A new change has been implemented for runDisney volunteers, as they will no longer receive complimentary Disney Theme Park tickets in exchange for their help at runDisney events, starting with the 2023 Wine & Dine Half Marathon.
What’s Happening:
- More than assisting with the operation, the volunteers at a runDisney event play an important role in a runner’s race journey. From manning the water stops along the course to awarding you with your finishers medal after you’ve accomplished what you set out to do, the volunteers are that friendly face at each moment.
- Every runDisney race season, roughly 15,000 volunteers are needed to support the presence of the celebrated charities while assisting the race weekend events. Volunteers lend their help with every key moment of a race weekend, from race bib pick-up at the Health & Fitness Expo to race day operations.
- However, this year will be a bit different for those volunteers, who once received complimentary Disney theme park admission for their efforts, but this year are being told they will not be compensated with complimentary access to the parks.
- For the 2023 runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, when volunteers sign up to help with the event, they are met with a blurb that reads “THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME DURING THE UPCOMING RUNDISNEY RACE SEASON! YOUR PASSION FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR CELEBRATED CHARITIES IS TRULY VALUED. IN KEEPING WITH THAT SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM, COMPLIMENTARY THEME PARK TICKETS WILL NOT BE DISTRIBUTED. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND ENTHUSIASM FOR OUR MAGICAL RUNNING COMMUNITY!”
- Later on the page, volunteers must check an acknowledgement before submitting their form that reads “I acknowledge that I am volunteering with no right to or expectation of any compensation, including theme park tickets…”
- In recent years, volunteers at the event did get their complimentary tickets as expected, but were stunned to discover that they were only valid for later that same day, and must have been used by 1:00 PM. A feat for many volunteers who arrived in the early morning hours like 3:00 or 4:00 AM, to help get the event ready.
- Since the Wine & Dine Half Marathon is the first event to invoke this policy change, there is no indication yet on how it will affect volunteer turnout for this and future runDisney events, which theoretically could result in returning to the original ticket giveaway or even paying Walt Disney World cast members to work the events.
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