I know some, or many of you have done this race. I’m wondering if it’s worth flying over from California for. My brother lives in Florida, so i have an alternative reason to go, and I’m sure the wife and 2-year-old would love a visit to the “other” Disney park. Is the race fun?
bump
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I’m signed up but haven’t done it before. Mostly doing it because I was going to go to Disney anyway, might as well have some fun for myself. I’ve heard it’s flat and was a draft fest last year. Usually some decent pros show up apparently. It is held near/in the Wilderness Lodge/Camp Ground area of the park. Not sure whether they will have any IMH spots this year as they have in past years, or just the 70.3 (stupid, I hate typing that) championship spots.
Heard that it will not be an IMH qualifier this year. And yes, it was a draft fest last year.
Thanks for that guys, but my question is “is it a fun race, venue, and vibe to bring the family to?” Not really worried about the drafting thing as I’m an MOP’er.
Better check and make sure PEM is not the race event management
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I did it last year. Not overly impressed. Course is flat but you also risk having very hot and humid temps that time of year. Logistics of getting into/out of the transition area were kind of a pain before/after the race.
The run is 2 double loop through some parking lots and fields which I didn’t care for. Not a horrible race but one I probably won’t do again.
I’m surprised to hear all this. I figured hey, this thing is at Disney World. And it’s an MDOT race, must be good. Now I’m wondering!
LOL (insert sarcasm into laugh)
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Ha, ha. I get it. Disney…BAD. MDOT…BAD (said in Phil Hartman “Frankenstein” voice).
I live in central florida and did the race last year. Overall it was a nice race and if you have family Disney is a great place to take them, I am sure they would appreciate this after you drag them around to see you race. Yes it is hot and humid and if you can’t handle this Disney is not a good race for you. Last I checked all of the people in the race had the same conditions. I guarantee you bring your family and let them go to the parks they will think Disney is a great race and you should do it every year.
I appreciate it Rob. It seems to fall into place for me. I am trying to qualify for the 70.3 Championships, want to visit my brother in Florida, and want to take the wife/daughter to Disney World (even though I live 30 miles from Disneyland). Seems like it’s filling up fast. Maybe I’ll see ya there!
I lived there last year, and I was under the impression that the drafting was enhanced by the fact that the motorcycles to be used for the marshals never showed up. I would expect that to change for next year. It’s a very spectator friendly course for the run, and the pro’s ther last year included Simon, Bjorn, Luke Bell, Zemetri, and women Kate Major, Natasha, Heather Gollniick, some of the other auusies, etc…and a number of others. A much better pro field than many Iman races, and seems like a very nice race with the exception of the problem with the bike marshals.
I did this last year. Save your money. I too have a brother in nearby Tampa whom I was visiting. I drove the 10+ hrs from VA and was not impressed. Family sacrificed a lot (didn’t see much Disney, expensive hotel, pain in the ass logistics) and was not spectator friendly.
Course was very forgettable. No marshalls added to the drafting, but I think a large part of that perception was a local bike club doing their weekend ride out there too.
It would be a good one if you live in the area, but nothing more. I would not do this race again. My brother however did get inspired and took up running! So maybe a blessing in disguise.
I do all the Disney races. The races themselves are nothing super, but it’s the one place my family doesn’t complain about having to go to and watch me race. It is great for my wife and children. They can watch me start, then go eat breakfast, hit the park for a little while, and then come watch me finish. The marathon is my favorite - I make it a point to take a camera and have my picture taken with every character I see along the way. My finishing times reflect this strategy, but heym I have a good time!
We always get a condo off the property and I have never really had any problems.
Did it 2 years ago. The volunteer support on the run course was fantastic, but the logistics of getting to the race were awful. I did it because I wanted to do an MDot race. It turns out that the NC/SC races put on by the Set Up Inc guys are every bit as good. All that being said, it was at Disney and for some reason my family likes Disney better than a weekend in White Lake, NC.
“or some reason my family likes Disney better than a weekend in White Lake, NC”
Really? That just doesn’t make any sense.
;->
I am doing it this year and have heard mixed reviews about previous races. It seems that any race takes a few years to work the kinks out and become a “good” race. In fact if you look at the races people consistently rave about they have been around a while.
IMAZ got mixed reviews
IMCDA is getting better reviews
IMLP and IMC get great reviews
Disney seems dedicated to events of this nature and should show good improvement this year.
I have booked my hotel, scheduled the time of work, and planned a family vaction around the race… so may be I am just brainwashing myself into believing this will be a good event… 
I’m going to end up doing the same, and making the best out of it. My first HIM, Caliman, was a terrific experience, so I’ll be comparing every other long distance tri to that one.
Here’s my race review. I hope it helps you decide:
EveryMan Rating
3 Brewskis
Rating Scale (based on the amount of beer needed after race)
- 4 Brewskis: So excruciatingly painful and lame you’ll need a full year of recovery just to forget this race
- 3 Brewskis: The best thing said and remembered about race is; I finished
- 2 Brewskis: Challenging race in a masochistic I’d could do it again sort-of-way given enough time and Ibuprofen.
- 1 Brewski: Good solid race that exceeds your expectations
- No Brewski: A must-do annual event for both friends and family
The Race
http://www.floridahalfironman.com
If you like the combination of extreme heat, humidity and Mickey Mouse, this race is for you! This is certainly one of the most family friendly races on the triathletes’ calendar. While you sweat and toil assembling your bike, the family can be out having lunch in Germany or France at Epcot or perhaps a more exotic African fare at the Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
While you sit in the blazing sun at the pre-race meeting the kids can be frolicking at the nearby beach. And while you race through the bike unfriendly streets of Disney’s back lot, the family can be sipping a cool lemonade or Ice Tea at Fort Wilderness. However all this family-fun does come with a price…a very hefty price.
I’m now a complete believer in the Disney business plan. They have perfected the art of maxing-out your credit cards with a smile and a song. (In my case it was the 2 hour Hoop-Dee-Doo Music Review which came to something a bit over $200 for my small family)
Indeed, the hardest part of this entire race is opening the credit card statement on your return home.
The Racers
I asked the super buff guy at the pool where he got his rub on Ironman tattoo which was prominently blazing red in the mid day sun. He gave me a look of total disregard contempt and said in a heavy French accent, “This is not a child’s tattoo. She is real!”
I considered this for a while and decided that while I certainly use many fine products and services daily, but the thought of tattooing myself with a corporate logo of their manufacturer was a bit much. Can you image the conversation with your spouse. “Honey the dishwasher does such a great job that I just added a Whirlpool tattoo to my left shoulder.”
“That’s great dear, it just looks super above your Volvo and American Express Tattoo’s. I’m getting my Playtex tattoo done tomorrow.”
By now you may have guessed that many of the racers are the Ironman hardcore international types. Not to be out done, many of the local racers are also the hardcore Ironman types. I met another guy from Wisconsin who had a tattoo (real) of every IM race he had completed. For instance, the Wisconsin race featured a prominent smiling cow above the IM tattoo while the Florida full IM featured a happy leaping porpoise.
The Swim
The swim is a lope-side triangle. Athletes start in about 20 waves. As usual, the Clydesdales and Athenas started in one of the very last waves. Note 1 to race organizers: we are getting a bit tired of always being last. Is there a secret race director manual that says that Clydesdales and Athenas must start last because they will drink all the beer? Do race organizers get a secret thrill in seeing us big boys struggle through the mid-day heat while all the pro’s and small girls have long ago finished the race?
Except for the rumors of triathlete eating alligators, the swim is very pleasant. The course is well marked. The water is warm, not wetsuits legal. There is only one big loop, which means you won’t get caught up in many elbow battles. Enjoy the clear water and keep an eye out for fish in the shallow parts.
Transition
Note 2 to Organizers: Black Astroturf like carpet is a really bad idea in Florida.
The transition is on a beach and the IM folks had kindly covered most of the beach in black carpet. It felt great to walk on and run on in morning while putting our stuff into transition. I loved the feeling of soft sand covered by soft carpet. The same cannot be said later in the day. A crash course in hot coal walking would certainly have been helpful during the first and second transition. We were all jumping around like kangaroos trying get out feet into the bike shoes.
The Bike
The bike course winds its way through the back lots of Disney until you hit the mean streets of Orlando and the country roads further out. Friendly Disney security guards cheer you on as you fly through their property. It would have been more helpful if they actually stopped the traffic. At one point a bunch of us big guys were almost taken out by a sleepy-eyed Disney employee who mistook the racecourse for own personal highway. He came at us head on in an old Dodge. He didn’t seem to be bothered a bit by the bikes that were flying left and right to avoid a head on collision.
The other unpleasant surprise is how hilly the bike course gets in the middle. Who thinks of big hills when they think of Florida? No me until I had to get out of my seat as the road turned up and continued to climb for a half mile at a time.
It was then that I also noticed that it was getting a wee bit hot and muggy. I usually can’t tell when I’m sweating on the bike. Climbing the hills in the mid-day Florida heat, I was more like Sponge Bob than Simon Lessing, who won the race, and who I was sure was already done as I headed back to the transition area for a second round of coal walking.
The Run
The run was changed in 2005 to two loops in and out of the Fort Wilderness Disney property after many complaints about the old Golf Course segment. The good news is that the part of the run that meanders through the shady tree-lined Disney property is great. The bad news is that the part of the run that winds through the of the semi-trailer parking lot, the hot asphalt bus and RV choked main road entrance to Fort Wilderness and the dusty and rutted path that follows the dry cannel back to the property really sucks.
It especially sucks when it is well above 90 degrees with 100 percent humidity and not a cloud in the sky to provide any shade. It especially especially sucks when you hit the first aid station back on the property and some well meaning volunteer hands you a cup of coffee hot coke. Now that’s the type of sensory overload memory that will stick with you for a while.
NTKS (Need To Know Secrets)
- If you are really sick of the heat on the run, the siren call of the finish line may just be too strong to resist. It is only a matter of making a right instead of a left and you’ve just finished the run in record time by avoiding that “mandatory” second loop.
- Compared to the Chicago Triathlon the transition area is actually pretty small but just wait until you start out on the bike. Make sure you know how to run in your bike shoes. You’ll have to run through the transition make a right, run over a bridge, make a left, run down a path, make another turn and run down a road until you get to the point where you can actually get on the bike. Figure you might as well add a mile or two to the half marathon while pushing a bike.
- Beware of hot coke. It kinda tastes like defeat.
- Note 3 to organizers. The best part of the race is having your family at the finish. It is almost worth the heat, humidity and warm coke.
More Tri Reviews at www.Everymantriathlon.com