DVC X RunDisney

[BradleyCB]

Hey there! I'm hoping this is an acceptable forum to post this. I'm curious of how much overlap there is between DVC ownership and having either a platinum or gold Club runDisney membership?

My wife and I were at WDW in January for our first in-person runDisney event. Needless to say, we fell in love (with the event and runDisney; we were already in love with each other!). We are both avid runners, and we are talking about making marathon weekend and annual event for us - assuming we can both register for one of the main events. At this point, I have a silver Club runDisney membership, and she does not have any membership level. I hope we both end up getting platinum or gold in the coming years so we have less registration anxiety during the general public window.

We also love Riviera and are currently looking at our options for DVC there. Our kids are older now, but things like runDisney events and possibly DCL sailings out of Florida give me reason to want to be DVC members too.

Anyhow, I'm definitely curious to know how much overlap there is between DVC ownership and the higher tiers of Club runDisney. Thank you!

 

[LilyJC]

I'm definitely curious to know how much overlap there is between DVC ownership and the higher tiers of Club runDisney.

We’ve been participating in runDisney for years, mainly at DL since we’re local. Our first home resort was VGC specifically for our rD staycation weekends, so we didn’t have to deal with transportation in the morning. When the DL runs went on hiatus at the end of 2017, we switched over to WDW rD and ended up with BCV, BLT, and CCV as our WDW home resorts.

There used to be early registration for APs/DVC members which was amazing, but of course when club rD was introduced that disappeared. For us west coasters, registration day became super stressful trying to get registered while also getting kids off to school/hubs off to work with the 7am go live time.

We caved a couple years ago and were able to grab gold memberships for the two of us. And during the last renewal period we upgraded to platinum since we really enjoy the 5K and challenge at DL (platinum includes two registrations per event). The nickel and diming of everything Disney is pretty aggravating, but so far platinum has been worth it for us.

I’m not sure if that’s info along the lines you were looking, but feel free to ask any club rD/DVC questions!

 

[DianaMB333]

You could buy a DVC- fixed week tied up to Marathon weekend dates..
Riviera is a great location, easy to go back from the races, good dining options and pools

 

[BradleyCB]

We’ve been participating in runDisney for years, mainly at DL since we’re local. Our first home resort was VGC specifically for our rD staycation weekends, so we didn’t have to deal with transportation in the morning. When the DL runs went on hiatus at the end of 2017, we switched over to WDW rD and ended up with BCV, BLT, and CCV as our WDW home resorts.

There used to be early registration for APs/DVC members which was amazing, but of course when club rD was introduced that disappeared. For us west coasters, registration day became super stressful trying to get registered while also getting kids off to school/hubs off to work with the 7am go live time.

We caved a couple years ago and were able to grab gold memberships for the two of us. And during the last renewal period we upgraded to platinum since we really enjoy the 5K and challenge at DL (platinum includes two registrations per event). The nickel and diming of everything Disney is pretty aggravating, but so far platinum has been worth it for us.

I’m not sure if that’s info along the lines you were looking, but feel free to ask any club rD/DVC questions!

Thank you! That's exactly the type of information I was looking for. Just today we talked ourselves out of trying to register for Wine & Dine tomorrow morning.

I have a feeling if we do get into Dopey 2026 (I'm working on convincing my wife to run Dopey next year. I had such a blast with it!), and we enjoy our experience again, DVC makes all the sense in the world.

 

[BradleyCB]

You could buy a DVC- fixed week tied up to Marathon weekend dates..
Riviera is a great location, easy to go back from the races, good dining options and pools

I have been reading threads about the fixed week recently! It definitely seems like a good idea too.

We definitely enjoy the skyliner from Riviera and used it plenty during our last trip.

 

[LilyJC]

Thank you! That's exactly the type of information I was looking for. Just today we talked ourselves out of trying to register for Wine & Dine tomorrow morning.

I have a feeling if we do get into Dopey 2026 (I'm working on convincing my wife to run Dopey next year. I had such a blast with it!), and we enjoy our experience again, DVC makes all the sense in the world.

My husband and I have done three Dopeys together, and it’s mostly been a blast!

And today we finally decided on our Wine & Dine races before our clubrD registration expired It’s definitely an addictive hobby

 

[CarolynFH]

I have been reading threads about the fixed week recently! It definitely seems like a good idea too.

We definitely enjoy the skyliner from Riviera and used it plenty during our last trip.

I’m not sure they’re selling runDisney favorite weeks anymore. AFAIAA, they were only available at CCV. You can contact DVC sales and ask.

As you can see in my signature, we’re long time owners at BWV, which is great for spectating the marathon. As far as the other races, you’ll be on a bus or the monorail from your resort to the starting line, so it doesn’t help much in the wee hours. But when DD ran the marathon this year, DSiL was able to take their baby through Epcot to meet her at the finish, after cheering her on when she passed BW! RIV would be equally convenient since your family could ride the Skyliner to the Epcot station to cheer y’all on.

I hope your question gains some traction here, because I too wonder how much overlap there is between DVC and Club runDisney.

 

[BradleyCB]

My husband and I have done three Dopeys together, and it’s mostly been a blast!

And today we finally decided on our Wine & Dine races before our clubrD registration expired It’s definitely an addictive hobby

It really is an addictive hobby! And Disney seems to put on a great show during these races. I was blown away during the WDW marathon this year how Disney turned an otherwise boring road around mile 15 heading to AK into a simulated Star Wars battle (with soundtrack!) and characters. It just helps the miles fly on by.

 

[BradleyCB]

I’m not sure they’re selling runDisney favorite weeks anymore. AFAIAA, they were only available at CCV. You can contact DVC sales and ask.

As you can see in my signature, we’re long time owners at BWV, which is great for spectating the marathon. As far as the other races, you’ll be on a bus or the monorail from your resort to the starting line, so it doesn’t help much in the wee hours. But when DD ran the marathon this year, DSiL was able to take their baby through Epcot to meet her at the finish, after cheering her on when she passed BW! RIV would be equally convenient since your family could ride the Skyliner to the Epcot station to cheer y’all on.

I hope your question gains some traction here, because I too wonder how much overlap there is between DVC and Club runDisney.

I loved running around the Boardwalk! Now if only the cake shop would hand out samples to passing runners....

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Anyone else sign up for Wine and Dine this morning? I’m obsessed with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather lol and as a massive princess sidekicks fan, I had no choice but to sign up for the 5K and challenge

I’ve already booked a room at Poly but I’m hoping to move it to BCV. I have all but 1 day of the days I want so I think I might get lucky enough to switch over If you’re running or spectating, where are y’all staying?

 

[FlyingDonut]

Anyone else sign up for Wine and Dine this morning? I’m obsessed with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather lol and as a massive princess sidekicks fan, I had no choice but to sign up for the 5K and challenge

I’ve already booked a room at Poly but I’m hoping to move it to BCV. I have all but 1 day of the days I want so I think I might get lucky enough to switch over If you’re running or spectating, where are y’all staying?

I signed up for the half! We'll book OKW (home) soon and maybe waitlist somewhere at 7 months. I know it's halloween season, but from a rD perspective, it feels weird to be spending more points for the hotter, not MW race. Oh well.

 

[LilyJC]

If you’re running or spectating, where are y’all staying?

We’re signed up for the 5K and challenge as well Right now I have BCV and BLT booked. I really want to see the refurbished rooms in person, but I’ll likely drop BLT for Wine&Dine as I already have it booked for Marathon Weekend

BCV is by far my favorite WDW home resort, and my favorite race weekend home (I do love taking the monorail for the 1/2 and full, but our worst bus trauma has been from MK resorts for 5K/10K )

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

I signed up for the half! We'll book OKW (home) soon and maybe waitlist somewhere at 7 months. I know it's halloween season, but from a rD perspective, it feels weird to be spending more points for the hotter, not MW race. Oh well.

I’m fairly new to the rD scene with this most recent marathon weekend being my only experience so far, but we love the fall at WDW and have also come in early January a few times, too, so we’re fairly used the point distribution of these seasons. I can see why it feels be weird though. Actually, Springtime Surprise must have the biggest discrepancy between popularity and how expensive DVC rooms are seeing as it’s pretty much in peak spring break season.

We’re signed up for the 5K and challenge as well Right now I have BCV and BLT booked. I really want to see the refurbished rooms in person, but I’ll likely drop BLT for Wine&Dine as I already have it booked for Marathon Weekend

BCV is by far my favorite WDW home resort, and my favorite race weekend home (I do love taking the monorail for the 1/2 and full, but our worst bus trauma has been from MK resorts for 5K/10K )

I had a couple nights booked at BLT last weekend because we’ve never stayed there and I wanted to stop being a hater from the outside lol but ended up switching to BCV and RIV last minute. Couldn’t resist

I’ve heard that BLT is pretty great for rD weekends though, so I might begrudgingly give it a try again sometime if we ever get anything at 7mo. I’m really glad to hear your favorite resort for race weekend is BCV. We’ve only stayed at Poly for our one race and though we loved it, I’m really curious what people generally rank as the best/worst resort for race weekends.

 

[radiodome21]

My wife and I are doing the Spring Surprise 10k in April. We’re staying at BRV because the points were good and we’ve never stayed there. Yesterday I signed my wife and kids up for the Wine & Dine 5k. We’re booked at Poly for now (home resort) but I’d like to stay somewhere else. Can’t wait! We got turned on to runDisney last year by one of my wife’s friend.

 

[JackosinDIS]

I’m fairly new to the rD scene with this most recent marathon weekend being my only experience so far, but we love the fall at WDW and have also come in early January a few times, too, so we’re fairly used the point distribution of these seasons. I can see why it feels be weird though. Actually, Springtime Surprise must have the biggest discrepancy between popularity and how expensive DVC rooms are seeing as it’s pretty much in peak spring break season.


I had a couple nights booked at BLT last weekend because we’ve never stayed there and I wanted to stop being a hater from the outside lol but ended up switching to BCV and RIV last minute. Couldn’t resist

I’ve heard that BLT is pretty great for rD weekends though, so I might begrudgingly give it a try again sometime if we ever get anything at 7mo. I’m really glad to hear your favorite resort for race weekend is BCV. We’ve only stayed at Poly for our one race and though we loved it, I’m really curious what people generally rank as the best/worst resort for race weekends.

We’re going to try and do our first race next January… marathon for DH but I’m just going to aim for the 10k.

We’ve booked a 1br at BLT. Don’t know whether or not it will work out well but I hear it’s pretty convenient for transport for the full and half.

Really looking forward to trying out the refurbished rooms… and that lovely short walk to MK!

 

[RuntheMouse]

My wife and I are doing the Spring Surprise 10k in April. We’re staying at BRV because the points were good and we’ve never stayed there. Yesterday I signed my wife and kids up for the Wine & Dine 5k. We’re booked at Poly for now (home resort) but I’d like to stay somewhere else. Can’t wait! We got turned on to runDisney last year by one of my wife’s friend.

We usually stay at BRV for MW. We love it for race weekends, well anytime really. Love the hot tub and sauna!

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

We’re going to try and do our first race next January… marathon for DH but I’m just going to aim for the 10k.

We’ve booked a 1br at BLT. Don’t know whether or not it will work out well but I hear it’s pretty convenient for transport for the full and half.

Really looking forward to trying out the refurbished rooms… and that lovely short walk to MK!

So exciting! My sister and I just did the 10K at marathon weekend (somehow made it on the rD instagram for it!)- we loved it! We are not runners but now I’ve signed up for the DLR Halloween challenge and Wine&Dine challenge so I guess I’m gonna have to become a runner lol

The 10K is a perfect intro I think. It was just long enough that we felt we worked for it but not too long that I regretted all my life choices. The atmosphere is 15/10. The early hour was rough but honestly once you’re there the adrenaline kicks in and you’re ready to go. Be prepared to be standing around in the cold for a good hour+ before starting though. That might’ve been the hardest part lol

ALSO, one thing we both wish we’d done was also sign up for the 5K, too. It’s 2 early mornings in a row but that kind of sets you up nicely to go to bed early before the more important race. The 5K is also very much walkable in it’s entirety, so not strenuous at all. I think we were so nervous about finishing before the balloon ladies because we knew we’d be in the last corral that we didn’t stop for any character photos and I wish we’d gotten at least 1 or 2 (we made it with 10-15mins to spare so worries weren’t really necessary). I think the 5K would’ve given us that opportunity plus been a good warm up for the next day. And you get two medals!

Another thing! Don’t over do it afterwards. Definitely go back to the room nap and recharge before going to a park if that’s the plan and even then, keep it chill. I felt fine after our nap and for a couple hours at the park but ended up straining my feet by the time we closed out Epcot and felt that for the next week. Guess a 35K+ step day will do that to you

We stayed at PIT and had a great experience. The bus thing feels a bit weird but perfectly easy to access and it’s comfortable. Walking around the resort at 3am was bizarre and you feel like there’s no way anyone else is as crazy as you are AND YET I think BLT will be a great choice for you guys, I’ve also read a lot of people say it’s a good one for race weekends.

…I’ve just realized I just gave you a bunch of advice you didn’t ask for so feel free to do nothing with this info haha or ask me more questions if you want! I know there are lots of runDisney folks here with way more knowledge than I have, but we were literally just in your shoes so it’s fresh good luck with the signup! That’s a whole different animal

 

[CarolynFH]

We’re going to try and do our first race next January… marathon for DH but I’m just going to aim for the 10k.

We’ve booked a 1br at BLT. Don’t know whether or not it will work out well but I hear it’s pretty convenient for transport for the full and half.

Really looking forward to trying out the refurbished rooms… and that lovely short walk to MK!

DD wants to stay at BLT next time she runs the marathon, to make it easier for us to cheer her as she runs through MK. Then we could ride the monorail to the Epcot parking lot, to greet her at the finish line. Her DH wanted to do that last month, but the logistics of his getting from BWV to MK and back to BWV to pick up their daughter and then get to the finish line were too complicated.

 

[JackosinDIS]

So exciting! My sister and I just did the 10K at marathon weekend (somehow made it on the rD instagram for it!)- we loved it! We are not runners but now I’ve signed up for the DLR Halloween challenge and Wine&Dine challenge so I guess I’m gonna have to become a runner lol

The 10K is a perfect intro I think. It was just long enough that we felt we worked for it but not too long that I regretted all my life choices. The atmosphere is 15/10. The early hour was rough but honestly once you’re there the adrenaline kicks in and you’re ready to go. Be prepared to be standing around in the cold for a good hour+ before starting though. That might’ve been the hardest part lol

ALSO, one thing we both wish we’d done was also sign up for the 5K, too. It’s 2 early mornings in a row but that kind of sets you up nicely to go to bed early before the more important race. The 5K is also very much walkable in it’s entirety, so not strenuous at all. I think we were so nervous about finishing before the balloon ladies because we knew we’d be in the last corral that we didn’t stop for any character photos and I wish we’d gotten at least 1 or 2 (we made it with 10-15mins to spare so worries weren’t really necessary). I think the 5K would’ve given us that opportunity plus been a good warm up for the next day. And you get two medals!

Another thing! Don’t over do it afterwards. Definitely go back to the room nap and recharge before going to a park if that’s the plan and even then, keep it chill. I felt fine after our nap and for a couple hours at the park but ended up straining my feet by the time we closed out Epcot and felt that for the next week. Guess a 35K+ step day will do that to you

We stayed at PIT and had a great experience. The bus thing feels a bit weird but perfectly easy to access and it’s comfortable. Walking around the resort at 3am was bizarre and you feel like there’s no way anyone else is as crazy as you are AND YET I think BLT will be a great choice for you guys, I’ve also read a lot of people say it’s a good one for race weekends.

…I’ve just realized I just gave you a bunch of advice you didn’t ask for so feel free to do nothing with this info haha or ask me more questions if you want! I know there are lots of runDisney folks here with way more knowledge than I have, but we were literally just in your shoes so it’s fresh good luck with the signup! That’s a whole different animal

Any and all advice much appreciated!

Hmm yes the sign up does seem to be a bigger challenge than the actual run!

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Any and all advice much appreciated!

Hmm yes the sign up does seem to be a bigger challenge than the actual run!

Seriously. I just went through it on Tuesday and it was unnecessarily stressful lol but luckily seemed pretty smooth this time and most people on these boards who wanted to sign up for w&d got a chance to. Maybe they’ve changed their system a bit I’m not sure. But I do believe marathon weekend is the most popular so it’ll definitely be the one with the most people trying.

I really recommend getting in the waiting room a bit before 10am EST with as many devices as you can. I also had an incognito/private browser open for each device and of the 4 “devices” I had open 2 moved pretty quickly and 2 were really behind. Don’t worry about all the questions they ask and ignore the merch. You can go back much later and adjust your answers and pre-shop if you want. Also stay active in the marathon weekend 2026 main thread during the enrollment time. If you don’t have an early enough link, people eventually start posting their extra sign up links with better times. That’s how I ultimately signed up for our marathon weekend race. It was so helpful.