ACTIVE & ADVENTURE RUN DISNEY DESTINATIONS
WHAT TO DO...
EAT Inventions at
Disneyland Hotel Join Mickey, Minnie and the gang as they high five and pose for photos in one of the park’s most popular dining experiences.
STAY
Disney’s Newport Bay Club Designed as an early
20th-century mansion set on Lake Disney, this hotel is awash with maritime
romance. It’s a 15-minute walk or complimentary shuttle ride away, and guests get
extra time in the parks on certain days.
PLAY
Marvel Summer of Super Heroes This summer’s live-action production
featuring Captain America, Spider- Man and Doctor Strange, will be taking place
from June 10 to September 30. It will be followed by a new
Marvel-themed attraction that will replace the Rock ’n’ Roller
Coaster Starring Aerosmith.
of The Lion King comes in to view around the corner. They’re cheering, jumping, whooping and certainly giving the sort of encouragement we need as we pass the first mile marker – only 12.2 to go! Around mile four, we leave the park
crowds behind and head out into the French countryside, with a chance to admire the idyllic scenery and collect our thoughts. Just as I’m reflecting on how those months of gruelling preparation were worth it, I’m jolted back to reality by the sound of a full brass band – we’ve arrived in the university campus just outside the Disney parks, to find a cheerleading troupe there to greet us. The miles continue to tumble, and with each marker, we’re met with DJs, dancers and entertainment, spurring us on to see what the next corner brings – it’s like finding yourself in a Disney film. Even more so as we pass the ‘parking lot’ of Walt Disney Studios, running between the original cars used in Pearl Harbor and Con Air, and alongside Cruella De Vil’s black- and-white spotted Rolls-Royce. With so much to look at, it’s easy to forget you’re even running a half marathon.
I feel a ‘whoosh’ rush past and find I am being overtaken by a flowing purple and blue carpet with golden tassels
With the end in sight, I feel a ‘whoosh’ rush past and find I am being overtaken by a flowing purple and blue carpet with golden tassels. I was always a big fan of Aladdin but I can’t believe I’m being beaten by a rug. So, with a final blast on the afterburners that Buzz Lightyear would have been proud of, I cross the finish line in what has genuinely been the most enjoyable half marathon I have ever run.
◗ CHEER SQUAD It’s certainly worth highlighting that although I might have put in the training, the Disneyland Paris Magic Run Weekend wouldn’t be the same without the thousands of spectators who line the route and cheer you on through the difficult stages of the
route, not to mention the dozens of Disney characters on hand. In total, a team of more than 1,500
volunteers are there for support and hand out an impressive 70,354 bottles of water and 21,800 bananas in just one weekend. That’s on top of the 7,250 metres of fences and 2,000 traffic cones used to secure the courses that magically disappear as soon as the race is over (it must be Tinkerbell and the fairies) to allow guests to continue to enjoy the park in its entirety. There’s plenty more for runners to
enjoy across the weekend, too, with the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo. Not only is this where runners need to collect their registration packs and find out what awaits them on the course, but it’s also the place to engage with guest speakers, check out cutting- edge running gear, buy official race merchandise or get advice on fitness and nutrition. In 2006, The Walt Disney Company made a global commitment to support parents in creating healthier families by using its stories and characters to make healthy living simple and fun. This includes introducing robust nutritional guidelines for food and
ON THE RUN: The start of the Val d’Europe Half Marathon
17 May 2018
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