Marathon Weekend 2023

[Dom497]

This is making me realize I need to book a hotel!

Probably no need to rush on that tbh. Yah you can book resort hotels by calling in but the number of people that do that vs waiting to be able to book online is probably very small.

 

[kps7795]

I was the same. I had tabs open on my laptop and on my phone and of course my phone one came up first and I was trying so hard to type fast but accurately on that tiny little keyboard! I'm exhausted too! What a morning!

Exhausted? Isn't it time to start training?

 

[azrivest]

It's the 15th anniversary for Princess weekend and 10th anniversary of the challenge. Would not be surprised to see it go quick, particularly with how gorgeous all the themes were for the 5th.

I'm gonna stress myself out and look at charities already again

 

[matt and beth]

I can see it now. Missed out on your registration for Marathon Weekend? Sign up now for your Run Disney Club membership and get a guaranteed spot.

 

[Novatrix]

Exhausted? Isn't it time to start training?

I swear, I'm more tired after this nonsense than I was after my long run this past weekend...

 

[fatmanatee]

The fact that even the marathon sold out... I'd get all the other distances, but now I'm wondering if there are shenanigans afoot.

Maybe there really is that much pent up demand for travel.

I dunno, I would have thought 2022 would sell out this fast, that was my revenge trip. There was also the talk of that one being centered on the 50th anniversary.

On the other hand, I guess this 90s theme is that popular?

 

[jkc5011]

Had to settle for Goofy. I'm so incredibly pissed right now. My original queue link still has a wait time. Thanks to someone on here (I can't even remember who at this point because I was frantically clicking queue links), I managed to get Goofy before it sold out. This whole debacle is shameful.

Related, a friend of mine who ran Dopey last year said that sometimes more spots open up later. Does anyone have experience upgrading from a Goofy or other races to a Dopey when that happens?

It mostly happens if they don't sell out of Dopey - they'll break them up into the individual distances. I don't think I've ever seen Dopey open back up once it's sold out.

 

[hulagirl87]

Exhausted? Isn't it time to start training?

wait, training?

just kidding! though the stamina needed for checking the tabs this morning was a pretty good start! : )

 

[DISRNR1000]

Wow! Got in for the marathon. I was debating on a smaller distance, but really wanted to do the marathon. When I went in to register, it was the only thing left and now sold out! This feels like the fastest I ever recall for events selling out.

Question: I have a link to view my documents and I see the Waiver to sign. Is that something we should "sign" now? Or wait until closer to the event?

 

[kps7795]

How do the charities work if you don't need your bib paid for, but you just want to try to raise money for a charity of your choice?

 

[lookingforsunshine]

The hotel reservation hold music includes Heffalumps and Woozles and the Haunted Mansion theme… lol.

 

[Desdemona924]

How do the charities work if you don't need your bib paid for, but you just want to try to raise money for a charity of your choice?

Contact the charity you want to raise money for. They might have a process in place.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

How do the charities work if you don't need your bib paid for, but you just want to try to raise money for a charity of your choice?

It might be charity-by-charity based, but I ran for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in 2015 and already had my half registration. They just let me make an account with them and I didn’t have a fundraising amount I had to meet.

 

[BikeFan]

Well, that was disappointing. I was all set to run another Dopey, and by the time I got in, nothing was left but the full. By then, I was too irritated to sign up for even that. What a debacle. I miss the days of early registration being another DVC perk, but that got taken away in favor of charging people to jump the line via Club RunDisney. In a way I'm OK with this outcome though. What with all the negative changes at the parks, etc., I'm a whole lot more reluctant to give Disney any more money. If Dopey opens back up, I'll probably still jump at the chance to register, but if not, there are plenty of other races to do. Enough of this new "charge more, give less" business model.

 

[sockfaerie]

I have been out of the game for awhile, you used to be able to purchase products when you register, but I didn't see that anywhere. Is that not a thing any more?

 

[YawningDodo]

Probably no need to rush on that tbh. Yah you can book resort hotels by calling in but the number of people that do that vs waiting to be able to book online is probably very small.

You're almost certainly right, but a.) today's shenanigans have me feeling paranoid and b.) I'm planning to book a tent site at Fort Wilderness and I'm worried it could sell out. Buuut I think I'll have a chat with my housemate tonight about whether she's interested in coming along (and uh if she'd pay for half a hotel room) before pulling the trigger one way or another.

 

[azrivest]

How do the charities work if you don't need your bib paid for, but you just want to try to raise money for a charity of your choice?

You can always sign up if you already have a bib. Most charities have an option with no minimum fundraising requirement:

 

[Dom497]

It mostly happens if they don't sell out of Dopey - they'll break them up into the individual distances. I don't think I've ever seen Dopey open back up once it's sold out.

Dopey reopened a couple times last year

 

[sunshine girl]

It's the 15th anniversary for Princess weekend and 10th anniversary of the challenge. Would not be surprised to see it go quick, particularly with how gorgeous all the themes were for the 5th.

Yeah this is what helped me stick with my plan to do Marathon-only this time. I am pretty sure I want to do the Princess Challenge for that anniversary!

Also I am relieved I made sure to participate in this registration chaos today, I know the Marathon usually doesn't sell out quite so fast, but I just never want to risk it. And I did feel that everything would sell quickly today.

 

[PrincessV]

Well, that was... unpleasant. I did get in for what I wanted, 10K and full, but a lot of my friends got shut out of everything they wanted, despite being in a queue at 9:45 and waiting it all out. Instead of feeling excited and happy, I just feel deflated. And kinda sad about rewarding the giant rD cluster by giving them more of my money.

Looking for some humor in it all, can I throw my hat in the ring for Most Unusual Registration Circumstances? Moments before my queue opened to registration, my cat puked all over my white armchair, so I managed to register with one hand while wiping up yak and removing an unwieldly slipcover with the other. Leveled up.