FLSharon
01-13-2004, 06:14 PM
2004 Disney Marathon as a Volunteer
FLSharon & DH, Group Hug John
To be a volunteer for the Disney marathon (aka sports enthusiast), I signed up online
http://dwws.disney.go.com/wideworldofsports. I logged in and picked what I wanted to do from the available list. The shifts are of various times, locations, and durations. I wanted the very early shift which wasn’t available but would see about changing at orientation When registering I gave our jacket sizes which need to be really big b/c they go over everything else I’m wearing. It doesn’t state so here, but later we were told we had to attend an orientation. Seems like this would make it difficult for out of state folks to volunteer unless they are down here for the winter. I’m not sure if they make any exceptions where someone else can pick up their packets.
I probably also got a confirming email immediately, but later in the mail, a confirmation post card was received. You have to register each person in your family separately. Then months later I got a post card giving the orientation dates and times. It worked our perfectly since we were already scheduled to go to Disney that weekend. This is different from last year when they mailed out all the credentials. Orientation was held at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in the Milk Maid Building. This complex is cool and really feels like Disney to me. I’d love to live close by and go to games there. Inside our room, coffee and donuts were ready for anyone who wished some. The meeting started promptly and we were shown a little power point presentation on the marathon , the jackets for the year and introduced to the team leaders. It was very short and if we had any questions we could ask the team leaders. It was no problem to change my shift times to what I really wanted.
Our packet of info includes our identification pass, parking pass, and driving instructions. We were warned not to deviate due to road closures and to arrive 15-20 min before designated time. Volunteers are also encouraged to drive their route the night before so there’s no problems. We did so and it was no different from last year. We saw all the port a johns already out and tons of supplies already dropped off at various locations. Some of the volunteers work all night long preparing for this.
We stayed the weekend at the Radisson on 192. I like to stay in that direction b/c I have no traffic problems driving there in the morning. Lots of the runners stayed in DD. After a so very short night, we got there at 4 am for our 4:15 shift. I parked in the employee parking lot and was to meet at the Health Services building. We checked in with our photo ID and Official pass and were given a food box and picked out a jacket. They were working from a park bench already there and the boxes of food and jackets were just all over the ground. These stations are just so very temporary. The use of the nice warm lobby of the health services would have been nice! It didn’t matter to me that it took probably a ½ hr to be taken to our station b/c I might have been assigned a colder area…like around the epcot fountain with the wind blowing water at me. LOL. There were lots of volunteers around so we all talked and shared stories. We could hear the national anthem playing at the start area followed by some fireworks. I was surprised that this wasn’t done at the actual start. We were driven in a minivan to our sites.. (lots better that the open golf carts from last year!) DH and I were put by the monorail in epcot. Only the Full marathon runners passed by us and we were about ½- ¾ mile into the race.. I’m guessing here for I never saw the exact starting point which was outside the epcot parking lots. .
I took a bag with a thermos of hot water for tea and some snacks and DH brought the morning paper. We scouted out the closest bathrooms. The food box we were given had a bottle of water, apple, granola bar, banana muffin and a snickers bar. However, we had very little time to be bored. Being outside of the gates, we were with the spectators. The cones were already in place for the runners and family and friends were here 1 ¼ hr ahead to find a place to cheer them on and get pictures as they passed by. Then the questions started such as …the location of restrooms, where to get on the monorail, how to get to various other spectator viewing areas, and where the half marathon was beginning. I caught one volunteer telling someone he could get on the monorail to go to Animal Kingdom
Soon our jobs of course monitors turned more into crowd control guerillas. The cones got pushed out into the already narrow running route. I knew from last year that this area would be packed with runners as they came through. One spectator had a jogging type stroller—with the long skinny front wheel pushed out into the lane. Another was holding a baby whose head was going to get hit when they came through. I finally got tired of telling them to get back and had to resurrect my junior high teacher attitude. With arms outstretched I physically had to push them back. Some wanted to run with the runners and some wanted to cross the path thru the runners… crazzzzzyyyyy.
We were waiting on some fireworks or some big announcement for the race to begin but about 6:15 the two officials leading the race rode thru on their bikes followed by the wheelchair runners. Soon after… the pack started and continued for close to an hour. Runners were of all shapes and sizes. Some already looked pooped. They loved us yelling and loved my so very tall DH and his tall hat. They need lots of laughs to keep them going. Many wore funny hats or headbands. Several were running for their own causes. There were two fully dressed Minnies, one of which I remembered from last year. Some of the runners had their name in huge letters so people could encourage them along the way. It worked, for we found ourselves really yelling for them! After the last of the runners came thru around 7:15, we picked up the clothing that was discarded along the way. Many wore layers of old stuff that could just be thrown away. Lots had on trash bags to break the wind. We walked back to our check in station b/c our team leader said he’d pick us up at 8:30 or 9 and we didn’t want to hang around with nothing to do. I needed to get back to the Radisson to check out and then go find Pixie! Back at the Health Services Center, we signed out, and received our WDW ticket. For volunteering for one shift, we were given, the food box, the official jacket (windbreaker), and a one day pass for any park. This is the only event of which I know where they give a pass for just one shift.
Once we got to MK’s parking lot, I was so thankful for DH and that hat b/c I couldn’t find anyone that I thought was pixie. I was counting on her recognizing john and she did. About 10 min after we got there she spotted us! I could not believe how good she looked after going 13 miles. It was fun meeting Pixie and her DH, her son who also ran and daughter. After we chatted for a while John and I headed to Epcot to see the finish and the archway. At the beginning of the archway, the runners are greeted by the cheerleaders, two guys and 3 gals. The gals had big M’s on their sweaters. A DJ is in a little temp bldg playing great R & R music to pump up everyone. Inside the arch, there was a line of CM’s from the countries who were cheering and yelling. I could hardly drag DH away from here and I was starving. He wanted to walk around the countries so he could yell to the runners. He really got into this! LOL… So we headed to Mexico for the long walk around to the fish and chips. (wish I had a pedometer). At the bridge by France, a big sign announced that was the 25th Mile. It was fun watching and listening… I saw people exchanging phone numbers and talking about meeting up after the race, couples running together holding hands, runners taking pictures of each other, and I started to really laugh when I saw some on their cell phones!!
We always hate to leave and debated about going into MK for awhile but both of us admitted we were quite tired and needed to head home. It would be an early nite.
FLSharon & DH, Group Hug John
To be a volunteer for the Disney marathon (aka sports enthusiast), I signed up online
http://dwws.disney.go.com/wideworldofsports. I logged in and picked what I wanted to do from the available list. The shifts are of various times, locations, and durations. I wanted the very early shift which wasn’t available but would see about changing at orientation When registering I gave our jacket sizes which need to be really big b/c they go over everything else I’m wearing. It doesn’t state so here, but later we were told we had to attend an orientation. Seems like this would make it difficult for out of state folks to volunteer unless they are down here for the winter. I’m not sure if they make any exceptions where someone else can pick up their packets.
I probably also got a confirming email immediately, but later in the mail, a confirmation post card was received. You have to register each person in your family separately. Then months later I got a post card giving the orientation dates and times. It worked our perfectly since we were already scheduled to go to Disney that weekend. This is different from last year when they mailed out all the credentials. Orientation was held at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in the Milk Maid Building. This complex is cool and really feels like Disney to me. I’d love to live close by and go to games there. Inside our room, coffee and donuts were ready for anyone who wished some. The meeting started promptly and we were shown a little power point presentation on the marathon , the jackets for the year and introduced to the team leaders. It was very short and if we had any questions we could ask the team leaders. It was no problem to change my shift times to what I really wanted.
Our packet of info includes our identification pass, parking pass, and driving instructions. We were warned not to deviate due to road closures and to arrive 15-20 min before designated time. Volunteers are also encouraged to drive their route the night before so there’s no problems. We did so and it was no different from last year. We saw all the port a johns already out and tons of supplies already dropped off at various locations. Some of the volunteers work all night long preparing for this.
We stayed the weekend at the Radisson on 192. I like to stay in that direction b/c I have no traffic problems driving there in the morning. Lots of the runners stayed in DD. After a so very short night, we got there at 4 am for our 4:15 shift. I parked in the employee parking lot and was to meet at the Health Services building. We checked in with our photo ID and Official pass and were given a food box and picked out a jacket. They were working from a park bench already there and the boxes of food and jackets were just all over the ground. These stations are just so very temporary. The use of the nice warm lobby of the health services would have been nice! It didn’t matter to me that it took probably a ½ hr to be taken to our station b/c I might have been assigned a colder area…like around the epcot fountain with the wind blowing water at me. LOL. There were lots of volunteers around so we all talked and shared stories. We could hear the national anthem playing at the start area followed by some fireworks. I was surprised that this wasn’t done at the actual start. We were driven in a minivan to our sites.. (lots better that the open golf carts from last year!) DH and I were put by the monorail in epcot. Only the Full marathon runners passed by us and we were about ½- ¾ mile into the race.. I’m guessing here for I never saw the exact starting point which was outside the epcot parking lots. .
I took a bag with a thermos of hot water for tea and some snacks and DH brought the morning paper. We scouted out the closest bathrooms. The food box we were given had a bottle of water, apple, granola bar, banana muffin and a snickers bar. However, we had very little time to be bored. Being outside of the gates, we were with the spectators. The cones were already in place for the runners and family and friends were here 1 ¼ hr ahead to find a place to cheer them on and get pictures as they passed by. Then the questions started such as …the location of restrooms, where to get on the monorail, how to get to various other spectator viewing areas, and where the half marathon was beginning. I caught one volunteer telling someone he could get on the monorail to go to Animal Kingdom
Soon our jobs of course monitors turned more into crowd control guerillas. The cones got pushed out into the already narrow running route. I knew from last year that this area would be packed with runners as they came through. One spectator had a jogging type stroller—with the long skinny front wheel pushed out into the lane. Another was holding a baby whose head was going to get hit when they came through. I finally got tired of telling them to get back and had to resurrect my junior high teacher attitude. With arms outstretched I physically had to push them back. Some wanted to run with the runners and some wanted to cross the path thru the runners… crazzzzzyyyyy.
We were waiting on some fireworks or some big announcement for the race to begin but about 6:15 the two officials leading the race rode thru on their bikes followed by the wheelchair runners. Soon after… the pack started and continued for close to an hour. Runners were of all shapes and sizes. Some already looked pooped. They loved us yelling and loved my so very tall DH and his tall hat. They need lots of laughs to keep them going. Many wore funny hats or headbands. Several were running for their own causes. There were two fully dressed Minnies, one of which I remembered from last year. Some of the runners had their name in huge letters so people could encourage them along the way. It worked, for we found ourselves really yelling for them! After the last of the runners came thru around 7:15, we picked up the clothing that was discarded along the way. Many wore layers of old stuff that could just be thrown away. Lots had on trash bags to break the wind. We walked back to our check in station b/c our team leader said he’d pick us up at 8:30 or 9 and we didn’t want to hang around with nothing to do. I needed to get back to the Radisson to check out and then go find Pixie! Back at the Health Services Center, we signed out, and received our WDW ticket. For volunteering for one shift, we were given, the food box, the official jacket (windbreaker), and a one day pass for any park. This is the only event of which I know where they give a pass for just one shift.
Once we got to MK’s parking lot, I was so thankful for DH and that hat b/c I couldn’t find anyone that I thought was pixie. I was counting on her recognizing john and she did. About 10 min after we got there she spotted us! I could not believe how good she looked after going 13 miles. It was fun meeting Pixie and her DH, her son who also ran and daughter. After we chatted for a while John and I headed to Epcot to see the finish and the archway. At the beginning of the archway, the runners are greeted by the cheerleaders, two guys and 3 gals. The gals had big M’s on their sweaters. A DJ is in a little temp bldg playing great R & R music to pump up everyone. Inside the arch, there was a line of CM’s from the countries who were cheering and yelling. I could hardly drag DH away from here and I was starving. He wanted to walk around the countries so he could yell to the runners. He really got into this! LOL… So we headed to Mexico for the long walk around to the fish and chips. (wish I had a pedometer). At the bridge by France, a big sign announced that was the 25th Mile. It was fun watching and listening… I saw people exchanging phone numbers and talking about meeting up after the race, couples running together holding hands, runners taking pictures of each other, and I started to really laugh when I saw some on their cell phones!!
We always hate to leave and debated about going into MK for awhile but both of us admitted we were quite tired and needed to head home. It would be an early nite.