This will be my first half, and my first time to disney in a LONG time. So I have a few questions, hopefully y'all can help me with.
How much time do you usually spend in the parks on marathon weekend? I want to spend my time wisely, but I don't want to overdo it either.
Expo- how long does this usually take? How quickly do things sell out? We are getting there on Thursday, but we want to head straight to MK and get as much of our walking done as possible.
Bike rentals- can you rent these overnight? We would love to do a 6am bike ride on Friday morning but the place doesn't open til much later. We were thinking we would rent on Thursday, and then return after our ride Friday.
What time should we plan on leaving the hotel? We aren't submitting a time because my friend doesn't have a current race to submit, so we will be in the last corral.
Generally, we tried to come in a couple days before the race. We attended the expo the day of arrival and made sure we had everything in hand for the weekend. i.e. making sure nothing was left at home. The expo will take between 60 minutes and whatever you want to spend. I included the bus rides in the time and a really quick trip through the expo. The process for the expo is heading into the HP Field House on the left after you enter the WWoS. After picking up a bib, you walk over to the Jostens Center for your swag bag and jersey. That table is in the very back forcing one to walk to through the expo to get your jersey. The official merchandise area is in the front of the expo, so you will walk through the expo once again.
We generally spend Friday in DAK. We tend to take it easy in the park and are usually back home to the villa by early to midafternoon. From there, an early meal and then off to bed just after the fireworks at 9. Post race(s) we spend a lot of time in the parks. The reason is simple, the more one moves post race, the better you will feel the next day.
Buses run from 3-4 AM. The best time to catch a bus is in the middle at 0330. That is from an old guy who also likes to chat with friends in the staging area. I do find that if one cuts is close to 0400 you have a higher likelihood of suffering a transportation melt down. It happens to at least one resort each year. Also, note that if it is your resort, I have not heard of anyone missing the start; maybe missing the A, B or C corral, but not the entire race. If driving, I would still look to hit the Epcot Parking Lot around 0330. You can sit in your car and nap, but you are in the area once there.
As far as bikes go, I do not believe that you can rent overnight, but am not sure. I do know that you are not allowed outside of the resort where you rent the bike; not that I would ride a cruiser that far anyway. I would ask once you get there& you never know if magic will happen. For the record, there are more road worthy bikes for rent in the Winter Garden area. If you have a car, that may be an option as well.
just finished my 7 miles! Wasn't easy but I did it!
