Half Marathon Spectator Hotel

[dbb727]

I’m considering a trip over marathon weekend in January to cheer on some friends who will be running the half on Saturday. I’d be bringing my family of four plus grandparents. I’m trying to think through all the scenarios and figure out best logistics of where to stay(on property). We’ll need two rooms so I don’t think I want to spend the big money for monorail hotels. I’m considering Epcot area or Pop Century (to be on the skyliner).

I know there is an extensive Marathon 2020 thread, but most of it is geared toward runners. For those who have been a spectator at 1/2 marathons, which hotel did you stay at and where along the race course did you cheer?

I want to support somewhere along the race course, but thinking it’ll be closer to the end (either at spaceship earth or in the parking lots at the Finish) so that my family isn’t up quite so early. How early does IG entrance open? Assuming we have tickets, will we be able to go through IG to get to front of Epcot, or would we need to take a bus/uber to the finish line area?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I’m considering a trip over marathon weekend in January to cheer on some friends who will be running the half on Saturday. I’d be bringing my family of four plus grandparents. I’m trying to think through all the scenarios and figure out best logistics of where to stay(on property). We’ll need two rooms so I don’t think I want to spend the big money for monorail hotels. I’m considering Epcot area or Pop Century (to be on the skyliner).

I know there is an extensive Marathon 2020 thread, but most of it is geared toward runners. For those who have been a spectator at 1/2 marathons, which hotel did you stay at and where along the race course did you cheer?

I want to support somewhere along the race course, but thinking it’ll be closer to the end (either at spaceship earth or in the parking lots at the Finish) so that my family isn’t up quite so early. How early does IG entrance open? Assuming we have tickets, will we be able to go through IG to get to front of Epcot, or would we need to take a bus/uber to the finish line area?

You would have to have park tickets to enter Epcot. The earliest you would be allowed into Epcot is probably 9AM when the park opens. You cannot enter the park before official park entry unless you have running shoes and a number on your front. You'll have to get to the front of the park. You are probably better taking one of the early buses from the resorts to the finish. Or take a 3AM bus with a runner and wait for them. And hop the monorail to the TTC, then the MK to see your runner go through the MK. The half marathon is about over when the park opens for the morning. You need to drive to the Epcot parking lot early because it usually closes from the race start to about 7:30 or so to get the runners through the start. The race will start around 5:30 and runners usually have 3.5 hours to complete the race. It will also depend on your runner's corral because it can take an hour or so for all the runners to start.

 

[Dug720]

You would have to have park tickets to enter Epcot. The earliest you would be allowed into Epcot is probably 9AM when the park opens. You cannot enter the park before official park entry unless you have running shoes and a number on your front. You'll have to get to the front of the park. You are probably better taking one of the early buses from the resorts to the finish. Or take a 3AM bus with a runner and wait for them. And hop the monorail to the TTC, then the MK to see your runner go through the MK. The half marathon is about over when the park opens for the morning. You need to drive to the Epcot parking lot early because it usually closes from the race start to about 7:30 or so to get the runners through the start. The race will start around 5:30 and runners usually have 3.5 hours to complete the race. It will also depend on your runner's corral because it can take an hour or so for all the runners to start.

When did they decrease the time limit? It has most recently been 4 hours from the time the last runner crosses the starting line - which is usually after 6am since the start corrals do not all start at once but about 3-5 minutes apart.

 

[Bree]

You won't be able to enter Epcot until 9am when the park opens. Depending on the speed of your runners they may already be done running.

Runners cross the start from 5:30am until approximately 6:30am. The course closes 3.5 hours after the last runner crosses the starting line so usually about 10am. Places you can spectate are the TTC, MK (they will allow you on Main Street), GF, Poly, a very small part of Epcot and the start/finish line. In order to spectate at MK you need to take the race bus to the start/finish then hop on the monorail to the TTC. This is last year's course for the half.



There are dedicated busses that run to/from the finish line from all the Disney resorts, S&D & SOG.

This website has good tips for spectators.

https://www.disneylists.com/2018/12...world-marathon-weekend-survival-guide-part-6/

 

[Deb & Bill]

When did they decrease the time limit? It has most recently been 4 hours from the time the last runner crosses the starting line - which is usually after 6am since the start corrals do not all start at once but about 3-5 minutes apart.

Half marathon has always been 3.5 hours to complete the course, depending on when you start. Marathon is seven hours.

 

[Bree]

When did they decrease the time limit? It has most recently been 4 hours from the time the last runner crosses the starting line - which is usually after 6am since the start corrals do not all start at once but about 3-5 minutes apart.

13.1 x 16min per mile = 3.5 hours

Someone can most certainly take 4 hours to finish if they start in an early corral. The 3.5 hour countdown doesn't start until the very last person crosses the starting line.

 

[Deb & Bill]

13.1 x 16min per mile = 3.5 hours

Someone can most certainly take 4 hours to finish if they start in an early corral. The 3.5 hour countdown doesn't start until the very last person crosses the starting line.

But unless a person in an early corral has a problem, they are going to be finished long before 3.5 hours.

 

[Dug720]

Very weird. I could have sworn it was 4 when I ran it in 2011...

 

[cutigerlady]

If you don’t want to get up early and take the bus transportation to the start (even if you stay at YC/BC/BW you must take the bus), then I would stay at the Poly. You can walk over to the ticket & transportation center and watch the runners come through on their way to MK. Then you can walk to opposite side of Poly and see them running by coming out of MK. If you are fast enough, you can catch monorail back to Epcot to see them finish. That’s going to be the most free spots to watch them without the Cheer Squad access inside of MK (for this you see start, inside MK and finish).

For anyone trying to watch the marathon, the strategy would be the same and after you see them run out of MK, from the ticket and transportation center they have buses to AK where you see them going into AK before taking bus back to YC//BC/BW or to Epcot to see the finish.

From the Poly you can take monorail to the start and then back to the TTC as well. It was so cold when we were there! The Joffery’s was my saving grace along with the man who gave my son hand warmers while we waited. Make sure to track your runner, but know sometimes it doesn’t register correctly.

My husband did Dopey twice and my 12 year old ran the half for me when I broke my foot.

 

[dbb727]

Thanks for everyone's replies. So to clarify, I have no intention of getting up or taking the 3am bus or trying to get my family up at that time Honestly, I would plan to run the half if I was going to be getting up that early, plus I've heard it's hard to even see your runner in the beginning since it is so crowded.

My goal is to get to the finish area. My friends aren't avid runners, I doubt they are submitting a proof of time so will likely be in the later corrals. I'm not 100% sure of their expected pace but I'd guesstimate that they won't be crossing the finish til at least after 8am.

Sooo, it sounds like the best thing will be for us to bus to the parking lot/entrance area of Epcot, if we can get there after the race has started???

You would have to have park tickets to enter Epcot. The earliest you would be allowed into Epcot is probably 9AM when the park opens. You cannot enter the park before official park entry unless you have running shoes and a number on your front. You'll have to get to the front of the park. You are probably better taking one of the early buses from the resorts to the finish. Or take a 3AM bus with a runner and wait for them. And hop the monorail to the TTC, then the MK to see your runner go through the MK. The half marathon is about over when the park opens for the morning. You need to drive to the Epcot parking lot early because it usually closes from the race start to about 7:30 or so to get the runners through the start. The race will start around 5:30 and runners usually have 3.5 hours to complete the race. It will also depend on your runner's corral because it can take an hour or so for all the runners to start.

We will have park tickets, but I am anticipating we would need to be up front before 9am. Do the RunDisney buses still leave from resort to the start/finish area after the race has started?? Or the parking lot will be open to regular Epcot buses after 7:30?

If you don’t want to get up early and take the bus transportation to the start (even if you stay at YC/BC/BW you must take the bus), then I would stay at the Poly. You can walk over to the ticket & transportation center and watch the runners come through on their way to MK. Then you can walk to opposite side of Poly and see them running by coming out of MK. If you are fast enough, you can catch monorail back to Epcot to see them finish. That’s going to be the most free spots to watch them without the Cheer Squad access inside of MK (for this you see start, inside MK and finish).

From the Poly you can take monorail to the start and then back to the TTC as well. It was so cold when we were there! The Joffery’s was my saving grace along with the man who gave my son hand warmers while we waited. Make sure to track your runner, but know sometimes it doesn’t register correctly.

My husband did Dopey twice and my 12 year old ran the half for me when I broke my foot.

Poly is a great idea, it would be cool to even monorail into MK to watch them on Main St, then at the TTC, but I don't know if the price is in the cards this year especially when booking 2 rooms. We stayed at the Poly last year and it was sooo convenient, but I'm kinda interested to try something along the skyliner this year.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Check the RunDisney website with instructions for Spectators. It should give you info on buses to the finish line. I know a few years ago I drove from OKW to the finish line around 4:30AM from OKW. I had to drive towards DHS and the Epcot resorts and then turn towards Epcot. There was a police car directing people on towards AK and I4 and not letting them turn towards Epcot. I told him I was going to Epcot and he said the parking lot would be closed at 5:30AM and not reopen until about 7:30AM and I would be stuck there. I had no problem with that since I was going to the Epcot parking lot to get to the monorail to ride to Main Street in the Magic Kingdom to get to my runners and he let me through. I was able to park and get on the monorail to wait for them on Main Street. Once they ran through I took the monorail back to Epcot and waiting near the entrance to Epcot for the runners (by the bus stops). Saw them there and then hustled to the finish line to see them finish. This was the Half.

 

[bumbershoot]

I know there is an extensive Marathon 2020 thread, but most of it is geared toward runners.

The question would have been welcome there. Runners tend to be the ones handholding for spectators anyway.

But unless a person in an early corral has a problem, they are going to be finished long before 3.5 hours.

Unless they’ve chosen to take alllll the pictures.

My goal is to get to the finish area.

So it’s either bus or monorail. Since monorail resort is off the table, any other resort would do.

This year seems to have seen a change in rundisney buses and how they are scheduled. I would pay close attention to the spectator page on rundisney.

I'm not 100% sure of their expected pace

That info will be vital for you.

Also vital is if they even want spectators. I don’t love having friends or family spectating for me. The stress of finding them afterwards and doing all my post-race stuff diminishes whatever level of runners/finishers high I have.

I’d rather have my people sleeping in, ready to support me once I’ve gotten back to the hotel. Or out and about in the parks, ready to greet me once I’m cleaned up and human and ready to start my day (and by that I mean eat).

Sooo, it sounds like the best thing will be for us to bus to the parking lot/entrance area of Epcot, if we can get there after the race has started???

If your goal is to be at the finish line, YES. And you’ll have to know their estimated time. I would find out the fastest they could possibly be and base my timing on that. Sign up to track them, know that sometimes timing mats behave weirdly (two princesses ago the 5k mat missed me and my people didn’t know what had happened until I showed back up at the 10k mat...the tracking system was still being weird about my time, and they thought I was WAY behind my cousin, when I was actually in front of her until a portopotty then wall of legit-rude walkers happened, and I finished maybe 6 minutes after her and it was all just weird), have a plan for if you see them and a plan for if you don’t, and have fun!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yes, sign up to track your runners. It's free. You just need their big number and last name.