Hey there Sarah, I'd like to wish you a warm Canadian welcome to planDisney!
It sounds like you're among the many Canucks who like to make an escape from the January weather up in Ontario in search of the balmy breezes and sunny skies over Florida - with the chance to enjoy Walt Disney World Resort in a bit of a hopefully more relaxed state compared to the very busy
hustle and bustle over the holidays. The one snag to this plan can be if you're particularly set on visiting during
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend which takes place from January 8 - 12, 2025 and brings with it thousands of excited participants and their well-wishers as they descend upon the theme parks and quite literally dash through them each morning.
I've experienced what it's like several years in a row now and while we've got a lot of incredible planDisney experts who you ought to ask for their experience as a Runner, I'm happy to provide some insight on what it's like as a fellow theme park-goer trying to navigate our way and avoid that sweaty stampede of inspiring individuals:
- Out of all the events, the Walt Disney World Marathon can be the most disruptive when it comes to road closures and modifications while it is underway, as a way to ensure everyone's safety. Generally speaking, using complimentary Disney Transportation is best since the Cast Members will often be the most up-to-date when it comes to roads and routes reopening throughout the morning but since you're planning on driving, the amount of time you'll need to give yourselves can vary a lot depending on where it is you'll be driving from.
- If you're staying anywhere in the vicinity of Magic Kingdom Park and the Seven Seas Lagoon or anywhere around EPCOT or Disney's BoardWalk you should anticipate a bit of a challenging drive with large sections of World Drive, Floridian Way and Buena Vista Drive affected starting from as early as 3:00 A.M. until beyond noon. (Luckily the runDisney website will often provide a helpful road closure map with scheduled times in the days leading up to the events!)
- Last year I was unfortunately among those stuck for about an hour on the road, so I've since learned from the ordeal and recommend taking the longer route around even if it means going down the I-4 and taking Osceola Parkway to Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. On January 12, 2025 it's scheduled to open to guests eligible for Early Theme Park Entry as early as 7:30 A.M. and the Walt Disney World Marathon is expected to commence at 4:30 A.M. at EPCOT typically heading up to Magic Kingdom Park first. You'll very likely be able to spot the Marathon runners inside Disney's Animal Kingdom later that morning if you make it in without any issues!
Since transportation disruptions can happen at any time (and just this year I experienced what it's like to have a stalled vehicle block the one exit necessary to get around the closures), I'd personally leave much earlier than regret it later stuck in traffic. Hope this helps, Sarah - feel free to come back to us at planDisney again with details on where you're driving from, if you want a more specific strategy!
Here's to charting the best route possible for your morning journey!
Prince