Marathon Weekend 2017!

[BuckeyeBama]

Just to be sure, I sent them an email. Too much money to take it for granted.

 

[PrincessV]

When people started getting refunds who had emailed them the alarms started going off in my head that I might never see anything if I waited. By beginning the process of fulfilling them piecemeal I was worried about what would happen when they actually had to go back and figure out which registrations had received a refund and which hadn't. Needless to say, I wasn't confident that their initial proclamation (that Dopey and Goofy runners didn't need to do anything) would prove true.

Yep, exactly why I finally sent an email. For all I know, they're waiting and hoping a bunch of people will just forget...

 

[lahobbs4]

Are there always the bicycle guys through World Showcase? I was nowhere near the balloon ladies but they were freaking me out the way they were right beside me and now I'm curious about if they are always in that area?

 

[Ariel484]

Are there always the bicycle guys through World Showcase? I was nowhere near the balloon ladies but they were freaking me out the way they were right beside me and now I'm curious about if they are always in that area?

Were they medics?

 

[lahobbs4]

Were they medics?

I don't think so! I didn't know if maybe it was just for crowd control?

 

[Barca33Runner]

Are there always the bicycle guys through World Showcase? I was nowhere near the balloon ladies but they were freaking me out the way they were right beside me and now I'm curious about if they are always in that area?

I think they are more prevalent near the end of the race because that is where people tend to get into the most physical distress. I would also guess that they prefer being in the park because it is a more even path to ride on and wider, but in all honesty I don't know what the plan or procedure they have in place for the bike medics.

 

[FFigawi]

Is the card attached to your Disney Visa [I assume Chase] a Disney Dream Dollars Rewards Card? If so, you can not transfer the Disney gift card balance to a Disney rewards card. I asked that question of Chase last week and this is the response I got:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your Disney Rewards
Visa® Card from Chase.

James, unfortunately, you unable to add the balance from
the gift card to your Disney Dream Dollars® balance.

That's exactly what I want to do. Bummer.

 

[rteetz]

I saw a few medic bikes but I don't recall any other bikers.

 

[lahobbs4]

I saw a few medic bikes but I don't recall any other bikers.

It's also entirely possible they were in my imagination because, you know, 24 miles in after only training 10 miles did some CRAZY things to my brain that day.

 

[AbbyJaws2003]

It's also entirely possible they were in my imagination because, you know, 24 miles in after only training 10 miles did some CRAZY things to my brain that day.

I was actually sitting in Epcot at the end watching all you crazies run thru (while I ate a soft pretzel, sorry) and noticed there were a fair amount of people on bikes with reflective vests on. You were not imagining it! Some may have been medics but maybe a bit of crowd control as well maybe? I was watching the very end of the race, probably the last half an hour that the course was open so that might have had something to do with the number of them as well, but I definitely did take notice!

 

[Keels]

Are there always the bicycle guys through World Showcase? I was nowhere near the balloon ladies but they were freaking me out the way they were right beside me and now I'm curious about if they are always in that area?

If they were wearing red and black polo shirts, they were medics.

If they were wearing reflective vests and black shirts, they were "course monitors" likely just patrolling through since some sweep points may have been passed. They can radio back to the race director and other pertinent people about situations during the race - like bottlenecks, injuries, locations of specific groups - especially since after Mile 20, there's no real way for any race official to know what's happening with the running masses other than via ocular inspection.

That said - never fear the people on the bikes!! We're nice! And I promise, they will give LOUD and REPEATED announcements if you're in any danger of not finishing, etc. They just have to stay along the course as long as people are there, and at the end, the ground they have to cover is MUCH smaller so they seem more noticeable!

 

[PCFriar80]

And while we're on the topic of course monitoring, as a spectator for the full I was watching at the base of the hill just before you enter backstage to Epcot [mile 24.6ish] and security was clearly making sure everyone on the "course" had a bib. With the cold weather there were a lot of layers still at this point and I'm sure an opportunity for a free one day pass to Epcot. I mention this because of the way security was calling out "let's see your bib".

 

[Keels]

And while we're on the topic of course monitoring, as a spectator for the full I was watching at the base of the hill just before you enter backstage to Epcot [mile 24.6ish] and security was clearly making sure everyone on the "course" had a bib. With the cold weather there were a lot of layers still at this point and I'm sure an opportunity for a free one day pass to Epcot. I mention this because of the way security was calling out "let's see your bib".

It's funny you mention security - I heard them calling to people right in front of me, and I thought they were telling me I needed to toss my beer before I went backstage ... so I asked if I needed to throw it away and the security guard said "Nope - you've definitely earned that beer! We're just checking bibs". It gave me a good laugh, only to be bested when I walked through the water stop and a volunteer said to me "I'd give you a water, but you look like you're all set."

Yes, ma'am. Yes ma'am I was.

 

[mrsg00fy]

Just received the email regarding the two one day park hopper tickets.

It seems as if they ARE transferable:

Once they are linked to your account, you may also reassign them to friends or family.

And:
The tickets do not expire and may be used during regular operating hours. Please know, complimentary tickets cannot be upgraded nor can they be applied toward a package to meet eligibility requirements.

How cool is that? Again, they didn't have to do anything!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Just received the email regarding the two one day park hopper tickets.

It seems as if they ARE transferable:

Once they are linked to your account, you may also reassign them to friends or family.

And:
The tickets do not expire and may be used during regular operating hours. Please know, complimentary tickets cannot be upgraded nor can they be applied toward a package to meet eligibility requirements.

How cool is that? Again, they didn't have to do anything!

The part about not being able to upgrade them makes them useless for me. But I am very happy to get the gift card.

 

[rteetz]

The part about not being able to upgrade them makes them useless for me. But I am very happy to get the gift card.

Adding days to them would devalue them. That's why I went with the gift card.

 

[Wendy98]

Are there always the bicycle guys through World Showcase? I was nowhere near the balloon ladies but they were freaking me out the way they were right beside me and now I'm curious about if they are always in that area?

I had a bicycle person around a lot during my race. It seems each wheelchair racer gets their own bicyclist. I was around wheelchair racers at least through mile 17. The cyclist made sure the there was plenty of clearance for the wheelchair racer on any downhill stretch. With that being said, I think they need to have more than a 2 minute gap between the start of the wheelchair racers and the marathon racers.

 

[Nole95]

DW received her two park hopper tickets in an email last night. I was able to go into MDE and assign one to me and one to her. No problems at all.

We plan on running Dopey next year, and will probably plan on going to AK (hopping on 5K day) and Epcot (post Marathon). This means we would need to add another one day ticket to our package when the time comes. So our accounts would each have a one day park hopper ticket, and a one day normal ticket.

My question is that when we go to enter AK on that first day, how will the system know what ticket we want to use?

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

DW received her two park hopper tickets in an email last night. I was able to go into MDE and assign one to me and one to her. No problems at all.

We plan on running Dopey next year, and will probably plan on going to AK (hopping on 5K day) and Epcot (post Marathon). This means we would need to add another one day ticket to our package when the time comes. So our accounts would each have a one day park hopper ticket, and a one day normal ticket.

My question is that when we go to enter AK on that first day, how will the system know what ticket we want to use?

I had a issue with this over marathon weekend, the cast member told me to make sure the first ticket you want to use is prioritized in MDE. She also said you can check with any ticket window and they can make sure it is prioritized for you before going into the park.

 

[Mulan2]

I requested my deferral on the 13th as well, but haven't heard anything (I was not a challenge participant).

The countdown to noon is really making my registration finger twitch. I've never participated in W&D, but it sure does look like a lot of fun.

Have you received a call back yet on your deferral? I am still waiting. Would like to do the Star Wars half but airfare is rising day by day and I still haven't heard back except for an email on Monday that they will get back to me within 10 days!