Disneyland Half Marathon Meet-Up Bound

In last week's post I introduced you to one of my BRF's (best running friends), Jen.  We are both anxiously counting down the days until we are Disneyland-bound - 8 more days!!!!!  We have both been making up a variety of different to-do lists including: expo vendors, rides, food, and of course meeting up with friends.  Just by looking at our lists, we are both going to have a lot of blogging to do when we return.  :) 

If you have ever done a runDisney race, you might have heard about their meet-ups/tweet-ups.  The meet-ups occur typically the day before the race weekend begins and is an opportunity for their social media followers to come together, run 2 miles through the parks before they are open, meet with inspirational athletes and other runDisney personnel and sometimes other fun surprises!  Sounds like a wonderful way to kick off race weekend, right?  Well, everyone else thinks so too!  The meet-ups have various capacities usually around 50 participants, so when you have thousands of other runDisney runners wanting to get in it can get a little intense.  

The meet-up registration is announced around 1-2 weeks before race weekend via the Disney Parks Blog and the runDisney Twitter page (@runDisney).  Once announced, the first XX number of "qualified participants" are in and you register by sending an email letting them know you would like to be a part of the meet-up.  

Last Tuesday night, runDisney started posting teasers on their Twitter page that the meet-up announcement was coming.  Talk about creating a HUGE buzz in social media!  Instantly my feeds on Twitter and Facebook were blowing up with everyone speculating when it would be.  A group of friends who I have met through social media started a group text so we can be on the look out for the official announcement and notify everyone else in the group.  Once that teaser went out we were all on official "operation meet-up watch"!  It was a blast texting and chatting with everyone with our speculations as to when it would happen.  We all had our notifications on for runDisney tweets and were stalking the Disney Parks Blog page.  We went all night Tuesday without anything and finally got another teaser on Wednesday and we knew it had to be coming. 

FINALLY!  It is here!  It is posted!  Like a flash of lightning, all of us sent in our emails to try to get into the meet-up!

via Disney Parks Blog

@runDisney

After a few minutes, the Disney Parks Blog announced that it is full and emails will be going out to the lucky selected participants by 5:00pm EST.  

SUBMITTED!  Now, I wait....

We all waited impatiently for the next hour and a half.  Social media was in a buzz about what time everyone submitted their email to try to gauge if they got in.  We waited, and waited, and waited...

Around 5:00EST (as promised), this came out!

via @runDisney Twitter page

I was by no means fast to see this one.  I actually found out that the list was up through other people on social media.  I read the disappointment from a lot of my friends that we all turned in our emails within moments did not get in.  Gulp!  I kept seeing the texts from my group of friends that they did not get in, including Jen!  It would be great to do the meet-up, but Jen and I want to do it together for the best possible way to kick off the weekend.

I got a call from my mom with her super excited....I GOT IN!?!?

via Disney Parks Blog

I am SUPER excited that I got in - it is going to be a great experience!   I cannot wait to do meet up with other people that I have been interacting with on social media over the past year or so as well as meeting new friends as well.  I wish that all of my friends that I was in "operation meet-up" would have gotten in as well.  I cannot wait to share the experience with everyone.  

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@brandi1369) for the most frequent updates during Dumbo Double Dare (Disneyland Half Marathon weekend).

8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS!


QOTD:
Have you taken part in a runDisney meet-up?  What are you most looking forward to at Dumbo Double Dare weekend?


Time to Run,
Brandi