Marathon Weekend 2020

[rteetz]

Reducing the field isn't going to make the race finish sooner unless they plan on having like 3 huge corrals. And at that point you might be saving like 20-30 minutes. The slowest person is still going to be the slowest person regardless of the field size.

Less frequency of waves? For wine and dine we noticed the balloons finished earlier than they have in the past. For the wine and dine half there was no waves in a or b and two in c and d. Not sure what they did after that.

 

[MissLiss279]

Construction is a major issue right now. You also have a course change this year and it seems they want people to finish as quickly as possible with the earlier start time.

I don’t expect a change in start. Wine and dine 5K used the normal marathon start and I fully expect the finish they used for wine and dine weekend to stay the same for marathon weekend.

Just a note (but it shouldn’t affect the field size)... the 5k did start in a slightly different location. Same road, but farther west - and the walk out was definitely different.

 

[rteetz]

Just a note (but it shouldn’t affect the field size)... the 5k did start in a slightly different location. Same road, but farther west - and the walk out was definitely different.
View attachment 451278

View attachment 451279

I knew the walk out was a little different because of the finish set up.

 

[kirstie101]

Made my fastpass reservations! But despite getting up at 4:00am to do so, I did not get a FOP pass. Is it worth the stand-by wait?

 

[jmasgat]

Made my fastpass reservations! But despite getting up at 4:00am to do so, I did not get a FOP pass. Is it worth the stand-by wait?

The ride is incredible and worth a wait, but how long a wait is a matter of personal patience (of which I have none). I would be more inclined to rope drop and head straight for that.

 

[PCFriar80]

Made my fastpass reservations! But despite getting up at 4:00am to do so, I did not get a FOP pass. Is it worth the stand-by wait?

Check back periodically on your FP+ selections. Sometimes more slots open up for the higher demand attractions. I don't know the art or science behind it, but I have been able to upgrade my times [better for me] for certain attractions long after making the initial sections!

 

[MissLiss279]

Made my fastpass reservations! But despite getting up at 4:00am to do so, I did not get a FOP pass. Is it worth the stand-by wait?

It may be a good ride, but I saw a wait for 195 minutes when I was there last week. For me, no ride is worth a 3 hour wait, unless I live close and am always there, and that is my only reason for going to the park...but I don’t, and I have other things that I like to see and do.

 

[Mumof4mice]

Made my fastpass reservations! But despite getting up at 4:00am to do so, I did not get a FOP pass. Is it worth the stand-by wait?

I have seen lines as long as 240 minutes at 9.10am. FOP is UltraRopeDrop (following the video instructions exactly) or FP+ only! Good luck.

 

[StarGirl11]

Might be switching resorts. Made a bumble and forgot to check for ADA rooms and apparently all the rooms at POFQ are already taken. Which is a bit shocking for me since I've never had an issue getting an accessible room prior. Heck, my first trip with the rollator I got a room with accessibility the day I flew in after realizing the normal rooms would be a nightmare with a rollator. Last year I was able to switch from a room on the outskirts to where I ended up. Dreading a switch since part of why I adore POFQ is the size and all of the other moderates are rather large. But its this or getting in my room every time I come back to the hotel is a minor nightmare.

Got my FPs at least apparently my issue deals with the WDW system and the DL system not liking to talk with each other. You would think after having the Premier this many years they would have gotten this sorted out by now. But nope still a pain.

 

[kirstie101]

Ok soooo not riding FOP. Guess I’ll just have to come back some day.

 

[StarGirl11]

Switched over to Riverside. Still probably going to end up at FQ at least once since as I realized no beignets at Riverside. May hop off the bus at FQ after the full get my beignets and then figure out how to get back to the hotel (maybe the bus)

ETA: Never mind apparently its only 10 minutes between the two food courts...why did I think the walk between the two resorts was longer?

 

[CDKG]

For this week's Sundays are for Disney, I'd like to know have you ever visited another Disney Park? How did it compare to WDW? Are there Disney Parks you haven't visited that you'd like to see?

I grew up going to Disneyland every summer (I was probably around 6 mo. old on my first visit). I finally made it to WDW in 1998, back when I was a travel agent. Honestly, I didn’t like it at first. But, I love WDW now! I’ve been to Disneyland Paris twice, in 2007 and 2016 for the inaugural half marathon. I will be returning to Disneyland Paris in 2020 for the 5th anniversary of the half (and my first 36k challenge!)

I was recently thinking about this topic and how I would rank the parks:

1. Disneyland
2. Epcot
3. Animal Kingdom
4. Magic Kingdom
5. California Adventure
6. Hollywood Studios
7. Disneyland Paris
8. Disney Studios

 

[steph0808]

Fast passes made! Phew!

I was on right at 7, but the website wouldn't let me make any selections - it kept bouncing me out saying I didn't have tickets or a room reservation or wasn't within my window, etc.

At 7:04, I decided to try the Disney app and it let me right in! I got the last FP of the day for Flights of Passage, so I will be eating dinner, doing FoP, then going to bed for the marathon the next day!

 

[lhermiston]

Good morning runDisney all-stars! We are 58 days away from the kickoff of Marathon Weekend!

(Can we just sidebar for a second and recognize how CRAZY it is that Marathon Weekend is so close???)

Anyway, Sundays are most definitely for Disney, so let's do this. I believe most (if not all) of us have either booked FP+ or should be making them in the next day or two (if you choose to do so at all), so for this week's SAFD, what FP+ did you make, which are you excited about, anything you missed that you really wanted to get?

This is the first Disney trip on the FP+ system that I didn't get up super early (I was still up around 6:15, because I'm an old man) to book my fast passes. I knew I wasn't doing AK/Pandora, so there was nothing I was dying to get. Also, by traveling solo, there's less concern about cutting down on the amount of time my kids are waiting in line. I'll simply do the rides I want to do and not wait for stuff I don't want to wait for.

All in all my selections are fine. I missed Slinky Dog Dash again, but will just try to do it at some point during my day at HS. I have two days at MK and got two for 7DMT and some other decent selections. No Splash Mountain, of course. *deep sigh* Epcot picks were SSE, Journey into Imagination and Epcot Forever - but for that one I might opt out and shoot from a different location.

Have a great week, everyone!

 

[steph0808]

(See above)

With the computer trouble, I didn't get Slinky Dog Dash. I'm disappointed in that one, but I got Toy Story Mania, which is my favorite. I might try to rope drop SSD on my way to Galaxy's Edge.

 

[michigandergirl]

SAFD: My FP day is tomorrow. I have the day off for Veterans Day, so I'll get the kids off to school (they leave at 6:45), and then I'll settle in with my coffee to be ready at 7am.

I'm bummed about the new tiering system at HS though...

 

[ValW]

Ok soooo not riding FOP. Guess I’ll just have to come back some day.

If you're really wanting to do FOP, I suggest looking at the Disney After Hours - Animal Kindgom event. Yes, it's an additional cost, but well worth it in my opinion. I just did it last week after Wine & Dine and the park was basically empty. FOP, Everest, Navii, and Dinosaur were all walk ons - Rode them all night long.

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD:

My window opened Thursday, was up anyway at 7 because I drive to work at 7:15 and got the first few days done before leaving and handled the rest after I got to work. All in all didn’t do too bad:

Tuesday (early flight, MK after arrival): Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise, 7DMT before leaving for dinner at Chefs de France.

Wednesday: Na’vi River Journey, EE, Kilimanjaro Safari before leaving for expo and dinner at Morimoto (all FoP we’re after 5:00, which doesn’t fit the expo/dinner/bed at a decent time plan). Might rope drop FoP, first FP+ doesn’t expire until 10:50, so as long as standby is under 1:30 we will probably try it.

Thursday: Space Mountain, Peter Pan, 7DMT (new members to the group so hitting a couple of same FP+). Dinner at Raglan Road.

Friday: Journey into Imagination, TestTrack, SSE. Celebration lunch/dinner for our 5k/10k runners at Teppan Edo.

Saturday: Star Tours, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Slinky Dog. Lunch at Mama Melrose and afternoon reservation at Oga’s. This is the day I’m most apprehensive about. Very worried about crowds and possibly not getting our group onto the Galaxy’s Edge attractions. The current FP+ system at HS is ridiculous. We will probably skip Star Tours and Little Mermaid if it helps get us on RotR or Smugglers Run.

Sunday: My AP expires Saturday (and I don’t think renewal is in the cards), so I didn’t include myself in park plans . Others in the group have FoP, EE, and Festival of the Lion King before we meet up for celebration dinner, Storybook Dining at Artist Point.

Monday: Looks like a relaxing day, maybe a movie, in Disney Springs.

 

[Dopey 2020]

Got SDD and TSM on days we wanted but missed FOP. Well take Navi river for now and maybe it opens up

 

[Barca33Runner]

I'm bummed about the new tiering system at HS though...

It’s the worst. Half the park is in the top tier. If it reduced standby for the rides by dialing back the number of FP+ issued I could live with it, but we all know that’s not the case.