Big runDisney announcement coming in April

[roomthreeseventeen]

Per Facebook:

Based on some of the responses to our posts about the WALT DISNEY WORLD Marathon Relay this week, you might that that was runDisney's big new news. It is big, and we're excited about it. But we have some even bigger news coming next month. What could it be? Stay tuned... we'll start to clue you in next week.-

 

[cloudnut220]

The people on facebook seem to think it's a new Disney race. Any guesses here?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

The people on facebook seem to think it's a new Disney race. Any guesses here?

Makes sense to me. When I went to the Jeff Galloway event, he said they were planning on a fourth race weekend.

 

[cloudnut220]

I wonder when they would do it. November?

 

[bunnyfoo]

It would be nice if they had a race weekend in May. I liked the Minnie 15K - it was nice to go for the Flower and Garden Festival and it was enough time in between marathon weekend and next January.

 

[Disfan11]

I'm hoping it's a Disneyland Princess 1/2 marathon!
That's a little closer to my home.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

It's definitely an Orlando based event.

 

[cewait]

I think the Flower and Garden tie is the thing.... though runDisney is also looking to do an international event, also.

 

[Danhockey04]

I'm thinking it is a Flower and Garden last weekend blast off event. It would occur in May and be the last blast for the event, the grand finale. It seems very feasible, but would they keep Everest Challenge if they did that? That's the only thing, I know they do Princess and ESPN 5k back to back. They could move Everest Challenge to a new date. Or it would be a first day of spring event in March, but I think May sounds better being it is less than one month from Princess to first day of spring. Either way, I see it tied to flower and garden. All we can do now is speculate till the announcement. Plus May is a lower attendance time before the big summer crowds, this could help draw more people to the parks then.

 

[cloudnut220]

but isn't it too hot to do a large scale event in May?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

but isn't it too hot to do a large scale event in May?

It's not any hotter in May than it is Wine & Dine.

 

[cloudnut220]

It's not any hotter in May than it is Wine & Dine.

True. I was there mothers day weekend and wine and dine weekend last year...and it was hot both times!

 

[cewait]

I dunno, there is a half ironman in May. Since the announcement is April, I expect the race to be April. There is a new phenom popping up, a 26.2 kilometer race, or a metric marathon.

I am looking at the property to see how one could break it up and bring in new venues. I think it would be cool to run in Blizzard Beach again. We did it in the marathon pre-AK and Disney made it snow for us.

So, Assuming...
Florida
A tie with the Flower and Garden
April

What character will be the official sponsor of the event?

We can rule out Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip and Dale and the Princesses.

Pluto comes to mind. One could tie the DVC properties in with the race.

 

[FireDancer]

I think the Flower and Garden tie is the thing.... though runDisney is also looking to do an international event, also.

That is what I am thinking as well. In one of the W&D threads at some point I mentioned doing a spring event for Flower & Garden to compliment the W&D and offer an extra medal for doing both. An Epcot double or something. I imagine it will be another half/half relay/5K. I do hope they use a different course than the W&D although doing the same course in the morning and again at night might not be too bad.

I lived in FL in May and they are going to have to start the event really early or after the sun goes down to avoid the heat. The half Ironman is in May so if they can do 70.3 miles I think I can do 13.1.

ETA: I was posting at the same time as you Charles. I'm not sure it would need a character tie in. The W&D is about the Food & Wine event so this could be about the Flower and Garden Event. It would also keep with the original idea of keeping Epcot free of non-original characters.

Speaking of which, the "Epcot Double" could be a Figment medal.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I dunno, there is a half ironman in May. Since the announcement is April, I expect the race to be April. There is a new phenom popping up, a 26.2 kilometer race, or a metric marathon.

I am looking at the property to see how one could break it up and bring in new venues. I think it would be cool to run in Blizzard Beach again. We did it in the marathon pre-AK and Disney made it snow for us.

So, Assuming...
Florida
A tie with the Flower and Garden
April

What character will be the official sponsor of the event?

We can rule out Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip and Dale and the Princesses.

Pluto comes to mind. One could tie the DVC properties in with the race.

What about Daisy? (Speaking of Flower and Garden(

 

[FFigawi]

I think the Flower and Garden tie is the thing.... though runDisney is also looking to do an international event, also.

Now that would be cool! You could do a Coast to Coast to Coast if you ran Disneyland, WDW, and Paris or wherever they put an international race.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I thought the whole point of even starting the races at Disney was for the opportunity to increase revenue and attendance for slower periods of time. I worked at Disney from January to July and it made sense for the WDW Marathon Weekend to be when it was because it was nice and slow. The Disney Princess Half is also when it is slow at the parks, not sure about the Wine & Dine Half being during a slower time of the year since I have never been to Disney during that month. The only real exception to the rule may be the DL half because it isn't a real slow time of year but it isn't the busiest either.

Traditionally, isn't the end of March up until the end of August really busy at WDW? I am still holding out hope that they will have a race at one of the international parks or all of them!

 

[Danhockey04]

March and April are busy as Spring Break is going on, May slows down significantly because its the last month of school and people are waiting for summer vacation to take their trips.

 

[es45]

So, Assuming...
Florida
A tie with the Flower and Garden
April

What character will be the official sponsor of the event?

We can rule out Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip and Dale and the Princesses.

Pluto comes to mind. One could tie the DVC properties in with the race.

Flower and Garden Character sponsor: Tinker Bell and the other fairies.

 

[FireDancer]

One second thought the timing might be off for a Flower and Garden run. It is too late to announce a race for May 2011 and seems a bit early to announce one for May 2012.

If that isn't it I can't imagine what it would be. Another fall event seems unlikely. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.