Marathon Weekend 2024

[flav]

How is park time planning going - which parks you going to, doing anything special, any must do rides?!?

SAFD: I am only going to Springtime Surprise next April and have already started to plan my park days

 

[1lilspark]

SAFD
Not going in January but here was my agenda for W&D and tentative plans for SS

Nov:
Thu expo, check in, Epcot…did a few rides early bed as I was doing 5k
Fri I did 5k got a text that we got group 17 for tron headed to magic rode Tron and a few other things before deciding to resort hop a bit early bed
Sat 10k than rested a bit and studios all day
Sun checked out went to DAK a few hours than headed home

Springtime plans tentatively
Thu expo than see the time/weather/mood
Fri 5k than studios
Sat 10k solo than epcot for dapper day
Sun check out go to DAK for a bit

 

[nancipants]

The good part about being a local is I can go to Disney whenever I want and don't need to travel for runDisney races.

The bad part about being a local is that I don't get to go on vacation for runDisney races.

That said, I'm only doing the 10k so I'm at least taking a half day on Friday. I will probably take off a half day on Thursday for the expo as well. I want to spectate the marathon on Sunday for a least a little while, so we will probably do Epcot that day. (Will I get FOMO and decide that yes, I'm definitely signing up for the marathon next year? Probably. )

 

[Marathongirl30]

Have you had a chance to test out the Maurten 160? Any thoughts? My fueling strategy is modeled on yours and I'm curious if I should give it a try? (I'm ordering a few things for my last few long training runs and for Dopey)



How concentrated do you make your Liquid IV?

I have been using Mauten for a couple of years-love it. Much better on my stomach and doesn’t “hit” like a gu, just gradually helps.

 

[Marathongirl30]

DH and I are doing our second Dopey but first with the virtual queue for the expo. How does that work? Is it random or is it like GOTG, first come first serve?

 

[GollyGadget]

DH and I are doing our second Dopey but first with the virtual queue for the expo. How does that work? Is it random or is it like GOTG, first come first serve?

It’s the same as GOTG. You only need it if you want to go get rD merch first thing. If you’re planning to go later in the afternoon or not interested in extra merch, no vq needed.

 

[AJruns]

SAFD: normally I do MK on Sunday and rotate a different park for Monday each year, but I’m trading the Monday park day for one in DL the next week to save money. Of course I keep finding extra non-park activities to spend $ on- looking at you painting at Coronado and Hoop Dee Doo Right now those are taking up my Friday afternoon so won’t make it to a meetup, but all of it kind of depends how much work I need to do/how I can shift PTO around. This is year 3 of hoarding PTO for a potential surgery, having it delayed, and then needing to use it by December 31- if only there were a week grace period!

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: We will be at WDW from 12/30 through 1/8. I will have my full family with me along with my parents and sister, who have never been to WDW before. So it's full steam ahead on park storming! I have an AP and everyone else has a 6 day hopper pass. We plan on doing MK for New Years Eve. No parks on New Years Day so that we can sleep in and then go walk around Disney Springs, Boardwalk, and other properties. Tuesday is Epcot to start the day and probably spend most of the day there. Wednesday is day off to check in for the runs and also switch resorts. Thursday is Animal Kingdom, Friday is Hollywood Studios. Then Saturday and Sunday we will play by ear. We do have reservations to MK each of those days, just in case we want to start there each of those days.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Have you had a chance to test out the Maurten 160? Any thoughts? My fueling strategy is modeled on yours and I'm curious if I should give it a try? (I'm ordering a few things for my last few long training runs and for Dopey)



How concentrated do you make your Liquid IV?

I haven’t tested the Maurten 160 yet and probably won’t need to until after Dopey (my goal race for this cycle is in April). So you’ll probably want to give a try for yourself and see if you tolerate it.

I would say it is 3-5oz of water with a packet of Liquid IV.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

SAFD: Have an AP so I will likely hit the parks a bit each day I am there with my DD depending on how awful the crowds feel. I usually do pictures at MK Sunday afternoon and with the stupid reservation system still in place, know Monday will be Epcot for rides in the morning and DATW that afternoon. Right now the wild card is Friday and whether we want to drive down part way Thursday to add AK in the morning Friday before attending the meetup that afternoon and going to the expo to get our stuff. Finally made it to the HH meetup last year and plan to be there again and appreciated the pre-race gatherings each race morning because it helped me focus on something besides pre-race nerves. DD is now 21 so she's also keen on joining me for DATW on Monday.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

I'll make signs again! I think the neon paper worked great last time for visibility.

Happy to bring magnet tape we can use this year as well in case we don't luck out with magnets being available from someone's costumes.

 

[dobball23]

I haven’t tested the Maurten 160 yet and probably won’t need to until after Dopey (my goal race for this cycle is in April). So you’ll probably want to give a try for yourself and see if you tolerate it.

I would say it is 3-5oz of water with a packet of Liquid IV.

Thanks! I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes for me. Would you advise swapping it out for one of the Maurten 100 caff gels, and then giving a little more time before the next gel/fuel?

I have a Liquid IV packet I got as a freebie and will give that a try before my long run this Sunday.

 

[The Expert]

Happy to bring magnet tape we can use this year as well in case we don't luck out with magnets being available from someone's costumes.

Great idea! Thanks for thinking of that.

 

[Marathongirl30]

Thanks! I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes for me. Would you advise swapping it out for one of the Maurten 100 caff gels, and then giving a little more time before the next gel/fuel?

I have a Liquid IV packet I got as a freebie and will give that a try before my long run this Sunday.

I usually alternate, however I have grown to really appreciate the caff gels. Personal preference, but I take them every 45 minutes/6 miles during a marathon. Liquid IV is great-I discovered it this year when I used it to hike the R2R2R.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Thanks! I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes for me. Would you advise swapping it out for one of the Maurten 100 caff gels, and then giving a little more time before the next gel/fuel?

I have a Liquid IV packet I got as a freebie and will give that a try before my long run this Sunday.

Depends on whether the goal is to try and intake the same carbs/hr or if you’re trying to take in more.

If same carbs/hr, then replace and take more time between.

If higher carbs/hr, then replace and take at same time interval as normal.

My personal goal is to replace them at the same time interval to increase my carb intake above 96g/hr and see if I can continue to tolerate it without side effects.

 

[jrsharp21]

I haven’t tested the Maurten 160 yet and probably won’t need to until after Dopey (my goal race for this cycle is in April). So you’ll probably want to give a try for yourself and see if you tolerate it.

My friend gave me a hand full of Maurten 160 gel packs. I had never used them before and didn't know anything about them before trying them out. I am used to GU gel packs. So first time using them out on my run, boy was I surprised when it came out with that coagulated texture. I was like what the heck? I was checking the pack to see if there was an expiration date on it and if that was the reason my friend gave me the packs. LOL. Definitely not my cup of tea and back to GU. I really wish Crank made smaller packets. I used one out my long run yesterday and absolutely love it. Best testing by far. I may bring a couple for the half marathon, but there is no way to carry a handful of these in your running belt. The packages are just too big.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Fair warning this is going to be long. But I just had to share. So this morning I was catching up on the thread and getting nervous. My family and I have DVC Sorcerer Passes, they expire on Jan 1. So even though we have our resort, ADR’s and travel set we did not have park reservations set - yeah, dumb. So many of you were talking about how full the parks are going to be and I thought “Charlie, time to get your AP’s renewed and get your parks reserved!”

So we move money to our travel fund and I call DVC, renew our passes and then excitedly start booking our park reservations. Except both 1/2 & 1/3 were not available! 1/2 not a biggie we are traveling that day and by the time we get to the resort, eat and unpack there would not be a lot of park time left anyway. But 1/3 was to be the day we go to MK, have our traditional Crystal Palace breakfast and take advantage of the extra hours in the park that night. Unfortunately it is unavailable…

I call Disney hoping to at least work out something to get into Crystal Palace, but to no avail; no park pass no enter, period. So I ask, can they add us in even though full? This is when reality hits - the park is not full, our new AP’s are blacked out on 1/2 & 1/3. It says this clear as can be in the AP info, which I did not read. So our options: change our travel dates, spend 1/3 around the resort/give up our traditional breakfast or purchase 1-day tickets. Well, I am running Dopey so coming in later is not an option. Hanging around the resort on the first full day and missing out on eating my weight in bacon was just unbearable! So buying one day tickets seemed to be the only option.

Then my wife remembered we should have some comp tickets from 2019. That year my DD had a medical emergency in Epcot and ended up in the hospital. To say the Disney staff went out of their way to help us that day would be an understatement. In reality what happened had nothing to do with Disney, but it happened in their park. They comped things, got us extra hotel days, fast passes (remember those…) and offered us each two-day park hopper passes. Truly so kind.

Covid happened, life got crazy, we bought AP’s when we joined DVC and we never used those tickets. Long ago they disappeared from MDE Ticket and Passes page. Long ago I assumed they expired.

So here we are facing a decision to either give up our plans for the first day or fork over a lot of money just hours after forking over even more money for new passes. My wife suggests I call and ask about the passes. I figure it is a lost cause, but I tried. I ended up talking with several people and did a lot of waiting on hold. But in the end based solely on my name and the date of the incident (which I figured out in my diary) they honored the tickets! They found notes from the manager who met with me the day my DD went to the hospital and based on that gave my family 4 two-day park hopper passes!!!

Such incredible customer service. Often I get caught up in how expensive Disney is becoming and how it is losing some of its magic. But today reinforced for me why I love Disney. They honored tickets promised 4 years ago this month, no reservation or document number, no email, no name. Just a crazy story that they took the time to verify and honor. So now we are going to MK on 1/3, we will ride Tron, I will put a dent in Disney profits for the day based on my bacon consumption and we will have a great first day of vacation. Thank you Disney!

 

[WDRunner37]

getting ready to book Port Orleans Resort - French and wanted to know the best way to
get to epcot for marathon weekend...can you walk, bus?.....tia

 

[Dopey 2020]

SAFD we have APs so have made several park reservations and ADRs but don’t worry so much if it’s crowded. We’ll just head back to the resort or DS. Nothing on the 2-3 due to blockout dates.
Doing Dopey so early mornings for me but the rest of the trip is about as much time with DD as possible, we will be dropping her back at college the Monday after the races.
Pre race meetups are always fun, hopefully they happen all four days.

 

[PrincessV]

getting ready to book Port Orleans Resort - French and wanted to know the best way to
get to epcot for marathon weekend...can you walk, bus?.....tia

Bus or car are your only options: WDW does not allow walking to the start area.