WDW Marathon Weekend

[10Magic]

I'm heading to The World on the weekend of January 10th-13th, and I wanted to get a little input as to what affect (if any) the WDW Marathon Weekend might have on our trip. Any helpful advice from past experience is greatly appreciated! Thanks everybody.

 

[FerretAfros]

I'll also be ther efor my 3rd Marathon Weekend in a row, and you should see minimal disruptions; I believe all parks are scheduled to open by 9 each monring. I've heard reports from non-runners that they can hear toilets flushing in the hotels throughout the night (need to hydrate!), but I think most of the hotels have pretty sturdy construction. If you're staying at Old Key West or either Port Orleans, you may be able to hear the pre-race announcements and fireworks (starting around 4am). The races on the roads start at 5:30, in effort to make it convenient for non-runners

There should be no real impacts from the 5K or 10K on Thursday and Friday. Both are run in/around Epcot and roads will reopen long before most guests will be on their way to the parks. The half marathon on Saturday runs between Epcot and MK and will cause road closures in those areas, but is early enough to avoid too many issues. Unless you're staying at a MK-area hotel and need southbound World Dr (say, to get to DAK or the Studios) before ~8:30, you shouldn't notice anything

The biggest impacts will be felt on Sunday, during the marathon. Several roads will be closed or restricted well into the afternoon (including eastbound Osceola Pkwy, part of northbound World Dr, and part of eastbound Buena Vista Dr) so traffic could be difficult; expect it to take longer than usual, and use Disney transportation whenever possible; monorails and boats aren't affected by the races, and bus drivers will know alternate routes.

Animal Kingdom, the Studios, and Epcot will all open while runners are still passing through, but the part will operate as usual. In the past, the Backlot Tram Tour has been part of the course, causing it to open late (~1pm), but it looks like the course may have been rerouted this year to avoid that. Runners often take a detour to ride Everest during the race, but no other attractions are directly impacted

And if you're interested in viewing the races, there are several points along the way that are fairly easy to get to and free of charge, including Main Street (which is cleared before opening to regular guests)

For the most part, they try to keep everything operating as usual. The biggest difference you'll notice is the other guests in the parks, many of whom travel without kids and just have a different look than normal Disney tourists. Lots of runners wear their medals in the parks after the races, so they'll be easy to pick out of the crowd (if the limping doesn't give it away first).

 

[Ariel484]

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/marathon-weekend.877743/

 

[10Magic]

I'll also be ther efor my 3rd Marathon Weekend in a row, and you should see minimal disruptions; I believe all parks are scheduled to open by 9 each monring. I've heard reports from non-runners that they can hear toilets flushing in the hotels throughout the night (need to hydrate!), but I think most of the hotels have pretty sturdy construction. If you're staying at Old Key West or either Port Orleans, you may be able to hear the pre-race announcements and fireworks (starting around 4am). The races on the roads start at 5:30, in effort to make it convenient for non-runners

There should be no real impacts from the 5K or 10K on Thursday and Friday. Both are run in/around Epcot and roads will reopen long before most guests will be on their way to the parks. The half marathon on Saturday runs between Epcot and MK and will cause road closures in those areas, but is early enough to avoid too many issues. Unless you're staying at a MK-area hotel and need southbound World Dr (say, to get to DAK or the Studios) before ~8:30, you shouldn't notice anything

The biggest impacts will be felt on Sunday, during the marathon. Several roads will be closed or restricted well into the afternoon (including eastbound Osceola Pkwy, part of northbound World Dr, and part of eastbound Buena Vista Dr) so traffic could be difficult; expect it to take longer than usual, and use Disney transportation whenever possible; monorails and boats aren't affected by the races, and bus drivers will know alternate routes.

Animal Kingdom, the Studios, and Epcot will all open while runners are still passing through, but the part will operate as usual. In the past, the Backlot Tram Tour has been part of the course, causing it to open late (~1pm), but it looks like the course may have been rerouted this year to avoid that. Runners often take a detour to ride Everest during the race, but no other attractions are directly impacted

And if you're interested in viewing the races, there are several points along the way that are fairly easy to get to and free of charge, including Main Street (which is cleared before opening to regular guests)

For the most part, they try to keep everything operating as usual. The biggest difference you'll notice is the other guests in the parks, many of whom travel without kids and just have a different look than normal Disney tourists. Lots of runners wear their medals in the parks after the races, so they'll be easy to pick out of the crowd (if the limping doesn't give it away first).

Thank you so much! I didn't expect such a comprehensive report, and I appreciate it very much. Have a great time!