A Different Take on Marathon Weekend

[geaux_half]

I just came across this and was/am :scared1: by this bloggers take on the marathon. http://www.mouseextra.com/2010/01/12/a-call-to-end-the-marathon-madness/ With the early morning start, I thought Disney did a great job of limiting the impact on the parks' normal operations.

[JimB.]

What a whiner. And probably a couch potato too!! ;);)

[jmasgat]

I can empathize. If I was a non-runner, I would probably feel put out, too. (Okay, honestly, I would be whining!) But I'm a runner, so selfish me...let the fun continue! And unless I was I in a total fog at the Studios--we didn't run anywhere near Toy Story Mania.

Maura

[jeanigor]

Wow. I was there on vacation over that weekend. I ended up being a spectator, and thought it was great fun and very exciting. It cemented my feelings of doing the 1/2 in 2011. He sounds like he is a sad sad little man.

[solotraveler]

Wow. I was there on vacation over that weekend. I ended up being a spectator, and thought it was great fun and very exciting. It cemented my feelings of doing the 1/2 in 2011. He sounds like he is a sad sad little man.

Seriously.....

Before I ever started running, I toured during marathon weekend and it was just NOT that hard to work around!

He's getting taken to task pretty well over there... what a blowhard!

[jeanigor]

Seriously.....

Before I ever started running, I toured during marathon weekend and it was just NOT that hard to work around!

He's getting taken to task pretty well over there... what a blowhard!

I even followed the marathoners...each time I saw the guy dressed as Captain Jack pass, it was time to go to the next park. Each time I took a method of Disney transport, it was easier than trying to leave a park at closing.

He reminds me of an even more spoiled version of Goldie Locks. Nothing is right unless its what he wants.

[cewait]

He did have one vaild piont about Disney not explaining well to all guests what was happening.

Other than that he is a sad little brat.


Thanks for sharing

[SAHDad]

A few years ago, we were there during marathon weekend. While we ran the half, we had no problems dealing with the full - we just had a leisurely breakfast, and hit the parks a little later than we might have otherwise done. It wasn't a big deal.

I can see how it can inconvenience people, but OTOH, I think Disney does a much better job dealing with road closures, etc than many big city marathons do.

[tiberius]

One thing you can be sure of, Disney would not put on the marathon weekend if it was a net negative on most people's experiences. My family toured the Studios that day. They took the buses from POR and spent most of the day at the park without significant impact to hold them back from enjoying the day. Plus, I seem to recall the parks not looking very crowded on marathon day, so how bad could it have been?

[FireDancer]

It sounds like this Mike character needs a waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-mbulance

:sad::drive:

Both times I came down for the half I didn't feel one bit inconvenienced on the following Sunday. As for letting the guests know, in both 2006 and 2008 there was documentation on my door on either Thursday or Friday explaining that the transportation would be slowed so plan accordingly.

[deekaypee]

I agree with Charles--Disney's not been great about distributing information. For instance, I was at POR and got the letter about marathon weekend and delays. But I know other guests at POR did not. And as participants, many of us do have reservations about Disney's race organization, transportation, communication, etc. Not enough to stop me from signing up for next year, mind you, ;) but there might have been a germ of solid criticism in his rant. But that's what it was, a rant.

Other than that, he's a wanker.

And he's not the only one. I was on the course at DHS--Streets of America, I think--and heard an exchange. A CM was trying to stop a guest from passing in front of us, and the guest argued back, "I paid admission to this park. They didn't." :scared1:

Guess the above guest (and the blogger) doesn't know about that race-entry fee I pay. As compared to a one-day admission, and for as much time as I spend in the parks on race days..... I'm a bargain for Disney--paying lots of money not to crowd the parks on marathon weekend, except to run in the early a.m. and then eat & drink a lot at night (it's called recovery)! :rotfl2:

[RunningGirl]

I thought that Disney did a much better job getting information out this weekend. We had a letter in our room addressed to both marathon participants and non-participants discussing marathon transportation, spectator transportation, and the effect on non-participant transportation. I do think that Magical Express needs to be handled differently on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This guy is not a Disney newbie; he knew it was marathon weekend; he could have arranged his plans for minimal impact. I've never read anything by him before, but I'm not impressed - just complaining and complaining without suggestions for improvement. Since Disney claims it's now the biggest marathon weekend in the country, set your expectations and plan accordingly.

[Steffwalks]

Ignore the selfish attorney with the self rightous attitude. He should be pitied for his ignorance and selfishness. Did I mention that he is obviously selfish and self centered? :rotfl2:

[cewait]

I agree with Charles--Disney's not been great about distributing information. For instance, I was at POR and got the letter about marathon weekend and delays. But I know other guests at POR did not. And as participants, many of us do have reservations about Disney's race organization, transportation, communication, etc. Not enough to stop me from signing up for next year, mind you, ;) but there might have been a germ of solid criticism in his rant. But that's what it was, a rant.

Other than that, he's a wanker.

And he's not the only one. I was on the course at DHS--Streets of America, I think--and heard an exchange. A CM was trying to stop a guest from passing in front of us, and the guest argued back, "I paid admission to this park. They didn't." :scared1:

Guess the above guest (and the blogger) doesn't know about that race-entry fee I pay. As compared to a one-day admission, and for as much time as I spend in the parks on race days..... I'm a bargain for Disney--paying lots of money not to crowd the parks on marathon weekend, except to run in the early a.m. and then eat & drink a lot at night (it's called recovery)! :rotfl2:

Wanker - Yes!

I had a similar experience at Worldshowcase in one of my first Disney races (00 or 01). A guest was belly achin at the CM gurading the x-walk at England where we enter. All I heard was I paid to be here and you cannot stop me from crossing. She didn't but I kind a did. I think the NASCAR saying is "rubbing IS racin!" He crossed, I was too tired to care and too far gone to change course so we collided. He got the worst end of the bargain. He took a bath in my sweat and the cup I carried from the last water stop. I took Newton's Second Law of physics (a body will continue in a line unless acted upon by an external force) and got a lot of help turning the corner. He started yelling at the CM and I think she said I tried to stop you.

[lolafrances]

other than that, he's a wanker.

Totally.

[fashionista311]

what's that phrase - don't complain until you've walked a mile in another mans shoes? - well in this case this kid should try running, 26.2 of them, in another man's running sneakers :lmao:

it's hard for me to imagine someone coming to disney and not realizing the marathon was going on - but i also have to remember that i grew up in florida with marathon/ironmen parents, so the rare year my dad wasn't doing the race (great way to get in a marathon and take the kids to disney!) we always knew a handful of people who were.

and again maybe because i've been exposed to so many races, both good and bad...but i think disney does a damn good job of keeping everything organized for the participant, spectators, and innocent bypassers

[mickeyncldkd]

I had a great time with the marathon. Disney did an excellent job with the weather being bad in many years. The gentlemen appears to be a self absorb and negative person. I actually feel sorry for the gentlemen. If he paid attention at the marathon weekend on both days. he would think different with all the great stories that were running. well, it is his lost. I can not wait until next year for the run.

[kmab00]

I was a spectator in 2009 and had NO problems with anything! It actually encouraged me to go for it this year so I did!

Seems like someone always has to complain about something...can't please everyone, I guess!

[kmab00]

Sounds like HE needs to find out when Marathon weekend is next year and choose a different weekend to vacation. Brat.

Bill said,
January 12, 2010 @ 8:37 pm

I am so sorry your vacation was interrupted by so many people who were, hmmm, let’s see, on vacation and doing something they enjoyed! But, apparently, if the activity does not fit in with your definition of fun, it must be stopped. By your reasoning, the hard ticket parties (like the Very Merry Christmas Party) should be eliminated because they cut into the time you can spend in the Magic Kingdom. While we are at it, let’s do away with those pesky afternoon parades, which make it difficult to cross Main Street to get into the Emporium to shop. And those darn fireworks cause traffic jams that slow down the trip back to the parking lot or hotel - they have to go! Hey, I know, let’s institute a minimum age for park entry so that you won’t have to be bothered by all those strollers and little kids running around. Get a life Mike. Or at least have a salad.

:worship: :rotfl2: Well said!!!

[bunnyfoo]

Maybe he might have a point if his vacation was all of two days long. I think a little bit of research might have helped to avoid the "heart ache". I do see his point about the Magical Express and do feel badly for the guests leaving on Magical Express or trying to get to the airport that day. And I do agree that Disney should give some warning to guests - I didn't get a word about it at my resort. I only saw a sign on the road about major traffic delays Jan 9-10.

Oh and 155,000 on Toy Story Mania ... Pfffttt!!! DF and I have scored 250,000+ :upsidedow :laughing: And isn't that FP line always mobbed with people on regular days?

[PeterPan09]

A friend of mine calls people like this "Air Thieves", people who are using up perfectly good air that could be better utilized by an actual human being.

I have an odd feeling that no matter when this charming individual goes to WDW there is SOMETHING that is going to be terrible for him and ruin his day.

[DisneyPiPhi]

I have a solution for Mike: Check the dates of marathon weekend, and book your Disney vacation another time!

That said, I was at Disney for marathon weekend 2009 as a guest. The races did not at all disrupt my plans, but DID inspire me to start running!

[VernRDH]

Wanker is it!!

We received info in our room and saw it on the TV about the delays. DH had to drive FIL to the airport on Sunday morning, we were concerned about getting out of POFQ. DH said it was so easy, two turns and he was back on his way to MCO. Transportation can be an issue at anytime at the World, and Mears runs the ME, not Disney.

He also commented that he dislikes the disruption of marathons in cities like Boston or NYC, so obviously he has some issue with athletes participating in such events. Apparently, we should hold all our events in the middle of the night in the middle of the desert or forests so as not to DISTURB this guy. Sheesh, has he not seen how these races are taking off, people are participating more and more and the money to be made and raise for charity is growing? Hey I may not be fast but at least I am out there doing it, not sitting on the couch blogging about how athletes are ruining his life.

[Mark214]

I agree with some previous posts that Disney can do a better job of letting their customers know about what to expect on Marathon Weekend. Perhaps when you check-in, the CM can hand you the paper describing what to expect and give you a quick verbal warning about it. I have been to Disney on previous marathon weekends and the resort CM's don't even know anything about the marathon expo and how to get to it.

Maybe Stacy can record a special "Top 7 ways to work around the marathon" special that can be aired on the resort tv channels.

[Kira G.]

I agree with some previous posts that Disney can do a better job of letting their customers know about what to expect on Marathon Weekend. Perhaps when you check-in, the CM can hand you the paper describing what to expect and give you a quick verbal warning about it.

That's actually exactly what happened for us when we checked into the Beach Club. The CM handed us a paper (which went over road closures, impact on ME and many other things) and also discussed it with us. However, it sounds like that did not happen for many people, which is too bad.

However, this guy clearly says in his comments that he knew it was Marathon weekend, and yet he chose to come anyway. It sounds like he arrived with a bad attitude about it, since he dislikes the big city events as well, and just proved himself right! I think "Wanker" about sums it up!

[Mouse Skywalker]

Wow, sounds like to me someone needed to do a little advanced research. Tony's Townsquare for breakfast during the Half Marathon just sounds like a bad idea. Although it would be a great place to watch the race and take pictures of the runners.

The line "whoever decided to put this race through the parks should be fired." Really??? Because they bring in 55,000 people to run over the weekend. Sounds like a pretty good idea over a traditionally slow attended time.

And can I just say, 155k isn't that much to write home about on TSM.

BTW: jeanigor was with me and took a lot of the pictures used on my blog. He's a new WISHer so be nice to him... ;) But he got a lot of the pictures of our fellow WISHers.

http://www.disunplugged.com/2010/01/11/temperature-low-but-spirits-high-for-2010-disney-marathon/

[danyella522]

What a whiny bum! I scheduled our disney vacation, not knowing there would be a marathon going on while we were there. It inspired me to sign up for the full marathon next year :)

[sunshine girl]

Wow, I can't believe that guy!

[crewmatt]

Yea I guess I'm a runner so my perspective isnt quite what a non runner's would be. And the friends of mine that werent runners were clearly down there to support us.

1-I believe the course did run pretty close to toy story mania - but yes it was a bit of a blur for me at that point too, so maybe I'm imagining it.

2-Disney had LOTS of info about how the marathon would be happening that weekend and that travel/etc could be impacted. It was all over, my friend got a note in his room about it, there were road signs.

3-Honestly the marathon weekend had to have brought in more than 40,000 people to the parks that weekend (not all runners). It can't be all that bad if that many people are happily willing to shell out for a disney vacation to come down. I've already signed up for 2011

4-Disney did an awesome job of making sure the race had minimal impact on the parks. During the half marathon I went to magic kingdom, we did every single ride (minus teacups - not for me) by 11 am. All the water stops were conveniently located outside of parks, and they had the courses broken down immediately.

5-yes I agree this guy is probably a couch potato who can't imagine walking an extra 20 feet to use his fastpasses, or to wait an extra 5 minutes. This is Disney, I doubt waiting a minute for the runners to pass through significantly increased your TSM wait. Even with FP you're looking at 10 minutes during a busy time of day

[Duanerice]

I agree Disney did not notify people very well. We never got notified and we were at POP. Just so happens I got up early on Saturday and went to the food court for a bite to eat. I saw all these people lined up for a bus and thought, hmm.. so I asked someone where the busses were going. She told me to EPCOT. So I'm thinking my wife is asleep, won't be awake for 3 - 4 hours might as well get a few hours of park time in. So I hop on the bus.

When we got to EPCOT I just followed the crowds like you do at Disney. There were a lot of people there, wonder why I didn't know the parks were open this early. Grabbed a cup of coffee and just kind of wondered around. The crowds kind of took off down a path so I followed, always looking to see the back stage areas of Disney. We walked for a while then there were even more people standing in line. Thousands of them. Thinking there was something special going on, I jumped into line. I was able to get close to the front too, no one seemed to mind.

Donald and the gang came out and were entertaining the crowed for a while then all of a sudden everyone started running. I didn't want to miss out, so I went with them. They took a strange route to get into EPCOT but hey, what did I know?

I kept following and following. Went through EPCOT, although not much of the park was open which was disappointing. Took off out the back and we just kept running and running. I kept running because I didn't want to lose my place in line. Asked someone again where we were going and they said Magic Kingdom. Thought OK, but wondered why the busses weren't running. So I stayed with them and soon we were at the Magic Kingdom. It was fun and at least more of the park was open although Buzz wasn't open yet.

As we were exiting the park I again asked someone where we were going. They said back to EPCOT so I thought OK, need to catch the bus back to the hotel anyway. Got back to EPCOT and they served a continental breakfast. That was really nice of them. Since it was still a little chilly I decided to grab a bus and went back to the hotel. Got back to the hotel, showered and hopped into bed right about the time my wife was waking.

Sunday I got up early again and went to the food court for some coffee. Sure enough there were the busses again. I asked someone where they were going and they said EPCOT. I said, wait, yesterday I did this and I only got to go to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. They said, yea but today you get to go to EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Well, I had a few hours until my wife would get up so I hopped on the bus ......

Overall I do wish Disney would do a better job telling everyone the event was going on but hey, you are still at Disney....

enjoy,
Duane

[Dolce27]

First off, while 2010 was the first time I've run the WDW marathon, I knew about it for years. It's one of the top marathons and you can't help but hear about it when doing any type of WDW research.

Second, as your bus pulls up to your hotel, there are signs out front for the EXPO transportation - surely anyone checking in would have a clue that something is going on.

Third, I ran the full so I can't say how transportation was that day but I had no problems the morning of the 1/2. I wanted to go to EPCOT. I took the MK bus that pulled up shortly after I stepped out front. It did take us to the TTC instead of the main gate (oh the horror!) and I took the monorail to EPCOT (another small wait since everyone was having to take the monorail that morning. But seriously - not a bad wait.). EPCOT was dead. I enjoyed my morning that day with non-existent lines. I cheered on the runners as I passed them. Sometimes I had wait a minute or two for the runners to clear before I could cross but the CM's did an excellent job of getting guests across the paths. It just gave me another opportunity to cheer on the runners struggling out in that cold - all wet and miserable. One of the other DIS posters was at the MK that morning, enjoying an empty park, and riding Buzz Lightyear a gazillion times in a row.

It was poor planning on that man's part but he won't admit to it.