DISNEY 2011

Have signed up for the 2011 Goofy runs at Orlando anyone else in either the half or the full or even better in both

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  • Done the full this year, had -2 conditions, it was so cold to begin with but a very enjoyable race once running through the parks. Well organised and supported and great Expo.
  • Speedie

    Did this year as well weather was a shocker!!

  • Marathon now at 50% capacity

    half at 65%

    Goofy is full

  • Slowfoot, they opened more Goofy places in 2009 due to demand, may do the same this year
  • Jpenno

    Disney have not made a decision this year if they are going to reopen it as the take up has been slower than previous years and they want to keep it as a limited event  a lot of feedback earlier this year was that too many people did it and it ruined the originality of it

  • I am not doing it in 2011 as both kids are in exam years, will be doing it in 2012 tho image
  • I've just signed up for the Goofy Challenge today image

    I really do like the look of this and it sounds fantastic. It'll be my first marathon, someone tell me i'm not nuts please.  Not fussed about times, just want to get round in one piece really. I've put in estimated times of 2:15 for the half and 5 hrs for the marathon.

    I've got the English Half and Hellrunner already booked in so they'll be good events to do whilst training I think. Looking forward to it already image

  • I'm having a go at the Goofy as well.  Aiming for around 5 in the full and around 2:20 ish for the half, maybe a tad quicker.

    The whole family is racing- my husband is doing the family 5k and our 9 yr old is signed up for the Mickey Mile, so we should clank with the bling on the flight home!

  • runlozrunrunlozrun ✭✭✭

    Goofy this year was great apart from the cold. 

    The most difficult thing for me was trying to work out how many shirts to wear image

  • goofy for me as well, i opted only for the marathon last year but seeing all the runners coming home after with the extra goofy medal  gutted me, and made me enter this year before goofy was full

    with regards to transport i stay within the disney resorts but still drive to the start as then i can sit in the car until the last minute, leave all my stuff in the car and tie the car key on my shorts

    this will be my 5th disney marathon one of them 2008 was a goofy

  • FizziofinnFizziofinn ✭✭✭

    took me a while to locate you guys for the Disney 2011. Definitley going this time. Shocked to see that places are filling up, didnt dawn on me to actually enter the race, although I have been looking at flights and accommodation.image GULP. Better do that asap. Didnt realise it is so dear.. Still , hate to waste all this training image

  • FizziofinnFizziofinn ✭✭✭

    Right. I'm in imageimage

    By the way...whats a goofy pin and do I want one?

  • I have signed up for the marathon, hubbie doing the half, son doing the mile (he's 11) and daughter doing the 400m (she's 7).

    I am ridiculously excited about it - the rest of the family are humouring me image
  • I ran the Disney full in 2007 and had an enjoyable time.  The organization, course, support, etc.. was great!!  The weather is very unpredicatble, could be freezing cold or blazing hot.   It was very warm when I ran and remember being soaked in sweat within 30 min of running thanks to the high humidity.  Next time I go back, I'll definitely do the Goofy as I love a challenge.
  • this year i ran with the camera which was in the race pack, and i stopped at every Character, got some great photo`s that i wouldn`t in the parks

    i`ve never bothered getting the pin, but many do as they usally sell oot.

    i normally stay at  pop centry or all stars but i opted for port orleans riverside this year as they have the free dining plan available, only the quick service plan but still a good deal to be had if any one is looking for accomadation

    did anyone who ran this year pay the extra and go to the party in the park in the evening, where they had live bands, food stalls and openend some rides,, was it worth the money and would you pay and do it again ??????

  • FizziofinnFizziofinn ✭✭✭

    as regards accommodation....is near international drive ok or should I be aiming for somwhere closer? WIll be going for about two weeks and this comes at the end of the holiday . I reckon we wil have a car for some or possibly all of it , if its not too expensive.

    Are there any other tips that us goofy virgins should know about from you experienced Disneyites?

  • Pab

    You can give the pasta party a miss as i didn't think it was that good either in entertainment or food and not that cheap as one of the diners close by was doing an all you could eat dinner buffett for $15

    Fizz International drive is about a 20min drive away if you do the disney hotels you can get the free bus but have to get up at ridculous oclock. I would suggest a hotel on the 192

    I've done all the Goofy races to date so can answer most questions and I did a race review a couple of years ago

  • Pab- We're staying in Port Orleans- French Quarter for similar reasons.  We got a good deal with Virgin and several freebies thrown in as wellimage

    Gymaddict- we are racing as a family as well- I'm doing the Goofy, husband is doing the 5k and daughter is doing the Mickey mile( she will be 9)  so we are looking forward to getting the family blingimage

    Slowfott- roughly what sort of time does it start to get light, so I get an idea of how far down the course I will be when the sun starts gettign hot

  • FizziofinnFizziofinn ✭✭✭

    Are those of you going with family, travelling earlier and doing the running at the end ?

    Thajnks for the tip. Will look at 192 ( whereeer that isimage)

  • for everything you want to know (and more) have a look here

    http://www.disneyrunning.com/forum/

    they have now changed the membership stuff for that forum due to spamming so you may not be able to view thingsimage

  • Yes we as a family are going out the week before and then travelling back the same day as the marathon - not ideal but need to get the kids back to school asap.
  • i try and fit the marathon in at the start of the holiday, then i can enjoy the rest of the holiday and not worry about the size of the plates of food i`m eating image

     jpenno, its a great website and they charge $20.00 per year, well worth paying as the advice on their is second to none

  • FizziofinnFizziofinn ✭✭✭

    Someone said that it was -2 degrees for the marathon last year. Does it warm up during the day? Just wondering if I need to find accommodation with an indoor or heated pool for kids?

    Am sucd a procrastinator and indecisive when it comes to choosing accommodation. Hae just spent the last 2.5 hours trawling through places from self catering to hotels andn I just cant decide and am not sure what the going rate is and whether going to a 2 start would be soo much worse than a 3 or 4 star?

  • We're doing the races in the middle of our holiday- fly out on 3rd Jan and come back on 15th. 
  • pab wrote (see)

    i try and fit the marathon in at the start of the holiday, then i can enjoy the rest of the holiday and not worry about the size of the plates of food i`m eating image

     jpenno, its a great website and they charge $20.00 per year, well worth paying as the advice on their is second to none

    I know its great but hadnt been on there for a while and noticed they had started charging
  • Girlie

    Starts to get light about 7am so expect an hour/hour half of running in the dark for both the marathon and the half

    Fizz

    This year was the coldest in Orlando for about 25years A couple of years ago I ran and it was 66degrees at the start of the marathon and 86 by the time I had finished.   As Isaid I've done all 5 Goofys and this year was by far the coldest I would suggest take two kits one for warm weather and one for cold

  • fizziofinn, i like to stay in the disney hotel as they offer transportation, extra park hours,no need to carry cash as your room key is a charge card, and everything is 24/7 disney, they work out a bit more expensive but are well worth

    most hotels or apartment on international drive or on the 192 would be suitable, virgin do some good deals offering free breakfast

    last year was one of the coldest that i can remenber  but i  still used the outside pools, mainly the morning is rather chilly but by the afternoon is fine

    jpenno, they do a 21 day free trial for anyone who has`nt signed on before

  • I stayed at Pop Century this years as no problems - clean, food, buses etc.  Some noise but quieter period so not that many people compared to summer when all the Brits pop over with 55 kids in tow (expect to hear a lot of Spanish/Portuguese a couple of days after the marathon as South America visits at that time).  Certain meals times are busy though i.e 8:30am for breakfast.
    No fridge in the rooms- you have to rent these for $12 a day, get one free if you have some medical problems that requires one, buy a cheap one for $60 or so from Walmart or go to one of these Disney related sites and join a fridge swap scheme.

    Buses picked you up and took you to somewhere near the race areas and plenty taking you back tyo your hotel afterwards.  Not much in the way of queuing on roads either like some cars were having to do.

    Last time I was in Florida, it was 25-28C most of the time so quite a change from this year's -5C upwards!  Then again, with the cold, I was thankful I was in Pen B (sub-4?) and got to start running 10 mins before the pens behind image

    I-Drive is terrible now in my opinion.  Sure it's got plenty of touristy shops, eateries etc but it looks dated and tacky as hell.  It's like a dried out desert with a few buildings lined up, half of which are closed down,  and loads of cars.

    Shame Disney don't do the free dining around Jan, not that I ate excessive amounts anyway - mostly snacking on cookies ($3+ at Hollywood Studios!) and various burgers and things I'd read about on theDibb etc (did pop onto I-Drive and bought some bread from Walgreens to have toast for breakfast - cheaper than paying 40c for a slice or two).
    Some Disney food prices can be expensive too.  Got myself a Baby Ruth bar at the eatery near Soarin' and that was around $2.50 compared to half the price on I-Drive.  Meal wise, not too bad although portions may be bigger on I-Drive and some eat-all-you-can places there too.  You can only eat so many burgers and fries at Disney.

  • I'm a big fan of Olive Garden (Pasta Soups Salads )

     But the only problem all the eateries are busy of a weekend so you can end up queuing for up to an hour at the decent places

    I would suggest eat in your hotel of a weekend or eat earlier than you normally would

  • FizziofinnFizziofinn ✭✭✭

    Was looking at a self catering in Windsor apartments. Might do that as I will probably end up getting a car anyway.

    Did Disney with kids about 5 years ago and might look at Universal parks for earlier inthe holiday, so reluctant to stay in places they have already seen.

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