Future runDisney Events

[Krandor]

Though I'm not running it, I've been awaiting any sort of announcement on the 2021 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, just to get an idea on which way RunDisney was leaning, and of course we've heard nothing yet. I thought we'd hear something near the six-month mark, but that came and went, so I went digging up the date of the announcement that the 2020 event was switching to virtual. That announcement came on July 22 last year, suggesting we may have to wait a bit longer for any sort of determination regarding W&D, Marathon Weekend, or the Princess races. I guess it's a good sign they haven't made W&D a virtual event yet; maybe they're still holding out hope of a live W&D weekend? That's just speculation on my part, but it's pretty much all we can do at this point.

We are all guessing at this point however the difference in W&D last year is they opened registation before the July 22 mark.... back in march and only switched it in July. I think we are past the point for in-person W&D even if the 50th wasn't going on. Part off the problem is there is a lot of planning trackshack has to do to put them on and they need a thumbs up to start doing that (plus money for some parts). I remember reading an article by one of the people who worked for the company that did the anaheim races where they talked about the fact that disney told them nothing until dark side was cancelled but they knew it wasn't happen months before because the time wasn't there to plan it anymore. I'll see if I can find it. It was very interresting.

My opinion at this point with no dates on the calendar for anything is they are waiting to make one big announcement like when they announced MW and Princess going virtual at the same time last year.

 

[Krandor]

Here it is. It was a reddit AMA and if you've never read it is fascinating insight into what it takes to put on a rundisney race. Here is the section of note right now and what makes me concerned right now for MW and Princess. Full thing is at

https://www.reddit.com/r/rundisney/comments/77f1np

"It was never openly discussed that the race wasn't coming back, at least at my level. But when we weren't exactly doing anything towards that race, I became pretty damn suspicious it would be cancelled. So much of the event is planned pretty far out. There's definitely many aspects that are planned and coordinated just 1, 2, maybe 3 months out for sure, but a large chunk of the event should absolutely be set in stone and locked up 6-9 months in advance. When things weren't happening in that time frame, I was definitely of the thought that the event was dead in the water, at least for 2018."

 

[Barca33Runner]

Though I'm not running it, I've been awaiting any sort of announcement on the 2021 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, just to get an idea on which way RunDisney was leaning, and of course we've heard nothing yet. I thought we'd hear something near the six-month mark, but that came and went, so I went digging up the date of the announcement that the 2020 event was switching to virtual. That announcement came on July 22 last year, suggesting we may have to wait a bit longer for any sort of determination regarding W&D, Marathon Weekend, or the Princess races. I guess it's a good sign they haven't made W&D a virtual event yet; maybe they're still holding out hope of a live W&D weekend? That's just speculation on my part, but it's pretty much all we can do at this point.

I don’t believe W&D 2021 has ever had dates or registration. RunDisney has been in a holding pattern since their cancellations were made; rather than announcing, registering, and cancelling races it appears they will not be announcing anything until they have a high level of assurance that the live events they announce can actually happen. I guess it is a decent sign that they haven’t actively announced W&D as virtual.

 

[BikeFan]

We are all guessing at this point however the difference in W&D last year is they opened registation before the July 22 mark.... back in march and only switched it in July. I think we are past the point for in-person W&D even if the 50th wasn't going on.

I agree that it's highly unlikely W&D happens as an in-person event this year, which makes me wonder, if RD already knows it's going to be virtual only, why not announce that? People may be holding reservations they made in anticipation of a live event. Seems a little rude not to let those people know an in-person W&D race won't be taking place.

I don’t believe W&D 2021 has ever had dates or registration. RunDisney has been in a holding pattern since their cancellations were made; rather than announcing, registering, and cancelling races it appears they will not be announcing anything until they have a high level of assurance that the live events they announce can actually happen. I guess it is a decent sign that they haven’t actively announced W&D as virtual.

No, I don't think any announcement regarding 2021 W&D was ever made. I was more basing my opinion on the fact W&D is an established event we'd expect to see in normal times.

 

[1lilspark]

I'm interested to see what is going on with the while Club RunDisney cashgrab and how things will be dealt with that

 

[The Expert]

I'm interested to see what is going on with the while Club RunDisney cashgrab and how things will be dealt with that

I joined at the base level out of curiosity. They extended memberships an extra year several months ago, but I've heard nothing and received no communication since then.

 

[BikeFan]

Here it is. It was a reddit AMA and if you've never read it is fascinating insight into what it takes to put on a rundisney race. Here is the section of note right now and what makes me concerned right now for MW and Princess. Full thing is at

https://www.reddit.com/r/rundisney/comments/77f1np

"It was never openly discussed that the race wasn't coming back, at least at my level. But when we weren't exactly doing anything towards that race, I became pretty damn suspicious it would be cancelled. So much of the event is planned pretty far out. There's definitely many aspects that are planned and coordinated just 1, 2, maybe 3 months out for sure, but a large chunk of the event should absolutely be set in stone and locked up 6-9 months in advance. When things weren't happening in that time frame, I was definitely of the thought that the event was dead in the water, at least for 2018."

One difference that must've surely affected the logistics and time-frame issues is the fact that the Disneyland races involved going "off-property", and thus the need to coordinate more with local authorities. Since Disney World races are entirely on-property, I wonder if their time frames are possibly shorter.

 

[Krandor]

I agree that it's highly unlikely W&D happens as an in-person event this year, which makes me wonder, if RD already knows it's going to be virtual only, why not announce that? People may be holding reservations they made in anticipation of a live event. Seems a little rude not to let those people know an in-person W&D race won't be taking place.

I think they are waiting to announce something about W&D, MW, and Princess all together. Really though the bottom line is they have never announced or said a W&D 21 is happening in any form. If they had announced dates for W&D and not said in person or virtual by this point I'd agree but as of today there is no W&D 21.

 

[Krandor]

One difference that must've surely affected the logistics and time-frame issues is the fact that the Disneyland races involved going "off-property", and thus the need to coordinate more with local authorities. Since Disney World races are entirely on-property, I wonder if their time frames are possibly shorter.

Not dealing with the city pobably helps some but then you get into the fact that you are dealing with a massive company with tons of departments and stakeholders in things. Here is another quote from the AMA on that (It's a great AMA to read though - he's up front about everything including the infamous sex shop).

"Disney on the other hand is a crazy amount of branches that all act very independently and at times look out for their own interest (this is NOT a bad thing by any means). So when planning a race, runDisney can't just say, "this is our course, our race and everyone else has to deal with it..." because the Hotels are like, "not so fast, we've guest that need access to shuttles!" and parking states, "now hold on, we have to shuttle CMs from this lot to this location and your route(s) inhibit that, meanwhile security is like, "yea, this doesn't jive with our overarching security plan...". What i'm getting at is, it's a boatload of work to get all the keyplayers on the same page. runDisney is just one of many stakeholders, they are not more or less important than any of the other stakeholders at Disneyland. Thus their events do not trump others and they have to be mindful of that and they work extremely hard to appease everyone."

 

[BikeFan]

Not dealing with the city pobably helps some but then you get into the fact that you are dealing with a massive company with tons of departments and stakeholders in things. Here is another quote from the AMA on that (It's a great AMA to read though - he's up front about everything including the infamous sex shop).

"Disney on the other hand is a crazy amount of branches that all act very independently and at times look out for their own interest (this is NOT a bad thing by any means). So when planning a race, runDisney can't just say, "this is our course, our race and everyone else has to deal with it..." because the Hotels are like, "not so fast, we've guest that need access to shuttles!" and parking states, "now hold on, we have to shuttle CMs from this lot to this location and your route(s) inhibit that, meanwhile security is like, "yea, this doesn't jive with our overarching security plan...". What i'm getting at is, it's a boatload of work to get all the keyplayers on the same page. runDisney is just one of many stakeholders, they are not more or less important than any of the other stakeholders at Disneyland. Thus their events do not trump others and they have to be mindful of that and they work extremely hard to appease everyone."

Which naturally leads into the next question of, how much does runDisney contribute to the bottom line, and thus, how much clout do they have among all the other parts of WDW? I really have no idea how profitable the race weekends actually are, but given the fact Disney hasn't hesitated to discontinue events like the Tower of Terror race and Expedition Everest event, the bottom line obviously matters. Heck, I remember being surprised during one trip to WDW to stumble upon a triathlon (which no longer exists)! Star Wars also seems to be in doubt going forward. So, can we know for certain any of these events are coming back at all? The fact the marathon has been run for 25+ years suggests it's popular and profitable, but seeing the actual costs/profit numbers would be enlightening.

 

[camaker]

Which naturally leads into the next question of, how much does runDisney contribute to the bottom line, and thus, how much clout do they have among all the other parts of WDW? I really have no idea how profitable the race weekends actually are, but given the fact Disney hasn't hesitated to discontinue events like the Tower of Terror race and Expedition Everest event, the bottom line obviously matters. Heck, I remember being surprised during one trip to WDW to stumble upon a triathlon (which no longer exists)! Star Wars also seems to be in doubt going forward. So, can we know for certain any of these events are coming back at all? The fact the marathon has been run for 25+ years suggests it's popular and profitable, but seeing the actual costs/profit numbers would be enlightening.

They’re very small indications, but the videos RunDisney did for Virtual Marathon Weekend said that they hoped so see us back in person real soon and I’ve seen reports of thank you notes being included in Virtual SWRR medal shipments saying that they hope to be back in person soon. Also, while the Star Wars theming is being removed from the spring race weekend, they were pretty clear that it was a re-theming of the weekend, not a cancellation of it. I know all things can change, but they’ve been making the right noises that in-person races are going to come back, just not indicating when.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I don't know if it's a mask thing. Other races have masks in the corrals and that seems to be the precedence. There was also a recent NYT article that outdoor transmission is at low as .1% (based on the research) and the CDC is saying it's something less than 10%.

Yep - the number is very low outdoors, but where people are very close to one another outdoors it can be about as high as indoors. Think about how crowded the corrals for races are - people belly to back and shoulder thousands deep and dozens wide. People in the middle of those scrums might as well be on a crowded dance floor. But if everyone is forced to wear a mask - forced, not optional - then it becomes much, much safer.

Now, once the race starts, when do you take off your mask? How much separation creates the safety zone that racers are looking for?

Also, if we can't do character pictures and if there isn't an Expo, I really wouldn't be interested - especially the characters.

 

[Onceuponamarathon]

Yep - the number is very low outdoors, but where people are very close to one another outdoors it can be about as high as indoors. Think about how crowded the corrals for races are - people belly to back and shoulder thousands deep and dozens wide. People in the middle of those scrums might as well be on a crowded dance floor. But if everyone is forced to wear a mask - forced, not optional - then it becomes much, much safer.

Now, once the race starts, when do you take off your mask? How much separation creates the safety zone that racers are looking for?

Also, if we can't do character pictures and if there isn't an Expo, I really wouldn't be interested - especially the characters.

I assume any return will have a limited capacity and allow for a little more breathing room in the corrals (plus masks). I also think Disney will follow along with what other major races do. I.e, they won't be the first major race with no masks.

The expo I think they may be able to do scheduled shopping times and pick up. That would allow them to control the flow of people. The low-tech option being a socially distanced line and letting in x number of people at a time.

Characters, I could see some creative socially distanced options. Before Covid, Rey was on a stage at SW. I think there's a way to utilize the sets to allow for socially distanced character photos.

The trickiest part would be bussing everyone to the start. Even with capacity limits that is going to be a logistical hurdle. They'd have to bring in a looooot of buses, allow for maybe a longer transport time....

 

[Krandor]

Which naturally leads into the next question of, how much does runDisney contribute to the bottom line, and thus, how much clout do they have among all the other parts of WDW? I really have no idea how profitable the race weekends actually are, but given the fact Disney hasn't hesitated to discontinue events like the Tower of Terror race and Expedition Everest event, the bottom line obviously matters. Heck, I remember being surprised during one trip to WDW to stumble upon a triathlon (which no longer exists)! Star Wars also seems to be in doubt going forward. So, can we know for certain any of these events are coming back at all? The fact the marathon has been run for 25+ years suggests it's popular and profitable, but seeing the actual costs/profit numbers would be enlightening.

It would be but we'll never see those and profitability is probably measure by more then just the race but increase hotel bookings, etc. It's probably a complex formula.

It is possible they are like 70% sure they can do MW and planning is happening behind the scenes already but they don't want to announce until they get closer to 90-95% certainty.

 

[Barca33Runner]

My feeling on rD and the race weekends has always been that, although I’m sure they turn a profit, Disney is much more interested in the goodwill associated with health and wellness that the weekends represent. If it was purely a question of the bottom line from rD events I think their impact would be easily replaceable.

Once again, just my feelings on the subject. No inside info.

ETA: I’m sure they started as a way to generate crowds in low demand times and I’m sure they continued to serve that purpose. I also think any number of other events or demand driving devices could be used to the same or greater effect if profit was the only goal.

 

[Tigger23]

I agree. I have always thought runDisney would be important to the larger organization because it promotes health, has a long history (for the marathon, at least) and is also a “gateway” for people who might not otherwise travel to Disney (I was in that category, made a trip to run a race and then became a WDW super fan!) as well as a reason for runners to keep returning. I agree about the points above too regarding Wine and Dine. I wish they would just say something one way or another. I am sitting on a room deposit for W&D weekend that I’d be happy to reallocate to my July trip ☺

 

[PrincessV]

Just to clarify, my wondering about masks was in regard specifically to WDW's mask policy, not COVID safety. As in, as long as WDW requires masks to be worn at all times on property, with the few exceptions currently in place, would they put on a race? I don't think they want to offer different rules for racers vs everyone else. Now, if WDW drops its mask requirement while outdoors, it would be simpler. But right now, it seems problematic.

 

[jimrpa]

Well, the CDC just announced that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks or maintain social distancing indoors or outdoors, so there does not seem to be ANY logical reason W&D can’t occur

 

[PrincessV]

Well, the CDC just announced that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks or maintain social distancing indoors or outdoors, so there does not seem to be ANY logical reason W&D can’t occur

Except for the glaring facts that WDW still requires physical distancing and masks, and is not asking for proof of vaccination...

 

[jimrpa]

Except for the glaring facts that WDW still requires physical distancing and masks, and is not asking for proof of vaccination...

Right now