runDisney Announces Digital Race Guide

[LAKid53]

Today on the Disney Parks Blog, runDisney announced that starting with the 2016 DLR Half Marathon, races guides will now be digital. And 5k finishers will now receive a real metal medal, not that plasticy rubber medal they've received in the past (yay!).

I'm disappointed about digital only guides. I refer to the guide on a regular basis during race weekend, as I'm always afraid of missing bus times and start times...that's my nightmare during race weekend. ;-) That, and I save the guides from the runDisney races I've participated in as mementos.

So what do you think of the digital only guide? The comments related to the digital only guides were not positive on Disney's blog.

 

[surfsupdon]

Will def miss the booklet guides. They are memories and also fun to flip through.

You are right- I refer to my guide often during the Weekend, usually keeping it in an easy to spot and never get lost place!! Ha

 

[dreamfinder]

I'll await judgement until I see the digital guides. If they just stick with the PDFs and call it a day, that's not real fun. Yeah, I grab a copy on my phone just so I have it, but trying to swipe through 50 pages of PDF to get to the info I need isn't fun. But if it is instead possibly an actual app type deal, or something that truly makes it easy to access necessary information, maybe uses GPS to show your location at the Expo or on course, that could be cool. Biggest downside to that would be no way to really archive the info to reference in future years when we all complain about the changes and how it used to be.
Although admittedly outside of double checking the maps to see what is where once or twice, I usually don't open them all that often, so I probably won't miss it all that much.

 

[Mad Stitch]

I'll await judgement until I see the digital guides. If they just stick with the PDFs and call it a day, that's not real fun.

The PDF is what I'm assuming they mean by digital guide.

No loss to me. I just scroll through it when it's published for anything new and never look at it again.

 

[Figment82]

I like it from a "going green" perspective - it does use a lot of paper and I'm sure most don't get used. When my husband and I both do a race, we only need one copy but we each get one. I'm sure that applies to many families/groups participating together.

From a "pack rat" perspective, I'm not a fan. I keep all of my guides in a box with my bibs and other paraphernalia. From time to time, I like to sort through it and reminisce about how things have changed since I started doing Disney races in 2007. Though I guess it'll keep me from piling up even more stuff!

 

[Texas84]

The race guides are already digital. They're just eliminating the paper copy. Unless they're going to make it more mobile-friendly.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

Sounds like a test run towards the elimination of all paper maps/time guides.

 

[OliveMcFly]

I've only done the Castaway Cay 5K. We didn't get a guide but I'm glad this time around we may get a metal medal. Although I'm not a great runner it was cool to finish the race.

 

[mousehockey37]

Going Eco-friendly on guides (if it's a PDF and you need one and can print before you leave home, there's your paper copy) and potential allergen free with the medals.

 

[bkeyes19]

I personally prefer the rubber medals. They are lighter and usually had better art work and colors. I am sure I am in the minority.

 

[LAKid53]

If runDisney is going to have a true digital guide - not the PDF version already available - then I'm all in. An app with features @dreamfinder mentioned would be fantastic.

I just don't want to scroll through a 50 page PDF document with graphics and text on my phone. And while printing out the PDF file may be eco friendly for Disney, it isn't for the rest of us.

Can we #blameShanghi?

 

[216bruce]

Really won't miss or care about the 5k medals but I hope they still give out rubbery ones for kids races- they're less likely to cause kids an 'oops'.
The guides I will miss greatly- wonderful permanent keepsake and great to just thumb through. You can't do that with an e-book.