A Running DisNerd, Part 3: Finishing in Never Land

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Craig

Note: This is the third (and last… for now…) part of a series about my experience being a first time runner attending my first RunDisney event. I hope you’ve enjoyed, and if you have yet to read them, click to read part one and part two.

3:00 AM came early on race day. Sure, we had gone to bed relatively early the night before. Disneyland had closed at 7:30, and we headed back to the hotel shortly after that. Nonetheless, when the alarm went off, all I could think was, “What kind of crazy people get up at 3 in the morning to run? ”

Apparently, the answer was us. We were that kind of crazy people, along with roughly 4500 other crazies.

However, any feeling of being tired was forgotten as we walked through Disneyland’s front gates with race bibs securely fastened to the front of our shirts. 4:30 AM, and Main Street was alive with music and lights as runners made their way to the starting corrals.

Even after arriving half an hour early, we were moved into Corral B, the second starting position for runners. We were entertained by emcees, a DJ, and a visit from Wendy Darling. Suffice to say, it was not an uneventful wait. Surrounded by other runners, both experienced and novice like me, I felt a genuine excitement to get moving. Instead of being insecure about being able to finish, I felt inspired by all of the people ready to take their shot at the race as well! After an early morning National Anthem and a visit from Tinker Bell…

…. We were off! At least, kind of… You see, with over 4,000 people taking off from the starting line, even one corral at a time, it definitely takes a few minutes to get moving. However, once we were moving, I knew there would be no stopping – at least not until we saw characters on the run trail or other photo ops!

I have to say, the folks at RunDisney really know how to make a run, even a simple 5k, a fun and inspiring event. As we began the run, The path was lined with cast members clapping and cheering us all on as we set out on our journey. They continued to cheer us on wherever they happened to be stationed that morning. Mechanics working on ride vehicles backstage, people from their office windows in the TDA building, security guards working the Cast member entrance… they were all enthusiastic and friendly!

We were also told to keep an eye out for Peter Pan’s shadow, and to give our best Peter “crow” whenever we saw it. This led to some quite enthusiastic yelling and screaming in the hour before dawn.

Crow with me!

I’d also like to add, the running crowd was quite fun as well. Lots of green tutus and wings, costumes (The DisNerd Family ran as peter, Tink and Wendy), and themed teams as well. I wish I had more pictures to share of some of the runners, but being that we were involved in a run, we had to keep going! This included when the rain started coming down somewhere around Mile 1. Fortunately, although it was a steady, constant rain, it was not a torrential downfall either – just enough to get us wet and make many of us cold!

Even with a cloudy sky, Peter’s shadow could still be found!

I’ll be honest and say, as much as I worried about the amount of running I could actually pull off, I found myself wanting to run more! There were points where the path narrowed, and you could only move as fast as those in front of you. Also, with mile markers and characters out, stops were sure to happen. I mean, who could resist stopping to take advantage of this picture opportunity with a little running Wendy?

“I have the strangest feeling I’ve seen that ship somewhere before…”

I did keep my promise to myself though. I started running (Once I was in a clear enough space to do so), and I finished running. Do I plan on doing more running in the future? You bet. I may never make it to a half marathon, or even 10k, but this event has inspired me to even start looking at local 5k events here in Arizona to see what else there may be to do! Speaking of 10k and half marathons, my hat goes off to all runners in any running event, RunDisney or otherwise! You have my repsect.

As do you, dear readers. I appreciate all of your encouragement and well wishes. I felt your support as I ran, and was even encouraged by a couple readers (and old high school friends who happened to be running other events that weekend) who happened to be there and cheered me on as I passed! It was truly a memorable event, and one I would recommend to anyone, especially fans of Disney, regardless of whether it’s your first or 51st running event. Disney magic, and getting in shape? What can be better?!?

You bet I look like a bit of a dork… but this DisNerd finished his first 5k, even in the rain! It’s something I’ll always remember, and will always feel the support I received from my friends and readers!

A Running DisNerd, Part 1: I Don’t Run.

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Craig

RunDisney Logo Copyright The Walt Disney Company

If you frequent Disney Parks or follow the Disney Parks Blog (or many other blogs for that matter) online, I’m sure you’ve heard of RunDisney. In case you haven’t, RunDisney is Disney’s, you guessed it, running division. If you’ve heard of a marathon, half-marathon, 10k, or 5k taking place within the confines of Disney-owned property, it’s a RunDisney event. Countless numbers sign up for these events many months in advance to run different themed competitive and non-competitive races throughout the parks. The races have been known to sell out in days, sometimes even hours! At any RunDisney event, you will see all types of runners, including many costumed runners, depending on the theme of the particular run they’re participating in. These races seem to be the perfect type of events for Disney fans, young and old, who are into running as well. And I’ve always thought to myself, “Well, that’s nice for them.”

But not for me. I’ve never been a runner.

Okay, there was that one fifty-yard dash in fifth grade, where I managed to come in fifth place, and actually got a ribbon. However, my running days pretty much began and ended there. I’ll admit, I’m out of shape. I’ve been meaning to do something about that. But running has never been one of my preferred methods. Do I run? Maybe when chased, but that’s about it. Therefore, is RunDisney for me? Had you asked me previously, I would tell you it was not in the cards. At least, this was the case up until last summer, when Mrs. DisNerd mentioned that registration was going to be opening up for the Tinker Bell Half-Marathon weekend in May 2015. The event that specifically caught our attention was the Never Land 5k. If you’ve been reading Confessions for any amount of time, you know through posts such as “Still Living In Never Land” and “Real Character (Or, How Peter and Jake Made Wendy’s Day Perfectly Darling)” exactly how much Peter Pan and his Never Land family mean to us. With that being said, if there were a RunDisney event I was willing to participate in, the Never Land 5k would be the one.So, on that August morning, as registration opened, I registered our family to run in this event, with full intent of getting in shape for the run.

I’m ashamed to admit, this hasn’t happened yet for yours truly, and I’m running out of time. A little more than a month out, and this DisNerd is nowhere near ready. I could blame injury (not the best knee in the world, a sprained ankle at one point), I could blame allergies and sickness, but in all honesty, what I blame most of all is me. Between everything else, there still should have been time to train and prep. It just hasn’t happen, and I can only point the finger at myself.

With that realization out of the way, I feel there is still time to ready myself for a 5k without killing myself. I know I could walk at a brisk pace even. But this is RUNDisney, and now I have something to prove to myself. So begins a month and a half of training, to get into a decent running/jogging shape, and cross the finish line to earn my first 5k medal.

Will winning this make me an honorary Lost Boy?
Picture copyright The Walt Disney Company

I plan on posting an occasional update on my progress here, as well as sharing my overall experience with a RunDisney event. I’d like to ask you to join me on this journey. I’d also like to hear from you, fellow DisNerds. Any other RunDisney participants out there? I’d love to know your stories or experiences – maybe we can inspire each other! Can’t wait to share with you all at the finish line!

Ask a DisNerd – Favorite Rides and Those Darn Cats!

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Craig

Good morning, all! Welcome to a slightly delayed edition of Ask a DisNerd! This time around we have two questions to answer, so let’s get right to it, shall we?

First off, Confessions reader Andrew asks: “What’s your favorite Disney ride of all time?”

It would be easier, Andrew, to tell you what my least favorite ride would be, since, generally speaking, I love almost all! But if I had to pick one ride and one ride only, it would go back to one of the original opening day rides.

Peter Pan’s Flight – pretty much perfection in an attraction that has stood the test of time.

Perhaps it’s because of the fact that Peter Pan is among my favorite Disney stories. Maybe it’s the idea of being able to fly in a pirate ship high above London and Never Land. Possibly it’s because it’s such a popular (i.e. long-lined) ride that it’s near impossible to ride over and over again, that it makes each time I ride a special treat. Nonetheless, I am like a little kid each time I get on that ship to begin my journey to the second star to the right. I can’t help but hope each time the ride breaks down. That I’m stuck for an extra amount of time floating over Never Land. To me, that’s a sign of an excellent ride – one that you can’t spend too much time on. One that captures child-like innocence and wonder. To me, that is Peter Pan’s Flight.

“Straight on ’till morning!”

Our second question comes from Confessions reader Tanya, who asks: “Why would anyone name a cat after the devil?”

Tanya, your question stumped me for a while. I was wondering what that had to do with Disney until a little light bulb went off in my head. “Ding! She’s referring to Lucifer!”

Here, kitty kitty kitty….

While I don’t have an answer to that, many theories point to the idea that Walt wasn’t all that fond of cats. Pete the Cat, aka Pegleg Pete, was Mickey Mouse’s first nemesis. The Cheshire Cat, while not villainous, wasn’t very helpful to poor Alice in any way. And those Siamese…. oh, how they tortured poor Lady. But I’m not sure I’m buying this theory. It doesn’t explain cute (and a little mischievous) Figaro or the helpful to dalmatians everywhere Sergeant Tibbs! Just like humans, there’s a fair balance of good and bad!

So, I was left with asking the final authority on why anyone would name a cat Lucifer: My five year old daughter.

“Well, you see, when they were making Cinderella, they really wanted to name him Luci, but that’s a girl’s name. So they had to come up with a boy’s name instead. They thought about how furry he was and named him Luci-fur!”

Probably not the answer we were looking for, but pretty much as good an answer as I could find!

Alrighty, fellow DisNerds, that should do it for this time! Hope you enjoyed this overdue “Ask a DisNerd” – be sure to keep those questions coming!

The Disney Olympic Team – Final Entrants

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Craig

As the Olympics come to a close, I thought I’d throw just a few more Disney athletes into the mix. I know this is in no way a comprehensive list, and if anyone would like to add to it, feel free! Without further adieu, here are my choices for Disney characters and their Olympic events:

First off, in the category of high jumps, I give you that spring-tailed master of bounce!

Continue reading →

The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge: Day 11

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Craig

Note: This post is part of a 15 Day challenge with questions referring to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. For more information, or to see all 15 questions, please refer to the introductory post, The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge. As stated in that post, I am not the creator of the challenge – just a willing participant!

Day 11: Your favorite person (face) character to meet at the parks.

I never really was a big character person. Until I had a kid. A kid who LOVES characters. Then everything changed. Yes, we are now one of the autograph seeking, wait-in-line families who will turn on a dime if we see a character walking past – as long as it’s not a villain. So then, I have to ask the question, who would be my favorite? The answer would lie within another question. Who is my favorite to see my daughter interact with?

The princesses, are, of course, awesome. As are the antics of Alice and the Mad Hatter. However, through all the interactions, my answer would have to go back to my little girl’s favorite:

Peter and my Goose.

Peter will always hold a special place in our heart. He was her first true favorite character. She was so obsessed with Peter, I commissioned a good friend to do a painting reflecting this. Notice how her eyes never leave Peter, although she’s flying over Neverland. More to the point, she’s flying with him! At the park, Peter has that same effect.

Notice Pinocchio? Another early favorite!

Even To this day, he’s still a favorite of hers. Of course, what child, be it boy or girl, doesn’t dream of flying to Neverland? What adult doesn’t dream of being a kid again? Perhaps it’s because we see him so rarely, but Peter’s interactions with my kiddo are my favorites to watch. He gets down on her level, acts as much the kid as she is, and just has fun! What’s not to love about that?

What about you? Do you have a favorite face character to meet?

The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge: Day 1

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Craig

Day One: The Attraction You Have To Go On Multiple Times.

ONLY ONE?????

When thinking about this one, the first ride that came to mind was “It’s a Small World,” mainly because of the multiple times we have ridden it. It was my daughter’s first ride, and the one fail safe with the shortest line and an opportunity to sit in air conditioning for nearly 15 minutes. But while the ride is classic and the song charming, ultimately, it’s not the one that leaves me longing for more.

I then thought of my favorite ride: Space Mountain. Thrilling at every turn, great effects in the “launch tunnel,” and an amazing in ride score, it’s a must ride for me. However, riding multiple times, I’d rather see more than stars and asteroids, or whatever silly pose I choose to come up with for the picture in the end.

So which ride is it that leaves me wanting more? That makes me want to ride over and over if only the line would permit? That makes me wish the ride would just stop for a minute in any given scene?

Second star to the right, and straight on ’til morning!

I actually don’t remember riding this one as a child. That’s not to say I didn’t; I just don’t remember. I do, however, remember the first time I rode it in high school. I don’t know if I could even talk about it afterward – I was just a 15 year old with his jaw very near to hitting the ground. Flying over the city of London, then onto Neverland… I was in awe. To this day I dream of building a room with a loft bed and thousands of fiber optic lights that turn on once the room is dark – just because I want to live in my own Neverland.

Now that I’m older with my own family, I still see the look of wonder in my little girl’s face whenever we ride; it is definitely a family favorite. Of course, we’ve put our own traditions into riding the ride. While waiting in the queue, we yell at the Evil Queen from Snow White peeking out through the window across the way to be nice. When we are first able to spot the Darling children’s nursery we say hi to Nana in our own special way: either barking or making other various animal sounds. However, once the ride starts, we’re still all transfixed by London and Neverland, although we do try to spot Mickey hiding in the windows of Big Ben.

Of course, the view of the real night sky isn’t so bad either!

So many rides could have been used for this one, but I think this one takes the cake for sheer beauty and wonder. Perfectly fitting for a boy who refuses to grow up!

Now it’s your turn, dear readers: What’s your repeated ride of choice?

Confessions Of A DisNerd

Embracing the Disney Geek Within

Tag Archives: Peter Pan