Hi there Yamilka, and welcome to planDisney!
It looks like you're dashing toward a fabulous fall vacation to Walt Disney World! While I think all of the hotels in the Disney Resorts Collection could work for your family, my top choices for a race weekend this year would be
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort,
Disney's Pop Century Resort,
Disney's Art of Animation Resort, and
Disney's Riviera Resort.
All of my suggestions have one thing in common: access to the
Disney Skyliner. During runDisney weekends, morning transportation can be tricky, but since the Disney Skyliner whisks you away over the roads below, you don't have to worry about traffic and can reach EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios more quickly. Also, with two Mouseketeers, the Disney Skyliner is just plain fun. My little ones are of similar ages to yours and they LOVE taking the
most magical flight on earth.
Additionally, you'll want to stay tuned for more information regarding this year's
runDisney Health & Fitness Expo. Historically, this event has been held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, which is just around the corner from the resorts mentioned above. We are still waiting for details about this year's expo, so keep tabs on the
Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon event page.
Each of the resorts I suggested has specific advantages that might help your family. Disney's Pop Century Resort is a fantastic value and features recently refurbished rooms. Disney's Art of Animation Resort offers family suites with separate sleeping spaces which could be beneficial for a race weekend when you're trying to get ready and sneak out of the room early without waking your little ones. If your kids are fans of
Finding Nemo,
Cars, or
The Lion King, they'll enjoy seeing their favorite characters around every turn.
Guest rooms at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort provide slightly more space than those at Disney's Pop Century Resort. My kids love to
just keep swimming and sliding at the
incredibly themed pools here. Yours are the perfect age for the water play area at the Fuentes del Morro Pool.
Finally, Disney's Riviera Resort offers spacious and beautifully adorned rooms with kitchenettes (perfect for preparing a pre-race snack!) and deluxe amenities. This resort is luxurious and comfortably elegant, and your little ones will enjoy touches of Disney throughout the rooms and public areas. The feature pool has a zero-entry section, ideal for young swimmers, and the nearby S'il Vous Play water play area was a huge hit with my four-year-old during our recent stay. Enjoy a post-race meal at
Topolino's Terrace - Flavors of the Riviera and celebrate your 5K accomplishment with Mickey Mouse and friends!
I hope this is helpful, Yamilka. Best of luck selecting your resort hotel and running your magical miles. If there's anything else we can do, don't hesitate to reach out again, and we'll see ya real soon!
Betsy