Marathon Weekend 2023

[Bree]

So were the lines stupid long for all the characters during the race?

From A, not really. They start to build though. Same thing with the characters post race. No lines when I was done, but they got really long.

That's great! I hope that you're feeling better.

I am! I had an increase in meds and feel human again.

 

[jpeterson]

We're doing the Princess 5k with my 7 and 10yo... I want to prepare them mentally

5ks have very little time pressure so more people are willing to stop. The longer distances the character lines start to shorten in the second half.

 

[kps7795]

Very well stocked. That’s the one I bought.

I'll see what the Goofy Challenge shirts look like in person, but I'm leaning against buying it based upon what I saw posted online. However, my daughter is excited about getting the HM finisher shirt for her first HM. She's actually wearing her ToT finisher shirt to school today.

 

[kps7795]

5ks have very little time pressure so more people are willing to stop. The longer distances the character lines start to shorten in the second half.

That was a surprise during last year's marathon. The lines were pretty constant up until Magic Kingdom and then they got progressively shorter until it got to the point where I was the only one stopping for a picture at a few of the characters.

 

[kps7795]

I'll see what the Goofy Challenge shirts look like in person, but I'm leaning against buying it based upon what I saw posted online. However, my daughter is excited about getting the HM finisher shirt for her first HM. She's actually wearing her ToT finisher shirt to school today.

I have a question for anyone that's been to the Expo already...did the Goofy Challenge shirts look any better than they did online? I'm hoping that the picture just didn't do the shirt justice, but I doubt it.

 

[Dopey 2020]

View attachment 729917
One down three to go. Beer tent didn’t open until 6am so I had to wait around 25 minutes, but it’s worth it

Started in 4th wave of A and the course cleared out quickly. I didn’t stop for pics, but I posted earlier what I saw.

I was in that wave, it seemed like really small waves but I guess that’s good because the course didn’t seem crowded. I only stopped for one picture, the lines seemed like they were building faster than usual from ‘A’

Fun race, great meeting some new faces this AM @Z-Knight @lookingforsunshine @surfde22 @The Expert

 

[jrsharp21]

Anyone who is familiar with AKL, is there any place on the Kadani Village side where you can grab a quick breakfast sandwich? This is our first time staying here. Our room is all the way at the very end to the left side. A friend of ours said there is a quick service place over in Jambo and it was like a 10 minute walk. Was hoping there was actually something in KV.

 

[MissLiss279]

Just realized I’m missing my 5k shirt.

How likely can I get it if I head back to the expo in the next couple days and ask for it, or am I simply out of luck.

I would take your whole bag of shirts and try and exchange. They may not have single shirts laying around. When you exchange sizes, you exchange the whole bag. I remember checking my bag last year at the expo and I had an extra 10k shirt, that I handed back, but I wouldn’t guarantee that they have singles.

 

[HockeySteve]

Anyone who is familiar with AKL, is there any place on the Kadani Village side where you can grab a quick breakfast sandwich? This is our first time staying here. Our room is all the way at the very end to the left side. A friend of ours said there is a quick service place over in Jambo and it was like a 10 minute walk. Was hoping there was actually something in KV.

I believe that Sanaa operates as quick serve for breakfast. But it’s been a couple years since I’ve stayed at kidani.

 

[MissLiss279]

Anyone who is familiar with AKL, is there any place on the Kadani Village side where you can grab a quick breakfast sandwich? This is our first time staying here. Our room is all the way at the very end to the left side. A friend of ours said there is a quick service place over in Jambo and it was like a 10 minute walk. Was hoping there was actually something in KV.

I remember them having regular sandwiches in the coolers at the gift shop, but I’m not sure about breakfast ones - that maybe you could heat up??

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I’m sorry. I missed this. But I didn’t see a Dopey mug. Just the race weekend mug and there was a lot left.

The bib and expo portion was easy for me. The merchandise was so chaotic. I was so overwhelmed with the chaos. I didn’t see a race weekend hat, not sure if they even had one. Missed out on the race weekend tin lunchbox which I was bummed about. It was quite an unpleasant experience. When I picture what Black Friday is like….that’s what I picture.


I’m also in the tower! Isn’t it so nice!?

I got corral B for 5k/10k and C for half/full with a 4:30-5:00 estimated finish.

I was at the Expo on Wed evening last year and it was already very picked over and cast members were already consolidating displays. For a company whose main mission is selling us merchandise, the Expo merch seems to be a very second or third-rate effort. I really wanted a Dopey magnet for my car, but none were left. Ditto for a mug and a shirt. I found a Dopey shirt that is a bit snug (more weight loss incentive) and settled for that. I went in prepared to spend some $$ for goods and left with the one item.

For a mug, I bought this grey one from Target and bought some Dopey stickers off ebay or etsy, and I'm enjoying my morning coffee in it as I type. FWIW, I hand wash it so the dishwasher doesn't kill the sticker.
And sitting next to it is my 2009 half mug on my desk waiting to be repaired, but will have to be retired from use as a mug. (I am totally bummed about that).
Good luck to everyone on the remaining races.

 

[Dopey 2020]

Anyone who is familiar with AKL, is there any place on the Kadani Village side where you can grab a quick breakfast sandwich? This is our first time staying here. Our room is all the way at the very end to the left side. A friend of ours said there is a quick service place over in Jambo and it was like a 10 minute walk. Was hoping there was actually something in KV.

Yes Sanaa should be open with to go breakfast items

Also if you want to take the walk over to Jambo it’s nice and easy. you can also walk all the way down the hall inside Kadani to the last elevator (Zazu I believe) and it’s only a few minutes from there. There is also a shuttle that runs between the two all day, just not sure of the actual hours

 

[jrsharp21]

Yes Sanaa should be open with to go breakfast items

Thanks all. I will check it out tomorrow after the 10k. Today, cinnamon rolls from the gift shop will have to do. Breakfast of champions.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I think it's 2023WDWW5K5#####

And FWIW, it took me a few tries last year to get mine to all sync up. Keep trying.
It costs a bit, but was totally worth it for convenience and adding photos later in the day when I was in the parks. One note: sometimes it can take a while for pictures to come through. I had one character that I knew I had stopped for, and that photo didn't show up until Mon or Tue after race weekend. Most of the rest showed up within a few hours of the event. Pics from the parks were usually within an hour.

 

[DopeyBadger]

On Main Street viewing for the MK during the marathon, I wanted to add one other thing I noted in the updated spectator section.



The viewing is open 5:30-8:45am. Which makes sense since an on time start and 60 min gun time for balloon ladies would put them on Main Street at 8:40am. However, there is a note that theme park admission ticket is not necessary before 7:30am. That could be interpreted a few ways. Either if you get in before 7:30am, then you're good until 8:45am. Or, that at 7:30am they may start asking people to leave that don't have a theme park ticket. I don't recall seeing this language on previous years, so I don't know the correct interpretation, but my gut tells me it is the first interpretation. The early entry for MK is 8:30am.

As a general statement (and there are caveats to it), the runners that are likely to hit Main Street at 7:30am or later are ones aiming for around a 5 hour marathon or slower. So keep this in mind for those that have spectators aiming for MK and as a runner you plan to run slower than ~5 hour marathon pace.

 

[Ellie_]

Is anyone going to the expo today who can report back on what dopey merch they see?

By the time my VQ time was called yesterday the merch was already picked over. Specifically crossing my fingers for a hat or the grey sweatshirt, but that kind of feels like a Hail Mary

 

[HangWithMerida]

Thanks all. I will check it out tomorrow after the 10k. Today, cinnamon rolls from the gift shop will have to do. Breakfast of champions.

I went down to Sanaa this morning. You order at the bar and then sit anywhere. It was pretty quick and a bit more interesting than the usual food court breakfasts.

 

[jrsharp21]

Is anyone going to the expo today who can report back on what dopey merch they see?

By the time my VQ time was called yesterday the merch was already picked over. Specifically crossing my fingers for a hat or the grey sweatshirt, but that kind of feels like a Hail Mary

I am. Picking up my son and daughter from MCO around noon and then headed over so they can check in. I am sure we will cruise through the merch to see what is there. I will take a look at Dopey merch.

 

[kps7795]

I ended up in corral B for all races. I guess that means my 2:08:02 HM POT got accepted.

That's great! I didn't even bother because TrackShack informed me that my 2:08:52.1 would place me in C. Next time!

 

[jrsharp21]

Is there a meet up tomorrow morning again? I was going to try to make it over to Hurricane Hanna's in the afternoon but it looks like with my daughter's BF possibly proposing tomorrow, probably not going to make it.

Is the meet up at the blinky white thing by the information tent?