Princess Weekend 2023 (Feb 23-26, 2023)

[fatmanatee]

I prefer the one from MW of them all.

This year? I think I agree. I ran the PW route in 2022 when they used it for MW and thought it was a neat way to incorporate HS into one of the shorter races but… it’s not a lot of time there.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Thank you! I’m getting nervous to see the career coming, and the chance of being swept freaks me out LOL..
but then again wouldn’t have been this far without your support! Thanks

Let's assume you start around 5:08am and assume the balloon ladies start at 6:00am. Both good assumptions, but not completely solid numbers. The balloon ladies will finish the HM at 9:30am. If you finish at 9:30am as well, then you will have completed the HM in 4:22 hours. That's a ~20 min/mile. If you can maintain a 16 min/mile, then you have a 4 min buffer per mile. If you can maintain a 16 min/mile, then you have zero things to worry about when it comes to the balloon ladies. Enjoy the course and have fun. Don't stress about them. If you want to keep tabs, then put the 3:30 HM pacer into tracking information and get updates on their placement. While they're about 1-2 min ahead of the balloon ladies, their information is "good enough". Just keep in mind that runDisney tracking is not infallible. I've received updates long after they should have come in, and sometimes no update at all. But it can be a small piece of info to help ease your mind.

 

[Naomeri]

Thank you! I’m getting nervous to see the career coming, and the chance of being swept freaks me out LOL..
but then again wouldn’t have been this far without your support! Thanks

Don’t freak out! I was in corral B for the Wine & Dine half, and started at the very front (which was just dumb luck, I wasn’t trying to get out there that early). I crossed the start line at 5:04 am, and crossed the finished line at 9:03 am, and got 16 character stops (and one selfie with Gertie the dinosaur in HS) While I was in motion, I maintained an average pace of 13:53 (I paused my watch when I was in line for characters) I never saw the balloon ladies, even in the distance from overpasses or anything. Just relax and have fun.

 

[DianaMB333]

Let's assume you start around 5:08am and assume the balloon ladies start at 6:00am. Both good assumptions, but not completely solid numbers. The balloon ladies will finish the HM at 9:30am. If you finish at 9:30am as well, then you will have completed the HM in 4:22 hours. That's a ~20 min/mile. If you can maintain a 16 min/mile, then you have a 4 min buffer per mile. If you can maintain a 16 min/mile, then you have zero things to worry about when it comes to the balloon ladies. Enjoy the course and have fun. Don't stress about them. If you want to keep tabs, then put the 3:30 HM pacer into tracking information and get updates on their placement. While they're about 1-2 min ahead of the balloon ladies, their information is "good enough". Just keep in mind that runDisney tracking is not infallible. I've received updates long after they should have come in, and sometimes no update at all. But it can be a small piece of info to help ease your mind.

Thank you! What do you mean by tracking the pacer pls? Do I need to download a rundisney app or similar?

 

[Bree]

Thank you! What do you mean by tracking the pacer pls? Do I need to download a rundisney app or similar?

I posted the Galloway Pacers somewhere in here. They have a 3:30 pace group that leaves out of the last corral. When runner tracking goes live just track one of them.

 

[wannabee]

How many corrals will there be for the 1/2 marathon? I am also nervous about being swept. I will arrive early to be at front of the corral. Any idea of how much time between front and back of last corral?

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

So excited to read the event guide! I only spotted 1 typo! No real surprises, but still exciting. I love the 10k going all the way down Sunset boulevard, instead of exiting right away. It's a tiny bit more park time, but super magical. Can't wait!

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I'm in! Thank you all for letting me know about the charity opportunity!

I grabbed literally the last half-marathon bib from them, so I will see you all in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
I can't quite put a finger on why I'm so pumped about this, especially considering that my state of training is behind where I'd like it to be. Maybe it is that scoring a bib at this late hour was so improbable. Or that I now will not be down there with the races going on around me and a severe case of FOMO.

So I plan to be at HH on Saturday, and I have the rest of Saturday open while the DW is in her conference all day.
Anyone want to hit Hollywood Studios with me on Saturday? Either from rope drop to HH, or in the evening after the HH meetup?

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

How many corrals will there be for the 1/2 marathon? I am also nervous about being swept. I will arrive early to be at front of the corral. Any idea of how much time between front and back of last corral?

I was nervous about being swept at my first event. As noted in other posts on the forum, the sweep is for a 16-min per mile pace starting when the back of the last corral crosses the start line. So you could do a 16min/mile pace from the front of the corral and still have a few minutes buffer. Or walk/run at any pace faster than 16min/mile and you will be fine even if starting from the very back. Keep in mind that a brisk walk is 14-15 minutes per mile depending on how much you can stride it out. (There was a guy I knew years ago who walked the races, but by keeping a brisk pace and not breaking stride, he finished with rather fast times).
Pretty much it comes down to starting forward enough in the corrals and at enough of a faster pace to give yourself enough buffer for photos and potty breaks. Assuming you aren't having to deal with a physical injury, the worst case scenario is that you have to pass up some photo ops to stay ahead of the balloon ladies.
Good luck. YMMV.

 

[DopeyBadger]

How many corrals will there be for the 1/2 marathon? I am also nervous about being swept. I will arrive early to be at front of the corral. Any idea of how much time between front and back of last corral?

Per this image, there are six corrals (A through F). I do not know this definitively, but I would put a high degree of confidence on the corrals corresponding to the following chart:

So if you submitted a 10 miler of 1:35, then you can expect to be in Corral B. If you put an estimate of a 2:30-2:45 finish, then you can expect to be in Corral D.

The exact timing is unknown in advance. The timing of each corral release is determined by the % of runners in the field within each corral. Based on past weekends, they use a relatively even rate release system across all corrals. So if you know how many runners are in each corral and the % of runners that makes up of the field, then you can estimate the timed release of each. We don't get that information anymore (we used to). But, we can make an educated guess based on past weekends since many of the weekends have a relatively similar distribution of runners participating. So the following would be estimates. Some times they finish releasing the corrals in 45 min, and sometimes in 60 min. But this is a reasonable guess:

Corral A - 5:00-5:04am
Corral B - 5:04-5:10am
Corral C - 5:10-5:32am
Corral D - 5:32-5:38am
Corral E - 5:38-5:45am
Corral F - 5:45-6:00am

Keep in mind. The 6:00am is kind of a hard fast must be started by. So for instance, last year's race start was delayed until 5:15am. The balloon ladies still started at 6:00am and they just increased the rate of release. Some times the start is on time (5:00am) and they release the balloon ladies at 5:45am. That's why tracking the 16 min/mile pacers is a good strategy if you really want to know on the day of.

@DianaMB333 here is @Bree 's post with the Galloway pacer information (link).

The runner tracking isn't available yet. Usually the Monday of race week. If you're on the DIS, someone will be sure to post the link. You just enter "Dennis Holler" and track him and you'll have a reasonable timing estimate on the position of the balloon ladies.

 

[wannabee]

Per this image, there are six corrals (A through F). I do not know this definitively, but I would put a high degree of confidence on the corrals corresponding to the following chart:

So if you submitted a 10 miler of 1:35, then you can expect to be in Corral B. If you put an estimate of a 2:30-2:45 finish, then you can expect to be in Corral D.

The exact timing is unknown in advance. The timing of each corral release is determined by the % of runners in the field within each corral. Based on past weekends, they use a relatively even rate release system across all corrals. So if you know how many runners are in each corral and the % of runners that makes up of the field, then you can estimate the timed release of each. We don't get that information anymore (we used to). But, we can make an educated guess based on past weekends since many of the weekends have a relatively similar distribution of runners participating. So the following would be estimates. Some times they finish releasing the corrals in 45 min, and sometimes in 60 min. But this is a reasonable guess:

Corral A - 5:00-5:04am
Corral B - 5:04-5:10am
Corral C - 5:10-5:32am
Corral D - 5:32-5:38am
Corral E - 5:38-5:45am
Corral F - 5:45-6:00am

Keep in mind. The 6:00am is kind of a hard fast must be started by. So for instance, last year's race start was delayed until 5:15am. The balloon ladies still started at 6:00am and they just increased the rate of release. Some times the start is on time (5:00am) and they release the balloon ladies at 5:45am. That's why tracking the 16 min/mile pacers is a good strategy if you really want to know on the day of.

@DianaMB333 here is @Bree 's post with the Galloway pacer information (link).

The runner tracking isn't available yet. Usually the Monday of race week. If you're on the DIS, someone will be sure to post the link. You just enter "Dennis Holler" and track him and you'll have a reasonable timing estimate on the position of the balloon ladies.

This is incredible.Thank you for your detailed answer!!

 

[gigicnm]

Does anyone know how many corrals there are for the 5k? I’m worried about being stuck at the very back and not being able to stop for photos. I plan on being on the first bus and trying to get towards the front of the corral. I’m traveling with 3 other women and when I signed us up I chose the slowest time for all of us because 2 of the women had never done a 5k. We’re now all comfortably under 15 minute/mile.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Does anyone know how many corrals there are for the 5k? I’m worried about being stuck at the very back and not being able to stop for photos. I plan on being on the first bus and trying to get towards the front of the corral. I’m traveling with 3 other women and when I signed us up I chose the slowest time for all of us because 2 of the women had never done a 5k. We’re now all comfortably under 15 minute/mile.

Harder to predict because the number of corrals for the 5k seems to change quite often from weekend to weekend. But safe to assume if you put 14-16 min/mile you will be in the last one. You may get about a 10-20 min buffer at the front of the last corral. They don’t sweep in the 5k but they do close the lines. I started in the middle of corral B last year at about 5:30, waited 47 min for the first character stop and then about halfway through the race was the only other character stop open by the time we got there. Plan on being able to stop for 1-2 characters. So if you really like it, and the line is open, then stop. Rarely, but sometimes, the character list is leaked in advance.

If the plan is the front of the last 5k corral, then plan to time your last bathroom break to be around 3:30am with a possible start around 5:45am. Be at the holding location I pointed out earlier around 3:40am, and then make your way to the front of the corral when the time comes. I don’t know which gate they move for Corral C, but for Corral A it is the furthest left gate in the corner. This is the gate they will move for the walkout to the start line. But not positive it’s the same one for Corral C of the 5k.

 

[azrivest]

PQOTD: What are you most excited about for this race weekend?

ATTPQOTD: I'm most excited about running the 5k with my family. I can't wait to have them experience it for the first time. See you all at the 3:30 meetup hopefully!

 

[kristenabelle]

The balloon ladies are also on Twitter! You can follow them & turn on Notifications to see when they hit key checkpoints. I had DND on my phone set for everything but Twitter, and got updates when the crossed mats during the Half & Full. Was especially important to me for the Full since they released all of F at once, and I had a minute on them at the start.

 

[Naomeri]

ATTPQOTD: I am most excited to be running outside somewhere the air doesn’t hurt my face for a change

I am also excited to have a better Princess Half experience than last year. I was extremely miserable for the first half of the race and this year I would like happy tears when I hit Main St, instead of “I think I should quit” tears (I didn’t quit, but I sat down on a bench for a minute in Tomorrowland and contemplated it)

 

[lookingforsunshine]

ATTPQOTD:
I am most looking forward to finally testing all the training I have done over the past 6 months— and my costumes! Especially the 10k!

And running with my friends. and the medals!

Just everything.

I am also excited to have a better Princess Half experience than last year.

Manifesting this for you!

 

[kps7795]

Per this image, there are six corrals (A through F). I do not know this definitively, but I would put a high degree of confidence on the corrals corresponding to the following chart:

So if you submitted a 10 miler of 1:35, then you can expect to be in Corral B. If you put an estimate of a 2:30-2:45 finish, then you can expect to be in Corral D.

The exact timing is unknown in advance. The timing of each corral release is determined by the % of runners in the field within each corral. Based on past weekends, they use a relatively even rate release system across all corrals. So if you know how many runners are in each corral and the % of runners that makes up of the field, then you can estimate the timed release of each. We don't get that information anymore (we used to). But, we can make an educated guess based on past weekends since many of the weekends have a relatively similar distribution of runners participating. So the following would be estimates. Some times they finish releasing the corrals in 45 min, and sometimes in 60 min. But this is a reasonable guess:

Corral A - 5:00-5:04am
Corral B - 5:04-5:10am
Corral C - 5:10-5:32am
Corral D - 5:32-5:38am
Corral E - 5:38-5:45am
Corral F - 5:45-6:00am

Keep in mind. The 6:00am is kind of a hard fast must be started by. So for instance, last year's race start was delayed until 5:15am. The balloon ladies still started at 6:00am and they just increased the rate of release. Some times the start is on time (5:00am) and they release the balloon ladies at 5:45am. That's why tracking the 16 min/mile pacers is a good strategy if you really want to know on the day of.

@DianaMB333 here is @Bree 's post with the Galloway pacer information (link).

The runner tracking isn't available yet. Usually the Monday of race week. If you're on the DIS, someone will be sure to post the link. You just enter "Dennis Holler" and track him and you'll have a reasonable timing estimate on the position of the balloon ladies.

Do you know what running pace that the 2:30 pace group would use in order to achieve an 11:26 average pace? I recall Chris Twiggs stated in a podcast that he doesn't look at running pace and only looks at his average pace. Nonetheless, I was hoping to glean some insight into what one should shoot for rather than speeding up and slowing down in order to maintain a particular average pace.

 

[NYC_MW]

ATTPQOTD: Doing it all with my friend who's never been to WDW (I may or may not have been the one who tricked her into starting to run a couple years ago). And for our joint costumes: Lumiere and Mrs Potts for the 10K; Mushu and Cri-kee for the half!

 

[Bree]

PQOTD: What are you most excited about for this race weekend?

Finally wearing my princess costume that’s been sitting in my closet for 4 years and breaking out the Belle tutu I wore for my first RD race. Maybe. I’m just not a costume person.