This Is What It Feels Like To Sign Up For The Disney Princess Half Marathon

I can barely hold my excitement in. I am about to bust as my grin grows Cheshire cat in length. I am screaming in happiness on the inside to not wake my sleeping toddler who is on my chest. My fingers are twirling along through the registering form.

“Thank you for registering.”

Reading this feels magical.

I just signed up for the 2019 Disney Princess Half Marathon.

Photo Credit: Run Disney | facebook

It’s the morning, although I have no clue what time. All I know is my little guy has had me up since 6 a.m. and I’m on my second cup of coffee. Must be around 9 o’clock then. My best friend texts me sending me positive vibes for the morning, mostly with how proud of me she is for my recent running adventures. We’ve been friends since we were children. We’ve been best friends since I stole her away from my older sister growing up. She is the kind of friend who lives far away now and we don’t get to see each other as other as we both like to. We don’t even get to talk as often as we both like to. But we do it’s like no time has passed and we pick up right off where we left off.

She lives in Florida. I just finished a half marathon.

So talking me into signing up for another, let alone one in Florida…in Disney …took zero effort on her part.

Signing Up

My running coach told me the day after completing a race is usually when people sign up for the next one. And although I had a great experience training and ran a good half, going home with another medal for my collection and a PR (2:21!) something has turned off for me. I just really didn’t have a real desire to do another one and chase a faster time. Usually competitive and a race junkie, I was feeling pretty content.

I will say that this is probably because I have already run two 5ks and started training for a hilly 15k next month. And I do have my sights set on another local half in April. So the question wasn’t if I was going to register for another half marathon, but rather when.

So when I began to tell my long-distance bestie that I am serious about signing up the butterflies of excitement finally returned. We both agreed to register (my near-distance running buddy further making me pull the trigger after trying to convince her to do it too).

I feel giddy and goofy and honestly cannot wait to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon.

The Pros And Cons Of Registering

This might seem random or rash, but I did think it through all morning before clicking Enter. There are both pros and cons to registering for a Disney run.

First and foremost, this is a Disney run. Enough said.

It will probably be the best run ever for anyone who grew up watching Disney movies and continues to do so, who loves visiting the parks and who just has a pure appreciation for the creativity, imagination, and artistry associated with all things Disney.

And not only is this a run through Disney theme parks, but it is the Disney Princess Half. Who doesn’t want to feel like a princess for the day and spot their favorite princesses along the course, all while wearing their own version of Cinderella’s glass slippers (aka running shoes)?

Other pros include traveling to Florida, escaping the NJ cold in February, and personally for me, visiting family and friends.

There are some cons associated with this type of event. First is the high cost. The race is $199 (plus fees) itself. Then there are flights and hotel for those who don’t have family or friends to stay with.

Then there is the starting time. At 5:30 a.m. Good thing as a mom I am used to waking up at the crack of dawn.

Lastly, there are the crowds. I’ve heard that this race is packed, and it’s not run for a PR. I am not sure if its the Disney Princess in particular, but I heard that one of the halfs at Disney was a disappointment because the course was mostly on the surrounding highway and not in the parks.

Becoming A Princess Finisher: All The Feels

But the pros outweighed the cons for this runner, and it was just what I needed to jump start my running motivation again. Signing up for the Disney Princess Half has ignited my running fire, and will continue to fuel each run moving forward. It feels different than registering for other races because there is no time pressures that weigh in the back of my mind. There is no doubts, fears, or dread of what is to come. I just want to go out and enjoy the run in Disney.

This is a race that is all about fun and that’s exactly what I intend to do during it. Running it with my best friend and having that Disney experience is a recipe for a magical day. The Disney Princess Half Marathon is on many bucket lists for runners and has been on mine for a long time. I never thought I would actually get to do it, but all it takes is having the courage to sign up and dreams can come true.

Those looking to sign up for a Disney run should know that an intense burst of excitement will course through your veins upon submitting that registration. You will suddenly start to look forward to running long distance and immediately count back in the calendar to see when it’s time to start training.

It will still take hard work and dedication to become a Princess finisher, but I have never felt more up for the task. I might actually whistle while I work my way through the next few weeks of running.

As a first timer, let me know your Run Disney tips!