Marathon Weekend 2020

[lhermiston]

Good morning, runDisney all-stars!

March is here and that means Spring is (hopefully) around the corner, along with warmer days, grass instead of snow and, of course, a little March Madness. Now, we might not all be college basketball fans, but I suspect most of us Disney fans. With that in mind, for an entire month's worth of Sundays are for Disney, I present ... Walt Disney World March Madness!

https://brackify.com/bracket/28380/Walt-Disney-World-March-Madness

Here's how it will work: I selected 32 Walt Disney World attractions. Yes, I left out your favorite. Yes, it was on purpose. Please send hate mail to commissioner@wdwmadness.com

If I've set this up correctly, each round will last one week. At the end of each week (11:30 p.m. Central on Saturday) voting will end and we'll move to the next round (sometime early Sunday morning). We'll keep going until we get to a winner. Each week, you can post your pics, any reasoning behind the pics, campaign for your favorites, etc. No need to bash any of the other rides.

Will there be a Cinderella (no pun intended) story? Any big upsets? Will Flight of Passage run the tournament? Let's find out!

A few quick notes: all descriptions are from Wikipedia, as are most of the photos. Yes, I know some of the ride pictures are not from the WDW versions. Also, I made very little effort to seed the entrants save for a few that will likely be universally popular. If I could have randomized it I would have.

Have a great week, everyone!

 

[ZellyB]

Hopefully I can join in on the fun of this thread! Just finished Princess Weekend and looking forward to tackling Marathon #2 in 2020! Trying to decide between running Goofy or The Sweetheart Challenge (10K and marathon- I think @ZellyB deserves the credit on that name?). Excited to train alongside you guys!

I called it the Mouse Challenge although someone else I can't remember called it that first. But Sweetheart Challenge is great too! It was a fantastic combo of races.

 

[rteetz]

You killed me having Big Thunder and the Safari against each other in the first round.

 

[lhermiston]

You killed me having Big Thunder and the Safari against each other in the first round.

That one was tough for me, too.

 

[pluto377]

My hardest choice was between Peter Pan and splash.

Star tours and soarin was hard too because I really hate the new soarin movie but the old one was so great.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Good morning, runDisney all-stars!

March is here and that means Spring is (hopefully) around the corner, along with warmer days, grass instead of snow and, of course, a little March Madness. Now, we might not all be college basketball fans, but I suspect most of us Disney fans. With that in mind, for an entire month's worth of Sundays are for Disney, I present ... Walt Disney World March Madness!

https://brackify.com/bracket/28380/Walt-Disney-World-March-Madness

Here's how it will work: I selected 32 Walt Disney World attractions. Yes, I left out your favorite. Yes, it was on purpose. Please send hate mail to commissioner@wdwmadness.com

If I've set this up correctly, each round will last one week. At the end of each week (11:30 p.m. Central on Saturday) voting will end and we'll move to the next round (sometime early Sunday morning). We'll keep going until we get to a winner. Each week, you can post your pics, any reasoning behind the pics, campaign for your favorites, etc. No need to bash any of the other rides.

Will there be a Cinderella (no pun intended) story? Any big upsets? Will Flight of Passage run the tournament? Let's find out!

A few quick notes: all descriptions are from Wikipedia, as are most of the photos. Yes, I know some of the ride pictures are not from the WDW versions. Also, I made very little effort to seed the entrants save for a few that will likely be universally popular. If I could have randomized it I would have.

Have a great week, everyone!

Voted. Also, winter is never going to end here. It has been unrelenting. But I am trading my running shoes for my splitboard today, so that will be a nice change of pace.

 

[lhermiston]

My hardest choice was between Peter Pan and splash.

Star tours and soarin was hard too because I really hate the new soarin movie but the old one was so great.

Splash over Pan and Soarin over Star Tours for me.

Splash is my all time favorite, but I could see that matchup going either way.

I also like the new Soarin, but I forgot that it’s so divisive among fans.

 

[lhermiston]

Voted. Also, winter is never going to end here. It has been unrelenting. But I am trading my running shoes for my splitboard today, so that will be a nice change of pace.

I’m going out shortly. 9 miles. 5 degrees. Someone shoot me.

 

[rteetz]

Splash over Pan and Soarin over Star Tours for me.

Splash is my all time favorite, but I could see that matchup going either way.

I also like the new Soarin, but I forgot that it’s so divisive among fans.

New Soarin is good if you are in B. Otherwise it’s meh. I chose star tours.

 

[SheHulk]

Just voted. Personally my hardest was PeopleMover vs. Tiki Birds! Not fair to have to make that choice!

 

[lhermiston]

New Soarin is good if you are in B. Otherwise it’s meh. I chose star tours.

Interesting. I think there are going to be some surprises in round one.

Just voted. Personally my hardest was PeopleMover vs. Tiki Birds! Not fair to have to make that choice!

The battle of the mellow attractions!

 

[IamTrike]

Star tours and soarin was hard too because I really hate the new soarin movie but the old one was so great.

. This was a tough choice to me too.


Do any non-DVC people have their hotel booked for Marathon weekend? My normal travel agent isn’t booking anything special for MW this year and I won’t know if I’ll have DVC points avail in April. I just checked Wine and Dine weekend and there is not much DVC availability so I’m nervous about MW.

 

[rteetz]

. This was a tough choice to me too.


Do any non-DVC people have their hotel booked for Marathon weekend? My normal travel agent isn’t booking anything special for MW this year and I won’t know if I’ll have DVC points avail in April. I just checked Wine and Dine weekend and there is not much DVC availability so I’m nervous about MW.

I’m not booked yet but from what I’ve heard DVC availability is already limited. Wine and Dine basically is SSR only. SWGE is going to play an impact in this for sure.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I’m not booked yet but from what I’ve heard DVC availability is already limited. Wine and Dine basically is SSR only. SWGE is going to play an impact in this for sure.

Can confirm.

But DVC has been getting harder to book at non-home resorts as the rental market has taken off

 

[Barca33Runner]

Just voted. Personally my hardest was PeopleMover vs. Tiki Birds! Not fair to have to make that choice!

Personally, I was wondering how two 16 seeds were facing off against each other. Particularly in a bracket of 32.

 

[lhermiston]

Personally, I was wondering how two 16 seeds were facing off against each other. Particularly in a bracket of 32.

Seeding was going to be way too difficult/subjective. Sure, there are some clear favorites, but there is a ton in the middle and bottom thirds that could be arranged in any manner.

I'll also argue that PeopleMover is a grossly underrated attraction. Better than the likes of Space, Splash, Big Thunder, etc.? Nah, but it's solid in my book.

 

[Neon Cactus]

There's some pretty good second round matchups looming. Could have Splash Mountain vs. Haunted Mansion or Everest vs. Rock N Roller Coaster.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Seeding was going to be way too difficult/subjective. Sure, there are some clear favorites, but there is a ton in the middle and bottom thirds that could be arranged in any manner.

I'll also argue that PeopleMover is a grossly underrated attraction. Better than the likes of Space, Splash, Big Thunder, etc.? Nah, but it's solid in my book.

I was just having some fun with it.

That is, unless Splash Mountain gets eliminated. Then the world burns.

 

[lhermiston]

There's some pretty good second round matchups looming. Could have Splash Mountain vs. Haunted Mansion or Everest vs. Rock N Roller Coaster.

I'm not looking forward to having to vote against Haunted Mansion, but Splash Mountain is my pick for the whole thing.

 

[Neon Cactus]

I'm having a tough time with some of these choices. I need to go to the parks to evaluate them more fairly.