Marathon Weekend 2020

[UNCBear24]

SAFD:
This is a great question. I like many lands, but there's just something about Sunset Boulevard that gets my vote. I love the Tower of Terror looming at the end of the street and the Citizens of Hollywood are so much fun!

 

[lahobbs4]

SAFD: So much to think about! It's a close one between Frontierland and Mainstreet U.S.A, but I've got to give the win to Mainstreet!

It immediately calms me and I love the street entertainment, the balloons, the signs and displays in the windows, etc. And I could watch people see Cinderella's Castle for the first time ALL DAY LONG.

 

[flav]

SAFD: If I include Cinderella’s Castle in it then my favorite overall land is Fantasyland: 10 attractions almost everyone can enjoy at any age plus two castles to dine in! My favorite rides are in Frontierland (Splash Mountain) and Liberty Square (Haunted Mansion) but that is not enough to vote for one of them.

 

[AggieDizzer]

SAFD: Overall, I have to go with New Orleans Square in Land. Between Pirates, Mansion, and Cafe Orleans, plus the cool little shops (and Club 33, which I will probably never get to see myself, but still...), I think I could spend an entire day just hanging out there! If we are talking East Coast, then put me down for World Showcase as well, for all the reasons that everyone has stated so far. It's great. I hope we get a new pavilion or 2 in the future, and if/when we do, I hope they don't bog it down with IP. Just let World Showcase be World Showcase!

 

[IamTrike]

Wow this was a great SAFD. I really enjoyed reading everyone's responses there was a lot of head nodding and "yeah, I love that too" as I read.
It's a cop out but my answer would be a firm "it depends"
For Food and General Exploration WS hands down. It's easy to spend a day just wandering around there and we probably eat 50% or more of our TS meals there.
For rides I was initially going to say Frontierland but I keep going back and forth between that and other lands.

But I think overall it would be Main Street. To me coming out from the under the train station onto Main Street is my "ahh now we are at Disney time". I love it so much that a scheduled time off around a customer meeting in St Lois so that I could drive to Marceline and explore it's main street, the Disney museum and the Dreaming tree/Walt's barn replica.

 

[JulieODC]

I do love WS, and there are parts of Discovery Island in DAK that I love too (the seating area way behind Flame tree and the paths around the tree of life)...

But my gut was Frontierland and this pretty much sums up why....

Frontierland I think. The wide street there and little faux western buildings paired with the big mountains, water and Tom Sawyer's Island is just pefect Disney to me. Add the music & it's all just relaxing until a ride on the the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness that is!

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: I'm totally going to cheat and give one land from each park at WDW...

AK: Africa & Asia. Sorry, I really cannot pick just one. Because one has lions and one has tigers and I adore them both. Also, the architecture, and the music, and the entertainment, and the walking paths, and the food. Once upon a time, AK was my least favorite park, in large part because I live very near Busch Gardens Tampa, which was a much better experience when it came to zoological interaction. But AK has matured a lot in the last 10 years and is now top of my list.

DHS: Breaking the rules again, because the late Streets of New York and San Francisco still hold my heart, may they rest in peace.

EP: WS - though, to be fair, it hasn't wowed me much in the last few years. But I still enjoy a good WS stroll.

MK: Land within a land here - the Splash Mountain area. Love the architecture and themeing, the music, and the ride queue itself feels like a little land!

 

[Mickey Momma]

SAFD: When I first read the question, I immediately thought I would go with Fantasyland at MK based on pure nostalgia. The more I think about it, though, I have to go with Adventureland. Lots of vintage Disney (minus the ridiculous Magic Carpet Ride that needs to just go away), plus the lush landscaping and soundtrack.

A close second would be Hollywood & Sunset Blvds at the Studios. Love the art deco theming, the feel, Citizens of Hollywood...all of it!

 

[huskies90]

SAFD: Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios - Haven't stepped foot in it yet and it is already my favorite!!

 

[rteetz]

SAFD: Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios - Haven't stepped foot in it yet and it is already my favorite!!

Well if that’s allowed I’m changing my answer

 

[lhermiston]

Quick question for those who bought a finishers jacket this year: was it true to size or run big/small?

I’m still kicking myself a little for not getting a jacket and I found a marathon one, but it’s XXL and I typically get XL clothes.

 

[dtrain]

I started a meet up thread for the Castaway Cay Challenge Cruise, hope to see/meet some of you! https://www.disboards.com/threads/j...-bahamian-cruise-from-port-canaveral.3749618/

 

[cavepig]

Quick question for those who bought a finishers jacket this year: was it true to size or run big/small?

I’m still kicking myself a little for not getting a jacket and I found a marathon one, but it’s XXL and I typically get XL clothes.

They didn't sell Finishers Jackets. Do you mean the pre-order black with Dopey on the front jacket? What I found trying them on was the pre-order (weekend theme) fit small, I would have had to get a Large. It was short too I thought, just a weird fit in my opinion. I couldn't find women's cut, so I feel they were all uni-sex maybe. Even seeing people wearing them in the parks it seemed they fit small and short.

I did get the blue Marathon one (which I think maybe is what you mean) with the light blue stripes on the shoulders and it fits good, I got a medium in that, which is normal for me. Has some length unlike the pre-order one. It's not too tight so I can where long sleeves under it if I have too. It didn't say women's cut so I guess it's unisex too. So, I would say this one is true to size and it does stretch some as well. It's very light weight.

 

[lhermiston]

They didn't sell Finishers Jackets. Do you mean the pre-order black with Dopey on the front jacket? What I found trying them on was the pre-order (weekend theme) fit small, I would have had to get a Large. It was short too I thought, just a weird fit in my opinion. I couldn't find women's cut, so I feel they were all uni-sex maybe. Even seeing people wearing them in the parks it seemed they fit small and short.

I did get the blue Marathon one (which I think maybe is what you mean) with the light blue stripes on the shoulders and it fits good, I got a medium in that, which is normal for me. Has some length unlike the pre-order one. It's not too tight so I can where long sleeves under it if I have too. It didn't say women's cut so I guess it's unisex too. So, I would say this one is true to size and it does stretch some as well. It's very light weight.

This jacket is red and blue and for the marathon. I like the color scheme. But it sounds like XXL will be too big.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[cavepig]

This jacket is red and blue and for the marathon. I like the color scheme. But it sounds like XXL will be too big.

Thanks for the feedback!

Red and blue was the same as the blue and blue I got for style so yeah I could see XXL being too big if you are normally XL for a jacket. I bet one will turn up eventually in your size.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Still trying to decide if I want to attempt Dopey... this past marathon weekend was my first full. Running all three at W&D so part of me says just to keep up the training and try Dopey. I know what you all are going to say but I guess I need some encouragement to make the leap...

My answer might surprise you. For years, I said I would never run a marathon unless it involved being an extra in a Star Wars movie or some such similar end game. Whatever thoughts I harbored about some day running a marathon sprinted away from me as fast as they could in long training runs for half marathons.

It took 3 half marathons with one of those half marathons being at the end of my normal intense Disney World touring before I realized I could handle a multi race weekend. I ran 5 multi race weekends (all Star Wars) before finally feeling like I wanted to attempt the marathon.

Given the logistics of traveling to Disney World in January from the west coast, I settled on running my first marathon as part of Dopey in case I never had another opportunity to attempt the Walt Disney World Marathon again. I had a great experience. Yet at the same time, I had a great experience because I was ready to attempt the marathon. I could have run the marathon by itself at any other point since I took up running and probably would have a difficult experience. I enjoyed it precisely because I was ready to attempt it and thus did so on my terms and no one else's.

In the end, you need to make the Dopey decision that is best for you. I can tell you that if you're ready for Dopey and want to run it, you should have a great time. Just make sure that you're running Dopey on your terms and no one else's.

For this week's Sundays are for Disney, I want to know: what is your favorite "land" within a Disney park?

For now, Disneyland's Fantasyland. I love how all the show buildings fit together thematically yet remain individually themed to the country of origin for the ride inside. I'm optimistic that in just a couple of weeks, Galaxy's Edge will be my new favorite land within a park.

Honorable mention goes to the Star Tours area in Disney's Hollywood Studios at night when you can hear the ewoks partying in the trees.

Honorable mention also to World Showcase because I love it.

I have two aha moments that tell me I'm at Disney.

1. Seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland.
2. Seeing Spaceship Earth at Walt Disney World. I believe I could spend a week in Disney World, never visiting Epcot, and still not feel like I'm there until I see Spaceship Earth.

Side note, I have heard several people say they don’t need to travel the world because they’ve been to WS. That is just sad...don’t be one of those people! As amazing of a job Disney does in recreating these magical places, it is not a substitution for the real thing! Try to do what I have done, visit the real countries and let WS remind you of those special memories!

I have friends who honeymooned in Paris and spent an anniversary dinner many years later at Chefs de France for that very reason. And although I am not certainly not saying the Magic Kingdom is fake, do not let Walt Disney World keep you from visiting Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom.

This jacket is red and blue and for the marathon. I like the color scheme. But it sounds like XXL will be too big.

Thanks for the feedback!

I have that jacket. I'll try and check the size when I get home tonight. I really like it, but I need to check the size before I describe how it fits on me.

 

[Dopey 2020]

Quick question for those who bought a finishers jacket this year: was it true to size or run big/small?

I’m still kicking myself a little for not getting a jacket and I found a marathon one, but it’s XXL and I typically get XL clothes.

This jacket is red and blue and for the marathon. I like the color scheme. But it sounds like XXL will be too big.

Thanks for the feedback!

I got that jacket in XL and it fits me the way I like, just a little big. For reference I usually get XL in just about everything, except the tech shirts from runDisney which I get in L. I’m 5’10 155

 

[Bree]

SAFD: This is hard! I may have to go with Fantasyland. PP, IASW & Dumbo are some of my favorite rides. I also adore Main Street USA though. I wish there was more seating there to just people watch.

 

[wdvak]

SAFD: this is so difficult and I’ve decided that I’m tied between Main Street (can’t beat the atmosphere and music with the castle at the end) and Asia in AK (again great atmosphere, great ride, and tigers)

 

[michigandergirl]

SAFD: I love the Africa & Asia areas in AK. So much detail, I really feel like I've been transported to the other side of the world.