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

wdwmagic

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Premium Member
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.
Just out of interest, do who know how many volunteers they use?
 

Swissmiss

Premium Member
Disney would be giving Track Shack the tickets. Track Shack isn’t paying for the tickets from Disney.

But Disney would still need to account for them as an expense or a loss or something, correct?


I do a lot of volunteering for races in my city (I usually volunteer on days I don’t run) and the size of these events is much smaller than a runDisney event. This past summer for a 2 day triathlon we were 550 volunteers for 4,000 participants. And this past weekend we were about 1,300 for an event of 40,000+ participants but which has no water/food stops before the finish line and very few road Marshall’s because it is a short loop course. I can’t even begin to fathom the number of volunteers needed for a runDisney event.
 

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
But Disney would still need to account for them as an expense or a loss or something, correct?
From an Accounting perspective, no.

If Disney were giving away merchandise or food or something that they (Disney) had to pay or acquire in the first place, they would record an expense equal to the value they paid for the item. But there's expense to be recorded when we're talking about something being given away that doesn't have a cost basis.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
But Disney would still need to account for them as an expense or a loss or something, correct?


I do a lot of volunteering for races in my city (I usually volunteer on days I don’t run) and the size of these events is much smaller than a runDisney event. This past summer for a 2 day triathlon we were 550 volunteers for 4,000 participants. And this past weekend we were about 1,300 for an event of 40,000+ participants but which has no water/food stops before the finish line and very few road Marshall’s because it is a short loop course. I can’t even begin to fathom the number of volunteers needed for a runDisney event.
Individual tickets have no actual expense/value…

If they want to say so…it’s corporate accounting. But that’s not a real thing. It’s legal to use such things for advantages…as they do with Every micro transaction.

Where it may actually matter is sales and county tax. That would be a legitimate “glitch”
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
I don’t know specific numbers but runDisney has said up to 15,000 for a season so that’s four race weekends. I’d assume Marathon Weekend uses/needs the most because of its size
Yes that’s an accurate figure from what my volunteers friends who worked the races. Thousands of volunteers are involved to pull it off. There are hundreds of medical staff also. I don’t know if they volunteer or not.
 

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
@Disstevefan1 was calling this a "Disney apologist" position.

I'm being more critical of Disney than anyone on this. Not only am I not defending the half-day ticket, I'm going a step further and saying that even the full-day ticket was bullcrap and that Disney should be giving these people actual cash money (or ideally just staffing this with some of their 60,000+ labor force that they already have).
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
@Disstevefan1 was calling this a "Disney apologist" position.

I'm being more critical of Disney than anyone on this. Not only am I not defending the half-day ticket, I'm going a step further and saying that even the full-day ticket was bullcrap and that Disney should be giving these people actual cash money (or ideally just staffing this with some of their 60,000+ labor force that they already have).
I agree with this @CaptainAmerica
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
Universal volunteers: Ride the Mardi Gras floats and have fun throwing beads to happy guests.
Disney volunteers: Get up at 4AM to be at your workstations at 5AM to serve thousands of runners who paid Disney big bucks to (run/walk) races get a crappy fake medal.
 

Rteetz

Well-Known Member
Universal volunteers: Ride the Mardi Gras floats and have fun throwing beads to happy guests.
Disney volunteers: Get up at 4AM to be at your workstations at 5AM to serve thousands of runners who paid Disney big bucks to (run/walk) races get a crappy fake medal.
Sigh…
 

Swissmiss

Premium Member
Universal volunteers: Ride the Mardi Gras floats and have fun throwing beads to happy guests.
Disney volunteers: Get up at 4AM to be at your workstations at 5AM to serve thousands of runners who paid Disney big bucks to (run/walk) races get a crappy fake medal.

It is clear that some of you have never volunteered for a race and maybe never even participated in one so coming from someone who has: in all the years I have been volunteering for a race there was only one time when I was going to be assigned a time and tasks for my volunteer shift by the organizer. For all other races, I look at the shifts that need coverage and the tasks that are to be performed. Most of the time the shifts are 3-4 hours, occasionally they might be a bit longer but when you sign up to volunteer it will be clearly indicated the starting time and the finishing time of the shift and what you are agreeing to do (setting up race course barriers, giving out bibs, food and water stations, clean up). I assume that Track Shack operates their volunteer sign ups in a similar manner.
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
It is clear that some of you have never volunteered for a race and maybe never even participated in one so coming from someone who has: in all the years I have been volunteering for a race there was only one time when I was going to be assigned a time and tasks for my volunteer shift by the organizer. For all other races, I look at the shifts that need coverage and the tasks that are to be performed. Most of the time the shifts are 3-4 hours, occasionally they might be a bit longer but when you sign up to volunteer it will be clearly indicated the starting time and the finishing time of the shift and what you are agreeing to do (setting up race course barriers, giving out bibs, food and water stations, clean up). I assume that Track Shack operates their volunteer sign ups in a similar manner.
Fixed it -
Disney volunteers: Look at the shifts that need coverage and the tasks that are to be performed such as: setting up racecourse barriers, giving out bibs, food and water stations, clean up etc. Starting and finishing times of your shifts are clearly indicated. Most of the time the shifts are 3-4 hours, occasionally they might be a bit longer.

Universal volunteers: Ride the Mardi Gras floats and have fun throwing beads to happy guests.
 

surfsupdon

Well-Known Member
Disney employs hundreds of Entertainment Cast for a race weekend, plus custodial along the race route and CMs at WWoS.

Yet the volunteers are the essence of the workforce, so giving of their time with genuine care and support. A race volunteer is a special person, and I am always so thankful towards them.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Fixed it -
Disney volunteers: Look at the shifts that need coverage and the tasks that are to be performed such as: setting up racecourse barriers, giving out bibs, food and water stations, clean up etc. Starting and finishing times of your shifts are clearly indicated. Most of the time the shifts are 3-4 hours, occasionally they might be a bit longer.

Universal volunteers: Ride the Mardi Gras floats and have fun throwing beads to happy guests.
Most of shifts is a stretch. At mile marker 10 at the marathon water station port o potty station one can't just work a 3-4 hour shift and just go home.
 

DisneyDebRob

Well-Known Member
I am so clueless when it comes to rundisney and I’m getting a lesson here as I read this thread. I had no idea there was volunteers! Why? Why not hire people? Is this just a way for this Track Shack to make a fortune? How much in all this does Disney actually make? Finally , I find it par for the course if this is all true,that it’s another cut back of sorts. Pay people to do the job and be done with it.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
I am so clueless when it comes to rundisney and I’m getting a lesson here as I read this thread. I had no idea there was volunteers! Why? Why not hire people? Is this just a way for this Track Shack to make a fortune? How much in all this does Disney actually make? Finally , I find it par for the course if this is all true,that it’s another cut back of sorts. Pay people to do the job and be done with it.
Requiring 15K cast to come in and work at odd hours for a race weekend isn’t happening. That’s why 15K volunteers , thousands of them make the magic happening during Run Disney events.
 

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