I was really excited about going to California for the runDisney Tinkerbell half marathon weekend, it was my first one! Not only that, but my mom had never been to Disneyland, ever, so I couldn’t wait to show her around. The first thing we did after check in and grabbing some lunch was head to the expo. We were staying at the Grand Californian, and mom was impressed at how convenient the expo was for those staying on property.
Unfortunately, there was quite a long line just to get into the official merchandise area, we waited about 20 minutes or so. However, I was glad it was at least organized unlike at Dumbo back in August.
There was a lot of official merchandise to choose from, but sadly the sizing of the shirts was way off. The “I Did It” tech shirt was very boxy and SO short compared to the Dopey I did it shirt I got not even a week before. Sizing inconsistency bums me out. I was able to get what I wanted (coffee mug, sweaty band, etc.) and my mom bought me this adorable shirt:
I loved that lots of items said “flutter to the finish” and thought that was a very cute slogan.
We paid for our merchandise and did a little walking around so I could visit with some friends working various booths before heading downstairs to get bibs. We headed back outside and down the ramp to packet pick up.
Mom got her 5k bib, there were hardly any lines down here.
We had to go back into the expo to get the t-shirt for the race, and then bib the expo farewell. We would end up coming back on Saturday to walk around some more and say hi to some friends, but it was time to go rest before our 5k the next morning!
This being my first Tink, I have no previous expo to compare it with except the one for the Disneyland half marathon which was a nightmare. This one had a lot more volunteers, and they even had tape on the floor making little lines so you knew where to stand while you waited to go into the official merchandise area. They only let in so many at a time, which definitely helped with the flow of things. Also, there was plenty of merchandise out, we weren’t waiting for more to constantly come out like at the Disneyland half expo. They were not out of any merchandise that I am aware of (we were there about an hour after opening) and we had an overall positive experience!
QOTD: Do you buy official race merchandise at races?
Want to learn more about runDisney races? visit rundisney.com for details, dates, and runner information.
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