Official 2018 Star Wars - Light Side Half Marathon Weekend - Cancelled

[Dis_Yoda]

It doesn't make sense. R2D2 is barely even in the movie. This makes me less bummed about skipping it. We were gonna bring my best friends daughter. This would be a terrible message to send her.

While they may not be featured on the medals this year, they still will have Rey and Leia in the decor and clothing and possibly shirts. They have featured Leia a ton the past few years and Rey some this past year even with Rey not being in the description (IIRC).

 

[D-Trick]

It doesn't make sense. R2D2 is barely even in the movie.

Ah ha! This could be a hint that R2 plays a large part in The Last Jedi (which will have been out for almost a month out by the time of this scheduled run). =)

 

[HCinKC]

Well, I've priced out a family trip, so I might still be in for this...if they ever release sign ups. Hotels are easy because they can be canceled, but airfare...sigh. There's a decent price for us right now, but there's no way I'm getting it without knowing. Hopefully, the idea that they'll announce after the next race is true, and airfare is still decent.

 

[D-Trick]

Hotels are easy because they can be canceled, but airfare...sigh.

Don't quote me on this, but we're still not at the point where airfare prices will be at their lowest. Airlines have higher pricing during two times:

1. Way in advance when people like yourself are planning a major trip and therefore pressured to book, and
2. Very last minutes when people need to fly out ASAP.

So what does that leave? The middle, which is around the 60 day mark. Now, I understand most people cannot risk holding off until 2 months prior, but the reasoning is this: At around this time, airlines are getting a good idea of how full their flights are going to be. Flights are going to take off regardless whether their seats are full or empty. Therefore it's better to fill up the seats and at least get something + ancillary revenue, rather than nothing.

SWLS is slated to be the middle of January. This is one of the lowest travel times of the year, because kids are back in school and most people have spent all their money buying gifts and traveling for the holidays. So I expect fare deals to come down eventually!

 

[cavepig]

I went to look at the HTML again and I don't see the Poe & BB-8 stuff, either they changed it since word got out on it or I'm missing it. I'm seeing less commented stuff then the other day.

 

[SarahDisney]

I went to look at the HTML again and I don't see the Poe & BB-8 stuff, either they changed it since word got out on it or I'm missing it. I'm seeing less commented stuff then the other day.

I'm wondering if they monitor these facebook groups and once they realized that someone had seen the commented parts of the HTML, they reverted to an older version of the page. It's definitely not there anymore.

 

[hotblooded]

You're all great sleuthers. I really hope this pans out soon.

 

[HCinKC]

Don't quote me on this, but we're still not at the point where airfare prices will be at their lowest. Airlines have higher pricing during two times:

1. Way in advance when people like yourself are planning a major trip and therefore pressured to book, and
2. Very last minutes when people need to fly out ASAP.

So what does that leave? The middle, which is around the 60 day mark. Now, I understand most people cannot risk holding off until 2 months prior, but the reasoning is this: At around this time, airlines are getting a good idea of how full their flights are going to be. Flights are going to take off regardless whether their seats are full or empty. Therefore it's better to fill up the seats and at least get something + ancillary revenue, rather than nothing.

SWLS is slated to be the middle of January. This is one of the lowest travel times of the year, because kids are back in school and most people have spent all their money buying gifts and traveling for the holidays. So I expect fare deals to come down eventually!

Yeah I know their tricky little schemes! SW is actually running a sale right now, so the free bags is a nice choice...kids and junk...although this time will be lighter since the littlest won't be in a stroller! I might miss the rolling storage for the airports though lol. The prices are very good right now for us, but if the race doesn't pan out, we won't be visiting over a holiday weekend. Best not to book yet!

 

[kirstie101]

The charity I ran with a couple years ago posted on their Facebook page today the following...

"We've been fielding lots of questions regarding 2018 Star Wars Light Side Weekend and Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend. WE can tell you what we heard from runDisney this morning, and that is to definitely expect changes and we should have the announcement by mid-August. Our rep has not indicated that SWLS will not be happening."

 

[94bruin]

Since I looked last Tuesday/Wednesday, the availability of on-site rooms has considerably shrunk. No standard rooms at any of the three resorts. Only DTD view rooms are available at DLH. At PP, only 1-bed suites are available. If you book through Disney directly, you are looking at about $600/night min to stay on-site. I could have sworn there were rooms available at PP & DLH for under $500/night.

I'm hoping that they are reserving a bunch of rooms for race participants and that this weekend is actually happening and that there will be better rates when they release rooms for race participants!

 

[hotblooded]

Since I looked last Tuesday/Wednesday, the availability of on-site rooms has considerably shrunk. No standard rooms at any of the three resorts. Only DTD view rooms are available at DLH. At PP, only 1-bed suites are available. If you book through Disney directly, you are looking at about $600/night min to stay on-site. I could have sworn there were rooms available at PP & DLH for under $500/night.

I'm hoping that they are reserving a bunch of rooms for race participants and that this weekend is actually happening and that there will be better rates when they release rooms for race participants!

I just booked off-site at the Staybridge Suites Anaheim at the Park, on Ball Road. It's less than a 15-minute walk down Disneyland Drive to the race start and Downtown Disney, and it's already at a great price before 2018 discount codes come out on Orbitz or Cheaptickets. I know you might be an on-site devotee (as I am at WDW) but there are reputable hotels in great locations if you can't find availability on Disney property. (And from your post history, you seem to have been to Disneyland more often than I have, so I'm sure you know that. )

 

[The Expert]

I've only stayed on-site at DL twice. It's just too expensive to justify, imho. I was at at hotel on the corner of Harbor and Katella for Tinker Bell weekend and it worked out just fine! As nice as it would be to have a shorter walk now and then, it wasn't worth twice the price.

 

[modisneychick]

My dh has done this race all 3 years. He was hoping to do 5 years for a possible special 5-year medal? I guess with the potential name change, this will not happen. :-( Still a great weekend though!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

The charity I ran with a couple years ago posted on their Facebook page today the following...

"We've been fielding lots of questions regarding 2018 Star Wars Light Side Weekend and Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend. WE can tell you what we heard from runDisney this morning, and that is to definitely expect changes and we should have the announcement by mid-August. Our rep has not indicated that SWLS will not be happening."

I just hope it doesn't involve a date change. February would be bad and March through April would be terrible for me to the point of having to cancel. As long as they keep the current pacing requirement, I'm okay with that. I'm not fast, but I will have foregone character photo ops to make sure that I finish.

My dh has done this race all 3 years. He was hoping to do 5 years for a possible special 5-year medal? I guess with the potential name change, this will not happen. :-( Still a great weekend though!

Rebel Challenge to Resistance Run is a very minor and slight change to better fit with the sequel trilogy of Star Wars movies where the light side heroes are part of the Resistance instead of the Rebel Alliance/Rebellion. A total shift away from Star Wars would be very major, but I don't see that happening for a while yet. I would be very surprised to see a thematic shift after they have taken registrations especially with a very specific theme such as Star Wars.

 

[Keels]

Just for curiosity's sake ... what if the Kessel Run was over two years - one year (2018), the Star Wars race was in Florida, and the next (2019) it was in California. It could be a rolling challenge, so you get the Kessel once you complete the second run, regardless of which coast you start your 2-year challenge on.

Would you like this challenge more or less? Would you be open to spending more time at Disney or keep your normal vacation routine?

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Just for curiosity's sake ... what if the Kessel Run was over two years - one year (2018), the Star Wars race was in Florida, and the next (2019) it was in California. It could be a rolling challenge, so you get the Kessel once you complete the second run, regardless of which coast you start your 2-year challenge on.

Would you like this challenge more or less? Would you be open to spending more time at Disney or keep your normal vacation routine?

That would be fine with my husband and I but we plan on continuing to do both races at the same time. (Well, Dark Side is 10K for me only)

I just want some answers - I have purposely held of travel arrangements but if this is moved out - I need to work on adding dates onto Marathon Weekend, Princess Weekend and Dark Side weekend.

 

[SarahDisney]

Just for curiosity's sake ... what if the Kessel Run was over two years - one year (2018), the Star Wars race was in Florida, and the next (2019) it was in California. It could be a rolling challenge, so you get the Kessel once you complete the second run, regardless of which coast you start your 2-year challenge on.

Would you like this challenge more or less? Would you be open to spending more time at Disney or keep your normal vacation routine?

I actually really like this idea. Depending on what else I have going on, it's not always feasible for me to take two vacations in one year (and not just financially - scheduling-wise, it can be very hard for me to go away for two weekends). I'd probably still do regular coast-to-coast at least once, but this would be a great way for me to get that Millenium Falcon medal without a huge inconvenience. (Plus, if I'm only doing one trip a year, there's a decent possibility that I'd try to make it a longer trip than two weekend trips would have been.)

 

[camaker]

Just for curiosity's sake ... what if the Kessel Run was over two years - one year (2018), the Star Wars race was in Florida, and the next (2019) it was in California. It could be a rolling challenge, so you get the Kessel once you complete the second run, regardless of which coast you start your 2-year challenge on.

Would you like this challenge more or less? Would you be open to spending more time at Disney or keep your normal vacation routine?

I wouldn't mind seeing a set-up like this. It can definitely be hard to fund and get away for two Disney vacations in a 4 month time frame and this would help spread things out a bit. The biggest drawback that I can see is that it might well boost demand for the weekends back up into the well past sell-out range and if you see people frustrated because they can't get in now, wait until you tie a special challenge medal to it that takes 2 calendar years to obtain! Much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the future, I can see!

 

[kirstie101]

I just hope it doesn't involve a date change. February would be bad and March through April would be terrible for me to the point of having to cancel. As long as they keep the current pacing requirement, I'm okay with that. I'm not fast, but I will have foregone character photo ops to make sure that I finish.

Rebel Challenge to Resistance Run is a very minor and slight change to better fit with the sequel trilogy of Star Wars movies where the light side heroes are part of the Resistance instead of the Rebel Alliance/Rebellion. A total shift away from Star Wars would be very major, but I don't see that happening for a while yet. I would be very surprised to see a thematic shift after they have taken registrations especially with a very specific theme such as Star Wars.

I don't think theres a date change coming.
If the problem is truly with the City of Anaheim and a new course, I don’t see how a date change would help in that situation. And the fact that there are issues with Tink which is a May date tells me that its probably not a date thing. Now on a separate note I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point the date for Tink changes but I don’t think it will be related to whats going on now. I also don’t see why the Star Wars date would change. They’ve been hosting a race on that date since Tinks 2nd year (2013 I think).

 

[kirstie101]

Just for curiosity's sake ... what if the Kessel Run was over two years - one year (2018), the Star Wars race was in Florida, and the next (2019) it was in California. It could be a rolling challenge, so you get the Kessel once you complete the second run, regardless of which coast you start your 2-year challenge on.

Would you like this challenge more or less? Would you be open to spending more time at Disney or keep your normal vacation routine?

I would love this! I might actually be able to make it work if they did it this way!