Disney Fantasy runDisney Castaway Cay 5K Recap

On our recent family vacation aboard the Disney Fantasy, we got the opportunity to run the runDisney Castaway Cay 5K.  Being a runDisney bling fanatic, this was the excursion I was most looking forward to experiencing.  One of my first stops once I got aboard the Fantasy was to stop by Senses Spa and the Shore Excursion desk to find how I could register for this race.

Good news - no preregistration is required.  Simply wait until the night prior to your stop at Castaway Cay and look for the race information in your Navigator.  The meeting place & time will be listed.  There is no additional fee to participate.  You will receive a race bib, safety pins and when you complete the race - a Castaway Cay 5K "medal."

Please note that you must be 12-years old or older to participate.  We were unaware of this rule and had hyped the race up with the kids (10, 9, and 7) so our family was a little surprised and disappointed, but hey - we were still at Castaway Cay with a beach and water slides so all was well once again!

The Castaway Cay 5K is a fun run and is not officially timed, but a race clock will run.  The course runs along the airstrip and loops the bike trial.  Our race start was around 10am so the sun was up and the temperature was rising fast.  Water is provided on the course and the 5K course is detailed on the above video.

We were all really looking forward to this race and earning our runDisney Disney Cruise Line bling.  If you have the opportunity to run this race during your stop at Castaway Cay I highly recommend it! 

Disney Cruise Line: Spring Break Bon Voyage!

 

Hi!  My name is Kimberly and I’m a Disney addict.  It’s been 12 years since my last Disney Cruise. GASP!!

Actually, the Disney Cruise was my first cruise experience ever.  Having grown up watching the Love Boat TV show, I thought that cruises were for old people, were boring with nothing to do and that the boat was basically a floating glorified hotel.  How wrong I was! 

In January 2001, my husband and I were still newlyweds and used our Disney Vacation Points (purchased for use on our Hawaiian honeymoon) for a 4-night Bahamas sailing on the Disney Wonder.  One word – WOW!

The Port Canaveral building was beautiful.  The ship was beautiful.  The food was good.  The room was clean, well decorated and comfortable.  There was plenty to do and I wasn’t bored even for a minute!  Our Disney Cruise Line experience was fantastic and we didn’t even have children with us!  

Cut to 12 years later and we are going on our second Disney Cruise aboard the Fantasy!  We are taking a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise and will have our two children, ages 10 and 6, with us.  Why did we wait this long to go on another cruise?  The ages of our children and cost were the biggest factors for us. 

The children cannot wait to experience the Oceaneer Club.  On our last trip, we saw first hand children visibly upset and yelling at their parents for picking them up “early” from the Club.  It was at that moment that I knew I couldn’t wait to voyage again aboard Disney Cruise Line with children!

New (to me) from last time are “fish extenders” and “pirate night.”  If you don’t know what a fish extender is - don’t worry, I didn’t either.  It is basically a file you hang next to our stateroom door from a fish light.  You sign up prior to your cruise with others on your sailing and you exchange gifts with each other! 

I don’t know what happens on pirate night – and I’m looking forward to the surprise since I don’t get many NEW TO ME Disney surprises – but I know that we should “dress for the occasion.”  I made each member of my family Captain Jack Sparrow inspired pirate garb for this DCL experience!

We are traveling with our good friends and have several fun experiences lined up including a Dolphin Swim, Chacchoben Mayan Ruin tour, beach excursion as well as dinners at Remy and Palo.  I’m most looking forward to stopping in Castaway Cay.  I can’t wait for the children to have fun on the beach (reminds me a little of River Country – remember that!!!) and I really want to run the 5K to add the medal to my runDisney Bling!  Sea you really soon…..!

My Top Walt Disney World Marathon Tips

 
WDW Marathon weekend has become an annual tradition in my family.  In January 2013, I celebrated my 5^th anniversary of attending Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and I am excited for 2014 where I hope to complete the Inaugural Dopey Challenge.  

For those of you not obsessed with runDisney, the Dopey Challenge will consistence of running all 4 of the runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend races.  I will take part in four days of running fun for a total of 48.6 miles.  I will run the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon and earn a total of six pieces of "bling!"

You might be wondering what possessed me to become a “runner” and how I became so “Dopey” for runDisney!  In July 2008, I was 36 years old and was NOT a runner.  I couldn’t even run a mile.  I had two small children and was a small business owner with multiple business partners.  I was stressed out and needed an outlet to not only get in better shape, but to refocus my mind.  So I made up my mind to run the marathon and registered.  In the 6 months of training, I worked my way up from a 5K to a 10K to a Half to finally the Full Marathon.  I dropped 10 pounds and went from a size 8 to a size 4, but better than that I felt fantastic!  I was really enjoying running.  It was an escape for me where I could let my mind go and seek clarity.

My first Walt Disney World marathon experience was “magical.’  Running through my beloved parks was amazing.  We were “back stage” and on roads I never knew existed, but when I made that first turn onto Main Street, U.S.A. I lost it!  Another runner made me stop and pose for a photo!  The crowd was cheering as we ran by and then I saw my family!!  They had gotten up and made the early morning journey to the Magic Kingdom!  Words cannot express how happy I was to see them (for a second) and then the very, very, very best part was the sound of the trumpets as I ran through Cinderella Castle!  Amazing – that feeling will never ever get old.

What I appreciate about the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is that there are runners participating of all shapes and sizes.  Yes, there are the “elites,” but this is an “everyman” marathon that a typical “athlete” like me can take part in and not feel intimidated or overwhelmed by lack of experience.

Since that first WDW Marathon I have run the 2010 Goofy Challenge and the Family Fun Run 5K combined with the Goofy Challenge in 2011, 2012, and 2013.  So far I’ve logged 192.7 magical miles during runDisney’s Walt Disney World Marathon weekend.  (I’ve also participated in both the Disney Princess Half Marathon and Disneyland Half Marathon Weekends). Here are some tips to help you survive your first Walt Disney World Marathon:

Here are my Top Walt Disney World Marathon Tips:

1.     Follow a training plan:  For my first marathon I followed the Hal Higdon’s novice training plan.  For my first Goofy Challenge I followed another Hal Higdon training, but incorporated Jeff Galloway’s run/walk method.  If you don’t know where to begin, contact your local running store or running club for a training group.  Marathon training groups normally begin in the early summer for the fall marathon season.  

2.     Get some support:  Bring your own Cheer Squad!  There is nothing like having your family and friends support you during the race.  This event is very family & friend oriented.  If you can’t get anyone to run with you, make new friends on running forums, charity partners or local running groups.

3.     Be prepared for the weather:  Remember that just because the race is in FLORIDA does not mean the weather is going to be warm in January.  It could be freezing cold with freezing rain and snowflakes (2010) or hot with 100% humidity (2013) or just right!  (2011 & 2012).  Remember the race will take place even if it’s raining.  Get out there and train and be prepared for race conditions.

4.     Write a shopping list:  Get to the Expo early and map out your shopping strategy.  Study the expo floor plan.  Know what you want before you get there.  Do not carry extra bags.  If traveling with small children remember that you will not be allowed to bring a stroller past the gate.

5.     Be prepared for the distance:  Wear chapstick, sunblock and glide.  The medical tents will provide Tylenol, Vaseline and BioFreeze if needed.  The water stations will provide water and PowerAde.  Food provided will be bananas, Cliff Shots and candy.  If you have trained with something other than what is provided on course, carry it with you.

6.     Don’t Panic:  This is supposed to be fun and a celebration of your training.  Enjoy the experience and even if you don’t want to stop at the character stops, at least make sure that you pose in front of Cinderella Castle!  Those MarathonFoto photographers got their system down pat – it only takes a second to smile!

 
7.     Stick to your race plan:  If your plan calls for run/walk then do it right from the start.  If you choose to walk, then alert those behind you by raising your arm before you slow down and move off to the side.  If a family member is going to be on course – be as specific as possible of your meet up spot and make sure you sign up for runner tracking or use a tracking app like GSP Tracker or Garmin Fit.

8.     Smile like you’re having a good time (even if you aren’t):  There are many photo opportunities with MarathonFoto.  Make sure your bib is visible and smile throughout your run because you will never know which photos will look best.


9.     Plan your recovery:  Use the massage tent.  Massages are only a $1 a minute and are well worth the money!  Cash only so make sure you have it on your person.  When completing the Goofy Challenge I get a $10 massage on Saturday and a $20 massage on Sunday.  I feel that it does wonders for my recovery!

10.  Make time to celebrate:  Make a reservation for a special post-race dinner and make sure to wear your bling!  You earned it!