Hi Scott, and welcome to planDisney. Every mile is magic when you’re at Disney World! I love running along
Seven Seas Lagoon with beautiful views of the water and Cinderella Castle.
I’m unaware of a 6-mile running path around the
Magic Kingdom resorts since there isn’t a sidewalk that goes along the entire length of World Drive, as much as I’d love Disney to build a walking path between
Wilderness Lodge and Magic Kingdom! The run I usually do in that area goes along Seven Seas Lagoon between the Transportation & Ticket Center and the
Contemporary. It’s about 2 miles each way.
From the
Grand Floridan, you could run to the Transportation & Ticket Center, turn around and run to the Contemporary, and then back to the Grand Floridian, which would be about 4 miles. However, 5:00 AM is likely too early to do the full path since you need to go through Magic Kingdom security between the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary. Another thing to note is that the crowds in the Magic Kingdom entrance area make it hard to maintain your pace, if that’s important to you.
If you start before Magic Kingdom opens, you can still go between the Grand Floridan and the Transportation & Ticket Center (passing through the
Polynesian), which is about one mile if you start from the opposite end of the Grand Floridian grounds. In my experience, those paths are open 24 hours. 5:00 AM is a great time to run at Disney World since it’s often hot in the middle of the day and much of that path isn’t shaded.
If you end up running while Magic Kingdom is open, you could also take the boat from Magic Kingdom to
Fort Wilderness. Running around the campground is one of my favorite exercise spots and you can rack up the mileage by going in and out of the different campground loops. Many guests decorate their campsites, so that adds a bit of extra fun to your run. For other paths at Disney World, visit the
Running Trails page.
One other thing to check out. The Grand Floridian usually runs a weekly Storytime Yoga Class, so check with the front desk for the latest schedule. It’s not the most strenuous workout, but a great way to stretch with the whole family!
And since you love running, you might also like doing the
runDisney races. Many start at 5:00 AM, so it seems right up your alley! Running through the theme parks is such a magical and unique experience. And the energy, support from spectators and fellow runners, and entertainment are unmatched!
I hope your morning run is filled with pixie dust! And we’d love to have you back at planDisney if you have any other questions.
JoAnna