Just Like runDisney- But FREE | Get Up & Go Power Walk

I spent last week working at Disneyland. Working, y’all.

True story.

Four days and three nights away from the family, eating Disney snacks and food and riding a few rides. Spending the days in classroom sessions where people shared the details of Adventures By Disney excursions and Aulani vacations.

I had to share a room with my boss and it overlooked the monorail, which you know, is the worst.

It was rough. So, soooo rough!

Ha!

I’ll say this about the decision to become a travel agent: it DOES indeed have it’s perks, especially when you need to stay at a Disney location in order to learn more about it. I came home with my Disney heart and mind filled to the brim and really, you guys, we need to plan a huge Aulani trip together! I swooned and gasped during the entire presentation. So lovely!

For this agent training trip, we were hosted at the Grand Californian, one of the three Disneyland Resort properties located on site. I’ve stayed here before and enjoy just about everything about this resort.

One thing I had been wanting to do for a long time but had not been able to work it into my runDisney schedule was the Get Up & Go Power Walk through Disney California Adventure.

It’s a 2 mile-ish power walk through DCA before the parks open.

Sounds a bit like a runDisney event, right? Much like runDisney, you wake up early and get your workout done as the sun comes up. There’s one big difference, however.

It’s FREE, yo! If you are staying at any of the Disney owned properties, you can also sign up for this early morning excursion.

As runDisney fanatics, we couldn’t pass this up!

It starts early- promptly at 6 am. Our morning had a good size group of early morning risers with about 18 of us showing up for the walk.

You must be able to keep a 15-minute per mile pace while you walk— and guys, this is harder than it sounds! More on that in a minute.

There is an age requirement as well: must be 14-years old and anyone under 17 must have a guardian present.

The biggest bummer? No strollers or cameras are allowed. I was hoping to live Instastory the whole event, but it was clear they meant no cameras right off the bat. It was also obvious as to why: you will see some of the cast members and 3rd shifters preparing the parks for the day, and that’s the kind of magic killer Disney doesn’t want to be shown on social media.

So that pace. Let’s chat about that.

I might be able to run/walk/run comfortably at a 15-minute mile pace, but solely walking that fast took a lot of effort.

Our leader, Dave, was great with giving us a few tips to keep us at a true walk even when we wanted to run. Think baby steps with short strides and quick turnovers. You might feel silly, but dang it, y’all, it WORKS.

It took conscious effort to remember those tips, but when I did, I couldn’t believe how fast and comfortable I could walk. This might be a game changer in my Galloway running plan. If I can get the walk faster than my usual 19ish minute per mile walk pace, my overall pace may drastically improve.

I worked on this a little this weekend during my 9-miler. For 2 miles I speed walked, specifically trying to keep that 15-minute mile pace that Dave had us rockin’ through DCA.

It’s going to take a lot of practice to keep this up. Seriously- I was whooped! Mad respect to the power walkers among us. This is NOT easy!

If you are interested in trying this out before your day starts, be sure to sign up in advance. You can grab your place for a FREE “runDisney” experience at the Guest Services desk in the main lobby of any of the 3 Disneyland Park Resort Hotels.

Have you ever tried power walking? What tips do you have for me?