Season of the Force Launches Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend into Hyperspace

We go for the storytelling; the Magic that envelops us once surrounded by the Disney gates.  And so, that magic for Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend runners is called the Force.  While it was true at last year’s inaugural event, it was certainly awakened this year.  Racers were immersed in the FIRST ORDER and the RESISTANCE in 2016.  If we just let it in, we were able to harness the power of the Light Side.

Star Wars central can be found in Tomorrowland.  As with any good training program, my advice is to start at the beginning.  Jedi of my generation might be a tad weak in their “prequel” history, installments 1-3.  Likewise, Padawans may need to brush up on the “classics” 4-6.  Head your cruiser to Tomorrowland Theater for Star Wars: Path of the Jedi – a 10-minute synopsis of the Star Wars story to date.  I can’t tell you how much I had either missed or forgotten!  Get up to speed with this necessary primer to the weekend.

Next stop?  Steer to Star Wars Launch Bay for some face time with the heroes and villains you’ve come to love/hate.

And what a terrific way to show off your bling to the beings who are most impressed by it!

And for Disney Parks fans, “Chewie, we’re home” means oh, so much more here.  Speaking of Wookiees, grab a pilot’s seat in the nearby Hyperspace Mountain, head to Jakku and yell “punch it Chewie!”

Further satisfy your need for speed at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, where your Starspeeder 1000 flight now includes a new location from Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

Post battles, all Rebels will need fueling, and that detail has not been overlooked by the masters either.

Though out-of-this-world, the breakfast and lunch/dinner menus made sticking to a pre-race sensible diet (low fat, low fiber, low spice) a challenge.  I chose the kid’s Jawa Turkey Sand-Wich because it was light, healthy, and came on BANTHA BLUE MILK BREAD.  No, it wasn’t whole wheat, but it’s blue, and I NEEDED it.  It was deeee-licious.  Post-race, Darth By Chocolate it was.  After 19.3 miles I needed that too.

If you time it right, you can sit on the eatery’s patio to watch and learn from Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple.  Get your double dose of the Force here!

At this point in your “training” you have earned your wings, so to speak.  Get to Tommorrow Landing and purchase your own personalized (in Aurebesh, mind you) Star Wars nametag.  Wear it, you must!!

Though I cannot claim that all this immersion shaved any parsecs from my Rebel Challenge times, it did send the fun factor, the entire Star Wars theming into the stratosphere.  Whether you intend to keep your running shoes firmly planted on terra firma, or you are simply “studying” for the upcoming Star Wars Land, Season of the Force makes the circle complete. “This is a new Day, a new beginning…”