Race Retreat - WDW Marathon - Who's done it? Thoughts?

[Suzann]

Hi everyone... I've been absent on these boards for a while! But I've signed up for the WDW Marathon (my first full marathon, SO EXCITED!!!) and wanted to know people's opinions on the race retreat. Was it worth it? Did you enjoy it?

And what about the Pasta in the Park party too?

 

[cewait]

Contrary to the 'who's done it" tag...

I have not used the retreat, but would have paid dearly for a spot in 2010 - the big freeze.

Here is my read on whether the tent is worth the $$. If you want some pampering and to get out of the normal early morning chill, then the retreat has your name written all over it. The tent breaks the small breeze, has carpet, food, drink and more port potties/person than the remainder of the waiting area. You also get a special gear check area. The RD touts post race refreshments and massages, but you get about the same stuff with out the tent. There is a character photo op or two and you get released out to the start line just a little early.

I have never purchased the package. It was new in 06 or 7 and frankly I have made enough friends through the years that I would not use the tent to its full extent. I think there is an advantage to the runner to acclimate to the morning weather. Most years, standing out is not that bad. If you want to sit, grab a pool towel and use it as a mat in the staging area.

A cautionary advisory...One thing to understand as you look at the retreat brochure and the upper end spectator chear packages you will note that they both use the retreat tent. However, you the runner will be out of the tent and hopefully in your corral before spectators are allowed into the tent. I know there are a few complaints from folks who think their spectating crew will be able to hang in the tent with them prior to being released to the race. Just an advisory...

So to me the bottom line is that if this is well within budget, then go for it.


Pasta Feed.... The DJ, special place to watch fireworks, 4 hour's worth of park entrance and character photo ops are really what you are purchasing. The meal is not much to write home about. This may sound negative, but I have attended two of the three offered. I think one of the neat things of running marathons is meeting and talking with other runners from around the country and world. This makes the past in the park a unique event and one that has been worth the time and money. This year they are splitting the event across 3 nights, I am not sure what this will bring to this year's pasta feed.

 

[twoWDWfools]

I had the retreat in 2009 thanks to a friend who unfortunately got injured and did not make it. His wife had paid for it for him as a gift and he hated to see it go to waste so told me to take the wristband for it when I got his packet.

Can say there are a couple things I truly enjoyed.
1) far easier to get to a porta potti

2) someplace to sit other than the ground. Was very important to me after the race (it was my first full)

3) gear check much easier

4) there was far more variety of food available before AND after the race. Not just bananas, apples, and the same muffins I swear they've been passing off on us for years. Before it was fruit, yogurt, eggs (hard boiled if I remember), bagels, toast, etc. After there was fruit salad, pasta, rolls, lunchmeat/cheese, cookies, brownies. Couple other things I just cannot recall at the moment. So unless they've changed it, the food is different than what is given to you after the race outside the tent.

On the flip side, you aren't hanging around with friends before the race. I ran back and forth that year (if it had been 2010 I would've been waving from inside )

 

[EddieMccoy2]

I've used the Retreat area for the Half & the Princess. I absolutely love it. If it is in your budget, go for it, if not, no big deal. It gives you a nice place to hang out before the race and relax. The port-a-potty situation was great as was the bag check. After the race, the line for the massage table wasn't too bad and the food was perfect for me after both of the races. They also give you a little gift, the half this year it was socks and for Princess it was flip flops. I love not having to worry about whether I'm going to be standing around in bad weather (Cold / wet) before a race. You do not get to the start line any quicker than the rest. I have already signed up for it again this year and will continue to do so. Go for it if it you can swing it.

 

[disney_runner]

I bought it for my first Half in 2008 and found it to be a waste - personally. We found the lines for the Potties to actually be shorter outside the tent. All the chairs were already taken by the time we entered the tent so we ended up on the ground anyway. The food part was good for my friend, but not for me since I can't eat before or immediately after a run anyway, so that was pointless for me. Gear check was very nice though! Plus, the extra character meet/greet inside the tent was really cool too. But overall, the cost just didn't make sense to me. So I won't be doing it again. Maybe it's changed a lot in 5 years, I don't know! But there's my 2 cents!

 

[cobbler]

Good question OP and I would like to hear more. This year was my first marathon weekend (ran other halfs before, just not during the big weekend) and I was so freaking cold sitting on the ground in my corral I would have loved some warmth.

I too can't eat a lot before the race, I think it's my nerves because I can eat at home and go run but nothing sounds appealing and I have to force myself to eat something at the race.

I was so cold at the end of the race too, go figure because I'm from MI so an after race tent might be nice.

 

[cewait]

Good question OP and I would like to hear more. This year was my first marathon weekend (ran other halfs before, just not during the big weekend) and I was so freaking cold sitting on the ground in my corral I would have loved some warmth.

I too can't eat a lot before the race, I think it's my nerves because I can eat at home and go run but nothing sounds appealing and I have to force myself to eat something at the race.

I was so cold at the end of the race too, go figure because I'm from MI so an after race tent might be nice.

This year was not all that bad - cool but not overly so. I think if one is not accustomed to the humidity you feel cooler than the true ambient. Also, the tent does not really help with the corral wait. I feel badly for the G folks on a cool/cold morning knowing they are stuck in the corrals for 30 minutes more than the first folks.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I have not done the race retreat, but I did do the Pasta in the Park party last year. I was on a solo trip, so it wasn’t that much fun. (I will be with my husband and parents next year, so we’ll see.) I DID enjoy watching Illuminations with a ton of other runners. There was nothing special about the view itself, but there was a very cool sense of camaraderie. I was a first time marathoner this year, and I was very nervous. Being around other runners the first night in Orlando was a positive experience for me, personally.

(Also, the globe broke during Illuminations. Good times.)

 

[cobbler]

This year was not all that bad - cool but not overly so. I think if one is not accustomed to the humidity you feel cooler than the true ambient. Also, the tent does not really help with the corral wait. I feel badly for the G folks on a cool/cold morning knowing they are stuck in the corrals for 30 minutes more than the first folks.

I know it wasn't bad, not near as bad as it is in MI and I still felt so cold. I don't get it but oh well. MI is all about humidity, even in the winter it's a very wet cold that goes right to the bone and summer is humid as all get out too. Those darn lakes that surround us tend to do that

I was in corral D but we waited for quite a while before the race even started, I think an hour - maybe a bit less but long enough for me to feel like an ice cube.

What to do... what to do....

 

[disneyjanet]

My husband and I are both running the marathon this year and I'm also wondering if the race retreat might be a good idea since he runs much faster than I do and plans to wait for me at the finish. Could be up to an hour difference in our finish times.

 

[ZellyB]

Where do you sign up for the retreat tent or Pasta party? I don't think we'd be interested in the tent, but the Pasta party sounds fun. DH is looking on the rundisney site but isn't seeing it yet.

 

[cobbler]

Where do you sign up for the retreat tent or Pasta party? I don't think we'd be interested in the tent, but the Pasta party sounds fun. DH is looking on the rundisney site but isn't seeing it yet.

If you click on "event overview" you will see where you can register for the pasta party in the park and the race retreat.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

I've done it (in '11 after suffering through '10's big freeze without it) and would do it again. I got it as a Christmas present so I didn't actually pay for it, but would say it's worth it for:
1) Reasonable length porta-potty lines
2) A place to change after the race
3) The free breakfast that is pretty decent after the race
4) Some pretty cool swag (I still use my mini cooler as a lunch box)