Hi Patti!
Thanks for bringing your question to
planDisney! I visit Walt Disney World every year to run the
Disney Princess Half Marathon, so I can definitely help you out! The Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend will kick off on February 24, 2022, with the Disney Princess Sunrise Yoga and there are events every day that weekend, leading up to the big event: The Disney Princess Half Marathon on Sunday, February 27.
The 5K is held on February 25 and the runners run around
EPCOT and
Disney's Boardwalk area. The 10K is held on February 26 and runners will also run in EPCOT, around Disney's Boardwalk, and
Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The Disney Princess Half Marathon will likely generate the greatest volume of crowds. This event begins in the parking lot of
EPCOT and runners weave their way up to
Magic Kingdom, running through Cinderella Castle, and then end back at EPCOT. Given that the race starts and ends at EPCOT, expect larger crowds there on that day. In my experience, many runners will visit EPCOT immediately following the race.
If you would like to visit the park with the least crowds, I suggest
Disney's Animal Kingdom. That park is furthest away from the hubbub of activity from the race. The runners do not run through
Disney's Hollywood Studios, but since that park is closer to EPCOT, you may still get some of the crowds visiting the park that day.
I have a great tip for you as well. Since the runners have to wake up at 2 am to run the race, they get pretty tired early in the day and head back to their room for a nap. You can use this to your advantage and visit the parks around 3 pm. You will notice significantly lower crowds!
You will have an amazing time at the parks that weekend!
Magically,
Stacy