Welcome to planDisney, Erik! You've asked a great question, and I'm happy to provide some feedback.
I'm so excited for your wife to experience the
Disney Princess Half Marathon next year! I've done this race several times myself, and our "race-cations" are often my favorite trips. There's NOTHING like running down Main Street, U.S.A., and through Cinderella Castle. I get tears in my eyes every single time!
Honestly, any Walt Disney World Resort hotel will provide a fantastic experience during race weekends. They are all considered host resorts, meaning they will provide complimentary transportation to and from the
runDisney Health & Fitness Expo and all the races. However, my favorite places to stay are the Monorail Resorts, which include
Disney's Contemporary Resort,
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. These are considered Deluxe Resorts, and their convenience cannot be beaten. For the half marathon, your wife can hop on the monorail, which usually starts operating that day around 3:00 AM, to get to the start line.
These resorts make it very easy to spectate as well. The half marathon course goes right by all three, so there's no need to leave the resort grounds. Depending on whether your little Mouseketeer is up for it, you could also walk (from the Contemporary) or ride the monorail over to Magic Kingdom Park- theme park admission is not required for race spectators. It always helps when I see my Prince Charming out there cheering me on, and he can use
live online runner tracking to estimate when I'll be approaching. Afterward, he usually grabs a cup of coffee, gets on the monorail, and meets me at the finish line in EPCOT.
By the way, Erik, don't forget to pack your swimsuits! February in Florida can be warm and sunny, and the pools are always heated to 82 degrees. Sitting in the hot tub after those 13.1 miles is extra magical! If you or your wife have more questions, please send them our way. We're all ears!
Eean