Racing Events

runDisney FAQs: Top 10 runDisney Questions Answered

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Marathon weekend is around the corner! Although the event guide hasn’t been released yet, you can find answers to some of the most common runDisney questions here!

1. I registered but now I can’t run. Can I sell or transfer my bib?

This is hands-down the most asked question on the runDisney forums. It makes complete sense – to get a spot in a race you have to register nine months ahead of time. Sooo much can happen in that time. Injuries, pregnancies, emergencies, failure to train and a thousand more things can happen. Unfortunately the one-word answer is no. runDisney does not permit any transfers, sales or deferments at this time. Rules have changed over the years: long ago they offered deferments (I got one when I was pregnant half a lifetime ago), sometimes they have offered partial refunds via a gift card (not so much recently). The current policy is absolutely no transfers permitted. If someone were to run under someone else’s bib, the potential penalty is permanent ban from runDisney races – for both parties. Just. Not. Worth it. Not.

2. What’s the best Disney Resort to stay at on race weekend?

Honestly… the only parameter is budget. ALL the Disney resorts offer race day transportation. For most people that’s the crucial question, and the easy answer is take your pick. The Disney resort offerings go from almost afforable to “People can actually pay this??? Like, for more than one night???” At the low end you get a very acceptable motel room with coffee and a fridge. At the high end you get… I’ll be completely honest. I’ve never stayed at the high end. Rumor has it that it’s better.. and quieter. The “value” resorts are often full of school groups and the party crowd. But I will also be very clear, despite my insomnia, noise has never kept me awake at a value resort.

3. I am staying at [XYZ Disney Resort]. Do they offer race-day transportation?

See above. Yes, they all offer race-day transportation. There have been some rather frightening stories of bus drivers getting lost on the way to the start line. I know that sounds impossible, but there are many road closures on race mornings, so those could potentially be contributing factors. I do advise you to grab the earliest bu possible from your resort, if nothing more than for peace of mind.

There are also a few off-property hotels that offer race day transportation. I’d suggest doing a quick internet search, particularly for the hotels in the Disney Springs area. These hotels are the most likely to offer these packages.

The scary, scary Balloon Ladies

4. I am a new runner (or I am currently running 15-minute miles). I am so scared of the Balloon Ladies. Help.

Ok, this isn’t really a question, but the prospect of being swept has kept more than a few newbies and some experienced runners awake for nights on end. The much feared “Balloon Ladies” are the last to cross the start line and run at a steady 16-minute mile pace. They are the unofficial harbingers of the sweep. If you fall behind them, the race officials can pull you off the course and put you on a bus.

There are many factors that will impact whether or not runners behing the Balloon Ladies will actually be swept, including congestion on the course and where you are in terms of milage. While there are rumors out there that they can’t sweep you if you are in the park or just outside the park, that’s actually not true. Sweeping is completely at the discretion of the race officials. The only place you’re truly safe from being swept is at the finish line.

That being said, if you are able to run any of the course at all, a 16-minute walking pace, even for a few miles should be achievable for most. If you find yourself falling behind, just keep moving. There are no guarantees, of course, most people who have trained and keep moving have reported a succcessful finish.

5. I just bought these shoes, but I am not sure about them. Anyone else have the same experience?

I personally wouldn’t put a ton of faith in the opinions of well-intentioned Facebook commenters on particulars of running shoes for my body. Every shoe fits every person differently. Maybe if there’s some poor manufacturing issues you might get some confirmation on social media, but beyond that, I’d urge you to talk to a qualified fit specialist at a legit running shoe store.

6. I am trying to plan my race day nutrition. Should I bring my own fuel? What kind of hydration is available.

Shorter races like 5K and 10K generally have a number of water stops, but not much else. Half marathons will have Power Ade and some sort of fuel like Gu or Sport Beans. There are more options at the full marathon, which will also offer bananas and candy at some point. The course maps which are published a few weeks before the race will detail what’s available. If your nutrition is important, I suggest you check the course maps carefully. The last time I ran the full marathon there wasn’t a banana in sight until at least mile 9 and I was STARVING by then… it was way too late. I would have been wise to carry a snack with me.

7. I’m following [XYZ] program and I missed a run. What would you do?

We all miss runs, it happens. And rarely is it a reason to panic. I do think this is an area where crowdsourcing some advice can be helpful. You’ll find many experienced runners from numerous training programs stepping up to give advice. Ask away!

8. I missed out on registration. How can I run my race?

As we’ve covered in a previous blog post registration is a stressful and fast process that leaves a lot of would-be racers disappointed or empty-handed.

One option is to raise money for a designated charity. You can find participating charities on the runDisney site under Plan Your Trip> Travel Providers & Charities.

The other option is to stalk the runDisney site to see if registration will re-open for your race. It does happen from time to time, but as with initial regisration is likely to sell out quickly. Just keep checking or follow the Twitter account @runDisRegStatus which offers updates when races re-open.

9. I am staying at Disney, but not running a race. Where are there some good running trails?

Disney has actually published a list of places to run on property. You’ll be able to find options at most resorts. Some of the most popular ones include:

  • Around Seven Seas Lagoon at the Magic Kingdom resorts
  • Around the Boarwalk at the Epcot area resorts
  • Around Hourglass Lake between Pop Century and Art of Animation resorts. This one is particularly fun, because if you turn on your GPS watch while running, the trail will look like the shape of Olaf from Frozen!

10. What’s the best post-race watering hole / breakfast spot?

OK, so if you’re looking for a watering hole after a 5K or 10K, you probably need some help because you’l definitely be done by 9:00 a.m. That being said, you may be able to find some champagne at the finish line. A lot of folks are looking for breakfast spots after one of these races. Might I suggest Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort? No matter where you settle, make sure you have a reservation. Anything better than a resort food court may still need a reservation, particularly if it is character dining.

As for watering holes, there are two great options. If you have a park ticket, head over to Epcot to drink “around the world” and grab some pics with your medals. If you don’t have a park ticket, grab the bus from your resort over to Disney Springs. You can bar hop to your heart’s content and take in some live music at the same time. Whatever you decide, leave the driving to the Disney pros and have a well deserved blast!

Got more questions? Hit me up! Drop a comment!

#MedalMonday Update: Springtime Surprise REVEAL

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Many are anxiously awaiting the Marathon Weekend Event Guide – but today the Disney Parks Blog gave us a little taste to whet our appetites while we wait – the 2023 Springtime Surprise medal reveal!

All 3 races feature characters from favorite Pixar films. Let’s take a look:

Cars 5K

Featuring Lightning McQueen

Monsters, Inc. 10K

Boo’s door opens to reveal Mike & Sully!

Toy Story 10-Miler

Buzz, Wooody and some aliens

Springtime Surprise Challenge

Nemo, Dory and Crush

It’s hard to tell if any of the medals other than the Monsters, Inc. have a special surprise, but in keeping with the theme of the weekend, lets hope for some.

I’m really digging the Toy Story medal. How about you? Drop a comment and let me know your favorite.

A Toast to the Turkey Trotters

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Sharing Reflections on the 86th running of the Manchester Road Race

Well, Thanksgiving came and went, and the running community celebrated another round of the fabled Turkey Trot – a short Thanksgiving morning frippery designed for family fun, usually with some costume silliness.

Now I’m sure that a lot of non-runner folks assume that this is a great way to “pre-burn” off the Thanksgiving feast, but lets be real here. Most of us won’t burn more than 500-800 calories and a typical Thankgiving dinner clocks in at a baseline 1,500 calories and goes up from there. Anyway, it’s the thought that counts. If you’re lucky enough to be able to get away on Thanksgiving morning, what a great way to start off the day.

Credit: John Leonard

I am extra lucky, because I live in a town that hosts one of the biggest Thanksgiving Day races in the country. A bit more than your typical Turkey Trot, the Manchester (CT) Road Race is a 4.748 mile spectacle / tailgate party / costume ball that has been running for 86 years and had more than 10,000 registered runners this year.

It’s a sacred tradition in this town that starts at 10:00 sharp to the cry of “This is Thanksgiving in Manchester!” Main Street is lined with spectators and restaurants open early for take-out sandwiches and beverages. Although there are police everywhere, they look the other way when people are walking down the street with a beer, mimosa, or bloody Mary at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. It’s all part of the atmosphere.

It feels like a big deal – the race is televised and there’s a fairly competitive costume contest. Thanksgiving and Christmas-themed costumes are pretty common, but we can also count on the local body builders to show up in body paint in ANY weather contitions – and everyone is excited to catch a glimpse of the golden gods running in a pack. I did see them but wan’t quick enough to grab a pic. Maybe next year.

There are lots of serious runners, too. We are often joined by Olympians and Olympic hopefuls. There’s prize money for the winners and the “King and Queen of the Hill”. What is this hill, you ask? Well on any other day of the year it’s just Charter Oak Street, but on Thanksgiving day, it becomes “Hearbreak Hill”. It’s the long slow grind between mile 1 and 2 that just never seems to end, and has broken many a spirit. Just when you think you’re done, there’s more, and the steepest little insult is at the very top.

Also at the top of the hill is our local super hero, Safety Man. This secret-identity masked crusader stands at the top of the hill with his whistle, making sure everyone slows down and stays safe. Safety Man maintains his post every year without fail, but who he is, we’ll never know.

I managed to snag a selfie with Safety Man before the race started.

This year it was chilly but not too cold, and we were blessed with bright sunshine. The jolly crowd of runners made its way past the largest group of spectators I’ve ever seen in the 10 or so times I’ve run the course. With the exception of Main Street, the entire race goes through neighborhoods. Everyone who lives along the course shuffles out to the street with coffee or cocktails. Some up the game and set up music or a live band performance in their driveway. This year there was so much music, the bands were frequently overlapping. There’s no hiding from this race if you live along the course — best to just embrace it! The course was typically slow as we passed The Hungry Tiger at the base of Heartbreak Hill. This year the crowd was armed with super soakers full of rum. Lucky runners might have managed a quick shot if the timing was right, but by the smell of things, I suspect most of it ended up on the pavement.

When all is said and done, a good time was had by all. Thousands of dollars were raised for charities, and 364 pints of blood were donated at the race’s blood drive held the next day. Such a worthwhile event for everyone!

I did learn one important lesson, though. DO not attempt an 18-mi long run the day after you donate blood. It won’t be pretty, I promise.

Wine & Dine Weekend 2022 Wrap-Up

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Phew! The dust has settled, hopefully all the travelers have made it home safely, so let’s recap the weekend that was Wine & Dine. As with anything, there were highs and lows, I’ll try to cover everything I saw here, but as always, drop a comment if I missed something.

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The Best

The start line: For me the best part of any race weekend is the party atmosphere at the start line. It’s a big costume ball with sneakers, and boy were there some great costumes! Carissa and Riley were there, providing the hype and fireworks blasted each wave across the start line. It was so great to be back in person.

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The Worst

Half Marathon: The entire Half Marathon experience was pretty much the worst this weekend. It started with really high humidity and some light rain, and just went downhill from there. The new course they tried out was narrow and filled with soul-crushing highway miles towards the end. I got the worst corral placement possible. Stuck in the back, there were more walkers than runners and more bottlenecks than stretches where I could actually run at the pace I wanted. There was also a disappointing lack of etiquette on the course. Walkers spread out across the entire path making passing impossible, but in their defense, there really wasn’t any “right” for them to move to. With humidity climbing and paces slowing, it was pretty much 13.1 miles of prolonged frustration.

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The OK-est

Afterparty: The afterparty was the busiest I can remember seeing Epcot. At least at the start of the evening, lines for everything were pretty long. Since party-goers were welcomed to the park at 5 pm and day guests didn’t leave until 9 pm, there was a lot of overlap. I heard that things opened up after 10 pm, but after 3 days of being up at 2:30 am, I didn’t make it that far. I did try a couple of delicious Festival foods – the French fry flight and the pork lettuce wraps, but I called it a night early since I needed to catch a plane in the morning. I was going to try to get on Guardians of the Galaxy, but the line stretched out to the Creations shop when they opened it, and my sore feet weren’t having it.

Virtual Queue: To try to manage crowd flow, runDisney utilized a vitrual queue for race merch shopping. To join the queue, you needed to be geographically within 45 miles of Wide World of Sports. This ended up throwing a monkey wrench in a lot of peoples’ days, especially those who live locally. It wasn’t horrible, but I heard many cases of people waiting at least 2 hours for their groups to be called.

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Brushes with Greatness

I was lucky enough to catch up with two of my heroes! Puppet Runner (+Remy) and Jeff Galloway, who inspired me through the last quarter-mile and got me across the finish line.

I also connected with a number of people I know from Facebook groups and Instagram. So much fun to see meet these amazing comerades.

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Achievements Unlocked

Going in to the weekend I really had 2 goals:

  1. Don’t get swept
  2. Stop at some character stops to get some pics.

I’ve always been so terrified of the Balloon Ladies that I have never dared stop. I was determined this time to get some pics with characters… but I have to be completely honest, it almost sank me during the 5K! As I mentioned earlier I started in the back. There were 3 character stops in Epcot. Olaf was hanging out in Norway and the line was ridiculous so I kept moving. Remy and Emile were posted in France and I figured it was now or never. If I waited for the perfect moment I would end up empty-handed again so I got in line and waited. And waited. Then the characters went on break. And I waited. Finally they returned and the line started moving again and I got my first treasuered character pic. That’s when I realized ALL the runners had passed. I saw one person hobbling by on crutches, and after that, it looked like the staff was wrapping up. That’s when I kicked it into high gear and went straight for the finish. (Not last!)

I was still struggling with time, but I did manage to grab a few over the course of the weekend:

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And Some Final Thoughts on Costumes

So this was the first time I went all-in on costumes. I’m not crafty or rich, so this was a bit of a stretch for me. Running with a friend, we decided to do couples costumes. They worked, although maybe not to the degree I hoped they would. The biggest issue was my selection of a full-body polyester cat costume. Unfortunately it was the longest race, the hottest race, and it was raining at the start line. Mr. Mittens made it 3 miles before I had to start removing pieces. It was a matter of survival. Oh well. I was very cute for the one pic I took in the hotel room.

And in the end, a good time was had by all. I’d love to see your costumes, too! Find me on Instagram @disneyparkrunner and show me what you’ve got!

Wine & Dine Countdown is On!

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Wine & Dine jacket design

We’re less than a week away from Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, and I am so excited I could nearly burst. I haven’t been on property for a race weekend since the 2019 Marathon, so in the words of Lizzo, it’s about damn time!

If you’re headed to Orlando next week, there is one notable change to procedures. Due to demand issues (as in limited quantities of items getting wiped out quickly by resellers) and crowd management, Disney has opted to go with a virtual queue for merchandise shopping on day 1 of the expo (Thursday, November 3). There will be no standby line available.

This has not been a particularly popular decision, but I’m not going to debate the pros and cons and fairness of it all, just the facts.

Virtual Queue Details

The RunDisney Blog has a detailed post on the new process, but I’ll summarize:

1. You must have a smart phone with location services enabled, and the My Disney Experience app installed.

2. Virtual queue will open at 7:30 a.m., with first groups being allowed to begin shopping at 10:00 a.m.

3. You must be within 45 miles of Wide World of Sports to enter the virtual queue.

4. You will receive a push notification on your phone when your group is called, and then you will have one hour to make your way to the merchandise building at Wide World of Sports.

For Club runDisney members, you will not need to utilize the virtual queue. Platinum members can enter at 8:30 a.m. and Gold members can enter at 9:00 a.m.

So, what can I buy anyway?

If this is anything like past expos, there will be tons of runDisney merch available… everything from car magnets to shot glasses and keychains. The wild card is always the event-specific merch. Just in the nick of time, Disney has revealed a first look.

I probably have enough t- shirts and jackets to last me a while, but I will be all over that pin set for sure!

What about you? Got your eye on anything? Leave a comment and let me know.

Save the Dates! 2023-2024 Walt Disney World race weekends have been announced

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While we’re all eagerly awaiting the return of Disneyland races, we can start planning for Florida Races for next season.

  • November 2-5, 2023 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend
  • January 3-7, 2024 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
  • February 22-25, 2024 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
  • April 18-21, runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend

2022 Wine & Dine Course Maps Released

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The 2022 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Digital Event Guide has been published and the course maps that everyone has been clamoring for have finally been unveiled. My initial reaction was “Wow, that’s a whole lot of highway.” I am trusting that our event planners have been hard at work to keep their promise that “every mile is magic.” We’re going to need some magic between miles 6.5 and 11 on the half marathon course. It looks like 5-6 miles of desert to me, right about when we’re all going to hit the wall.

Unfortunately the maps published aren’t high-res, and they don’t blow up very well. The digital event guide does have a link to an interactive map, which might be more useful for study. I’ve scrutinized them, and I’ll try to describe what I am seeing for those of you who don’t have the eyesight or the patience to zoom in to a grainy picture.

5K Course

Our 5K course starts at the back of the Epcot parking lot and wraps around the parking lot to the access road that orbits the park. We hit mile 1 just before entering the World Showcase near Mexico (sorry, too early for margaritas). Then it’s a lap around the World Showcase with a quick jog behind the International Gateway and the back side of United Kingdom.

We return to the lagoon to complete the loop and head into Future World. The we will take a right at the big pit and head into World Discovery and exit the park between Test Track and Mission Space. We run through no-mans-land behind The Wonders of Life and The Wonders of Xandar (Cosmic Rewind) to finish at the edge of the parking lot. I’m not sure what’s going on with that finish line experience. Perhaps it’s due to construction, but it feels rather anti climactic not to finish under Spaceship Earth.

10K Course

For the 10K, we will head out from the parking lot in the opposite direction, do a funny curleyque and run on the highway for a few miles till we get to the back entrance of the Hollywood Studios. We’ll head down Sunset Boulevard past the Tower of Terror and then a left to head out the main entrance. From there we take a left along the waterway towards the Boardwalk and finally to the International Gateway a to finish in Epcot pretty much the same as the 5K course.

Half Marathon

Here’s where I may get a little whiney. For the Half Marathon we start somewhere outside the parking lot (which I imagine means roads will be closed earlier – get there early!) There’s a bit of back-and-forth around the parking lot. Its past mile 3 before we even get into the park. After a swing aroung the lagoon, with a jog behind France, we exit and head through the Boardwalk towards the Studios.

We get to see just about everything in the Studios, including Galaxy’s Edge, before exiting to possibly the longest 6 miles in history. After the euphoria of the Studios, we face nothing to look forward to, at about the time it starts getting really tough physically and mentally.

If we survive this torture, it’s back through the parking lot to Future World, around the pit and the same basic finish as the other races.

I’m sure it will all seem much more entertaining when we’re in the moment, and that beautiful Half Marathon and possible Challenge medal will take the pain away when we cross the finish line. Here’s to some magical races, everyone!

Princess Half Marathon Weekend Medals Revealed

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I’m a bit late to the game in posting this, but runDisney has revealed the medals for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend!

Jasmine – 5k
Belle – 10k
Moana – Half Marathon

To be completely candid I’m not 100% in with the style of the medals for this one. I think it’s supposed to harken back to a Mary Blair look, but I’m not sure they nailed it. Of the three single race medals, I like Jasmine (5k) and Moana (Half) the best. There’s just something I’m not buying about the 10k Belle medal. Guess which race I am running? Yes. This particualar weekend I am only running the 10k. Oh well. Can’t win them all.

Fairy Tale Challenge – 19.3 Miles

The Fairy Tale Challenge medal (10K+Half Marathon) is an entirely different story. I am so in love with this medal. Its classy and elegant, and wishing it would be hanging on my wall in February. Oh well. Airfares during that particular week are just too steep for me. Flying home on Saturday after the 10k prevents me from needing to sell a kidney on the black market to fly home after the half marathon.

Either way, I’m so excited I’ll get the opportunity to participate in Princess Half Marathon Weekend! So which medals have you wishing on a star? Leave a comment and let me know!

Costumes are the crowning touch on race weekends!

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There’s a lot to do to get ready for a runDisney weekend…first you have to secure a spot, you actually have to train (easy to forget about that in the excitement surrounding registration), make travel arrangements, park reservations and that’s it, right? Wrongo!!! The most important question might be WHAT are you going to wear??? Now there’s nothing saying you have to wear a costume to run, but come on, you’re running in the happiest place on earth and the costumes are a big part of the show!

Running costumes can be a bit tricky, because you want to have fun, of course, but you do actually have to be able to move in your costume. You never know what you’re going to get for weather at 5 a.m. in Central Florida. Probably TMI, but my first marathon (January, of course) I was in the median of the highway vomiting with heat exhaustion. The next marathon, wishing I’d selected ski pants and a parka instead of leggings and a t-shirt.

Checking out everyone’s costumes is a huge part of the fun for the Disney races. The level of creativity is usually off the charts. Costumes can be simple, but some of them are extravagant. But whatever you choose, rest assured you’re probably making someone’s day while showing off your Disney side.

There are a few guidelines on the runDisney site. Most of them are for safety purposes, with the biggie being that no masks are allowed.

My own efforts are underway. Please don’t laugh.

You know you’re in trouble when you start planning costumes for non-Disney races! This number makes its debut next weekend at the Hartford Half Marathon.

I am in love with the idea of costumes, but I definitely have a handicap. I can’t sew – not one stitch. Now if it invovles a stapler, a hot glue gun, or fusible bonding web, I might have a chance, but the results are usually questionable. I’ve always been a fan of putting stuff together from thrift store finds. It can be quite satisfying, but I’m realizing that with all the “extras” that I need to finish a costume this way, I’ve probably spent just as much as I would have if I’d purchased a professional costume, and the results are often well, clearly handmade (I think the bougie description is “folk art”). There is still a statisfaction in creating your own “something” out of a pile of thrifted rags, so if nothing else, there is that.

The skirt on the left was a thrifted maxi-skirt. I cut it short and stuck some ribbons and remnants on there to make it look like Luisa’s skirt from Encanto. The black fabric for the dumbbells was a big mistake. If I were to do it over again, I’d use felt. Also, this skirt will need a slit. There’s no running in a pencil skirt, no matter what the fabric!

On the right is a bunch of stuff from another thrift store run that I will attempt to turn into Namaari from Raya and the Last Dragon. Whether or not this will be successful remains to be seen. Stay tuned, Dear Readers!

Thankfully there are a number of people who specialize in making beautiful and functional running costumes that are perfect for the occasion and don’t look amateur like my meager efforts.

Here are some of my faves:

WeRunForFun

Every race has it’s own theme, and thankfully, WeRunForFun has thought of everything! This Etsy shop has something for all the upcoming race icons and heroes! Prices range from around $39-$65, depending on the item. You can find printed dresses, skirts, shirts, leggings – even sports bras, perfectly themed for the upcoming runs. I’m a little bit obsessed with the 90s themed skirt for the marathon – it would go perfectly with Pleasure Island shirt I’ll be rocking that weekend!

Tutu Factory

If you’re looking for something with that extra special kick (i.e. bling) www.TutuFactory.com knocks it out of the park (Into the Parks??) Prices vary depending on the size ordered and the complexity of the costume. These are handmade beauties (the kind that don’t look like folk art). Custom orders may also be available. You can choose just the tutu, just the top, or full costumes. You might need to add some accessories to complete the look.

Sunday Morning Active

Sunday Morning Active goes deep into the vault when to comes to characters and themes, and you are likely to find some obscure wins when you’re shopping here! Expect to spend between $49-$69 on these classic yet innovative looks. The items are printed and are spot-on in every way. And please don’t tell my daughter about the Queen of Hearts options. Just don’t.

Any way you look at it, costumes are so much fun. I’d love to see what you’re wearing! Find me on Instagram and show me your best looks!! @disneyparkrunner