Crowds during 2023 Wine & Dine half marathon

[M SH]

We have a trip scheduled the week of the wine and dine marathon (Nov 1-5). I was not aware i scheduled over that.
How are the park crowds and resort transportation during that week? We are staying at All-Star sports. Should i be worried?
Has anyone visited during that event and can provide some prior experience?

We are going to Universal the weekend before that (oct 29-31). Come to think of it maybe i should have done it other way around.
It's a pain to switch it now but doable. But we always visit Universal first and then Disney.
Is it worth considering completely changing my plans for my trip to avoid that rundisney event?
Thanks in advance for any advise and prior experiences.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

No, it won't make too much difference. The races are Friday Saturday and Sunday morning and all start at 5:00 AM. Friday and Saturday races are done and cleaned up before the parks even open, so it really has no effect. Sunday's half marathon ends in Epcot and will have some road closures that impat bus travel to some of the parks between 6:00 and 9:00 AM. Epcot will be crowded Sunday night because there is a runners party that starts at 10:00 PM but you can get into the park as early as 5:00, but it is also crowded at Epcot becuase it is food and wine and weekends are always crazy in World Showcase. The amount of runners will not noticeably skew park attendance at any of the other parks during the week, so it is not a concern.

 

[2vets]

I have to disagree with the above response. We were there last year (and have overlapped these events a few times prior to 2020). They don’t substantially increase overall park attendance, but getting around the mornings of the events (assuming you’re a rope-dropper) is a pain if you’re near a race route. We had a VIP tour the Sunday of the marathon last year, and it screwed up our early start time by 1.5 hrs at the last minute. Our guide could not access multiple parks until 9:30, if memory serves. It’s doable, but I highly recommend a park you can get to without bus service on days of longer runs. Also, AVOID entering Epcot in the afternoons after the runs. The lines to get in were shocking (all runners). The entry lines at Epcot the Monday morning afterwards were also massive - same, all runners.

I don’t think you need to switch, but it’s not benign.

ETA: I wanted to add that these things were irritating enough to us that I started specifically including “avoidance of runDisney weekends” in my planning, when possible. I will never forget that ridiculous entry line at Epcot Intl Gateway.

 

[gharter]

I have to disagree with the above response. We were there last year (and have overlapped these events a few times prior to 2020). They don’t substantially increase overall park attendance, but getting around the mornings of the events (assuming you’re a rope-dropper) is a pain if you’re near a race route. We had a VIP tour the Sunday of the marathon last year, and it screwed up our early start time by 1.5 hrs at the last minute. Our guide could not access multiple parks until 9:30, if memory serves. It’s doable, but I highly recommend a park you can get to without bus service on days of longer runs. Also, AVOID entering Epcot in the afternoons after the runs. The lines to get in were shocking (all runners). The entry lines at Epcot the Monday morning afterwards were also massive - same, all runners.

I don’t think you need to switch, but it’s not benign.

ETA: I wanted to add that these things were irritating enough to us that I started specifically including “avoidance of runDisney weekends” in my planning, when possible. I will never forget that ridiculous entry line at Epcot Intl Gateway.

Would agree. We have been there during the Star Wars half marathons. Even though they start early, there were still runners going through after park opening and several paths in the park were closed off or you could only cross when there were no runners. By 10, everything was back to normal.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

I have to disagree with the above response. We were there last year (and have overlapped these events a few times prior to 2020). They don’t substantially increase overall park attendance, but getting around the mornings of the events (assuming you’re a rope-dropper) is a pain if you’re near a race route. We had a VIP tour the Sunday of the marathon last year, and it screwed up our early start time by 1.5 hrs at the last minute. Our guide could not access multiple parks until 9:30, if memory serves. It’s doable, but I highly recommend a park you can get to without bus service on days of longer runs. Also, AVOID entering Epcot in the afternoons after the runs. The lines to get in were shocking (all runners). The entry lines at Epcot the Monday morning afterwards were also massive - same, all runners.

I don’t think you need to switch, but it’s not benign.

ETA: I wanted to add that these things were irritating enough to us that I started specifically including “avoidance of runDisney weekends” in my planning, when possible. I will never forget that ridiculous entry line at Epcot Intl Gateway.

The marathon is a different event - it has the 1/2 on Saturday and Full Sunday which doesn't end until early afternoon. The marathon also hits all 4 parks whereas the half courses usually only impact the road to and from MK and Epcot for traffic. For Wine and Dine, both Friday and Saturday will have the course in Epcot only, and both events will be over before 8:00. As I said, for Wine and Dine on Sunday, it will impact Epcot some.

As for Star Wars runs, those were also done prior to the time change for the start being moved up to 5:00 AM. Epcot will be impacted on Sunday morning - both from the road closures and if you plan on that as your park day, but as I said, I would not do Epcot on Sunday becuase of the runner party Sunday night and Food and Wine.

Monday after the marathon is a big park day for runners to do medal photos and Drinking around the World. Not the same for Food and Wine because there is a runner party Sunday night in Epcot.

 

[M SH]

I have to disagree with the above response. We were there last year (and have overlapped these events a few times prior to 2020). They don’t substantially increase overall park attendance, but getting around the mornings of the events (assuming you’re a rope-dropper) is a pain if you’re near a race route. We had a VIP tour the Sunday of the marathon last year, and it screwed up our early start time by 1.5 hrs at the last minute. Our guide could not access multiple parks until 9:30, if memory serves. It’s doable, but I highly recommend a park you can get to without bus service on days of longer runs. Also, AVOID entering Epcot in the afternoons after the runs. The lines to get in were shocking (all runners). The entry lines at Epcot the Monday morning afterwards were also massive - same, all runners.

I don’t think you need to switch, but it’s not benign.

ETA: I wanted to add that these things were irritating enough to us that I started specifically including “avoidance of runDisney weekends” in my planning, when possible. I will never forget that ridiculous entry line at Epcot Intl Gateway.

Thanks that's useful. Yes we are heavy rope droppers.
i can schedule my Epcot day on a non-run day to avoid this. the day of the longer run (Sunday) will be a magic kingdom day, so hopefully should be OK.

 

[M SH]

The marathon is a different event - it has the 1/2 on Saturday and Full Sunday which doesn't end until early afternoon. The marathon also hits all 4 parks whereas the half courses usually only impact the road to and from MK and Epcot for traffic. For Wine and Dine, both Friday and Saturday will have the course in Epcot only, and both events will be over before 8:00. As I said, for Wine and Dine on Sunday, it will impact Epcot some.

As for Star Wars runs, those were also done prior to the time change for the start being moved up to 5:00 AM. Epcot will be impacted on Sunday morning - both from the road closures and if you plan on that as your park day, but as I said, I would not do Epcot on Sunday becuase of the runner party Sunday night and Food and Wine.

Monday after the marathon is a big park day for runners to do medal photos and Drinking around the World. Not the same for Food and Wine because there is a runner party Sunday night in Epcot.

Thanks! that's very relieving. i just never had a trip that overlapped with any of these events before

 

[Mr. Drauer]

Thanks that's useful. Yes we are heavy rope droppers.
i can schedule my Epcot day on a non-run day to avoid this. the day of the longer run (Sunday) will be a magic kingdom day, so hopefully should be OK.

The course for the race will not be revealed until just a few weeks before the event, but if it is the Epcot to MK back to Epcot course that is used for Marathon Weekend and Princess, it will mean that the road to get to MK is closed until 7:30 AM, and it could impact rope dropping with buses and traffic being delayed. Granted they have not used this as the Half course for F&W, but it could be used. Last year the course went from Epcot through DHS and back, so there was no impact to roads leading to MK (or to DHS or AK either).

 

[sky13]

I was there over Wine and Dine weekend last year as a non-runner, though admittedly I was only at Disney on the Saturday (Disney Springs) and Sunday (Epcot afternoon/DHS night). Staying at AoA.

I felt Sunday was really extremely crowded in Epcot. I remember leaving Epcot around late afternoon (4-5pm perhaps) and walking past the longest line of people I have ever seen trying to enter Epcot at the International Gateway - this line stretched all the way back to Beach Club. And a bit later when I took the Skyliner back to AoA, there was also the longest line of people I have ever seen waiting to take the Skyliner to Epcot. That being said, Boyz II Men were performing at Epcot so that was likely a factor in addition to the Wine and Dine afterparty at Epcot that night.

DHS in contrast was much better on the same Sunday. Fantasmic had just came back and so while everyone else was watching the 1st showing of Fantasmic, I went on rides and remember pretty much walking on to Smuggler's Run and Star Tours after 8pm. And went to the 2nd showing of Fantasmic which was half empty.

Remember reading that the week after (I'd left by then) was extremely crowded due to Jersey Week though. (And also a tropical storm happened the week after).

But generally I don't think the races had a huge impact on the parks except for Epcot on the Sunday, which fit in with my experience of doing Wine and Dine weekend as a runner before where the main park plan I had was the Wine and Dine Epcot afterparty. Probably Boyz II Men and Jersey Week had a larger impact on crowds...

 

[Mr. Drauer]

I was there over Wine and Dine weekend last year as a non-runner, though admittedly I was only at Disney on the Saturday (Disney Springs) and Sunday (Epcot afternoon/DHS night). Staying at AoA.

I felt Sunday was really extremely crowded in Epcot. I remember leaving Epcot around late afternoon (4-5pm perhaps) and walking past the longest line of people I have ever seen trying to enter Epcot at the International Gateway - this line stretched all the way back to Beach Club. And a bit later when I took the Skyliner back to AoA, there was also the longest line of people I have ever seen waiting to take the Skyliner to Epcot. That being said, Boyz II Men were performing at Epcot so that was likely a factor in addition to the Wine and Dine afterparty at Epcot that night.

DHS in contrast was much better on the same Sunday. Fantasmic had just came back and so while everyone else was watching the 1st showing of Fantasmic, I went on rides and remember pretty much walking on to Smuggler's Run and Star Tours after 8pm. And went to the 2nd showing of Fantasmic which was half empty.

Remember reading that the week after (I'd left by then) was extremely crowded due to Jersey Week though. (And also a tropical storm happened the week after).

But generally I don't think the races had a huge impact on the parks except for Epcot on the Sunday, which fit in with my experience of doing Wine and Dine weekend as a runner before where the main park plan I had was the Wine and Dine Epcot afterparty. Probably Boyz II Men and Jersey Week had a larger impact on crowds...

yes there was a miscommunication last year about what time runners with party tickets could enter. The IG was turning them away until 5:00:00 and it made it chaotic at that entrance. The scanners were not reading party tickets correctly either, so many people to hand have a CM hand punch in the ticket numbers.

 

[2vets]

The marathon is a different event - it has the 1/2 on Saturday and Full Sunday which doesn't end until early afternoon. The marathon also hits all 4 parks whereas the half courses usually only impact the road to and from MK and Epcot for traffic. For Wine and Dine, both Friday and Saturday will have the course in Epcot only, and both events will be over before 8:00. As I said, for Wine and Dine on Sunday, it will impact Epcot some.

As for Star Wars runs, those were also done prior to the time change for the start being moved up to 5:00 AM. Epcot will be impacted on Sunday morning - both from the road closures and if you plan on that as your park day, but as I said, I would not do Epcot on Sunday becuase of the runner party Sunday night and Food and Wine.

Monday after the marathon is a big park day for runners to do medal photos and Drinking around the World. Not the same for Food and Wine because there is a runner party Sunday night in Epcot.

This is very helpful for me, as well - thank you!