tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post3710657847916085428..comments2024-03-26T20:07:47.116-04:00Comments on Fairytales and Fitness: Will Disney Limit Your Expo Purchases?Fairytales and Fitnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11771224209536216240noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-83506951450290669342014-09-13T09:24:21.066-04:002014-09-13T09:24:21.066-04:00Oh the official merchandise issues always upset me...Oh the official merchandise issues always upset me! I usually don't make it into town until the second day of the expo. And yes usually everything is almost if not sold out! The year I ran the marathon I couldn't even buy an I Did It shirt because they were sold out! So upsetting! I really wish runDisney would fix this!Mindy Bobehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06752837814235279145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-60184904234889324982014-09-12T14:52:56.876-04:002014-09-12T14:52:56.876-04:00I think Disney should have this issue under contro...I think Disney should have this issue under control by now with the number of race weekend they've put on. I never go into the expo with something I want in mind so I'm never disappointed if they are out of something. I also can't believe people are selling the items on eBay! So ridiculous. Courtney @ RunningforCupcakeshttp://www.runfor-cupcakes.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-18703759740971449982014-09-11T23:54:47.834-04:002014-09-11T23:54:47.834-04:00While I was waiting in line at the disney marathon...While I was waiting in line at the disney marathon I saw the one and only new balance shoes on ebay for 400.00 dollars just 2 hours after the expo. I was mad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-43008990346560169932014-09-11T20:23:46.294-04:002014-09-11T20:23:46.294-04:00One of the two. I think it would be easy enough s...One of the two. I think it would be easy enough so you could funnel people to bib pick up before shopping. But if not, confirmation + ID might work too, but would probably be slower.Laurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05195698604225616132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-55588936950542684912014-09-11T20:22:25.452-04:002014-09-11T20:22:25.452-04:00I went to the expo several times over the weekend ...I went to the expo several times over the weekend and there was always plenty of merchandise. The only day that there was nothing left was the final day and they had no more wine glasses. Otherwise there was plenty of merchandise and I saw a few CMs walking around and eyeing the merchandise and calling someone to come and restock when things were getting lowAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14356739507494946633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-10511738773069623712014-09-11T17:51:26.659-04:002014-09-11T17:51:26.659-04:00Wow, really? If I want a $9 magnet I should pay a...Wow, really? If I want a $9 magnet I should pay an extra $100 for a hotel room (and take an extra day off of work...maybe pull my kids out of school) or pay a personal shopper? I've personally seen people with huge bags of merchandise clearly meant to be sold on e-bay clearing out the expo on day one. I'm not that interested in race merchandise but I know it means a lot to some runners, especially if it is their first race and it would be nice if you had to have a bib to buy the official race merchandise, at least on the first day or two of the expo. Professor SnuggleSluthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15156264930123746798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-76313398420327320712014-09-11T14:07:10.335-04:002014-09-11T14:07:10.335-04:00I couldn't agree I couldn't agree with you...I couldn't agree I couldn't agree with you more! The idea of those purchasing merchandise for eBay sales is really irritating to me. Karen Sealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01859540994687133829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-1739282103778251572014-09-11T13:25:44.895-04:002014-09-11T13:25:44.895-04:00I totally agree with this. I signed up for Star Wa...I totally agree with this. I signed up for Star Wars and they're offering a pre-sale on that jacket. I would like to know what it looks like first, especially considering it's not cheap. I'm fine with not seeing the pins first, but clothing is another story... I guess if I ordered it and didn't like it I could sell it on eBay!! LolJaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07412864659613068146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-69865769394841979822014-09-11T13:23:46.215-04:002014-09-11T13:23:46.215-04:00I was actually going to mention the same thing. Ba...I was actually going to mention the same thing. Back in January as the WDW Marathon weekend, they would restock periodically. My friend running dopey wanted the magnet and when the guy brought them out, half of them were gone before they hit the hook on the wall, but they would eventually bring more out. Sounds like a poor customer service experience with "they're out". <br /><br />Like it's said, they are a business. They're also not inexperienced. There was no way they would under order something that it would be sold out in an hour, especially a pin. Lazy, misinformed, something, but bad service.John @ run. geek. run(disney)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03659029392388207321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-46883807589601512562014-09-11T12:57:10.458-04:002014-09-11T12:57:10.458-04:00Or your confirmation maybe? I know I always pick ...Or your confirmation maybe? I know I always pick up my bib *after* scouring the shopping but if it would help have more goods available then I could change :)Annehttp://www.outrunningthefork.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-6080821706723030332014-09-11T12:43:28.657-04:002014-09-11T12:43:28.657-04:00Yep, I asked not one, but at least 3-4 different s...Yep, I asked not one, but at least 3-4 different staff, and they all said, "sorry, we ran out -- crazy right?" I even said to one, "are you SURE there aren't any in the back?!" because it seemed so unbelievable to me. I always ask for certain items in certain sizes at the expo if they aren't on the floor, and I've never had a problem with someone gladly going to the back to retrieve it for me. So maybe they were lying/misinformed -- who knows, right? I didn't want to take time away from the parks/our trip to keep coming back and dealing with crowds at the expo, but I suppose I could have checked back!Jennifer @ The Final Fortyhttp://www.thefinalforty.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-504547596280985412014-09-11T12:38:10.730-04:002014-09-11T12:38:10.730-04:00I also collect the pins, but I ALWAYS pre-order! ...I also collect the pins, but I ALWAYS pre-order! That way I'm guaranteed my pins. They seem to be adding more to the pre-order and this year at Dumbo, you could even order your I Did It shirt online. I went to the expo on Friday morning, the day after it opened, and I have to say, I got everything! I Did It shirts for both me and hubby, jackets for both me and hubby, sweaty bands, shorts...yep, I spent WAY too much! My honest opinion is runDisney did MORE than make up for the disaster that was last year, and my credit card rewarded them greatly :) I also didn't wait in line and got two pairs of the New Balance shoes. I had the best time at the expo this year--I can't criticize them on anything--it went smashingly! Kudos to runDisney for actually listening to fans and problem solving! Disney Runs in the Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06361890697749649906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-59472478171599838652014-09-11T12:36:59.729-04:002014-09-11T12:36:59.729-04:00I don't think we should have to pay for a &quo...I don't think we should have to pay for a "Welcome Event" for the chance to buy race merch. I know Disney loves our money, but, it's getting a little insane, no? They did have plenty of stuff, but no Stitch pins whatsoever...I asked several staff members and they all said the same thing: sold out. It was definitely not a restocking issue, believe me.Jennifer @ The Final Fortyhttp://www.thefinalforty.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-34810482377111394672014-09-11T12:34:46.998-04:002014-09-11T12:34:46.998-04:00You have great points-I think all of the "imp...You have great points-I think all of the "important" items such as pins, purses, jackets should be pre-ordered as they are now but the also need to provide a picture! I dont want to pre-order a jacket if I don't like how it looks<br /><br />I also think they should limit for the first 1-2 days the merchandise to runners and have a limit on the amount you can buy. That way it is more fair to everyone and on the last day, they can have people (anyone that wants) buy as many as they want. <br /><br />Also, i went to the Dumbo expo on both Friday and Saturday. Yes they had more merchandise than in the past but they were severely lacking sizes in most shirts I looked at. For example, I wanted to buy a pink coast to coast shirt and they had a lot on the rack but only had L, XL, XXL and when I asked, they said they were sold out of other sizes. Julianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11352740561555628315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-42738598445309614502014-09-11T12:34:29.465-04:002014-09-11T12:34:29.465-04:00If the Disney Store is going to be selling shirts ...If the Disney Store is going to be selling shirts now before the race, why not have all the official merchandise on the website? People can avoid the Active fees, and if the stuff isn't going to be available until the expo, have a special booth at the expo where people can pick up their stuff that they've already paid for.Lesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03806404383790065626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-34514804125378619652014-09-11T12:34:26.110-04:002014-09-11T12:34:26.110-04:00So, I'm kind of glad my rage was able to spur ...So, I'm kind of glad my rage was able to spur some discussion! Haha. Thanks for sharing all of this! My thoughts:<br /><br />1.) Yes, I was pretty POed about the pin. And I was not the only one asking for it -- some poor cast member was being hounded by a bunch of runners asking if they were putting more Stitch pins out, and she kept having to tell them that they were sold out, but if you did the pre-order (which, of course, I did not, because I use my AP and/or Visa discount when I buy at the expo) then you'd still be able to get one.<br /><br />2.) I did pay twice what the pin was worth, and a few bucks to ship it. There are several other pins still selling on eBay, all for over $30. Not to mention the other expo merch from pretty much every runDisney race ever! A waste of money? Probably. But when you start collecting these things, you just HAVE to have it, you know?<br /><br />3.) I don't know how/if they can do this, but if there was some way to just limit the same person buying multiple items -- like, who needs 10 pins, for example? -- kind of like they do with the purses and sneakers, as you mentioned. I've totally seen people with armloads of the same shirt, magnets, etc., and I highly doubt it's for their own personal use! Of course, like you said, they could theoretically keep coming back, but it might deter people from any shady business knowing they'd have to keep getting in that line to get into the merch area and check out again!<br /><br />4.) I often wonder if runDisney purposely limits the items to make people want them more? Just a thought. Because why WOULDN'T they have this down by now? Take the number of registered runners and supply accordingly, right? This is the first time I arrived at an expo right on time and had to deal with something selling out -- does not make sense at all!<br /><br />5.) Not that I don't mind flying in early, but it does kind of stink that we came in on Thursday just to get to the expo first, even though the race wasn't until Saturday. Same thing with the WDW Marathon in January -- we plan to come in early just for the expo, even though I'm not running Dopey next year! I just don't see why basic merch like shirts and pins have to sell out so quickly when Disney has such a handle on planning and executing these races for thousands upon thousands of people, right?<br />Jennifer @ The Final Fortyhttp://www.thefinalforty.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-38926018138770750702014-09-11T12:16:20.004-04:002014-09-11T12:16:20.004-04:00The expo official race merch area was open early T...The expo official race merch area was open early Thursday morning to everyone who paid for the Welcome Event. You did not need to be a race registrant to attend the Welcome Event. Also, I went to the expo on Saturday afternoon and saw plenty of pins, magnets, "I Did It!" shirts, etc. I'm pretty sure your friend ran into a restocking issue, not a supply issue.Meghannnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-76476074640285858112014-09-11T12:01:11.495-04:002014-09-11T12:01:11.495-04:00You make some valid points. Also, if everyone gets...You make some valid points. Also, if everyone gets to the expo on day 1 right when it opens, it's going to cause even more madness than there already is. Generally, I imagine they sell out of most things, so having more in stock would be helpful. Anything they don't sell winds up in their stores for people to purchase later, so there's that. I really like being able to pre-purchase items and just pick up when I'm there (like pins or jackets). It'd be more work, but maybe they could send out surveys to gauge interest on items to know how much to order? Just a thought.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04270167145763200625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-87285519794224003472014-09-11T11:37:57.003-04:002014-09-11T11:37:57.003-04:00You'd think with the fees you have to pay for ...You'd think with the fees you have to pay for Disney races, it shouldn't be a problem to not run out of merchandise. That's just ridiculous really. Supply & demand must be Disney's game. But even if they had left overs - its not like it wouldn't sell!Rebecca Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03965781380511208862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-86685697007065040022014-09-11T11:15:26.075-04:002014-09-11T11:15:26.075-04:00At Princess this year, I was buying one of the cov...At Princess this year, I was buying one of the coveted purses and there was a guy there buying like 10 of them. We all knew right away that he was just going to turn around and sell on eBay. I have also seen some of the shirts being sold on Disney's website after the race. With them doing that, I don't see any issue with them over buying, since they can just turn around and sell the items left over online.<br />@heatherlasHeathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-41124708025862230712014-09-11T11:15:01.521-04:002014-09-11T11:15:01.521-04:00I got stuck in the inaugural DDD expo mess (waited...I got stuck in the inaugural DDD expo mess (waited over 2 hrs in line to pay). I understand that it's just part of it. I'm disappointed there are things I wasn't able to buy because they were sold out and generally I get to the expo on the first day. In the end though, my most prized souvenir is my race medal. :) <br />I think putting a limit on how many of the same item people purchase would be nice. Does the same person really need 10 of the same pin? Probably not. In theory it's a good idea to track bibs, like they do for the New Balance shoe queue, but I think it'd be hard to track as some people get their bibs after. And if they tried to track it by bib # at the register, that'd be a huge interface to program. Lol. Can you tell I'm related to a programmer? ;)Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13666562341448768865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-9146503104491336992014-09-11T11:10:39.936-04:002014-09-11T11:10:39.936-04:00This post needs to go viral and runDisney has to r...This post needs to go viral and runDisney has to read it. They NEED to fix this issue. Not everyone can get to the expo hours before opening. It just really angers and frustrates me...I absolutely support limiting purchases!Laurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13450134506494930799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-83089887231006622832014-09-11T10:58:59.547-04:002014-09-11T10:58:59.547-04:00I think you provided some good solutions to the is...I think you provided some good solutions to the issue. Maybe Disney will listen. suzyhomemakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13463942753416462607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-11549912904239341262014-09-11T10:47:20.611-04:002014-09-11T10:47:20.611-04:00I think that just ordering more merchandise would ...I think that just ordering more merchandise would solve the problem. I understand that Disney does not want to be stuck with a large number of left over shirts with a race year on them but, they should know what items are popular and order more of them for people. Samantha @ Food Fitness Family Friendshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01945051764836615608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930457134828005115.post-38054815589542150762014-09-11T10:39:00.354-04:002014-09-11T10:39:00.354-04:00This post was not meant to be whiney at all. In fa...This post was not meant to be whiney at all. In fact we HAVE always arrived at the expo on the first day ( yes, paying the extra money for the room), and we have never had a problem getting the things we want from the expo, but then we don't "collect" anything or have any must have items. If it's there, its there, if it's not, we don't worry about it. Its one less thing we have to shell out money for. We would never hire a personal shopper because we are there for the EXPERIENCE not the MERCHANDISE. Fairytales and Fitnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11771224209536216240noreply@blogger.com