Marathon Weekend 2021

[MATTERHORN]

SAFD: If we are just going by the vehicles...

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Peter Pan

 

[Kerry1957]

SAFD:

The trams from the parking lot to the entrance to any of the parks. Always feel the anticipation of a magical day! Technically not a ride, but it's Disney, so who cares about technicalities.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Safd

7 dwarfs mine train
Peter pans flight
Alien Swirling saucers

 

[camaker]

SAFD:
1. Doom Buggies
2. Jungle Cruise boats
3. Kilamanjaro Safari trucks

 

[CDKG]

We’ve got another excellent guest submission from @princesspirateandrunner for this week’s Sundays are for Disney. She asks what is everyone’s favorite ride vehicle?

• Tower of Terror - For the variety of movement.
• Indiana Jones - Again, for the variety of movement. (Yes, the ride vehicle AND movements are exactly the same as Dinosaur. But, the original Indy theme and other effects are much better!)
• Kilimanjaro Safaris - Pre-COVID.

 

[Neon Cactus]

Doom Buggies
Tower of Terror
Alice in Wonderland

 

[shellott-hill]

SAFD:

1. Intersystem Transport Ship (I-TS) @ RotR - Amazing!
2. A Banshee @ FoP - the breathing is incredible.
3. ISTC Rocketship @ Mission to Mars - All the toggle switches and buttons you get to push

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD:

1. Flight of Passage-Technologically it feels the most advanced and it enhances the ride experience
2. Smuggler’s Run-It’s a replica of the Millennium Falcon. I feel like the hype for RotR overshadowed how cool this ride is.
3. Splash Mountain-The lap bar does nothing

 

[Princess_Nikki]

Hey y'all!! Is anyone here on our Run Disney thread considering cruising after the WDW Marathon weekend? Specifically the cruise designed to leave right after race weekend for those of us wishing to try to do the Castaway Cay 5K ??

 

[Sleepless Knight]

SAFD: Favorite Queues:

1. Rise of the Resistance. As others have mentioned, there is so much detail here that it really doesn't feel like a queue once you reach the caves. Plus you get to see the world famous backside of water.

2. Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: So much detail here especially for Star Wars fans. Getting to see the Falcon engines firing up from behind is so cool.

3. Indiana Jones Adventure Disneyland

4. Soarin' Disney California Adventure with all the aviation history stuff.

Honorable Mention: The preshow videos for Incredicoaster. The queue is little changed from its previous iteration as California Screamin', but the preshow video cracks me up every time.

Virtual Races:

I too have mixed feelings. They're nice if you really want a medal, but for whatever reason cannot make it to the race in question. I've done the runDisney virtual 5Ks and the 2018, 2019, 2020, and soon 2021 Star Wars Virtual Halfs. I also did the Jurassic World virtual runs that Universal offered up last year because dinosaurs.

I am currently signed up for the Gritty 5K virtual this year hosted by the NHL Philadelphia Flyers mascot. I may sign up for a virtual half or two in the next few months. Mostly because I feel that I need to find something to motivate me to keep going. There have been too many weeks for my goals to exercise 5 days a week result in 2 days a week. Nothing like a race, even a virtual one, to kick my butt into gear.

- Help my friend survive Dopey (his first Half and Full) and his wife, who isn't a runner, the 5 and 10k.

That's very ambitious of your friend. I had really strong opinions about running a marathon the morning after my first half. Suffice it to say, those opinions involved me not even believing it to be possible.

Try to be courageous enough to break through my shyness and attend a meet and greet of some sort. Probably not DATW, as neither me nor my wife drink.

I do not drink either. I found everyone at DATW to be very welcoming and fun. At no time was any pressure ever put on me to drink anything alcoholic. It's a good time and lots of fun just talking to people that we see here on the boards all the time.

Mexico - you can fit a lot of DATW drunks in one of those

And at least one sober person.

SAFD Favorite Souvenir: This is a tough one. So many to choose from but here goes in no particular order.

Darth Vader on the carousel "This Will Be a Day Long Remembered" shirt

"Chewie We're Home" shirt

The Magic of Disney Animation hand inked cel and pin drawing of Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland

"The Royal Waltz" painting of Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora dancing in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland commissioned for the 40th anniversary of the film and drawn by a Disney animator who worked on the movie.

Opening day Galaxy's Edge Disneyland map. For opening day, they printed a limited number of the park maps on higher quality card stock with embossing of Galaxy's Edge. Somehow these lasted beyond opening day and I picked one up when I visited 5 days after it opened or so.

Droid and Lightsaber from Galaxy's Edge. As great as both experiences were, even more fun was getting to share them with my nephews. I believe that we took over 100 photos in Galaxy's Edge that night with PhotoPass. My 2 year old nephew was having the time of his life with a toy lightsaber.


SAFD Ride Vehicle:

1. Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run. Because you're in the cockpit of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.
2. Star Tours Speeder. I can still remember how real this felt my very first time on the ride back in 1988.
3. Pirate ship on Peter Pan's Flight. I love this ride system.
4. Dumbo, but only when I have a little niece or nephew with me in the elephant so I get to experience it through their eyes.

 

[Neon Cactus]

That's very ambitious of your friend. I had really strong opinions about running a marathon the morning after my first half. Suffice it to say, those opinions involved me not even believing it to be possible.

I think it's partially my fault. I talked him into doing the 5k and 10k this year and he got hooked on Run Disney. So he said he was already training to do the 5k, 10k and half. I said well, if you're going to do three races...

This year was my first Dopey (I keep wanting to say last year, it seems like it was so long ago!) and right after running the half marathon, I didn't think I'd be able to do a full. The next morning, I felt surprisingly good. I"m hoping that happens again!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

This year was my first Dopey (I keep wanting to say last year, it seems like it was so long ago!) and right after running the half marathon, I didn't think I'd be able to do a full. The next morning, I felt surprisingly good. I"m hoping that happens again!

In many respects the 2020 marathon weekend seems like it took place approximately 2,000,000,000 years ago, conservatively speaking.

One thing I've found is that the day after your very first race at a longer distance is always the hardest. The day after my first half I essentially shuffled my way around Disneyland for a few hours before heading home. Next year after the half, I felt much better. Same thing happened after my first Rebel Challenge. I was quite sore that day, but again the next year felt much better. After my first Dopey, a friend texted me to ask if I was park hopping. I replied more like park hobbling. I still felt really sore and really happy. It wasn't until Wednesday after the 2019 marathon that I began to feel normal. This year I moved with relative ease the day after Dopey despite the hotter temperatures.

 

[nekonekoneko]

Hey y'all!! Is anyone here on our Run Disney thread considering cruising after the WDW Marathon weekend? Specifically the cruise designed to leave right after race weekend for those of us wishing to try to do the Castaway Cay 5K ??

I do have a room booked for that cruise! Right now, we're about 50/50 on if we're actually going to go, mostly due to no major cruise lines sailing since the start of the pandemic.

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: Top ride vehicles...

1. TOT
2. MF:SR
3. CoP - I mean, it's a ride... AND a theater! Still neato.

Gone but never forgotten:
20,000 Leagues
Horizons
Universe of Energy (first time you experienced the "theater" breaking apart and starting to move? sooooo cool)
Living Seas Hydrolaters

 

[ZellyB]

SAFD:

Flight of Passage
Tower of Terror
Peter Pan

 

[roxymama]

Catching up:
Goals
- have trained enough to just feel "marathon" comfortable during the marathon. Aka - just try to be in shape to enjoy it, so at the end it's just a marathon long run pace and not total struggle bus. I already have a great marathon PR so I don't feel pressure to beat that. I also don't want to be so out of shape I can't "hang" for awhile with some of my dis-friends. Basically whether marathon weekend happens or not I want to be in better running shape so consistent Training is my #1 goal.
- fit into my cute disney clothes aka lose 10 lbs (see above)
- DATW and meetups where I can gain back the above 10 lbs
- ride in a gondola

SAFD: Ride vehicles (I like cute things)
Dumbo
Peter Pan
Teacups
Pooh
Alice in Wonderland
Doom buggies/Seashells
Mr. Toad
Jungle Cruise
People mover

 

[PCFriar80]

Just a quick PSA for those of you who fly SWA for marathon weekend. They had originally announced their schedule extension to be published August 27, 2020 for flights from 1/5/21 - 3/10/21, but I noticed that they have now pushed that up to August 13, 2020 and also will be extending their schedule through 4/11/21. Due to circumstance beyond my control, I will only be spectating MW for 2021. Here's hoping that RD can pull it off for those of you already registered!

We are currently accepting air reservations through January 4, 2021. On August 13, 2020 we will open our schedule for sale through April 11, 2021. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently.

 

[roxymama]

Thanks for the PSA. It's gonna be weird to pay for a flight because I used to just beg for my husband's points because he travelled so much. All of a sudden I've realized...no travelling = less points in the pile!

I'm hoping by Jan that flying doesn't irk me out as much as it does right now. #hopeful #optimistic

 

[BigEeyore]

SAFD:
- Smuggler's Run (I mean, it's the cockpit of the Falcon!!)
- Doom Buggies
- Peter Pan

 

[Baloo in MI]

SAFD (6 days late...)

1. Flight of Passage. Feeling the Banshee breathe is so cool!!

2. Alice in Wonderland (at DL). Probably my favorite dark ride and when it pops outside, just love it!

3. Heimlich’s Chew Chew (at CA). Ok, purely about memories. Before my oldest could talk we were teaching her baby sign language. One of her biggest go to’s was the sign for more. She loved that ride and as we came around to off-load she was signing away - “more”, “more”, “more”... The ride operator saw her and new what it meant, there was no line so we went around again and again and again. My knees crunched up against the back of the seats in front of us, the smell of circus cookies, Heimlich burping and my daughter just having the best time. The Chew Chew train has to be in my top three!