Inaugural Disney Castaway Cay Challenge

[SueInBoston]

I've been thinking about adding the cruise..this just made the decision for me

Now I have to find someway to break it to hubby and son gently as the Marathon trip is just DD & I.

I cancelled the cruise Talked it over with DD and she felt that DS would be really, really disappointed ( she is so much more level headed than me )

 

[bumbershoot]

Got a reply from rundisney.

You will need to put the cruise reservation number in your Castaway Cay Challenge registration.

The Castaway Cay Challenge is a separate course and race from the normal Castaway Cay that is conducted by the cruise line

The first part was in response to me quoting their bit about putting the cruise number in to the Maratahon weekend registration when that's impossible except for Goofy (if that's still open) and the Castaway run.

The second bit was for the question of if others can still run. I wrote the email BEFORE Disney Cruise sent the email about others being able to run like normal.

Not sure I totally believe it about different courses...how many places on the island are there to run, after all?

 

[ReindeerMom]

From Active.com and also from the RunDisney site:

Cruise and Race Information:
A reservation on the January 12, 2015 Disney Dream 4-Night Bahamian Cruise is required in order to participate. It is recommended that you register for your Disney cruise PRIOR to registering for the Castaway Cay Challenge. Cruise Line reservations must be booked by August 1, 2014 or your Challenge registration will be forfeited.

This indicates that you don't have to have a cruise reservation to register for the race. I would like to wait and book the cruise, hotel, and airfare as one package. It is so annoying that no one seems to know what is going on. I might just skip this because the logistics are just driving me nuts.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would like to wait and book the cruise, hotel, and airfare as one package.

FWIW, there are no discounts for land&sea; you can probably do better on your own. And air is generally the most expensive flights when booked through Disney, and they tend to have you fly in on the day of. So I'm not sure you could even do the flight as part of a package, when you will need to be there for the Marathon event(s) you're signed up for.

And as the cruise starts to sell out, the prices are going to get higher and room selection will get lower. If you're thinking of doing this, I'd do it sooner rather than later. That's my opinion, at least.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Quick question: We've done Disney cruises before, but this has never come up. As of now, ds is planning to come on this trip with us, but there is a chance that he may end up being on co-op at the time. Is it better to book the cruise for 3 and then reduce it to 2 if he can't come, or is it just as easy to add him at a later date (we won't need a second stateroom). TIA

 

[CM Dad]

Quick question: We've done Disney cruises before, but this has never come up. As of now, ds is planning to come on this trip with us, but there is a chance that he may end up being on co-op at the time. Is it better to book the cruise for 3 and then reduce it to 2 if he can't come, or is it just as easy to add him at a later date (we won't need a second stateroom). TIA

I would recommend including him now, and cancelling him before the paid in full date if he can't make it. It you only book for 2 now, there is a possibility that you could not add a third person to the room, even if the room is large enough for 3. If the muster station for lifeboats that your room is assigned to is full, you will not be allowed to add another person.

 

[bumbershoot]

... *********The number of registrations for the 2015 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend races and the Castaway Cay 5K is limited and subject to availability. To be eligible for the Castaway Cay Challenge runners must enter their cruise reservation number at the time of registration for a 5K or longer 2015 Walt Disney World® Marathon race event. ************ ....

Did you notice that the wording changed?

To be eligible for the Castaway Cay Challenge runners must enter their cruise reservation number at the time of registration for the Disney Castaway Cay Challenge race event.

They still go on to give that August date, but I can't help but think that they are being generous in when they think registration for the CC 5K will close. Like you might book the cruise before that date and then go register for the CC 5K... But the reality is that they always have these really really late deadlines and especially recently those deadlines mean nothing because everything is already full for months and months before those dates.

I'd book it! Bit late tonight for this post, but just in case....

 

[derekleigh]

Sounds very cool, and a cool little spin on another runDisney Challenge! However this holds very little interest in me unless I suddenly win the lottery so I can retire and spend lots of time traveling around to ALL the Disney Races!

Yeah I can dream...

 

[bumbershoot]

So much for placeholder active sites and estimated costs based on that! Goodbye 40, hello $65.

Also, it amuses me that they ask for emergency contact info.

 

[Pinkflmngo]

My daughter and I are in for the cruise and the 5K!
Lynda

 

[John VN]

DW and I are registered!

I'm already in training for the Palindrome Challenge.

McFlurry John

 

[Disneycouple99]

At 60% already.

 

[bumbershoot]

Here's the other thing that amuses me about this. (going against every fiber of my normal self to register for this, by the way...as neat as it is to be in the inaugural, I don't like being in the first of anything...I want them to work out the problems and THEN I'll join in,LOL)

"Featured Healthy Menu Options on board Disney Cruise Line "

So they'll have a bunch of guests who might have just run a significant distance, and they'll be running again soon. But they focus on "healthy" options, rather than refueling options?

OK so we'll have at least one day, depending on what we run, to get in some nice food before the cruise, and two full days on the ship. But still. I tend to have needs for really fuel-filled food after something like a Half. Not necessarily unhealthy like nachos, but I'm not focusing on what some company might consider health menu options.


But regardless of the things that are amusing me (seriously, if I break my leg, no matter how many times you call my emergency contact, his phone will be OFF and you won't get ahold of him that way...and if I gave you a friend-at-home to contact, there's nothing she can do about it!) I'm registered, I'm in, and I wonder what new and amazing ways they'll have onboard to part me with my money!

Come on, cool Tervis mug!

 

[Disneycouple99]

Up to 80% in a hour.

 

[RunDisney Crazy]

RUNDISNEY IS A MACHINE. I did the Dopey this past year and am doing the Tower of Terror later in the year. BUT they need to straighten up a little. I know that it's two different groups, Disney and RunDisney, but announcing it so late is ridiculous. It seems making a buck and throwing it together overtook making it right.

Plus, give more swag. If you don't want it that's fine, but don't say, oh the price will increase. The prices are out the wazoo as it is, so at least give me more bang for the buck.

Just my thoughts.

 

[aeryn]

I'm registered I was already doing the 10K and was on the Fantasy last week when they announced the new race so I booked the cruise then

It IS rather ridiculous that they announce the challenge after all the races are sold out, but that's typical Disney... Someone gets a hairbrained scheme without thinking anything through.

 

[SurfBug79]

The hubs and I are all registered for the race. I'm sure it will be sold out by tomorrow. Regardless of the complaints people have had... RunDisney's idea worked, and the race is nearly sold out on Day 1. Is there an official group yet for the runners on this cruise? If not, we should start one. =) Happy training!

 

[CM Dad]

Here's the other thing that amuses me about this. (going against every fiber of my normal self to register for this, by the way...as neat as it is to be in the inaugural, I don't like being in the first of anything...I want them to work out the problems and THEN I'll join in,LOL)

"Featured Healthy Menu Options on board Disney Cruise Line "

So they'll have a bunch of guests who might have just run a significant distance, and they'll be running again soon. But they focus on "healthy" options, rather than refueling options?

OK so we'll have at least one day, depending on what we run, to get in some nice food before the cruise, and two full days on the ship. But still. I tend to have needs for really fuel-filled food after something like a Half. Not necessarily unhealthy like nachos, but I'm not focusing on what some company might consider health menu options.


But regardless of the things that are amusing me (seriously, if I break my leg, no matter how many times you call my emergency contact, his phone will be OFF and you won't get ahold of him that way...and if I gave you a friend-at-home to contact, there's nothing she can do about it!) I'm registered, I'm in, and I wonder what new and amazing ways they'll have onboard to part me with my money!

Come on, cool Tervis mug!

The Healthy Menu Options sound like thy are just that, options. I'm sure they have the normal menu items available for the cruise, and you can opt to NOT do the healthy choices,

 

[braycon]

Wow. I'm in as well and looking forward to it. But $65? It wasn't that long ago that you could run the marathon for about $65. Times change quickly.

At any rate, I've run the Castaway 5K a couple times previously. In fact, after the 2013 marathon, we did the 4-night Dream and were among a group that ran it. That cruise left on Sunday (straight to Port Canaveral after the race) and I believe we ran the 5K on Tuesday (but I might be remembering wrong), so little rest for the wicked. Of course, it was free and there was no bling, so when this came up I couldn't miss out on this. Still...$65. Wow.

Well, once I get over the sticker shock, I'm really going to be looking forward to this and excited to run it with all of you who signed up. When I told my wife about the race, she immediately knew we were going on that cruise!

Like others I'm wondering what changes they could really make to the course? Any ideas? Unless we're swimming part of it (kidding) I don't know how many changes they can make...

 

[bumbershoot]

The hubs and I are all registered for the race. I'm sure it will be sold out by tomorrow. Regardless of the complaints people have had... RunDisney's idea worked, and the race is nearly sold out on Day 1. Is there an official group yet for the runners on this cruise? If not, we should start one. =) Happy training!

I would think this thread could be the thread.

The Healthy Menu Options sound like thy are just that, options. I'm sure they have the normal menu items available for the cruise, and you can opt to NOT do the healthy choices,

Oh of course it will be options. I'm just talkin'. But it just goes hand in hand, IMO, with silly things Disney sometimes does, like tossing out a too-little-described/explained 5K you can only book if you thought about running big races before it was announced.

I imagine them sitting around, brainstorming... "people are running so they are healthy, and obviously eat healthy foods! They need healthy options!" b/c there aren't tons of us with shirts that say "will run for beer/wine/chocolate/etc".... And what does it say about the food on the ship? (obviously I'm all about portion control, not low-fat etc, LOL)