Strap on those virtual sneakers and get ready for a whirlwind adventure through the magical world of Disneyland Resort! Join us as we relive the good, the bad and the magical of running the 10K race as part of the 2024 runDisney Dumbo Double Dare Race challenge. From arrival to medal glory, let's dive into the unforgettable experience!
Arrival and Security Check:
We are front of the corral kind of people, so we wanted to leave with enough time to secure a good spot, but also didn't want to be waiting in the cold air longer than required. We left our hotel at 3:15 AM with anticipated arrival at the staging area around 3:30 AM. The walk took a bit longer than anticipated, but we thought we were ok until we turned a corner to go through security.
As runners trickled in, excitement and anxiety filled the air. Security checks seemed tighter than Cinderella's glass slipper, but hey, no one wants an unexpected run-in with the Evil Queen, right? After spending over 30 minutes in line to get through, we made it just in time to go to our open corral.
Corral
With bibs securely fastened and visible for corral entry, we lined up like a colorful parade of eager participants. The wait in the corral felt longer than the line for Space Mountain, but with camaraderie and costume-spotting, time went by fast! While Carissa Galloway was there to send us off, the rest of the pre-race crowd was new. They did a great job though and added a little trivia to the festivities before the rounds of "3,2,1, Go!". The trivia theme was around the stars of the 10K, Donald and Daisy. Even though there was a 7 year hiatus, the race started off smoothly and right on schedule. A little disappointed no fireworks to send us off, but instead they had a ginormous screen to count us down and send us off.
Run Through the Parks:
And off we went, like a pack of gazelles let loose in the Savannah, albeit with more tutus and tiaras! Let's talk about the things we loved about this course first. Most important call out was the park time. We spent a lot of time in the parks and it happened pretty immediately. Got the adrenaline pumping early! Some spots had great crowd support and the mile signs were lit and very visible.
Speaking on visability, let's talk about how the course was lit, or rather was not lit. On the one hand this was cool so you could see the park lit up; however, on the other hand it made navigating a bit treacherous at times due to how dark it was combined with the crowds that didn't have more than a mile's worth of highway to spread out. Definitely had some bottleneck opportunities to work through for the next round of races.
One other thing we found a bit disappointing compared to what we are used to was the lack of photo pass photographers. We maybe saw two on course, but only really came away with one photo. On the plus side at least it was a cute one!
Now, I personally hadn't been to Disneyland since I was a kid, so for ALL the time in the park I was looking around in wonderment and a little awestruck. I had forgotten how magical it was. Reliving it as an adult brought back a pureness of childhood joy only Disney can deliver. I wanted to stop and take pictures with EVERYTHING, and my sister had to keep me in check otherwise we may have gotten swept just because of my photo hungriness. She convinced me to at least save some opportunities for the next day.
Crossing the Finish:
With every step, the finish line drew nearer and was both a beacon of victory and relief. As we ran towards it, the crowds' cheering gave us that last surge of energy needed to push through and finish strong.
Crossing the finishline is always the most magical feeling of the race and we did it, folks! We conquered the 10K! While no photo pass photographers for "I did it" or character photos post race like at Disney World , they did at least have some setups for you to take your own post race photos. We were also lucky enough to score some great finish line photos. Again same as on course, the quantity was few but we were happy with the quality of what we got.
Conclusion:
And there you have it, fellow adventurers – the exhilarating saga of running the 10K at the 2024 runDisney Dumbo Double Dare Race challenge! Different than the Disney World experience, some opportunities for improvement, but overall still a magical time. We would recommend returning, and oh wait, we definitely will be returning for Halloween Weekend 2024!
So if you are running at Disneyland anytime soon, dust off those running shoes, embrace the magic, and get ready to make memories that'll last a lifetime.
Next up, we will highlight our Disneyland half marathon experience, so check back with us to learn more about running at Disneyland.
Until next time, keep on running, Disney style!
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