For those non-racers that happen to find themselves at Walt Disney World during a big runDisney weekend.
Listen, if you would have told me prior to my 2020 trip that I was going to become a runDisney enthusiast … I would have laughed at you. Nothing about me then loved running or the idea of spending money to run. That all changed when I found myself at Walt Disney World during the Princess ½ Marathon Weekend and was unexpectedly vacationing in the middle of a race weekend.
runDisney: What To Expect At The Resorts:
My sister and I were celebrating my 30th birthday at Walt Disney World and treated ourselves to a long weekend at the Coronado Springs Resort. We could tell right away that something was up, it was extra busy and there were signs for “runDisney” everywhere.
Each race weekend overtakes the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. As there is no easy way to get there, runDisney has buses specifically for taking guests to and from this location. You will see signs posted for the buses and depending on your resort layout, these will integrate right into the regular bus stop(s). Those same buses will be used to take guests to and from the start of the race. Typically, the buses start running at 3am on race days, so you may hear excited runners heading to the races each morning while at your resort.
Anytime someone tells me they are looking to visit Walt Disney World in January, February, April, or October, I send them the runDisney calendar. Resort prices are typically higher on race weekend, and it makes for busier resorts. If you’re not into either of those things, try to avoid a runDisney weekend.
runDisney At The Boardwalk:
The Boardwalk resort regularly finds itself integrated into the race weekend course maps. The 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend will have guests running the boardwalk during the 10k and Full Marathon. My family and I stayed at The Boardwalk during the 2024 Wine & Dine Race Weekend so my Mom could cheer my sister and I on as we ran the 10k and Half Marathon courses. She was able to sit on our balcony and see us run by. This was great for her.
If you’re staying at The Boardwalk and not aware that your vacation is overlapping a runDisney weekend, you may have other thoughts about the experience. Races typically start at 5am, and you can hear feet pounding along the boardwalk around 5:30am. My Mom thought it was heavy rain at first, then she remembered it was the first group of runners coming through. This is also an easy course location for family members to drop in at to cheer on their racer. You’ll find people standing along the boardwalk with signs, cowbells, and cheers for their participant.
If you’re looking to stay at The Boardwalk, or even The Yacht or Beach Club resorts, be warned that you may have an early morning wakeup call with the runners. This is especially true if you have a room overlooking the boardwalk itself.
runDisney: Delays In Getting To The Parks:
Most race weekends consist of 3 races; a 5k, 10k and ½ Marathon. The January marathon weekend adds a fourth event with the full marathon. These races make for a busy weekend getting to and from the parks because most of the races consist of running through them. To get runners to each park, the runDisney team shuts down the required roads so runners can safely get from one park to the other. Great for runners, not so great for park goers.
For race weekends, expect delays when driving to or taking the bus to the parks, especially EPCOT. EPCOT is where the races typically start and finish, so traffic here can be busy on the long-distance race days. The half and full marathon have the biggest effect on closed roads, so if you have those early morning breakfast reservations, give yourself extra time travelling to them.
Wine & Dine Race Weekend And EPCOT:
The Wine & Dine race weekend is unique in that it includes an afterparty for the runners. If you are travelling to Walt Disney World during the Wine & Dine weekend, know that EPCOT will be overtaken by runners on the Sunday of the ½ Marathon (October 26th 2025, for those planning way ahead). Runners can enter EPCOT at 5pm and they party way past closing. This means the park can get extra busy with the flood of people coming in for the post-race party. Having been to the party, it makes for a crowded night at EPCOT, and I recommend park hopping out of EPCOT as the party gears up to start.
The Springtime Surprise and Spring Break:
I don’t know what the runDisney team was thinking when planning the 2025 race season schedule. The Springtime Surprise weekend will line up with the start of the traditional Spring Break vacation for many High Schools. If you’re looking to make a spur of the moment trip to Walt Disney World, I believe this will be an extremely busy weekend in the parks. If you’re looking at April, consider avoiding April 4th – 6th so you don’t have runDisney and Spring Break crowds. For those already heading to the parks, be mindful that wait times could be extra long and that new Premier Lightening Lane Pass may come in handy.
I tackled the virtual Springtime Surprise in 2024. It was a great way to get my runDisney fix and avoid race crowds.
Why I runDisney:
I feel like I just gave a bunch of reasons to avoid a runDisney weekend at Walt Disney World. Many of these reasons are why I decided to start joining in on the crazy. As we park hopped during the Princess ½ Marathon weekend, it was fun to see runners wearing their medals in the parks and celebrating their accomplishments. As someone that likes to explore new and exciting adventures at Walt Disney World, I knew this was something I had to try.
Since 2020 I’ve completed 5 runDisney Weekends. The Wine & Dine weekend fits best into my schedule and I’ve completed four 5ks, four 10ks and three of their half marathons. I did tackle the Coast-to-Coast Challenge and did the 10k and half marathon at Disneyland in 2024. Let me tell you, runDisney racers are some of the most encouraging Disney folks I’ve ever met, and they’ve created a fun culture to be a part of race weekend. The culture of the weekends is why I find myself continuing to sign up for races.
Just like Baymax, I’m not so fast. I enjoy walking the 5k and 10k courses and then running what I can for the half. These courses are meant to be fun and there is not that pressure to hit your personal best while running. I’ve even found that the runDisney virtual summer series is a great way to train for all the park walking!
Will You Be Joining The runDisney Fun?
If you’re looking to try something new at Walt Disney World, I highly recommend signing up for at least a Walt Disney World 5k on the runDisney site. It’s a fun, new way to see the parks and cross something off that Disney Bucket List. If your cardio is park hopping, then that’s amazing too! Hit those rope drops early in the morning versus the racecourses.
Hopefully, these notes will help you plan your Walt Disney World trips when they overlap with a runDisney race weekend.
Whilst I am so proud of you achievements Nicki, there is no way you will ever get me taking part in this! This is not the reason why I go to Walt Disney World. I was there for one of the race weekends this year and everywhere was super busy. All the runners were in the theme parks after the races too, which pushed up the wait times. If I possibly can, I will personally aim to avoid the race weekends, for the reasons that you give.