Springtime To Seaworld

While a good amount of the RunDisney social accounts that come across my FYP have opted to do Springtime to Dollywood (complete with costume changes between same day 5K + 10Ks) I’ve kept it local (ish) by doing my second annual Springtime to Sea World Challenge.

Like with last year I started out with the Springtime 5K and 10K followed by the Seven Seas Food Fest 5K the following weekend… unlike last year there wasn’t a THIRD race the weekend prior to Disney as Bonnet Springs as you way was a few weeks earlier.

Starting with Disney

This year I was flying solo and since my sister was a bit out of the geo locked range for shopping VQs since she was just getting off a cruise in South Florida it was up to me. I managed to leave super early getting into shop group 62 right at 8:30. Since I knew that I’d be called closer to noon and we were already halfway there I opted to rope drop Springs and Gideons…. But first… there was a second VQ this year!!!! 

Fresh off their official partnership with Disney and their successful showing at Princess Weekend… CROWNED ATHLETICS had a vender booth in the main hall. Like with their pop up you needed to join a queue and you had to be EIGHT miles away vs the FORTY miles away for the Arena. At about 9:11 AM I was finally in that range when I landed 243rd in line with instructions to start heading towards the athletic center when you were 10-20 guests back. 

Two minutes before I was able to join crowned my room was already ready but cookies were still calling!!!!

At 10:20 I got back to the Orange Garage and checked my VQ status. With an estimated hour till being called for arena and 210 people ahead of me at crowned I headed to Pop Century to unload my belongings and unpack so my ride could drop me at Wide World of Sports and I could be on my way.

This took me about an hour and my status update was 20 mins till my arena number was called and 166 people ahead of me at crowned.

I arrived at the expo around 11:47 and almost instantly I was buzzed to go to the Arena. 

It was about a half hour wait in the usual switchbacks when I made it in to shop. The set up was interesting….one side they had a display with 5K/10K pins and magnets on one side and the 10M/Challenge on the other and on the other side of the room was the rack with distance specific shirts. Then there were large seconds of general weekend and core line items as well as areas roped off for Pre-orders, Brooks, AP, and Club RunDisney specific items. I grabbed my magnets and a cord bracelet and was debating on if I wanted to try on any of the general weekend items when my phone buzzed that it was my shop time at crowned and I had an hour to make it to the athletic center. I grabbed my pins and eyeballed the Field House since I didn’t have my bib and I knew I needed that in order to get my shirt. I ultimately decided to ping pong back and forth.

I ended up getting the Aurora Flow Tank and Blue Bow from crowned and than checking out some of the photo ops in the room.

There was a pain and panic statue tied into the virtual series (which I saw the medals and I’m so glad I rage registered) as well as the light up mickey which I waited on. I looked over at the mile markers but decided to save them for later.

Heading to Field House I got my bibs and was seeded in C for both before checking out what the photo ops in here were. There was Abu and Genie, Joy and Sadness, and what I thought was an Inside Out Magic Shot. 

I decided to brave the line for Abu and Genie as while they had been a leaked character stop for the 10K I figured I’d rather wait in the AC without the threat of balloon ladies looming. It was a 70 min wait for the meet as well as what turned out to just be a photo backdrop.

I zagged back to the Athletic Center to check out the mile marker photos and grab my shirts…yes…another blue Springtime Surprise shirt…groundbreaking!!!!! 

As I headed toward the bus loop they had a photopass photographer randomly just in front of the 10K sign and I waited for that before heading out

It took about 3 hours 20 mins total

5K Morning Arrived at I went through my usually routines before heading out to the bus at about 2:15 AM doing a weather check. At this point it was 63 feels like 62 and was lovely especially due to my longer sleeves.

I went on theme… kind of…with a Zootopia x Heated Rivalry mash up composed of a Lane Bryant Livi Skort, Old Navy Tank, Long Sleeve Reel Legends top modified with quilt binding, vinyl iron ons and lots of other little details with rabbit ears and hockey stick for props as well as a grey bondi headband

I boarded the first bus at about 2:37am and waited about 15 mins before finally heading out to Epcot. I made it to the staging area at 3:17am and got right into Nick and Judy’s line as I knew that would be the craziest. I ended up waiting about 20 mins for them and another 20 for Rabbit and Piglet before making a port-o-let and water stop than heading to the coral.

I was right at the ribbon at the start of coral C’s second wave crossing the start at 5:15am ish. 

There was a screen playing the Paw-pcycle scene from Zootopia and a DJ. Just before my Garmin buzzed to mark my first mile I reached Clawhouser’s line. Of the characters that leaked this was the one character I planned to wait out and the cast member at the end of line had a placard saying it was an estimated 45 mins. A few minutes later they announced he was taking a donut break and would be back in 5-10 mins causing the wait to be longer than 45 for those just entering the line and soon the cast member started quoting an hour wait. It took me about 38 mins with that break and I’d read in a forum somewhere that the wait times were based on what it would be in park with a full interaction not just the click and go of a rundisney race.

There was some real cool live entertainment by mile marker one of Gazel’s Dancers

And FINALLY I hit mile one in 57 mins // 19 moving

I got into the park and by Connections Cafe Mary Poppins and Bert were meeting I didn’t see their estimated wait and instead followed a few runners slightly off course for a three minute detour to the World Discovery Restrooms.

There was a Jazz Band and my Garmin buzzed that I reached my next mile but I still had a ways to go.

There was live music in Germany and Duffy in America with a 30 min estimated wait (I waited 6 because I couldn’t pass up asking him to come to the cottage…his handlers and photographers were loons and appreciated things

After the sole water stop I did eventually reach marker two in 1:25:00 (38 min moving)

In France were Suzie and Perla with an estimated 45 and in Canada there was Spring Mickey and Minnie with an estimated 30 wait but unlike Duffy they looked true to posting and than some so I kept going.

My garmin hit mile three but I kept going…pausing I debated waiting for a ball pic but took some of my own

Backstage was the famous choir as I hit marker 3 in 1:46:00 (57 min moving)

Waving to Goofy at the finish I crossed the line in 1:47:30 Via Garmin (1:00:30 moving)

I ended up spending an extra 23 mins in lines between my finisher photo and waiting for Ralph & Vanellope and Pinocchio and Jiminy before heading back on the bus to my room

10K day started pretty much the same as the morning before except that I needed to turn back to retrieve my prop, causing me to ultimately leave my room 5 mins later at 2:20am.

Said prop was for my Christopher Robin costume consisting of my blue home sewn skort, a yellow tec gear tank and both blue home sewn scrunchies, blue bondi head band and that mischievous eeyore plush that was almost left behind

The first bus was already parked and ready to load however as I arrived the bus attendant was telling the man at the end of the line right in front of me. That first bus left at 2:32am and it took the longest EIGHT MINUTES of my life waiting for that second bus to pull up. It loaded and left at 2:45 however the driver pulled into Art of Animation got off the bus for ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES! Before pulling back out.

Despite this I got to Epcot and the reunion area a few minutes EARLIER than the day before. I imagine if I was on that first bus I could of speed ran all four spots like I did during last years 10K instead I waited about 35 mins for Pooh and Tigger and another 20 for Pain and Panic. I ultimately skipped and didn’t go back to try for the other characters visiting which were Mike & Sully and Lilo and Stitch

I didn’t get a pre-coral water this time but I did make a port-o-let break and do a weather check. It was 66 feels like 66 at this point and a bit more humid than the day before.

Going in and starting off in the second wave of C again I knew the character list that leaked would be accurate as to who was out but not the order. There were three characters new to me, one of which I knew would be selfies only and so I kept that in mind as I began.

Rabbit and Piglet were out first and since this was a pooh themed race that line was crazy. Getting in it would kill any and all buffer one had from the balloons and thankfully I met them during the 5K so I pressed on.

There were some playing card cut outs and an Alice and Hatter meet before reaching mile one in 18 mins {I never tracked when my Garmin actually buzzed miles going with marker time stamps}

Music quickly changed from the Unbirthday Song to Yo Ho A Pirates Life For Me as Jack and Barbosa were on the other side of the mile marker. 

While Barbosa was one of the two new to me characters I knew wouldn’t be selfie only I couldn’t tell if the way the line was looping was due to it actually being long or if it was cause of it’s close proximity to the water table. In hindsight it probably would of only been a 5-10 ish minute wait and based on when I finished I could of gambled but anxiety brain is a cruel mistress so I grabbed a water and made it into epcot and mile 2 in 37 mins {a Jazz Band, Video Screen and DJ were in between the meet and marker}

Eeyore met at Connections and I debated looking to see where the end of the line was before noping it and once again taking in the Live Entertainment because it’s #Important

Making my way towards the Showcase there was a Maracci Band in Mexico followed by Miguel. His line didn’t look too bad and so I hopped in. It was only about 5 mins and the Balloons hadn’t started yet.

In Germany there was the regular musicians and another water stop in America. In Japan there was live drummers and a character NOT on the list. Kimono Minnie was a real surprise and since the Balloons were just starting and I was steps before mile marker three I figured why not…. Well after 5 mins in line and turning to see that the line wrapped all the way to the Pop Gallery in the back of the pavilion I shook my head because even though the only characters on course left were the two Up Character stops, the Aladdin Characters, and the Encanto Selfies I wasn’t going to waste the 45 ish min lead I had on the balloons for Minnie no matter how cute her outfit was.

I got to marker three in 1:08:00 {58 moving} with an official 5K split of 1:10:09 (1:00:09 moving which was seconds faster than my moving time the day before)

Genie and Abu met on the boardwalk and before dipping back into the park was marker four in 1:28:00 (1:18:00 moving)

About eleven minutes later after a DJ break and the final water stop I spotted the balloons as they were on the central spine making their way into World Showcase somewhere between miles 2 and 3 (I was between 4 and 5)

There was a screen playing UP clips and so I took my obligatory backside of land photo before getting in line for Carl & Russel (hey at least I got one new character!)

It was about a 7 min wait and with the stop directly across from marker 5 I took my marker picture afterwards giving me a time of 1:54:00 (1:37:00 moving) 

I knew I probably could wait for Dug if I really wanted to but instead a bypassed him and the Mirabel and Isabella selfie spot… waving at the Bee performers on the opposite side of the breezeway they were in before..and dancing past the choir I hit the final marker in 2:15:00 {1:58:00 moving}

I gave a wave to Donald on the scaffolding before finishing with an official time of 2:18:48 {2:01:48 moving}

I ended up like I said before just grabbing the I Did It Photo because I had a long day ahead of me 

As I boarded the bus it felt very bittersweet as at this time aside from the virtual series I don’t have any other rundisney events on the horizon.

Next Up…the Third Annual Seven Seas Food Fest 5K.

This Year the bib pick up with the Wednesday and Thursday before race day at a different Orlando Area Hotel. I happened to have Wednesday off (after taking a partial assuming bib pickup would be Friday) and so I hopped on over then.

My OOTD on Race Day went with a ‘Sea’ theme as I wore my purple sewn skort, black old navy tank, a Poor Unfortunate Soles Bondi and my sisters Ursula costume accessories

I didn’t note when we left the house just that I got to the parking lot at around 6:20am ish. I took a moment to gather my belongings before heading out. It was about 15 mins to walk to the port o lets…use them…and loop to the staging area. They had a DJ, a few selfie backgrounds, a few real restrooms and were really pushing registration for the Howl O Scream Halloween 5K

I headed right to the coral and waited in between the 10-12 and 13+ sign and started in the second mini wave at 7:05am

There were a few stiltwalkers before hitting marker one in 17 mins

Then came what I like to call Sesame Row where I spent about 11 mins meeting a laundry list of friends 

Including my Birthday Twin Count Von Count!!!!! The only bad thing is I’m so used to the click and run mentality of RunDisney so I tried to make my interactions quick to move the line along though I did have some fun twirling around with Prairie Dawn cause nobody was showing her any love 

After this was water and some jugglers before meeting up with Sydney the Shark. He was about a 6 min wait

I finally hit mile two in 51 mins (34 moving) but between the vibes of characters and looking at backstage rollercoaster tracks you really didn’t feel the time ticking by.

In this next mile I took another minute each to visit with friends Flip the SeaLion and Coral The Dolphin before hitting mile three in 1:11:00 {52 moving}

Being another untimed fun run my ‘official’ Garmin time was 1:12:27 {0:53:27 moving)

Post Race I never pass up a chance to meet a mascot so I visited the Uncommonly Dairy cow before waiting in a looong line for Shamu and Puck. So long that by the time I finished meeting with them the line was already cut for the event.

After This I checked out what food I could redeem my tickets for. The options were Alfredo Pasta, Shrimp and Grits and Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese for food (I did the pasta and shrimp options) IDK what the drink options were as I feel like they were just pushing the line along as at that time the characters had already been clear and I just had my ticket taken and was handed a watermelon agua fresca.

And there you have it…challenge complete… 

 Run The Year Progress:'

678.50/2026

 Upcoming races

• Mayfair 5K 5/9

• Watermelon 5K 6/16, 7/11, 8/8

• Disney Virtual Shorts Summer TBD

• Red White and Brew 7/4

• Margaritaville 10K 9/26

PRs

• 1M {15:26} 3K {30:59} 5K {42:46} 8K {1:13:59} 10K {1:42:52} 15K {2:19:09} 10M {3:01:51} HALF {3:54:55} FULL {7:08:15*} *virtual full run in increments