Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend 2024

[Blue Caterpillar]

I'm going to blame lack of sleep, and I feel silly, but how do you the photo pass pics? In the app when I tried to type in the code it keeps saying invalid? Which option do you chose to type I. The code?

 

[StarGirl11]

Not as many character stops as WDW but the course is way better, it’s so cool running through the majority of the parks compared to highways.

they are sticking with the theme better this time though. I don’t think I’ve seen that many HM related stops ever. Let alone the hitchhiking ghosts and rare characters are my jam.

I will say rD here seems to make up for lank of quantity with quality, because some of these costumes I didn’t even know existed. Were an option to have out before this weekend.

Which kudos to whoever listened to us in January. Because it felt like it was lacking in that department on both fronts.

Me yesterday: We should go slower tomorrow
Me today: Gets so much momentum out of the gate that I’m about a couple hundred feet behind the lead chair for the first mile. Who usually podiums.

Whoops.

Well at least I made the right call by putting myself in the first set of athletes to push out I suppose. Because I clocked a 6:30 opening mile while coasting a chunk of it.

I eventually had to slow down. As my steering shaft got out of whack and was stuck turning right. Made for an interesting second half of the 10k

Security was the best I’ve ever seen it I will say.

I'm going to blame lack of sleep, and I feel silly, but how do you the photo pass pics? In the app when I tried to type in the code it keeps saying invalid? Which option do you chose to type I. The code?

I just typed the code into the attraction photo and it linked without problem. Maybe check where you’re inputting?

 

[Naomeri]

I'm going to blame lack of sleep, and I feel silly, but how do you the photo pass pics? In the app when I tried to type in the code it keeps saying invalid? Which option do you chose to type I. The code?

If your bib is less than 5 digits, remember to put zeroes at the beginning to get it to 5 digits

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Would love to hear more about the hotel transportation if anyone was able to actually use it. Sounds like something not to be relied on from report above. I'm staying at the Grand, and I really don't want to have to go through security again on the way back. Hopefully they get it worked out for tomorrow.

 

[fatmanatee]

Character info! This is coming from an account on twitter called CharactersPBlog, not sure if they’re on other socials.

 

[ValW2]

My shuttle experience for the Disneyland Hotel: Got in line just before 4am, 2 shuttles showed up within minutes. Got on no problem. After the race, walked to shuttle area. 2 were waiting - 1 for DLH and 1 for GC. Left within minutes of boarding. No problems! Will definitely use it again for the half.

 

[AZMermaid]

Wow!! They listened on the character situation from January!

 

[Novatrix]

My shuttle experience for the Disneyland Hotel: Got in line just before 4am, 2 shuttles showed up within minutes. Got on no problem. After the race, walked to shuttle area. 2 were waiting - 1 for DLH and 1 for GC. Left within minutes of boarding. No problems! Will definitely use it again for the half.

How many people were in line when you got there? Because it was LONG when myself and a bunch of others decided to walk instead.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

My shuttle experience for the Disneyland Hotel: Got in line just before 4am, 2 shuttles showed up within minutes. Got on no problem. After the race, walked to shuttle area. 2 were waiting - 1 for DLH and 1 for GC. Left within minutes of boarding. No problems! Will definitely use it again for the half.

That's awesome. I will cross my fingers for a similar experience tomorrow. Thanks for the report.

 

[Bree]

WDW will need to step up their game after this weekend. I’m so glad the race themes sucked me in and that I gave DL a second chance.

The characters were absolutely awesome. Some of the character lines would not use your personal phone for pics. It was photopass only and they moved so much faster. Photopass is included with the races this weekend and I think that may have something to do with it.

My favorite part of the reunion area was that not only did they add tables, but they had big umbrellas between them for shade.

I forgot a visor for the half so I went to the expo around 4pm yesterday. Still lots of merch left.

 

[Flashfacts]

I used the DLH shuttle this morning. I probably was in line around when Novatrix left. I saw 2 busses leave when I first got there (3:30ish?) and the line moved far enough that I felt confident I'd get on the second bus then they returned. We waited a while and a bunch of people left, but the 1st bus got there not too long after that. The second one that I got on took a few more minutes.

I'm glad I waited, but I wasn't as far in my training as I wanted so didn't want to put in the extra steps with the weather. I have a photo in E correl at 4:26, so I got there in plenty of time. It sounds like there was a bigger rush early on, so maybe keep that in mind.

The shuttle on the way back was easy to get on, but took a little longer due to traffic.

 

[StarGirl11]

WDW will need to step up their game after this weekend. I’m so glad the race themes sucked me in and that I gave DL a second chance.

The characters were absolutely awesome. Some of the character lines would not use your personal phone for pics. It was photopass only and they moved so much faster. Photopass is included with the races this weekend and I think that may have something to do with it.

My favorite part of the reunion area was that not only did they add tables, but they had big umbrellas between them for shade.

I forgot a visor for the half so I went to the expo around 4pm yesterday. Still lots of merch left.

Photopass being included while making the lines photopass only is kinda brilliant decision on someone’s part if you think about it. Because I do think rD being worried is what lead to lack of characters in Jan. So having the PP be included. While making sure you have a means to keep the line moving. Both helps keep someone from worrying about the sweeps and allows for them to put more characters out. And keeps a runner from complaining because hey they’re already getting these photos with their registration so even if they can’t use their phone they’ll still get it.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

Seeing reports elsewhere that course was cut today. Does anyone know details?

 

[Bree]

Seeing reports elsewhere that course was cut today. Does anyone know details?

Is it that post on Reddit?

Course was not shortened and flag level was still green when I finished.

 

[AZMermaid]

I read on FB that there were no balloon ladies? The poster said they were told to watch for balloon ladies and there were none and they were swept. They were okay with it, said they should have tracked the time better, but caught off guard.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

I read on FB that there were no balloon ladies?

I don’t have confirmation but I read that their balloons popped and they carried umbrellas?

 

[lookingforsunshine]

and flag level was still green when I finished.

It doesn’t make sense to me that the flag level was green the whole race considering all the heat warning emails they have been sending. At least it should be yellow?

 

[fatmanatee]

Saw a vid from the course, looks like they had Kylo at his ship (good!) and Moon Knight on the balcony (eh). Not a lot of optimism that they’ll have a closer Marvel character photo op at this point. Nice to hear that they've made significant improvements across the board though, I figured a lot of this was just them working out the kinks of being back for the first time in awhile but I think they took a lot of complaints to heart.

I will say, re the 5k water stop... it's a tough situation. I think the one stop is their standard for 5ks, probably to reduce the chances of bottlenecks, and something I've noticed across the board is that race orgs really underestimate how much water gets consumed when temps are higher, people take more and they just don't have enough supply. Same thing happened with me at the NYC Marathon a couple of years ago, they ran out of cups at two consecutive stops midway through the race, I think bc a lot of people were doubling and tripling up with the cups (they did have water, they were just filling whatever containers people had or pouring pitchers directly into runners hands and mouths). I ended up grabbing a plastic cup from a bar on the route and carried it with me for a few miles. You'd think NYRR would be as prepared as any org handling this stuff, but it still happens. Was really not happy about that though.

 

[Bree]

It doesn’t make sense to me that the flag level was green the whole race considering all the heat warning emails they have been sending. At least it should be yellow?

I thought the same thing. I was surprised we didn’t get at least a yellow flag warning in an email pushed out last night.

All the corrals were out by 5:30 too.

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

It seems for A corral that the cutoff went to about 2:20 for a half from a couple I talked to.