I was there and did the 10K and Half. My mom and aunt did the 5K. I was also there to earn my Castle to Chateau!
For those of you that were at the 2017 DP event:
Was there a time restriction for the half marathon?
Same as the US - 16 minute mile, timed from the last person who crosses the start line.
What would you do differently if you went back in 2018? Why?
I agree with
@MRL214 about getting more park time in before the weekend hits. I had been to DLP a few times before, but my mom and aunt were a little shortchanged on park time because it was SO crowded after the races! I have never had a problem knocking out what I wanted at both parks in a single day, but there's no way I could've done that this trip unless it was before Friday.
What would you do the same? Why?
We flew in, arriving Friday morning. I'd get there on Wednesday or Thursday for a little more time to acclimate (especially if doing the 5K Friday evening) and for more park time. I'd still go to the expo Friday instead of opening day, though. The lines were still long and it still took forever to get everything when we went, even though it wasn't very crowded.
We stayed at a Marriott Vacation Club property in Marnee la Valee and rented a car for the DLP part of the trip. I'd do that again. Driving was easy, parking was easy and we were able to be on our own schedule and away from the crazy a bit.
We put the races on the front of a Paris trip, moving into the city on Sunday afternoon and ditching the car. I'd still do that for sure.
What do you now know that you wish you knew going through the registration process last year? From the postings I can tell it was a mess.
I did bib only registration and it was a bit of a mess. It took FOREVER for them to announce, and we only had a few days notice before registration opened. It was also only a few months out from the race, so our travel plans were made without guarantee of us getting in. I was traveling in a remote area and had to be in a certain place when registration started to get in. The system didn't work! After several hours of people trying, they finally announced they were postponing registration. Then they sent an email that night saying it would be the next morning. That time it did work, though it was very slow. My mom ended up registering for me, and for herself, and they ended up with her 5K under my name. The only way to contact anyone was via email, which they took weeks to respond to. Once they caught up, things were handled, but communication was spotty and it was nerve-racking being so close to the event itself.
If you used a travel agent, what did you like/not like? If you booked directly with DP?
Did not use a TA because I have stayed at the DLP hotels before and was underwhelmed. I used Marriott points for a nearby hotel and it was wonderful and easy with the rental car. We were also able to play by ear the park tickets and decide on the fly if we wanted to go (or not). After seeing the crowds, I was very happy I hadn't prepaid for tickets!
Thinking about heading over there this fall to get the Castle-Chateau medal since I'll be completing the half at WDW in January. I would have put it off until 2019, but my husband would rather I do it this year (he has the idea that my body might not be able to handle the training abuse for another 18 months).
Thanks your letting me pick your brains.
I say go for it! But as others have said, know that the communication and organization is nowhere near rD USA level. Expect lines and confusion at every step. But the courses were incredible and I would love to do them again -- preferably once they've worked out most of the other kinks!