With the weather warming up, this Diva has pulled out her running shoes. This past March on a Disney Cruise, I was inspired to get moving again. Did you know Disney has its own private island? Every Bahamian/Caribbean cruise makes at least one stop over on their island, Castaway Cay. Among the many activities to participate in on the island, the most challenging is the Castaway Cay 5K.
Disney has a whole department dedicated to you runners out there: runDisney. Among the many marathons, half-marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, and family fun runs, the Castaway Cay 5K is the only runDisney event you can participate in for FREE! All you have to do is sign up at guests services while on your next Disney Cruise.
The morning you dock at Castaway Cay, the runners will be the first people off the ship. There will be a special place and time on the ship for all the 5K participants to meet before you disembark that morning. This varies from cruise to cruise, so check your cruise navigator on your ship.
Things to know before you disembark:
1. Wear your running clothes, but bring a bag with your beach clothes. There are bins to put your things in while you run. The course for the run is not close to the ship. There are bathrooms nearby where you can change and save time from have to go all the way back to the ship to change.
2. Don't wait room in your bag packing a beach towel. There are towels on the island for you to use and return back to towel bins.
3. Bring your sunscreen! Apply before the race (part of the run is on an airplane landing strip). Apply after you change into your swimsuit. Speaking as the voice of a human Neapolitan ice cream cone, you get some really goofy tan lines when you forget to apply that second time.
4. You do not have to be an experienced runner to participate. There is no minimum speed you have to maintain; you can walk the whole thing. There is a water stop along the route where you can re-hydrate multiple times throughout the course. It is also a lovely view to enjoy if you do want to go at a slower pace to take in the scenery.
5. Take the opportunity to enjoy a day with your family un-plugged. Leave your phones and laptops on the ship. You can't get a signal on the island anyway.
The best part, everyone gets an award for crossing the finish line. There is also a souvenir store right by the finish with all the Castaway Cay 5K paraphernalia you might want. They have shirts, hats, towels, and pins. I collect Disney pins and the other Divas wanted the 5K shirts. We had an agreement that the first one across the finish line was to grab all the goodies before limited supplies had been picked over. It was a little incentive to push yourself a bit.
Do you know the best part about running in the Castaway Cay 5K? Since the run is first thing that morning, you can spend the rest of the day being lazy on the beach with no guilt. You just participated in a 3.1 mile run!! So, don't forget to pack your running shoes on your next Disney cruise. How many people can brag about running a race while on vacation.
Disney has a whole department dedicated to you runners out there: runDisney. Among the many marathons, half-marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, and family fun runs, the Castaway Cay 5K is the only runDisney event you can participate in for FREE! All you have to do is sign up at guests services while on your next Disney Cruise.
The morning you dock at Castaway Cay, the runners will be the first people off the ship. There will be a special place and time on the ship for all the 5K participants to meet before you disembark that morning. This varies from cruise to cruise, so check your cruise navigator on your ship.
1. Wear your running clothes, but bring a bag with your beach clothes. There are bins to put your things in while you run. The course for the run is not close to the ship. There are bathrooms nearby where you can change and save time from have to go all the way back to the ship to change.
2. Don't wait room in your bag packing a beach towel. There are towels on the island for you to use and return back to towel bins.
3. Bring your sunscreen! Apply before the race (part of the run is on an airplane landing strip). Apply after you change into your swimsuit. Speaking as the voice of a human Neapolitan ice cream cone, you get some really goofy tan lines when you forget to apply that second time.
4. You do not have to be an experienced runner to participate. There is no minimum speed you have to maintain; you can walk the whole thing. There is a water stop along the route where you can re-hydrate multiple times throughout the course. It is also a lovely view to enjoy if you do want to go at a slower pace to take in the scenery.
5. Take the opportunity to enjoy a day with your family un-plugged. Leave your phones and laptops on the ship. You can't get a signal on the island anyway.
The best part, everyone gets an award for crossing the finish line. There is also a souvenir store right by the finish with all the Castaway Cay 5K paraphernalia you might want. They have shirts, hats, towels, and pins. I collect Disney pins and the other Divas wanted the 5K shirts. We had an agreement that the first one across the finish line was to grab all the goodies before limited supplies had been picked over. It was a little incentive to push yourself a bit.
Do you know the best part about running in the Castaway Cay 5K? Since the run is first thing that morning, you can spend the rest of the day being lazy on the beach with no guilt. You just participated in a 3.1 mile run!! So, don't forget to pack your running shoes on your next Disney cruise. How many people can brag about running a race while on vacation.
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