The Great and Powerful Oz - A Disney Parks Blog Preview Party

A little back story re: the weekend as a whole and how I ended up going to a Disney Parks Blog event!

Princess Half Marathon weekend was a dream come true as all runDisney race weekends are for me.  I really love running and running at Disney throws me over the top...okay maybe it has something to do with all of the costumes and the entertainment...but I think it is really due to all the amazing runners and spectators who are at runDisney races!  Each weekend is unique in it's own way and I always manage to add elements that make it even more special for me and for others.  I am just a value added kind of girl!  It is a great way to live life I think.

In an effort to RSVP for the runDisney social media run on the Friday morning before the Princess Half I and many others found themselves stalking the Disney Parks Blog...for days in hopes of getting our RSVPs in on time and being chosen for that event.  Through a series of events I was not able to achieve my RSVP goal, however I was introduced to the coming of the Great and Powerful Oz along the way.  And low and behold the Disney Parks Blog was going to have an event of their own the same weekend as the Princess Half Marathon.  In fact it was going to the be the evening of the race.  Once again I did not RSVP on time again...I bet you did not see that coming...but other Princess runners did and one of them was gracious enough to offer me a ticket to the event!  Thank yous go to Julie Franklin who had two extra tickets for two lucky runners!  Without you I would not have been able to complete the second leg of my journey that day.  For on that Sunday I was able to run through Cinderella's Castle and go over the rainbow!

The checked us in at the customer service end of the main gate at EPCOT.  If you did not have a park pass they had a one day pass for you to use.  Everyone was issues a wrist band to get into the event space.

My wrist bands were starting to stack up from the weekend!

Here is our group of lovely Princess Half runners! You better believe we were sporting our medals!

The event space entrance was between Canada and the United Kingdom.  We waited in line to get into the building.  It was a rather large event with several hundred people attending. 

Everyone was in great spirits!  We were still on a runners high and going to the movies! Double bonus!

It was definitely a Disney Parks Blog event, but Mickey was going to have to check his camera.
There were no electronic allowed!

There is a reason they call it the fine print!

I could not resist jumping in for a picture! I was reaching for the other wall!
I did not even know the wicked witch was there!

There's nothing like green to take you to the Emerald City!

The movie was fantastic! They gave us punch and some yummy popcorn pretzel snack mix to enjoy while we watched.  I have to say I did not eat anything during the show.  I had my 3-D glasses on and was spell bound by the action.  The movie was a mix of action, fantasy and love story...but it is complicated as all good love stories are!

There was something magical about seeing the movie while I was at Walt Disney World! We were sitting in the back row, primarily because WE RAN 13.1 MILES that morning.  There was a need to be close to the drinks, bathrooms and standing room.  I d have to say that half way through the movie my legs started twitching!  But is was so worth it! I do have to say that every so often I was reminded of where we were...you could hear the band rocking out in the UK.  That's right their was some noise pollution  but it just made me happy because it reminded me I was at DISNEY!

Not only was the Disney Parks Blog showing previews of the movie, but they put together an amazing garden to celebrate it!

Now that is an entry way!

I think Oz landed in the middle of the International Flower and Garden Festival!

Beautiful glass poppies!  I'm getting tired!

5 Princesses going over the rainbow!

 The movie opens tomorrow, March 8th and I the plan is to be in the audience watching with my youngest.  She claims she is not nor ever has been afraid of 3-D movies.  We have a different memory of our movie going experiences with her, but the girl wants to go and I am going to take her!  When will you be watching the movie?