Is there a resort that's walkable to the start of the Half Marathon?

[KatieLovesMickey]

I know POFQ is walkable for the full marathon, but the start of the half marathon is in a totally different spot. Can anyone recommend the best place to stay for the half? Thanks a lot!

 

[marathonmickey]

Hi there,

I'm a newbie to the Disney Half as well but in a previous thread that I started on this forum (see "Staying in the Contemporary for Marathon Weekend?), a veteran Disney HMer mentioned that Port Orleans is within walking distance from the start line. Incidentally, I also came across a "marathon guide" on Mouseplanet that talks about where to stay etc. I'd recommend checking out the website and doing a search for the marathon guide. Hope that helps!!

Good luck!!

 

[KatieLovesMickey]

Thanks, marathonmickey! I love your name!
Good luck to you, also--maybe I'll see you there!!
Katie

 

[Calcio]

Hello Katie and MM

I suspect I'm that veteran Disney runner, so thanks.

The start of the Half Marathon is almost precisely at the 1 mile mark of the Full Marathon. Warning here, last year the starting corral for the Half Marathon was one, that's correct, one lane wide, with steel traffic control barriers like you see for parades on both sides. With 12,000+ starters for the Half Marathon the field stretched back quite a long distance, and it took the folks at the end a long time to pass the start. Other posters here can tell you how long it took them to get to the starting line.

The only resorts which you can physically walk from and get to the Half Marathon start are Old Key West, POFQ and POR. This last January my wife and I slept the night before at POFQ, and we left the lobby of the resort at about 5:15. Walking at a comfortable pace it took us 20-25 minutes to get to the starting corrals. The best part about this walk was Disney had lots of port-a-potties out for the next day's Marathon, and there were no folks and no lines for them, so we hit them just before we got to the starting corrals.

There were perhaps 20 people in total in our little group who were walking to the start of the half, from all 3 resorts. As we got closer to the Half start we saw the masses coming from the left, from the holding area in the EPCOT lots. They literally seem to have been released the same time we arrived, so we had no trouble getting into our corrals.

Good luck on January 6.

Craig

 

[KatieLovesMickey]

Hello, Calcio!
That is exactly the information I was looking for! Thank you so much. I like to walk before the start of a big run to loosen up and clear my head. That distance (20-25 minutes) sounds perfect. I think I'll go and make my POR reservations right now!
Hope to see you in January!
Take care,
Katie

 

[KelNottAt]

Drat. I'm staying at the BWV on points and hoped to walk to the half start through Epcot. Guess I better get a better plan.

If I drive, I presume I'll have to park in the Epcot lot. Right?

 

[HMHunters]

Wow! I never even thought of walking from POFQ to the start of the half! I was planning on staying at CR to catch the monorail and then on Sat switching to POFQ to save some (okay a lot of) money! This is very interesting information. I'll have to think on this one...

 

[Dennyha]

We'll be staying at OKW, so I hope to walk there in the morning for the 1/2M.