Walt Disney World has officially cancelled the Walt Disney World 1/2 Marathon and all race events for tomorrow, Saturday, January 7th, 2017:
In an abundance of caution, the Walt Disney World Resort has cancelled all running events on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 due to weather conditions. This includes the Walt Disney World Half Marathon and the Disney Kids Races. In addition, the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo will delay opening until 11 a.m. While we share our Guests’ obvious disappointment, the safety of our Guests and Cast is most important. Weather tracking has indicated there is an elevated risk of lightning in the area of the racecourse. In addition, there are sections of the course that do not provide immediate access to shelter. Both of these factors have influenced this difficult decision.
All registered half marathon runners will receive their half marathon medal and may choose from one of the following options:
- A full refund for their race registration in the form of a Disney gift card.
- Two One-Day Park Hopper tickets.
- Defer registration to another runDisney half marathon race in the U.S. within the next 24 months, subject to availability.
- We can offer limited availability to run the full marathon on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017 during the regularly scheduled race.
All registered runDisney Kids Race runners will receive their Kids Race medal and a full race registration in the form of a Disney gift card.
Details on the fulfillment of the above options will be communicated by 10 p.m. this evening.
Word on the inside is the parks and resorts occupancy very low starting Saturday, so they were to be cancelling this event to save Disney money. Not weather related, it’s not like a ‘risk’ of lightening will cause them to EVER shut down their money making theme parks. Noting no REFUNDS are to be given, only park tickets and gift cards, will say rumor correct. WDW strikes again. Cheapening out. Sorry runners. Go enjoy the parks and for God’s sake buy something every second you are there, don’t sit down (most benches removed anyhow from parks to prevent this). BTW, many attractions will be running 1/2 capacity to save money, and no night parades. Sorry. Bye now.
Looks like someone can’t read a radar.
Name a day they have closed a theme park or money center for weather? It’s money related Jeff. Don’t be a tool.
Do thousands of people usually go running on slick roads during inclement weather?
Fat and lazy Jeff? Yes. All the time. Many marathons and runs in rain. Disney themselves have had them in rain and storm threats (when profitable for Disney)
If you are asking about my physical shape am 30 years old, weigh 155 pounds, run usually 1 marathon a year, and a longer than a 5k every night.
Jeff is a known troll on here. Please don’t feed him.
Jeff, if you usually run one marathon a year, then you would know that you would in fact train inn inclement weather, and races are almost never cancelled due to weather. They may be delayed or shortened, but rarely cancelled.
Tom, they closed a couple times for hurricanes, but the latest one they were going to stay open, until the state said they’d arrest cast members and guests out in curfew…that changed Disney’s mind. Your point taken, it’s money related. Obviously played into it. With Disney, everything is money. Safety is never a real concern unless they think it will bring bad Public Relations.
FYI they did close for a day during the last hurricane a few months back
Only because the state made them. They were going to stay open.
Well that is crazy because I was just there December 18th – 28th and they had PLENTY of parades and benches to sit down at and we didn’t buy much at all…Some people just need misery in their life…I pitty you. Be blessed your getting offered anything some comoanies don’t even do THAT!!!
He’s just a troll, they removed one bench for a cart once and ever since then people like to say they’re getting rid of all the benches. It’d be the dumbest logic ever since if people don’t have a place to sit, than they’ll just leave earlier due to being tired. They want people to spend as much time in the parks as possible so they are more likely to spend more.
They never ordered barricades or staffing as they usually do for their marathons. They were going to cancel this long ago, some rain and cool weather gave a good excuse. NO REFUNDS though, kinda harsh.
Sounds like you’ve got all the answers. The marathon is still going on BTW…on you know, the morning that’s not supposed to be thunderstorming.
I don’t know it all, obviously Jeff you don’t either, but all Saturday events closed as unprofitable enough. Were never steps taken to prepare for them. Please troll somewhere else.
I know how to check the weather, and its showing
4AM, 5AM, 6AM – thunderstorms
And theres two giant red blotches directly above and below Lake Buena Vista.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/lake-buena-vista-fl/32830/hourly-weather-forecast/2257551
My theory is that tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists don’t realize that thousands of people possibly eating or getting in the parks for free for the next couple days is a major loss of revenue. The marathon is expensive to put on but 1: its not that expensive and 2: its all going to be setup tomorrow anyway because THE MARATHON IS STILL GOING ON.
Jeff his a troll (or dumb Disney intern) The events cancelled to save Disney money, not weather, smaller line of rain came through, they in past had just delayed start etc. if anything. IF too dumb to realize this wasn’t a way to collect fees and then refuse refunds to fill the parks which aren’t nearly to capacity or sales to Disney standards, or think this had some faction of safety in mind, you deserve to lose money.
Also if the half marathon did happen in a storm the same people would be on here saying Disney does not care about safety and only cares about money.
Stop being reasonable! There are emotionally stunted, over the hill fan boys who have nothing better to do with their lives than complain about something they love. How dare you try to argue their crazy conspiracy theories with logic and evidence!!
Disney interns are getting dumber and more desperate for their arguments. WHY no refund? WHY at 10:16 is it dry and event cancelled? Yea. Get a clue. Not a conspiracy when it’s factual. Fat, lazy Americans who are too excited to hand over money for nothing in return.
Why doesn’t PJ understand that the marathon starts earlier than 10am? Why does he not realize that during the pre-dawn hours (when the event staff sets up and begins to accept racers) there was actually lightning? Why does a grown man such as PJ obsess over a theme park enough to frequent a website dedicated to it, yet can’t help but whine and complain like a spoiled child when something happens he doesn’t like? The world may never know!
Not much worse than hearing whiners complain about posts. If you don’t like the site, go away. Disney could have accommodated this even, but didn’t, or offered a refund. $$$$$$$$$$ It’s not the weather.
It’s 67 degrees and light mist at Disney. Terrible weather. They’re closing the stores, food stands, attractions, and giving people refunds to come back to their theme parks as we speak. Disney really does care about their customers, their satisfaction and safety. (all sarcastic)
I just think Disney is too damn greedy and can’t think of a corporation who cares less for their customers satisfaction. They should have offered us refunds! We came here for this event, and already have free tickets to the park from a promotion in exchange for staying in their resort. All we have now, is a gift card. But little to buy we’d want, their stuff has gotten cheap and food off property, even fast food, is much better. Will contest charges on Credit Card for fee. Others should do the same.
“we already have free tickets to the park”
“Gimme more!!”
You people are cunts
Only given free tickets cuz Disney is so damn cheap they have to offer something to get people to come visit Florida! Disney reaps what they sew. They’re cheap, we can be too. Already disputing all Disney charges. Not even raining and we return tomorrow, no run completed as planned. And nice language. You’re showing your true colors.
I sure hope you didn’t pick up your medal and you plan on returning the gift card if you’re contesting the charges. You’d think being from New Orleans you’d be understanding of being cautious due to the threat of weather. Or did you bitch like this when Katrina happened because of the huddled mass of homeless people in the Super Dome caused you to miss a Saints game?
Nope to medal. No gift card given. 100% of charges refunded already. Again, showing true colors. Weather? Its 67 degrees, no rain, no lighting, no effort that Disney ever intended to run this race, no refund offered. This was a scam.
It seems all the posts except Jeff’s are haters. You should all be CEO’s as you have all the answers to everything. You are the true trolls.
Bite me
It seems Jeff changed his online name to “To the Disney Haters”. He’s the only one here who is either out of touch, or works for Disney. Any way you cut it, the weather here today is not bad AT ALL, and to not offer full refund shows where Disney’s heart is at…in their own wallets.
Interesting that you think people who don’t sit around bitching and moaning about stupid conspiracy theories are out of touch or work for Disney. It’s called perspective. Disney is a company designed to make money. That’s it, that’s it’s only purpose, not to make you idiots happy. So for every one of you morons complaining, please stop going to Disney and leave it for the rest of us who are willing to pay to have a good time without you whiny losers who think you should just be handed everything you want for free. Also, they don’t owe anyone refunds. I’m sure they have a clause in their agreement when you sign up to run the race that they can cancel at any time, for any reason, just like ANY OTHER RACE. Don’t like it? Don’t sign up. Can’t afford it? Don’t sign up.
How come if you’re sick of whining, you whine the most!? What a tool. The people got scammed big time by Disney. If you didn’t, move along. Nobody cares to hear your whining.
I have friends from Canada who came to do the Goofy challenge, have prepared for months for these races, have spent loads of money to bring their families down as well to spend time in the park, and now to have the half marathon cancelled! The weather is not bad enough to cancel this; we run races in extreme heat and extreme cold, rain, snow, you name it. Races don’t get cancelled ever unless the weather really is terrible, and even then, they wait until the morning of the race to decide, based on the current weather conditions. I will never come to visit Disney now. It doesn’t matter where the runners have come from, they have all put a lot of time, effort and money into preparing for this. And for those who live farther away like us, it’s not as easy as that to make plans to come down again with a Disney gift card. They should have gotten a money refund.
It’s Disney World Management mindset. Sorry my friend. Have your friends contact their credit card and dispute charges. I sent an image of the current weather and radar to my bank with the dispute, and they already credited the money back for the entire trip. I feel badly Disney has sunk to such tactics that I have to use credit card chargeback to keep from being scammed by Disney. We’re here now. It obviously was a financial decision on their part. We went running at our resort. Many others out too. You can bet the outdoor stands and stores are all open at Disney!
Dear Ms. Andrea:
As Legal council to the Walt Disney World Resort, we respectly request for you to stop claiming ownership to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is a registered Trademark of the Walt Disney Company and any association with a person that attempts credit card fraud like yourself can have severe financial ramifications to our client.
Furthermore, after speaking with each of the major credit card companies, any returned funds are in the process of being returned to our client as was agreed upon in the contract you signed when registering for the race. Any further attempts to illegally break the contract will constitute as stealing and we will be forced to file suit against. The only legal way to void the contract is by returning returning it to where it was made, deep within the fires of Mount Doom. Unless you have any Hobbits with you, we do not suggest this course of action. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter and all hail Lord Sauron.
Have a Magical Day!
Walt Disney World Legal Team
Hahaha, Disney legal department. They fired them too!! Made no profit. They’re in the ‘rent a tent’ business at Magic Kingdom now. Screw the guests and safe-D. And Andrea, from your story, I can’t blame you. They cancel a race a day like this and no refund, hell yes I’d contest the charge. One of the best marathon run days in Florida of the year! Usually we have blazing heat. Disney needs to get a grip tbh.
Husband ran there today, and Disney World volunteers said they were told a week ago that Disney was gong to find a reason to cancel. That they didn’t see Saturday’s activities being profitable enough, and would offer tickets to Disney theme park (which attendance severely lacking) instead. Disney scammed runners yesterday, no doubt about it.
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