Marathon weekend lodging

[cewait]

How is SSR return transportation for the full? I liked staying at POP and Sports in the past for races but I hate, hate, that long line for buses after. I noticed a few shorter lines but I can't remember which resorts had them.

Does SSR have a long bus line since it is such a large resort?

Return lines are a function of the resort size and your times - more to do with the crowds that finish just in front of you. All resorts will have a line for the bus. I have seen them grow longer for the value resorts but did not think any were all that unmanageable. If you pop over and see a really long line, walk over to the Epcot bus stops and take a regular Disney bus. The step up is a lot less and the crowds heading home are lower since you are still in the 'headed to the park' time windows.

 

[es45]

Return lines are a function of the resort size and your times - more to do with the crowds that finish just in front of you. All resorts will have a line for the bus. I have seen them grow longer for the value resorts but did not think any were all that unmanageable. If you pop over and see a really long line, walk over to the Epcot bus stops and take a regular Disney bus. The step up is a lot less and the crowds heading home are lower since you are still in the 'headed to the park' time windows.

Makes sense. Never thought about the Epcot buses; that's great idea. I love the atmosphere of the value resorts during the races and the bus transportation to the race is great but last year, I was suffering an injury and the wait seemed a bit too much.

 

[KRuns]

We booked OKW last week before we knew you could walk to the start - just a fluke thing as the resort we were originally hoping for wasn't available through the service we were booking through. LOVE this, but sad that we already spent the money to buy the race retreat... if we had known then what we know now...

 

[cewait]

OK, I want to make sure all my OKW neighbors know that Disney 'officially' discourages walking to the start. The issue is one of liability. So while we discuss the issue of walking to the start in the forum... lets make sure that we do not ask the question directly to the Mouse. If we do and the Mouse starts to get wise he may well take action to prevent this. I would hate to see folks try to walk over to the start at 5:10 (70 minutes after busses stop) only to find that the way is blocked.

Deal everyone? This is something that a few of us have shared through the years and I would hate that we cause this little secret to disappear.

 

[wfloyd]

We have a 1 Bedroom booked at OKW for the weekend. We usually still use the busses but with various problems over the past few years, I like the backup plan of being able to walk there if something should happen.

 

[sunshine girl]

How is SSR return transportation for the full? I liked staying at POP and Sports in the past for races but I hate, hate, that long line for buses after. I noticed a few shorter lines but I can't remember which resorts had them.

Does SSR have a long bus line since it is such a large resort?

I think you can end up waiting a long time for a bus no matter where you're staying. Even if the line's not long for the bus, the bus might take for-ev-er to come around, and you'll wait just as long (or longer) than those in the longer line for whom more buses are dispatched. i speak from experience, I waited in line for a bus to AKL for about 45 minutes after a race once, and there were only a few of us in line... Disney just never sent us a bus. It was awful! All the other resorts were getting bus after bus... So, you just never know.

 

[wfloyd]

How is SSR return transportation for the full? I liked staying at POP and Sports in the past for races but I hate, hate, that long line for buses after. I noticed a few shorter lines but I can't remember which resorts had them.

Does SSR have a long bus line since it is such a large resort?

SSR generally shares a bus with Old Key West as well. The past three or so years haven't had lines that were too bad. I generally wait towards the end of the race to see people finish and I don't think the wait was over 20 minutes.

 

[KRuns]

OK, I want to make sure all my OKW neighbors know that Disney 'officially' discourages walking to the start. The issue is one of liability. So while we discuss the issue of walking to the start in the forum... lets make sure that we do not ask the question directly to the Mouse. If we do and the Mouse starts to get wise he may well take action to prevent this. I would hate to see folks try to walk over to the start at 5:10 (70 minutes after busses stop) only to find that the way is blocked.

Deal everyone? This is something that a few of us have shared through the years and I would hate that we cause this little secret to disappear.

That would be awful

 

[newdvc09]

I haven't read much on benefits of staying at Boardwalk Villas.

We just booked 1 bedroom at BWV but wondering if there are better resort options?

Can we walk to start from BWV?
Can we walk back to BWV from finish?

What times do buses run for half and full for start?

Also does anyone know if route through MK and EPCOT are same for half and full?

Thanks.

 

[jmasgat]

I haven't read much on benefits of staying at Boardwalk Villas.

We just booked 1 bedroom at BWV but wondering if there are better resort options?

Can we walk to start from BWV?
Can we walk back to BWV from finish?

What times do buses run for half and full for start?

Also does anyone know if route through MK and EPCOT are same for half and full?

Thanks.

You can't walk to the start--which is in the Epcot parking lot--since it is 0 dark thirty and Epcot isn't open. You can walk back to BWV after the marathon, but it would require a park ticket. And you could possibly walk back after the half, as long as the park was open.That all depends on your expected start and finish time.

The buses run from 3:00 til about 4:00 am. If you Google race instructions from last year you can see all the details.

The routes for the half and full through Epcot are different. The half comes in from the front, up to the World Showcase--but doesn't go through it--and heads back out the front to finish in the parking lot. The full comes in by International Gateway and heads around the Showcase the long way towards Future World and out the front. If you look at the course maps posted on Run Disney you can see.

 

[cewait]

I haven't read much on benefits of staying at Boardwalk Villas.

We just booked 1 bedroom at BWV but wondering if there are better resort options?

Can we walk to start from BWV?
Can we walk back to BWV from finish?

What times do buses run for half and full for start?

Also does anyone know if route through MK and EPCOT are same for half and full?

Thanks.

Echoing the do not plan on walking to the start... It happens every so often that someone does not get the word and tries to sleep in a bit and walk to the start.

There are great benefits to these resorts. You can walk to Epcot and stretch your legs after you clean up and rest a bit. There is nothing better than walking for your race legs

For your use...

Half Map
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/4106815/

Full Map
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/94116399/

 

[newdvc09]

Thanks for the information and the maps.

Might look at changing to OKW so we can walk to start (Get an extra hour or two of sleep!)

 

[Freight Train]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this thread and wanted to ask for advice. I have two girls-one will be 5 and one will be 7 months old at the time of the marathon weekend. I'm trying to pick a resort that will be fun for the 5 year old as we won't be doing the parks. I have the following criteria:

-Maximize fun at the resort for the little ones
-Try to make it as easy as possible for my wife and kids (wife's not running) to get to the finish line at the appropriate time (which will be late-I'm a beginner)
-Not go crazy on the budget. We can't afford a deluxe resort sadly.

So I was looking at maybe the Art of Animation Resort? Does anyone have any other suggestions? We're seasoned veterans of going to the parks and staying on-site so my wife and 5 yo won't be intimidated by taking the bus around. We also may conceivably leave the baby with a relative off-site for convenience.

I'd really appreciate any advice anyone has. I'm not comfortable with having the weekend be "about me" and I really want to make it as special for my daughter as I can. TIA!

 

[cewait]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this thread and wanted to ask for advice. I have two girls-one will be 5 and one will be 7 months old at the time of the marathon weekend. I'm trying to pick a resort that will be fun for the 5 year old as we won't be doing the parks. I have the following criteria:

-Maximize fun at the resort for the little ones
-Try to make it as easy as possible for my wife and kids (wife's not running) to get to the finish line at the appropriate time (which will be late-I'm a beginner)
-Not go crazy on the budget. We can't afford a deluxe resort sadly.

So I was looking at maybe the Art of Animation Resort? Does anyone have any other suggestions? We're seasoned veterans of going to the parks and staying on-site so my wife and 5 yo won't be intimidated by taking the bus around. We also may conceivably leave the baby with a relative off-site for convenience.

I'd really appreciate any advice anyone has. I'm not comfortable with having the weekend be "about me" and I really want to make it as special for my daughter as I can. TIA!

Actually, if I cannot get my GV and I do not have a couple folks fall out of my group in the next week of so I may end up in the family villas of the AoA resort. I think the theming is great and the mini suites allow for a little more space. The food court is one where you can satisfy most everyone's needs. That or the Pop are the two economy resorts least affected by the marathon traffic snarls. They are closest to the expo so you minimize some of that time by being closer.

 

[ZellyB]

We are staying at Shades of Green. I know we can walk to the Poly and then ride the monorail over to the start, but is it also possible to drive our own vehicle? Is the parking lot for Epcot even open or would you have to drive to TTC anyway and monorail over? Thanks.

 

[jeanigor]

We are staying at Shades of Green. I know we can walk to the Poly and then ride the monorail over to the start, but is it also possible to drive our own vehicle? Is the parking lot for Epcot even open or would you have to drive to TTC anyway and monorail over? Thanks.

I have driven (and been a passenger) in a personal vehicle on marathon weekend. It is doable. You may want a badge of courage and honor if you are behind the wave of traffic though.

 

[ZellyB]

I have driven (and been a passenger) in a personal vehicle on marathon weekend. It is doable. You may want a badge of courage and honor if you are behind the wave of traffic though.

Yeah, I wondered about that. I'm guessing it's better to just walk to the Poly. I'm just a bit of a worry wart and started getting paranoid about monorail break downs.

 

[cewait]

Yeah, I wondered about that. I'm guessing it's better to just walk to the Poly. I'm just a bit of a worry wart and started getting paranoid about monorail break downs.

Coming in from the north is almost a free pass into the parking lot.... I was assuming no vehicle in pp. All you do is come down Floridian/World Dr and follow the signs to Epcot. The crowd is coming from the south

 

[Freight Train]

Thanks Coach! And thanks too for your advice on the running thread. I've been lurking but definitely paying close attention to your suggestions!

 

[ZellyB]

Coming in from the north is almost a free pass into the parking lot.... I was assuming no vehicle in pp. All you do is come down Floridian/World Dr and follow the signs to Epcot. The crowd is coming from the south

Oh, well that sounds great then. That's a definite possiblity for us. Thanks!