Marathon Weekend 2020

[CDKG]

Hiding from the elements in my car pre-race is the best part of hometown races! I don’t rent a car at WDW, so race Retreat was my only retreat. This “open-air runner experience” is sounding less magical by the minute!

 

[jeremy1002]

All races (other than kids one-miler) are currently available for sale.

 

[jennamfeo]

All races (other than kids one-miler) are currently available for sale.

Ugh. Haha. Much easier to use it selling out as an excuse to not run that weekend. Fingers crossed for a discount at W&D.

 

[RunDopey]

SAFD/TAFD:

1 - Dinner at Victoria & Alberts with my wife.
2 - Building a light saber in SWGE
3 - Trying the Skyline
4 - New course (maybe, not sure on this one but open to see)

 

[Disneyslowrunner]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but I emailed Run Disney about the race retreat. They responded,"Due to space constraints in the Epcot Parking lot, we will not be able to offer Race Retreat." Also, that the new "open-air runner experience" is a paid add-on. I am not sure about the logic behind offering a paid "experience" when this appears to be no different than the regular staging area. Also, I am not sure how they can have space for this open air experience, but not for the tents...the race retreat didn't take up that much room. Also, there was no mention if the normal race retreat would ever return. I suspect they are going to see if people are gullible enough to pay a premium to just stand around a parking lot. I will be honest that this disappoints me. I am a huge Disney fan and it has always been expensive, after all here I am wanting them to charge me an exorbitant amount to sit in a tent! But, I feel like it is a bit shameless, combined with the obscene price hikes, to charge you for standing around a parking lot

 

[jmasgat]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but I emailed Run Disney about the race retreat. They responded,"Due to space constraints in the Epcot Parking lot, we will not be able to offer Race Retreat." Also, that the new "open-air runner experience" is a paid add-on. I am not sure about the logic behind offering a paid "experience" when this appears to be no different than the regular staging area. Also, I am not sure how they can have space for this open air experience, but not for the tents...the race retreat didn't take up that much room. Also, there was no mention if the normal race retreat would ever return. I suspect they are going to see if people are gullible enough to pay a premium to just stand around a parking lot. I will be honest that this disappoints me. I am a huge Disney fan and it has always been expensive, after all here I am wanting them to charge me an exorbitant amount to sit in a tent! But, I feel like it is a bit shameless, combined with the obscene price hikes, to charge you for standing around a parking lot

Wow. This all sounds like a bad real estate advert. You know, "cozy charmer looking for your brand of TLC" means dumpy, old 400 sq ft fixer upper. If RD spent the same amount of time working to improve the events for all runners as they have in 'business-speak/bullshitting", it would be appreciated.

 

[Jason Bryer]

SAFD:
1. This will be my third DM, but first DOPY. Really looking forward to that.
2. The gondalas. Staying at Pop and think I will enjoy the easy access to the boardwalk area without the price of the boardwalk hotels.
3. SWGE, of course.

 

[DISRNR1000]

I’ve not been a regular poster but hope to follow more often, so I’d like to get in on this. Such a good group here!

SAFD
1. First time back for a run Disney event after a two year hiatus. I found that I missed marathon weekend in January. It was like a post holiday tradition.

2. This will be my shortest marathon weekend and I’m only doing one running event, the half marathon.

3. And because I’m only running one event I’m looking forward to just enjoying my short weekend without the pressure of multiple events or a “full”. Though when I saw that Goofy medal and new marathon course changes, hmmm...

4. Seeing the new Epcot fireworks show!

 

[Barca33Runner]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but I emailed Run Disney about the race retreat. They responded,"Due to space constraints in the Epcot Parking lot, we will not be able to offer Race Retreat." Also, that the new "open-air runner experience" is a paid add-on. I am not sure about the logic behind offering a paid "experience" when this appears to be no different than the regular staging area. Also, I am not sure how they can have space for this open air experience, but not for the tents...the race retreat didn't take up that much room. Also, there was no mention if the normal race retreat would ever return. I suspect they are going to see if people are gullible enough to pay a premium to just stand around a parking lot. I will be honest that this disappoints me. I am a huge Disney fan and it has always been expensive, after all here I am wanting them to charge me an exorbitant amount to sit in a tent! But, I feel like it is a bit shameless, combined with the obscene price hikes, to charge you for standing around a parking lot

I always thought the main attraction of the race retreat was climate control before the race. I never bought it so I don’t have any inside info on that, but if I was ever envious of race retreat it was 100% based on the ability for escape the cold/rain.

I’m honestly wondering what they even believe they’re selling with their exclusive portion of parking lot. Pretty sure all the food offerings (or a reasonable facsimile) can be bought a la carte in the other non-exclusive parking lot areas for less than a package will likely cost. The magnanimous oversell of this clear downgrade from the former race retreat is why I’m very cautious in any optimism about the “exciting changes” to the marathon course.

 

[Disneyslowrunner]

The magnanimous oversell of this clear downgrade from the former race retreat is why I’m very cautious in any optimism about the “exciting changes” to the marathon course.

Yeah, I am trying not to be too negative about it, but I think when you consider that they fired the normal announcer, IMO chintzed out on the medals a bit, and now are overselling a lame parking lot "experience" and course changes, I suspect that Disney figures they don't really need marathon weekend anymore to draw people in on a traditionally low attendance weekend. Anyway, I hope I am wrong about this and that it is just growing pains as they renovate Epcot.

 

[FFigawi]

The magnanimous oversell of this clear downgrade from the former race retreat is why I’m very cautious in any optimism about the “exciting changes” to the marathon course.

I am sure the “exciting changes” will rank right up there with the “mile 20 spectacular” from a few years back.

 

[kirstie101]

SAFD:
1. First WDW trip!
2. First Full
3. First Dopey
4. First Epcot and DATW
5. First stay at Pop.
6. First time eating sooo many places.
7. First time meeting some of you amazing folks!

This trip has so many firsts for me, I’m truly over the moon excited about it!

 

[garneska]

I am sure the “exciting changes” will rank right up there with the “mile 20 spectacular” from a few years back.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[Neon Cactus]

Just booked with a tour company for the Disneyland Paris 2020 36k challenge! I'm excited not just for Castle to Chateau but this will be my first trip to Europe.

 

[PrincessV]

I always thought the main attraction of the race retreat was climate control before the race. I never bought it so I don’t have any inside info on that, but if I was ever envious of race retreat it was 100% based on the ability for escape the cold/rain.

That is absolutely the sole reason I did RR once for PHM: to ensure some kind of shelter should we have frigid conditions. Literally nothing else was worth the money to me other than that tent. Naturally, the weather was fine that year and I haven't bought RR since, lol!

But yeah, I'm utterly perplexed by this "open-air, runner-exclusive" patch of parking lot. For a fee. What on earth will be in there that's worth paying for??? Honestly, my guess is the mention of characters - I can see a situation in which the only way to do character pics before/after races will be in this paid area. The whole thing is, frankly, bizarre.

I am sure the “exciting changes” will rank right up there with the “mile 20 spectacular” from a few years back.

#nailedit

 

[Barca33Runner]

But yeah, I'm utterly perplexed by this "open-air, runner-exclusive" patch of parking lot. For a fee. What on earth will be in there that's worth paying for??? Honestly, my guess is the mention of characters - I can see a situation in which the only way to do character pics before/after races will be in this paid area. The whole thing is, frankly, bizarre.

Yeah, all I can really picture from past setups would be basically making the stage and character areas exclusive. Whether they relocated everything for the new “experience” or not. If they make access to characters before the race only available for an additional price they are going to anger a ton of people; if they don’t, I don’t know what anyone would be purchasing.

 

[camaker]

But yeah, I'm utterly perplexed by this "open-air, runner-exclusive" patch of parking lot. For a fee. What on earth will be in there that's worth paying for??? Honestly, my guess is the mention of characters - I can see a situation in which the only way to do character pics before/after races will be in this paid area. The whole thing is, frankly, bizarre.

Yeah, all I can really picture from past setups would be basically making the stage and character areas exclusive. Whether they relocated everything for the new “experience” or not. If they make access to characters before the race only available for an additional price they are going to anger a ton of people; if they don’t, I don’t know what anyone would be purchasing.

If they're going to be moving characters into a paid area, it's going to be a lose/lose disaster for them. The runners who don't pay for it are going to be upset because they took a previously free experience and started charging for it. It'll play right along with the current narrative of continually paying more to get less from RunDisney. Then they're going to have a nightmare with the folks who pay for it and then show up late, thinking they'll just be able to walk up and get pictures. When they close the picture lines to encourage people to move to the corrals, it's going to cause an absolute storm of "I paid for the retreat to get the character pictures and then I wasn't allowed to! I want my money back!" They already have complaints when they close the picture lines before the races when they're not charging for the experience. It's hard to see them coming out of this with any positives.

 

[jennamfeo]

If they're going to be moving characters into a paid area, it's going to be a lose/lose disaster for them. The runners who don't pay for it are going to be upset because they took a previously free experience and started charging for it. It'll play right along with the current narrative of continually paying more to get less from RunDisney. Then they're going to have a nightmare with the folks who pay for it and then show up late, thinking they'll just be able to walk up and get pictures. When they close the picture lines to encourage people to move to the corrals, it's going to cause an absolute storm of "I paid for the retreat to get the character pictures and then I wasn't allowed to! I want my money back!" They already have complaints when they close the picture lines before the races when they're not charging for the experience. It's hard to see them coming out of this with any positives.

So what you're saying is I need to bring popcorn before the races to watch this sh*t show go down. Got it. Haha.

 

[camaker]

So what you're saying is I need to bring popcorn before the races to watch this sh*t show go down. Got it. Haha.

Nah. I'd just sleep in and watch it play out on Facebook later!

 

[DISRNR1000]

I just thought of something. The old race retreat used to have characters right? So maybe the new runners area will have characters for pictures as well. But there will still be characters outside of the paid runners area open to everyone just like in previous races.