Marathon Weekend 2024

[kps7795]

SAFD: All the races I’ve run are in my signature. I’ve been to every Marathon Weekend since 2012 and ran Star Wars Dark Side in 2017. I’ve loved every one of them, even when I’ve dealt with some self-inflicted disappointment. Plan on being at every Marathon Weekend where health, availability, and finances allow.

It would be great see a Star Wars weekend return to WDW in the future but I realize that’s probably unlikely. I’ll monitor Springtime Surprise and maybe run that if the theme is to my liking.

My daughter and I ran the Tower of Terror Ten Miler during last year's Springtime Surprise and I was thoroughly convinced that this year would be the return of Star Wars races. I don't know if this was just wishful thinking, but they showed the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer and that led me to believe that they were signaling future Star Wars races. Looking back, it was just corporate synergy with Disney Plus.

 

[Baloo in MI]

All this talk about C2C medals, seeing how fast races went yesterday for DL is making me nervous about MW registration! And there is still 2 months to go before that registration!!

Frankly the hardest part of a runDisney race for me is not getting up early for days in a row, it is not running big crowds in tight spaces or completing the challenges; it is getting through registration!!

Two months to go and I am already worked up!

 

[Barca33Runner]

My daughter and I ran the Tower of Terror Ten Miler during last year's Springtime Surprise and I was thoroughly convinced that this year would be the return of Star Wars races. I don't know if this was just wishful thinking, but they showed the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer and that led me to believe that they were signaling future Star Wars races. Looking back, it was just corporate synergy with Disney Plus.

I think they had diminishing returns with Star Wars and Marvel when they had recurring weekends built around them despite the large fan bases. I won’t be surprised to see a Star Wars theme at a future Springtime Surprise but I think, to their purposes, it fits better as a periodic theme than a recurring one.

The Pixar theme this year, particularly Cars, doesn’t do much for me. I think they have a big opportunity to go Star Wars for a year in the near future with all of the Disney+ properties. I’d have to imagine a Grogu medal and Mandalorian weekend theme would do quite well. Despite the retro feel of MW this year I’d love to see them go full (early) Disney Afternoon for Springtime Surprise as well. Some combination of Ducktales, Rescue Rangers, Talespin, Gummi Bears, and Darkwing Duck would definitely get me to Florida in April.

 

[Herding_Cats]

All this talk about C2C medals, seeing how fast races went yesterday for DL is making me nervous about MW registration! And there is still 2 months to go before that registration!!

Frankly the hardest part of a runDisney race for me is not getting up early for days in a row, it is not running big crowds in tight spaces or completing the challenges; it is getting through registration!!

Two months to go and I am already worked up!

SAME. And I can't/won't book anything travel related until we have registrations secured, which stinks because that's waiting another 2 months for flights (so prices will probably go up), and for dvc rental availability to dwindle.

 

[Naomeri]

I think they had diminishing returns with Star Wars and Marvel when they had recurring weekends built around them despite the large fan bases. I won’t be surprised to see a Star Wars theme at a future Springtime Surprise but I think, to their purposes, it fits better as a periodic theme than a recurring one.

The Pixar theme this year, particularly Cars, doesn’t do much for me. I think they have a big opportunity to go Star Wars for a year in the near future with all of the Disney+ properties. I’d have to imagine a Grogu medal and Mandalorian weekend theme would do quite well. Despite the retro feel of MW this year I’d love to see them go full (early) Disney Afternoon for Springtime Surprise as well. Some combination of Ducktales, Rescue Rangers, Talespin, Gummi Bears, and Darkwing Duck would definitely get me to Florida in April.

My wallet doesn’t want them to do a Disney Afternoon theme—do you know how much merch I’d have to buy??

 

[garneska]

Just found out I might be in Disneyworld this week and could conceivably do a C2C! I'm planning on running a marathon in April 2024 so probably just a half.. or maybe a 10k/half challenge? Eeks such a slippery slope. Definitely no Dopey!

My plan is the Half at MW 2024, assuming i can secure registration. Regardless I hope i get to meet you at MW 2024 weekend!

 

[PrincessV]

Just as a side note, I'll be curious to see how much faster the half marathon sells out this year due to C2C hopefuls.

I'd think it'd have less of an impact on the marathon just because running a half the weekend after a full is significantly harder.

I’m a little worried about the half, too, especially in conjunction with wanting to also get the 10K and maybe 5K.

 

[DopeyRunner486]

I guess I get being worried given the registration issues that keep happening but, C2C people are spread out and not everyone running DL will also be running C2C. Many can't simply do both weekends back to back. Others are choosing other runDisney weekends to get a C2C. I don't suspect registration to be any worse than normal.

 

[1lilspark]

My daughter and I ran the Tower of Terror Ten Miler during last year's Springtime Surprise and I was thoroughly convinced that this year would be the return of Star Wars races. I don't know if this was just wishful thinking, but they showed the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer and that led me to believe that they were signaling future Star Wars races. Looking back, it was just corporate synergy with Disney Plus.

My wallet doesn’t want them to do a Disney Afternoon theme—do you know how much merch I’d have to buy??

During the 5K the hosts were dressed as Rescue Ranger Chip & Dale + April & June and most of the coral release music was Disney afternoon theme songs so I thought it might of been to gage interest… cut to MW so

 

[camaker]

I guess I get being worried given the registration issues that keep happening but, C2C people are spread out and not everyone running DL will also be running C2C. Many can't simply do both weekends back to back. Others are choosing other runDisney weekends to get a C2C. I don't suspect registration to be any worse than normal.

Pre-COVID normal or post-COVID normal? The answer to that will play a big role in where peoples' anxiety levels for registration fall.

 

[DopeyRunner486]

Pre-COVID normal or post-COVID normal? The answer to that will play a big role in where peoples' anxiety levels for registration fall.

I mean has runDisney registration ever been normal? We still aren't at pre-covid race numbers (and I am not sure we ever will be again). I would be more worried about runDisney website issues than C2C people hindering my chance at getting in.

 

[camaker]

I mean has runDisney registration ever been normal? We still aren't at pre-covid race numbers (and I am not sure we ever will be again). I would be more worried about runDisney website issues than C2C people hindering my chance at getting in.

Pre-COVID, races were staying open for months, sometimes not selling out at all. When I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2018, RunDisney was even offering coupon codes for MW weekend at the expo. Post-COVID we've had two rapid sell-outs. Various reasons for that have been offered from reduced field sizes to revenge travel to an anniversary with themes that caught fire on social media (probably a bit of all 3, to be honest). That's why I drew the line between the two "normals".

Even if things were set to cool off a bit after last year's run on registration, the return of the C2C, especially with its special medal just for those doing DL in combination with MW seem set to push this year's MW registration back towards the crazy end of the spectrum.

 

[DopeyRunner486]

Pre-COVID, races were staying open for months, sometimes not selling out at all. When I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2018, RunDisney was even offering coupon codes for MW weekend at the expo. Post-COVID we've had two rapid sell-outs. Various reasons for that have been offered from reduced field sizes to revenge travel to an anniversary with themes that caught fire on social media (probably a bit of all 3, to be honest). That's why I drew the line between the two "normals".

Even if things were set to cool off a bit after last year's run on registration, the return of the C2C, especially with its special medal just for those doing DL in combination with MW seem set to push this year's MW registration back towards the crazy end of the spectrum.

1. 2019 was coming off of an anniversary year. You again still had larger race fields too.
2. Post covid we have had smaller race fields and a pent-up demand of people who could not travel, would not travel or missed out on 2022 and signed up for 2023. Not to add 2023 MW was a big anniversary year of course.

I mean worry all you want by all means. I am not panicking at this point.

I do not think the amount of people doing both MW and DL will be significant enough to impact registration different from any other year. Its going to be a small amount of people in the grand scheme of things. People can't typically get all that time off. Not to mention costs too. Its not like all 15,000 people doing the DL half will also be doing the WDW half. People will not do C2C at all, and there will be people who do other runDisney weekends.

 

[camaker]

1. 2019 was coming off of an anniversary year. You again still had larger race fields too.
2. Post covid we have had smaller race fields and a pent-up demand of people who could not travel, would not travel or missed out on 2022 and signed up for 2023. Not to add 2023 MW was a big anniversary year of course.

I mean worry all you want by all means. I am not panicking at this point.

I do not think the amount of people doing both MW and DL will be significant enough to impact registration different from any other year. Its going to be a small amount of people in the grand scheme of things. People can't typically get all that time off. Not to mention costs too. Its not like all 15,000 people doing the DL half will also be doing the WDW half. People will not do C2C at all, and there will be people who do other runDisney weekends.

I'm not worried or panicking at this point. I'll get in or I won't.

My original post was that there seem to be two "normals" for how registration might go. There's the 2016-2020 normal where it took months for some distances to sell out (I just used 2019 as a "for instance"). Then there's the 2022-2023 normal where availability is measured in minutes or hours.

It's not unreasonable for someone used to or expecting things to continue their normal trend to be concerned about their ability to secure desired registration, especially if they're looking for multiple registrations. I also think you're underestimating the C2C demand, personally, but hey, it's all speculation at this point.

 

[azrivest]

I've asked this question before but I'll ask it again: what difference does an anniversary make in a runDisney Weekend?

Apart from the "30" medal that no one seemed to understand what it meant, was there really something special during the weekend to commemorate the 30th Marathon or the 10th Dopey? (I wasn't at Disney World in Jan so I'm basing this only on social media and you guys. It didn't seem to be a big deal compared to the overarching 90's theme.)

 

[DopeyRunner486]

I also think you're underestimating the C2C demand, personally, but hey, it's all speculation at this point.

How many C2C people do you expect?

Personally, I am expecting a roughly 15,000 person field at Disneyland (for the half that is). This would line up with where they were previously and I don't think they can go much higher than that anyways. So let's say 5,000 of those go C2C. Not all 5,000 will run Marathon Weekend, they have 3 other weekends to choose. Even if they did, not all 5,000 will run the half either. You will have some run the full. The people will be spread out over multiple weekends and events.

 

[DopeyRunner486]

I've asked this question before but I'll ask it again: what difference does an anniversary make in a runDisney Weekend?

Apart from the "30" medal that no one seemed to understand what it meant, was there really something special during the weekend to commemorate the 30th Marathon or the 10th Dopey? (I wasn't at Disney World in Jan so I'm basing this only on social media and you guys. It didn't seem to be a big deal compared to the overarching 90's theme.)

Historically they are the fastest to sell out and most attended weekends. The appeal is the "extras." Typically they have extra special medals for those weekends as well as gifts for perfects, special mile markers or things on course. Runners running the anniversary race also typically get a gift (usually a luggage tag) as well.

For example:
2018: Walt Disney World Marathon had a special luggage tag gift, the mile 25 marker was a special photo op, they added things to the course like the old attraction vehicles and what not. They also gave finishers ears which were a surprise. Now yes some of these things like the ears have continued since but that hasn't always been the case.
2023: they had a huge photo op at 30K for the 50 some perfect marathoners. Runners also got a special poster for the marathon and Dopey's got a luggage tag.

 

[camaker]

I've asked this question before but I'll ask it again: what difference does an anniversary make in a runDisney Weekend?

Apart from the "30" medal that no one seemed to understand what it meant, was there really something special during the weekend to commemorate the 30th Marathon or the 10th Dopey? (I wasn't at Disney World in Jan so I'm basing this only on social media and you guys. It didn't seem to be a big deal compared to the overarching 90's theme.)

For the event itself? Practically no difference at all. There might be a commemorative sign on the course and maybe an extra luggage tag in the bib packet as a bonus. Sometimes the medal "might" be considered fancier.

Psychologically, there seems to be a large difference in the draw for runners. People are drawn to those significant anniversary numbers ending in 5 or 0. It seems to be especially true for newer or less frequent RunDisney participants. I think people expect RunDisney to make a bigger event out of anniversaries like Disney Parks does. Ultimately, I think the appeal of the anniversaries is much more a perception than a reality.

 

[DopeyRunner486]

igger event out of anniversaries like Disney Parks does

They make a big event out of anniversaries?

 

[PrincessV]

I've asked this question before but I'll ask it again: what difference does an anniversary make in a runDisney Weekend?

Apart from the "30" medal that no one seemed to understand what it meant, was there really something special during the weekend to commemorate the 30th Marathon or the 10th Dopey? (I wasn't at Disney World in Jan so I'm basing this only on social media and you guys. It didn't seem to be a big deal compared to the overarching 90's theme.)

To me, absolutely no impact from an anniversary at all. I’ve been thoroughly unimpressed with the ones I’ve run lol! But I know a lot of folks who wait specifically to run anniversary years.