Marathon Sunday nightmare

[jaklgreen]

Let's take this to it's logical conclusion...

We should be thankful that this doesn't happen....

Tens of thousands of folks paying $100 a day to go to the MK are gonna get turned away because some runners want to jog down Main Street. "Sorry folks, park opens at 1pm today, Runny Mcrunpants needed to sleep in before he ran about the park"

They close down MK early for the holiday parties. I would not see this as any different. If they want to close MK for part of the day and only open it to runners, who pay extra to do that, then they will. Right now they try to make everyone happy. Never going to happen though. I was thinking about this situation and what would we have thought if it happened to us. I think we just grew up in a different time. I could just see us learning a lesson to not come during that time again. It never would have occurred to me to ask for compensation for waiting in traffic. I think I would be more mad at myself for not realizing this was going on. Growing up before the internet has given a different perspective. You pretty much have no excuse for being ignorant now. All the information in the world is at your fingertips now.

 

[LAKid53]

Like I said, NOTHING was provided at CSR. It is the reason we had a message for the Supervisor Manager to meet her at the lobby on our resort phone. It is the reason we were given 3 FPs each at DHS. It is the reason why Guest Relations contacted us after we returned home to apologize as well and give us 3 FPs each for our next trip. Someone or something happened at CSR where it was not communicated. We were not the only ones affected. Our bus was full and there were many others affected going to Epcot or MK. When we met with the lady, she was completely apologetic and said she is dealing with it from most of the non-conventioners at the resort.

That's interesting. All the Disney resorts are now host resorts for the races and there are signs at the resorts, along with runDisney staff, to assist runners. Back when you received a paper race guide, the CMs at the front desk would hand them out... they knew who was there for the race. Guess CSR missed the boat this time....

 

[21stamps]

We Noles DON'T wear ugly gear.... we leave that to the Gators...... the originators of jhorts.... ;-)

I'll be there for the W&D Half weekend, which is November 2nd through the 5th. Usually come down the Wednesday before races start on Friday and stay through the following Tuesday - don't want to drive back the same day I've just run a total of 22.4 miles over 3 days. Would love to meet for a drink! And remind your Wolverine friend that FSU has now beaten Michigan twice - the first was in the Big House the year Desmond won the Hessian - yeah, we beat Desmond, at home. Partied after that one. Oh, and I'll try not to remind you that we beat OSU, the three times we've played... twice in the Horseshoe in 1981 and 1982. The last was the 1998 Sugar Bowl 31 - 14. So bring it on!

PM me when you know your schedule.

I obviously couldn't "like" your comment due to your last few sentences.. so I'll just say "will do"!

 

[LAKid53]

They close down MK early for the holiday parties. I would not see this as any different. If they want to close MK for part of the day and only open it to runners, who pay extra to do that, then they will. Right now they try to make everyone happy. Never going to happen though. I was thinking about this situation and what would we have thought if it happened to us. I think we just grew up in a different time. I could just see us learning a lesson to not come during that time again. It never would have occurred to me to ask for compensation for waiting in traffic. I think I would be more mad at myself for not realizing this was going on. Growing up before the internet has given a different perspective. You pretty much have no excuse for being ignorant now. All the information in the world is at your fingertips now.

I had the same thought. How different is this than those days in September, October, November and December the MK closes at 7:00 pm for MNSSHP and MVMCP? You pay the same price for a MK ticket that day, right? Or the DVC member only events last year and this year?

I think many runners would like to see the parks open later in the morning, say 11:00 am like World Showcase, for the 10k, half and full marathon races to allow for a later start time, even 1 hour would be nice. That would be only 9 days in the course of a year. The MK closes early more days than that in October for the Halloween party....

Most races start in the Epcot parking lot and end at WWoS - other than the W&D half, which runs the reverse. So the only park that would be affected would be MK. With Pandora slated to open this year, DAK will probably not be part of the route. And we only ran down Hollywood and Sunset, exiting DHS near Tower of Terror. I expect future races to be lots of roads and parking lots, like the 2016 W&D half.

 

[LAKid53]

I obviously couldn't "like" your comment due to your last few sentences.. so I'll just say "will do"!

It is what it is..... Obviously we need to play again, since it's been 20 years.

 

[LAKid53]

I obviously couldn't "like" your comment due to your last few sentences.. so I'll just say "will do"!

I just had a brilliant thought... if you're going to be there for Food & Wine, sans offspring, you should come for the W&D Half... and run. Registration opens Tuesday. There's a party Sunday evening in WS for race participants..... after the park closes.

 

[21stamps]

I just had a brilliant thought... if you're going to be there for Food & Wine, sans offspring, you should come for the W&D Half... and run. Registration opens Tuesday. There's a party Sunday evening in WS for race participants..... after the park closes.

That sounds neat! What are the dates? I'm assuming the race is on the Sunday?

 

[LAKid53]

That sounds neat! What are the dates? I'm assuming the race is on the Sunday?

I'm going to PM you...I think we've hijacked this thread enough...not that it didn't need hijacking.

 

[larryz]

Runner's perspective:

Disney does their best to minimize the impact of races on the operation of the theme parks; that's why they start at 5:30am. This, in turn, means that most runners are leaving their hotel rooms by around 3:30am to make it to the start line on time

Because of this, I have very little sympathy for people who are inconvenienced by the resulting traffic. If I'm finishing races when it's still dark outside (on my vacation, mind you) multiple days in a row so that you can get to the theme park easier, you can give a little on your end too

In my experience, Disney makes it abundantly clear that there are races going on. Upon arrival at my hotel (Riverside), there were signs in the lobby, flyers and spoken instructions upon check-in, and daily messages on our room's phone about the impacts it would have on park goers. Variable message signs are placed along roads that will be impacted in the days before the event. Additionally, just looking at the crowds of people wearing race shirts and medals in the parks (making them moderately busy during the otherwise-offseason) should be a clue as well

I know that nobody likes traffic impacts, but considering that these are some of the largest running events in the country, Disney does a remarkably good job of minimizing the pain for non-runners. The Marathon brings a special kind of hell for everybody because the impacts are resort-wide and stretch well into the afternoon, but it's only one day a year, and I assure you that the people still running 6-7 hours into the event are in far more pain and stress than you

Furthermore, I'm not even sure that they had a welcome show at MK on Sunday. They open Main Street to spectators for the race, and it's a notoriously tight turnaround to get them out of the park in time to let the paying crowds in for the day (to the point that runners have been redirected away from Main Street on occasion). Doing some quick math based on the minimum required pace and the corral release times, the last runners should be leaving the park around 7:55am

The course also crosses the railroad at the parade gate by Splash, where a train is parked as a photo op, so it's unlikely that the railroad would have been operational early enough to do the show. I suspect the final train station welcome show was on Friday morning (possibly Saturday, since the Half Marathon was cancelled due to weather), so the whole complaint is likely moot.

Non-runner's perspective -- you're being used to fill up resorts and parks during traditionally slow times, and to provide a healthy amount of cash flow... I guess you're OK with that, and you find value in it -- more power to you -- but people who normally go in traditionally slow times are finding it harder and harder to find a quiet period any more.

 

[LAKid53]

Non-runner's perspective -- you're being used to fill up resorts and parks during traditionally slow times, and to provide a healthy amount of cash flow... I guess you're OK with that, and you find value in it -- more power to you -- but people who normally go in traditionally slow times are finding it harder and harder to find a quiet period any more.

Which is not the fault of runDisney races - they are only 4 weekends a year or 13 out of 365 days. The SW Dark Side Half this year is the week after Easter, usually a very busy period, so expect even bigger crowds that week.

October used to be a slow season, no more. And there's no race that month.

In 2015, 105 million people visited Florida. Disney doesn't release annual attendance figures, but I bet more than 50% of those 105 million went to Disney. There's a reason the governor held his press conference at WDW...it's the most visited place in Florida and the most visited amusement park on the planet, if not the most visit place, period. And attendance increases each year. Blame that, not races....

 

[MickeyMomV]

Just based on finishers Disney brings in about $3.2 million just in marathon race fees from that one day and that does not include extra $$ brought in by challenge racers. I would guess that is up to about $15 million just in race fees for the 4 days. Add in all of the merch and that's another couple of million. The majority of those people stay onsite, hit the parks, eat on site and spend as much as any guest on normal resort items. With that in mind I see no reason why the parks can't open a couple of hours later on those days. They could open at noon and have EMH's till midnight or 1am so people can still make it to the parks and have a good amount of park time. That gives time for the traffic to clear and makes the trip to the park that much quicker.

 

[lukacseven]

Just based on finishers Disney brings in about $3.2 million just in marathon race fees from that one day and that does not include extra $$ brought in by challenge racers. I would guess that is up to about $15 million just in race fees for the 4 days. Add in all of the merch and that's another couple of million. The majority of those people stay onsite, hit the parks, eat on site and spend as much as any guest on normal resort items. With that in mind I see no reason why the parks can't open a couple of hours later on those days. They could open at noon and have EMH's till midnight or 1am so people can still make it to the parks and have a good amount of park time. That gives time for the traffic to clear and makes the trip to the park that much quicker.

I can definitely confirm marathon participants and their families spend ridiculous amounts of money for this event. In past years, WDW has offered some perks on race weekend - back in the early-mid 2000's, when Pleasure Island had an admission charge, they had an after party for runners there. They also tried re-opening DHS after hours for runners only (guest passes extra $$), but that was in 2010 when it was 30 degrees and the turnout wasn't great. Other years MK was open for EMH 'til midnight, which was probably the best and most economical idea. One year they had "Marathon Monday" where MK admission was free for runners. Morning EMH don't really work on race days, but evening hours seem like something feasible and...runners may be more likely to purchase that park pass when the parks are open later.

 

[lukacseven]

Don't know how all the resorts are, but I know a lot of them, as soon as you arrive, there are signs at the main bus drop and inside the lobby with race info. There are also Mears people plus the Expo buses. It's really hard to be completely unaware any event is happening, especially given it has been going on for 24 years and is quite popular.

 

[xdan0920]

With that in mind I see no reason why the parks can't open a couple of hours later on those days. They could open at noon and have EMH's till midnight or 1am so people can still make it to the parks and have a good amount of park time. That gives time for the traffic to clear and makes the trip to the park that much quicker.

No. I'm going in April, if on a Saturday morning, MK didn't open till 1pm because of runners, I would go apoplectic on management. There is no need for a new solution here. The system works adequately as it is.

 

[beertiki]

No. I'm going in April, if on a Saturday morning, MK didn't open till 1pm because of runners, I would go apoplectic on management. There is no need for a new solution here. The system works adequately as it is.

Don't have a stroke!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Just based on finishers Disney brings in about $3.2 million just in marathon race fees from that one day and that does not include extra $$ brought in by challenge racers. I would guess that is up to about $15 million just in race fees for the 4 days. Add in all of the merch and that's another couple of million. The majority of those people stay onsite, hit the parks, eat on site and spend as much as any guest on normal resort items. With that in mind I see no reason why the parks can't open a couple of hours later on those days. They could open at noon and have EMH's till midnight or 1am so people can still make it to the parks and have a good amount of park time. That gives time for the traffic to clear and makes the trip to the park that much quicker.

I got to Magic Kingdom at rope drop and I was coming all the way from AKL. Yes, the drive took an extremely long time, but anyone alleging they couldn't get to the parks during the race is mistaken. In fact, 9a - noon at the Magic Kingdom on race day was the least crowded the park was for our entire trip.

Don't know how all the resorts are, but I know a lot of them, as soon as you arrive, there are signs at the main bus drop and inside the lobby with race info. There are also Mears people plus the Expo buses. It's really hard to be completely unaware any event is happening, especially given it has been going on for 24 years and is quite popular.

To be fair, there's a difference between being notified in your resort lobby and being notified when you book the reservation in the first place. The lobby notifications might impact what park you decide to visit that day, but a notification before you book might impact your decision to visit in the first place.

 

[NearTheEars]

He did quite a few 5 & 10k's with me when he was a baby..in the jogger.lol. He's 6, I don't know if he could actually run an entire 5k, does play soccer year round now, so maybe..but I doubt it. Our marathon is in May so we'll figure out what events he can do, then train for them, in the next month or so.
All of my friends are into sports so I don't know if I'd have any willing to sit on the sidelines..I've been trying to convince my mom to come to Disney with us though..so far she hasn't agreed, but the races could be a good reason.

I will definitely be there for F&W at some point. Sans kiddo!! If you're there at that time we should def meet for a drink..and..football will be going on!!! I'll be there with a Michigan fan, an Auburn fan, a Gator fan, and myself- a fan of The Ohio State, obviously I'm the most intelligent of the group. . You should wear you ugly FSU gear and we can all rep our teams while drinking Spikey Pineapples. Lol

Go Buckeyes! (Just saw this)

 

[xdan0920]

Don't have a stroke!

Don't tell me what not to do.

 

[beertiki]

Don't tell me what not to do.

Remember - Face Arm Speech, Time to call for help

 

[larryz]

Remember - Face Arm Speech, Time to call for help

You're either dabbing or having a stroke...