Club runDisney

I sent runDisney a question about the club, and they have responded twice that they are still trying to get the answer for me. I wanted to throw this out to the community to see if anyone else has thought about this too....

They state that membership runs Oct 1, 2020 - Sept 30, 2021, even though we have to pay in Feb. If that is the case, the way I see it, there is no way to receive full benefits that are listed for each tier for one single race. You have to have a 2 year membership. For example, if I want to register for the marathon next Jan, I have to register this April. However, I am not eligible for the tier 1 pricing or guaranteed spot if in a higher tier because membership hasn't begun. I can only get designation on my bib for the Jan race and corral bump if Platinum because that happens after Oct. Then, next April 2021, I can use the early registration and pricing benefits when signing up for the marathon Jan 2022, but my membership will run out before I can do the race to get those day of race benefits.

Have I thought through this wrong?!?...To receive full benefits as stated for each race, don't we really have to buy 2 years of membership?!?
Anyone get more details on this issue with RunDisney? I sent the same question to them a couple of days ago, but have not gotten a response. Figure if everyone asks the question it might force them to come up with a better answer. But since this goes on sale now in less than a week they need to get the details finalized.
 
I really wouldn't touch this. I didn't even see the part about membership *starting* in October, I sort of assumed that you can just get the membership whenever and the benefits would begin immediately and end in a year. Getting this membership and having it not possibly be in effect for the biggest race of the year seems like a disaster. That they can't provide an answer to this in reasonable time is even worse. Just red flags all over the place.

Is there really a concern about getting Tier 1 pricing/spots for popular races? I've been under the impression that as long as you can get online the first day, you should be ok.
 
So I sent another email to them about the benefit time frame again this morning. I think it is crazy that this goes on sale in 3 days and still no details on if benefits are applied to races purchased while membership in effect and/or races run during that time frame. In other words, if we purchase the Marathon and Wine and Dine when they go on sale, which is what we are planning, will we get ANY benefits when the Club RunDisney benefits kick in.
 
I got a response to my email. Bottom line is no change in the membership timeframe. They said they had forwarded my concern to leadership but membership dates are the same. So you don't get full membership for a race with the timeframe and length of membership as it stands today. You will get day off benefits for any race you register for this year, then registration benefits in 2021 during the membership year. Then you would have to renew to get those day of race benefits for 2022 if you utilized the early registration benefit in 2021.
 


I got a response to my email. Bottom line is no change in the membership timeframe. They said they had forwarded my concern to leadership but membership dates are the same. So you don't get full membership for a race with the timeframe and length of membership as it stands today. You will get day off benefits for any race you register for this year, then registration benefits in 2021 during the membership year. Then you would have to renew to get those day of race benefits for 2022 if you utilized the early registration benefit in 2021.

What registration benefits are they offering that are even remotely worth the cost of any of those membership levels?
 
I got a response to my email. Bottom line is no change in the membership timeframe. They said they had forwarded my concern to leadership but membership dates are the same. So you don't get full membership for a race with the timeframe and length of membership as it stands today. You will get day off benefits for any race you register for this year, then registration benefits in 2021 during the membership year. Then you would have to renew to get those day of race benefits for 2022 if you utilized the early registration benefit in 2021.

This is really bonkers!
 


I'll admit, I'm a sucker and joined at Silver just to see how it goes. I saw the jacket in person during marathon weekend and liked it, and I like the idea of being a charter member if it blows up. It's worth the gamble to me. (Gold wasn't worth it to me, since I already get early reg via DVC/AP, but we'll see if that changes.)
 
I’m a huge Rundisney fan and I try to run as many Rundisney events as I can. I don’t see the value in this Club and it’s a hard no.
 
Although it is an easy "no" for me, I do hope it works out for the hundreds / thousands of folks who do join this year. They may well find the value in the Club that I do not find.
 
Nope. The only thing that might have caught my interest is the early expo. And heck no to that at 800.

Someone compared this to the Tomorrowland Caravans and I think that’s pretty apt. I don’t think this has enough demand to last beyond a year, two tops. There are some signing up. But the vast majority are saying no. And the ones that are mostly seeming to be optiong for the lowest pricing. Which is where I’m thinking they’re expecting the least money from otherwise why put most of the perks in Platinum?
 
🙋‍♀️ I am in for the Platinum - or I should say we are in. Both my husband and I decided to go for it and see.
Too bad, you two could have paid me only $1200 a year. I would have got your entries (at the earliest price for the same costs to you), got you some nice jackets, put a “special” sticker on your race bib, get your drinks and food at the expo while you sit on a bench and heck, I’d even run your virtual 10k races and give you the medals.

ETA - oh and moving up a corral, sorry that without a PTO there is not availability to move higher.
 
I don’t think this has enough demand to last beyond a year, two tops. There are some signing up. But the vast majority are saying no. And the ones that are mostly seeming to be optiong for the lowest pricing.
I completely disagree. This is exactly what Disney wants. They created an exclusive club with special membership. There is very little they have to do to administer this club and they priced it in a way to get the right number of exclusive members. While most people are saying no way, I am seeing a good number of people saying they are signing up. Disney knows their fan base. They know there will be a small % of people who want to be in the club and don't care about the cost and benefits. If this club truly had value and lower prices, thousands and thousands would sign up and it becomes work to administer - staff, systems, etc. Now, they get a nifty revenue stream, some very happy people who can say they are in an exclusive Disney club and very little they need to do to keep it going. I also think that as they evolve, they will tweak the benefits and do special unique merchandise that only club members will get access to buy, etc. Which like other "special merchandise" is just Disney's way to sell more "stuff" and make more money (which is always cracks me up how much people go ga-ga to give Disney tons of $$ for basically cheap stuff just because Disney says it is "exclusive"). People will eat it up - they always do.
 
Too bad, you two could have paid me only $1200 a year. I would have got your entries (at the earliest price for the same costs to you), got you some nice jackets, put a “special” sticker on your race bib, get your drinks and food at the expo while you sit on a bench and heck, I’d even run your virtual 10k races and give you the medals.

ETA - oh and moving up a corral, sorry that without a PTO there is not availability to move higher.

Actually we already had the early registration with AP and DVC and the jacket wasn't the reason at all for joining. The coral placement won't mean anything for me with my POT, but my wife it will because she is stuck in the corals without POT and it will give her maybe a little further up start in the non POT corals so there is some benefit there.

The reality is, I don't mind testing the waters, see what it really becomes if anything, and if it turns out to be bomb, fine. If it turns out that there are other perks worth it that are not listed, that is fine too. For me, just early expo and less hassle picking up bibs is worth something to me.

In any case, everyone that goes to Disney is paying more than it is worth in reality. We go and pay the prices because there is an experience there that we want. This club is maybe a dud, maybe not but I will know for myself after a year if it was worth it or not for the experience I had with it.

Club 33 would be another example of an overpriced club at Disney. Many people wish they had it, nobody can argue it is worth the price paid for it in real dollars. In no way am I saying this club is equal or even like Club 33, but it is just that another overpriced club that some want to be in and many don't think it is worth the price.

Don't judge or mock the ones that want that. Everyone is welcome to their opinion on if that is worth it to them or not for themselves.
 

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