Delay in RunDisney Anaheim Return (if at all) or returns faster?

My stance has been that it was a cite excise to drop the Anaheim runs, so I’m not binding out hope that they’ll bring them back.

And remember they cited issues with the city for permits (when they hadn’t applied for permits yet) to scrap the runs. And this is another issue with the city.

I swear it’s like watching a sports team get bratty about leaving a city bc their locker rooms are old. What’s Disneyland gonna do, leave Anaheim?

I’m not surprised by this at all.
 
And remember they cited issues with the city for permits (when they hadn’t applied for permits yet) to scrap the runs. And this is another issue with the city.

To the best of my knowledge, Disney never cited issues with the city as part of cancelling the races. Their stance has always been (officially, at least) that the races were placed on hiatus due to the volume of construction going on around the resort that took up needed course and staging space. All of the speculation that I saw about city permits and the like was just that, internet speculation among folks who were trying to come up with a reason that Light Side registration closed and didn't reopen.
 
To the best of my knowledge, Disney never cited issues with the city as part of cancelling the races. Their stance has always been (officially, at least) that the races were placed on hiatus due to the volume of construction going on around the resort that took up needed course and staging space. All of the speculation that I saw about city permits and the like was just that, internet speculation among folks who were trying to come up with a reason that Light Side registration closed and didn't reopen.
Correct.

With that said the relationship isn't great right now between Disney and Anaheim. This hotel will likely still get built as they can't leave that area of DTD vacant.
 


I swear it’s like watching a sports team get bratty about leaving a city bc their locker rooms are old. What’s Disneyland gonna do, leave Anaheim?
Not quite.

Anaheim said they were giving them a tax break for the hotel. Disney moved the hotel site from one spot to another. Anaheim decided to revoke that tax incentive right before construction was set to begin. Anaheim was a bit petty in that they waited until the last possible second to make the change. Its all about trying to one up each other.
 
Well Tom Tait is out in November since his term limits are up. Two people seem to want to talk it out. I think this will greatly depend on the new make up of the city council. If I am not mistaken 3 seats and the mayor are up for grabs in November. I am sure Disney will push money to get people on their side. Both sides are going to play hard ball and I think Anaheim might be the one to give in first eventually.
 


The only thing for certain is that runDisney isn't coming back to the west coast until this is straightened out. I don't think Disney wants to leave that end of DTD vacant for long because vacant buildings and non-existent hotels do not generate revenue. I suspect that Disney is doing this before the election in an attempt to get this to go their way. If that doesn't work, then they'll figure something out in the next 6-12 months because they either need to get tenants back in those buildings or get that hotel built.

Honestly, I still think we're looking at 2021 or 2022 at the earliest before runDisney returns to the west coast.
 
So feel free to take this with a grain of salt, but I just returned from the Backstage Magic Adventures by Disney trip to Hollywood/Disneyland and one of our adventure guides who is a 20+ year Disney employee and seems very well connected, said he heard the Disneyland races are coming back in 2019. (It would certainly have to be later in 2019, if true, since I doubt they bring anything back to DL before Dark Side with registration for that race weekend about to open.) He said Disney has figured out they are losing money due to the cancellation of the DL race weekends (certainly not a surprise). He was speculating that if corralling in the Downtown Disney area is an issue because of construction, they might start and end the races at Angels Stadium...
 
So feel free to take this with a grain of salt, but I just returned from the Backstage Magic Adventures by Disney trip to Hollywood/Disneyland and one of our adventure guides who is a 20+ year Disney employee and seems very well connected, said he heard the Disneyland races are coming back in 2019. (It would certainly have to be later in 2019, if true, since I doubt they bring anything back to DL before Dark Side with registration for that race weekend about to open.) He said Disney has figured out they are losing money due to the cancellation of the DL race weekends (certainly not a surprise). He was speculating that if corralling in the Downtown Disney area is an issue because of construction, they might start and end the races at Angels Stadium...
I can’t see them coming back in 2019 if they haven’t already announced them. I think 2020 is safer bet if they do.
 
*starts looking at her vacation days to make sure she can swing a DL visit in 2019 for a C2C medal*

*remembers grain of salt and leaves existing vacation days as is*

In all seriousness ... I would love for them to come back in 2019, but I don't think it's gonna happen. I hope I'm wrong, though.
 
So feel free to take this with a grain of salt, but I just returned from the Backstage Magic Adventures by Disney trip to Hollywood/Disneyland and one of our adventure guides who is a 20+ year Disney employee and seems very well connected, said he heard the Disneyland races are coming back in 2019. (It would certainly have to be later in 2019, if true, since I doubt they bring anything back to DL before Dark Side with registration for that race weekend about to open.) He said Disney has figured out they are losing money due to the cancellation of the DL race weekends (certainly not a surprise). He was speculating that if corralling in the Downtown Disney area is an issue because of construction, they might start and end the races at Angels Stadium...
I do not see a corral staging area change. The races would have a much larger impact on the parks if they moved the staging area that far away from the parks. I think if they viewed that as a viable option they would have at least attempted it before cancelling the races and having to refund all 2018 Star Wars registrations and the handful of Dark Side registrations they refunded because of the Light Side cancellations.

I can’t see them coming back in 2019 if they haven’t already announced them. I think 2020 is safer bet if they do.
Agreed.

Maybe they will wait for Star Wars crowds to die down* before bringing the races back?

*who knows how long that will take!
Our most recent comparison is the opening of Carsland in 2012. That took roughly 12 months before getting a fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers did not require being in the park at rope drop in order to simply obtain the pass for the time they told you. This could be much, much crazier since Star Wars has been around for 41 years now and has the accompanying generations of fans. And I can't begin to imagine what the crowds would look like if they brought back the Disneyland Half at its usual time roughly 2 months after Star Wars Galaxy's Edge opens. Next year, Disneyland is changing their AP blockout calendar to essentially block Disneyland out the entire summer to all APs below the signature level. Those passes will be able to visit DCA all summer, but Disneyland is blocked out. Next year is probably not the best time to bring the races back. But 2020? That makes a lot more sense.

*starts looking at her vacation days to make sure she can swing a DL visit in 2019 for a C2C medal*

*remembers grain of salt and leaves existing vacation days as is*

In all seriousness ... I would love for them to come back in 2019, but I don't think it's gonna happen. I hope I'm wrong, though.
I think you're smart. I passed on registering for the inaugural Avengers solely because I heard rumors of a Star Wars race. I could only run one and I knew my priority. I later talked to runners who were disappointed to have to pass on Star Wars because they were registered for Avengers and could not do both. If a 2019 race does happen, there should be time to determine if the logistics do work out. Because if it does return, 2019 will be a smaller slate than normal.

And semi related, I'm not sure that all 4 race weekends will come back. The Disneyland Half is safe. Star Wars and Tinker Bell are likely safe although the latter might see a slight theme change, possibly a coast to coast fairy tale challenge variant similar to the Kessel Run. But Avengers numbers dropped off substantially after 2014. I could see them changing that theme altogether or even dropping that weekend.
 
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Bringing back the DL Half Weekend in 2019 is not unlikely as registration usually happens at the beginning of the year. f they make an announcement later this year it would give people notice.

However as others have said, I think 2020 would be the earliest we'd see rD races back in DL. (Hopefully I'm wrong). And when they do return, I don't expect all four weekends to return. DL and Star Wars I feel are very safe. Tinkerbell and Avengers weekends will be the first on the chopping block in terms of theme. Overall, I only expect 2-3 race weekends at DL.
 
I don't think we will see a race in 2019 and I suspect races will return in 2020 with only 1 weekend at first. TBH if I was going to go to CA to do a race I would not be doing one at Disney. There are so many other beautiful races to do out there and I didn't find the one I did in DL to be all that great.
 

I think this could bring the races back faster. 2019 would be pushing it IMO. But if they made an announcement for the DL Half at the end of August/beginning of Sept by the end of the year, I could see that one returning in 2019. DL Half weekend registration is usually happens in the 1st quarter of the year. But 2020 or 2021 is the earliest I'm thinking for DL races. Hope I'm wrong
 

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