News and Developments for Future In-Person runDisney Events

[DocAlan02]

Kids. I think the answer is kids. Those other major sporting events are mostly adults. Disney, in comparison, has a much larger portion of kids who visit. Even though the race may be adults, people come with their family’s and the parks will be packed with kids. Kids that largely aren’t eligible to get vaccinated. While transmission is much lower in children, it does exist. As does the Misc-C complication. As the spread in adults slows down with vaccinations rates, and the next phase focuses on children, so to will the news media. I think for all those reasons, Disney is going to be extra careful about any potential “outbreak” headlines as well as any perceived failings on safety measures.

While I follow your reasoning, this is Disney. It's packed with kids every day. You really think that the kids that will come woith their families for the race weekend causes a greater amount of concern than the kids that will come any other day? For Christmas? For the Halloween party stuff? That doesn't add up to me.

 

[PrincessV]

I'd be happy for Marathon Weekend to happen no matter what, but I'm a little intrigued by the "January-ish" time frame you referenced. Are your connections thinking it could be moved from the dates we all expect?

They're all saying that they aren't getting any confirmed dates and that that part of things is fluid at the moment. Specifically, yes, one mentioned MW might move from its usual weekend... I'm pondering why that might be, but I'm not really getting anywhere. Jan. is pretty slow all around after NYE and excepting MLK weekend, so I don't think it's that. Maybe navigating around other races? Celebration Marathon is Jan. 27, so that wouldn't interfere. IDK: I'm stumped.

 

[Onceuponamarathon]

While I follow your reasoning, this is Disney. It's packed with kids every day. You really think that the kids that will come woith their families for the race weekend causes a greater amount of concern than the kids that will come any other day? For Christmas? For the Halloween party stuff? That doesn't add up to me.

I agree with you, to be clear. I think it’s possible to do the race safely. I was addressing your point about the other major crowded events. I think Disney just has a vested interest in protecting the perception of safety, as well as actually being safe. Both things are important. As a result, the kid factor provides a nuance in both their PR planning as well as the safety restriction planning that other major sporting events you mentioned don’t have.

In terms of the parks example, well, Disney largely skated by unscathed on that because they were more cautious. While there were some pictures floated around of “crowded” Disney, Universal bore the brunt of the criticism with their more lax (by comparison) standards. We’re now at a point where the public is more comfortable seeing people in the parks.

I look back at pictures and videos of the corrals and part of me is amazed at how crazy different life was. If those pictures were from 3 months ago, I think a lot of the public would raise some eyebrows. 3 months from now? Maybe nobody cares. Practically speaking, I think people are getting more comfortable with the world opening again a lot faster than businesses anticipated. Businesses are now trying to pivot and adjust.

ETA: I also think there’s an overlap with logistics of putting on the race and safety protocols. There’s a big difference between running the race like normal and doing something like Boston. Where Disney falls on how many precautions they take I think comes down to both safety and the public’s perception of safety. Those decisions will impact if the race is “doable” logistically with the resources they have. Just to make it clear that this isn’t a covid debate but a conversation about impacts to racing returning.

 

[BikeFan]

They're all saying that they aren't getting any confirmed dates and that that part of things is fluid at the moment. Specifically, yes, one mentioned MW might move from its usual weekend... I'm pondering why that might be, but I'm not really getting anywhere. Jan. is pretty slow all around after NYE and excepting MLK weekend, so I don't think it's that. Maybe navigating around other races? Celebration Marathon is Jan. 27, so that wouldn't interfere. IDK: I'm stumped.

Just checking MarathonGuide.com, Houston and Rock n' Roll Arizona are the weekend of Jan. 14th-16th. Disney is a bigger marathon than those two, but rD probably doesn't want to have to compete with them either. Otherwise, I can't think of any major US marathon early in the year.

 

[sandam1]

I just booked my trip to Orlando for Marathon Weekend this morning on Southwest. I got a great flight (non-stop) at a very good price. I expect Disney to announce that Marathon Weekend won't be happening (or won't be happening on its traditional dates) any day now.

P.S. Sorry for the attempt at gallows humor, but my April Star Wars flights were cancelled less than 24 hours after booking and I'm trying to steel myself to have to cancel this trip as well.

 

[Z-Knight]

I'm now seeing another couple of people with some inside connections, in addition to the person from whom I've gotten some info, express confidence about a Marathon Weekend happening in January-ish. I don't know the new ones personally or know what their connections are, exactly, but they're all saying about the same thing: that races are being planned, that details such as dates, scale, etc. are being ironed out, and that we should be hearing something soon. I'm still not feeling confident about a Fall race weekend, but I'm making myself get up and run in the mornings to deal with the summer heat because I'm feeling pretty good about January-ish.

My Travel Agent is also echoing this - I don't know if this means there will be bib/hotel packages though, because she was saying earlier that this is something runDisney was considering dropping earlier...sigh.

 

[Onceuponamarathon]

Well it is Thursday. Didn’t someone *cough PrincessV cough* have a Thursday feeling ;-)

 

[doombuggy]

I need to chime in - many cast members have been working 6 day weeks since before Easter. While I have been working a 7 day work week for nearly 25 years, I will be the first person to say it can be difficult. Disney is calling back workers but not all of them are coming; it takes time to train (some workers are coming back to a different job while waiting for their old one, for example). WDW has many cogs and moving parts - it isn't as simple as we would like it to be, back when we thought it was going to be closed for a couple of weeks...

 

[PrincessV]

Well it is Thursday. Didn’t someone *cough PrincessV cough* have a Thursday feeling ;-)

I did! An I am expecting an announcement today-ish... but about fireworks, not rD.

 

[Baloo in MI]

This is me, while reading this thread each day...

“What do Dis Folks have to say today about MW/runDisney?”

“Yes! Exactly! Great point! MW is totally going to happen! I am so excited! So glad I am booked and ready to go!”

“Wait... What does ‘January-ish’ mean?”

“Wow, that is a really good point. I don’t want to admit it but they made a pretty valid case. Is MW simply a wish at this point? Should I have not taken vacation, book plane tickets, bought park tickets and used DVC points? Was this a huge mistake?!?”

“Heck, I going to WDW either way!”

Sadly, I will do this all again later today and then again tomorrow...

 

[pluto377]

Count me among those who have now jinxed it by booking SW flights. I used points, so at least I'll just get them back if I have to cancel. But I may visit even if there's no race...

 

[1GoldenSun]

I have my accommodations booked; I rented DVC points so I can't change my dates. Disney-sanctioned marathon or not, I'll be running 26.2 miles somewhere on Disney property on January 9th.

 

[BikeFan]

Disney-sanctioned marathon or not, I'll be running 26.2 miles somewhere on Disney property on January 9th.

There seems to be a few of us who will be down there that weekend thinking the same. We may have to have a meet-up if the official MW goes virtual.

 

[PrincessV]

I did! An I am expecting an announcement today-ish... but about fireworks, not rD.

Well, that did not age well. Maybe a Friday announcement?!

 

[Disneyslowrunner]

I don’t see any onsite events until the park is running at full capacity and demand dies down. Right now there is a lot of pent up demand everywhere for travel. for example, a few months ago I went on a business trip and staying at a 5 star hotel that normally ran about 500 a night, was going for about 130. Fast forward to this summer, I had tentatively planned a trip and the hotel that was about 300 a night is now going for $1500 and over! those are extreme examples, but with disney, once they go to capacity, they will be packed and until there is a foreseeable downtime, I don’t see them bothering to put on marathon weekend. They are in the business of making money and there is simply no incentive for them to put it on if they will most likely be at capacity anyway. I hope I am wrong.

 

[BikeFan]

I don’t see any onsite events until the park is running at full capacity and demand dies down. Right now there is a lot of pent up demand everywhere for travel. for example, a few months ago I went on a business trip and staying at a 5 star hotel that normally ran about 500 a night, was going for about 130. Fast forward to this summer, I had tentatively planned a trip and the hotel that was about 300 a night is now going for $1500 and over! those are extreme examples, but with disney, once they go to capacity, they will be packed and until there is a foreseeable downtime, I don’t see them bothering to put on marathon weekend. They are in the business of making money and there is simply no incentive for them to put it on if they will most likely be at capacity anyway. I hope I am wrong.

While yes, there is plenty of pent-up demand for travel to WDW, I wonder if demand will be higher in 2021-22 during traditionally slower times like Marathon Weekend. The rest of the world is still not vaccinated, so that may impair international demand, and schools should all be back to in-person learning this fall, so parents will still have to contend with the school calendar and likely won't be increasing demand any more than usual outside the traditionally busy periods. As of right now, a quick check of the resorts shows plenty of rooms available for MW, but it's still early, so who knows?

 

[marty3d]

While yes, there is plenty of pent-up demand for travel to WDW, I wonder if demand will be higher in 2021-22 during traditionally slower times like Marathon Weekend. The rest of the world is still not vaccinated, so that may impair international demand, and schools should all be back to in-person learning this fall, so parents will still have to contend with the school calendar and likely won't be increasing demand any more than usual outside the traditionally busy periods. As of right now, a quick check of the resorts shows plenty of rooms available for MW, but it's still early, so who knows?

That's a good point - not only are there plenty of rooms available, that's also with several resorts still not having a reopening date. That includes Port Orleans and its over 3000 rooms.

 

[CP3uhoh]

well, Ohana Noodles are coming back after being left out of the reopening announcement, so I'd say this bodes well for Marathon weekend.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

well, Ohana Noodles are coming back after being left out of the reopening announcement, so I'd say this bodes well for Marathon weekend.

We're reading tea leaves in this thread, not noodles!

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

I did see they were opening up the resort arcades.