2024 Questions...

[Paulaparm]

It looks like we might be headed back Jan/Feb of 2024 and I have a few questions for those in the know
1. What is the duration of time that we can book a campsite? (This past February we did 2 weeks and decided we didn't have enough time to enjoy the Fort. My suggestion was 3 weeks and only 10 day park tickets.)
2. Do you know if the Marathon and Half Marathon are the same weekends each year?
3. I thought I remembered reading something about not being able to book 499 days out anymore. Is that the case? And, if so, when can I book. I just looked online and it seems I can book until December 2023.
Thanks for your help

 

[StormyCA]

1-I think the policy is that the max you can book (at any Disney Resort) is 30 days. Then you have to 'vacate' for 28. Whether they're enforcing it or not IDK. But I think the 'optimum' length of stay is really a matter of individual choice. Our 1st trip was 6 nites/5 day hoppers; no real down time, not enough park days. 2nd & 3rd were 9 nites/6 day 1-park tix; not enough down time, 6 park days fine but having hoppers would have been better for me. Our upcoming 4th will be 11 nites with 6 day hoppers. We decided that we definitely need more than 9 nites in order to have enough 'down time' to not be exhausted and to be able to leisurely pack up and have a nice dinner somewhere the day before we check out. 6 park days is just right for us (nDH usually splits after lunch and leaves me to shop) and I'm going to enjoy the flexibility of being able to park hop after he goes. I'm already planning to 'hop my way home' by making my last hop to MK and catching the boat.

2-no idea

3-WDW is now 'in line' with both the DLR and package reservation windows, IIRC. Packages become available in June of each calendar year and you can book until December of the following year and now 'room only' reservations are following this practice. So if you want to go in 2024, those reservations should be available sometime in June 2023.

 

[bama_ed]

Stormy's answers for 1 and 3 are correct.

As for #2, I can estimate the date by looking at the the dates of recent WDW Marathons. See the winner's chart here (which has dates also):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_World_Marathon

Note this is a table of the 26.2 mile full marathon which is the last event for the Marathon week and is run on a Sunday. As to WHICH Sunday, the chart leads me to believe it would be Sunday, January 7, 2024. That's the EARLIEST it's been run in the chart (most recently 2018). You don't see a Sunday after that of January 14 in the last 20 years so it's the Sunday between January 7 and 13 usually.

Anything earlier than the 7th probably runs into the Christmas-New Years holiday crowds. If Sunday is the 7th, the Half Marathon is the 6th, the 10k is the 5th, and the 5k is the 4th. That's why you don't see a race date of January 6 or earlier.

The MK is still decorated with its Christmas look but after the Sunday/Marathon race day when the parks close, the decorations start coming down. So the Marathon week is KINDA the same weekend since, like I said, it concludes with the big race on the Sunday falling between Jan 7 and Jan 13. So in your timeframe it will be Jan 4-7, 2024 I think.

Bama Ed

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

It looks like we might be headed back Jan/Feb of 2024 and I have a few questions for those in the know
1. What is the duration of time that we can book a campsite? (This past February we did 2 weeks and decided we didn't have enough time to enjoy the Fort. My suggestion was 3 weeks and only 10 day park tickets.)

1. We have stayed a max of 2.5 months in the past and no issue, but the main thing is that we have anywhere from 6-10 reservations that we have to check into and in the past have never had to move as they were all the same type of campsite. This year has proven to be a bit more difficult and we are headed that way now, but stopping in Pigeon Forge first for a bit. As of 1 hour ago, we have 7 reservations and will most likely have to move twice since we have all Preferred, except for smack in the middle of our trip we are in a FHU. We just keep checking in and they adjust it for us when a preferred becomes available. Our longest reservation is for 25 days.

Hope this helps!

 

[garneska]

I can confirm that marathon weekend in 2024 will begin Jan 4 2024 with the marathon being run on Jan 7 2024. Since you said Jan/Feb you need to think about Princess Weekend. I am not as positive about that weekend in 2024 but I would expect it to be Feb 23 to Feb 25 2024.

 

[bama_ed]

I can confirm that marathon weekend in 2024 will begin Jan 4 2024 with the marathon being run on Jan 7 2024. Since you said Jan/Feb you need to think about Princess Weekend. I am not as positive about that weekend in 2024 but I would expect it to be Feb 23 to Feb 25 2024.

Yep the Princess weekend is a 5k/10k/HalfMarathon on successive days.

I've always thought about going the last week of January (or even before then once you get past MLK day) into early Feb. Rates go up early Feb but weather is a little bit more predictable and nicer.

Bama Ed

 

[Paulaparm]

Yep the Princess weekend is a 5k/10k/HalfMarathon on successive days.

I've always thought about going the last week of January (or even before then once you get past MLK day) into early Feb. Rates go up early Feb but weather is a little bit more predictable and nicer.

Bama Ed

We were there this past year, Jan 31-Feb 13 and the weather was great! We are planning to head to the Daytona 500 again, so if we want to stay 3 weeks at the Fort, we would have to come a bit earlier in January. Daytona 500 will probably run around Feb 18. Not sure what we would run into crowd/price wise if we would wait and come after the race?

 

[bama_ed]

We were there this past year, Jan 31-Feb 13 and the weather was great! We are planning to head to the Daytona 500 again, so if we want to stay 3 weeks at the Fort, we would have to come a bit earlier in January. Daytona 500 will probably run around Feb 18. Not sure what we would run into crowd/price wise if we would wait and come after the race?

Well prices only go up in February into March if you're looking at a 3 week window after the race week. I do the Rack Rate analysis (2023 most recent below) which shows the general trend , if you want to which is upward into spring break (March) and peaking at Easter (April).

Financially, it would be wise to visit the Fort before the Daytona race in February.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-2023-fort-wilderness-rack-rates-and-analysis.3897820/

Bama Ed

 

[team bradfield]

we have stayed 30 days our last 2 two trips, with 6 children,(skattered all over the US), they join us and the 10 GK's, 2 GGK'ds it takes awhile to cycle them all through. Chapek should be happy with my donations