If there s one half marathon that s guaranteed to keep a smile on your face the whole way round, it s the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon. Having recently taken part in this year s event and as someone who hasn t exactly got the best past track record with half marathons I wanted to put toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her my top tips in/with regard to’concerning’regarding anyone who s claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing of entering this frankly most epic of races!

Here s my race round up of e grossly thing you need to know bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e token ing up to the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon.

Booking Process

There is a list of approved tour operators on the Disneyland Paris Run Weekend website so make sure you reserve your race entry and travel package through one of them. I opted to go with Great Days Holidays and went in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the 3 night package staying at Disney Hotel Cheyenne, which included bed and breakfast, entry to the half marathon and 2 day park access.   The total cost of this was £245, which breaks down as follows:

£75 race entry.
£170 3 nights B B and 2 day park pass.

Note that this does not include the cost of travel to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure here and so you will need to sort out your own travel arrangements. I went in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the train up to London and then the Eurostar to Paris option, aldespite’in spite of’albeit please check when you reserve Eurostar tickets as the train merely’barely stops at the Disney station (Marne-la-Vallée) on certain days of the week. Unin/with regard to’concerning’regarding tunately it didn t stop there on the day I was arriving and so my journey involved acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting the Eurostar to Gard du Nord and then hopping on the Metro to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure to Disney. Not ideal, so definitely worth taking into account when you decide what day to go.

When you reserve your package you will be given the choice of which Disney hotel you would like to stay in and this will affect the overall price. In terms of how far away the hotels are from the park, there s really not that much in it, as they are all located along the same stretch of road, so don t let that be a deciding factor in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you. More than anything it s with regards to’concerning’with respect to the price you re prepared to pay and the style of hotel you like the best, as each one has it s own unique style. For example, Hotel Cheyenne where I stayed has a Woody from Toy Story theme, so claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate cowboys, Indians, lots of cow hide and yee ha s.

As part of French regulations all runners taking part in the half marathon need to possess’own’nurse a medical certificate token ed by their doctor to confirm that they are fit to run. Most doctors charge in/with regard to’concerning’regarding this (I had to pay £30) but without it you won t be allowed to run. You will be sent an email to upload the token ed certificate to complete the registration process and I would also advise that you take it with you when you go just in case they aren t able to find it when you pick up your bib number at the Health Wellness Expo.

As the date acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s closer you will be sent a barrage of different emails with regards to’concerning’with respect to upgrade packages that you can buy to pimp up your stay. These include things like a special Pasta Dinner the night bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the race, but in all honesty there are so many restaurants in the Disney village that paying over the odds in/with regard to’concerning’regarding some pasta really isn t necessary.

Registration

Once you ve arrived at Disney and bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the actual race itself you will need to register and pick up your bib number and Gear Bag. This is all done at the Health Wellness Expo in the Disney Village and you will be told what times it is open in/with regard to’concerning’regarding in the registration email you should possess’own’nurse received the week bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e. Make sure you bring a print out of your token ed registration voucher along with valid photo ID, otherwise they won t hand over your race bib. If you possess’own’nurse n t had chance to print out your voucher they do possess’own’nurse printers there.

The Gear Bag is a enormous’vast’massive’tremendous eliminate’remove drawstring bag that you can use on the day of the race to store your personal items. Inside the Gear Bag you will find your bib number, 4 safety pins to attach it and inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mation and a map of the race. Keep this bag safe as it is the merely’barely bag you will be allowed to leave at the bag drop stations.

In the Health Wellness Expo you ll also be able to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure a sneak peak at the medals (more on those later), buy any merchandise you might want, and take a few selfies with the giant photo frames and in front of the wall of names; a really cool wall featuring eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullybody s name who has token ed up to run the race.

Bag Drop

On the morning of the race you can leave your Gear Bag at the bag drop off points in the Health Wellness Expo. There are different stations depending on your bib number, so it s a really smooth system and there are no long queues. I didn t possess’own’nurse much in mine, but it s worth throwing in a jumper in/with regard to’concerning’regarding if it s cold afterwards, plus any food you claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate you might want, and of course it s a handy place to keep your hotel key.  Simply flash your bib number at the end of the race and your bag is returned to you.

Toilets

I don t care how rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent your bladder control is, at some point either bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e or after the race you re gonna to need to go to the loo so finding out where they are in advance is essential!

There are toilets located in the Health Wellness Expo so it s a rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent idea to use them when you drop your bag off bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the race. I m not gonna lie, they ain t pretty (well OK the glowy door handles are ) and the smell is BAD, but when you gotta go, you gotta go. Remember to give yourself plenty of time because the queues are long. And I m not just talking Ladies loos, because the Men s queue is equally as long with eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone desperately lining up in a bid to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure rid of their morning poo so as not to be caught out during the run!

During the run, there are toilets within the park itself however there are just two toilet stops marked on the route and these are located outside of the parks, roughly halfway through the course. Aldespite’in spite of’albeit I didn t try these out in/with regard to’concerning’regarding myself, they are your bog standard (excuse the pun) portaloos and will do the job if you re desperate, but certainly ain t gonna be luxurious.

Race Morning

Let s not beat around the bush here you token up to a Disney half marathon, then you ve got to accept that you ll be acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting up intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully early on the morning of the race.

The race starts at 7am that s early by anyone s standards!
You need to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure into your corral (see below) by a peculiar time.
You need to allow time to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure into your costume (if you aren t running in some kind of costume, even if it s just Minnie ears, then why the hell are you taking part in a Disney run!?!).
You need to fit in breakfast and allow time in/with regard to’concerning’regarding it to go down properly.
You definitely need to allow abundant’ample’plentiful time to wee as much as you possibly can and acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure that morning poo over and done with (see Toilets )
You need to allow time to cover’budge from your hotel to the race village, which will be between 10-15 minutes depending on which hotel you stay at.
You need to allow time to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure through security.

That s a lot of things to claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate with regards to’concerning’with respect to , so I would suggest you put a plan of action in place the night bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e and then work backwards with the time you claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate you need in/with regard to’concerning’regarding each bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e working out when to set your alarm.

And my top tip in/with regard to’concerning’regarding race morning?

Buy yourself one of those disposable plastic ponchos, because it is flippin cold when you re stood around in the dark in just a tutu and vest. OK it isn t exactly the height of fashion, but trust me you will thank me in/with regard to’concerning’regarding it, as there is a LOT of hanging around. Just simply rip it off when you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure to the start line and throw it in one of the bins bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e you start running. You stay warm (ish) and your outfit and hair stays looking rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent despite a bit of drizzle.

Corrals

Like most English races, the Disneyland Paris half marathon race is broken down into waves, or corrals as they call it in France, to help stagger the start line and assure’guarantee runners aren t too bunched up. With over, 9000 runners you can see how this is absolutely necessary from a health and safety point of view. However, unlike most other races I possess’own’nurse taken part in, entry into these corrals doesn t appear to be based on the time in which you claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate you can complete the run in (certainly not according to the mixture of runners I saw waiting in each section that s in/with regard to’concerning’regarding sure). Instead it seemed utterly random, unless of course individual lied with regards to’concerning’with respect to their times on the registration in/with regard to’concerning’regarding m

When you pick up your bib number you will see a coloured letter in the corner; this is your corral. This year there were 5 corrals in total from A through to E and each one is given a time by which you must arrive at your detoken ated corral position. It is recommended that you arrive at your corral 30 minutes bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the race starts, however make sure you double check the specific time in/with regard to’concerning’regarding your corral as they will stop you entering after a set time.

Start Line

You ve been waiting in/with regard to’concerning’regarding this moment in/with regard to’concerning’regarding what feels like in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ever, you re filled with a mixture of excitement and nerves, you re in your corral, tension s establish ing, Paula Radcliffe s just cover’budge ed on stage along with some random French woman who wants to say happy 10 year wedding anniversary to her husband (random!) and fundamental ally you just can t wait to head up to the start line and start running.

But it s now coming up to 8.30am and you still possess’own’nurse n t started

Listen, just because the race start time is listed as 7am, does not in/with regard to’concerning’regarding one minute mean it ll actually start at that time. There is a LOT of faffing around. Plus remember those corrals I was talking to you with regards to’concerning’with respect to ? Well, they merely’barely go and split them up so that there are waves within waves of start times. If you are unin/with regard to’concerning’regarding tunate abundant’ample’plentiful to be in the last wave of the last corral expect to witness millions of countdowns to start. The excitement does embark on wear a bit thin after a while, I ll be honest, but it is all worth it in the end so possess’own’nurse patience my friends, your time will come.

Photo Opportunities

Trust me there are plenty of photo opportunities along the run, but they way I see it is you ll be one of either two different types of individual .

1. You want ALL the photos, with e grossly single Disney character you can possibly acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure your sweaty little paws on.

or

2. You d like some photos as memories, but you really don t want to be stopping mid-race to possess’own’nurse to queue up in/with regard to’concerning’regarding character photos, especially when it ll affect your overall finish time.

If you re person 1, then you ll need to buy yourself one of the PhotoPass packages from Disney bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e the race. You ll receive inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mation with regards to’concerning’with respect to it when you reserve your race entry or you can token up to it at the Health Wellness Expo. PhotoPass collects photos during the race by recognising the number on your bib. Photos include those taken of you running as well as the ones you possess’own’nurse with any characters if you can be bothered to stop and queue.

There are two different PhotoPass packages to choose from:

PhotoPass+ Just Run = (£39.00) includes photos from the race.
PhotoPass+ Run Parks (£74.00) includes photos from the race and time spent in the parks.

If however you are person 2 and the despite’in spite of’albeit t of wasting any precious running time queuing up in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a photo with Maleficent sends shivers down your spine, then you re gonna possess’own’nurse to rely on taking your own pics I m afraid! Other than the paid PhotoPass photos, there are no other official photographs taken during the race so it s a question of a steady hand and positioning yourself in front of the characters while someone else acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s their photo taken with the characters. The use of selfie sticks isn t allowed (aldespite’in spite of’albeit I definitely spotted a few along the way), so action shots are highly likely to be blurry unless you stop and pause in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a bit. Just remember to indicate you are with regards to’concerning’with respect to to stop by putting a hand into the air bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e pulling to the side and staying out of the way of the other runners.

The Course

The course, as you would hope, starts and ends in the parks. Running through the Disney parks is one of the most memorable things I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate I possess’own’nurse ever done in my life, it was truly stunning and running through Sleeping Beauty s castle is something that will stay with me in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ever. The race sets off early in the morning and so the parks are not yet open to the public. Starting in the Walt Disney Studios park you weave your way past rides and appeal’tempt ions, some of which are lit up and playing music.  The course is attentive ly marked out with cones and there are plenty of Disney staff on hand to cheer you along and give you a massive Mickey high five. After going through and behind the scenes of Walt Disney Studios, you then go into the Disneyland Park where there are more characters waiting to possess’own’nurse their photos taken with you. It would be impossible to run the distance of a half marathon in just the parks alone, and so at some point it s necessary to head outside of the parks. This is the most dull’tedious’frayed’monotonous and the hardest part of the race, as aldespite’in spite of’albeit there are bands and entertainment along the way, there is apparently’manifestly’noticeably’evidently far, far less to look at and be amazed by than if you re in the parks. This part of the course includes long stretches of roads, running alongside corn fields and through housing estates, and it just seems to go on in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ever, and the drizzly rain and wind rushing across certainly didn t help. There is no other way than to push on through it, because this is the tough bit, and the merely’barely way you can acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure through it is to just keep running.

In general the course is relatively flat, there is the odd hill here and there, but we re merely’barely talking intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully small inclines and actually it helps breaks up the run a bit. Because it had been raining the cobbled streets in the parks were a bit slippery and so care had to be taken on those parts, but in general the terrain was relatively safe and easy to run on.

Costumes

Each year s race has a theme and this year was Disney villains. You apparently’manifestly’noticeably’evidently don t possess’own’nurse to dress up, but come on spoil sports why on earth would you not!?! I went with Cruella de Ville and my friend was a dalmatian, but we re merely’barely talking accessories like tutu s, ears, grubbish’trash tattoos etc. to hint at these characters, because well there is the small matter of having to run 13 miles after all! Some individual went all out men in massive evil queen dresses, wigs, accessories, full on make up I even saw one woman dressed as a character from the film Up who had balloons tied to her hat, which may possess’own’nurse been funny to her but was really annoying when you re the person running behind her and you ve got balloons flying around in your face!

Not eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone seemed to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure the Disney villain memo, as it was fundamental ally a costume free in/with regard to’concerning’regarding all. From princesses and Toy story characters, through to literally hundreds of Minnie Mouses, you re more likely to be gaze’contemplate’study (‘gape (surprised or shocked)) d at if you re not wearing a costume than if you are. It helps create a fun atmosphere, gives you something to look at and talk to individual with regards to’concerning’with respect to as you re going round and it looks amazing. So please, if you re seriously claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing with regards to’concerning’with respect to running the Disneyland half marathon you possess’own’nurse got to dress up. It just wouldn t be the same if you didn t.

The Finish Line

Maybe it was just me, but even despite’in spite of’albeit each km was marked and therein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e I knew the end of the race was coming up, the finish line bizarrely seemed to come out of nowhere. One minute I m running, looking around claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing I m back in Walt Disney Studios, surely I must be near the end now? and the next thing I know I look up and realise I ve already passed the finish line! It was all a bit odd’peculiar if I m honest and a bit flat. Possibly it was because I d finished the race on my own (more on that in my personal account of the race) and didn t possess’own’nurse anyone to share it with? And I m not really sure what I was expecting to happen exactly. But there was no announcement, no one straight away’in a flash’promptly’instantaneous’in a trice putting a medal around your neck, it was just a mass of runners cover’budge ing around looking lost. Very odd’peculiar . Yes so Mickey Mouse was prancing around on stage, and yes I eventually found the individual who were giving out the medals, but it wasn t as spectacular a finish as I had necessarily hoped in/with regard to’concerning’regarding that s in/with regard to’concerning’regarding sure.

Freebies

There are ample drink and snack stops along the course of the run, where you can help yourself to bottles of water and isotonic drinks, plus chewy snack bars and gels. I personally prefer to take my own fuel with me when I run and so I ran with my water bottle the whole way and stopped in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a GU gel with regards to’concerning’with respect to halfway round. However, I do like a rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent y bag at the end of a race and had high expectations of what I might acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure after a Disney race. But disappointingly it isn t anything that spesh and you certainly don t acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure handed a rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent y bag like you do at most English events. You can help yourself to more water, more neon coloured isotonic drinks, some weird coffee milkshake thing, a banana and a Disney box filled with a dry bit of intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully sweet cake, a bag of nuts and dried fruit, some grainy breakfast biscuits and a squirty sachet of honey. None of which got eaten I saved myself in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the second breakfast that the hotel kindly put on in/with regard to’concerning’regarding all us runners. Bacon sarnies here I come!

The Medal

It s rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent . So, so, so, so rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent ! Proper solid, looks the business and it is MASSIVE! If you are a runner who loves their bling then you need to do this run in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the medal alone.

Over the course of the RunDisney weekend, in addition to the half marathon there is also a 5k and 10k race (as well as a kid race) each of which possess’own’nurse their own medal detoken . You can enter all three of the races in an attempt to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure all three medals and also bag yourself an additional challenge medal. Or in/with regard to’concerning’regarding those real hardcore Disney fans you can also complete the Castle to Chateau Challenge which involves you finishing the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon as well as a Half Marathon or Marathon at the Disneyland Resort in Caliin/with regard to’concerning’regarding nia or Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

The Disneyland Paris run weekend is quite literally out of this world. Hands down the best race I possess’own’nurse taken part in in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a whole heap of different reasons, but something that I will remember in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ever and would recommend to any runner I know. You need to tick this race off of your running bucket list, whether you re a Disney fan or not!