Hey there, hi there, Timothy!
Thanks for stopping by planDisney, where you're always as welcome as can be. You must be thrilled that your family's first
Walt Disney World adventure is almost here. Even though my next visit will be far from my first, I'll still be too excited to sleep before I leave.
It sounds like your family's vacation begins right as
Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend approaches the finish line. Along with several planDisney pals, I'll be participating in the half marathon that Sunday. As a veteran runDisney participant, I'm happy to offer some race-day advice to non-runners.
runDisney events are planned so that racers will be out of the
Magic Kingdom Park and area resorts before the official theme park opening. While the morning race may still impact some roads, if you're a guest of a hotel in the
Disney Resorts Collection, your
resort transportation will route you around any closures. If you're staying in offsite accommodations, and it won't require too much reshuffling of plans, consider visiting Magic Kingdom Park on Monday.
If a Sunday visit to Magic Kingdom Park works best for your itinerary, you can safely go ahead with your plans, especially if you take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry. At this time, most runners will still be on the race course or back at their resort - showering, eating, or preparing for their journey home. According to my pictures from last year's Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, my fellow runners and I arrived at Magic Kingdom Park around midday to eat lunch and take photos with our medals. We encountered light crowds and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon. We also left before nightfall, exhausted from the morning's 2 AM wake-up call. You'll likely find many runners following a similar schedule, which means the theme parks, in general, shouldn't be more crowded than any other winter weekend.
I hope this helps, Timothy, and that you have an unforgettable first Walt Disney World adventure with your loved ones. Be sure to look at some of the
videos in our planDisney library, especially the attached podcast episode full of tips for first-time visitors. If you think of any other questions before your vacation, please stop by and
see us again. We're all ears!
Have a magical day,
Betsy