Hi Kristine,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you for asking us a question, my fellow Canadian!
If I understand correctly, you’re asking about parking disruptions during the
runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend for Guests who are staying “off property.” I’ve attended several race weekends, both as a participant and as a spectator and I’ve stayed both in a Disney Resorts Collection hotel and “off property” during these weekends, so let me tell you a bit about my experience.
First thing to note: the races all typically start at 5 AM. This means that the races themselves, including their road closures, should have minimal impact on your Disney Day. In addition, while Thursday April 13, 2023, is part of this runDisney race weekend, there is no race scheduled that day. Participants will be heading to the
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to visit the Race Expo and pick up their bibs and other race merchandise. The Complex is very far from
Magic Kingdom Park, so it shouldn’t affect your day at all.
Saturday, April 15, 2023, may be a slightly different story. Although the 10K race scheduled that day should be done well before
EPCOT’s posted opening time (currently scheduled for 9 AM for Guests without Early Entry), the race’s start/finish lines are typically in a corner of EPCOT’s massive parking lot. This means that, while you won’t have any problems getting to EPCOT and parking your car that day in a “Standard” parking spot,
Preferred Parking may not be available that day. That said, I’ve never seen a total restriction on parking at EPCOT, even on race weekends, so you shouldn’t have any issues parking your car during the race weekend.
I hope my answer helps you plan a smooth visit to Walt Disney World Resort this April. Please don’t hesitate to come back and visit us if you have any other questions!
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne