Marathon Weekend 2019

[BuckeyeBama]

My Garmin does that sometimes. It's very frustrating. I try everything...turning off bluetooth, shutting off phone, shutting off watch etc and sometimes that works but most often not and then at some later time it suddenly works. Drives me bonkers!

Thankfully I have never had this problem. I only sync wirelessly. I don't connect my Garmin to my PC because it will then pull down system updates, and some of them are glitchy.

 

[ThisDogMomRuns]

I used chrome. The process went smoothly for me.

As for additional items, I chose the following.

1. Dopey logo pin bundle. I get a pin from every race and prefer the logo pins.

2. AP pin. This may be the only time in my life that I'm a Disney World passholder so why not commemorate it. Also this race played a huge part in me deciding to get the AP.

3. Race retreat. If being able to actually sit down for at least part of the mornings of the half and full helps preserve my legs to finish the full it will be worth it.

4. Race weekend jacket. It's my first ever marathon. If I don't like it, I can always return it.

I like the banner artwork that @SarahDisney posted earlier.

I passed on the shoe ornament. Assuming I finish, I plan on buying one of the ornaments in the Magic Kingdom Christmas shop that comes with customization. I also discovered that if you like the free Disney celebration buttons, that same shop has all sorts of race related I'm celebrating buttons.

For corral placement they wanted proof of time for under 5:30 and if you didn't have that, it appeared that they wanted proof that you could finish in the time you entered instead of placing the best corral without proof. But maybe that's just my interpretation.

Hi, did they happen to have the design of the jacket? I am torn on ordering one. They said we could return if we don't like it?

 

[rteetz]

Hi, did they happen to have the design of the jacket? I am torn on ordering one. They said we could return if we don't like it?

They never show the pre-order jacket before ordering.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Hi, did they happen to have the design of the jacket? I am torn on ordering one. They said we could return if we don't like it?

Honestly, if you think you might even want the jacket, preorder it. I went to the Dark Side Expo in the afternoon of day 1 this year and did not see any Dark Side race jackets whatsoever. They were either all sold out by then or only available to those who had preordered them.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

Has anyone had any trouble with their Garmin watch updating to the Garmin App? Mine tries to but then it just bombs out and doesn't update.

I gave up on syncing via Bluetooth. I keep the charging cable plugged in my PC and just hook the watch up. Garmin Express never starts automatically. All the settings are correct. I say never: but for one week after updating the express app, it did auto-load, but then it stopped again. I clip the watch in after every run, leave it for an hour or so and sync and charge.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

They never show the pre-order jacket before ordering.

Because they are usually terrible.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Because they are usually terrible.

Ha! This makes me feel much better about not ordering one!

 

[camaker]

They never show the pre-order jacket before ordering.

Because they are usually terrible.

It really is a crapshoot. The designs, in my opinion, have been very hit or miss. There have been a couple where I’ve said “wow, that looks nice, maybe I should’ve ordered one” but there have been far more “meh” and “ewww” reactions. That, in combination with the uncertainty in the sizing, has had me pass on them. The only bright spot is I’m pretty sure you can return them if you don’t like it when you pick it up.

 

[rteetz]

It really is a crapshoot. The designs, in my opinion, have been very hit or miss. There have been a couple where I’ve said “wow, that looks nice, maybe I should’ve ordered one” but there have been far more “meh” and “ewww” reactions. That, in combination with the uncertainty in the sizing, has had me pass on them. The only bright spot is I’m pretty sure you can return them if you don’t like it when you pick it up.

Yeah I have never bought the pre-order jacket. I always wait for the stuff at the expo.

 

[DopeyInTX]

any one have pictures of the preorder jackets? I ordered one this time around but thought we would see pictures.

 

[rteetz]

any one have pictures of the preorder jackets? I ordered one this time around but thought we would see pictures.

They don't release images of pre-order items except for Dooneys.

 

[DopeyInTX]

They don't release images of pre-order items except for Dooneys.

crap thanks.

are there any preorders you suggest buying? don't really care for pins but will get them if they are a big deal!

 

[rteetz]

crap thanks.

are there any preorders you suggest buying? don't really care for pins but will get them if they are a big deal!

If you like pins and don't want to deal with the craziness of getting them at the expo you can get them early. I never buy things in pre-order.

 

[DopeyInTX]

If you like pins and don't want to deal with the craziness of getting them at the expo you can get them early. I never buy things in pre-order.

what is the best thing you have purchase at the expo? didn't spend a lot of time there this year because of the weather and the waits, so I'm looking forward to what 2019 has to offer!

 

[rteetz]

what is the best thing you have purchase at the expo? didn't spend a lot of time there this year because of the weather and the waits, so I'm looking forward to what 2019 has to offer!

I always get a pin for each race I am doing. So with Dopey I get each race and the two challenges. I also like to collect the ornaments they do every year. Outside of that I got a Dopey jacket in 2017 and a marathon jacket in 2018. I probably won't get another jacket unless I really like it.

 

[DopeyInTX]

I always get a pin for each race I am doing. So with Dopey I get each race and the two challenges. I also like to collect the ornaments they do every year. Outside of that I got a Dopey jacket in 2017 and a marathon jacket in 2018. I probably won't get another jacket unless I really like it.

nice! was there a special ornament or just the sneaker?

 

[rteetz]

nice! was there a special ornament or just the sneaker?

Just the sneaker ornaments they do. They usually do a race specific one and then have a general runDisney one.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

crap thanks.

are there any preorders you suggest buying? don't really care for pins but will get them if they are a big deal!

In all honesty, I would only get something from marathon weekend if you really want it to remember marathon weekend. There are insane amounts of items at the expos and you can easily walk out of there having spent hundreds of dollars or even thousands if you're not careful.

At Dark Side alone, there were multiple types of shirts for all 3 races and the challenge event. There were also multiple pins again for all 3 races and the challenge event. A person could easily spend hundreds of dollars on pins alone. And then we get into clothing. Performance shirts for each race and/or challenge, t shirts, I did it shirts, hats, sweat bands, generic runDisney jackets and race weekend specific jackets. Shoe ornaments for race weekend. Some race weekends also feature collectible figures for the race.

What do I like to get or do I consider getting?

1. A pin for each race/challenge I ran that weekend. If I just ran the half, I may get the race weekend pin in addition to or instead of the half pin. But I like pins. This is also the only item I've bought for each runDisney race weekend I've done.

2. Race weekend shirt and/or I did it shirt. Possibly 2 for Star Wars races, but also zero for other races. Depends on how "special" the race is for me. But if I don't like the design, it's an easy pass for me.

3. Shoe ornaments, but only if they're race specific. I like runDisney a lot, but don't want a generic runDisney ornament. And to this point, I've only bought the Star Wars race weekend shoe ornaments. For 2019 Dopey, I'm tentatively planning on not buying the shoe ornament because I would rather get a custom ornament in the parks or Disney Springs.

4. Special race figurines, but only if I really like them. Thus far this has translated exclusively to the BB-8 with a race medal figure from the 2018 Star Wars races. I passed on the stormtrooper one because it didn't interest me.

5. RunDisney plush Mickey with a medal. Because it's Mickey. But I only have one because they always look essentially the same with maybe the year on them.

 

[EDS19]

I've run 6 of the runDisney races in Disneyland and this will be my first in WDW. I'm running both the 5K (with some family) and the half (alone).
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how this will work at WDW... In Disneyland I just had to take the elevator down from my Disney hotel and walk out the front door.
I've been reading through tons of posts and blogs, etc. but the current questions I'm worried about are:
- How early do you have to leave your Disney Hotel using the Disney Buses to get to the corrals in time? (Also do the buses fill up that early in the morning? Do I have to go even earlier to wait for a bus?)
-When the race is over how long does it usually take to get back to your hotel taking the Disney Buses? (Are they running every 20 minutes?)
-Any other tips for a WDW runDisney first timer?

I'm just trying to mentally prepare if I need to plan to wake up even earlier or if I need to tell the family I won't be able to join them at the parks until later in the day.

Thanks

 

[rteetz]

- How early do you have to leave your Disney Hotel using the Disney Buses to get to the corrals in time? (Also do the buses fill up that early in the morning? Do I have to go even earlier to wait for a bus?)
-When the race is over how long does it usually take to get back to your hotel taking the Disney Buses? (Are they running every 20 minutes?)
-Any other tips for a WDW runDisney first timer?

Disney wants everyone on buses by 3-3:30AM usually. That info will be in the event guide.

Post race it depends on where you are staying. If staying at an Epcot resort you can walk back through Epcot or take a bus. Monorail resort guests take the monorail or bus. All other resorts are bus only. Buses pick up in the Epcot parking lot and are constant but lines can be very long depending on the time you finish. These are coach buses not just Disney buses.

WDW races are pretty grand in scope. Build in time for getting from place to place.