Bright and early on Saturday morning, I ran Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5K, a holiday-themed fun run through Animal Kingdom.
I met our group at 5:30 AM to head over to the start. The sun was just starting to rise when we arrived.
Our group for the 5K: Ryan (Julie’s husband), Julie, me, Jen (editor at Women’s Health), Dana and Melissa (fabulous PR women for New Balance).
Since I attended the race on behalf of New Balance, here’s a quick rundown of my race day outfit:
- Impact Tank in Black with Fiery Coral <— Love this tank! I want them in all 3 colors!
- Momentum Short Graphic in Waterfall
- Impact Hoodie in Black with Fiery Coral & Sulphur Spring
- Komen 8903v in Komen Pink with Silver
Our group was in the very last coral, so it took us about 10-15 minutes to cross the start line, but it was a fun experience once we got there. There was music, enthusiastic announcers, and fake snow! It was actually my first time seeing fake snow, so I was pretty excited. (Is this how people, who have never seen real snow, feel the first they see it? Haha!)
Going into this race, I was told it was one you shouldn’t try to PR because it was just so crowded, so I didn’t have any time goals or expectations, but I didn’t realized just how many people would be racing the course too.
Various parts of the course in the Animal Kingdom get really narrow, so we were pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder the entire race. There were also a lot of people walking the race, so it was difficult to run at race pace. My fastest speed was a brisk jog. Even still, I had a great time, especially seeing all of the fun costumes””there was a mix of holiday and character costumes!
There was also a number of Disney characters along the route that you could get your picture taken with. We saw a lot of long lines, but they moved quickly. Those Disney photographers are efficient!
All in all, Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5K was a great race. It would be perfect for newbie runners or families with kids, and I think you could definitely race it if you registered early and got yourself in the first coral.
After the race, we had a couple of hours to kill, so I went back to my hotel room, showered, and relaxed a little before it was time for brunch.
New Balance hosted an epic brunch for us at the Grand Floridian where we stayed for the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.
Seriously, it was an epic meal with all sorts of delicious brunch options!
I was wooed by the omelet woman, so I ordered one with all of the fixings.
My plate – round one:
Heavenly!
My plate – round two (also heavenly):
One more recap post to come!
Questions of the Day
What’s your favorite race theme to dress up for?
Are you excited about the holidays or is it still too early?
Would you rather eat a mostly sweet brunch or savory brunch?