Closest / Easiest DVC Resort for Marathon

[TheGeddings]

Now that the 2011 Marathon is over, I thought I would put a question out there, that I had a difficult time locating. I am planning to run the 2012 Disney Marathon. Can you tell me what the easiest DVC resort to stay at for the marathon participant? Since we have to be up so early, what is the closest? I would think Boardwalk/Beach Club, but the back gate to Epcot is probably not open at that time of morning, so you still have to take a bus. Give me your opinions, you that have run the marathon before and are DVC members.

I am planning to book at 11 months out next month, and wanted to start getting a game plan together.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You are correct about the Epcot resorts. You have to take a bus to the start. Prior to this year, I would have said OKW because you could walk to the start. However, this year, when my husband called for a wake up call on Friday night for the half, the CM who answered the phone said that he should be at the HH by 4AM to catch the bus since they were not letting people walk to the start.

They put fences along the side of the road so it was more difficult to walk to the start from the resorts.

However I did see lots of people walking to the start from OKW, maybe SSR, Caribbean Beach and even a few from the Epcot resorts (that was totally crazy in my opinion, but they must have missed the last bus) as I drove over to Epcot from OKW.

My guys caught the bus from the HH at OKW around 4AM and made it to the start just fine. When you are at a resort that has multiple bus stops, they do not go through the resort picking people up. They just stop at the Main stop near check in.

 

[OhioDVC]

OKW is the absolute best location for the Marathon. My wife and I have participated in the last 7 marathon weekends(except for 2011). We stayed at OKW and requested buildings 16-17-18-19. We walk through the employees parking lot and have a short 5-10 walk to the starting line. We sleep in until 5 am and make the race with plenty of time.

 

[wood8176]

I would also ask if you are bringing spectators with you. I ran this year for the first time, so I am a little new to this, however, due to all of the road closures, my family had a tough time getting to viewing points. However, if you stay at a resort on the monorail line you can easily get to several viewing points. You would still need to take the buses to the start, I believe. Someone else could jump in and expand on this with more experience.

 

[OhioDVC]

Our spectators were at the start with us and then walked about 15-20 minutes to the monorail at EPCOT and rode it to other viewing locations.

If they ride the bus they would actually walk further then walking from OKW

 

[Deb & Bill]

OKW is the absolute best location for the Marathon. My wife and I have participated in the last 7 marathon weekends(except for 2011). We stayed at OKW and requested buildings 16-17-18-19. We walk through the employees parking lot and have a short 5-10 walk to the starting line. We sleep in until 5 am and make the race with plenty of time.

That's what my husband has done in the past, too. But this year it was a little different and they did not allow people to walk to the start. There were lots of fences installed along Epcot Center Drive between the race and OKW.

And the first corral left at 5:35AM.

I left OKW in the car at 5AM and barely got to Epcot by 5:35AM. At 5:30 they close the entrance to the parking lot until 7:30.

 

[SmartGuyCEO]

I would stay at either OKW or BLT. I stayed at OKW this year and got on the bus @ 3:50. The Mears rep said SSR didn't see a bus for almost 30 because the runners at OKW kept filling up the buses. Bus ride to the race on the 1/2 marathon was horrible due to the traffic. Full marathon barely anyone on the roads. I stayed at BLT in 2010, enjoyed the monorail ride and stayed warm before the race. I think I'm going back to BLT in 2012 for the race weekend

 

[dairyqueenmom]

My sister's and her family just did the 2011 1/2 and full marathon and swear by the monorail to get to the race. They plan on BLT next year for the 2012 race.

 

[stitchfan18]

We're staying at OKW, although I must say I'm bummed to hear about the issues walking to the start from there. It would be nice to walk, but luckily the bus ride shouldn't be too long.
Definitely don't stay at BWV or BCV if you think you are going to avoid buses. You can't walk through the park in the morning before the race, or after the race unless you have a ticket. They are good resorts to choose if you have spectators that want a good place to watch you. They can just walk to the marathon course from the room in less than 5 minutes.

 

[rigsby25]

I would stay at either OKW or BLT. I stayed at OKW this year and got on the bus @ 3:50. The Mears rep said SSR didn't see a bus for almost 30 because the runners at OKW kept filling up the buses. Bus ride to the race on the 1/2 marathon was horrible due to the traffic. Full marathon barely anyone on the roads. I stayed at BLT in 2010, enjoyed the monorail ride and stayed warm before the race. I think I'm going back to BLT in 2012 for the race weekend

We stayed at SSR this year (my daughter's first marathon) and had absolutely no trouble what so ever. There were buses with no one on them lined up at 3:30. We all got on the bus. We walked her to where she needed to go, and then walked to the first viewing area (4 mile mark I think). Then we got on the monorail and saw her at MK at about the 9 mile mark. After that we walked past the polynesian and saw her at about 12 mile mark. There was a program on ESPN that you put in how many minutes per mile and it told you where you could go and how to get there. It worked like magic. We didn't wait long at any point. After the Polynesian stop, we had breakfast and then headed back in time to see her finish. And then we all rode back to SSR on the bus.

 

[OhioDVC]

That's what my husband has done in the past, too. But this year it was a little different and they did not allow people to walk to the start. There were lots of fences installed along Epcot Center Drive between the race and OKW.

And the first corral left at 5:35AM.

I left OKW in the car at 5AM and barely got to Epcot by 5:35AM. At 5:30 they close the entrance to the parking lot until 7:30.

I can't address this year but in the past there was always a way around or through the fencing. The extra 1 1/2 - 2 hours of sleep instead of the 3 am bus makes all the difference in the world to me

 

[wood8176]

I will say that the THV were a disaster for the 1/2 marathon. I was waiting for a bus from 3:15 to 3:45 to take me to SSR, then the wait there was another 45mins. Then traffic to the start. Got to the start with about 5mins to spare.
For the marathon, got up at 2:45, walked from THV to SSR - 10mins. No wait. Got right on a bus left within 5mins. Froze my tail feathers in the tent area until 4:30, walked to the start, froze some more until 5:45 when my corral went off.
Love it. But, wouldn't stay at THV or SSR again.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I can't address this year but in the past there was always a way around or through the fencing. The extra 1 1/2 - 2 hours of sleep instead of the 3 am bus makes all the difference in the world to me

Yeah, my husband did it in the past, too. But this year was diffent. He did get the bus from OKW at 4AM and started the race at 5:35AM.

 

[stitchfan18]

I'm not familiar with where the start of the 1/2 and full marathon is, but is there a place a person with family members can drop runners closer to the corals without having to take a bus and walk 15-20 minutes to the start? If we can't walk from OKW, but have a car, would we be able to do an option like that and sleep in a bit?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm not familiar with where the start of the 1/2 and full marathon is, but is there a place a person with family members can drop runners closer to the corals without having to take a bus and walk 15-20 minutes to the start? If we can't walk from OKW, but have a car, would we be able to do an option like that and sleep in a bit?

Not any more.

 

['ohanaof5]

Well this was my first marathon weekend and we stayed at Animal Kingdom. I had no problems with the bus service. I was a bit nervous but AKL did not share buses with any other resort. I got on the bus at 3:45 both mornings and was at Epcot by 4:05, plenty of time to walk to the corral.

On marathon morning my family rode a bus to AK and watched me at MM 17(very close to the buses outside AK) , after I passed them, they hopped a bus to Epcot to see me at MM 25.

It was a great plan for us and although it's not a "close" resort I thought the bus service was very good and I would stay here again.

On a side note, I had friends staying at Shades of Green and there travel time took twice as long, walk to Poly, board the monorail, change at TTC, still have the same walk to the corral area.

 

[matilda]

I ran the half this year and volunteered for the full. We stayed at BLT and plan on staying there again next year. It was quick and easy. We boarded the monrail for the TCC and then got off and hopped on the EPCOT monorail. Short walk to start. Coming back did take longer though as there were not only runners and spectators trying to leave at the same time but also park patrons. We also messed up on the way back at the TCC and got on monorail that was the Express to MK. No worries though we just got off there and got straight back on the resort monorail.
I also highly recommend making dining reservations at Chef Mickey's especially the night before. We did not do this thinking we did not want to be tied down to a reservation but was a serious mistake. The Contemporary Cafe was open 24hrs and started the breakfast items at midnight which was great also.
You can then celebrate your achievement by watching the fireworks from your room on one side and after that you can watch the water light show that moves around the lake on the other side.