runDisney pares back complimentary full-day ticket to half-day for volunteers

[Rteetz]

If you're compensated, you're not a volunteer.

Why on Earth would anybody do this? Who could possibly value their own time so little?

All races depend on volunteers. Many people enjoy doing so. Some can’t run races so they volunteer instead. Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean there isn’t value.

 

[Rteetz]

It may have been an edict to cut costs but I doubt Bobby C was consulted on this change

Volunteers aren’t even organized by Disney themselves.

 

[Rteetz]

Voluntarism is a tremendous good... when you're giving your time to youth sports, homeless shelters, churches, community groups, senior centers, municipal beautification, etc.

I don't think there's any reason to be donating your time to a multinational media conglomerate so that they can increase their profitability. Disney should pay for their own damn labor. Not with a park ticket; with actual wages.

There is a presenting charity for each race weekend. These volunteers are essential. All major races require hundreds of not thousands of people to help. There isn’t a labor force for that. Races even runDisney are not huge profit driven events.

 

[Rteetz]

Yes I have never quite understood why runDisney requires "volunteers." I am assuming its is because they are a standard thing in most running events. But most running events don't take place in a theme park resort that has resources on hand to deal with these types of crowds.

There is no way disney could fill the amount of people needed to put on these races without some sort of outside help. They don’t even organize the races themselves, that’s Track Shack. Track Shack also organizes the volunteers now. Volunteering is a huge thing in the running community.

 

[Rteetz]

In addition to the cost savings on Disney's side, if I am living in Florida, and I have some time to volunteer my services for this type of event, I am assuming such people are Disney fans, and would much rather get tickets to the park that they are going to use, and never claim as income, as opposed to be 1099 filings on likely min wage payment for 5-6 hours.

This. Also many family members will volunteer while their runner is running. You’ll see a lot of older volunteers.

 

[Rteetz]

If you (the runners) pay Disney to put on the event, then Disney should adequately STAFF the event. I'm not convinced that calling unpaid workers "volunteers" in a for-profit enterprise is even legal under US labor law.

I don’t think you understand how these major races work. Even world majors rely heavily on volunteers. Boston and New York City marathons for example. Those races like Disney require hundreds of people to help.

 

[fgmnt]

Yes I have never quite understood why runDisney requires "volunteers." I am assuming its is because they are a standard thing in most running events. But most running events don't take place in a theme park resort that has resources on hand to deal with these types of crowds.

It takes a lot of people to run these giant events, and the marginal administrative overhead alone from handling employees instead of volunteers could make it nonviable.

That being said, these events traditionally get volunteers because of a specific level of community pride for where the race is located or the organization that supports the race. run Disney events are a weird animal where you are running through private and RCID property instead of a public cityscape, and the name behind the race is the largest media holding company on Earth, not a city.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

lol…blaming chapek for that cheapskatery?

 

[Lilofan]

Volunteers aren’t even organized by Disney themselves.

Run Disney are cast that are in charge of the races.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don’t think you understand how these major races work. Even world majors rely heavily on volunteers. Boston and New York City marathons for example. Those races like Disney require hundreds of people to help.

Do any of those events own the entire race course and dictate all public and private activity within it?

 

[dreday3]

Wait...are we angry or not?

I would say just that headline being out there makes Disney look bad no matter if they are at fault, not at fault, kind of at fault.
Bad press is bad press.

 

[Lilofan]

I don’t think you understand how these major races work. Even world majors rely heavily on volunteers. Boston and New York City marathons for example. Those races like Disney require hundreds of people to help.

I knew a run Disney marathon volunteer who started her shift at 2am and finished at 3pm.

 

[Rteetz]

Run Disney are cast that are in charge of the races.

Well kind of…. Track Shack which is owned by Jon Hughes the founder of the Walt Disney World Marathon is behind all the logistics of runDisney. They set up the course and the volunteers and all that stuff. Disney creates the themes, gets the characters on course, and does all those Disney related things. runDisney is actually a very small department within disney. Most actual rD staff is only season.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wait...are we angry or not?

I would say just that headline being out there makes Disney look bad no matter if they are at fault, not at fault, kind of at fault.
Bad press is bad press.

It is bad press…they do look bad…and they are at fault

Guess who’s fault?

 

[Rteetz]

Do any of those events own the entire race course and dictate all public and private activity within it?

That is certainly the unique thing to runDisney but that also is a blessing for Track Shack in terms of race organization. It makes their lives a little bit easier in terms of logistics.

 

[Rteetz]

I knew a run Disney marathon volunteer who started her shift at 2am and finished at 3pm.

Yes that can be very normal on marathon day depending on what your job is. Runners, especially back of the backers are out there for that long as well too.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well kind of…. Track Shack which is owned by Jon Hughes the founder of the Walt Disney World Marathon is behind all the logistics of runDisney. They set up the course and the volunteers and all that stuff. Disney creates the themes, gets the characters on course, and does all those Disney related things. runDisney is actually a very small department within disney. Most actual rD staff is only season.

I’m not sure any of this matters…

What this is is a daily reminder of the capacity problem.

They can’t fit race volunteers in to the park for a day. A blip in a long year.

That’s capacity and every move for the last 10 years is either trying to distract from the problem or profit off it

 

[Rteetz]

Wait...are we angry or not?

I would say just that headline being out there makes Disney look bad no matter if they are at fault, not at fault, kind of at fault.
Bad press is bad press.

We should be. This is just a bad move by Disney. No they are not required to give tickets at all but this half day ticket crap is nonsense. It’s not anymore costly to Disney to give the full day ticket.

 

[Rteetz]

I’m not sure any of this matters…

What this is is a daily reminder of the capacity problem.

They can’t fit race volunteers in to the park for a day. A blip in a long year.

That’s capacity and every move for the last 10 years is either trying to distract from the problem or profit off it

Volunteers are not required to use the ticket the day they volunteer. It’s essentially a voucher. So it’s not like 1000 volunteers are descending on Epcot after their shift.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That is certainly the unique thing to runDisney but that also is a blessing for Track Shack in terms of race organization. It makes their lives a little bit easier in terms of logistics.

I understand…but I’m just saying the Boston marathon has a lot of other people with grazing rights along the routes…they have to have a community organizer structure.