Interesting takes here. As someone who has participated in many road races over the past decade, it's a mixed bag. First off, Disney cutting this to a half-day ticket truly is an insult and exemplifies everything about where this corporation is today. As for the volunteer aspect, I agree with annoyance of the world's largest entertainment conglomerate getting free labor, but that mindset is not the reality of the running world. Races large and small rely on an army of volunteers to participate whether it's watching people at intervals along the trail for safety to handing out cups of water along the journey to handing out medals at the end of the event. It's part of the process and in many races, quite coveted to get these spots.
And while most races give to charity, ultimately, there's a money making operation behind many of them and they can be for profit, not for profit, etc. So, Disney isn't unique in this situation outside of its size. What's uniquely Disney right now is their inability to manage PR and make boneheaded decisions out of cheapness at every take. So, will Joshie D get heat for this or will fanbois keep fawning over the finance guy heading the parks divison?
