Disneyland Half Marathon 2024

[fatmanatee]

Somewhere between poor and just okay (or didn’t experience, in the case of the half for me)

FWIW i put “okay”, which, if we’re thinking along the lines of a five star rating, is 2/5. Poor IMO would be “there were none”.

 

[fatmanatee]

You would think they would take advantage of Avenger’s Campus since WDW doesn’t have it and only uses Gamora and Star-Lord occasionally. And there’s no reason they couldn’t have an actual Rey or Chewie photo op. But what do I know? Lol.

Watching a vid of someone running the 10k and I will say that it’s limited in the space where I’d feel comfortable placing a photo op. In fact, I’d say there’s just one spot. But it’s glaringly obvious:



Wide open, easy to spot and veer off if you’re interested. Same deal with the half, which sent everyone by the Falcon on the way out. Maybe they were concerned that people would crash into eachother on the way over? I got in though and this shot was decent enough. Kylo could have worked here.

 

[StarGirl11]

So I’m still at the parks trying now to figure out why I even got an email I did. Normally for chair/cycles we get an email like two weeks out confirming we’re racing in one and asking for approx finish time.

So you can imagine my confusion when I got it in my email last week in the middle of race weekend. Not the best timing to say the least. But what do I do but send a reply that I apparently didn’t need to until next month going by the reply I got

Best I can figure this is something that was supposed to be for this week either got sent out wrong or something they were supposed to email next month got send this week.

Watching a vid of someone running the 10k and I will say that it’s limited in the space where I’d feel comfortable placing a photo op. In fact, I’d say there’s just one spot. But it’s glaringly obvious:

View attachment 826898

Wide open, easy to spot and veer off if you’re interested. Same deal with the half, which sent everyone by the Falcon on the way out. Maybe they were concerned that people would crash into eachother on the way over? I got in though and this shot was decent enough. Kylo could have worked here.

View attachment 826902

The thing is there were photographers with photo line of the Falcon. Just not the best sightline. That’s the falcon behind me on the right in this photo. I remember because this was right as we were heading into backstage one last time from GE and I went right past the mayor.

 

[fatmanatee]

@StarGirl11 Yeah my photo at the Falcon was bad, you can’t really tell it’s in the background. I dunno if I had bad luck there or what.

 

[eminemilie]

I got a survey too!!

 

[Fischstick]

So since the restart, I've done the 2022 MW, 2023 Springtime Surprise, and DL 2024. Totally unintentional but seems like I've created a nice little once a year habit for myself. The big question is what to do going forward, and I'd like to go back to MW, but the timing isn't ideal for the job I've gotten since the last time and it'll be two months after NYC. Might have some questions for anyone who has experience with doing two marathons in that short a timeframe.

As for DL, I can see myself going back to do this one every so often, maybe WDW MW one year, DL the other. Again, depends on work, but I do appreciate DL moving back to the end of the month, think that’s a really good move for everyone involved. DL gets more traffic on a non-holiday weekend, RD has more time to prep after MW, I don’t have to worry about year-end work as much.

I did NYC 2022 and Dopey 2023. Worked great....with the caveat that NYC was a “compete” race and Dopey was a “complete” race. There is enough time to recover without losing any fitness gains you made with training. Think ultra runner mentality. It makes your summer training longer, of course, but VERY doable. And I’m not a marathon superstar by any means.

 

[fatmanatee]

I did NYC 2022 and Dopey 2023. Worked great....with the caveat that NYC was a “compete” race and Dopey was a “complete” race. There is enough time to recover without losing any fitness gains you made with training. Think ultra runner mentality. It makes your summer training longer, of course, but VERY doable. And I’m not a marathon superstar by any means.

Yeah this would be NYC 2024, and yes, I’d have the same mindset. Aiming for a better time for NYC, no expectations for WDW except wanting to ride Everest along the way.

 

[StarGirl11]

@StarGirl11 Yeah my photo at the Falcon was bad, you can’t really tell it’s in the background. I dunno if I had bad luck there or what.

I think in their quest to make sure at least some areas had enough room even if they messed up elsewhere they didn’t consider how the camera lines up with the Falcon. Or maybe the photographer was more focused on the foresubject (which they should in our case) so the Falcon got cut.

I think they needed a pullout like they do at WDW several places for photos. Here included

 

[SarahDisney]

Basically focused on security and photo ops, two things that directly impacted me so I felt it was better to use the full space to talk about that. Certain other issues I think they're well aware of and will make fixes to. PARTICULARLY the mile 3 debacle. They can't do that again.

So.... what did you guys think?
View attachment 826879

I wrote poor.

I also wrote that the virtual queue was a very negative experience ... maybe it's because it was my first virtual queue (my last runDisney was pre-COVID), but the ever-changing return time screwed up my day

 

[AZMermaid]

Spoiler: Regarding the Podcast

The whole the parks are the star feels like a cop out. I mean maybe they really did think that. But did they not read any of the marvel hopes and excitement beforehand? Sue, maybe there’s something to the “turning and seeing Pixar pier” but they had NO characters backstage. If you want the park to shine, put some stops backstage. I fully expected one shortly after turning off Disneyland Drive. I hope they reflect on the feedback and do t just think “they don’t get it”

 

[StarGirl11]

Spoiler: Regarding the Podcast

The whole the parks are the star feels like a cop out. I mean maybe they really did think that. But did they not read any of the marvel hopes and excitement beforehand? Sue, maybe there’s something to the “turning and seeing Pixar pier” but they had NO characters backstage. If you want the park to shine, put some stops backstage. I fully expected one shortly after turning off Disneyland Drive. I hope they reflect on the feedback and do t just think “they don’t get it”

Spoiler: “the podcast”

Also look I like Pixar Pier as much as the next person. And I wouldn’t want to do it in reverse. And I get those of us who multi race are not the majority. But Pixar Piers not the castle and there’s only so many times I can become enamored by that path. Especially with how steep it is.

Like some parts just don’t have the same effect. No matter what their goal with that comment is

Outside of the podcast comment but they need to also work on character placement. Some of them were wonky even the areas that felt like they needed something (AC and GE). Like Donald and Daisy in Tomorrowland felt random? Like I get you can’t put them in Toontown because Pete was there. But it wouldn’t be the first time they had characters on Main Street by the flagpole if they had opted there.

Like I was more expecting someone like Stitch there than Donald and Daisy. Let alone on the 1/2 day

 

[furiated]

I called photopass and it took about an hour to find three photos I’m in the blurry background of. So the Main Street photos exist, I just didn’t get any good ones. CM was really nice and had fun looking at all the costumes. We agreed the DL photographers do much more aiming and shooting to try and get good photos of select people at the expense of missing other people, whereas at WDW they just never stop clicking that button. If you’re missing photos and you had a bib in clear view you probably are just the blurry background of someone else’s photo.

Almost all the photos I’m in, were taken by the camera on the opposite side I ran on with someone in front of me because of it. I usually try to run in an opening where no one is on in front of me on my side but that failed miserably in DL lol. Seems like they did more pointing their cameras to the opposite side of the street, and probably had a lot of cases where some people got pictures from both camera angles and a lot of people got zero pictures because the camera was pointed the opposite way

Instead of getting a picture from the camera on my side I was facing, I get this funky side view instead, from the camera on the other side (this is my best castle pic and I didn’t even get tagged, I’m the one in front in neon lol)
View attachment 826896

Can you share the number you used to call PhotoPass? I'm probably going to have to do the same as I'm missing my castle pic(s) and I made sure that nobody was in front of me and that my bib was clearly visible, so I definitely should have some (not that that means I WILL have some)

 

[rdiver]

Now that I had time to reflect on the weekend and received the survey as well.

Overall, i thought it was a good weekend. Expo could have been improved, additional characters on the course (AC & GE). I didn't experience the bottlenecks, but did provide feedback there was that issue. Security to enter could have been quicker. Loved the park time for the 10k and the course. Only improvement would be to run directly infront of RSR and Millennium Falcon.

We were in the front of corral C for the 10k, which was perfect for us. We were able to navigate around slower runners and walkers, and get relatively to the front of the pack. Although we weren't the fastest, we did stopped at all the characters except for Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Wait times were short for us. We did stop at Kylo Rens shuttle and RunDisney media showed up. We were able to get good photos with their lights shining on us. Entering Disneyland was emotional and wish i would have taken my time going down main street.

 

[Disneyhanna]

Can you share the number you used to call PhotoPass? I'm probably going to have to do the same as I'm missing my castle pic(s) and I made sure that nobody was in front of me and that my bib was clearly visible, so I definitely should have some (not that that means I WILL have some)

407 560 4300
I was connected pretty much immediately!

 

[marty3d]

The 3-2-1 go podcast with Carrisa and John covers the Disneyland weekend. It mostly is about Carrisa's experience but does touch a little on the things that went wrong. using the handy spoiler thing, as I like to listen to podcasts like I watch tv...

Spoiler: discusses podcast

I was a little disappointed that it seemed Carrisa, glossed over some of what seemed to cause the trouble, by that is how Disneyland always did it such as release the corral all at once. And the parks are an experience themselves, so they don't want to them to be crowded them with lines for characters, and that she was told not to mention the delay. John did push back on that. They did admit the water stop at three was a mistake, and mention Spectrum. Nothing about the lack of photopass if they had heard about that issue.

Thanks for posting this as I didn't know about this podcast - was really interesting to hear some of the behind the scenes on the weekend.

I won't spoil anything about the podcast but listening to this, I hadn't realized how much I missed the banter between John and Carissa while waiting for the start. As cheesy as it can be at times, it's such a big part of WDW race weekend mornings.

 

[StarGirl11]

Well I never knew this could be a problem (from Facebook)

 

[AJruns]

Well I never knew this could be a problem (from Facebook) View attachment 827039

Can you message me the group? I preordered the small and it’s too big- every single jacket there and at WDW was- or I’d love to have had one from the weekend. My feedback would be to add some XS, though I also think it’s the fit as some previous years jackets were great.

 

[jodeja]

RE: transportation, did any of you utilize ART/EVE/FRAN for transportation to or from the races or to/from SNA airport?
I looked into it, but it was confusing and the app always gave me the error message that no route was available, even though the website and the driver I spoke to at the transportation hub said that rides should be available.

 

[StarGirl11]

Can you message me the group? I preordered the small and it’s too big- every single jacket there and at WDW was- or I’d love to have had one from the weekend. My feedback would be to add some XS, though I also think it’s the fit as some previous years jackets were great.

Will do

 

[Marebear_runs]

I also got the survey and don’t think I have much to add that hasn’t been said. The biggest downside to me was the lack of photo opportunities. Even if characters are not possible in all spaces there could still be good photo ops. “I did it” signs at the end, the little photo booths they have at DW pre-race, fun backdrops, photopass photographers by landmarks (like Mickey’s Wheel of Death ). What I noticed is that because photopass was missing there were a lot of impromptu stops and cast members were helping take photos with people’s phones, which was very lovely but not efficient. I would venture that having a few more well regulated, fast moving photopass spots would cut down on the impromptu/unofficial photos. There are certainly spaces along the course with room for that.