Staying at a non-race resort?

cpc430

Mouseketeer
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
I am signed up for the Wine and Dine half (my 1st WDW half) and am wondering, is it going to be a huge pain if I choose to stay at a non-race resort transportation wise? Has anyone ever done this and can share your experience? (Wasn't too bad or was horrible and would never do it again)

Thanks!
 
We stayed offsite for the Expedition Everest Challenge in May, and didn't have any issue other than me not paying close enough attention to where we parked to find the car in between the run and the after party. . . :rolleyes2

From what I'd heard from other people, the main consideration for doing runDisney and staying offsite is to try and get there early, anticipating that there could be traffic delays for getting into the parking area. Even once parked, you could have a pretty decent walk from your car to the starting area. Even when staying at a resort, we usually try to be on one of the first buses so that we can get there early and enjoy the pre-race festivities rather than wrestle with pre-race anxiety while sitting in traffic wondering if we'll make it to our corral before the start.

With giving ourselves extra time by getting there early, we didn't have any issues.
 


I think you could easily find some way to get to a host hotel pre-race, but it won't be quick. I'd probably just go for a cab.

Playing devil's advocate, if buses are planned based on resort guests who are signed up for the race and if everyone who was running that stayed at a non-host resort weren't counted in those numbers, transportation will be off. I realize that it probably happens every year, and of course there's no way to tell who is at the resort and who isn't... but there's a reason I booked a host hotel: easy and guaranteed access to transportation between my resort and the race. So it does miff me a bit when others are using something they're not technically entitled to. Do I care enough to do anything about it? Only if it's blatant and staring me in the face. It's not my job to be bus patrol.
 
Renting a car from one of the on property rental companies might be a good idea. Getting to another hotel prerace might be kind of difficult.
 
I considered staying at OKW for W&D last year, but ended up deciding to go with a host resort, SSR. The idea of having to get over to SSR in the dark just wasn't fun for me. So much easier to just stay at the host resorts.
 


We've stayed offsite for previous races and had our own car so just drove without problem, but am I right that the Wine and Dine, unlike other races, doesn't end in the same place it begins? So, if you drive to the start, is there an option to take a bus back to the start to get your car?

At any rate, we are thinking to stay onsite this year at a host hotel anyway, so it probably won't matter for us this year.
 
We've stayed offsite for previous races and had our own car so just drove without problem, but am I right that the Wine and Dine, unlike other races, doesn't end in the same place it begins? So, if you drive to the start, is there an option to take a bus back to the start to get your car?

At any rate, we are thinking to stay onsite this year at a host hotel anyway, so it probably won't matter for us this year.
Starts in WWoS and ends in Epcot. I think you'd want to park at Epcot and take the bus to WWoS for the start. Then hop in your car at Epcot when the race is over. :)
 
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I tgink you'd want to park at Epcot and take the bus to WWoS for the start. Then hop in your car at Epcot when the race is over.

And you can do that. They even have free parking for the runners who will do it. Go park there on the early side of when they allow it, because as far as I could tell, it fills up.

But...the OP said she won't have a car. (and for us, the concept of parking at Epcot and going to WWOS from there meant leaving even earlier for the event, and you already have to leave early enough IMO)
 
if you are going to stay on property you might as well choose a host resort just to make your life easier, there are enough pre race nerves as it is anything you can do to limit those is probably in your best interest
 
I stayed at Pop when AoA was a host so that was easy. During W&D we stayed at Bay Lake, so I took monorail to Poly, then had DH pick me up at Epcot after. I think it isn't too bad getting to a host hotel before the race. And if you don't have a car, I heard of people who taxied back to their hotel.
 

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