Official 2016 Star Wars Half Marthon - The Dark Side Weekend

[Nole95]

Typically someone will post a back door link to the Active site that keeps you from having to go through the RunDisney site. Hopefully, we will see it pop up sometime tomorrow.

 

[bcarey2k]

Typically someone will post a back door link to the Active site that keeps you from having to go through the RunDisney site. Hopefully, we will see it pop up sometime tomorrow.

The hyper link on the RunDisney site usually goes active about 20-30 minutes prior to the sale starting .... it will link you to the Active.com specific registration page. From that page, just keep refreshing. The rD site is/was pretty unstable in the past. Seemed a bit better recently.

 

[girli565]

This is what happened on Tuesday for the early registration.

The hyper link on the RunDisney site usually goes active about 20-30 minutes prior to the sale starting .... it will link you to the Active.com specific registration page. From that page, just keep refreshing. The rD site is/was pretty unstable in the past. Seemed a bit better recently.

 

[acbshada]

The hyper link on the RunDisney site usually goes active about 20-30 minutes prior to the sale starting .... it will link you to the Active.com specific registration page. From that page, just keep refreshing. The rD site is/was pretty unstable in the past. Seemed a bit better recently.

This is actually great info for a newcomer like me. I was wondering how this would work, so thank you for sharing!

 

[PrincessV]

I see some other races have finished at Epcot, so parking was at Epcot with shuttles busses taking people over to WWoS for the start. Since this race starts at Epcot and finishes at WWos would the opposite be true?

I think it likely that parking will be at EP (because it can handle the biggest load of cars - WWOS has much less parking space available) with shuttles taking people back from the WWOS finish to EP parking.

And also, do we know which resorts are host resorts, or are ALL resorts hosting for this?

No official word yet on host resorts.

I'm not too bothered about the challenge medal ( it was $40 more than the 2 events separately) ...

You did the math?! Never do the rD math, lol!!!

Anyone think this is a good indicator it won't sell out immediately Tuesday? Outside of the challenge of course - unless they convert some of these regular registrations!

I really don't know what to make of it! I suspect it's partially due to AP/DVC folks who got shut out of the challenge last week waiting to try this week. But maybe a lot of interested parties aren't AP holders or DVC members? Or maybe the theme just isn't as interesting to the masses as was thought; I can see a possible scenario in which rD overestimated interest and made the cap for each race too high to sell out. IDK - it'll be interesting to watch tomorrow!

 

[spikelike]

Is it normal for the Travel Providers to have to wait this long to sell bibs?

I thought I was going to with Acclaim but come tomorrow, I may try to buy them in the general sale instead. I am already in the half at Disneyland, so a chance at the Kessel Run is very very important to me.

I will need a room, tickets, and magical express so maybe the right thing to do is wait for Acclaim but I hate this uncertainty. I don't want to miss out!

 

[Sammyjo199]

Is it normal for the Travel Providers to have to wait this long to sell bibs?

I thought I was going to with Acclaim but come tomorrow, I may try to buy them in the general sale instead. I am already in the half at Disneyland, so a chance at the Kessel Run is very very important to me.

I will need a room, tickets, and magical express so maybe the right thing to do is wait for Acclaim but I hate this uncertainty. I don't want to miss out!

I was going to book with Acclaim too but since they didn't get the bibs yet I am going to try and book myself and then if I can't I'll go with Acclaim.

 

[RedStars]

I was going to book with Acclaim too but since they didn't get the bibs yet I am going to try and book myself and then if I can't I'll go with Acclaim.

Same for me. I'd rather keep control of my reservation any way.

 

[Z-Knight]

Freaking out, freaking out, freaking out!!!!

 

[wilkeliza]

Is it normal for the Travel Providers to have to wait this long to sell bibs?

I thought I was going to with Acclaim but come tomorrow, I may try to buy them in the general sale instead. I am already in the half at Disneyland, so a chance at the Kessel Run is very very important to me.

I will need a room, tickets, and magical express so maybe the right thing to do is wait for Acclaim but I hate this uncertainty. I don't want to miss out!

No this is not normal. My run group which has always gotten our allocation by now is being given the run around. We've been a recognized runDisney running group for 3 years now and didn't have any issues for 2016 races until now. I had to pull out of the race but was stressing that the group didn't know if we were getting in or not.

 

[emzben25]

This will be my first WDW race. I have a timeshare so I'm thinking of booking a room at Worldmark Orlando which is a few miles from WDW. I've only been to WDW once and that was with my parents so I don't really remember the driving/parking situation. I have heard that getting to the start line at WDW is a bit more difficult that races at Disneyland. Given that this is my first WDW race, should I just stay at a host resort or do you think I'll be okay staying at my timeshare (provided I get up early enough to drive/park)? Any tips would be appreciated.

So anxious for registration tomorrow!

 

[Z-Knight]

No this is not normal. My run group which has always gotten our allocation by now is being given the run around. We've been a recognized runDisney running group for 3 years now and didn't have any issues for 2016 races until now. I had to pull out of the race but was stressing that the group didn't know if we were getting in or not.

Yeah, kind of scared for this registration. I'm the first person for my TA's list but will likely have to try to register myself just in case and then use them to get my hotels and the 5k if I can't get both registrations completed.

I contacted my TA and she told me that they expect some info today - in the event that doesn't happen then they will have the bibs after registration, but thats just to scary for me to chance. She did say that Disney has reduced the number of groups receiving bibs allocations - and those that were denied had already received notification. So that means that those not receiving denial letters will have bibs but when is the question. I don't know why Disney is doing this but it is very frustrating.

Again...freaking out!!!!!

 

[wilkeliza]

Yeah, kind of scared for this registration. I'm the first person for my TA's list but will likely have to try to register myself just in case and then use them to get my hotels and the 5k if I can't get both registrations completed.

I contacted my TA and she told me that they expect some info today - in the event that doesn't happen then they will have the bibs after registration, but thats just to scary for me to chance. She did say that Disney has reduced the number of groups receiving bibs allocations - and those that were denied had already received notification. So that means that those not receiving denial letters will have bibs but when is the question. I don't know why Disney is doing this but it is very frustrating.

Again...freaking out!!!!!

Thankfully we didn't get the no email but it is still frustrating. They are trying to cut down on groups that are just facebook groups of friends or travel agents that get bad reviews. We aren't just a group for runDisney but an actual paid running group for FL (trying to branch to other states since our members aren't just FL) but there are rules to doing that. I heard one group that was just a free group on FB just got turned down for their allocation and now travel agents have to sell at least 50 bibs and rooms to stay in the program.

 

[Z-Knight]

See, this is why I'd like to buy from a TA so they can continue on the program, but this time Disney is making it really hard.

 

[PrincessV]

FYI rD updated the site: all WDW resorts will be official host resorts!

 

[PrincessV]

Given that this is my first WDW race, should I just stay at a host resort or do you think I'll be okay staying at my timeshare (provided I get up early enough to drive/park)? Any tips would be appreciated.

I've stayed offsite for some races, and even when I've stayed onsite I usually drive - it's not difficult at all. The key is getting going early enough to avoid traffic. Staying onsite, I leave my resort at the same time the race buses start running. Offsite, I add however much time it takes to get to WDW property. So if buses start at, say, 3am, and it takes me 10 minutes to get from my offsite hotel to WDW, I'll want to leave by 2:50. I know lots of folks cut it closer than that, but I HATE running late and feeling rushed, and I'd much rather hang around a little longer waiting then be freaking out in my car, stuck in traffic.

 

[Ariel484]

Thankfully we didn't get the no email but it is still frustrating. They are trying to cut down on groups that are just facebook groups of friends or travel agents that get bad reviews. We aren't just a group for runDisney but an actual paid running group for FL (trying to branch to other states since our members aren't just FL) but there are rules to doing that. I heard one group that was just a free group on FB just got turned down for their allocation and now travel agents have to sell at least 50 bibs and rooms to stay in the program.

I know the group you're talking about - honestly, I don't think it would have been fair for them to automatically get 300+ bibs allocated to them. Maybe they will in the future though...I think rD is just scrambling to get things going on this one.

 

[Z-Knight]

fyi, this doesn't interest me, but may others: new bags (assuming they are not just the January bags):

http://www.rundisney.com/media/rundisney/star-wars-half-marathon/Starwars-1a.jpg

 

[AThrillingChase]

fyi, this doesn't interest me, but may others: new bags (assuming they are not just the January bags):

http://www.rundisney.com/media/rundisney/star-wars-half-marathon/Starwars-1a.jpg

Sigh. I was really hoping for a new print. These are the same print they have had for awhile it looks like, just in different/new shape of bags.

ETA - for PHM they did a princess print they later re-used, but it was all shades of purple. When they did release it to the general public, they kept the same print but changed the colors so it looks much different. I miss the days when RD dooney's were special.

 

[wilkeliza]

I know the group you're talking about - honestly, I don't think it would have been fair for them to automatically get 300+ bibs allocated to them. Maybe they will in the future though...I think rD is just scrambling to get things going on this one.

Yeah 300+ would never work! I think we get close to 50 but like I said we pay for our membership and are a licensed group.