Marathon Weekend 2025

[superchime]

SAFD: I agree with so many of the things already listed, especially the Dis-flation and charging for things that used to be free.

My addition is food-related. I'm vegetarian and there was a time when there used to be unique vegetarian options around, even at quick serve places. Not a ton of them, for sure, but they were there, even if it was just an interesting veggie burger. Lately it's Beyond and Impossible everywhere, and I can only eat so much of that. I'll go all the way to AK just to get a tofu bowl from Satu'li Canteen.

 

[DHSsenior007]

SAFD: Oh man, this is something my husband and I discuss all of the time. I grew up going to WDW starting in the 1990s so a lot of the things I miss are from the late 90s to the 2000/early 2010s. E-ticket nights at MK were amazing-- I remember getting to ride the mountains on repeat with no crowds. Admittedly I wasn't paying for the tickets then, but my parents don't remember them being super pricey. Paper FPs, Wishes, and Maelstrom (my husband still refuses to go on the Frozen ride...) are other things we really miss.

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: My first trip to Disney World was around 2008. So I don't know a ton of stuff that was in place before that. But the things that I remembered from back then, that I do miss now:

Free FP+ and Magic Bands.

Epcot: The Fountain of Nations. This was so much better than what is there now. Standing next to it also provided a nice way to go cool off on a hot day. I also like the old set up with Starbucks and Club Cool being located right near the fountain.

Disney Springs: I liked the area better when it was Downtown Disney still and it didn't have the generic retail section. I get that they are probably making a fortune from leasing those spaces, but just liked it better when a majority of the stores were somewhat Disney oriented. (I will admit that Under Armor did save my butt on a cold Marathon Weekend before).

Boardwalk: I feel like the Boardwalk is not as happening as it was back in 2008 or so. It felt like there was something in all the spaces on the boardwalk, and lots of people there. Used to see entertainment on the boardwalk all day long. Now I feel like half the stuff is never open or on short operating hours. Would be nice to see ESPN open back up, or something similar takes it place.

I miss the marquees that were on the roads to the theme parks. Especially the Tower of Terror one. It added some excitement to the drive over to the park. I wish they would add something back in along the roads.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD:

I love reading all of this week's SAFD answers as it's bringing up so many memories!

This isn't what I miss the most - but I will go with Pleasure Island and the Adventurer's Club. Being in my 20s in the 90s, I was right in the demographic that they were targeting with P!. Let's just say I wasn't doing rope drop or 2am runDisney wake up calls. If I was on a Disney bus at 2am it was coming back to the resort after PI closed up. The Adventurer's Club and their cast alone kept my love for Disney and WDW alive in between the time that I was a teenager and when I had my own kids. Where else could you celebrate New Year's Eve every night!

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: where do I start?!

Osborne Lights
Mr. Toad
Dreamflight
Horizons
World of Motion
The OG Illuminations that started with Rhapsody in Blue
Star Wars Weekends
Star Wars Fireworks
Adventurers’ Club
Fantasy in the Sky fireworks
Sorcery in the Sky fireworks
Cranium Command
The OG Living Seas
Universe of Energy
ABC Sound Studio
Studio Backlot and Streets
Lights of Winter
Maelstrom

This is getting depressing - think I’ll stop there.

For my fellow nostalgic types, one of my favorite places to visit old park friends is Walt Dated World. SO much great content there!

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD:

I love reading all of this week's SAFD answers as it's bringing up so many memories!

This isn't what I miss the most - but I will go with Pleasure Island and the Adventurer's Club. Being in my 20s in the 90s, I was right in the demographic that they were targeting with P!. Let's just say I wasn't doing rope drop or 2am runDisney wake up calls. If I was on a Disney bus at 2am it was coming back to the resort after PI closed up. The Adventurer's Club and their cast alone kept my love for Disney and WDW alive in between the time that I was a teenager and when I had my own kids. Where else could you celebrate New Year's Eve every night!

Same demographic, same feelz - only I was on I4 headed home at 2am lol!

 

[lahobbs4]

SAFD:

Disney's Magical Express
Studio Backlot tour
Osborne lights (but we now see them every year at Silver Dollar City)

 

[nancipants]

duh! How could I forget STAR WARS WEEKENDS!!!

I love Galaxy's Edge, but Star Wars Weekends was special. I made so many friends with all the locals who came every weekend. And it was FUN.

 

[disneyrunnergrl]

SAFD: the castle dream lights, the wine & dine animal kingdom course, kitetails (but I know that’s probably an unpopular opinion), is it too soon to say the Nutella and fruit waffle?

 

[DisneyParrothead]

SAFD:

I love reading all of this week's SAFD answers as it's bringing up so many memories!

This isn't what I miss the most - but I will go with Pleasure Island and the Adventurer's Club. Being in my 20s in the 90s, I was right in the demographic that they were targeting with P!. Let's just say I wasn't doing rope drop or 2am runDisney wake up calls. If I was on a Disney bus at 2am it was coming back to the resort after PI closed up. The Adventurer's Club and their cast alone kept my love for Disney and WDW alive in between the time that I was a teenager and when I had my own kids. Where else could you celebrate New Year's Eve every night!

I had my first Kungaloosh Jan 2006, a couple weeks before my 21st. My parents ordered it and said I was close enough.

 

[RN_Mama_inFL]

Hi all, sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this but everyone is always so helpful here.

I’m having trouble with my husband’s registration. I secured a regular bib for the Marathon and my husband got a charity bib through the Parkinson’s Foundation. He got his email to officially register with Rundisney today from the foundation. He does not have a Rundisney account as this is his first race. We tried to register him using my Rundisney account which looked like it worked initially (it showed both our registrations under my account) but we keep getting an error page after clicking to sign his waiver, and then his registration disappears.

The question is, do you think I need to call Rundisney or the foundation for help?

Anybody else experience something like this?

 

[camaker]

Hi all, sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this but everyone is always so helpful here.

I’m having trouble with my husband’s registration. I secured a regular bib for the Marathon and my husband got a charity bib through the Parkinson’s Foundation. He got his email to officially register with Rundisney today from the foundation. He does not have a Rundisney account as this is his first race. We tried to register him using my Rundisney account which looked like it worked initially (it showed both our registrations under my account) but we keep getting an error page after clicking to sign his waiver, and then his registration disappears.

The question is, do you think I need to call Rundisney or the foundation for help?

Anybody else experience something like this?

Call RunDisney. Disappearing registrations like this are a well-known problem since they implemented this registration system.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Hi all, sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this but everyone is always so helpful here.

I’m having trouble with my husband’s registration. I secured a regular bib for the Marathon and my husband got a charity bib through the Parkinson’s Foundation. He got his email to officially register with Rundisney today from the foundation. He does not have a Rundisney account as this is his first race. We tried to register him using my Rundisney account which looked like it worked initially (it showed both our registrations under my account) but we keep getting an error page after clicking to sign his waiver, and then his registration disappears.

The question is, do you think I need to call Rundisney or the foundation for help?

Anybody else experience something like this?

If he has a MDE account, that's what he uses for the sign-in for the rundisney account, even if he's never registered for a race. One login to rule them all! If there's an option to "send" him his regstiration, his MDE email address is the one to use. But as @camaker stated, disappearing registrations are "a thing" that should be able to be solved with an email to rundisney.

 

[RN_Mama_inFL]

If he has a MDE account, that's what he uses for the sign-in for the rundisney account, even if he's never registered for a race. One login to rule them all! If there's an option to "send" him his regstiration, his MDE email address is the one to use. But as @camaker stated, disappearing registrations are "a thing" that should be able to be solved with an email to rundisney.

He doesn’t have his own MDE account. He has always been under mine. We “sent” his registration to his personal email.

Ok I’ll reach out to them. Thank you both!

 

[BigEeyore]

SAFD: I feel triggered by this one
So much has changed at WDW since we've been going regularly (about the last 20 years or so) - most of it not for the better. Walt himself said Disneyland would never be completed - that it would always be changing/evolving, but the expectation is that any changes would be improvements and that is most definitely not the case.
@Barca33Runner summed a lot of it up really well but I'll just make a list...

Magical Express
Free FP+
Not needing a park reservation (with AP)
Dreamlights on the castle
Osbourne lights
OG extra magic hours (not just 30 minutes)
Nighttime parade at MK
the Chinese acrobats at Epcot
Not having the Marriott-like Poly tower looming over Bay Lake
The pathway between Ft Wilderness and WL
OG Splash
The little boats you could rent to take out on Bay Lake
Free magic bands with on site resort stays
The movie in France (not the B&B sing along)
OG Figment ride
Fountain of Nations and Innoventions
Unique and varied race merch for rD - I feel like it's all so generic now.

I'm sure there's more that will come to me later but it's making me sad to think about all this...

 

[pinkxray]

I miss the Honey I shrunk the kids playground in DHS. I loved playing there as a kid and DD19 loved it just as much when she was a kid. I wish it was still around for our younger kids to play on.

I will always miss Splash Mountain. I love the music and the characters.

I really miss the early morning paid event in Fantasyland, I think Early Mornjng Magic. You got in Fantasyland before the park opened so you could knock out all those rides before anyone else got in. The one I went to included breakfast in Pinocchio’s so we knocked out FL, had breakfast and moved on to the rest of the park as crowds came in. I would also prefer if the extra hours for resort guests were still 1 hour vs 30 minutes. I feel like that gives you maybe one ride and the chance to get in line for another.

I never got to see the Osborne lights and really wish I had.

There were also some tours/activities available pre-covid that I had wanted to do once our kids got older, but they never returned. Don’t remember what they were though.

I also really miss a la carte lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. I just want a big salad before eating my Ooey Gooey Cake, not a whole thanksgiving dinner.

 

[MissLiss279]

SAFD:
Many things have already been mentioned that I miss too, but I also miss Race Retreat. I know it was expensive and not really worth the cost, but I really liked having it. A warm/dry tent if needed, breakfast after the half or full, a cold Coke, characters…

 

[Cliff Secord]

SAFD:

I don't really miss it, but I fondly recall my fourth grade class trip to WDW, and our day spent on the long-closed Discovery Island. Lots of cool animals, and plenty of trails to explore.

I do miss the old Horizons ride at EPCOT, Captain Eo in 3D, and the Monster Sound Show at the original Disney/MGM Studios. Nothing beats childhood memories!

 

[DisneyParrothead]

SAFD:
Many things have already been mentioned that I miss too, but I also miss Race Retreat. I know it was expensive and not really worth the cost, but I really liked having it. I warm/dry tent if needed, breakfast after the half or full, a cold Coke, characters…

Private porta potties. Worth every penny!

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

SAFD:
I can think of two.

I know there is no place for them as where they were no longer exists, but I would love to see the Osborne Lights in HS one more time.

For nostalgic reasons I really miss Primeval Whirl. It was a fun ride, but also the first coaster I ride with both my daughters and it became a tradition for the three of us to ride together on, wonderful memories.

Amen to Primeval Whirl. It was fun, without being too intense for the younger kids