Spring Surprise (March 31-April 3rd 2022)

[Kitty-chan]

Surprise!! No medals!!

I'm annoyed, but also given that we're still in the midst of a global pandemic, honestly whether I get my medal at the end of the race isn't that big a deal to me. I work in the IT department of a large University, and we are dealing with a HUGE number of supply chain issues!

I remember walking around the day of the cancelled January 2017 Half, wearing my medal-replica luggage tag around my neck because I'd run my 13.1 that morning but we didn't get medals yet. Maybe I'll print out a picture of the ToT 10 Miler medal, laminate it, and wear it around the parks after the race!

And actually I'm only half kidding . . .

 

[kps7795]

Definitely a bummer, but I'm surprised this is the first time this is an issue for them, there had been worry about this possibly happening going back to Marathon Weekend.

Let me just say that supply issues at this point are a ridiculous excuse for incompetence. I could see this happening a year or so ago. However, they did not have this problem for Princess Weekend or Marathon Weekend or even Wine and Dine.

 

[kps7795]

Huge disappointment by Disney. Someone didn’t get the medal order in, in time. What will they did to compensate runners. I already see the angry mob coming.

I HATE them using supply chain issues as an excuse for someone's incompetence!

 

[camaker]

[

Let me just say that supply issues at this point are a ridiculous excuse for incompetence. I could see this happening a year or so ago. However, they did not have this problem for Princess Weekend or Marathon Weekend or even Wine and Dine.

China has been going through a new wave of lockdowns recently, adding to the supply chain issues. The issues are potentially worse now than they were for the earlier race weekends.

 

[Kitty-chan]

[


China has been going through a new wave of lockdowns recently, adding to the supply chain issues. The issues are potentially worse now than they were for the earlier race weekends.

Yes. Exactly. We are truly still in a global pandemic, even though most of us in the US are now in relative safety.

 

[1lilspark]

I hope they figure a way to distribute them to those of us who will be at the resort next week so we can still wear them to the parks and get pictures. It would suck if they arrived on Monday but they mailed them to my house when I am still down there.

don’t worry if the timing of the virtual runners in past races is any indication medals won’t arrive till Mid/late May at the earliest… will be interested to see if live runners will get their bling before virtual packages

 

[huskies90]

don’t worry if the timing of the virtual runners in past races is any indication medals won’t arrive till Mid/late May at the earliest… will be interested to see if live runners will get their bling before virtual packages

Totally agree. If they are mailing them, it will take them months to figure that out. My post was more theoretical. I know that even if they arrive on Monday, they will not get mailed for a long time. Still, I hope they figure out a way to have us pick them up and save them the hassle and expense of mailing them.

 

[Z-Knight]

unbelievable...as was pointed out, they had NO issues with Marathon weekend and Princess weekend, so this is just a lie!

 

[jaxonp]

This isn’t supply chain… this is we didn’t order them in time chain issue

 

[Dopey 2020]

I’m sick of people getting a pass because of the pandemic. I went to work as usual for the past two years, why? Because my job needed to be done. Simple as that, Disney was well aware of any issues long before today but chose to turn a blind eye in order to save a penny or two with the lowest bidder.
Since runDisney restarted my take on what has changed is:

Prices went up

Organization went down, post race buses the last two races have been terrible from my experience

AG awards went away

Now a lack of logistics guaranteeing what we’ve paid for will be at the finish.

On the plus side I will say on course entertainment has improved.
And the volunteers as always are amazing and should be given credit for all they do.

What does that mean to me? Like everything else Disney, the magic seems to be going away in the quest for more $$. It’s sad to me because I love Disney and this is what startled me running. After the past three races, I already decided that this was my last Princess weekend. I just signed up for Wine and Dine and was planning on MW, but next April is definitely in question at this point. Maybe that’s why I’m more upset, I just dropped the W & D fee last week and now they email this…
I’ll see how this weekend goes, hopefully the magic returns.

 

[1lilspark]

This isn’t supply chain… this is we didn’t order them in time chain issue

Nah….
Probably it’s an even after Dark Side & Wine and Dine’s 10K/Challenge in 2016 we STILL can’t spell inaugural so we had to get things reprinted and THAN supply chain/shipping rippled

 

[Z-Knight]

I can't believe this is actually happening - this gets me upset for my fiance and for others who are doing their first race at Disney. The medals are special, except the latest virtual medals which look like stickers on round disks, and this just got worse today. Wow - a global company like this can't make get an airplane shipment from China?! Really!?

 

[fatmanatee]

I've seen no indication that supply chain issues have completely abated, went to the grocery store yesterday and they had a sign blaming a shortage of chicken on it.

 

[kps7795]

I’m sick of people getting a pass because of the pandemic. I went to work as usual for the past two years, why? Because my job needed to be done. Simple as that, Disney was well aware of any issues long before today but chose to turn a blind eye in order to save a penny or two with the lowest bidder.
Since runDisney restarted my take on what has changed is:

Prices went up

Organization went down, post race buses the last two races have been terrible from my experience

AG awards went away

Now a lack of logistics guaranteeing what we’ve paid for will be at the finish.

On the plus side I will say on course entertainment has improved.
And the volunteers as always are amazing and should be given credit for all they do.

What does that mean to me? Like everything else Disney, the magic seems to be going away in the quest for more $$. It’s sad to me because I love Disney and this is what startled me running. After the past three races, I already decided that this was my last Princess weekend. I just signed up for Wine and Dine and was planning on MW, but next April is definitely in question at this point. Maybe that’s why I’m more upset, I just dropped the W & D fee last week and now they email this…
I’ll see how this weekend goes, hopefully the magic returns.

I feel bad for runners like my daughter participating in her first runDisney event. A big part of the experience is getting your medal AT the finish line and spending the day at the park with your medal around your neck.

 

[1lilspark]

Do I even want to pull together my Everest costume or just phone it in and re-wear an older outfit?

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

Everyone’s disappointment and frustration is justified, but I don’t see the point of the comments claiming that this is covering up incompetence or that it is anything other than just a terribly unfortunate situation. The supply chain is indeed a mess and I believe Disney when they say that this is what happened. It’s happening everywhere. The organization I work for ordered merchandise for our holiday promotion this past year and half of the order did not arrive by Christmas. Does that mean someone on our end is incompetent and didn’t order on time? No, it’s just a bad situation. And just because this wasn’t an issue for the previous events doesn’t mean they’re lying about it now.

So yes, I completely understand that that moment of receiving your medal and being able to wear it to the parks is special, and it’s sad to not have that. But think of all the incredible moments you will still get. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic and we’re lucky they’re even doing the events in person. Don’t let this aspect ruin the whole event for you. I wish I was running through the parks this weekend, medal or no medal.

 

[jaxonp]

Disney is a company that’s based it marketing on creating magic.. time to pony up.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I already have ALL of my princess virtual medals, so I don’t think that we are looking at a super extended wait if they are saying “may” not get there in time for the races.

I’m also going to be uncharacteristically optimistic and say that medals are probably a whole separate thing from the rest of the merch and I don’t think that the medal issue is indicative of what we should expect for everything else. That being said, I was already planning on being there at 7 or 8am for the merch line on Thursday.

 

[furiated]

Whether it's legit supply chain issues or someone screwed up, the annoying part of this is that a company the size of Disney with the resources they have, could certainly afford to do whatever it needs to to get the medals here. Whether that's chartering a private plane to go pick them up, or what. They just don't care enough to do it.

And I realize that we don't know the actual problem, but the wording suggests that the medals were manufactured and are in transit, not that they weren't able to made at all.

 

[kps7795]

Do I even want to pull together my Everest costume or just phone it in and re-wear an older outfit?

Phone it in and blame it on supply chain challenges.