2012 Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay opens 3/15 @ noon EDT

[cewait]

lol - clearly, I read the email way too fast..............not crazy enough to do a full YET

huge thanks!!

Then why not be goofy and avoid crazy?

 

[FireDancer]

HI everyone -

I have done the Princess for the past two years and would love to do this half too...........mainly because of the savings - where if I run the princess for the 3rd time they do not offer any discount except if I sign up early.

I have heard that marathon weekend is nuts and very very busy and packed with people.

I wont be doing the parks as I just fly in the day before the half and leave the night of the half, as I work full time and I am a mom of 4 - who will not be taking a vacation by herself

Are their any advantages of doing the Donald in January over the Princess in Feb?

Any help would be wonderful!!

jen

I've never experienced bad crowds during marathon weekend. I usually arrive the Wednesday or Thursday before and leave on Monday or Tuesday. Now, this year is a week earlier than usual which will move it closer to the holiday season but I still don't think the crowds will be anywhere near peak level.

As for advantage to the Donald as opposed to the Princess, I don't think there is really an advantage or disadvantage. The January even is the main even as far as Run Disney goes so everything is a bit bigger. The Princess is a smaller event. I like doing the marquee events so I prefer January but I'm not the target marked for the Princess so take that for what it's worth.

 

[WVUFan]

HI everyone -

I have done the Princess for the past two years and would love to do this half too...........mainly because of the savings - where if I run the princess for the 3rd time they do not offer any discount except if I sign up early.

I have heard that marathon weekend is nuts and very very busy and packed with people.

I wont be doing the parks as I just fly in the day before the half and leave the night of the half, as I work full time and I am a mom of 4 - who will not be taking a vacation by herself

Are their any advantages of doing the Donald in January over the Princess in Feb?

Any help would be wonderful!!

jen

Hi-

I did both this year. The parks were far more crowded Princess weekend than marathon weekend. For me, airfare was also much cheaper for the marathon. For the expo, packet pick-up was much better at the marathon than at the princess (I was there on Saturday and waited an hour which was not fun with a 5 year old). The lines for merchandise were much longer at the princess, but the official stuff and the vendors had so much fun stuff (IMHO).

For crowds, it was much easier to get to the corrals at the Princess than the half marathon (which was nuts and had tons more people). I was in corral A for the Princess and corral B for the half and the course was much more crowded for the half than the princess (although I have heard the opposite from people starting in other corrals).

Next year, I will be there for marathon weekend for the Goofy but not the Princess. If I was just doing the half and the cost was equal, I would probably go for the Princess. Probably the only time in my life where I will actually wear a tiara and princess skirt. Hope this helps.

On a different note, I didn't get a discount code from either race. Should I contact Disney?

 

[cewait]

Hi-

>....

For crowds, it was much easier to get to the corrals at the Princess than the half marathon (which was nuts and had tons more people). I was in corral A for the Princess and corral B for the half and the course was much more crowded for the half than the princess (although I have heard the opposite from people starting in other corrals).

>....

On a different note, I didn't get a discount code from either race. Should I contact Disney?

As information the crowding out to the corrals for the 2011 Donald was due to a set of porta potties placed along the roadway out to the corrals. This was a first ever placement of the thrones and they were removed for the full on Sunday. Hopefully a lessons learned.

The code for the Princess race was at the very bottom of your congratulatory email, post race. I would expect an email from runDisney for the January folks later today or early tomorrow.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

The thing that makes me nervous about signing up for the weekend at all is the issue of getting out of NYC in potentially awful weather.

If I sign up for the Goofy, and I think I might, I will not be running for time. Back of the pack for me. I am hoping to run MCM in 4:45 or so.

 

[cewait]

The thing that makes me nervous about signing up for the weekend at all is the issue of getting out of NYC in potentially awful weather.

If I sign up for the Goofy, and I think I might, I will not be running for time. Back of the pack for me. I am hoping to run MCM in 4:45 or so.

Winter travel is always an issue, though in the 12 years I have been coming only a couple years have been bad. The new "let's cancel to avoid a long wait on the tarmac penalty" policy adds to the angst. We always travel on Wednesday or Thursday to assure we are early in the event of a major storm issue in one of the hubs.

I think the worst year for travel was 2010 when Orlando started cancelling flights due to no deicing airport equipment.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Winter travel is always an issue, though in the 12 years I have been coming only a couple years have been bad. The new "let's cancel to avoid a long wait on the tarmac penalty" policy adds to the angst. We always travel on Wednesday or Thursday to assure we are early in the event of a major storm issue in one of the hubs.

I think the worst year for travel was 2010 when Orlando started cancelling flights due to no deicing airport equipment.

Yeah, we may travel Wednesday night. Also, my husband may or may not be able to come with me, so it might be my brother coming with, which means we can't book airfare till we get that cleared up.

 

[fashionista311]

Thanks for the reassurances on the relay, team. If I do run end up running the full, it will be my first time for this race.

I just can't make up my mind if I should run New York again, or stay local and run Hartford, or skip a fall marathon altogether and just do Disney...or maybe a combo of the above. I think I change my mind about every other day now

 

[Minnie Lor]

Thanks for the heads up about what time the registration opens. I was thinking it opened at 1 am (midnight my time) I'm usually up that late and was going to register then. Now I know to wait till noon.

 

[escape]

I'm guessing the relay will sell out first. Anyone want to take a guess as to when that will be?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I'm guessing the relay will sell out first. Anyone want to take a guess as to when that will be?

I predict the relay is the last to fill.

 

[cewait]

escape -

agreed that the relay will sell out quickly given the following from runDisney, "Space for the 2012 WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Relay is very limited and subject to capacity.". I would expect that there are 3000 slots or so (based on the first year of Goofy) and that the race will collect quite a few half marathoners and marathoners who want to run an inaugural event on a proven track. I would expect the race to sell out in the early summer period. I would also expect the half to sell out early due to the 15th Donald. What I would like to see are how many half runners will double up.... If I did not have the Goofy thing going I would look at the Donald and Chip&Dale double.

 

[stampingoddess]

escape -

agreed that the relay will sell out quickly given the following from runDisney, "Space for the 2012 WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Relay is very limited and subject to capacity.". I would expect that there are 3000 slots or so (based on the first year of Goofy) and that the race will collect quite a few half marathoners and marathoners who want to run an inaugural event on a proven track. I would expect the race to sell out in the early summer period. I would also expect the half to sell out early due to the 15th Donald. What I would like to see are how many half runners will double up.... If I did not have the Goofy thing going I would look at the Donald and Chip&Dale double.

I too predict that the relay will fill rather quickly. I also think that there will be quite a few half runners who will double up. I know that I, along with another friend will be doing the half on Saturday and the relay on Sunday. Frankly I was only milding thinking about the relay but the alure of an inagural medal and a different medal (Chip & Dale vs. Mickey) has me ready to sign up!

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Here is the code for the Marathon and Goofy to get an additional $20 off early reg fees MRTH12BB . It is good until 5/15!

 

[verticalchaos]

Woot! Just got my email with my code!! Excited!!!!

 

[escape]

.... What I would like to see are how many half runners will double up.... If I did not have the Goofy thing going I would look at the Donald and Chip&Dale double.

I too predict that the relay will fill rather quickly. I also think that there will be quite a few half runners who will double up. I know that I, along with another friend will be doing the half on Saturday and the relay on Sunday. Frankly I was only milding thinking about the relay but the alure of an inagural medal and a different medal (Chip & Dale vs. Mickey) has me ready to sign up!

Add me to the double up list. I hate paying that kind of money but I love inaugural races and I want that 15th anniversary medal since they didn't do anything special for the 10th anniversary...my very first race ever.

Edited to add: Of course, being at Disney was special enough for that first race.

 

[escape]

Here is the code for the Marathon and Goofy to get an additional $20 off early reg fees MRTH12BB . It is good until 5/15!

I assume that doesn't apply to the marathon relay. I may try it though...just in case.

 

[escape]

FYI...some WISHERs have already signed up for the half-marathon. They have already printed out their confirmations. Relay registration is not available at this time, though.

 

[liznboys]

.... What I would like to see are how many half runners will double up.... If I did not have the Goofy thing going I would look at the Donald and Chip&Dale double.

Yep that's what I'm considering.

 

[liznboys]

I was able to register for the half just now. I went through the Chase Visa discount link. Yay!