Dopey 2020.....

[FFigawi]

But there's always that one story of the bus that gets lost, or breaks down, or doesn't show up at all/on time...

Hasn't happened to me personally in 7 years of running at Disney (knock on wood), but there is at least one transportation horror story at every race weekend. Getting up early sucks, but I wouldn't risk waiting until the last bus myself.

And many resorts don't have buses after 4 or 415.

 

[camaker]

But there's always that one story of the bus that gets lost, or breaks down, or doesn't show up at all/on time...

Hasn't happened to me personally in 7 years of running at Disney (knock on wood), but there is at least one transportation horror story at every race weekend. Getting up early sucks, but I wouldn't risk waiting until the last bus myself.

As much as I hate getting up and standing around in the wind and cold, I'd rather have an extra thirty minutes of that than risk not making it to the start of a race that I trained for all year and paid thousands to attend when you factor in the trip cost. Some people have no issues, sometimes buses get lost. It's all about your risk tolerance...

 

[ANIM8R]

But there's always that one story of the bus that gets lost, or breaks down, or doesn't show up at all/on time...

Hasn't happened to me personally in 7 years of running at Disney (knock on wood), but there is at least one transportation horror story at every race weekend. Getting up early sucks, but I wouldn't risk waiting until the last bus myself.

Yep, happened my first marathon weekend in 2013 at POR for the Half. Waited at West or North Depot (South is the "main" depot) and full bus after full bus went by. It was probably 40 minutes before a bus stopped for us. Ever since then, I've been on the first bus at the South depot when staying at POR or the first bus wherever else we've stayed.

#OnceBittenTwiceShy

 

[Ariel484]

View attachment 308713

As much as I hate getting up and standing around in the wind and cold, I'd rather have an extra thirty minutes of that than risk not making it to the start of a race that I trained for all year and paid thousands to attend when you factor in the trip cost. Some people have no issues, sometimes buses get lost. It's all about your risk tolerance...

Back at ya!

I LOVE sleep...love love love sleep. But I'll gladly give up 30 minutes of it on race morning to guarantee I make the bus on time after the training, money spent, etc. Yes, waking up at dark o'clock sucks, but it's just part of runDisney races.

Yep, happened my first marathon weekend in 2013 at POR for the Half. Waited at West or North Depot (South is the "main" depot) and full bus after full bus went by. It was probably 40 minutes before a bus stopped for us. Ever since then, I've been on the first bus at the South depot when staying at POR or the first bus wherever else we've stayed.

#OnceBittenTwiceShy

Ugghhhh. That would have been a sickening feeling.

A friend of mine stayed at Wilderness Lodge for Marathon Weekend (can't remember if it was this year or last year) and a bus just never came, period. Luckily they had time to figure out that they needed alternate arrangements and called an Uber. I just don't get how they can get this wrong after having runDisney races for 25 years, multiple times per year!

 

[FFigawi]

A friend of mine stayed at Wilderness Lodge for Marathon Weekend (can't remember if it was this year or last year) and a bus just never came, period. Luckily they had time to figure out that they needed alternate arrangements and called an Uber. I just don't get how they can get this wrong after having runDisney races for 25 years, multiple times per year!

Do we really need to answer that for you?

 

[Ariel484]

Do we really need to answer that for you?

Oh, runDisney.......

 

[Barca33Runner]

Yep, happened my first marathon weekend in 2013 at POR for the Half. Waited at West or North Depot (South is the "main" depot) and full bus after full bus went by. It was probably 40 minutes before a bus stopped for us. Ever since then, I've been on the first bus at the South depot when staying at POR or the first bus wherever else we've stayed.

#OnceBittenTwiceShy

Same experience at POR on the day of the Marathon in 2013 at one of the back depots. We seriously thought we were going to miss the race. When buses finally did stop we were loading them with people completely packed in the aisles standing. It was surely against all safety regulations, but the bus drivers that did finally stop apparently knew we would all be screwed if they didn't break the rules. We've always gone South Depot at POR since then.

ETA: We've stayed off-site for the past couple years, but 2014-2016 coming around to the back depots in buses they held until completely full at the South Depot and watching all of the stranded runners at those depots always made me sick.

 

[dburg30]

Appears my brother may be out.. Sooooo.. now, do I try to volunteer that week? Maybe do one or 2 of the shorter races? Or go to WDW in a warmer time? lol

 

[RunDisney Crazy]

Guess I'm a risk taker. Plus, unless you're an elite, you're going to be waiting in the corrals for a while. Now, on Marathon day you do have to walk like 12 and a half miles to get to the start..... or maybe it just feels like it.

 

[dburg30]

Guess I'm a risk taker. Plus, unless you're an elite, you're going to be waiting in the corrals for a while. Now, on Marathon day you do have to walk like 12 and a half miles to get to the start..... or maybe it just feels like it.

And the 1/2... Same starting grid.. And once the race starts, I personally think it goes pretty quick.. But again, I'm one of those that believes "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is to be left" people.

 

[Mo B]

Anyone stay at Wyndham Bonnett Creek for marathon weekend? Just wondering the pros and cons. I have stayed there before but not when I am racing. Thanks for any insight.

 

[PrincessV]

Anyone stay at Wyndham Bonnett Creek for marathon weekend? Just wondering the pros and cons. I have stayed there before but not when I am racing. Thanks for any insight.

Yep, I have for years! At the timeshare. There are absolutely no cons for me: I get a full kitchen, washer/dryer, big, comfortable space and a beautiful resort to relax at. But I drive to WDW and so have a car to drive to the races. WBC timeshare doesn't provide race transportation: not necessarily a con, but a consideration, for sure.

 

[Hockeychic]

My niece informed me last night she is in also. So excited!!

 

[Strawberry's mom&dad]

We will there. Planning on the cruise afterward! Hope they are still doing the Castaway Cay Challenge!

 

[flav]

Am I correct to say that the races we run this year (2018) could count as POT for Dopey 2020? It gives another perspective to current training and running!

Edit: Also, instead of focusing on PR shorter races, I will focus on the Dopey valid POT distances: 10 Mile, Half Marathon or Marathon.

 

[rteetz]

Am I correct to say that the races we run this year (2018) could count as POT for Dopey 2020? It gives another perspective to current training and running!

I believe so.

 

[Nessy]

I'm going with my sister, very excited as it will be our first Disney experience. We're hoping as it's for her 40th to travel on to Chicago for 4 days and then to Las Vegas for 4 days as we're wanting to do Death Valley. I've been reading up on everything I can think of which might help us .

Does anyone know if all the Christmas stuff will be still up??

 

[cavepig]

I'm going with my sister, very excited as it will be our first Disney experience. We're hoping as it's for her 40th to travel on to Chicago for 4 days and then to Las Vegas for 4 days as we're wanting to do Death Valley. I've been reading up on everything I can think of which might help us .

Does anyone know if all the Christmas stuff will be still up??

Usually some of it still is but they start taking it down too or at least that's been my experiences during my stays at the time. The castle has always been lit up & the tree up when I've ran it at MK.

 

[camaker]

I'm going with my sister, very excited as it will be our first Disney experience. We're hoping as it's for her 40th to travel on to Chicago for 4 days and then to Las Vegas for 4 days as we're wanting to do Death Valley. I've been reading up on everything I can think of which might help us .

Does anyone know if all the Christmas stuff will be still up??

Usually some of it still is but they start taking it down too or at least that's been my experiences during my stays at the time. The castle has always been lit up & the tree up when I've ran it at MK.

Most of the Christmas decorations were still up when I ran in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Those race dates fell a lot closer to New Years than next year's do. As a result of the later dates in 2019, I'm expecting there to be a lot less decorations still up.

 

[rteetz]

Most of the Christmas decorations were still up when I ran in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Those race dates fell a lot closer to New Years than next year's do. As a result of the later dates in 2019, I'm expecting there to be a lot less decorations still up.

I second this. MK might still keep some up but a lot of the decor should come down.