
The
expo was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and we arrived at 7:30 a.m. an hour earlier than scheduled. The expo was due to open at 10 a.m. and
we were taken into the back room to sign in and get our official volunteer
shirt (not so awesome) and lunch.


One advantage of arriving too early was that the exhibitors were
already set up and we were able to take a sneak peek before the crowds arrived.
I was very excited to see the new Team Sparkle Headsweat visors and we were
given a coupon to collect our limited edition Disney Marathon artwork too. We
did happen to stroll upon the official marathon merchandise and a number of
volunteers who were frantically picking up the official pins after one of the major
stands fell over(oops). We also ventured outside where there was a huge photo
of the medal. I had heard from another runner on the flight over that a lot of
the official merchandise had already sold out and I was very dismayed to see
lots of empty racks and very little official gear to buy. However, I was not
surprised to see next years ‘WDW Marathon 2014 in training’ shirts already on
sale.
For
those who were spectating there was a ChEAR Squad option for purchase and a booth
to collect their packets.
ChEAR Squad – BRONZE Package
includes:
- E-newsletter!
ChEAR Squad – SILVER Package
includes:
- The
E-newsletter included with the Bronze Package plus...
- ChEAR
Squad gear which includes:
·
Waterproof Stadium Blanket
·
Mickey clappers (exclusive to ChEAR
Squad!)
·
ChEAR Squad T-shirt
ChEAR Squad – GOLD Package includes*:
- All
of the Silver Package amenities plus...
- Reserved
ChEAR Zone viewing location along the course (first-come, first-served)
- Entry
into the Finish Line ChEAR Zone which includes:

·
Reserved grandstand seating
(first-come, first-served)
·
Hot and cold beverages
·
Private restrooms
ChEAR Squad – PLATINUM Package
includes:
- All
of the Gold Package amenities plus...
- Entry
into the Race Retreat** which includes:
·
Disney Character greetings
·
Brunch plus hot and cold beverages
·
Temperature-controlled tent with
indoor lounges & family style dine seating
·
Internet access to check live results
·
Private Restrooms
·
Information Station
·
Live video feed from the Finish Line
After checking our bib and Dtag worked we headed to do all the fun
stuff. HP and New Balance had two very fun photo booths and we left with
digital images and a free lanyard. The rest of the booths were the usual
exhibitions, Mizuno, Asics, Garmin, etc and it wasn’t very long before the hall
was crowded and the atmosphere was tense with PR excitement. My friend and I
headed to the Runner Tracking computers to enter all of our friends cell
numbers and then onto the KT booth to be taped up before heading off to a pasta
lunch (carb up!)
Overall the day was fantastic and the expo was just as I had
imagined. We had to get a taxi because there was no shuttle from our hotel.
Free parking is available or bus transportation is available from Disney's
All-Star Sports Resorts, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney's Pop
Century Resort on a limited schedule.
My
Tip: If you wish to volunteer sign up the minute it becomes available and don’t
wait. It is too competitive otherwise.
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