Marathon Weekend 2020

Coming back for a moment I’m not entirely sure with 100 percent positivity that we’re losing race retreat until the add ons go on sale and here’s why. The area is described as runners only. Thing is Race Retreat gave upper level Chear squad access to it. And I’m betting a good chunk of what sold upper level chear squad was the afore mentioned access. And if there’s anyone who wants to be probably out in the elements less then the it’s going to be spectators.

And if it is in replacement well I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if they end up backpedaling. Since this would be another case of runDisney not entirely understanding what their own customer base wants or needs.
 
Could they just close off W. Beuna Vista up to BB? After AK runners would take off ramp from Osceola to W. Beuna Vista, run through BB, then come back down Beuna Vista and use on-ramp to get back on Osceola heading toward WWOS.
The problem is that we'd need to be on the opposite side of Osceola to get to Victory Way into WWOS - and Osceola is divided and elevated, so we can't just cross over it. What could be done, though, is to exit AK to Osceola, take Osceola to WWOS, as usual, but cut some of the winding in WWOS out. Exit WWOS onto Osceola, as usual, but keep going to exit onto Buena Vista. Enter BB from Buena Vista, and exit BB onto Buena Vista. Take Buena Vista to World Dr, turn right, and enter DHS the usual way. I plotted it out in Runkeeper and also added some loops into/around future world in EP, and ended up with 26.5 miles exiting EP... cut out some more in WWOS and assume my plotting points aren't accurate (they definitely aren't), and it could work.

Another (unpleasant) thought... the course description still says "4 parks" - what if BB is one of those parks and they cut AK or DHS? I sure hope that's not the case.
 
Another (unpleasant) thought... the course description still says "4 parks" - what if BB is one of those parks and they cut AK or DHS? I sure hope that's not the case.

This I why I’m withholding judgment. On the one hand, this would be a shocking decision on almost all fronts. People would riot (or at least the Internet/rD phone line equivalent). On the other, I’ll put nothing past them (I mean, the open-air runner experience literally sounds like a roped-off area of parking lot).
 


Another (unpleasant) thought... the course description still says "4 parks" - what if BB is one of those parks and they cut AK or DHS? I sure hope that's not the case.

Not that I wouldn't put it past them, but they seem to have updated the registration page (at least for the new start time) and it still says in a couple of places for the marathon: "26.2-mile course through all 4 Walt Disney World Theme Parks and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex "

They haven't added any reference to BB yet, but by saying "all 4" parks, it seems to imply that they aren't eliminating AK or DHS. They have to know that is one of the main draws.
 
I think if they cut out any part of it, it would be WWoS and only because that would be less running on Disney roads and because the main auto entrance ramp for DHS is now right by Osceola and Victory, so they may not want to shut that part of Osceola Parkway down. So they could have us run through EPCOT at the beginning and then Blizzard Beach to make up part of those miles. I'm really curious to see the new course!
 
Coming back for a moment I’m not entirely sure with 100 percent positivity that we’re losing race retreat until the add ons go on sale and here’s why. The area is described as runners only. Thing is Race Retreat gave upper level Chear squad access to it. And I’m betting a good chunk of what sold upper level chear squad was the afore mentioned access. And if there’s anyone who wants to be probably out in the elements less then the it’s going to be spectators.

And if it is in replacement well I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if they end up backpedaling. Since this would be another case of runDisney not entirely understanding what their own customer base wants or needs.

The main point of getting the race retreat isn't the food, character meet/greets, bag check, or some sort of status thing to separated from the other runners. At 3AM I don't care about getting my picture with a princess—I am too tired. Instead, it is mostly to simply have a chair to sit in that is not outside. It would be a sort of "Hey, instead of offering you some shelter from the cold/rain, let's just charge you $120 to stand in a "special area" and drink $10 worth of coffee and a bagel while you freeze, rather than over there where you can stand for free for pretty much the same thing. If they do this, the next thing will be that you will have to pay a $40 for a special pass to run through Cinderella's castle and all others will have to run around it! Joking aside, I would be surprised if they get rid of the race retreat. I suspect instead they are just going to lump it in with cheer squad packages as an effort to increase paying spectators, which I am not sure sells quite as well as the race retreat.
 


The main point of getting the race retreat isn't the food, character meet/greets, bag check, or some sort of status thing to separated from the other runners. At 3AM I don't care about getting my picture with a princess—I am too tired. Instead, it is mostly to simply have a chair to sit in that is not outside. It would be a sort of "Hey, instead of offering you some shelter from the cold/rain, let's just charge you $120 to stand in a "special area" and drink $10 worth of coffee and a bagel while you freeze, rather than over there where you can stand for free for pretty much the same thing. If they do this, the next thing will be that you will have to pay a $40 for a special pass to run through Cinderella's castle and all others will have to run around it! Joking aside, I would be surprised if they get rid of the race retreat. I suspect instead they are just going to lump it in with cheer squad packages as an effort to increase paying spectators, which I am not sure sells quite as well as the race retreat.

See my previous post to be clear I’m far from happy about the loss of indoor seating if they remove RR. But I also like early expo access a bit too much to not pay for it since I want to get in and out as much as possible. Admittedly they haven’t said this is back but I think it will be.

I’m also pretty sure Chear doesn’t sell at the same rate but I still think the big selling point for quiet a few was letting family stay inside Race Retreat. At least it was for my parents. And I hope they don’t just start selling under Chear squad because that will just make me angry at the idea of enforcing that everyone comes here with running partners or family. While most do others like myself don’t (basically with my Moms health her coming would be a bad idea so I’m usually solo at Disney).

And as said before runDisney doesn’t always have the best concept of what actually consitutes a good decision for their own races at times. Tinker bell Half 2017 anyone?

For anyone wondering or wasn’t around two years ago they tried to take the characters off the course almost completely at the 5k. This went just about as well as your probably thinking and was one of the quickest backpedals I’ve seen performed by runDisney.
 
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if Expeditions Everest is no longer a go I wonder if Rock N Roller Coaster or another of the DHS rides might take its place as the ‘everyone diverts to ride it’ ride. Because I don’t think people are going to give up on that so the question is where does the focus shift to?
 
if Expeditions Everest is no longer a go I wonder if Rock N Roller Coaster or another of the DHS rides might take its place as the ‘everyone diverts to ride it’ ride. Because I don’t think people are going to give up on that so the question is where does the focus shift to?
Rockin doesn't cycle through as many riders and breaks down a lot (or maybe just when I'm about to ride), I think it's a riskier ride to do that late in the race. But, then I don't do rides so who knows maybe.


Blizzard being down for refurbishment at least there won't be guests needing to park. The parking lot would be easy to loop through to as it's quiet large. I just can't see how it would work going into the park, those paths are tight and the cave path part of the loop, I can't imagine runners going through.
 
Hmm...does an earlier start mean transportation starts earlier, and ends earlier, in the morning? Since logically that 5 am start means they want runners in the corrals by 4:30. Will be interesting to see what the race weekend program states and what those of you going actually experience.
 
I could get behind this plan. With a 5am start from corral C (where I will most likely be), and I just looked that EMH are happening at DHS from 8-9am, I might be able to time it just right to hit ToT around park opening. I would totally detour to ride my favorite ride during the marathon.

TOT is my favorite too. I almost rode it in 2018. I saw a bunch of runners head over there and the CM's were letting them in the fastpass line. I don't remember why I didn't follow them, but I think it had something to do with the allure of BEER waiting for me in Epcot. :rotfl:
 
I like the 5 am start. For me, Marathon Weekend is a vacation with a marathon thrown in. Making it start 30 minutes earlier means I get 30 minutes back for park time later! I'll just need an extra spin on the Carousel of Progress for my in-park nap!

I feel the same. Also, I like that it betters my chances for running through Magic Kingdom while it is still completely dark, which I like because the castle is all lit up. Also, I am fine with the course changes, even though I actually liked running on the back roads.
 
Maybe I’ll just go down a water slide mid-marathon.

I wouldn’t count on being able to do that. The water parks tend to rotate who goes down for maintanance at what time of year. I wouldn’t count on being able to ride a slide.

Also have you tried climbing some of the stairs around water parks. It’s not an easy quick ascent. Especially on tired legs.
 
I wouldn’t count on being able to do that. The water parks tend to rotate who goes down for maintanance at what time of year. I wouldn’t count on being able to ride a slide.

Also have you tried climbing some of the stairs around water parks. It’s not an easy quick ascent. Especially on tired legs.

I’m mostly kidding. Mostly. But maybe I can talk @FFigawi into it. If we do a water slide, it’ll practically be like 2/3 of a triathlon.
 

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