Wine & Dine weekend has a special place in my heart. In 2012, it was my first runDisney race that got me hooked on all things Disney and runDisney. I'm a big fan of running at night, which is why this race intrigued me in the first place. I've ran it every year since, and hope to continue the tradition for as long as possible.

This year was another rainy weather day, and unfortunately, due to lightning, the race was delayed. I think runDisney handled the situation very well - getting the runners inside was no small task, but it went smoothly from what I could tell. Due to the delay, and from what I was hearing possible damage at Animal Kingdom, the race course was shortened to about 6.5/7 miles (I never did find out the accurate length, just go by my Garmin, which we all know isn't 100%). Though disappointed not being able to run through AK, I understood the reasoning and that was fine. It ended up being extremely humid, so in that regard I was quite happy not to have to run 13 miles haha. I know there were plenty of complaints about the delay and the short course, but I personally think everything was handled well and organized, so I don't have anything bad to say about it. Honestly, my mom and I finished earlier than we would have if we had done the whole 13.1, and had more time to enjoy the after party, which was awesome. The course went from ESPN WWoS to Hollywood Studios (through the Osborne Lights for the final year) to Epcot.

I applaud runDisney for taking the runners safety into account and making it their number one priority.

PROS:
+ Gender Specific race shirts - long sleeve (Champion brand)
+ Expo is always fantastic, though quite crowded
+ Packet pickup was easy
+ Amazing volunteers, race staff, Cast Members
+ Quality medals
+ After party at Epcot is fantastic - entertainment, character photo ops, and the Food & Wine Festival kiosks = fun & yum
+ Aid stations are well staffed; Powerade first and water second - plenty for all
+ I think all the Disney hotels on property were host hotels, which meant they provided transportation to the expo and to the race start/finish. The buses were timely and we never waited long to get to one place to another.
+ Post-race: finishers received their medals, bottle of water, bottle of Powerade, bananas, and the usual runDisney box of goodies.

CONS:
- My only complaint for this, is something that couldn't be helped by runDisney itself. Due to the shortened course, there was less time for the racers to thin/spread out. We lost a lot of highway time in which we have wide roadways and makes it easy for runners to get situated in their proper paces. Short course meant everyone was in a hurry and I noticed a lot of rude people pushing others around. Race etiquette was hard to follow. As I do a run/walk interval, I did my best to run center and then move to the right when it was time to walk (I also always raise my arm/hand to indicate I'm coming to a stop) - due to the congestion, I couldn't always get to the right. I was shoved a time or two myself. I heard a lot of people yelling at the slower runners, which I was taken aback by, as usually the Disney races are filled with happy people. This was disappointing, but again, other than people calming down and understanding that the course was jam packed due to it's length, runDisney can't do anything about that. I just wish people would have been more respectful as a whole.

I love runDisney events, even though registration is quite stressful and prices keep rising. I think runDisney does a great job with communication and getting runners ready for their events.