Marathon really kicked my #$%. Even though the race started at 5:30am, the temperatures and humidity were already well on the way to misery-town. By mile 8, I knew I was toast...right about the time actress Allison Sweeney ("Days of Our Lives" and "The Biggest Loser") sprinted by me. On the plus side, there seemed to be more water stations, which were very welcome this time.



The finish line could not have arrived soon enough. Disney has no control over the heat, but as far as the rest of the race goes, I was fairly disappointed there as well. With the registration fee hitting an all-time high of $175, obviously the expectations went up, too. The first few years of the race, the Monorail came out at the starting line, filled with costumed characters that cheered participants on. While running through the park, the Mark Twain or the Columbia were brought out to encourage runners, filled with familiar Disney characters. Things like that make a 13.1 mile journey a lot more enjoyable. This year, none of those elements were present; plenty of cast members (already in the park for their shifts) were out to cheer on the runners. Noticeably absent was the President of Disneyland. With approximately 18,000 registrants, you'd think he (or somebody else high up in the food chain) could have gotten themselves out of bed to give a speech. I hope I'm wrong, but it does appear that ever since last year's billion dollar expenditure on DCA (which was to make up for the blundering cost-cutting measures from when it was initially built), the Disney Corporation has begun lowering value and radically increasing prices in an attempt to makeup for it. On to more pleasant things...

As soon as the race was over, I cleaned up and headed over to the park, as it had been at least two months since my last visit. That's a lot of photos to make up for!



I did my best to block the heat from my mind; seeing the beautiful blue sky and the Main Street Train Station sure helped.

I decided to take the yellow Horseless Carriage that was waiting at City Hall; my legs were too tired to walk the length of Main Street.



The Market House was still under construction; the exterior appears to be finished, but the interior conversion to a Starbucks location continues.



The Starbucks branding is subtle and matches well with the turn-of-the-century theming.





I had photographed the Fantasy Faire area before, but hadn't gone inside to see the meet-and-greet rooms inhabited by the Princesses.





The rooms are quite ornate:



AND they had some cool light fixtures!





I was able to meet Cinderella:



Ariel:



and Aurora:



Outside in the Courtyard, Maurice's cart was getting ready to do a booming biz in selling cold beverages for the day:





My next stop was the Peter Pan attraction in Fantasyland. For years, I had heard rumors that parts of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship were saved and reused here. The one that surfaces the most is the one that the rigging and other parts of the ship were used in the walk the plank scene. However, comparing photos of the Restaurant and the attraction just didn't match. Recently, animation director Rob Fendler (who is in the process of restoring some of the original structures from Storybook Land) pointed out that the Peter Pan queue truly does have a piece of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant. Ever noticed this on the way out of the attraction?



And view it in its original location:



More trip report to come!

See more vintage & current Disneyland Fantasyland photos on my Fantasyland web page.

Disneyland Trip Report: Napa Rose

Last weekend marked the 7th time I have run in the annual Disneyland Half Marathon. I missed the first year due to a bone spur; after seeing all of the fun three of my friends had running it, I decided it was time to get off the sidelines and start running again. Even though the course has been the same, each year has provided a different challenge, depending on the amount of training I have done and also the temperatures. Southern California is known for its perfect weather, but even perfection has a few flaws. This weekend looked like it could be a scorcher.

The price of the race was a scorcher, too. The cost rose to $175, which is an amazing amount when you consider that it doesn't go to charity nor does the race provide the same "bang" it did in its initial years. What's even more amazing is that despite the price hike, the event sold out in record time. A classic case of supply and demand.



The Expo Event for the race is always held in the Disneyland Hotel. The goody bags used to be filled with snacks, running beans, and other assorted helpful vendor goodies (thus the name of the bag). This year, the bag came with one Clif Bar and an assortment of Disney printed propaganda that found its way into the circular file. A "Little Mermaid" magnet was included too, which had a real potential for disaster as the racing bibs are not supposed to get anywhere near a magnet or they would be rendered useless for the timing of the race. I will give kudos to the race shirt, though. Every year they keep getting better as far as the visual design appeal.

Sean Astin was speaking in the ballroom as I was picking up my goodie bag. There were a fair amount of people listening to him as he imparted some inspirational words.



The prop set for the Half Marathon Runners' photo opp:



After a nap back at the hotel, it was time to head over to the Grand Californian Hotel for the "last supper" before the race. So much has been said about how Disney California Adventure was so poorly done in its original incarnation, yet one cannot say the same about The Grand Californian. It is the crown jewel of the Disneyland Resort.



The GC also boasts the best restaurant at the Resort, The Napa Rose (and yes, I am including Club 33 in the competition).



Once you enter, you can feel the warmth of the Arts & Craft inspired design, which was given a tastefully modern spin.



While waiting for your table to be readied, guests can enjoy a cocktail and appetizer in the spacious lounge.



I was able to enjoy dinner at the Chef's Table, which affords a view of the meal being prepared. In addition, we chose to let the Executive Chef, Andrew Sutton, create a special menu for us. He asked about food allergies and specific dislikes, and then went to town whipping up something that would help our run the next morning.



The five-course dinner was incredible. Sutton's choices were innovative, delicious, and visually appealing in how they were plated.



A light dessert was served with wishes for a good run written in dark chocolate:



Well-fed, walking home to the hotel, I passed the starting line marquee. I couldn't wait for the race to start the next morning!



See more Napa Rose photos on my Napa Rose web page.