Welcome back to planDisney, Melissa!
Can you believe that you are just one month away from a visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth? I can think of no better place to ring in the New Year! Having participated in
runDisney's
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend several times, I'm happy to assure you that the races should not negatively impact your theme park experience.
Runners and spectators typically begin arriving on Wednesday for Thursday's 5K, so you can expect to see the number of Guests in Walt Disney World's theme parks begin to increase at that time. Of course, The Most Magical Place on Earth has so much to offer that Guests are often pretty evenly divided among the four theme parks, so you shouldn't see too much of an increase in wait times. If you're concerned about increasing waits, special events such as
runDisney races are the perfect opportunity to purchase
Lightning Lane passes. You'll also find that the early mornings required of race participants typically make the hours surrounding theme park open and close great times to enjoy some of Walt Disney World's most popular attractions with less wait.
Because the races begin at such an early hour, the 5K and 10K runners have typically crossed the finish line before the theme parks open for the day. However, not all half and full marathon runners will have gone the distance when the theme parks open, so you might see half marathoners in EPCOT and full marathoners in Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's BoardWalk, and EPCOT. As a result, you might find that there are more Guests headed in that direction to cheer their favorite runners to the finish or that you are asked to wait a minute or two to cross a walkway, but in my experience, the thrill of cheering on runners as they log their final miles compensates for any 'inconvenience'. Rest assured that Cast Members make it their priority to ensure that a
runDisney event does not negatively impact those on vacation.
The races also require significant road closures in the hours before, during, and after the event, but if you are relying on Walt Disney World's
complimentary bus transportation, drivers will know which roads are closed and will utilize alternate routes for limited interruption.
I hope this information helps, Melissa! You might find that visiting Walt Disney World during a
runDisney race weekend inspires you to sign up for one yourself. I know that was the case for me! If you're in need of additional assistance as you continue to plan, feel free to
stop back by. I'm always happy to help!
Thinking Happy Thoughts,
Lizzie