Avengers Expo and 5K Recap
The end begins here and I learn about an odd family dynamic.
I’ve got to give it to the West Coast RunDisney crew. The expo keeps getting better and better. First the merch has been tweaked and improved every race this year. By the last series, they had very organized lines, wrist bands and water stations set up in the Disneyland Hotel for you while you wait. There is zero chaos and you have lots of room to shop. Its really a great experience.
They had some fun new merch this time!
Attendance seemed low and for the first time that I could remember, you could actually still register for the race at the expo. There were some fun exhibits that are just out here and of course I connected with the Galloways who I just ran with in FL a few days earlier.
They also have a pace car out West with a prize wheel. I won a Black Panther tsum tsum.
Disneyland expos are really fun. It’s smaller than out East, but there are unique things to do out here and everything is in the same building.
My only disappointment was not in the expo itself, but an apparent licensing issue between Marvel and Disney. I learned that Disney is not allowed to associate anything with the Marvel series. This explains quite a few things:
- Why you will only see the same 6 characters on all three course. Disney cannot put their characters out there.
- I’ve gotten framed metal sets of my Coast to Coast races. I could not get a frame that had the Marvel medal and the Wine and Dine medal in it. The owner of the company that takes care of me even brought me to a rundisney cast member to talk through the rule.
- This explains why there are no traditional Mickey ears race magnets here. This is the only race that doesn’t match the others.
- See below on how you may not notice it, but Disney is left out of the branding.
5K Recap
It’s time to do the final Disney 5k of the year. (My 10th Disney 5k in 2016) I was really looking forward to getting a couple of the Marvel characters that you can only get during this race. I also knew that because of the licensing deal, I could do whatever I wanted for the other races since they were going to be the same ones.
The course was set up fairly similar to the Disneyland one. The biggest difference is that this is the only series out here where you get the Christmas Decorations overlay to enjoy while you run.
I love Small World all lit up!
It was fun interacting with the characters on the course. There really wasn’t a wait for any of them and it gave me a moment to catch my breath. (I was trying to make it to breakfast and back to the hotel by sunrise.) It’s definitely fun to run through the park in the dark!
Capt America was the last one and when it was my turn for a picture, he went down into this missile pose. I guess we are doing this then……
I was also glad to see Capt America’s girls on main street. They did an awesome job on the National Anthem and were still singing out there on the course.
It wasn’t long after that until the finish line!
They had a great concept that they were testing this time. It was a passholder retreat where you could get your picture taken and they were giving out exclusive Avengers Cokes. I really appreciated having a nice little bonus for being a passholder.
