Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Bryan!
Boy, do you have an important anniversary coming up in a few years! I think celebrating by participating in a runDisney event is the perfect way to commemorate.
The first step in participating in a runDisney event is to secure a registration for your desired race; for the 2018 Walt Disney World 10K, registration will open to the public sometime in March/April of 2017. You will need to register as soon as it opens, the 10K events are the most popular.
For the runDisney Castaway Cay 5K Challenge that has recently been added as an additional event for runners who participate in Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, the first step is for runDisney to announce that they will offer this option - which will not occur until after registration for the "land" races have already opened. Unfortunately the runDisney Castaway Cay 5K Challenge has not yet been confirmed beyond 2016.
For booking your Resort Hotel room, the best time to book is shortly after your registration is confirmed. Luckily, rooms do not sell out as quickly as the races do.
I also suggest signing up for
runDisney Email Notifications. This is a free service and will keep you up-to-date on registration information and race details. You can also find timely information by following the official runDisney Social Media outlets on Facebook and Twitter.
I hope this helps give you some idea on timelines and getting started, Bryan! Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I am here to help.
Faith