Hi Rose!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. I'm so excited for you to take part in your first runDisney event and I'm glad to tell you that you can expect to have a wondEARful time!
Your first dose of Disney magic will be at the
runDisney Health & Fitness Expo. For this you are going to want to bring your printed out race waiver, your photo ID and maybe a little spending money to check out all the amazing vendors! I'd give yourself some time here to check out everything because there is so much to see! You will not need a pass to enter, it is completely open to the public (not just runners) so if you have any friends or family traveling with you, they are welcome as well.
What time to arrive before the race, really depends on where you are staying and what race you are doing. For those staying on property, Disney gives specific times for each race for participants to board the complimentary transportation. This can be found by visiting runDisney.com, under events clicking on your race weekend, then clicking the Plan tab. For example, for Disney Princess Half Marathon that starts at 5:30 AM, runDisney asks that participants board the bus no later than 4 AM to make their corral on time. If you are driving yourself I'd plan to be parked and walking to the security check area no later than 1 hour before the race starts. For later races this information has not been updated just yet, but you can continue to check back or revisit the Moms Panel as your dates approach!
For the race itself, I'd bring whatever you have trained with and are comfortable with! RunDisney does provide water, powerade and usually an energy pack like Gu along the way. The only true necessity is your running bib pinned to your front, clearly visible! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
-Lindsey