Castaway Cay 5K -- no medal under 12yo?!

[CampbellzSoup]

I've never heard of an age limit on a 5K -- our kids have participated in many as young as 7yo. This is really odd to me. We would have done this as a family (with our 9 and 11 year olds) but will certainly skip if the kids don't get medals!

And how does it protect them legally if they make no effort to stop kids from running?? All very odd to me.

I mean...you can't stop kids from running, but it's also the parents responsibility to obey the rules as well. If it says 12 then perhaps that's the rules. Could you give the child your medal instead?

 

[ladyofthetramp]

It is a great photo op. This from a few years back, thus the old medal. My kids are older, and on the cross country team, which meant mom and dad could not keep up!

 

[cchron]

My husband and I will be going on our first ever cruise later this year and would love to do this, where/how do you register? Is there a fee to participate?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

They have an on the course photographer now. Not sure if they only do the beginning or if it is like a set time and if you finish during that time you can get a finishers photo as well as course photo but it was my best cruise photo! It has been the only runDisney photo purchase I've ever made because it was much cheaper than the marathonphoto prices.

Excellent to hear! It's a great photo op!

 

[MsJiminyCricket]

Any one under 12 (if that is what the navigator says, I have seen it as low as 10 but that was before runDisney took over as the "sponsor") will not be able to officially sign up. Thus no bib = no medal. It is an insurance and liability thing. Every time I have done it they have told parents their children can not participate but basically they can't stop your kids from running with you as the area the course goes is all accessible by guests of any age. So yes a younger runner could be out there with their family but not be an official participant.

...

 

[Quellman]

They have an on the course photographer now. Not sure if they only do the beginning or if it is like a set time and if you finish during that time you can get a finishers photo as well as course photo but it was my best cruise photo! It has been the only runDisney photo purchase I've ever made because it was much cheaper than the marathonphoto prices.

I know there was one or two during the pre-race walk over and at the starting line taking pictures of people hanging out, posing, whatever. I don't recall at the finish.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

They did have a photographer this past April. He was at the end I think. Didn't like my photo, but I never like my race photos!

 

[ladyofthetramp]

My husband and I will be going on our first ever cruise later this year and would love to do this, where/how do you register? Is there a fee to participate?

Sign up once you are on board at guest relations/port adventures desk. It is free! You then meet the morning of the race/Castaway Cay day, to pick up your bib, go over a map of the course. Off the ship as a group, over to the start by the bicycle rentals and off you go. It is quite informal and just a fun way to work off some of all that food!

 

[bethann2103]

We will be on the Fantasy on Saturday and my 9 year old daughter will be running along side my husband and I. She's run several 5k's before and even if she can't run it "legally" she will run and she will get my husbands medal and bib so she can get credit with her school running club. I don't see why you wouldn't encourage anyone to run and have fun especially children? The liability issues makes zero sense to me as well but oh well, well do it our way and see what happens!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

It is a great photo op. This from a few years back, thus the old medal. My kids are older, and on the cross country team, which meant mom and dad could not keep up!
View attachment 147549

Awesome pic!!

I'm thinking more and more that we will do it just for the cool pics!

 

[SnowWhite2]

All of these posts about "can my kid do XYZ even though they aren't old enough?" are annoying and it seems like no one wants to follow the rules. BUT, Disney creates this mess by not following their rules or changing them at a whim. It creates confusion and I'm sure some sad kids and parents when it doesn't happen as it has in the past. I know that Disney tries to make everyone happy but the confusion just results in chaos. So, as with most Disney things, it depends who you ask.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

All of these posts about "can my kid do XYZ even though they aren't old enough?" are annoying and it seems like no one wants to follow the rules. BUT, Disney creates this mess by not following their rules or changing them at a whim. It creates confusion and I'm sure some sad kids and parents when it doesn't happen as it has in the past. I know that Disney tries to make everyone happy but the confusion just results in chaos. So, as with most Disney things, it depends who you ask.

Don't mean to "annoy" anyone! I posted because I've read that they in fact DON'T stop kids from running -- they just won't OFFICIALLY register them or give them a medal. THAT struck me as SO ridiculous that I wanted to see what people's actual experiences were. Seems appropriate for a message board.

 

[bumbershoot]

Why allow them to run at all if this is true?

Exactly. But they DO say that kids of a certain age can't register. That means they aren't being allowed. But kids get off the ship with parents to be dropped at scuttles. And it's a public area with lots of stuff going on where the run is. Therefore they don't have control of it. That's why you get kids can get onto the course.

Do remember that any travel guide is outdated the moment it hits your hands.

I quibble with the 12 age you're talking about bc DS at 10 was allowed to run on our last dcl sailing and that is since RunDisney really took it over. But every sailing can be different.

The one younger kid I saw on a course, the first time I participated, was miserable on the hot course and made his mom miserable as well. I was so glad my kid, who was the same age as that one, was sleeping in.

And no one gets my medals.

Don't mean to "annoy" anyone! I posted because I've read that they in fact DON'T stop kids from running -- they just won't OFFICIALLY register them or give them a medal. THAT struck me as SO ridiculous that I wanted to see what people's actual experiences were. Seems appropriate for a message board.

It's a public area. Nothing is closed off. You might also encounter bicyclists and general walkers as well.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Exactly. But they DO say that kids of a certain age can't register. That means they aren't being allowed. But kids get off the ship with parents to be dropped at scuttles. And it's a public area with lots of stuff going on where the run is. Therefore they don't have control of it. That's why you get kids can get onto the course.

Do remember that any travel guide is outdated the moment it hits your hands.

I quibble with the 12 age you're talking about bc DS at 10 was allowed to run on our last dcl sailing and that is since RunDisney really took it over. But every sailing can be different.

The one younger kid I saw on a course, the first time I participated, was miserable on the hot course and made his mom miserable as well. I was so glad my kid, who was the same age as that one, was sleeping in.

And no one gets my medals.



It's a public area. Nothing is closed off. You might also encounter bicyclists and general walkers as well.

This is all so different from all of the other 5Ks we've done over the years -- Disney and elsewhere -- that I had no frame of reference for how odd this sounded.

To me, if you don't have a monitored course, your X age and older "rule" is pretty silly. Even more so as their age is 5 for every other Disney 5K!

I guess we'll see onboard. If the age is now 10, DS11 and I will probably do it. DD9 is less into running and probably wouldn't be a fan of the heat anyway. If the age is 12, we'll probably all skip it. A shame, particularly as that high an age requirement probably doesn't exist ANYWHERE else in the world for a 5K!! But, OK Disney!!

 

[cgolf]

All of these posts about "can my kid do XYZ even though they aren't old enough?" are annoying and it seems like no one wants to follow the rules. BUT, Disney creates this mess by not following their rules or changing them at a whim. It creates confusion and I'm sure some sad kids and parents when it doesn't happen as it has in the past. I know that Disney tries to make everyone happy but the confusion just results in chaos. So, as with most Disney things, it depends who you ask.

It is clearly posted in the navigators as an event for kids 10+ years of age, to be registered and get a bib and medal. They of course aren't going to stop kids from running on the path or anywhere on the island, the age rule is just for the organized free excursion.

 

[wilkeliza]

This is all so different from all of the other 5Ks we've done over the years -- Disney and elsewhere -- that I had no frame of reference for how odd this sounded.

To me, if you don't have a monitored course, your X age and older "rule" is pretty silly. Even more so as their age is 5 for every other Disney 5K!

I guess we'll see onboard. If the age is now 10, DS11 and I will probably do it. DD9 is less into running and probably wouldn't be a fan of the heat anyway. If the age is 12, we'll probably all skip it. A shame, particularly as that high an age requirement probably doesn't exist ANYWHERE else in the world for a 5K!! But, OK Disney!!

As I pointed out earlier I think the age limit was put higher to keep the numbers down. Unlike a traditional RD race there isn't really slots and preregistration. So it appears the age minimum may be based on the number of kids in a certain age range that would add to the number of over all runners. They know how many 10-12 year olds there are on board so maybe if they have more 12 year olds that is the cruises that get 12+ minimum and cruises with fewer 12 year olds get the 10+. Just speculation though as it seems there is honestly no rhyme or reason.

 

[Jennifer777]

All of these posts about "can my kid do XYZ even though they aren't old enough?" are annoying and it seems like no one wants to follow the rules. BUT, Disney creates this mess by not following their rules or changing them at a whim. It creates confusion and I'm sure some sad kids and parents when it doesn't happen as it has in the past. I know that Disney tries to make everyone happy but the confusion just results in chaos. So, as with most Disney things, it depends who you ask.

I do think this is very different than other discussions such as wanting your kids to go to the older clubs years before they are allowed. In our case, all the DCL blogs and previous navigators that we had seen said 10+ so our son trained for it. We found out shortly before our cruise that at some point recently, they bumped the age up to 12. We couldn't find any official policy change and it doesn't sound like there was a grace period for this transition. Given the circumstances, I don't feel ours was a case of not wanting to play by the rules. It was a case of DCL changing the rules on us with no notice or warning, which excluded our son from participating even though he was still only a few months shy of their new age requirement.

 

[SnowWhite2]

That's what I mean...who knows what the rules are when you cruise. Is it 10, 12 or some other random age? The questions keep getting asked but there is no right or wrong answer because DCL makes it up on the fly. If you want to follow the rules, it makes it very difficult.

 

[Kerrigirl]

I've never done this before so I am not sure how the registration works, but my 10 year old son is an avid runner (5+ miles a day). Just out of curiosity, what would prevent my husband from registering (with no intention of running) and giving his bib to my son?

 

[bumbershoot]

It changes by sailing, it seems. So no, there's no way of knowing ahead of time.

This is all so different from all of the other 5Ks we've done over the years -- Disney and elsewhere -- that I had no frame of reference for how odd this sounded.

Let's just say "because Bahamas" and leave it at that. It's not FL. Castaway isn't owned by Disney; it's the Bahamas. So just file it under that.

CA/FL rundisney 5Ks can be done from 5 years old and up (as I see you know). Of course, they cost about $80 now.

To me, if you don't have a monitored course, your X age and older "rule" is pretty silly. Even more so as their age is 5 for every other Disney 5K!

Where you sign up is monitored; where you run isn't. What you do after you get off the ship and pass Scuttle's Cove can't really by stopped by then.

But then the child has to have a nice parent who will give the child their bib/medal. Your kid is luckier than mine! My son would never give me HIS medal, and I won't give him mine.

I've never done this before so I am not sure how the registration works, but my 10 year old son is an avid runner (5+ miles a day). Just out of curiosity, what would prevent my husband from registering (with no intention of running) and giving his bib to my son?

Nothing, but they would both have to be at the meetup in the morning, and the change probably wouldn't want to be made until after you were there.

What would your husband then do? The bib isn't what gets you on the course; all sorts of people will be out on the course. So giving a bib does nothing special.

it's entirely possible that at the finish they'll just hand over a medal; I don't know. Might mess up their accounting, though; might cause someone at the end of the year to not get one when they otherwise would. Maybe.

The Bahamas are hot (is hot?). I'm happy with my son sleeping in, personally. He didn't much enjoy his 80 degree Mickey Mile in 2015, and he only dealt with the one CC 5K he did because we had a cabana waiting for us and therefore he had a cold outdoor shower waiting. Without that cabana (and I'm the family's TA and I didn't enjoy the cabana, so it won't be booked again), he'd rather just sleep in, too.