Official 2018 Star Wars - Light Side Half Marathon Weekend - Cancelled

Hi everyone. I am planning on doing both SW races in 2018. I hoped to do the 2017 ones, but other travel plans caused issues, so I couldn't. I'm really excited about 2018 though. It will be my first time doing runDisney. For DL, we might do a family trip. I'm debating about the 5k for my will-be 9yo. I'd have to run with him, so I'm not thrilled about spending another $160. DW will be just me unless I can talk a friend into it. She was recently bit by the Disney bug, so here's hoping.
 
I have a slightly materialistic question but please bear with me. Does anyone know if the medal you receive from the Light Side Half Marathon is always the same? As in the medal that looks like the one Luke and Han get at the end of A New Hope?

I ran the Princess Half last year with a group and we had a great time and it's time to think about doing it again- but now one of the group really wants to do one at Disneyland. We definitely don't just go for the races- last year it was a five day vacation and we went to all the parks and loved every minute. And frankly Disneyland- with no Animal Kingdom or EPCOT or Hollwood Studios just doesn't sound like as fun of a vacation as a Disney World trip.

BUT- I love that medal. I might be persuaded to once, just once, plunk down money on a subpar Disney Vacation if I got that medal. But I know the other races like Princess the medals vary year to year. Has anyone done this race twice and did the medal look the same?
 
sidrich said:
I have a slightly materialistic question but please bear with me. Does anyone know if the medal you receive from the Light Side Half Marathon is always the same? As in the medal that looks like the one Luke and Han get at the end of A New Hope?

I ran the Princess Half last year with a group and we had a great time and it's time to think about doing it again- but now one of the group really wants to do one at Disneyland. We definitely don't just go for the races- last year it was a five day vacation and we went to all the parks and loved every minute. And frankly Disneyland- with no Animal Kingdom or EPCOT or Hollwood Studios just doesn't sound like as fun of a vacation as a Disney World trip.

BUT- I love that medal. I might be persuaded to once, just once, plunk down money on a subpar Disney Vacation if I got that medal. But I know the other races like Princess the medals vary year to year. Has anyone done this race twice and did the medal look the same?
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The medal has pretty much been the same the 3 years they've had the race with some small changes. I don't remember if they changed it at all the 2nd year. But this year (3rd year) they made it a spinner and on the back side was Han and Leia. The front was still the medal of bravery. The other years it did not spin and there wasn't anything cool on the back.
 
sidrich said:
I have a slightly materialistic question but please bear with me. Does anyone know if the medal you receive from the Light Side Half Marathon is always the same? As in the medal that looks like the one Luke and Han get at the end of A New Hope?

I ran the Princess Half last year with a group and we had a great time and it's time to think about doing it again- but now one of the group really wants to do one at Disneyland. We definitely don't just go for the races- last year it was a five day vacation and we went to all the parks and loved every minute. And frankly Disneyland- with no Animal Kingdom or EPCOT or Hollwood Studios just doesn't sound like as fun of a vacation as a Disney World trip.

BUT- I love that medal. I might be persuaded to once, just once, plunk down money on a subpar Disney Vacation if I got that medal. But I know the other races like Princess the medals vary year to year. Has anyone done this race twice and did the medal look the same?
Click to expand...

Looks like your medal question has been answered, but I wanted to chime in just to say I think you might be selling Disneyland a little short. It is great to be able to walk back and forth between DL and DCA all day, and there are more rides in each of those parks than in any one of the WDW parks. I'll admit my West Coast bias, being a frequent DL visitor, but I've also been to WDW multiple times, and I absolutely prefer the Disneyland experience. Just my two cents.
 


Calfan said:
Looks like your medal question has been answered, but I wanted to chime in just to say I think you might be selling Disneyland a little short. It is great to be able to walk back and forth between DL and DCA all day, and there are more rides in each of those parks than in any one of the WDW parks. I'll admit my West Coast bias, being a frequent DL visitor, but I've also been to WDW multiple times, and I absolutely prefer the Disneyland experience. Just my two cents.
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I fully admit I know very little about Disneyland. Our team member who is our main trip planner- the one who is pushing for a Disneyland race- is very knowledgable and I'm sure we'd have a good time. But she also goes to WDW multiple times per year. It's just that the things we liked best about the trip- eating around the World Showcase post race, Animals at Animal Kingdom, Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest- aren't going to be there. But then- maybe the overpasses won't be a part of the course either.

kirstie101 said:
The other years it did not spin and there wasn't anything cool on the back.
Click to expand...
Thanks! This is good to know. I engraved my name,time, and place on the back of my Princess medal so I don't mind a plain back. I just really like the Medal of Bravery design and it sounds like they keep that as the base.
 
sidrich said:
I have a slightly materialistic question but please bear with me. Does anyone know if the medal you receive from the Light Side Half Marathon is always the same? As in the medal that looks like the one Luke and Han get at the end of A New Hope?

I ran the Princess Half last year with a group and we had a great time and it's time to think about doing it again- but now one of the group really wants to do one at Disneyland. We definitely don't just go for the races- last year it was a five day vacation and we went to all the parks and loved every minute. And frankly Disneyland- with no Animal Kingdom or EPCOT or Hollwood Studios just doesn't sound like as fun of a vacation as a Disney World trip.

BUT- I love that medal. I might be persuaded to once, just once, plunk down money on a subpar Disney Vacation if I got that medal. But I know the other races like Princess the medals vary year to year. Has anyone done this race twice and did the medal look the same?
Click to expand...

Whoa! IMO Disneyland puts MK to shame in many ways. It has a number of rides equal to 2, maybe 3 parks at WDW. It's different in the surrounding area and of course number of options but it's a great vacation too.
 
sidrich said:
I have a slightly materialistic question but please bear with me. Does anyone know if the medal you receive from the Light Side Half Marathon is always the same? As in the medal that looks like the one Luke and Han get at the end of A New Hope?

I ran the Princess Half last year with a group and we had a great time and it's time to think about doing it again- but now one of the group really wants to do one at Disneyland. We definitely don't just go for the races- last year it was a five day vacation and we went to all the parks and loved every minute. And frankly Disneyland- with no Animal Kingdom or EPCOT or Hollwood Studios just doesn't sound like as fun of a vacation as a Disney World trip.

BUT- I love that medal. I might be persuaded to once, just once, plunk down money on a subpar Disney Vacation if I got that medal. But I know the other races like Princess the medals vary year to year. Has anyone done this race twice and did the medal look the same?
Click to expand...
While the Light Side 1/2 medal has only seen the one change as others previously noted, that's not a guarantee that it won't be radically different next year.

As for Disneyland, do not make the mistake of selling it short. Imagineer Tony Baxter calls Disneyland itself the crown jewel of all the Disney theme parks. I once watched Fantasmic in Disneyland next to some DHS cast members. They knew the show, but their jaws dropped and their cameras came flying out when the Peter Pan sequence began and again at the end for the finale. In many cases where both coasts share the same ride, the Disneyland version is either vastly superior or different enough to be worth checking out.

But the only argument that really needs to be made is one sight in Disneyland that no other theme park in the world will ever have. The light in the window over the Fire Department on Main Street. What makes that light special? They turned it on whenever Walt Disney himself was wandering through the park he built.
 


Sleepless Knight said:
I once watched Fantasmic in Disneyland next to some DHS cast members. They knew the show, but their jaws dropped and their cameras came flying out when the Peter Pan sequence began and again at the end for the finale. In many cases where both coasts share the same ride, the Disneyland version is either vastly superior or different enough to be worth checking out.
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That alone might sell it for our other uncertain team member. She LOVES Fantasmic! Favorite thing in the parks. Might make up for not having her favorite coasters on one trip.
 
And another bonus is you can walk to your corral in the morning! (And to the parks too of course!) Even if you stay off-site, many of the hotels are within walking distance. So you get some extra sleep on race morning :)
 
kirstie101 said:
And another bonus is you can walk to your corral in the morning! (And to the parks too of course!) Even if you stay off-site, many of the hotels are within walking distance. So you get some extra sleep on race morning :)
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But, But how will I warm up without that one mile walk to the starting corrals! I kid. I'm psyched. You all have overcome my resistance (and the pain of peeking at the airfare.) Our trip planner is officially onboard for this so really there is not turning back. Naturally I have a meeting till 12:30 on registration day- does the half sell out fast like Princess?
 
sidrich said:
But, But how will I warm up without that one mile walk to the starting corrals! I kid. I'm psyched. You all have overcome my resistance (and the pain of peeking at the airfare.) Our trip planner is officially onboard for this so really there is not turning back. Naturally I have a meeting till 12:30 on registration day- does the half sell out fast like Princess?
Click to expand...
The inaugural Star Wars 1/2 sold out in 2 hours and the Rebel Challenge in 25 minutes. But since then registration has been available for weeks or months after it went on sale. For 2017, the race went on sale in June of 2016 and my sister registered in mid October. While the Rebel Challenge had sold out by then, the 1/2 was still available.

One thing to be aware of is that the crowds for race weekend the past 2 years have been brutal. A lot of rides have been closed to take down the Christmas overlays and Star Wars Land construction, which has meant more people with fewer places to disperse. Hopefully, it will be a little better next year since most things affected by Star Wars Land construction are supposed to reopen this summer. That said, if there's a dining reservation you know you want, book it when Disneyland's window opens 60 days before.
 
Sleepless Knight said:
The inaugural Star Wars 1/2 sold out in 2 hours and the Rebel Challenge in 25 minutes. But since then registration has been available for weeks or months after it went on sale. For 2017, the race went on sale in June of 2016 and my sister registered in mid October. While the Rebel Challenge had sold out by then, the 1/2 was still available.

One thing to be aware of is that the crowds for race weekend the past 2 years have been brutal. A lot of rides have been closed to take down the Christmas overlays and Star Wars Land construction, which has meant more people with fewer places to disperse. Hopefully, it will be a little better next year since most things affected by Star Wars Land construction are supposed to reopen this summer. That said, if there's a dining reservation you know you want, book it when Disneyland's window opens 60 days before.
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I gotta admit that I don't think the crowds were that bad this year. Maybe I'm used to it now lol! Or maybe when I did Avengers weekend it was just so awful I keep comparing it to that! I honestly think Avengers and even Tink are worse crowd wise than Star Wars.
 
kirstie101 said:
I gotta admit that I don't think the crowds were that bad this year. Maybe I'm used to it now lol! Or maybe when I did Avengers weekend it was just so awful I keep comparing it to that! I honestly think Avengers and even Tink are worse crowd wise than Star Wars.
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I agree. It was busy but nothing that really stood out for me. But the last time I was there was a NYE trip so not much can compare to 25 minutes just walking thru Adventureland. :rotfl:
 
Yeah, compared to holiday crowds, it wasn't as bad. Plus, I think having the railroad open and hopefully Fantasmic back plus a parade if they do it will help some. I definitely think 2017 was worse than 2016 because of no parade and the 5 minute fireworks show. These types of shows usually suck crowds in and help alleviate the crowding a little bit.
 
Sleepless Knight said:
Yeah, compared to holiday crowds, it wasn't as bad. Plus, I think having the railroad open and hopefully Fantasmic back plus a parade if they do it will help some. I definitely think 2017 was worse than 2016 because of no parade and the 5 minute fireworks show. These types of shows usually suck crowds in and help alleviate the crowding a little bit.
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Oh - the 5 minute fireworks show. >:(

That was so ridiculous. I had been told that by a CM when trying to find a better spot for my sister to watch from in her wheelchair. I think I repeated it back about 3 times incredulously. We had been waiting 45 minutes or so for it.

When it finished everyone around us was in stunned silence. Then rather unhappy. :sad2:
 
For whatever reason, they decided to recycle a very old fireworks show. I don't blame anyone for feeling frustrated or upset. Since 15 minute shows are now the expected norm at a Disney park, running the very old 5 minute show especially during a very crowded weekend, is bound to result in disappointed guests.

They're now showing Remember Dreams Come True, which is, in my opinion, the very best fireworks show Disney has ever done in any of their theme parks around the world. Even if they're not showing it next January, hopefully they're showing Magical or Disneyland Forever, both of which are enjoyable.
 
Anyone know if there are any TAs with this on sale yet? only one I can find is only accepting early registration if you ran in 2017.
 
So this is going to be my first 1/2 marathon! Eeek! I have been looking at the Charity Group idea and I like the idea of giving back while doing this. First problem, though, is that there are no charities listed on the site for this. Does anyone know when these will be listed? Also, does anyone here have experience with running with a Charity Group? Tips? Thoughts? Thanks all!

Side note: I am a WDW fan through and through. We did our first Disneyland trip last year in an effort to start checking off every Disney experience. I have to say that I actually like DL better than WDW. It's closer to park hop, crowds are better, and while it has all of the classic rides I like, I also liked all of the different ones not at WDW. I'm excited that the Light Side is at DL!
 
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