We Love the VoluntEARS!
I love them. Simply L-O-V-E them! I’m talking about all the volunteers at any running event- but particularly the runDisney ones. They have smiles on their faces and kind words of encouragement to those of us running- always! I’m not sure if they are screened but I’ve yet to meet a cranky volunteer. It’s a magical job, am I right?
At the expo, at bag check, on the course, or my FAVORITE ones- the medal giver-outers (yes, that’s the technical term!) they are everywhere! I’m not sure runDisney would be able to put on an event without them.
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| Thank you unknown medal giver-outer! |
This past weekend the Expedition Everest Challenge took place at Walt Disney World. One of my friends in the Princess Posse (holla ladies!) wrote a great blog post about her experience. With her permission, I’m sharing it with you- because it’s AWESOME. Make sure to read to the end where she posts all that she learned by being a volunteer- like, did you know cold packs (the kind you break and they get cold) test positive for drugs when the dogs sniff them? Yeah- me either! Might be good to know when you check a bag at a race!
Thank you Maryanne- for both being an awesome voluntEAR and for letting me share your experience!
Volunteering for runDisney – The Most Fun You Can Have and NOT Get Paid For!
Our shift (my 14 year old daughter was with me) was from 6 pm to 2 am. We got to Animal Kingdom at 6 and handed over our confirmation letters. We were given tee shirts (pretty blue color, much nicer than the grey ones the runners got!) and a quart sized zip lock baggie. We also got a red wristband. I wasn’t sure what the wristband was for, but I got one anyhow! We were then told to fill the bag with 5 food items of our choice. There were Slim Jims, Chex Mix, Oreos, Goldfish and Nature Valley granola bars.
For those who have never done a Disney race, this is how bag check works. They give you a big clear plastic drawstring bag at packet pickup. Inside is a sticker with a number that matches your bib number. You put your items in the bag, then hand it over to the bag check people. You claim it later by bib number.
Some of the volunteers were seasoned vets. One lady has been volunteering since the very first Walt Disney World Marathon in 1993! There were signs all over saying that the bags would be checked by bomb sniffing dogs, but the veteran volunteers told me they’d never seen a dog there before. That changed on Saturday night.
The first runners started showing up at 730 or so. It was a lot of fun to meet them and see their outfits. Some looked very confused, and it was nice to be able to help them. One guy handed me his bag and said “I’m supposed to memorize this number?” I pointed out to him that it was the same as his bib number. He looked first shocked, then relieved to know it wasn’t some random number he’d have to remember.
There were some great costumes and some “meh” ones. The runners were super appreciative of the volunteers and thanked us repeatedly. After the race started, we shut down the drop-off side of the tent and opened the pickup side. We got into a groove at pick up. One volunteer with good eyes and a loud voice would call out bib numbers before the runner even got to the tent. Then, we take turns running to get the bag. It went really smoothly and everyone got their bag back in one piece.
At about 12:15, we were down to about 100 bags left. Bob dismissed the volunteers who had already worked at the expo earlier that day (these people are hard core!). Then, at about 12:30, he dismissed the people who planned to go to the after party. We were free to go play!
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Let me tell you, AK at night is a whole different animal! There were a limited number of rides open – Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest. The Expedition Everest roller coaster is amazing in the dark. We rode it FIVE times! By 2 a.m., we were able to walk onto it with no wait. There was also a disc jockey and various characters out dancing. Let me tell you, that Baloo has some moves!
All in all, it was an exhausting, fun night! We left Animal Kingdom at about 2:45 a.m., after riding Everest 5x, Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl. We were the only riders on Dinosaur at 2:30 a.m.
- Disney designates a charity for each event, so your time is going to a good cause!
- At this time, Disney also offers volunteers a free park ticket after 16 hours of service. Rumor has it that this perk might go away – let’s hope not!
- People are way more trusting than I am – I can’t believe how many credit cards, iPhones and other valuables I saw in the bags, completely out in the open!
- Cold packs (the kind you break and they get cold) test positive for drugs when the dogs sniff them! This doesn’t mean you can’t have them, you just need to alert the bag checkers and they will mark your bag.
- Really Important! Run Disney has extra bags in case you leave yours in the hotel rooms!
- Also really important! Run Disney also has blank labels in case you lose yours
- If you check your bag and realize you forgot something, the bag checkers will let you get your bag back
- Bag check is FUN!
- Bag check is exhausting!
- I’d do it all over in a heartbeat!
Patty Holliday has been running Disney since 2011. She knows just about every tip, trick, and hack there is to cover the runDisney Magical Miles at Disney World and Disneyland. She knows every mile isn’t *always* magical- but with training, tips, and a little bit of pixie dust, they can be a lot of fun! You can also find her at noguiltlife.com and noguiltfangirl.com