Marathon Weekend 2020

[cavepig]

I'm not signed up for anything, still undecided. I love the look of the designs. It does seem Oswald is being forced into it. I do like Pluto being back and Minnie not being ousted at least. I guess I would prefer that weekend to not change up characters, but I get why from a marketing stand point they are doing it.


Daisy being included would do more for me than Oswald. Chip & Dale as well. But, all in all, once I get medals it doesn't matter what's on them I love them anyway.

 

[AggieDizzer]

Sorry if this has already been asked; my wife and I are running the half marathon in January. We are interested in what the best resorts to stay at for marathon weekend? For background purposes, my wife is the runner, I am not so this will be a difficult ordeal for me train for. Also, i am signed up to run with the American Cancer Society team, as i am currently going through chemotherapy for stage 4 esophageal cancer (diagnosed in November 2018, spread to liver and pancreas); all tumors are shrinking drastically up to this point. Thank you in advance for the advice.

Your story is very inspiring! You are an amazing example of strength and courage. It will be an honor to toe the line with you.

I'm staying at Caribbean Beach. I've never run WDW before, but from what I have heard, it helps a little on the logistics side to stick to the resorts near Epcot, if you can - since all the races start in the Epcot parking lot. BC/YC/BW would be ideal if you can afford that (I can't) but as has been previously stated I am sure that wherever you are on property, they'll get you to where you need to be. Plus, Minnie Vans!!

Please keep us updated on how your training is going. Would love to follow your journey.

 

[AggieDizzer]

Wow. Okay. Well I guess I am in the minority here. But I just want to state that I really don't care about what anyone thinks of my tattoos and I REALLY think you should hold your judgement on what they will look like when I am older. You're just being rude and it's uncalled for.

I have a lot of tattoos. None are Disney or running related, but mainly because I haven't really come up with anything I like yet.

DO YOUR THING!!!

I saw this group of photos (on Pinterest maybe??) of older folks with tats, and a lot of them looked SO cool. I wish I had the guts to get a tattoo - a trail runner buddy of mine has sleeves on both arms and a big chest tattoo, and a pretty sweet beard - he's in his late 50's - and it's such a cool look that I wish I could pull off. Maybe someday I will get the courage up to get a calf tattoo with a Disney/mountain/trail running theme. Maybe.

You do you!

 

[Dis5150]

Any other cynics here think they released the themes this early to boost registration numbers? No, just me?

I was a bit worried when they worded it "Limited spots remaining" as I can't register until way later this year!

 

[BigEeyore]

Sorry if this has already been asked; my wife and I are running the half marathon in January. We are interested in what the best resorts to stay at for marathon weekend? For background purposes, my wife is the runner, I am not so this will be a difficult ordeal for me train for. Also, i am signed up to run with the American Cancer Society team, as i am currently going through chemotherapy for stage 4 esophageal cancer (diagnosed in November 2018, spread to liver and pancreas); all tumors are shrinking drastically up to this point. Thank you in advance for the advice.

Absolutely inspirational!! Like others have said, it is primarily about your budget and how much time you want to spend at the resort (if you aren't going to the parks, for example, and will be spending a lot of time at the hotel makes sense to splurge a bit). If you can afford the Poly, it is nice because you can walk to the monorail and take that to the start and back after the race, so no buses. Also nice if your family wants to spectate, it is a short walk to the TTC - both the half and full go right by it.

You are right about CJ100. I am disappointed to report that it chewed me up and spit me out. Had to drop at mile 31 due to dehydration and GI issues

Props to you for getting through 31 miles! That race sounds insanely hard. I am in GA, I don't do ultras but have friends that do that craziness and it makes Dopey look like a normal thing to do!!

I like the artwork a lot! Kinda retro. Don't really love that Minnie got the boot from the 10K. As much as I love her, I also love that the marathon has always been Mickey's thing, so not sure how I feel about Minnie sharing the top billing with him - I am assuming that she will be on the medal too. Also hoping that they add some 15th anniversary jargon to the Goofy stuff. It is odd how they have all 4 park logos on the 10k

 

[SheHulk]

I was a bit worried when they worded it "Limited spots remaining" as I can't register until way later this year!

pish posh! That's marketing talk! At least it had better be because I'm holding out too!

 

[PrincessV]

Minnie gets ousted and doesn’t even get her own race.

And Mickey no longer gets the full spotlight for the marathon? I'm not thrilled. I mean, this is way low on my list of irritations, and I honestly don't care what winds up on my medals, but I liked Mickey holding one race all to himself. Oh well.

I'm thinking spinner medal with Mickey on one side, Minnie on the other?

 

[Barca33Runner]

but I get why from a marketing stand point they are doing it.

This is what I don’t get. I understand the theory, but it doesn’t seem to apply to their specific situation. The 5k and 10k both sold out on day 1 of both early and regular registration. The 5k was gone in under 20 minutes. I’m sure they could easily double their sales on both of those races if the course could absorb the capacity. And, sure, there may be some runners who bump up to Dopey from Goofy or an individual Marathon or Half registration because they need the Oswald or Pluto medals this year, but that seems like it would be a very limited number. Plus, cannibalizing sales from one registration to another, even if it’s an up charge, doesn’t seem like it should be the target of their marketing efforts.

I don’t know, maybe Merch sales show a big bump with a slight change of theme. I’ve always tended toward believing the quality and variety of Merch was a much bigger driver than the theme to those numbers.

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m just genuinely intrigued over how, specifically, they believe this marketing plan helps them with the Weekend.

 

[rteetz]

This is what I don’t get. I understand the theory, but it doesn’t seem to apply to their specific situation. The 5k and 10k both sold out on day 1 of both early and regular registration. The 5k was gone in under 20 minutes. I’m sure they could easily double their sales on both of those races if the course could absorb the capacity. And, sure, there may be some runners who bump up to Dopey from Goofy or an individual Marathon or Half registration because they need the Oswald or Pluto medals this year, but that seems like it would be a very limited number. Plus, cannibalizing sales from one registration to another, even if it’s an up charge, doesn’t seem like it should be the target of their marketing efforts.

I don’t know, maybe Merch sales show a big bump with a slight change of theme. I’ve always tended toward believing the quality and variety of Merch was a much bigger driver than the theme to those numbers.

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m just genuinely intrigued over how, specifically, they believe this marketing plan helps them with the Weekend.

I am guessing giving a look at the themes will incline some to buy now. I know some were more excited once they saw the looks and changes. Some may even be willing to spring to Dopey because of the 5-10K changes. Facebook groups seem to be an indicator of such. I don't think it makes a huge different but certainly some.

 

[Barca33Runner]

I am guessing giving a look at the themes will incline some to buy now. I know some were more excited once they saw the looks and changes. Some may even be willing to spring to Dopey because of the 5-10K changes. Facebook groups seem to be an indicator of such. I don't think it makes a huge different but certainly some.

Yeah, releasing the designs and themes early makes a lot of sense to drum up some interest and bring the races back into people's thoughts. It’s specifically the character changes, which are certainly getting mixed reviews here, and the goal behind them that has me a little confused. (ETA: And that the biggest changes have been the introduction of a new theme character to races that were going to sell out anyway)

Oh well, I’ll keep giving them my money each year and will probably never think twice about the themes when I’m having fun running the races.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

And Mickey no longer gets the full spotlight for the marathon? I'm not thrilled. I mean, this is way low on my list of irritations, and I honestly don't care what winds up on my medals, but I liked Mickey holding one race all to himself. Oh well.

I'm thinking spinner medal with Mickey on one side, Minnie on the other?

I was kind of hoping to get a photo with both Mickey and Minnie and each of their medals in 2020. Guess that's not happening now. As much as I hope it's not a spinner medal and they're both together on the medal, I think a spinner is a distinct possibility.

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m just genuinely intrigued over how, specifically, they believe this marketing plan helps them with the Weekend.

Unless marathon sales are low and they're hoping that adding Minnie to that race will increase those sales. The character send off for the 2020 marathon will be crowded indeed with Minnie joining Mickey, Goofy, and Dopey.

 

[rteetz]

This weekend we're going to be upgrading our forum software to the latest version, Xenforo 2. The boards will be unavailable starting on Saturday at 3 pm eastern. We anticipate they will be back online Saturday night if there are no technical issues with the transfer. Once the forums are back online, the design team will be working on them, so they may not look like "our forums" right away. While we are upgrading the software, this new version does have some major differences - mainly that it is designed with a priority on mobile devices. There are also many new features with this version of Xenforo, including expanded emojii options, enhanced editing features and better integration with social media among them.

While we don't expect any major downtime, with any migration to a new platform, things can happen - so we ask for your patience and understanding as we undergo this enhancement.

 

[ANIM8R]

I would love a Chip & Dale theme.

I don't know about you but when I run, Pain & Panic are the more appropriate duo!

 

[cavepig]

This is what I don’t get. I understand the theory, but it doesn’t seem to apply to their specific situation. The 5k and 10k both sold out on day 1 of both early and regular registration. The 5k was gone in under 20 minutes. I’m sure they could easily double their sales on both of those races if the course could absorb the capacity. And, sure, there may be some runners who bump up to Dopey from Goofy or an individual Marathon or Half registration because they need the Oswald or Pluto medals this year, but that seems like it would be a very limited number. Plus, cannibalizing sales from one registration to another, even if it’s an up charge, doesn’t seem like it should be the target of their marketing efforts.

I don’t know, maybe Merch sales show a big bump with a slight change of theme. I’ve always tended toward believing the quality and variety of Merch was a much bigger driver than the theme to those numbers.

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m just genuinely intrigued over how, specifically, they believe this marketing plan helps them with the Weekend.

I would assume these themes were designed before sales started, but releasing them now is to drum up sales for whatever is unsold. So, yeah the 5k & 10k standalone doesn't really matter at this point.

I guess I get them changing it up to maybe garnish a few extra sales is just based on the reactions in the facebook groups & people wanting Oswald. Or at least it seems like some people do. Some posts are genuinely Oswald excited and signing up for Dopey now just because they saw it. Or wanting to upgrade to Dopey because of it. So, the release probably added some Dopey sales now, how many people who knows that instantly signed up when they saw it, but I bet a few based on FB posts. I still don't see it selling out though. Now, it could backfire and next year people will hold off on signing up because they don't like these changing themes or in the long run theme doesn't matter at all.

 

[PrincessV]

Unless marathon sales are low and they're hoping that adding Minnie to that race will increase those sales.

That's my bet. Whether it pays off, I'm not so sure, but the marathon has historically been the one they have a hard time selling out (because duh - it's a freaking MARATHON, right, not dinner at BOG?!), so maybe the hope is by shaking its theme up a bit, more sales will come?

 

[cavepig]

That's my bet. Whether it pays off, I'm not so sure, but the marathon has historically been the one they have a hard time selling out (because duh - it's a freaking MARATHON, right, not dinner at BOG?!), so maybe the hope is by shaking its theme up a bit, more sales will come?

I feel they put Minnie on it more so as not to leave her out as I can see people doing Dopey being upset she wouldn't be part of it. I can't see someone signing up for 26.2 miles just for Minnie, it might lean them more, but they were already thinking about it as like you said it's a freaking Marathon.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

That's my bet. Whether it pays off, I'm not so sure, but the marathon has historically been the one they have a hard time selling out (because duh - it's a freaking MARATHON, right, not dinner at BOG?!), so maybe the hope is by shaking its theme up a bit, more sales will come?

This is such a minor shakeup though. It brings Pluto back and moves Minnie up to the marathon. It's a one character difference from 2019. Perhaps they have internal data or other merchandise sales showing that people really love Oswald? But if that were the case, then I think they would really give him a large presence in the parks since runners are an overall small number of park guests.

I feel they put Minnie on it more so as not to leave her out as I can see people doing Dopey being upset she wouldn't be part of it. I can't see someone signing up for 26.2 miles just for Minnie, it might lean them more, but they were already thinking about it as like you said it's a freaking Marathon.

I think keeping Minnie part of the weekend is a huge part of this. A lot of people were very disappointed when Pluto was removed from the 2019 lineup and I think there would have been a big reaction had they removed Minnie altogether. For the marathon or Goofy crowd who love Minnie, it may present a nice option without the 4 early mornings of Dopey to get a medal with Minnie.

And like others, I think marathon/Goofy/Dopey sales are always slow because of the nature of a marathon. I started running in 2011-2012. Took about 18 months off because of a major work exam I had to prepare and have been running at least somewhat consistently since 2014. As my confidence grew, in part because of successfully finishing 10K/Half Challenges, I began to believe that I could finish the marathon if I trained for it. But I never wanted to train for one. It took a lot of different things happening before I felt like I wanted to attempt the marathon.

 

[C.beara]

Minnie gets ousted and doesn’t even get her own race.

I know others have posted similar sentiments, I'm just disappointed because I wasn't sure I wanted to do the 10k but thought Minnie was less likely to get boosted than Pluto again. I don't have a problem with Mickey & Minnie sharing the Marathon, I'm just upset because I specifically chose the 10k for Minnie and now I get Oswald.

As others have said, I get the history of Oswald - but also he isn't part of the "Fab 5" and you can't just re-write history to try and include him now.

 

[camaker]

That's my bet. Whether it pays off, I'm not so sure, but the marathon has historically been the one they have a hard time selling out (because duh - it's a freaking MARATHON, right, not dinner at BOG?!), so maybe the hope is by shaking its theme up a bit, more sales will come?

Maybe if they included a guaranteed ADR at BoG with every marathon entry they could boost some sales? I'm surprised that they haven't come up with some idea for a cost-free (to Disney) park perk or two to go along with race registration to sweeten the pot. Something like enhanced FastPass access or ADR guarantees with numbers tied to the race type wouldn't really cost them anything, but would provide a little more incentive.

 

[cavepig]

Maybe if they included a guaranteed ADR at BoG with every marathon entry they could boost some sales? I'm surprised that they haven't come up with some idea for a cost-free (to Disney) park perk or two to go along with race registration to sweeten the pot. Something like enhanced FastPass access or ADR guarantees with numbers tied to the race type wouldn't really cost them anything, but would provide a little more incentive.

Any little bonus goody or discount would be awesome. Nothing in the virtual goody bag does much for me as they aren't Disney places.