Hi Hari!
Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. It sounds like you are planning quite the trip for
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend! How fun to travel with such a large group.
I'm glad to tell you that all the
Walt Disney World Resort hotels are now considered host hotels for Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend so you'll be provided with complimentary transportation to all race weekend events. So no matter which hotel you choose or the budgets of everyone in your group, I'm confident you'll find something that works well for everyone!
While you are unable to currently book online and it's not certain when 2018 packages will be available, you can book over the phone up to 499 days before your arrival. I'd recommend
booking your travel through runDisney by calling 407-939-iRun. Your reservation will initially be for your rooms only and you can add your
theme park tickets and
Disney Dining Plan onto your reservation at a later date once packages are released. Based on my past experience, I'd estimate it to be around early summer, but this can fluctuate.
When you make your reservations, ask the Cast Member assisting you to make a notation of each reservation number and that you are requesting to have your rooms as close as possible. While they cannot guarantee you'll be next to one another, they try their best to accommodate those requests!
Please let me know if you have any other questions and I'm sending pixie dust your way for a magical race!
-Lindsey ºOº