Last Friday, February 21st, we headed to Orlando! My daughter Savannah and her friend Eleanor came with me on the trip. I'm writing a full trip report for those of you who love Disney and want to see all of the photos I took. There's just no way to post them all here and this is a running blog, so I will TRY to stick to the running stuff here. The trip report is on The DIS, The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!! It will be a couple days before I get to updating it, I'm sick and editing photos like crazy.
For those of you that don't know, the Expo is where you pick up your race packet, which includes your bib number, t-shirt, and a few other goodies. They also have many booths of runner stuff. It will make your bank account cry! We hopped the expo bus at Pop and were there in no time. It was a bit of a trek from the buses, but it's Disney, so we expected that.
First we had to go to bib pickup, which as in a different building. It was super easy to pick up my bib, no lines, walked right up!
Then we headed over to the other building and headed down the red carpet! Cute!
I don't really care for this photo of me, I realized the shirt was too short and changed as soon as I got back to the resort...but, it's a memory and it's mine!
Into what I call the SPENDING-ZONE. LOL.
I guess I have grown accustom to small town living in the last few years because it felt a little overwhelming! If I had been alone, I think it would have been different, but the girls were following me around and I didn't want to lose them in the crowd. I picked up my tech shirt and headed straight to the official RunDisney merchandise. They were out of a lot already and it was just Friday afternoon. I was really disappointed, I wanted a Princess Half Marathon jacket and they were gone already. I did find a couple t-shirts and a magnet, then decide to head to Sparkleskirts! I knew they would have something for me, they always do. ;) I looked around a bit more but didn't feel like I could fully shop with the girls standing there, so I decided I had spent enough and it was time to go. Found the wall with my name before heading out!
Up next, we were headed to the #runnerslove meetup, but had to jump back on the bus to Pop b/c someone (ahem, me) forgot her phone!
When we got back, I took a quick shot of my loot from the Expo!
Overall, I think the Expo was great! I had heard nightmares about last year when they had to have it at Coronado Springs instead of World Wide Sports, and thought it was well organized. For me, it would have been more fun had I been alone, but I found that to be a reoccurring theme on the trip when it came to running stuff. It was hard to balance a Disney trip with a running trip. NEXT TIME I will go alone! Yep, I think there will be a next time.
I wish they had limited people from getting multiple of the same items or had more so that they didn't run out, but I'm pleased with how smooth the Expo went and my loot.
How was the Expo for you?
Do you normally go alone so you can shop??
YAY, you've officially experienced your first Disney Expo! It is a bit overwhelming at first. I think the picture of you with the footmen is beautiful (shirt and all). I like your pink 13.1 magnet. I am excited to finally be able to put one of those on my car now ( if it ever gets warm enough where I can wash it...haha)!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll enjoy it next year without my daughter and her friend with me. I think that's part of why it was overwhelming. I need to WASH my car in order to put mine on! LOL
DeleteHahahah 'spending zone' is spot on. I have to really be strict about my budget at the expos and figure out what I REALLY want!
ReplyDeleteI have been hearing so much about how runDisney ran out of stock on a lot of items this year. So disappointing considering they should be able to predict their sales way better. They need to get their stuff together and make enough for everyone next time!
I hope next year they have more but I plan to go on the first day just to make sure this time.
DeleteI would have walked out so poor from that expo... so poor
ReplyDeleteLOL, I spent a lot and I wasn't even there that long!
DeleteLooks like you got a lot of fun stuff! Glad to hear you think there will be a next time! Training for my first half, I was thinking it would be one and done, but now I'm addicted! :)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure, even for a few days after the race, but now that the memory of the pain has subsided, I'm all over it! LOL
DeleteI have that same 13.1 magnet :)
ReplyDeleteI thought the expo was sooo crowded. I really only stopped at two booths, the Hokas and the official runDisney merch, before I had to get out of there. I was really overwhelmed!
I still haven't put my magnet on my car! I need to get it washed but the weather turned bad again, so more waiting!
DeleteIt was sort of overwhelming. I arrived Thursday (also stayed and Pop and ran all three races) and ended up at the Expo all three days! The first day, it was all I could manage to get on the bus, find the right buildings at the WWoS, pick up my bibs, find where the shirts were, exchange the shirts for different sizes, by one other shirt and get back out the door and find the bus again! The next day, I went back for my Half race retreat bracelet, which I hadn't picked up. And a knee brace, because my knee, which had been behaving itself for months, suddenly wasn't after the 5k. And an ice pack thingy.
ReplyDeleteThe third day, I picked up compression sleeves for my legs, because I forgot my compression socks, KT tape, because the line was ridiculously long and a visor in case it got really hot. And a BondiBand, because I was sweating to death after the 10 k.
Thank goodness the Expo wasn't open after the Half!
Ohmygosh, I don't think I could have gone all three days! LOL. I'm looking forward to spending more time there next year when I'm by myself!
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