Best Resort If Running Jan 06 Marathon?

[Harryo]

DW wants to run the 1/2 marathon (13K) next Jan. Does any one have any idea which resort would be the most convienient to stay at to access all the festivities etc.

 

[NCRedding]

If I do another 1/2 marathon at WDW, this time I'll go with a moderate, so that I will have a hot tub to soak by poor feet in.

As for location, hard to make recommendations. Check-in and expo with speakers is at Wide World of Sports, which is close to POP. There are a ton of buses going to and from during the marathon. I think they are also changing the starting points for next year, so I don't know which one would be best. The final awards show is at Pleasure Island, so who knows.

I would pick whatever resort you most desire to stay, as I don't know that anyone resort was better or more convenient. Good luck to you--it is an awesome experience.

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

I am going to stay at one that has the HUGE tub, this way when I am done I ccan soak in a HOT bubble bath for about 3 hours!!!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

DH is also running the 06 marathon for the first time. We were wondering that same thing. We are staying for 16 nights in July and were wondering if we should cut cost by doing a moderate this time since it's such a short trip. DH thought maybe we should just stay in YC since everything seems close to Epcot (marathon). If we chose a moderate is CB the closest one to Epcot. This is a hard one because I think MIL and FIL are coming to watch DH run the race. I know they would enjoy a deluxe but they might have a heart attack when they realize how much money we spend on resorts every year!

 

[KeeptheFaith]

We just got back from the marathon and stayed at Caribbean Beach. I really don't think one resort will be better then the other when you talk the marathon. UNLESS you stay on one of the Monorail resorts because then you can just hop back on the Monorail when you are done.

 

[wls23]

i participated in the 1/2 this year (2005) and we stayed at the polynesian. It worked out great as we were able to take the monorail over to the start and then simply walk 1-2 minutes back to the hotel at the finish. I heard that many folks waited quite a while for the buses to take them back to their respective hotels.

Since the course is changing for 06, it will be important to find out where the start/finish will be as this would potentially impact which hotel you decide to stay at.

 

[Tinks]

It is starting and finishing near EPCOT in 2006. This past year I stayed at the BWI and found it very convenient. I agree that there doesn't seem to be one resort closer or better for the race than another, especially next year as they have moved the finish. If I race again next year, I will try to stay in one of the EPCOT area resorts again. Hope that helps!

 

[HopperFan]

We opted for ASMo this trip because it was not a traditional trip for us.

I don't think it will matter where you stay - unless you are ON the monorail. That would be the perfect location - no buses needed. Everyone else will be taking a bus from their hotel to the EPCOT parking lot. I don't believe it is possible to walk safely to the event and the cars driving in to the parking lot were backed up forever. We had three buses pull up at once, everyone got on and off we went. We were dropped off quite a distance in the parking lot from the staging area then it was another .6 mile walk to the start line. Give yourself time. MANY of these buses are hired in for the event and the drivers don't know where they are going and may not take the most direct route. We were on one that was clearly lost, and about 4 other buses just kept following behind us

 

[ducklite]

My husband has run four WDW marathons now. We've stayed at the GF, BWV, BCV, and CR. We'll never not stay at a monorail resort for the marathon again, that's for sure.

I like to see him at about the 12 mile mark, which is headed down the service road just past the second entrance into the GF. Getting there from the CR wasn't bad, but it was impossible from the Epcot resorts.

In 2006 we're going to book the RPC and stay right at the GF again.

Anne

 

[NCRedding]

HopperFan: We must have been on one of the buses following yours, b/c we left from Music and wandered over to downtown disney, then turned around into POFQ--took us 50 minutes to get from Music to Epcot.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Maybe we'll try the Poly since then we would have monorail access to Epcot and over to GF. That might be nice since dd (6) has always wanted to stay at the Poly and DH always vetoed her down in favor of GF. DD's birthday is December 30 so we'll celebrate when we're down for the marathon and let her pick the resort!

 

[HopperFan]

Sorry, NCRedding, you were on another long lost caravan !

We left ASMo, past MGM, up the back side of EPCOT all the way to the Magic Kingdom - it sure looked pretty. At which point he finally asked directions so we looped around, back down the main drag and into EPCOT. It was almost like a preview of the course before running !

One driver did say the problem was that they gave them all written directions and he had no map. I think they would do better to give them maps with color coding for directions (they supposedly are assigned the same route all morning).

Oh well, I wasn't nervous but we had lots of folks on the bus that were getting alittle bit excited.

 

[soccer mom]

We just got back from POR and there were a couple of running clubs there that weekend. Nice resort to run through. It probably made Boatwrights pretty crowded. There was a five hour wait on Saturday night (glad I had a PS!) You could feel the runners excitement and the groups didn't detracted from our trip.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If you have family coming with you as spectators--along the monorail will be your best assurance of handling the traffic if they don't wish to see the start but want to spectate at other areas.

My husband was on a bus not moving for 90 minutes...he had expected to see me at the halfway mark. Luckily my sister was volunteering at Mile 12 and we let him know to change his plans. He was coming from POFQ.

If money is no object--Go monorail route.

This year--POFQ was good from a spectator perspective as some of our teammates families found out. They just walked right over to the start for the full and then could walk through after the masses had pass and walk over to the viewing areas in the EPCOT parking lot and then hop over on the monorail to other locations. However--those who are sleeping could be aroused by the hard cranking music on the loudspeakers.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The start for the full is on the road to EPCOT that is across the street from POFQ and Old Key West Resort

The start for the half is directly in on the access roads in front of EPCOT's parking lot--they will then run directly to World Drive.

Both Finish in the parking lot to the left of the park entrance of EPCOT.

This is indicated on a map on the bakc of the paper application provided at Expo this year.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I am going to stay at one that has the HUGE tub, this way when I am done I ccan soak in a HOT bubble bath for about 3 hours!!!

Actually--you want to soak in cool water and ice it as much as you can tolerate and go swimming.

Heat should be saved until the next day.

Using heat on the same day will yield the worst muscle pain that you've ever experienced on the day following this event rendering you practically incapacitated or seriously wimpering from the pain if you choose to park hop post event.

 

[babybunrab]

I know heat the same day is bad...but it feels so good!

We stay at Coronado Springs. I like the Pepper Market and it's got one of those big, bad hot tubs! If I could afford (and liked it better) we'd stay at the Poynesian, since you can pretty much walk from the finish (at least of the half). The earlier you finish, the easier it is to get back. If you finish the half in less than two hours, I've found, the bus transport doesn't take very long...incentive for me to get faster!

Of course, next year will all be different since they've split the races!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I know heat the same day is bad...but it feels so good!

We stay at Coronado Springs. I like the Pepper Market and it's got one of those big, bad hot tubs! If I could afford (and liked it better) we'd stay at the Poynesian, since you can pretty much walk from the finish (at least of the half). The earlier you finish, the easier it is to get back. If you finish the half in less than two hours, I've found, the bus transport doesn't take very long...incentive for me to get faster!

Of course, next year will all be different since they've split the races!

Resist, Resist!!!!!

Well, I picked up my bus right away for POFQ--guess it's easy when you are one of the last batch to show up at the finish

 

[HopperFan]

Major kudos and admiration to you on doing the full Marathon ~ your time show great dedication and determination.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Major kudos and admiration to you on doing the full Marathon ~ your time show great dedication and determination.

Thanks---you should come visit us on the WISH board--up to 40 or so Disers who've signed on again or for the first time to do a full over a half.