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My friends and family have been participating the CHOC Walk for the past nine years as team Kids In Motion. We have a great time each year and the small but honest amount of money we help raise for the kids of CHOC make the whole event satisfying. This past year was no exception... except...
...I must say we were pretty displeased with the organization of the Walk this year and the Walk route for multiple reasons. This years' Walk took place this past Sunday, October 14th. We were excited because this year the Walk started at California Adventure's new buena Vista St. We even had specially designed team t-shirts made for the occasion. However, upon arrival it became desperately evident that this new space at DCA is dreadfully small and compact when compared to the wide open spaces of Disneyland's Main Street USA. It seems the bottleneck of walkers at this new starting line congested the entire route and we moved at a glacial pace for the duration of the supposed 5K.
One of the selling points of the CHOC (besides helping kids in need) is that walkers get a unique perspective of the parks before they open for the day and are able to take advantage of unique photo-ops, both of the setting and of the characters who line the walk path.
Neither of those things were available due to the congestion. DCA's small pathways slowed our usually brisk walk to a stand still. When we finally approached CarsLand we opted to skip it entirely due to gridlock. We were dumped out into DTD only to double back into Disneyland where Tomorrowland was omitted entirely. In fact, the loop of Disneyland Park that walkers have become accustomed to was severed nearly in half. Walkers were corralled into Critter Country and forced backstage behind Splash, past dumpsters, broken POTC boats, and the requisite HS cheer squads and marching bands, only to be doubled back again toward DTD/tram area then toward Tortilla Joe's where the official finish line was.
I figured TDA would try to get CHOC Walkers out of DCA asap so as to not displease the many hotel guests waiting for their precious RSR FP but from the perspective of the CHOC Walkers the price was too high. I understand CHOC Walkers didn't exactly pay to be in the parks in the same way the hotel and other day guests did but the whole event is for charity for crying out loud. Is absolutely nothing sacred? Are the changes to the CHOC Walk this year emblematic of the money hoarding stories Al reports on? Where's the emphasis on the greater good?
Question:
1) Did you participate in this years' CHOC Walk?
2) What was your experience like?
When all was said and done we tried to put our displeasures aside and focus on the good we tried to do. After all, there are kids sick in the hospital without medical insurance and we're complaining about a missed photo-op with Tow Mater. You can view Kids In Motions' CHOC Walk 2012 photos here.
...I must say we were pretty displeased with the organization of the Walk this year and the Walk route for multiple reasons. This years' Walk took place this past Sunday, October 14th. We were excited because this year the Walk started at California Adventure's new buena Vista St. We even had specially designed team t-shirts made for the occasion. However, upon arrival it became desperately evident that this new space at DCA is dreadfully small and compact when compared to the wide open spaces of Disneyland's Main Street USA. It seems the bottleneck of walkers at this new starting line congested the entire route and we moved at a glacial pace for the duration of the supposed 5K.
One of the selling points of the CHOC (besides helping kids in need) is that walkers get a unique perspective of the parks before they open for the day and are able to take advantage of unique photo-ops, both of the setting and of the characters who line the walk path.
Neither of those things were available due to the congestion. DCA's small pathways slowed our usually brisk walk to a stand still. When we finally approached CarsLand we opted to skip it entirely due to gridlock. We were dumped out into DTD only to double back into Disneyland where Tomorrowland was omitted entirely. In fact, the loop of Disneyland Park that walkers have become accustomed to was severed nearly in half. Walkers were corralled into Critter Country and forced backstage behind Splash, past dumpsters, broken POTC boats, and the requisite HS cheer squads and marching bands, only to be doubled back again toward DTD/tram area then toward Tortilla Joe's where the official finish line was.
I figured TDA would try to get CHOC Walkers out of DCA asap so as to not displease the many hotel guests waiting for their precious RSR FP but from the perspective of the CHOC Walkers the price was too high. I understand CHOC Walkers didn't exactly pay to be in the parks in the same way the hotel and other day guests did but the whole event is for charity for crying out loud. Is absolutely nothing sacred? Are the changes to the CHOC Walk this year emblematic of the money hoarding stories Al reports on? Where's the emphasis on the greater good?
Question:
1) Did you participate in this years' CHOC Walk?
2) What was your experience like?
When all was said and done we tried to put our displeasures aside and focus on the good we tried to do. After all, there are kids sick in the hospital without medical insurance and we're complaining about a missed photo-op with Tow Mater. You can view Kids In Motions' CHOC Walk 2012 photos here.
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