Edited:marathon weekend

ELG13

Well-Known Member
Last night I looked and there was availability in all room categories on all star movies. We are booking a room for my stepdaughter to join us. That's her favorite value resort. She had to get back to us about the dates. Went to book it this morning and there is zero availability at AS movies. Not a deal breaker but now I'm worried it's on of those dang cheerleading competitions or something, which may make me reconsider my dates lol. Any idea what's going on?
 
Oh snap. Any insight in to the crowds during that time?
Touring Plans is a fantastic resource for crowd levels—it’s inexpensive to join and extremely useful in planning trips!

Crowds are typically a bit higher during race weekends (and including the week prior), and I believe rooms are also more expensive. The year I did the marathon, I didn’t visit the parks until Monday, so I honestly can’t say how the crowds felt during the week leading up to and including the weekend. For what it’s worth, I’m going around the same time, and I did adjust my plans slightly when I found out the marathon schedule, in an attempt to miss some of those crowds. (But also trying to avoid the following weekend because of the MLK holiday—more crowds and higher room rate!) Sorry I can’t be more help, but maybe someone else has more experience with those particular dates.
 
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ELG13

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Touring Plans is a fantastic resource for crowd levels—it’s inexpensive to join and extremely useful in planning trips!

Crowds are typically a bit higher during race weekends (and including the week prior), and I believe rooms are also more expensive. The year I did the marathon, I didn’t visit the parks until Monday, so I honestly can’t say how the crowds felt during the week leading up to and including the weekend. For what it’s worth, I’m going around the same time, and I did adjust my plans slightly when I found out the marathon schedule, in an attempt to miss some of those crowds. (But also trying to avoid the following weekend because of the MLK holiday—more crowds and higher room rate!) Sorry I can’t be more help, but maybe someone else has more experience with those particular dates.
Yeah I landed on that week because of MLK weekend I looked at the race info and there is a 5k Thursday, 10k Fri and the marathon sat and all races are sold out. I can only imagine it would bring higher crowds. I'll look into the touring plan. I was hoping to get one last Jan trip in before our passes expire.
 
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ELG13

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Wondering if anyone has experience with crowds during marathon weekend? I realize nothing is normal now, but we are planning to be there Thursday and Friday and I see all the races are sold out so I'm wondering if that translates to above "average" crowds in the parks or do a lot of these runners just come for the race? I know we can't really say for certain since it's covid but in previous years, what were crowds like? I'm thinking of moving it to 1/20-1/22 to miss MLK weekend crowds as well....
 
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DisneyDreamer08

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We arrived marathon weekend 2020 and stayed til the following weekend (MLK). It was by far the busiest Disney trip we’ve ever taken. Parks were mobbed, super long lines for everything. We made the best of it utilizing rope drop and fastpass but it was tough with little kids.
 
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ELG13

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We arrived marathon weekend 2020 and stayed til the following weekend (MLK). It was by far the busiest Disney trip we’ve ever taken. Parks were mobbed, super long lines for everything. We made the best of it utilizing rope drop and fastpass but it was tough with little kids.
Ok thank you. I've been on hold for an hour to change and I was hoping to get some reassurance for my change lol. We are staying at the fort in our camper and they only have availability for me to move to 1/19-1/22 not 1/20-1/22 so I'm hoping they can get us moved.
 
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Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
We visited during a Run Disney event and it pretty much ruined our last day, as transportation was so snarled up. Our "first bus of the day" from AKL took over an hour to reach MK, and when we went to leave MK a couple hours later bound for HS where we had Fastpasses waiting, we had to choose between taking the monorail and the boats, because the wait for buses (or rideshares, etc.) was expected to be 60-90 minutes, since the roads were still blocked by "runners." [*see footnote] So from MK, we had to take the monorail to EPCOT, go through security again, walk the entire way through EPCOT from the main entrance to the International Gateway, and then catch the Skyliner to HS, where we speed-walked to our about-to-expire Fastpass attraction. So looking on the bright side, we got to do a half-marathon through Disney property without spending an extra dime. ;)

Never again!

*Footnote: This event was only a half-marathon, and from what we saw, the Disney definition of "runners" in that context is "hundreds upon hundreds of middle-aged women of ordinary build, wearing tutu skirts and mouse ears, shambling along the street at a relaxed walking pace."
 
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ELG13

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We visited during a Run Disney event and it pretty much ruined our last day, as transportation was so snarled up. Our "first bus of the day" from AKL took over an hour to reach MK, and when we went to leave MK a couple hours later bound for HS where we had Fastpasses waiting, we had to choose between taking the monorail and the boats, because the wait for buses was expected to be 60-90 minutes, since the roads were still blocked by "runners." [*see footnote] So from MK, we had to take the monorail to EPCOT, go through security again, walk the entire way through EPCOT from the main entrance to the International Gateway, and then catch the Skyliner to HS, where we speed-walked to our about-to-expire Fastpass attraction. So looking on the bright side, we got to do a half-marathon through Disney property without spending an extra dime. ;)

Never again!

*Footnote: This event was only a half-marathon, and from what we saw, the Disney definition of "runners" in that context is "hundreds upon hundreds of middle-aged women of ordinary build, wearing tutu skirts and mouse ears, shambling along the street at a relaxed walking pace."
Yeah that sounds about right lol. I've always wanted to do one but I have serious training to do. I couldn't even do the 5k at this point. We got switched. I just got through to Disney and they booked me 1/19-1/22 (only way to make it work) and I'll cancel the first day tomorrow. When I tried online to do it, they wanted some to pay another deposit which is why I didn't do it but she was able to do it without another deposit so we are all squared away! I'm so glad we switched after reading the two negatives!!
 
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