Kathymford
A little obsessed is ok....right?
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2011
I've heard you can book it if you call, just not online.
Marathon Weekend 2016
- Thread starter Hockeychic
- Start date
I've heard you can book it if you call, just not online.
You can and they will book it with the current rates but if rates go up when they release the 2016 dates you would have to pay the difference as well.
Disneyland_emily
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2003
I don't STOP for character pics with the characters but I stop to get a pic of them between other runners.. It's a nice break yet keeps me moving..
Ariel484
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2011
Over the phone you can.
Baloo in MI
I don’t have to, I get to.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2015
So I have only run two RunDisney races, but to this point I have not wanted to stop either. It was still so magical to be running through the parks, seeing the characters and interacting with all the super positive and cool runners. I was a little worried I would regret it latter, but I haven't at all. I think the race should be what you want it to be, stop at every character, run straight through just taking in the environment or anything in between - just enjoy yourself. Bottom line RunDisney does a great job and you can't beat running down Main Street in Magic Kingdom. I am getting excited about next January already! Do what you want to do.
kevdad
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2014
Approximately how many character stops are there during the marathon? Are there long lines? I'm thinking I may stop if I don't have to wait a while. And if I regret it later, I'll just run again the following year! Also, I heard you could stop and ride Expedition Everest during the marathon, is that true and how does that work?
Lots of questions, thanks for any/all responses!
Lots of questions, thanks for any/all responses!
Dug720
See the line where the sky meets the sea?
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2012
I don't know the number of stops, but honestly the length of the lines totally depends on a) the character/characters and b) the people in front of you. Some people stop for every character, some stop for none, some stop only for certain ones, and some will stop or not depending on the length of the line. One other factor is where they start and how far ahead of the balloon ladies they are - how much of a cushion they feel they have.
As far as EE...experiences vary. I did it one year when I hit the park just before it opened to the public, so it was all runners on the train (my friend who was several corrals ahead of me hit DAK before they had it running). The following year either I was slower, I was further back, and/or the park opened earlier so it was already going with regular guests and the CMs at the front weren't sure what to do with us. Some skipped it, some ran to the single rider line where other guests in line were telling the CMs to let us ride. I didn't bother trying this year as I was having a horrible race.
cavepig
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2001
I started in corral G in January and stopped for roughly 8 character stops, some had very short wait, as in only 1-2 people ahead of me. Others like villains was a 5-6 minute wait and Golf DOnald & Goofy was 5 minutes. Duffy in World Showcase was 0 min wait. I could have stopped for a few others with no wait but didn't want to stop again as I had stopped a lot in the first half (including bathroom stops). Now my brother was in corral B and stopped for I think 17 characters with no waits. He skipped some so I'm thinking there was 25ish character stops maybe a few more. There was animals before animal kingdom, the train conductor after MK with train and other various fun things that weren't characters you could pose with. Some characters I might have stopped for like the grave diggers that had short lines but by the time I realized they were there I was already passing by so didn't feel like backing up to them.
Oh, the princesses which were Rapunzel and Flynn after MK went I went by was a really long line and Jack & Sally was really long so I skipped them. Probably at that time a 6-7 minute wait for them.
BuckeyeBama
You are stronger than you think.
- Joined
- May 29, 2013
In 2014 I made 23 character photo stops during the marathon. The lines varied from no line at all, to over 15 minutes (Royal Mickey/Minnie at the castle in MK). I missed a few characters because they were on breaks when I passed them - like Buzz (very disappointed to have missed Buzz).
Barca33Runner
Please excuse the crudity of this model
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2014
I also can't really enlighten you on the number of character opportunities, but can say that the lines were significantly shorter for the marathon than the half marathon, 10K and 5K this year (2015). I have not stopped at all in the past, but decided to stop for the Incredibles this year because the line was only about 10 people deep when I was passing (~1-2 minute wait). I started in corral L, so relatively late in the field, and my experience was that most characters I passed appeared to have an under 3 minute wait. The earlier in the course, the longer the line tended to be; everything up until I was through Magic Kingdom was relatively lengthy.
I have been in corral L in both 2014 and 2015. I passed Expedition Everest at almost exactly 9:00 in 2014 and the attendant was telling people they could ride and that the line was very short; I regret not jumping on now, but at the time was running my second marathon and was (still am) horrible at pacing, so I skipped it. This year I passed at about 8:45 and there were already people queued up outside the ride. It was one of the longer lines I saw the whole day and it was going to be ~15 minute before they even opened the ride/line. This is purely a guess, but I think I would have spent around 25-30 minutes waiting and riding if I had chosen to stop this year. So, yes, depending on when you pass it has been an option to ride EE, but you probably have to be pretty lucky to get in and out without taking a pretty decent break.
MRS AR
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2003
I'm not sure about couch to 5k but a Jeff Galloway ap was what I started with. He talks to you about what you are doing and that was very encouraging to me. I started with the half marathon as my first target race. Before I ran the 1/2 I included several local 5k in my training.
Good luck and have fun.
John VN
N.Y. STYLE CHEESECAKE RULES!!!
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2003
There was only one time in my life that I had to walk my first marathon, can not run. My first was the 2011 Mickey and I wanted to make it through as fast as possible without character stops figuring I could always stop during future marathons. My training was directed towards that non stop walking effort for my first PR at Disney.
As things have happened, I can no longer walk as fast as that year so I am glad I did not stop for pictures. Very pleased with my walking finishing time of 4:56:28.
M&M McFlurry John
FFigawi
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2009
Lots of people run the marathon without stopping for pictures with the characters. I did it this year, in fact. You just need to decide what your goal for the race that day is. This year, my goal was to finish in a certain time so I could qualify for Comrades. In previous years, I was just out to have fun, dressed in costume, and stopped at many of the characters. There's one easy way to have the best of both worlds, though - go Goofy or Dopey! Then you'll have a race or two for characters and a race or two for running, if you so choose.
poppinspal
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2006
I've never run a full marathon but when I run Disney halfs I always try to do decide what my goal is. Though I'll say for the Avengers half I'd said I'd make one stop for a picture with Thor because he's my favorite. I saw the line and knew at that point it would probably be at least 30 minute wait. I ended up getting Hawkeye and Mickey and Minnie with minimal wait. So I definitely won't get myself set on one certain picture again.
DOOM1001
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 23, 2003
How long would you guys wait for them to open Everest to get a ride in,I had mild hopes of finally doing it this year since I was going to take it easier since I was doing Goofy.Well,between that I was in a higher corral this year and that I didn't go as slow as I thought I would I ended up running by Everest at 8:23am,no way was I doing that wait but I was amazed there were about 10 people who were waiting,I was like seriously,you're doing a marathon and you're willing to wait almost 40 minutes plus the time it takes to ride,that's like adding almost an hour to your time.
Barca33Runner
Please excuse the crudity of this model
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2014
As with everything in runDisney races, riding EE seems to be rapidly increasing in popularity and people seem to be planning for it in the same way they plan to stop for characters. They must be, how else can you explain your experience of seeing people lined up at 8:23 and my experience of seeing my longest line of the day outside of Everest at 8:45. I really can't see myself stopping for it now that it appears the line is starting so early. Can't picture going by and stopping at 8:15 to be one of the first in line, but also can't picture stopping after 9:00 and getting into a 15+ minute line. It's cool that it is an option and I'll remain slightly miffed at myself for not stopping in 2014 when I had the chance, but there are so many great things about the Marathon that I won't feel too disappointed if I never get another chance.
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Neoflynn
Run Nick Run
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2015
Lots of people run the marathon without stopping for pictures with the characters. I did it this year, in fact. You just need to decide what your goal for the race that day is. This year, my goal was to finish in a certain time so I could qualify for Comrades. In previous years, I was just out to have fun, dressed in costume, and stopped at many of the characters. There's one easy way to have the best of both worlds, though - go Goofy or Dopey! Then you'll have a race or two for characters and a race or two for running, if you so choose.
This being my first full, i want to focus on that for this trip. As much as i would love to go goofy or Dopey this is not the year. I have a set goal in mind of running the whole race (save maybe some potty stops
and maybe 1 character like Duffy that might have no line) I'm trying not to put to much pressure on a time goal but I figure under 5 is a safe bet (I ran my first half in 2:15) I'm just excited to experience the Disney atmosphere along the course i know it will be unlike any race I've run previously.
wendy1974
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2003
What a great story! I have only done half marathons a few of them in Disney and have been pretty intimidated by the thought of running a full. I always get to the end of the half and think, if someone told me I had to turn around and run 13.1 more I would cry. But I agree with you that if you're going to do a full Disney is the best place because they're so friendly to runners of every level. I watched the finish line at marathon weekend and it inspired me to go for Dopey so we'll see if I get in! Good luck to everyone here on all future races!
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