ChEAR squad question. / spectator question

[dburg30]

Am going to have family down to cheer me on during goofy.. Most wont be there saturday, but will be there for the full. Who's family has taken advantage of any of the chEAR packages and are they worth it? Just trying to plan ahead. If not, where are some places that are 'easier' to get to spectate at race mornings. And is it better to take WDW transportation or drive?

Are only racers allowed to use marathon AM transportation or can family also? I guess if they went to epcot could they take monorail to TTC and watch around there somewhere? then get back on it and head over to epcot for the finish area??? I know we are WAY far away, but just trying to wrap my head around it since I know they will ask ALL kinds of questions.

Other place thought would be cool was somewhere around DHS or the boardwalk?? Would love to have them at the finish though....

 

[olwyngdh]

I am curious about this also since my daughter and future SiL will be running the half marathon the day after they get married and this is an addition to the wedding expences for me

 

[cewait]

My take may be a little different from others….

I think that if you have room in the budget, then the swag is a nice thing for your crew to walk away with. Though, I do not think that the ChEAR package is a great value or actually necessary for most spectators. For the most part, it affords the spectator a couple nice but not overly great viewing spots; however, with each passing year, it seems like there is some improvement. The upper level packages will have access to the runners Race Retreat tent just after the runners are released for the corrals (i.e., they cannot hide out in the tent with the runner until after the race). There is a buffet set up in the tent all morning, so the spectators will have food and drink while in Epcot Parking. With the revised course of 2013, the marathon Chear package included a spot in Champion Stadium – making select locations there, near Cinderella Castle and at the Finish Line. That was a 50% improvement from previous years. What the package sorely needs is a ChEAR transportation hook up to help folks not really able to navigate the property an easy way to just follow the crowd.

I do think that if your spectator is a little directionally challenged, not real sure of how to negotiate the property especially during a period of confused travel or cannot stand for periods of time; then the package has a greater appeal. A few years back my DW had back surgery about a month pre-race. She took advantage of being able to amble over to the finish and prop herself up in the bleachers rather than meet me in our usual locations.

For most spectators, there are several other locations that you can easily find your runner at no cost to the spectator. These include the TTC, Main Street, Poly/GF, DAK and Epcot.

Again, I think that if you have the room in the budget and like a little pampering, then go for it.

If you want to see a little more detail than the sales site has, this link leads you to the Final Instructions for 2013. http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/pdf/wdw-marathon/2013-ChEAR_RetreatFRI.pdf

 

[cewait]

Am going to have family down to cheer me on during goofy.. Most wont be there saturday, but will be there for the full. Who's family has taken advantage of any of the chEAR packages and are they worth it? Just trying to plan ahead. If not, where are some places that are 'easier' to get to spectate at race mornings. And is it better to take WDW transportation or drive?

Are only racers allowed to use marathon AM transportation or can family also? I guess if they went to epcot could they take monorail to TTC and watch around there somewhere? then get back on it and head over to epcot for the finish area??? I know we are WAY far away, but just trying to wrap my head around it since I know they will ask ALL kinds of questions.

Other place thought would be cool was somewhere around DHS or the boardwalk?? Would love to have them at the finish though....

I answer the ChEAR package question alone...

With regard to logistics....

Spectators can ride the buses to the Staging area with the runner. In fact, if they are planning on seeing you in MK, then they should ride with you or shortly after you leave. Runners buses run between 3 and 4 am. The last bus runs around 5 AM and does not resume until 7 AM. There is a high likelihood that you will be past MK before they would be able to get to MK if they do not take advantage of the earlier buses.

Busing vs driving. If you are on property, then busing is the way to go. However, I would estimate that 30-40% of runners on property do drive. As the race nears, you will read sevel posts from me and others noting the need to follow a path along World Dr into Epcot - this is because Epcot Dr coming in from the south is our starting line. The advantage of busing is that you do not have to worry about driving. If you are planning on an Epcot resort, you would bus to the start and can walk back from the race if you burn a park pass. Obviously if one drives and the weather is off, then you have a shelter for a while as you passes time between 4 am and the start.

Ideal watching locations are a combination TTC and Poly or the MK Main Street. One cannot usually combine all three. Once you leave for the corrals, they could walk to the monorail and camp out at their spots. There has been a little issue with getting back in time for a half finish in a few races. My DW has never experienced that, but I have several friends who have.

With the 2013 marathon course configuration, my crew was able to catch me at the TTC and DAK. We have a family tradition of the crew not heading to the marathon finish but catching me at Great Britain. From there, its a simple walk to the Family reunion gate area. We do NOT try to meet up in the family reunion area due to the crowds. They do not see me at the finish line, but honestly, the race photos are 100% better than most spectator photos at this location. They are usually waiting on me to clear the area rather than me waiting on them to get to the area.

I would not encourage the DHS. While is looks like a great location, the race takes the sidewalk between epcot and the studios. It is a zoo trying to get back to Epcot.

Hope this helps

 

[dburg30]

Yes, that does help.. We will be staying at AKL.. I will be spending the night before the full at BLT in a studio with myself and maybe my wife.. the rest of the fam will be at AKL... Hoping for friday night at BLT also.. I figure they will go to the staging area, then monorail to the TTC.. then they can decide if they want that or to fight MK.... What time does DAK op to get in to watch there? Or what time has it opened? I all the sudden see what you mean about the finish line... it's not like I'll find them in the stands probably anyway.. I guess the only thing would be more for THEM if they wanted to try to see me cross, just for themselves.. Directly after the race I figure I'll probably want a little time to myself just to gather my thoughts and get back in the world anyway... Even though I would love to see my family right then, I figure better to just catch up with them after a bit of a cool down / rehydrate / snack / etc etc..

So they usually make it to 3 spots or they break into groups? ie: TTC or MK, then DAK, then maybe inside epcot???

 

[dburg30]

And from the TTC how do they get to DAK? Mono back to epcot then bus, wouldnt think theyd have buses running from ttc to dak at that point with the roads???

 

[cewait]

Yes, that does help.. We will be staying at AKL.. I will be spending the night before the full at BLT in a studio with myself and maybe my wife.. the rest of the fam will be at AKL... Hoping for friday night at BLT also.. I figure they will go to the staging area, then monorail to the TTC.. then they can decide if they want that or to fight MK.... What time does DAK op to get in to watch there? Or what time has it opened? I all the sudden see what you mean about the finish line... it's not like I'll find them in the stands probably anyway.. I guess the only thing would be more for THEM if they wanted to try to see me cross, just for themselves.. Directly after the race I figure I'll probably want a little time to myself just to gather my thoughts and get back in the world anyway... Even though I would love to see my family right then, I figure better to just catch up with them after a bit of a cool down / rehydrate / snack / etc etc..

So they usually make it to 3 spots or they break into groups? ie: TTC or MK, then DAK, then maybe inside epcot???

Generally, DAK opens at 9 AM on Sundays. So that means Disney busing will start about 8AM. Only the later runners will be going through DAK after the gate opens. I highly suggest NOT attempting to catch runners in the park as the pathways are rather narrow and the spectator routes are just wide enough for those folks to walk single file (ish). The runners will exit a cast member back gate that is a good quarter mile east of the main gate. We then run back towards the main gate area. The course path cuts between the tram stop and the gate, then loops near the bus stop. The bus stop and path to the gate do not cross the course. This is one of the better places to stop and watch at DAK.

2013 was the first year for this course configuration. It is truly the first year that one could catch the TTC area, DAK and then have a chance to grab the finish. Last year, I believe my brother was the real trooper and found me at TTC, Poly, DAK and Great Britain. I do think that if I had not spent a little extra time car shopping in the race track that he may have had a tougher time making the spot. My DD did the TTC then DAK route. Mary will shoot me, but she (DW) left for DAK from the OKW villa.

Note that it will take 20-30 minutes to clear the finish, medal, Mylar, food stop, photo and bag check. You are thinking correctly, make sure you are cooling down and do not need med assistance while in the finish area.

And from the TTC how do they get to DAK? Mono back to epcot then bus, wouldnt think theyd have buses running from ttc to dak at that point with the roads???

I am checking with the crew on the TTC (and Poly) to DAK. I feel certain that it was Monorail to Epcot but not sure from there. I am guessing that they either took a direct Disney bus to DAK from Epcot OR looped on a regular bus to a resort and then DAK. I will report back.

Also note that I would discourage spectators from driving. When one takes a close look at the course, you see that the parking lot exit is not open due to the race. Since the buses are outside the course, they have the ability to come and go. Their (bus) trip away from DAK is slow as the road leaving is only one lane during the race and is forced to exit at Buena Vista Dr (All Star).

Marathon Map http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/156764913/

Note the water stop info needs a little updating

 

[dburg30]

If the part of my family that has a car some reason decides to drive, even against my wishes, my wife and sister will NOT be in that car because they know to let disney do the driving.. I'm sure the others wont.. So in this EARLY stage it sounds like just get them to the MK / TTC area and catch me there.. then just work their way back to epcot.. wait for the gates to open and just waste some time there.. maybe see my as i come thru epcot.. then i'll catch up with them in epcot after I've cleared the finish area..

 

[kmg148]

I purchased the Platinum package for the marathon this year for my dad. I also purchased the Race Retreat. I felt both were worth it, but I know others will disagree!

I gave the Chear package to my dad as a Christmas gift, so I looked at the cost a little differently. It was really nice for him to be able to come into the retreat tent with me while I was sitting down (which is all I wanted to do) after the race. It was also helpful having someone there with me since I was a little delirious. He was also able to take advantage of the Castle viewing area and the finish line viewing area.

One thing I really liked about giving the package as a gift was that I included him in the weekend and it was a way for me to show my appreciation for him coming along on the trip to support me. If I hadn't done the Race Retreat, I don't know that I would have gotten a Chear package for him. That was the main reason I bought it.

My dad was able to make it to the main entrance of Animal Kingdom in between the Castle and the finish line. It was around mile 13 of the marathon. He said he had just enough time since he had to wait a while for the bus..so this might be a good location since it gives a lot of time to get there.