Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

[LindsayLoves]

2015 for the rest of us?

You know it! I am aiming for Goofy, the main thing deterring me from Dopey is the early wake up every day, not sure I can wake up a 0darkthirty and call it a vacation.

I am trying to twist someone's arm to at least run the half with me, I will definitely run the full by myself if need be (maybe with a WDW Magic friend or two).

As for hotels for next year... after hearing the reports about the Epcot hotels bus service at last year's marathon from @Kristia those are not high up on my list as a marathon host resort though they are high up on my list of places to stay in general.

 

[ChristaH]

Hello? Can we please get the attention back on us running this year? LOL! Just kidding....but I do need some expo advice. What are you thinking about the best time to go? I'm thinking Wednesday mid-day, banking that the "first day and I gotta get there before everything is sold out" crowd is smaller than the "arriving later in the week" crowd. What do you think? And if you are driving to the expo from off-property, do you have to pay to park?

 

[Sumrdog]

Hello? Can we please get the attention back on us running this year? LOL! Just kidding....but I do need some expo advice. What are you thinking about the best time to go? I'm thinking Wednesday mid-day, banking that the "first day and I gotta get there before everything is sold out" crowd is smaller than the "arriving later in the week" crowd. What do you think? And if you are driving to the expo from off-property, do you have to pay to park?

My experience with the Princess Half was first thing in the morning was way better than midday crowd wise...I had to stand in a big line to enter the building but then once we got inside everyone just dispersed quickly.

 

[TowerOfTerror]

Hello? Can we please get the attention back on us running this year? LOL! Just kidding....but I do need some expo advice. What are you thinking about the best time to go? I'm thinking Wednesday mid-day, banking that the "first day and I gotta get there before everything is sold out" crowd is smaller than the "arriving later in the week" crowd. What do you think? And if you are driving to the expo from off-property, do you have to pay to park?

The expo is going to be busy everyday at all times, with 60,000 + runners there isn't truly going to be a break in the action. I would expect the downtimes would be closer to the end of the night around 5 to 7 PM.The set up of the expo is pretty good so you dont have to worry about waiting in super long lines. If you want the merchandise and the New Balance Run Disney shoes I would get there early as last year they did run out after the second day. Parking at ESPN WWOS parking is free.

 

[LindsayLoves]

Hello? Can we please get the attention back on us running this year? LOL! Just kidding....but I do need some expo advice. What are you thinking about the best time to go? I'm thinking Wednesday mid-day, banking that the "first day and I gotta get there before everything is sold out" crowd is smaller than the "arriving later in the week" crowd. What do you think? And if you are driving to the expo from off-property, do you have to pay to park?

I would aim to go early in the day and early in the week, yes there are plenty of people who will be doing Dopey, and the 5 and 10ks there on Wednesday but the bulk of the half and marathon crowd won't be there for a day or two. I went on Thursday last year (only running the full) and the lines weren't too long at all, yes there were some bottleneck points but no waiting in line for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. The expo was pretty packed but par for the course with major race expo crowding.

 

[lukacseven]

Unfortunately, I'll be missing the Marathon Weekend for the first time in 8 years. Good luck to all runners - Be safe, healthy and most of all have fun & enjoy the experience! See you in 2015.

 

[dreamfinder]

Hello? Can we please get the attention back on us running this year? LOL! Just kidding....but I do need some expo advice. What are you thinking about the best time to go? I'm thinking Wednesday mid-day, banking that the "first day and I gotta get there before everything is sold out" crowd is smaller than the "arriving later in the week" crowd. What do you think? And if you are driving to the expo from off-property, do you have to pay to park?

Crowds will pretty much be a constant. Here is a shot of the expo from Friday afternoon last year.

Line zig zagged all the way down that path, and then all the way around that field. Just to get in the expo. But once inside, it wasn't too bad. But on Thursday, there was no line to get in, but you couldn't move inside the expo itself. Basically be prepared to deal with heat, lines, and masses of people and you should be fine.

If you want the merchandise and the New Balance Run Disney shoes I would get there early as last year they did run out after the second day. Parking at ESPN WWOS parking is free.

Definitely agree on the merch. Stuff will disappear the first day of the expo, but it all depends on what it is and what you want. New Balance is claiming that even though shoes are first come first serve, that they have made efforts to ensure that everyone gets the shoes they want at the expo. (I hope meaning they have a truck load or two in the parking lot)

 

[Mad Stitch]

Wow, that line is ridiculous. I went to the expo on Thursday last year and didn't have any problems.

 

[Ariel484]

Hello? Can we please get the attention back on us running this year? LOL! Just kidding....but I do need some expo advice. What are you thinking about the best time to go? I'm thinking Wednesday mid-day, banking that the "first day and I gotta get there before everything is sold out" crowd is smaller than the "arriving later in the week" crowd. What do you think? And if you are driving to the expo from off-property, do you have to pay to park?

Bwahahaha!

I agree with @LindsayLoves - I'd guess you will be somewhat okay on Wednesday. There are a lot of people running that can't take multiple days off from work around the weekend (so they wouldn't arrive until Thursday night or Friday or whatever) and like Lindsay says, the only people that HAVE to be there on Wednesday are 5K and Dopey runners. I was at the expo on Thursday last year around mid-day and it wasn't bad at all.

Best advice I can give you is to make sure you have everything ready to go beforehand - they have stations set up where you can print your waiver but if you have that ready and signed ahead of time it's one less line to wait in. Also take a look at the map of the vendor booths ahead of time and try to figure out where (if any) you feel like you absolutely NEED to stop so that you aren't wandering around for too long.

 

[dreamfinder]

Partial new merch preview available here -> http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...arathon-weekend-returns-with-new-merchandise/

 

[LindsayLoves]

LOL @ "Official runDisney Tutus".

I dig the "I Did It" shirts and the Dooney print isn't half bad either.

 

[Ariel484]

LOL @ "Official runDisney Tutus".

Ugh, where's my vomiting icon?! Not a fan of running in tutus in case you can't tell...

I like the merch for the most part...not sure that I love the Dooney pattern, I think I'd need to see it in person.

 

[LindsayLoves]

Ugh, where's my vomiting icon?! Not a fan of running in tutus in case you can't tell...

HAHA. The only time I really liked tutus were the ladies who did monochrome outfits with tutus with lights in them last year. Definitely fun to see them from afar during the before the sun rises portions of the race.

 

[imagination30]

I hope they have the Map ones like you guys got last year Shannon , and the blue running jacket looks cool for the half might have to get me one

 

[LindsayLoves]

@imagination30 - they said the I Did It shirts will have the maps on the back which is pretty cool

Also safe and speedy travels to everyone heading out for the races this weekend. Lots of chatter on the runDisney Facebook page about people in the Northeast with cancelled flights not being able to get there in enough time for their race.

 

[Ariel484]

I hope they have the Map ones like you guys got last year Shannon , and the blue running jacket looks cool for the half might have to get me one

@imagination30 - they said the I Did It shirts will have the maps on the back which is pretty cool

Also safe and speedy travels to everyone heading out for the races this weekend. Lots of chatter on the runDisney Facebook page about people in the Northeast with cancelled flights not being able to get there in enough time for their race.

Yeah, I read that too about the shirts. I really didn't like how they abandoned the course map and sort of listed things out for the marathon shirt last year so I'm glad they're going back to the map format. The Goofy and Half shirts had the maps...maybe they thought it would be a special thing to do for the 20th marathon?

Safe travels all! Have a great weekend, can't wait to hear about it!

 

[Kristia]

You know it! I am aiming for Goofy, the main thing deterring me from Dopey is the early wake up every day, not sure I can wake up a 0darkthirty and call it a vacation.

I am trying to twist someone's arm to at least run the half with me, I will definitely run the full by myself if need be (maybe with a WDW Magic friend or two).

As for hotels for next year... after hearing the reports about the Epcot hotels bus service at last year's marathon from @Kristia those are not high up on my list as a marathon host resort though they are high up on my list of places to stay in general.

The bus service was only bad the morning of the half. I think they had it figured out by the morning of the full (although how many years does it take them to know how many people are going to need a bus?). I would definitely stay there again for the marathon but I would definitely get off at the Swan or Dolphin for the return trip and just walk the rest of the way. I think we were the last stop and by that time I really couldn't walk. Would have been better to not sit so long!

 

[wdwmagic]

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend times guide and schedules

 

[Kristia]

Good luck to everyone running this weekend! Bummed that I won't be going and not sure about 2015 either. Might just have to do the Wine and Dine this year and Marathon Weekend 2016. Have an awesome time!!!!

 

[Ariel484]

The bus service was only bad the morning of the half. I think they had it figured out by the morning of the full (although how many years does it take them to know how many people are going to need a bus?). I would definitely stay there again for the marathon but I would definitely get off at the Swan or Dolphin for the return trip and just walk the rest of the way. I think we were the last stop and by that time I really couldn't walk. Would have been better to not sit so long!

That's what I did when I stayed at BCV in 2012. On the bus back from the Princess Half in 2011 I tightened up so much I almost couldn't walk when we got back to the resort, so in 2013 I vowed to get off at the first stop (Boardwalk). Definitely a good decision. And FWIW I remember the bus service being pretty good...why are they so erratic?!

Good luck to everyone running this weekend! Bummed that I won't be going and not sure about 2015 either. Might just have to do the Wine and Dine this year and Marathon Weekend 2016. Have an awesome time!!!!

Do Wine & Dine! I like that course a lot better than the morning course.