2018 Sport Entertainment & Venues Tomorrow (SEVT 2018)

Sport Tourism and runDisney: An Analysis of Participant Motivations Through Achievement Goal Orientations Brenda Riemer, Eastern Michigan University Erica Zonder, Eastern Michigan University Cheryl Rode, Niagara University

Poster Presentation Thursday March 8, 2018 Other Abstract 2018-016 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Atrium

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” –Walt Disney Traveling to exciting and new destinations and including sport—participant or spectator—on the agenda has grown over the years. Engaging in sport while on vacation has grown from playing a round of golf or traveling to a new city to see your favorite college football team participate in a post-season bowl game to participating in running events (i.e., 5k, 10k, half-marathon, marathon) at destination resorts like or . The runDisney races, through 2017, are available at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, , and as virtual races. Gibson (2005) discussed the difference between the active, passive, and nostalgic sport tourist. The passive sport tourist is someone that will not actually participate in the sport itself, but be the spectator at a game while the nostalgic sport tourist might visit a sport related museum or site. The opposite of that is the active sport tourist. This type of sport tourist travels to a new destination in order to participate in the sporting event. The literature on sport tourism has provided a wide range of definitions. The definition most applicable to this study is that sport tourists attribute meaning to a specific event or location, make an economic impact toward the local community, and have a potential desire to return in the future (Aicher, Karadakis, & Eddosary, 2015; Filo, Chen, King, & Funk, 2013; Kaplanidou & Vogt, 2010). When athletes are sport tourists, the experience of the activity (i.e., running) and the experience of the location (i.e., Disney) create a unique occurrence (Walker, Hinch & Higham, 2010). Walker, et al (2010) also added that achievement is a factor for active sport tourists. Destination image easily plays a role in a tourist—or sport tourist’s—decision to travel to a new destination or for repeat travel. According to Bologlu & McCleary (1999), a person’s desire to travel to a new location could include one’s own values or personality, demographics (i.e., age, education), previous experiences and outside information (i.e., word of mouth from friends, advertisements). Walt Disney World and Disneyland are both popular vacation destinations within the United States. Over 148 million people worldwide visit the parks each year (Mauney, 2015). The sense of achievement of finishing a runDisney race or multiple races during a week-end might be the primary reason to register and participate in these events over the destination itself (Filo, et al, 2013). To fully understand why people participate, the theoretical perspective of achievement goal orientations was used in this study. Achievement goal orientations is a theoretical perspective used to determine what motivates people to participate physical activity and sport (Riemer & Thomas, 2005). Goal orientation researchers compare the satisfaction derived from mastering a sport (task orientation) with that based on demonstrating one's prowess and defeating competitors (ego orientation) (Duda, 1992; Duda, 1996). Task and ego orientations are not mutually exclusive, but are present at varying levels simultaneously (Frederick-Recascino & Schuster-Smith, 2003; Nicholls, 1989). Furthermore, these are not the only goal orientations possible. For example, Urdan and Maehr (1995) suggested that social goals should be considered in achievement settings. The purpose of this study is to determine why individuals choose to participate in runDisney events, with an eye on expanding the literature on this specific, global runDisney phenomenon, as well as sport tourism motivations generally. The participants of this study are runners who participated in runDisney events. The participants were recruited by the snowball method via the social media site, Facebook. Information about the survey was posted in three Facebook running groups, with a link to SurveyMonkey. Descriptive questions were spread throughout the survey. Questions about running and race history were placed at the beginning of the survey, while questions about age, gender, growing up going to Disney parks, and if they were a (DVC) member were at the end of the survey. If participants answered that they were DVC members, they were directed to four additional questions about their DVC membership and if they planned their stays with runDisney events. Participants were

Columbia, SC March 7 – 9, 2018 Page 24 2018 Sport Entertainment & Venues Tomorrow (SEVT 2018) asked Likert-type questions (1-7 scale) about why they enter running events, and why they enter runDisney events. There was also an open-ended question about their favorite race to enter. Specifically, participants were asked why they enter running events, ranking four (4) choices. Of the 223 initial responses, 89 (39.56%) ranked “I enjoy the camaraderie among the racers” as their top choice, followed closely by “I enjoy traveling and seeing different locations. The race is a bonus” with 72 top rankings (32%). 52 (23.32%) ranked “I want to see if my time improved” as their top choice, while “I want to be better than other runners” was last among top choices at 4.93%. Further, the “better” option was rated fourth and last by 87.89% of all responses. When specifically asked about why they enter runDisney events, participants were given seven (7) choices. 82 (36.61%) ranked “It is a reason to go to a Disney park” as their top choice, followed by “I love the medals” at 62/27.43%. “They are close to my home” was seventh and last, at 51/22.77%. Complete results will be available at the time of the conference, and will be discussed within the framework of achievement goal orientations. References (partial) Duda, J.L. (1992). Sport and exercise motivation: A goal perspective analysis. In G. Roberts (Ed.), Motivation in sport and exercise (pp. 57-91). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Duda, J.L. & Whitehead, J. (1998). Measurement of goal perspectives in the physical domain. In J.L. Duda (Ed.), Advances in Sport and Exercise Psychology Measure ment, pp. 21-48. Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology, Inc. Frederick-Recascino, C. M. & Schuster-Smith, H. (2003) Competition and intrinsic motivation in physical activity: A comparison of two groups. Journal of Sport Behavior, 26, 240-254. Nicholls, J.G. (1989). The competitive ethos and democratic education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Riemer, B.A. & Thomas, J.L. (2005). Achievement goal orientations in competition dog obedience participants. Journal of Sport Behavior; 28, 272-281. Urban, T.C. & Maehr, M.L. (1995). Beyond a two-goal theory of motivation and achievement: A case for social goals. Review of Educational Research, 65, 213-243.

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