Race Report: Disney Royal Family 5K

I was really disappointed in this race, but I should know better by now. All Disney races are overpriced, but the 5Ks are truly not worth it. We paid $40 for a non chip-timed fun run and a crappy rubber medal. The only reason we did this race in the first place was because mom wanted a medal, and I feel she was gypped. I ran one other 5K at Disney last year during their Minnie Marathon weekend, and wasn't impressed then, but at least it was timed and we got a decent medal.

The Expo
I had a pretty crappy day Friday to begin with, and encountering a huge traffic jam on the way to the expo did not help matters (there was a game at the sport complex; it would have been nice if they gave us a heads up on that). The expo was disappointing too.There was an abundance of pink and everything was geared towards the 1/2 marathon. They had display upon display of the 1/2 marathon medal and how you could turn it into a plaque with your finish photo, yet not a single glimpse at the 5K medal--now I know why. Even the shirt wasn't great, but at least the goodie bag was one of those reusable string bags--not like I really need more of those. I certainly did not feel the princess treatment; I think they put all their effort into the 1/2 marathon and the 5K was an afterthought. Why even bother?

The Race
The course wasn't the greatest either (similar to last year's), as we run 1 mile in the parking lot and back roads of Epcot before we even get into the park. Needless to say, our spirits were a little broken going into this race and we weren't that encouraged to push ourselves, but we made the best of it.

Mom and I ran the entire race together through the finish line. We even wore matching shirts. :) The night before, we tried to find some princess getup but decided against it. I kinda wish we had to make this more fun and ridiculous, but whatever. It was cold so the tanktops we found would not have sufficied.

They had characters throughout the course and I wish I brought my camera like I wanted to and stopped at all of them to take pictures to really make the most of this. But I think I still had illusions of running a good race and maybe sub-35. I knew I was dreaming. I think we started too fast and she faded a little at the end. I felt like I could run another 3 miles because I didn't sprint as much at the end to make sure mom could keep up and we could cross together.

Post-Race
Their post-race amenities always leave something to be desired. At least they had oranges this time, well tangerines that were not even cut. All Disney cares about is how they can squeeze more money out of you, and it shows. I think our local Track Shack does a far better job at organizing races and making them a great value for your money. After taking a few pictures, we headed out of the park and had a great breakfast at Perkins while talking about future races (not at Disney).

What's Next
I'm so done with Disney races. I may do the Tower of Terror 13K, since you get a nifty medal and a tech shirt, but I am seriously considering not even bothering. I just think my money could be better spent supporting local races, the businesses that sponsor them, and the charities they benefit.

PS - We went to UCF in the afternoon for Jason to do a run-through for his triathlon, so I tried swimming a few laps. I did 150m, stopping between each lap. This is hard! But I am going to keep with it for cross training.