I met Disney Ambassadors Paula Radcliffe MBE and Paralympic winner, Michäel Jérémiasz from France at runDisney France! Have you read my post about the runDisney Half-Marathon Weekend in Val d’Europe, from 21st to 24th September 2017? If not, do check it out.
The post was a summary of what we did on the trip and later in the week, I will blog about Disneyland in more details. It was April Fool’s day when my husband and my children took me to the airport. I had told the children that they were sending me to the airport. Little did the children know that we were all flying off to Disneyland! We had to wake up very early to catch the plane to reach Paris for the runDisney France Influencers trip. They were both so tired but at the same time, ecstatic that they were going to Paris.
The flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport took around 1 hour and 15 minutes. After landing, we had to take the shuttle to the gate and walk through passport control. It was such a long queue and it took us another 30 minutes to get out and continue our journey to Disneyland. I was getting more stressed as I was super late for the meeting and lunch.
Our cab driver was very pleasant and within 30 minutes we were at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge hotel. After going through the hotel security check, we received our welcome pack and soon I was on the way to the start my Influencers trip with the rest, while leaving my family behind to enjoy Disneyland!
Disney had arranged a list of things to see and do for us. The first stop was to check out their Stunt Show at Walt Disney Studios. When we arrived, the whole place was already packed and the weather was awesome for this outdoor show. As the show started and there was plenty of skidding, swerving, jumping and even flying through fire! The stuntmen demonstrated how they evade some menacing pursuers armed with lightning-quick reflexes and showing you the behind-the-scenes look! It was a fantastically choreographed show and it had plenty of danger too! Later, we also had photos with Lighting McQueen and visited their workshop!
In the evening, we were all invited to the Sport Animations at Disney’s New York hotel to meet the Disneyland Paris runDisney Ambassadors. We all got to play tennis in wheelchairs with Paralympic winner, Michäel Jérémiasz and did yoga with Paula Radcliffe MBE. I do admire their sporting spirit! They were very encouraging and helpful. I tried to play tennis in a wheelchair but failed miserably. I couldn’t even turn the wheel without looking.
We then had our dinner at Disney’s Newport Bay Club Hotel where they presented last year’s highlights and the 2017 event program. I was delighted to know that this year, they will be adding a brand new 10k run on the Saturday 23rd September. If you are interested to find out more about the run, check out the link: http://run.disneylandparis.com/bookings/how-book
After we finished our dinner, we all went to watch the Disney Illuminations at Central Plaza. This is one of the unmissable shows that you must all watch! There are mind-blowing special effects that bring the wonder of Disney to life before your very own eyes. There are fireworks that fizz through the night’s sky, showering their clusters of colours over Sleeping Beauty Castle with flames and water! I think the show lasts approximately 20 minutes. We lost track of the time! We then popped by Starbucks to grab a nice cold coffee and walked around the Disney Village. I was quite surprised that all the shops were open until late. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/YqLEqdErY1Q
The next day 2nd April, I had to wake up early at 6am for the runDisney Discovery where I joined the rest of the influencers and ambassadors for a 5km run. We managed to enjoy the park all by ourselves with undisturbed views. I must admit that I was so tired and breathless during the run but I felt totally awesome that I managed to get to the finish line. This is definitely an event I would love to run with my family. It’s a great opportunity for Disney fans to have fun along with their family and friends. I was so pleased that I managed to complete my 5 km. Phew!
Afterwards, I went back for a hot shower before having brunch with the rest of the influencers and got to enjoy the rest of the day at Disneyland Paris Park and Walt Disney Studios! It was such a great trip and I was thrilled and thankful to be part of Disneyland Influencers. I believe this is a great event to get your family and friends involved with runDisney! If you are still not sure, then look at what we did in Disneyland and I hope it inspires you to go!
Disclosure: We were provided travel for the purposes of experiencing runDisney, however all thoughts and opinions remain our own. Images used with permission, copyright ©Disney.