Thursday morning dawned (seriously, we were up and about since 4 am due to excitement a jet lag. Not that I’ve completed Disney runs on both coasts, the whole going back two hours makes those 3 am wake up calls that feel like 5 am much less painful than the 2:30 am ones that feel like 1:30! But I digress …)
The sky’s awake, so I’m awake …
We hung out at the parks in the morning and then headed over to the expo for the bib pick up. Now, I’ve heard constant horror stories about how crowded, busy, insane runDisney expos are. And with the addition of runDisney New Balance shoes these events have turned into fever-pitch mania. And, yup, I was throwing myself in the fire because I had my heart set on getting a pair of Cinderella running shoes! Feed the beast! They had this whole process that they have since done away with involving getting to expo hours before it opens to wait in line to sign up for a time to come back to wait in line to get your shoes. Did ya catch all that? And we got there an hour before THAT line was supposed to open and there were still several hundred people in front of us! In addition to that, there were already dozens of people waiting in the merchandise line, which wasn’t going to be open for another four hours. I do sometime wonder if Disney does this on purpose- whips everyone into a must buy now because it’ll be gone state of agitation. Although a simpler answer would be to let people preorder race merchandise, or, I don’t know, maybe make more? It seems like the same items consistently sell out at EVERY EVENT (wine glasses, event-specific sweaty bands) and some things they have surplus of ($45 cotton t-shirts).
West Coast Partners Statue!
We got our time to come back and grabbed sandwiches from Earl of Sandwich and eat lunch on the balcony of our hotel. That’s another nice thing about Disneyland races- everything is so close together. No buses or shuttles- walk to hotel, expo, parks, starting line. Anyway, go our text that we could get our shoes, got the bibs, wandered around the expo (even making it into the merchandise area and getting a wine glass).
Yay for Team Poor Unfortunate Soles!
After the expo the real fun was about to begin! My sister was arriving, there were radiator springs to race and a chef’s table to eat at! Angela had been admiring the Minnie New Balance shoes and she saw my Facebook post with my Cinderella ones and was appropriately jealous. But me being the awesome person I am had a surprise- Disney New Balance for all!
The start of something magical -The Happiest Shoes on Earth!
There was a small debate about if we should wear these shoes to Napa Rose, and the answer was yes- I based my opinion on the fact that these shoes were waaaaaaay more expensive than the $10 “dressy” ones I bought at Target. And then early to bed- the first run was second star to the right and straight on till morning!
Poor Unfortunate Soles 