Marathon impact on crowds

[DisneyDreamer08]

Do marathon crowds effect the parks much? We are planning a January trip (11th-19th) so we will be there during the marathon. Is it anything we should be concerned about or try to prepare for in any way?

 

[LAKid53]

We will definitely be using Disney transportation if that makes any difference. And we will definitely be going to either MK or AK. Because this is our first full day, our plan was not push things too much with our two kids, take it slow & take our time. Yes, we were hoping to rope drop where ever we went but if that doesn’t happen, we’ll adjust. Thankfully we are planning more than one day at both MK and AK. We are planning to do a few character breakfasts throughout the week- 1900 PF, Tusker House and CRT. We could always plan one of those for mid morning and make that the start of the day.
Thank you again for all the advice.

Good plan

 

[LAKid53]

You may just want to be adventurous and play it by ear on Sunday morning - and hop on the first bus that comes to your resort.

You really like causing trouble, don't you.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Do marathon crowds effect the parks much? We are planning a January trip (11th-19th) so we will be there during the marathon. Is it anything we should be concerned about or try to prepare for in any way?

I can only speak from our experience last year. I purposely booked the week following the princess half marathon to avoid the possible crowds. The marathon started the week before on a Wednesday, so I naively thought that everyone would come earlier that week to take advantage of a partial week. But I don't think they did. The week following the marathon was very busy and I actually talked with post marathoners who stayed. I guess if you think about it, who wants to get tired out before a marathon. I won't book that week the next time.

 

[DisneyFanatic9494]

Do marathon crowds effect the parks much? We are planning a January trip (11th-19th) so we will be there during the marathon. Is it anything we should be concerned about or try to prepare for in any way?

Reviving this very helpful thread as I’m planning a trip this January! DisneyDreamer08 — what park did you end up going to that Sunday? And how were the crowds / road closures?

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

Reviving this very helpful thread as I’m planning a trip this January! DisneyDreamer08 — what park did you end up going to that Sunday? And how were the crowds / road closures?

Hi there. So yes, we were there January 2020, we arrived Marathon weekend and stayed through MKL weekend. Unfortunately it was the most crowded time we have ever been. On that first Sunday we went to AK. We relied on Disney buses the entire trip so I don’t remember road closures being an issue. I think they may have brought us in a different way that morning. Overall the entire week, the parks were mobbed. Shoulder to shoulder shuffling about. 45+ minute waits for everything, even things like Small World and Journey into Imagination. It also ended up being extremely hot and humid the whole week which didn’t help. It’s get harder as our kids get older to pull them from school so we purposely chose this week because it was a shorter school week. But I don’t think we would go again at that time.

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

And actually, now that I’m re-reading some of this, I just want to add we never crossed paths with people actually running. We saw mobs of people later in the day, enjoying the parks while wearing their medals, but we never actually saw the marathon. And we rope dropped AK that first Sunday.

 

[Lilofan]

Do marathon crowds effect the parks much? We are planning a January trip (11th-19th) so we will be there during the marathon. Is it anything we should be concerned about or try to prepare for in any way?

Road closures if you have a rental care.