Oh, the joy of blogging about our first trip to Disneyland Paris! Combine that with a post about my favorite hobby, running, and it doubles the joy. My all-time favorite Disney jogging path is the 1 mile trek from the Polynesian Resort to the Wedding Pavilion. It borders the Seven Seas Lagoon and has spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom; surely the closest thing to running nirvana I have found. So of course I needed to find a similar course to run at Disneyland Paris. (I’m forging ahead to train for my first half-marathon in October- the Wine & Dine at Disney World- and couldn’t afford to take 3 weeks off!) The 1 and a half mile perimeter of Lake Disney seemed my best bet; water, vistas, and a controlled albeit slightly elevated terrain. Again, my surroundings took me away:
The PanoraMagique Balloon at the edge of the Disney Village debuted in 2005, and was the predecessor of The Characters in Flight Balloon in Downtown Disney. Although I never once saw it in the air, it certainly was a beautiful landmark to run around!
With the Newport Bay Club in the distance, you can see the path and the Lake as it wraps around in a horseshoe fashion. (By the way, if the hotel looks familiar, it should. The architect was responsible for the Yacht and Beach Clubs at Disney World.)
Next around the ring is the Sequoia Lodge, which though in the midst of a refurbishment, was still a warm and inviting resort. We stayed here for half of our stay, and I’m sure will more to say about it in future posts.
Don’t bother adjusting your monitors, this indeed is a picture of the ice skating rink in front of Hotel New York. Yes, we were there in mid-June, but the weather was a chilly 55 degrees most evenings. As an additional, perhaps tongue-in-cheek homage to the city of my birth, skates were available for rental in the “Rockefeller” building…
Again, if this design looks familiar, it is because the famed postmodern architect of the Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Michael Graves, was recruited for this hotel as well.
As you can see, I had much to soak in while running around Lake Disney. Though certainly not as beautiful as “my” spot at the Polynesian, I found joy in every step, sight, and sound. After all, joie de vivre- I had finally made it to Disneyland Paris!
P.S. Quite coincidentally, the August edition of Runner’s World magazine has a feature from Jeff Galloway on running while vacationing. His advice? Even a run of ten minutes or so will stave off regression. Specifically, he suggests a “room-to-ride run” when staying at a theme park, and mentions that Disney World, specifically, has designated running areas. (If you are interested in my favorite WDW running path, or any other running/jogging/walking trail at Walt Disney World, this is an invaluable resource.)
** Addendum: Run this course (plus 12 miles more) during the Disneyland Paris Inaugural Half Marathon Weekend! Receive updates HERE.
Your pictures are bringing back great memories. I've been wanting to go back to Disneyland Paris since the day we left 3 years ago. Hopefully soon…
Great post!! DLP is on my list to visit… one day! Thanks so much for sharing! Good luck on the half! I did the half in 08 at WDW- AMAZING!!
Deej- I know I will miss it more each day! (Oh great, another new obsession!!)
Hi Beth, I'm soooo impressed by the number of folks who have completed marathons and halfs. I'm surprised I got through my 5K's without a blowout!! Thanks for the inspiration. 😀
I love the post and the pictures are great. i love the ice skating rink, how cool. Going to DLP has always been on my list.. Thanks for sharing..
Hi Diane, Isn't it amazing that all us "Disney people" have the same lists?! Can I guess- is staying in the Cinderella Castle Suite on the top of yours too??!!
Love the pictures. I am also a runner and enjoy running while on vacation. There is no better place to run!
Casey- Amen to that! Thanks for stopping in 😀
Oh I got so excited when I saw your photos!! 😀 I love lake Disney in the Summer! Did you see anyone out on pedalos? You can hire them in the summer but I haven't got round to it yet! 😀
Hi Manda,
Yes! In fact, I was almost run down by a "quadri-cycle" while running 😀 I didn't hold a grudge, however, because my sons and I almost clipped someone at the Boardwalk while pedaling around in one of their surreys!!
Hi D!! Love your pictures and admire you for running even while on vacation . Gotta love that they have an iceskating rink in June. I think staying at Cinderella Castle is on every Disney Fans wish list isn't it?
Donna- When I read that the rink was open "seasonally" I thought they meant Christmastime. Silly me!!
Wow! I cannot wait to make it to DLP sometime. I love the path from the Poly to the GF, it helps take care of some of the Disney calories! 🙂
I love your pictures they are beautiful! I can't wait to get back to DLP in October.
Bookgirl @ My Book Addiction
Hi BookGirl, October should be perfect because ALL of the refurbs should be done by then (and there are sooo many as the Park gets ready for its 20th Anniversary). But I'm sure you already knew that!!!
Hi Melissa- DLP is well worth the hours of travel. Just try to wait until the US$$ is faring better against the Euro!!!
Love the pictures – so beautiful! Hopefully some day. Following you from the Terrific Tuesday Hop and hoping you can return the love. You can find me at Yankee Texan Mom or Mama's Money Tree
Go Yankees!! Thanks for the Hop, I'll be jumping over to you soon_ :DM
Great post! Love your pics! DLP♥ is on my Disney Bucket List. It looks and sounds fabulous. I love the NY connection of the Rockefeller rink!!
Hopping in from the Tiggerific Hop
Deb @ Focused on the Magic
Hi I'm visiting from the Tiggerific Hop.
I'll probably never make it to Paris, but it sure does look beautiful there. Glad you had a wonderful time and I hope we get to see more pictures.
Hi Debs, Yes- it was worth the wait. (And who knew the DLP rink would be open when the Rockefeller Center one is long closed?!!) Thanks for hopping-
Cathy, I would have to say that DLP is the prettiest of the Parks I have seen (so far :D)! I'm hopping over to you now…
I would love to go to DLP! New follower from Tiggerific Tuesday hop! Please stop by http://aboutamom.com to say hi!
DLP is a treasure, but nothing beats WDW!! I'm hopping your way now 😀
As runner too, I love any vaca with a good running trail, but a running path in Disney Paris looks and sounds sublime! 🙂
Ithappens, I just LOVE multitasking- don't you?!