Disney Races kill Hotel availability

[nervous1sttimer]

We are coming from Canada November 4-13 and will be running all the races. This is our second trip to DL (WDW vets) and the first time we came was to do the Dumbo Double Dare in August 2014 so I could Coast-to-Coast.

My understanding is that the Avengers races are the least popular of the entire runDisney series. My husband just registered for the 5K last week and everything is still open (popular races fill within days or weeks). And maybe more people are coming this year because the rumour is that Anaheim is going to force course changes that might signal the end of DL races in the future. But overall, these crowds are supposed to be nothing compared to other race weekends. I am much more concerned about the holiday weekend than I am about running crowds.

 

[SMD]

We are coming from Canada November 4-13 and will be running all the races. This is our second trip to DL (WDW vets) and the first time we came was to do the Dumbo Double Dare in August 2014 so I could Coast-to-Coast.

My understanding is that the Avengers races are the least popular of the entire runDisney series. My husband just registered for the 5K last week and everything is still open (popular races fill within days or weeks). And maybe more people are coming this year because the rumour is that Anaheim is going to force course changes that might signal the end of DL races in the future. But overall, these crowds are supposed to be nothing compared to other race weekends. I am much more concerned about the holiday weekend than I am about running crowds.

I volunteered all 3 years so far, plus several other races. The 5K and 10K did eventually sell out last year. You won't notice lesser race crowds than any of the other race weekends because there's no appreciable difference.

 

[Jimbo1229]

I feel you...$389 for Fairfield Inn and $699 for Residence Inn on Katela just to name a few!
Both are $189 the following week! Motel 6 is is for us that weekend...$85/nt!

wow!! I got the Fairfield inn the week after the race for $150 a night. that's some serous price gouging

 

[GatorChris]

Not trying to flame, but innocently asking why you planned your trip for that week if you knew it would be busy? IIRC- your last trip was less-than-magical. Seems it might be good to delay a week?

You're right. It wasn't magical. Crowds were crazy! We're going that week because it's the end of our AP. We can't go in October due to major work events. If Disney had offered me the 13 month AP, I'd go in December (though that month is difficult with work as well). But I bought my AP two days too early and Disney wouldn't budge. So that week is really the only week we can go towards the end of our AP year.

wow!! I got the Fairfield inn the week after the race for $150 a night. that's some serous price gouging

Yeah, once the race is over, the prices become normal. But with our dates rolling right over that Fri-Sun, we're stuck. And HoJo has my favorite rooms down that month, so we're in one of the non-view rooms on the backside of the property. Believe it or not, that was the only hotel (to fit 5) that covered our time frame that was either available or affordable. And we booked in March!!!! Fairfield, Park Place, and Desert Palms (that could fit us) were already booked for that weekend. And everything else was pretty high on prices. It wasn't that many years ago that in the middle of November, I could get a peach of a room for a good deal. Not anymore.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Why yes, yes they do.

 

[disneymouse16]

...a 6yo granddaughter that does the 5Ks (she has done 10 of them since she turned 4),

That is awesome your granddaughter does the 5k! Did she work up to it at all? I'm just beginning to get into "running" (for me it is a very slow run so far) and would love to get my daughter doing it as well. She is almost five. I think it would be an awesome mother/daughter thing to share, especially if we could take the Disney races work!

 

[Malcon10t]

That is awesome your granddaughter does the 5k! Did she work up to it at all? I'm just beginning to get into "running" (for me it is a very slow run so far) and would love to get my daughter doing it as well. She is almost five. I think it would be an awesome mother/daughter thing to share, especially if we could take the Disney races work!

She started by watching her aunts and uncle and older cousins run. She would come to Disneyland for the runs, and would get up to cheer. AT 3, you'd hear things from her like "I like your outfit" and "You can do it". At 4 she started asking to run at Disneyland. (She was out of a stroller by 3, so was used to walking a lot.) I explained I wasn't paying the rD fees til I knew she could do it, so she excitedly wanted to do the Peace Officer run. I explained if she couldn't do it herself, I wouldn't sign her up. If uncle had to carry her, he would call me to come get her and she wouldn't get her metal. He did use cups of water to keep her going, but she did it. She was 4 1/2. She ran with her uncle as her support. She ran it in 1:05 (21 min miles.) And was last (well, uncle was behind her, but technically, she was last.) And she loved it. She loved all the cheering, she beamed when people were cheering her. The Star Wars race was 2 days after her 5th birthday and her first runDisney race, 3rd race overall. Each race has been a little faster than the last. She is now at 43mins (just under 14 min miles.) And is asking to run a 10K, she just turned 6 and will need to wait another 3+ years.

 

[avalovesminnie]

We couldn't get the suite we wanted at Camelot for that weekend. Got one at desert suites. Camelot said to check back in August as rooms might open up. I wonder if conferences hold a block of rooms if it opens at some point. We were there Labor Day weekend (DL half) 2015, and Mother's Day (for tinker belle) in 2016. What surprised me most was how Mon and Tues were just as crowded as Sat and Sun! And both were way less crowded than Xmas week. But the year we went Xmas week it rained a lot which made it hard to get around in a sea of ponchos.

 

[SMD]

wow!! I got the Fairfield inn the week after the race for $150 a night. that's some serous price gouging

It's not if the lower cost room types are sold out and all that's available now is the higher cost room types.

 

[Malcon10t]

Looking for rooms for the week end when the train and river reopen .... Prices are sky high or non existent

 

[DharmaLou]

DH and I planned our 10th anniversary trip around the Superheroes Half last fall. I "just" did the 5K. Disney races are SO much fun. I've done the Tink Half and now the Captain5K. We stayed at Tropicana across the street for $189/night, I believe.

I really didn't feel the parks were any worse than any other time of year. Same went for the time I did Tink.

 

[disney4cam]

Does anyone know what the touringplan crowd estimate is? I went to the website, but you have to subscribe. I tried to check crowd estimates, and I can't really get a sense. If it's super crowded, we might go to Hungtington Beach instead and try again for Spring Break (or would that be worse?)

 

[GatorChris]

It's not if the lower cost room types are sold out and all that's available now is the higher cost room types.

Actually for my dates, Fairfield has the premium view 2 Queens available....and it would cost $1000 more than the room I have at HoJo. Granted, I didn't get a premium view (due to construction in Tower 1 ). But when I do get that "superior" room, it's only about $200 more for a whole week. Fairfield has that Fri-Sun at over $300/night!!! Those three nights alone cost what a stripped down room at the HoJo cost me for 1 week ... that we booked back in March. And I'm actually surprised to even find availability, because the last three months, there was none for this week/weekend.

Disney Races kill hotel availability/pricing like no convention/holiday ever could.

 

[SMD]

Disney Races kill hotel availability/pricing like no convention/holiday ever could.

Have you been during a holiday or convention? Hotel pricing and availability works that way everywhere. Races are hardly the only events that are that popular at the resort. And, they are on holiday weekends, so not the only reason that weekend is popular. This particular race happens to be impacting your trip, but you're not being uniquely impacted, just uniquely hyperbolic.

 

[GatorChris]

Have you been during a holiday or convention? Hotel pricing and availability works that way everywhere. Races are hardly the only events that are that popular at the resort. And, they are on holiday weekends, so not the only reason that weekend is popular. This particular race happens to be impacting your trip, but you're not being uniquely impacted, just uniquely hyperbolic.

Actually, I'm going in August to DL for a HUGE convention/performance that I'll be attending with my family. Thousands of people will be there with their spouses and tons of kids. It's just weeks away .... and there are still a good number of hotels available and at lower prices than for my trip in November around the race. And that's in the middle of summer vacation, too. A month ago, prices and availability were pretty good, and two months ago, totally awesome.

With the Disney race, hotels are either all booked up or have out-of-sight prices ... 4-6 months away. 4 months to go and hotel prices look like Christmas weekend vacation prices.....except there's still availability for Christmas weekend. But OK, I'm just hyperbolic

 

[SMD]

Actually, I'm going in August to DL for a HUGE convention/performance that I'll be attending with my family. Thousands of people will be there with their spouses and tons of kids. It's just weeks away .... and there are still a good number of hotels available and at lower prices than for my trip in November around the race. And that's in the middle of summer vacation, too. A month ago, prices and availability were pretty good, and two months ago, totally awesome.

With the Disney race, hotels are either all booked up or have out-of-sight prices ... 4-6 months away. 4 months to go and hotel prices look like Christmas weekend vacation prices.....except there's still availability for Christmas weekend. But OK, I'm just hyperbolic

Yes, you are hyperbolic about many things. One thing about the races is you do have to buy your bib many months in advance, so yes, it makes sense to book a hotel as soon as possible. You went this weekend last year and you knew this when you chose this weekend for this year. With many other conventions, the tickets aren't on sale that far in advance. But there are other holiday weekends and events where hotels are fully booked or expensive. And that's not unique to the DLR area.

 

[GatorChris]

Yes, you are hyperbolic about many things. One thing about the races is you do have to buy your bib many months in advance, so yes, it makes sense to book a hotel as soon as possible. You went this weekend last year and you knew this when you chose this weekend for this year. With many other conventions, the tickets aren't on sale that far in advance. But there are other holiday weekends and events where hotels are fully booked or expensive. And that's not unique to the DLR area.

HoJo and Desert Palms are booked solid for the Race weekend. But....still available for the busiest time of year - Christmas vacation, including Christmas day. I can't present a better piece of evidence than that.

If it weren't for my AP ending in mid-November, and we didn't want to catch Christmas decorations at DL like we always have (tradition), we'd without a doubt pick another week/weekend. I'd love to move to December where DisRacers haven't sent hotel prices into the stratosphere. Would love to have that 13th month added to our AP just for this occasion. But we made the "error" of buying our APs too early and didn't get that special extra month. So if we want to see Christmas, we gotta get there with the racers. It's a choice - one that I have to live with. Just one that wasn't so hard to make back when we started our November trips back in 2013....pre-race days. Back when hotels were as plentiful in mid-November as peaches in Georgia.

 

[tiffjoy]

I ran the Avengers Half last year and absolutely loved it! We stayed at CCI and only paid slightly more than usual. I also felt the crowds were not that bad. It was a great time, and an awesome memory. I'm sorry for those who don't love to run, but there are thousands of us who do, and we enjoy the race weekends. I skip weekends like Dapper Day and Star Wars Weekend because I know they will be crowded with people enjoying those themes, and they aren't my cup of tea, but I don't think they should go away or not have those times.

 

[GatorChris]

, but I don't think they should go away or not have those times.

Neither do I. Like I said in the first post....just venting. Or maybe just lamenting the loss of my once very-empty parks.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Another issue is the Anabella is closing, and it's within walking distance of the start/finish and a moderate price range. With this (300+ rooms?) place closing, people are likely moving over to the moderate-cost places on Harbor.

Carousel, another lower-cost walking-distance place, recently closed too. The newer hotels are in a higher price bracket. I think this is the new normal, and the running weekend is just amplifying it.