Race Retreat/Cheer Squad for Princess 1/2 ?

[Repeates]

My daughter and husband are running in the Princess half marathon in February. I was debating whether I should add the Race Retreat package for them ( worth it?) and the Cheer Squad for myself and son.

Where is the best area for me to see them as they run by at different spots on the course?

 

[bumbershoot]

Many people head to the monorail and watch from TTC, then inside MK, then back to Epcot for the finish. My cousin’s husband did that last year no problem.

You don’t need a ticket to watch from inside MK.


Race retreat is ok. I used it when I NEEDED to eat real food quickly. I was new to the Half distance and if i didn’t have real food fast my stomach would shut down for hours and I wouldn’t eat until almost dinner. That’s not good.

I didn’t get there early enough to appreciate the tent before heading to corrals. And you have to do that about an hour before the start to shoot for the front of your corral.

ChEAR squad merely gets you *reserved* places to watch at the end and at MK. And maybe a blanket. I think Platinum gets you access to the RR tent at the end of the race.

 

[Bree]

ChEar Squad bleachers are literally right next to the regular bleachers at the finish line. ChEar Squad viewing in MK is in front of the castle, but spectators can watch from the train station all the way down Main Street until they are right next to ChEar Squad. ChEar Squad does not provide any type of special transportation back and forth between MK & Epcot so you will be using the monorail just like any other spectator.

I just had race retreat for the Marathon only because my DH insisted on having Platinum ChEar Squad which got him into the race retreat tent while I was running. I personally think it’s a complete waste of money for either and he finally agrees with me. It’s about a mile walk (I’m not kidding) from the runner staging area to the corrals so in order to utilize the tent in the morning you need to get there very early. All I used it for was dropping my gear bag off. After the race I spent maybe 15 minutes in there??? I picked up my gear bag, put my flip flops on, had some chocolate milk & macaroni and cheese then left. The “special gift” this year was a paper booklet to log your running and that was handed out when picking up your retreat wristband at the expo. ChEar Squad got that booklet and a blanket. That was an expensive meal. $120 for chocolate milk and Mac & cheese.

 

[Repeates]

Thank you, that is great information to know! As a spectator, should I plan on being there about 30 minutes after they begin to head to TTC and then MK? Is there a certain mile marker that runners really like to see spectators for motivation?