Marathon Weekend 2021

[MadScouser]

I've always wanted to do Dopey... virtually (although NOTHING like the real experience) may be my chance.... Sign me up !!!!

 

[Dopey 2020]

No way I’m running a virtual Dopey in New England in the winter. The weekend made the training worth it, medals in the mail do not. Oh well, hope for the best in the future. We’re still going down for wine and dine and Princess is school vacation week but Jan is already cancelled, points are back, park passes cancelled, flights are gone, and someone may score an AKV one bedroom value.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

No way I’m running a virtual Dopey in New England in the winter. The weekend made the training worth it, medals in the mail do not. Oh well, hope for the best in the future. We’re still going down for wine and dine and Princess is school vacation week but Jan is already cancelled, points are back, park passes cancelled, flights are gone, and someone may score an AKV one bedroom value.

Yeah - we canceled our 1 bedroom value princess weekend. Hope someone will enjoy it!

We’re still going down (Non) Marathon Weekend but we did drop the amount of nights we are going. My husband needs the mental break post holiday season retail craze.

We are taking the refund options.

 

[Lake183]

I am so sad and disappointed. My first Dopey. Hit the brownies hard yesterday. Tonight it may be alcohol.

I’m also angry. Angry about the effects that canceling a race like this has. I’ll just have a beer and probably slow down my training...but what about the person who was planning their first 5K or their kid’s first run who were using this race to try to overcome a bigger obstacle like obesity? I will be fine, but statistically mental health is taking a big hit right now and every canceled event, every new disappointment plays a small role in that overall mental health decline.

But I’m also angry for the people who normally get paid to work this event. The security guards, the added bus driver hours, the organizers, the vendors in the booths and their lost sales, the travel agents, the CHARITIES that will lose fundraising dollars (and the people they help), right down to the small at-home Etsy shops who sell Disney running costumes.

These cancelations don’t just affect the runners and it’s not always as simple as saying “well they did the right thing” and moving on for them. These decisions send ripples far and wide and I hope the races all return ASAP and I am choosing to believe that they will.

Sending lots of love to the Disney running community right now.

 

[lahobbs4]

I'm so sorry, everyone. This sucks. We were skipping this year anyway but I really wanted to see everything go on in a new, fun and safe way.

 

[drummerwife]

So after looking at the math, I’ll be taking the full refund and then signing up for the virtual. If I were to switch I’d lose out on the majority of the 6.6% fee. Depending on which race(s) you’re doing, it ranges from a few dollars to over $20. I realize it’s not a lot of money, it’s really just the principle of it. I don’t think rD should make those of us who signed up to run in person pay more then those who will sign up after us.

 

[baxter24]

Just like everyone, I am bummed about the news. I will confess that training had not started off well for me because I think in the back of my mind, I figured this was going to happen. I am thankful they went ahead and made the decision. I am trying to play Pollyanna about it. Going to take the refund from the race and hotel and change the dates/upgrade our hotel for our Universal trip with our oldest.

 

[kleph]

I'm putting the over/under on the Dopey sellout at five minutes. The demand is going to be massive.

I don't see why it needs to sell out at all. Virtual races aren't restrained by the actual logistics of the race itself, only the production of shirts and medals. I would think this is far enough out to set the order to match the new number of registrations.

There is the online "logistics" but that should be manageable unless runDisney insists the races be run on the original days the races were a scheduled.

And, I expect, demand will be skewed to the 5K and 10K distances. The number of folks willing to undertake one of the challenges at that price point and without the "bonus" of running it at Disney is likely pretty limited. The caveat to that is if they drop the price enough to make it reasonable to any of us crazy to actually try it.

I'd be interested to hear other opinions on this because it's likely this is going to continue to be an issue well into next year. A number of races I get notices on have gone heavy with this virtual strategy. And the one that already has my money allowed choosing a future race but no refund.

 

[nekonekoneko]

My DW is super bummed about this. This has been a crazy year for the running community, and that may still be an understatement.

Every race she signed up for this year was cancelled. The only exception being the Disney Virtual series, but that doesn't count.

There's 2 marathons in the area, one in November, one in December, which I'm hoping will still happen. She didn't sign up for them, not wanting to be disappointed, again. I'm still waiting for final word on if they're happening before plunking the money down for her, but she wants to run something this year. Anything.

 

[camaker]

I don't see why it needs to sell out at all. Virtual races aren't restrained by the actual logistics of the race itself, only the production of shirts and medals. I would think this is far enough out to set the order to match the new number of registrations.

There is the online "logistics" but that should be manageable unless runDisney insists the races be run on the original days the races were a scheduled.

And, I expect, demand will be skewed to the 5K and 10K distances. The number of folks willing to undertake one of the challenges at that price point and without the "bonus" of running it at Disney is likely pretty limited.

I'd be interested to hear other opinions on this because it's likely this is going to continue to be an issue well into next year. A number of races I get notices on have gone heavy with this virtual strategy. And the one that already has my money allowed choosing a future race but no refund.

Pretty sure @FFigawi was speculating on the demand for the 2022 Dopey Challenge, not the virtual.

 

[E2ME2]

We’ll take the refund. Also just canceled our Jan DVC reservation and was happy that they allowed us to put the points we borrowed from our 2021 use year back without penalty. Also canceled our hotel reservation for the Feb run. Feeling depressed, we might need ice cream.

Sorry to hear that you are cancelling,
unless you had a DVC reservation for a at BWV-Studio.
(I am bummed about my first race being cancelled, but still going and I'm hoping to get my wait-list wish at BWV) !

 

[ZellyB]

I'm really sorry to all my runDisney Dis peeps who were planning to run this race. The cancellation isn't surprising but that doesn't ease the disappointment. I'm disappointed along with you. Virtual hugs to all!

 

[FlyerFish]

Just got the email from RunDisney. Selected 100% refund.

 

[lovingeire]

Just got the email from RunDisney. Selected 100% refund.

Same

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

I'm putting the over/under on the Dopey sellout at five minutes. The demand is going to be massive.

Agree 100%. My sister signed up for Dopey 2021, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to risk this exact situation. If I do Dopey, I want it to be as close to our old normal as possible. So I was really hoping for 2022. But with this cancellation now, demand for next year has me worried (race demand in general combined with Disney World’s 50th). My sister is really torn on what option to take because she wants to do Dopey but is nervous that if she takes the refund, she’ll be shut out next year and will be even more disappointed.

 

[braycon]

I don’t know maybe I just want to be disappointed and take in this news and not worry about future runDisney races. I think it’s a bit ridiculous to sit here and speculate that we have run our last runDisney races. We are in the middle of a pandemic still. Nobody is putting on major races right now and runDisney races are huge world class events. Maybe keep the negative thoughts to yourself once in a while.

The appeal of virtual races is completely lost on me. If you love them, then good on you, but I don't get it. I have zero interest in a virtual race that's basically a glorified training run, so I can get a medal for a run that I don't even have to do.

I do the RunDisney races for the experience of running at Disney. I love the inane 2:30am wakeup, the unpredictable weather, the flight down (where there is always at least one other person on the plane also going to run the race), the crowd prior to the race and the nervous energy and excitement, using the port-a-john an absurd number of times, the pre-show, Mickey's countdown, the fireworks, the crowd that lines the road that first couple miles, the characters, the high school bands, my wife cheering me on near the TTC (and then at Grand Floridian) when you know she doesn't even care about running, going under Bay Lake, the giant Mickey hand and DJ music, the Magic Kingdom in the dark with the castle lit straight ahead and the crowd lining Main Street, running back through the castle, the train at the crossing, the boring Bear Island Road stretch, the animals and the inexplicable humidity at Animal Kingdom, the creepy dudes from the Haunted Mansion scene, prior to last year the overpasses and ESPN (oh, how I loathe you ESPN area), the green army dude yelling at you, trudging through Hollywood, exhaustedly working down the connector to the Boardwalk resorts, the crowds, finally getting to EPCOT and that silly-*** bridge between the UK and France that is really nothing at all, but at 25 miles looks like K2, around World Showcase, past Spaceship Earth, the gospel choir, and a finishing chute with family and friends cheering you on as if you've won an Olympic medal, Mickey and Minnie at the finish, the volunteers throughout and particularly those at the end handing you medals and asking if you're doing okay, the medical area and massage tent (I've been to both), the photo, picking up your bag and walking through to family and friends who are pretty sure you're nuts, but love you anyway.

That's why I do the marathon. Even the Expo I enjoy. It's an experience. I can't get that running at home. I get why this race is cancelled this year, but no virtual race is a suitable replacement. I'm not even interested in it as an option, but that's just me. I don't anticipate Disney is going to get rid of the in-person events and go to virtual, but to do so because the virtuals are selling well would be, in my opinion, a gross misunderstanding of why many (the majority) of folks do RunDisney events. The medals are great, but the fun is in the experience that leads to the moment when that medal gets put around your neck at the end of an event that is simply unique and super special. You can't replicate that by running your local running trail and opening your medal box when you get home.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Oh no!!!! I some how did not see this until a friend told me this morning. So bummed. I am going to sit on the options, but will likely at least do the virtual marathon so I can continue to build towards other goals for spring and summer 2021. Not going to go to DW now, I was going solo for the races. So probably better to save money. Need to cancel POP and I guess hold onto my tickets? Need to figure that out. Feeling kinda sad.

And I just got and posted a new POT on Sunday, grrrrr!

Sorry to all who were signed up; such a bummer!

 

[rteetz]

The appeal of virtual races is completely lost on me. If you love them, then good on you, but I don't get it. I have zero interest in a virtual race that's basically a glorified training run, so I can get a medal for a run that I don't even have to do.

I do the RunDisney races for the experience of running at Disney. I love the inane 2:30am wakeup, the unpredictable weather, the flight down (where there is always at least one other person on the plane also going to run the race), the crowd prior to the race and the nervous energy and excitement, using the port-a-john an absurd number of times, the pre-show, Mickey's countdown, the fireworks, the crowd that lines the road that first couple miles, the characters, the high school bands, my wife cheering me on near the TTC (and then at Grand Floridian) when you know she doesn't even care about running, going under Bay Lake, the giant Mickey hand and DJ music, the Magic Kingdom in the dark with the castle lit straight ahead and the crowd lining Main Street, running back through the castle, the train at the crossing, the boring Bear Island Road stretch, the animals and the inexplicable humidity at Animal Kingdom, the creepy dudes from the Haunted Mansion scene, prior to last year the overpasses and ESPN (oh, how I loathe you ESPN area), the green army dude yelling at you, trudging through Hollywood, exhaustedly working down the connector to the Boardwalk resorts, the crowds, finally getting to EPCOT and that silly-*** bridge between the UK and France that is really nothing at all, but at 25 miles looks like K2, around World Showcase, past Spaceship Earth, the gospel choir, and a finishing chute with family and friends cheering you on as if you've won an Olympic medal, Mickey and Minnie at the finish, the volunteers throughout and particularly those at the end handing you medals and asking if you're doing okay, the medical area and massage tent (I've been to both), the photo, picking up your bag and walking through to family and friends who are pretty sure you're nuts, but love you anyway.

That's why I do the marathon. Even the Expo I enjoy. It's an experience. I can't get that running at home. I get why this race is cancelled this year, but no virtual race is a suitable replacement. I'm not even interested in it as an option, but that's just me. I don't anticipate Disney is going to get rid of the in-person events and go to virtual, but to do so because the virtuals are selling well would be, in my opinion, a gross misunderstanding of why many (the majority) of folks do RunDisney events. The medals are great, but the fun is the experience that leads to the moment when that medal gets put around your neck at the end of an event that is simply unique and super special. You can't replicate that by running your local running trail and opening your medal box when you get home.

In a normal race year, yes I agree with you. I don't do many if any virtual races. Obviously virtual races are the only things we have right now for the most part. I am enjoying the challenges that places have come up with more so than a virtual race. I did a virtual run across the CA coast for example. It was cool to track my mileage every day and see where along the coast I was.

I 100% agree with you on the rest of what you said. The entire experience is what makes marathon weekend and why I have done it for the last 6 years.

 

[The Expert]

This has become an annual comment for me:

I really like the Oswald medal.

Me too! TEAM OSWALD FOREVER!!!

Sorry to hear that you are cancelling,
unless you had a DVC reservation for a at BWV-Studio.
(I am bummed about my first race being cancelled, but still going and I'm hoping to get my wait-list wish at BWV) !

Stand by. We had booked two rooms, one a BWV boardwalk view studio. Just waiting to hear if family joins us, but if not that's going back into the pool!

 

[PCFriar80]

I'm really sorry to all my runDisney Dis peeps who were planning to run this race. The cancellation isn't surprising but that doesn't ease the disappointment. I'm disappointed along with you. Virtual hugs to all!

Ditto this! We'll be down there [Not] spectating in 2021, but at least we'll be there! I'll miss all of the fanfare with MW regardless of running or not. Is it too early for a "Marathon Weekend 2022" thread?