Hi Rebecca,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you for asking me a question! The
Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend was the first
runDisney race weekend I ever attended back in 2017, so it has a special place in my heart. I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that you and your husband are considering signing up for that weekend’s half marathon event!
I actually think that staying at
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is a great idea for any race weekend. You see, none of the
Disney Resorts Collection hotels are within walking distance of the race’s start line, which is typically in or around Epcot’s parking lot. You’ll need to take Disney’s (complimentary!) race transportation, regardless of where you choose to stay. This is even true if you stay in the EPCOT Resort Area, because you can’t enter EPCOT to get to your corrals before the races start, which is typically at 5 am. The only potential exception would be if the race starts in the Transportation and Ticket Center (Magic Kingdom Park’s parking lot), which has happened in past years. If memory serves, however, even though
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is technically within walking distance of the start line, Guests still had to take race transportation to the start in order to go through security prior to arriving at the race staging area. Because of this, there’s no one hotel (or “area”) that allows for easier access to the start line than the others.
I think that choosing your accommodations for a race weekend boils down to one key consideration: how much extra walking you’ll have to do to be able to access your hotel’s amenities. That’s what makes Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter such a great choice: it’s a relatively small resort, so regardless of where your room is located, you won’t have to walk too far to access your transportation and dining options. Plus, I can’t think of a better way to “carb load” before a race than with beignets!
I hope my answer helps you plan an amazing “run-cation” this November. Please don’t hesitate to come back and see me if you have any questions about the race or for more tips and tricks for visiting Walt Disney World Resort during a runDisney race weekend.
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne