HI Greg! I see you are also from the wonderful state of Kentucky! We can represent the Bluegrass State at the 20th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon!!
During marathon weekend, ALL of the Disney World Resorts will be considered "host resorts". This mean that they will all be providing free bus transportation to and from the expo for packet pick-up and also to and from the race. Since none of the resorts are really within walking distance of the starting line, this is a huge benefit to staying at a Disney World Resort. You will also be able to book resorts at a discount when you register for the race. You will be able to find this information on the
Disney World Marathon website. It will be posted soon after registration opens.
So, I would suggest that you choose your resort based on budget and resort theme preference. Disney has three price levels of resorts: Value, Moderate and Deluxe. You can look at all of the
Disney World Resorts online, and then use the special runner's discount number you will receive to call and book your room. I have stayed at all levels of resorts and they are all exceptional.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions about your runDisney trip!