Star Wars Half Marathon Event Sprinting Toward Walt Disney World Resort in 2016

[GreatLakes]

I think it's simple supply/demand. When the races quit selling out in 30 minutes, either pricing or timing will be evaluated. Until that time however, Disney will continue to maximize their revenue streams.

And these races provide a really nice revenue on an otherwise low attendance time period(s).

Oh, I agree. Disney absolutely can charge that premium for their races as evidenced by how quickly they sell out and I can see why people really like them. I just don't see the value myself any longer. They are fun but when I can do 2 or 3 races for the price of one Disney race it is hard to justify. I have also done 5 Disney races so I don't feel as though I'm really missing anything not doing them as often. I'll do one again at some point but over the last few years I have gone down to do a race in Florida outside of Disney and then added on a few days. There are some good races down there and I can see other parts of Florida while getting in a few days at Disney so it's a win-win for me.

 

[Patsydust]

Ha ha ha! So I agree that Disney races are expensive. PHM was my first and I have run a good bunch of non-Disney races since. But I loved the feeling and all the characters they have along the way. It's a good bit of entertainment! I also think they have a good premium! Additionally you get to run through the parks! Especially with this race being an Inaugural I think its worth it. Obviously everyone's opinion is different, but I have been needing a Star Wars race for awhile and now I don't need to go across America to get to it! A little pricey yes? But I'm thinking its worth the splurge! A fun filled weekend from a galaxy far far away here I come!

 

[hungrygreenhippo]

Oh, I agree. Disney absolutely can charge that premium for their races as evidenced by how quickly they sell out and I can see why people really like them. I just don't see the value myself any longer. They are fun but when I can do 2 or 3 races for the price of one Disney race it is hard to justify. I have also done 5 Disney races so I don't feel as though I'm really missing anything not doing them as often. I'll do one again at some point but over the last few years I have gone down to do a race in Florida outside of Disney and then added on a few days. There are some good races down there and I can see other parts of Florida while getting in a few days at Disney so it's a win-win for me.

Yeah, I agree about no longer seeing the value. I was really into RunDisney for a few years, but now my desire to do any of the races has pretty much disappeared. I think my last RunDisney half was the inaugural Tinkerbell. When I saw the announcement yesterday, I figured I'd jump back in because I know I'll have a lot of friends running it too. But then I saw the price. For that amount of money I could have a really nice Victoria & Albert's meal. I'm on the fence for now.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I only do Disney races if I can tie them to a 10+ day WDW trip. Not interested in DL races as I am not interested in spending that much money to go all the way to California unless it is tied to a much larger west coast trip.

So, it isn't about the price tag to me. Vacations are expensive, and runDisney = vacation to me. But I would never pay these prices if I lived in/near Florida and was just heading over for a race.

 

[GrandAdmiralStrife]

hmmm, looking at the timing of the race (heart of the busy spring season) I wonder if there is not an underlying plan here. 2017 (40th anniversary of Star Wars) will see the potential return of Star Wars Celebration to Orlando (current rumor) and Episode VIII is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2017; it's possible they MIGHT be planning on having the race coincide with a potential Star Wars Convention (or I'm just seeing things that aren't really there)

 

[DOOM1001]

hmmm, looking at the timing of the race (heart of the busy spring season) I wonder if there is not an underlying plan here. 2017 (40th anniversary of Star Wars) will see the potential return of Star Wars Celebration to Orlando (current rumor) and Episode VIII is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2017; it's possible they MIGHT be planning on having the race coincide with a potential Star Wars Convention (or I'm just seeing things that aren't really there)

It's something they may have considered but I don't think it's a big factor.I think they chose mid April mainly because it's one of the few available months,there's not too many marathons or half marathons in Florida from May through September,too hot,too rainy,too humid so the likelihood of weather cancelling the race or people getting heatstroke pretty much rules those months out.October may get a new incarnation of ToT in the future,November has W&D,December is Holiday time,but if one day they chose to add another race early December would be a great time.January is marathon weekend,February has Princess,so that just leaves March and April and they went with April giving them a buffer between Princess and Star Wars.Look at my race schedule,I haven't done a race since mid March and from October through April I'll somehow be doing 10 race events,I left December race free but during the other months I'm doing a half or full almost every other week.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

hmmm, looking at the timing of the race (heart of the busy spring season) I wonder if there is not an underlying plan here. 2017 (40th anniversary of Star Wars) will see the potential return of Star Wars Celebration to Orlando (current rumor) and Episode VIII is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2017; it's possible they MIGHT be planning on having the race coincide with a potential Star Wars Convention (or I'm just seeing things that aren't really there)

This time period next year will have relatively low crowds. Easter is in March and Spring Break is well over. I expect them to move the date around in April to avoid Easter vacationers, but we will have to wait and see.

 

[Anisum]

It's something they may have considered but I don't think it's a big factor.I think they chose mid April mainly because it's one of the few available months,there's not too many marathons or half marathons in Florida from May through September,too hot,too rainy,too humid so the likelihood of weather cancelling the race or people getting heatstroke pretty much rules those months out.October may get a new incarnation of ToT in the future,November has W&D,December is Holiday time,but if one day they chose to add another race early December would be a great time.January is marathon weekend,February has Princess,so that just leaves March and April and they went with April giving them a buffer between Princess and Star Wars.Look at my race schedule,I haven't done a race since mid March and from October through April I'll somehow be doing 10 race events,I left December race free but during the other months I'm doing a half or full almost every other week.

I was thinking they might switch the timing of Dark Side with DL's Tink in 2017 because that would put it around May the Fourth. DL would still have February and March as a buffer and it would give WDW a larger buffer as well.

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

I was thinking they might switch the timing of Dark Side with DL's Tink in 2017 because that would put it around May the Fourth. DL would still have February and March as a buffer and it would give WDW a larger buffer as well.

That's an interesting thought. I don't know how fast Tink sold out when it was in January, but the May date seems to be slow. There are still Pixie Dust Challenge and half marathon spots open and registration was weeks ago. Not sure if Mother's Day has anything to do with it or if CA race weekend market is oversaturated. Avengers half still has spots open.

Maybe moving Tink would generate more interest? May the Fourth would be perfect (and coincides with the unofficial start of SWW the past couple years, though there's still a question if SWW will continue as previously) for a SW race.

 

[Anisum]

That's an interesting thought. I don't know how fast Tink sold out when it was in January, but the May date seems to be slow. There are still Pixie Dust Challenge and half marathon spots open and registration was weeks ago. Not sure if Mother's Day has anything to do with it or if CA race weekend market is oversaturated. Avengers half still has spots open.

Maybe moving Tink would generate more interest? May the Fourth would be perfect (and coincides with the unofficial start of SWW the past couple years, though there's still a question if SWW will continue as previously) for a SW race.

I know I felt bad about flying across the country on Mother's Day so I imagine there are other who won't run because of the date. That being said, it would put Star Wars around Mother's Day so I don't know how much better that would be.

 

[AThrillingChase]

You guys, I just woke up from a nightmare that I thought registration began at 2pm and I missed it (In the dream registration actually started at 1pm, so wow with that switch).

This has become my life.

 

[bcarey2k]

That's an interesting thought. I don't know how fast Tink sold out when it was in January, but the May date seems to be slow. There are still Pixie Dust Challenge and half marathon spots open and registration was weeks ago. Not sure if Mother's Day has anything to do with it or if CA race weekend market is oversaturated. Avengers half still has spots open.

Maybe moving Tink would generate more interest? May the Fourth would be perfect (and coincides with the unofficial start of SWW the past couple years, though there's still a question if SWW will continue as previously) for a SW race.

We just really don't enjoy the Disneyland courses as much as WDW. That said, we'll be there for Pixie Dust Challenge .... But we probably will not run the Avenger's race again.

 

[DVCFan1994]

This time period next year will have relatively low crowds. Easter is in March and Spring Break is well over. I expect them to move the date around in April to avoid Easter vacationers, but we will have to wait and see.

FYI the 2016 race dates coincide with most of the New England states spring Break. We get one in February for Princess and one the 3rd week of April, coincides with Patriots Day. Every time I've gone that week, the crowds have been at least moderate if not worse.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

FYI the 2016 race dates coincide with most of the New England states spring Break. We get one in February for Princess and one the 3rd week of April, coincides with Patriots Day. Every time I've gone that week, the crowds have been at least moderate if not worse.

IMO, the crowds will be moderate at worst on these dates in 2016. Mid-late April crowds are very reasonable when Easter falls in March. There is a reason that they chose this particular weekend next year.

 

[Sammyjo199]

This may have been asked before and of course this is speculation at best but.....do you think they will open the Hanger lounge and have some character stuff? I only ask because I'm trying to determine if this is worth going to or waiting for SWW.

 

[Z-Knight]

Can I ask a favor? Can we move this discussion to the main star wars dark side thread because it doesn't make sense to have separate ones to discuss the same thing.

http://disboards.com/threads/official-2016-star-wars-half-marthon-the-dark-side-weekend.3442015/