Welcome to planDisney, Elizabeth! So happy you will be starting your 2024 like me: at Walt Disney World Resort! The first weekend of the year is a magical time with the holiday decorations still up and the energy around runDisney Marathon Weekend.
The weekend has several running events: a 5K on Thursday, 10K on Friday, half marathon on Saturday and marathon on Sunday. Each of these events start early in the morning - around 5:30 am. Running through the parks before they are open is part of what makes runDisney races so magical.
These races will not affect park or event schedules, like the
Festival of Fantasy Parade. You can use the
Park Calendars to see the park hours and special events, including parades and fireworks for upcoming dates. I really like the 5-day calendar feature to get a look at my vacation window.
On January 5, there is so much going on to make your day magical, including the Festival of Fantasy Parade and
Happily Ever After fireworks in the Magic Kingdom;
Luminous the Symphony of Us, EPCOT's new fireworks spectacular; and
Fantasmic! in Hollywood Studios.
Be sure to download the
My Disney Experience App before your trip. By selecting "Tip Board" from the app's homepage, you can see what time the parade is scheduled to start that day. You can also use the "Add to My Plans" button from the Disney calendar on the website or "Add to My Day" on the app to add the parade time to your plans, visible in the app under "My Day" to make it part of your planning for the day.
While the races start early and most are over before the parks open, you will see runners in the parks on Sunday for the marathon. If you happen to be in
EPCOT or
Animal Kingdom that morning, enjoy the extra "parade" of enthusiastic runners in fun costumes. I'll be there in my first marathon and will appreciate all cheers from park goers!
I hope you have a magical stay at Walt Disney World Resort! It really is the best way to start the year. If you have any other questions, be sure to come back to
planDisney. We are happy to help!
Cheers,
Jana