How would you improve runDisney?

[tarak]

Totally agreed on POT for the 10k, it’s a timed race so they should seed it appropriately.

Also agree on portas in the corrals. I always duck out at the back of the start chute and knowing I can do that alleviates a lot of my anxiety, but I hate having to sprint there and back.

This was my first 10k, and I didn’t realize we wouldn’t get a POT. I’m not a fast runner and had to stop training for a month due to an injury, so I was just happy to finish ahead of the balloon ladies. I was really surprised at the number of people walking like they were ambling through the world showcase after drinking around the world, especially at the beginning.

The amount of trash was truly shocking to me, particularly the foil blankets, which were just hazardous for the folks in the later corrals. Some people will just be pigs and throw everything on the ground, but maybe place bins for these, so they aren’t piled several feet deep and wide? Or maybe I just didn’t see them?

 

[Naomeri]

This was my first 10k, and I didn’t realize we wouldn’t get a POT. I’m not a fast runner and had to stop training for a month due to an injury, so I was just happy to finish ahead of the balloon ladies. I was really surprised at the number of people walking like they were ambling through the world showcase after drinking around the world, especially at the beginning.

The amount of trash was truly shocking to me, particularly the foil blankets, which were just hazardous for the folks in the later corrals. Some people will just be pigs and throw everything on the ground, but maybe place bins for these, so they aren’t piled several feet deep and wide? Or maybe I just didn’t see them?

There isn't a great way to deal with the Mylar in the corrals, everyone has to take it off before the start line, but they don't want to take it off too early because then they get cold. And it's so crowded, you can't always get over to the fence, so you just toss it in the right direction and hope. Putting trash bins in the start chute would just be a different hazard.

 

[tarak]

There isn't a great way to deal with the Mylar in the corrals, everyone has to take it off before the start line, but they don't want to take it off too early because then they get cold. And it's so crowded, you can't always get over to the fence, so you just toss it in the right direction and hope. Putting trash bins in the start chute would just be a different hazard.

It occurred to me that would create just another hazard, so no perfect solution, as you said.

 

[fatmanatee]

The amount of trash was truly shocking to me, particularly the foil blankets, which were just hazardous for the folks in the later corrals. Some people will just be pigs and throw everything on the ground, but maybe place bins for these, so they aren’t piled several feet deep and wide? Or maybe I just didn’t see them?

They only had a few boxes for garbage up near the stage. I was in C hugging the right barricade and there was nowhere outside the corral to dump stuff so i lodged my blanket into a notch in the barricade. I’m guessing that after awhile this overflowed. In other races that have a straight line corral I’d have a better chance at dumping my excess gear to the side.

The issue, and I don't know how fixable this is, is that you’re in the corral for at least 30 minutes (more likely closer to an hour), it’s a winding corral, and in this case everyone was freezing their butts off. The corral setup makes it very difficult to do a better job of offloading extra gear.

 

[Zutroy]

They solved one corral problem by creating another problem. There used to be a long walk out to Epcot Center drive where the race started—like a 30 min, mile + walk to the corrals. If you were running late, good luck getting to the start line. The benefit was that corrals all stretched down the road making it easier for all the start groups follow each other, and they had portapotties right next to each corral. Now, everyone is all bunched together in a smaller space leading to the issues people are complaining about.

Here are some photos from the 2022 when they briefly experimented with numbers instead of letters. You can see the line of toilets by Start Group 1, and then see just how far down the road the corrals stretched.

 

[Naomeri]

They solved one corral problem by creating another problem. There used to be a long walk out to Epcot Center drive where the race started—like a 30 min, mile + walk to the corrals. If you were running late, good luck getting to the start line. The benefit was that corrals all stretched down the road making it easier for all the start groups follow each other, and they had portapotties right next to each corral. Now, everyone is all bunched together in a smaller space leading to the issues people are complaining about.

Here are some photos from the 2022 when they briefly experimented with numbers instead of letters. You can see the line of toilets by Start Group 1, and then see just how far down the road the corrals stretched.

View attachment 929907
View attachment 929908

Yeah, I didn't hate the highway corrals the 2 races I did that had them, but I didn't love having to walk in the wet grass to get there

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I will add one more, since I think the 5k needs work. Based on doing the Princess 5k in 2023 and 2024: they need more characters, and for goodness sake, the runners and buses should use different routes. It’s a pain to be done and waiting to get on the buses since they don’t open the buses until all participants have cleared the road.

 

[camaker]

I will add one more, since I think the 5k needs work. Based on doing the Princess 5k in 2023 and 2024: they need more characters, and for goodness sake, the runners and buses should use different routes. It’s a pain to be done and waiting to get on the buses since they don’t open the buses until all participants have cleared the road.

They did that one year. We all complained how far the walk to the buses was after the race!

 

[Naomeri]

I will add one more, since I think the 5k needs work. Based on doing the Princess 5k in 2023 and 2024: they need more characters, and for goodness sake, the runners and buses should use different routes. It’s a pain to be done and waiting to get on the buses since they don’t open the buses until all participants have cleared the road.

The answer to this is: run slower

 

[The Expert]

The answer to this is: run slower

This is the way.

 

[Barca33Runner]

I’ve been running at Marathon Weekend since 2012 and I’ve definitely felt an erosion of the standard of care at both rD races and at WDW over that time. Treatment of the runners has changed to being a burden rather than being the special guests of the Parks and Resorts during the events. And there’s a getting nickeled and dimed feeling about so much of the Weekend that’s tough for me to shake.

They’re making their money on these weekends so there is very little incentive to go the extra mile to make things special. I know I’ll be back, so maybe I’m part of the problem. There has always been something a little intangible about the Disney quality/aura/ magic; I can’t pinpoint exactly what has changed about the experience, but it feels different and not as good.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Can’t remember who suggested this, but I really like the idea of a runner etiquette video as part of the waiver process. In my opinion this was a pretty good year of runners following general etiquette, but given how much rD is an entry point for runners the more info provided the better.

I know this is nothing new, but I would really like to see rD base some races in other parks. I know there are logistics, costs and guest experience issues that make Epcot work well, but it would be so fun to mix it up a bit. The first year of the Spring Surprise we had the 5K at AK. There were some weather issues, but so cool to run at night in another park!

And my hot take, the medals have gotten out of hand. They are pretty, but too heavy, chip too easily and simply do too much. One of my favorite parts of the rD weekend are the medals, people wearing them and congratulating each other - so much fun! But wow the Dopey medal this year felt like I would end up with back problems trying to wear it around the park.

And don’t get me started on the race merchandise at the expo…. This past week I watched while cast members had to block people while others tried to restock jackets repeatedly having to tell people to stay back until they were done, truly madness! So much gone so early in the day, I went in around 1:45-2 on Wednesday and there was one male, just one, male Dopey shirt left; extra small…

Of course, see you at SS25 and MW26.

 

[Naomeri]

I know this is nothing new, but I would really like to see rD base some races in other parks. I know there are logistics, costs and guest experience issues that make Epcot work well, but it would be so fun to mix it up a bit. The first year of the Spring Surprise we had the 5K at AK. There were some weather issues, but so cool to run at night in another park!

Yeah, I can see it being harder to do longer races based elsewhere on property, but they could definitely do 5Ks in any of the parks, and since 5Ks are done so quick (comparatively), it would mostly satisfy the parks-side's desire to get us runners out of the way of the other guests.

 

[Stitch&Co.]

I will add one more, since I think the 5k needs work. Based on doing the Princess 5k in 2023 and 2024: they need more characters,

I was very surprised when I did my first 5K at W&D in 2023. Everything I had heard/read about the 5K’s lead me to believe that it was all about the characters but the first character stop was just before the 1 mile mark and then maybe every half mile after. But because the lines were so long if you stopped for the first few characters you couldn’t get the last characters because they closed the lines. Either add more characters to help spread out the lines or keep the course open for longer. I’ve done 2 RunDisney 5K’s and will do my last during Springtime Surprise. I just don’t find the value in them.

 

[fatmanatee]

RE: the medals, really wish they would take a step back from all the elaborate stuff, but they've backed themselves into a corner and it seems like they feel like they can't backtrack from this stuff. I don't need the springs, or the spinners, or the sliders! I was very nervous bringing back all the medals from this weekend because I was convinced one of them would break or bend, particularly the ones with springs. Just give me a nice, well-themed medal and I'm good.

 

[Zutroy]

RE: the medals, really wish they would take a step back from all the elaborate stuff, but they've backed themselves into a corner and it seems like they feel like they can't backtrack from this stuff. I don't need the springs, or the spinners, or the sliders! I was very nervous bringing back all the medals from this weekend because I was convinced one of them would break or bend, particularly the ones with springs. Just give me a nice, well-themed medal and I'm good.

100% agree. A medal can still be amazing without having to spin. If anything, starting with the idea that a medal needs movements limits the designs that are possible. I still think the 2020 Princess half medal is the best medal RD ever put out. No spinning or sliding or opening. Simple and absolutely gorgeous, and I still have fomo for passing on that weekend because I was tired after having done Star Wars, W&D, and Dopey right before. The worst part was I was in the parks that weekend anyway, and had to see everyone wearing the medal.

 

[marty3d]

100% agree. A medal can still be amazing without having to spin. If anything, starting with the idea that a medal needs movements limits the designs that are possible. I still think the 2020 Princess half medal is the best medal RD ever put out. No spinning or sliding or opening. Simple and absolutely gorgeous, and I still have fomo for passing on that weekend because I was tired after having done Star Wars, W&D, and Dopey right before. The worst part was I was in the parks that weekend anyway, and had to see everyone wearing the medal.

View attachment 930169

Agreed - but also agree they have painted themselves into a corner - seen some influencers complain about medals with no moving parts for DL race weekend.

 

[The Expert]

I know this is nothing new, but I would really like to see rD base some races in other parks. I know there are logistics, costs and guest experience issues that make Epcot work well, but it would be so fun to mix it up a bit. The first year of the Spring Surprise we had the 5K at AK. There were some weather issues, but so cool to run at night in another park!

Yeah, I can see it being harder to do longer races based elsewhere on property, but they could definitely do 5Ks in any of the parks, and since 5Ks are done so quick (comparatively), it would mostly satisfy the parks-side's desire to get us runners out of the way of the other guests.

AGREE! If Disneyland can pull off their 5K entirely in the park, WDW can certainly do the same.

Also agree on the medals. My favorite ones are the 2017 Princess 10K, the 2018 Princess 10K (Merida) and my Castle to Chateau. Play with the shapes and design elements, but dump the gimmicky stuff that breaks unless it makes sense with the race theme -- ie. Kessel Run or the SS Everest 5K medal that is a compass.

 

[fatmanatee]

Agreed - but also agree they have painted themselves into a corner - seen some influencers complain about medals with no moving parts for DL race weekend.

I'm almost tempted to ask who is saying this so I can argue with them over this.

 

[FFigawi]

The 20th anniversary medal will always be one of their best. The mile 20 spectacular surprise? Not so much.