Hi Christina, welcome to planDisney!
I’ll admit, I am usually one of the Guests running during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, but I have seen Guests entering the theme parks for the day as I was making my way through the courses.
In my opinion, you shouldn’t need to schedule your theme park visits based on the runDisney events. During the
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, races occur on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Races typically begin in the EPCOT parking lot around 5:00 AM. The 5K and 10K may impact the roads around EPCOT however, the races end early enough that you probably won’t see too many runners by the time you arrive at the theme parks. Course maps for Marathon Weekend haven’t been released yet, but as the distances get longer the races visit more of the theme parks. Sunday is the Marathon event which means you could possibly see runners in any of the four theme parks depending on what time you arrive. Cast Members will be standing by to make sure you can get to your destination within the theme park safely.
The Walt Disney World website shares the expected timing of road closures for Marathon weekend. January 6, 2024, from 3:00 AM to 10:00 AM, and January 7, 2024, from 3:00 AM through 12:30 PM. You can still take
Walt Disney World transportation during these time frames, but I strongly encourage you to allow extra time for travel. If you’re staying at a Disney Resort hotel, there will be signage throughout the Resort if your transportation options are affected.
I hope this was helpful, Christina. If you have any future questions about your Walt Disney World Resort vacation, please come back and see us at
planDisney!
Kaitlin