bumbershoot
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
- Messages
- 69,750
(Forgive typos and autocorrects I missed...I'll fix any remaining problems later)
(Also, for those just interested in the normal island 5k, this isn't about that, it's about an inaugural paid run after the wdw marathon weekend. So it's somewhat off topic but kind of still on topic lol)
The challenge:
The ahead of time stuff was poorly done. No info until two weeks before and that is If you happened to notice that the PDF was up on rundisney. If you didn't notice that you wouldn't know where to pick up bibs. I happened to see their booth at the expo and was very surprised. With shirt and bib you are given the pamphlet...that tells you to pick up bib at the expo. Ugh.
The advertising said there would be talks and special food offerings...there was a one hour session encompassing things we should have already known and some questions. And there was a special smoothie to buy with coconut water and kale and stuff, but it was only available to buy (only mentioned in the navigator) on the day of the run and the next day, so it was a recovery drink not a preparation drink. That's it.
The merchandise went on sale when shops opened the first night, which meant runners with main dining got to skip having dinner with their family. There were two lines on either side of the Sea Treasures store and they did limit people to two of each item. That didn't feel like a limit when you were still in line watching people with 10 shirts in their arms lol. I ended up only barely liking one shirt but not enough to pay $40. Got a magnet and a bondiband with the challenge logo on it.
The Navigator app said there would be shirts etc and water bottles but there were no water bottles. Don't get between rundisney participants and their merchandise, and don't give us bad info.... There were no bottles even made. The app info was wrong.
Turns out there was a ton of merchandise left. Especially the pins of the medal. Sooooo many of those.
We docked at something like midnight which meant we were booking it from Nassau. Not the most pleasant night, in terms of ship movement.
Buffet at 5am. Vista cafe also opened early. Spectators had to get off with runners, since the island wasn't officially open. Post-race we had to get back on then officially off. At 5:45 we needed to be in the theater where we were seated in corrals. A left first then B then C.
It was a mile to the start.
The big Dream logo on the side of the ship facing the dock (so the port side?) is all lit up. None of us knew that but since we were off the ship in the dark, we found out.
The start was just a bit outside the entrance to the loop. Different spot than normal. Christiaan was there with Mickey (so glad Christiaan was the CD) and loud music was playing. Then up the runway, right onto the paved path along Serenity bay (might've been the cabana path?).
Out and back on a very very very narrow course. Many people do not understand the concept of running on the left and walking on the right. Many do not understand that if you are a group, you are unpassable. Sigh. I ended up with a weird mark on my leg that must have been from brushing against some plant while trying to maneuver around people.
Some cute costumes.
Even with a race start of 7am (and a walk of a mile, even when the rundisney guy says it's half a mile) and even in January it was hot.
So out and back, then left to the runway again, the one water stop they provided for the paid 5k, then into the loop. We ran clockwise, which is different than the normal course, where you go counterclockwise both times, and we only had one loop thank goodness. Out of the loop to the left, and a bit of a straightaway to the finish.
Got the new medal I posted above plus the challenge medal. Box of rundisney food and some water. Went back to the ship.
They had a backdrop for pictures on the island. To show the level of disconnect there was, they touted the backdrop while telling us to not bring medals on the island. Don't bagcheck them. Ok, but this is a challenge, and people are going to want to have them. Yay for Christiaan who was at the meeting, because he stepped in and firmly stated that they would bring the backdrop onto the ship for pictures later, and it was done. But the rundisney people hadn't even thought about all that. Just odd.
There was kidcare for the run but it wasn't advertised at all until you were there on the ship. This is info to be given pre registration.
Pictures on the challenge course were taken by ship photographers so you bought them on the ship. Made me almost buy a picture or wish that we were photo package buyers, just to not deal with marathonfoto lol.
Kinks were encountered and maybe worked out. So princess should be smoother. Or at the very least Dis participants will have more info/warning lol.
But given how early they had to get to the Cay to have the biggest chance of docking, given the reality of what would have happened if we hadn't been able to dock*), the disruption to the CMs (some of whom didn't know a thing about the event) who had to get up even earlier to help out, etc etc, I'm not sure of the future of the thing.
My cynical heart tells me it's just the way they are easing us into a paid island 5k that's not as formal as the challenge but is still a paid thing.
But then my betraying fingertips found themselves on disneycruise last night, estimating when next year's would be, just in case.
*while not docking wasn't mentioned, they did talk about weather. If there had been lightning there would be NO run, but we would still need to meet at 5:45 and they would hand out medals. They weren't even planning for an on-ship run if the island run couldn't happen. It felt mighty uncomfortable in the room when they said that!
