Impact on new construction on runDisney races

[Mr_Incr3dible]

We currently definitely run down that road and intersection for the marathon.

I think the important part of this article is "Details and concepts of the roadway projects could change before final execution. No construction timeline has been announced." So there's a good chance this is years away still.

Still plenty of time for them to figure out how to choke the race route down to 5 feet wide through, or divert us around and through a different parking lot.... ;-)

Or, here's a thought: they go back to routing us through Animal Kingdom and we bypass Western Way and that intersection.

 

[nancipants]

Still plenty of time for them to figure out how to choke the race route down to 5 feet wide through, or divert us around and through a different parking lot.... ;-)

Or, here's a thought: they go back to routing us through Animal Kingdom and we bypass Western Way and that intersection.

Considering the construction in AK, they could route us through the main entrance and back out to Osceola Parkway.

 

[nancipants]

The Boneyard is closing on September 2.

Looking at the park map, and knowing Dinosaur is supposed to remain open throughout the year, I'm wondering if they'll send us down the pathway closer to the Discovery River. The Nemo show will remain open, so even when all of Dinoland is under construction, they could send us that way and out the front of the park somehow.

 

[accm]

The Boneyard is closing on September 2.

Looking at the park map, and knowing Dinosaur is supposed to remain open throughout the year, I'm wondering if they'll send us down the pathway closer to the Discovery River. The Nemo show will remain open, so even when all of Dinoland is under construction, they could send us that way and out the front of the park somehow.

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I was hopeful we’d have at least until Marathon Weekend for my kids to enjoy the boneyard.

Guess our trip in 2 weeks will be dedicated to saying goodbye to the boneyard and Tom sawyers island. Hopefully the fact that the Nutella waffle is back will make my 7 year old less mad that they’re removing all his favourite areas from the parks

 

[Herding_Cats]

So what are the bets on us running through Pandora OR out through the gates of AK now?

 

[marty3d]

So what are the bets on us running through Pandora OR out through the gates of AK now?

View attachment 975346

That just feels like it has to be easier than trying to run us through construction - this is different than the GF construction where the road was still "passable". And from this image I'm wondering if going through the front/ parking lot might be the only option. There's a road behind Restaurantosaurus too which you can't see in this image but not sure if it just exits to the same problem area.

 

[marty3d]

 

[Herding_Cats]

That just feels like it has to be easier than trying to run us through construction - this is different than the GF construction where the road was still "passable". And from this image I'm wondering if going through the front/ parking lot might be the only option. There's a road behind Restaurantosaurus too which you can't see in this image but not sure if it just exits to the same problem area.

Yeah I could maybe see them using Restrauntosaurus Rd to Svannah Circle E, but also wonder how they'd feel about running us past that level of construction with no walls up. Given their attempts to absolutely minimize the impact on park guests, I'm not optimistic they'd run us through much of the rest of the park (unless there's "secret overflow" exits like MK has?)

There could be a few ways to get us into AK sooner, but from a runner perspective, they aren't great. They would have to pare down the WS loop, eliminate some of the extra time they gave us inside MK this year, and get rid of the awful out-and-back in the MK parking lot. Doing all of that could push the entry into AK up by 2-2.5 miles. Is that enough when AK [usually] has a 7:30am EE? Balloon ladies entering AK at 9:15 instead of 9:55? They'd have to make up those miles somewhere, and "more miles on Western Way" doesn't seem like a good answer. Rope-drop crowds for FoP would still be high that early, so Pandora would probably be out. This is a problem I do not envy the TrackShack people having to solve.

Maybe it's possible to route us out at the Nemo theater, before we run past it, and then exit to a backstage area and back onto Savannah Circle?

 

[pluto377]

Hopefully the fact that the Nutella waffle is back

They are??!!! Yippee!

And now back to the construction talk

 

[MissLiss279]

Previously (with the WWOS section) we used to run out behind Dinosaur. If the course could make it past the Boneyard (which who knows what that will look like in January), we could maybe run out on Restaurantosaurus Rd, and then out through the parking lot.

 

[accm]

They are??!!! Yippee!

And now back to the construction talk

It is! And I’m so excited!

 

[marty3d]

Previously (with the WWOS section) we used to run out behind Dinosaur. If the course could make it past the Boneyard (which who knows what that will look like in January), we could maybe run out on Restaurantosaurus Rd, and then out through the parking lot.
View attachment 975395

I know it's not a popular opinion but I prefer WWoS to the BB parking lot. I'm probably ok with any course change that does not reduce park time.

 

[MissLiss279]

I know it's not a popular opinion but I prefer WWoS to the BB parking lot. I'm probably ok with any course change that does not reduce park time.

Yes! I didn’t mind WWoS. If you are a speedy person, you might not like all the twists and turns, but I thought it gave something different to look at - and better than a parking lot!

 

[SheHulk]

I know it's not a popular opinion but I prefer WWoS to the BB parking lot. I'm probably ok with any course change that does not reduce park time.

Yes! I didn’t mind WWoS. If you are a speedy person, you might not like all the twists and turns, but I thought it gave something different to look at - and better than a parking lot!

I agree, I think you're going to be miserable at miles 18-20 or so of any marathon, no matter what the course is, and the hate for WWoS was more about that. You got to run around the baseball field and get shown on the jumbo screen! If you were lucky an announcer called out your name! Another opportunity for REAL bathrooms! It's a sporting event and you get to go through this whole sports complex with sports-themed characters. it was, IMO, fine.

 

[Naomeri]

I agree, I think you're going to be miserable at miles 18-20 or so of any marathon, no matter what the course is, and the hate for WWoS was more about that. You got to run around the baseball field and get shown on the jumbo screen! If you were lucky an announcer called out your name! Another opportunity for REAL bathrooms! It's a sporting event and you get to go through this whole sports complex with sports-themed characters. it was, IMO, fine.

That definitely sounds like more fun than a parking lot tour. Though I will say that I liked the Blizzard Beach parking lot tour more than the TTC parking lot tour this past January. I got so discombobulated in the TTC about where I was and how much further and where "those people up there" were in relation to me

 

[nancipants]

I agree, I hated the TTC lot because it was just out and back and BORING. At least Blizzard Beach had a DJ.

I would greatly like to get rid of Western Way. But honestly, running from AK to WWOS seems like it would be just as miserable as AK to BB.

 

[SheHulk]

I agree, I think you're going to be miserable at miles 18-20 or so of any marathon, no matter what the course is, and the hate for WWoS was more about that. You got to run around the baseball field and get shown on the jumbo screen! If you were lucky an announcer called out your name! Another opportunity for REAL bathrooms! It's a sporting event and you get to go through this whole sports complex with sports-themed characters. it was, IMO, fine.

For some reason as I'm sitting here working I was just reminded how they always seemed to be playing "I Got the Power" by Snap there in WWoS. RezRuns even captured it here (hopefully that link takes you to 26:15 in the video):

I swear it was always playing right there every time you ran through there.

 

[Zutroy]

I agree, I hated the TTC lot because it was just out and back and BORING. At least Blizzard Beach had a DJ.

I would greatly like to get rid of Western Way. But honestly, running from AK to WWOS seems like it would be just as miserable as AK to BB.

The first Wine and Dine was an out-and-back from WWoS to AK, which were miles 1 through 8 on Osceola Parkway, and then up World Drive through HS to Epcot. This year’s marathon course had Western Way for miles 19-21, and then BB parking lot and Buena Vista Dr for miles 22 and 23. Having done both, I don’t think the road portions are all that different, and I don’t see Disney shutting down large parts Osceola Parkway.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I agree, I hated the TTC lot because it was just out and back and BORING. At least Blizzard Beach had a DJ.

I would greatly like to get rid of Western Way. But honestly, running from AK to WWOS seems like it would be just as miserable as AK to BB.

I used to hate/dread/fear the Western Way portion of the marathon after AK, mostly because it was an appx ten mile stretch of hot, boring asphalt with no shade and no entertainment along that stretch.

And then I really paid attention to the race map and realized that the whole WW portion is just over a mile, and exiting AK to Coronado Springs is just a bit more than a 5K.

So part of finishing these races is mental (as opposed to us being mental...) and it does help to have a running buddy there to help the miles go by faster.

That said, these parking lot loops are for the birds. IMHO, they have enough acreage to find 26.2 miles without looping us on empty asphalt as if we're the embarrassing visiting relatives to be hidden from view.
YMMV

 

[Stitch&Co.]

Hopefully they will release the map early like they did last year. I printed it out and had it on my desk so I could look at it and break down the miles in to smaller chunks instead of looking at the whole thing. That way I just had a 5K or a 10K to do before I got to the next park or milestone. I did like having AK later in the race if only from a mental standpoint.

I've only done the last 2 marathons, but I have to say the idea of going over to WWOS is not that appealing. It's a mental thing, but it just seems so far away from everything else.