Official 2016 Star Wars Half Marthon - The Dark Side Weekend

[msmith07101]

I wrote them the email as well, and im fairly certain that they responded 7 days after I wrote it almost to the minute that I sent it. It wasnt even a "sorry for your bad experience" phone call. It was more of a "we received your email and will let someone else know about it" phone call. Im not looking for a handout, you just want to hear that the legitimately care about your concern. Did not get that vibe at all.

I did get a call back from Run Disney on Friday evening. I missed the call, but she left a message. Basically, sorry to hear about your experience at the expo, and sorry about your Dooney...passing this along to the merchandise teams, etc, etc. She left a number if I wanted to discuss further. I don't see the point, but I might call back to push the Dooney issue a little more since I really do feel like it was falsely advertised since it does not look exactly like the pictures they released.

 

[doombuggy]

I did get a call back from Run Disney on Friday evening. I missed the call, but she left a message. Basically, sorry to hear about your experience at the expo, and sorry about your Dooney...passing this along to the merchandise teams, etc, etc. She left a number if I wanted to discuss further. I don't see the point, but I might call back to push the Dooney issue a little more since I really do feel like it was falsely advertised since it does not look exactly like the pictures they released.

You mean because the color was more a red/orange than red or because it doesn't have leather corners? I preordered the letter carrier because it was nylon, but was a little disappointed with the color being off. I still love it and bought it (although the first one I had came with a messed up tag, which I got fixed at the expo). That is probably an issue Disney needs to take up with Dooney. My feeling is that the photos were of the samples created and then something got "changed along the way."

My beef with the 10k for this race was the narrowness of sections of the course. I am a power walker, not a runner, but had to "run" at times to keep from getting behind the "balloon ladies" and then we were walking slow in certain sections because there were too many people for the space. This is only my 2nd 10k, and I did not experience this problem with the Princess 10k in February. Maybe it's because I was in a different coral than the last one for that race? I was in F for Star Wars but E for Princess....

 

[Chasing Dopey]

I did get a call back from Run Disney on Friday evening. I missed the call, but she left a message. Basically, sorry to hear about your experience at the expo, and sorry about your Dooney...passing this along to the merchandise teams, etc, etc. She left a number if I wanted to discuss further. I don't see the point, but I might call back to push the Dooney issue a little more since I really do feel like it was falsely advertised since it does not look exactly like the pictures they released.

If it were me, I would call them back to ask what steps they are taking to correct the years old merchandise problem. Years!

 

[PrincessV]

My beef with the 10k for this race was the narrowness of sections of the course. I am a power walker, not a runner, but had to "run" at times to keep from getting behind the "balloon ladies" and then we were walking slow in certain sections because there were too many people for the space. This is only my 2nd 10k, and I did not experience this problem with the Princess 10k in February. Maybe it's because I was in a different coral than the last one for that race? I was in F for Star Wars but E for Princess....

I'm a run-walker and had the same 10K experience from starting in E. It was insane! I've started in all different corrals in lots of different WDW races and I've never seen anything like that SW 10K. I hope they get it figured out for next year! I think all they really need to do is make more corrals with fewer people in them, like for the half. Reversing the course to start at WWOS and end at EP would help, too, I think.

 

[msmith07101]

If it were me, I would call them back to ask what steps they are taking to correct the years old merchandise problem. Years!

I just might...just for fun, because I know I won't get a really good answer.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I'm a run-walker and had the same 10K experience from starting in E. It was insane! I've started in all different corrals in lots of different WDW races and I've never seen anything like that SW 10K. I hope they get it figured out for next year! I think all they really need to do is make more corrals with fewer people in them, like for the half. Reversing the course to start at WWOS and end at EP would help, too, I think.

I 200% agree with all of this!!!!!

Started in E as well. Run mostly with some walk breaks. Crazy congestion, etc etc!!!

Seemed to me like a mix of:
1) Not enough corrals and
2) Seemingly random placement into corrals -- at least in E. No rhyme or reason.

 

[maw]

I just might...just for fun, because I know I won't get a really good answer.

Or you might talk to someone different who gives you a great answer! I hope it works out

 

[points envy]

Hey now... What are the dates of the 2017 dark side weekend? Peace and love!

 

[opusone]

Hey now... What are the dates of the 2017 dark side weekend? Peace and love!

April 20-23, 2017

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Hey now... What are the dates of the 2017 dark side weekend? Peace and love!

Peace and love, peace and love...

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

They have the vader shirt that says RUN on the Disney store website now. Am I crazy or was it also a tank top at the expo? I really wanted it in a tank top.

 

[hauntedcity]

They have the vader shirt that says RUN on the Disney store website now. Am I crazy or was it also a tank top at the expo? I really wanted it in a tank top.

I would have no way of knowing, since they were sold out by the time I visited the expo. Of course that could be said for many, many items. (not that I'm bitter, or anything)

 

[Cappy Wynne]

They have the vader shirt that says RUN on the Disney store website now. Am I crazy or was it also a tank top at the expo? I really wanted it in a tank top.

Nope, not crazy. I got a tank. I didn't realize until I got home that it's cotton and not tech fabric but that's OK.

 

[CDS Bump]

Happy Star Wars day to all my fellow inaugural runners, and those who will follow us!

 

[doombuggy]

Thanks, PrincessV and MickeyMinnieMom. I was dying from the heat from running and ended up with a migraine. I didn't get the opportunity to take advantage of any photo ops they had because of this (and waited 1 hour to get on a bus back to Epcot). I hope they do a better course next year. I spoke to a co-worker who also did the 1/2 and he said the problems were similar. The courses for this weekend were different (he said) because of the construction.

 

[whaler8]

Did everyone get the survey from runDisney this week about feedback for the SWDS Marathon Weekend? There was a very specific question asking about crowding on the race course and a whole section on shopping at the Expo.

 

[opusone]

Did everyone get the survey from runDisney this week about feedback for the SWDS Marathon Weekend? There was a very specific question asking about crowding on the race course and a whole section on shopping at the Expo.

I didn't get the survey, but it seems like quite a few did.

 

[msmith07101]

Did everyone get the survey from runDisney this week about feedback for the SWDS Marathon Weekend? There was a very specific question asking about crowding on the race course and a whole section on shopping at the Expo.

Nope...received other surveys after my trip, but not this one.

 

[camaker]

Did everyone get the survey from runDisney this week about feedback for the SWDS Marathon Weekend? There was a very specific question asking about crowding on the race course and a whole section on shopping at the Expo.

I got the survey and spoke extensively on both the course crowding (at least what I saw running from A/B corrals) and the expo and merchandising situation, including the need to ensure that race weekend participants have access to the commemorative merchandise. At least they are actively seeking feedback. I also thought it was good that they had a lot of free text fields to allow full description and explanations of answers and not just multiple choice questions that make everything seem rosier than it is.

 

[opusone]

I got the survey and spoke extensively on both the course crowding (at least what I saw running from A/B corrals)...

Just curious... did you really see course crowding from corrals A/B? I was in corral A for the 10k & half, and although the first mile was a little congested (until everyone sorted themselves out), I never felt that I couldn't run the pace I wanted.