Marathon Weekend 2023

[camaker]

I really don't know. I'd suggest planning to register on race day but if you can't I wouldn't stress it too much.

I hope you are right. But this echo chamber I am in (and contribute to) is loud. I hope that all who want a specific race are able to get it. But I will be set and ready, with multiple devices, 10 minutes prior to registration opening just in case!

Oh, don't misunderstand me, I'm certainly not advocating waiting to register. I'll be there with everybody else at 10am on registration day ready to go. I just won't be at all surprised if things take their time selling out.

 

[Baloo in MI]

SAFD

Good Morning runDisney All-Stars! It is Sunday, time for Sunday’s Are For Disney. Today’s question: Now that we have a date for Marathon Weekend registration, share what your plans are - what races do you plan to register for, where are you staying, going to be a big trip with family, a solo trip, going to parks/no parks, etc.

My answer:
I am planning to register for Dopey and my daughter is planning to run at least the Half Marathon and maybe the 10k. My whole family is going and my folks from Oregon are planning to come. It will be the first time since the 2015 Marathon Weekend that my folks have made it out to Disney World, so really happy to have them join. We are all going to be staying at Wilderness Lodge, which is now my favorite resort on property. We are going to be hitting the parks btwn and after the races. Really looking forward to the trip. Hope everyone has a good week!

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD: Whether we will go or not is still up in the air. The nearness of registration is giving me anxiety because DH just won't make a decision about anything (although he DID consent to me signing him up for the virtual W&D challenge Genie medal, so who knows what will happen) and I feel like it's a super-expensive trip to make solo (it's expensive either way, but seems a bit much for our finances to make it alone.) SIL said something about maybe wanting to run one of the races but it would probably have to be the half or full because it's right after winter break and she's a teacher (so I'm assuming she won't end up going.)

IF we go I'll probably sign up for Dopey because apparently I need a big scary distance to retain training motivation.
IF we stay on-property it'll probably be SSR or OKW or ASMo. Pretty much whatever is cheapest and not a split stay.
No parks because money.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: At this point I’m not sure. After having completed my first Dopey this year, I know I want to do it at least one more time. That being said, I’m not sure we’ll be ready to make the call by the time registration opens so for now all options are on the table From solo trip to family trip.

If I do register it would likely be for either the Dopey or “just” the Marathon. My preference would be to stay in the Boardwalk area - either the Boardwalk if we all go or Swan/Dolphin if it’s a solo trip.

if I don’t do Marathon weekend in 23, I will almost certainly do the Spring Surprise or W&D.

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD: I will not be doing in-person, but it’s possible I’ll do some thing virtual.

 

[Dopey 2020]

SAFD:
Already have a week booked at AKV in a 1BR.
It will be myself running Dopey and my wife enjoying warm(hopefully) weather in January. Certainly will spend time before, during, and after in the parks. Hoping my daughter will be with us as usual but with that being a break after what should be her first college semester, she can decide if she wants to hang out with her parents or her friends when the time comes.

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

SAFD: We are skipping MW 2023. We'll probably do Dopey again in 2025. Takes 3 years for me to forget how much I hate the marathon distance.

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: I'll be signing up for my second Dopey. I've already booked our DVC room at Bay Lake Tower, which will be a new race resort as I've always stayed at Boardwalk for run weekends. Looking forward to the monorail for the Half and full! It should also be an easier location for family to get to Main Street or TTC to watch.

My mom, aunt and step dad are a few hours away, and he usual comes over to join for the 5K or 10K and then they stay through my last race. My aunt might do one of the first two with me too.

I'll play parks by ear. With MK so close, I suspect we will end up there most days. Thankfully we have APs and our "special club membership" allows us a lot of flexibility with reservation access. Fingers crossed V&A is back open by then for a celebratory meal post marathon!

 

[1lilspark]

SAFD If I could justify the cost of the virtual 10k I’d do that since race weekend is too close to our wish trip to do both and 10th anniversary

 

[jpeterson]

SAFD. Currently debating doing the Dopey next year. Can't decide if I'm being too ambitious but I'm dreaming big right now.
Currently have Caribbean Beach booked for that time. Probably keep that reservation unless a great deal comes up. There is a 75% chance I'll be there solo but things might change if other members of my family join me.

 

[nekonekoneko]

SAFD: This is a Dopey anniversary year, so my DW is all in. I'm still wondering if I'm going to do a 5k or not, again. I got a small bit runner's toe a couple of days after this year's 5k, and it's still growing, very very slowly. I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, and I'll ask him to look at it, then. As I said in the SAFD from the beginning of this month, we're staying off-site. We'd rather have the extra room, and spend less money.

As for how many people are coming, that's still very much up in the air.

 

[accm]

SAFD:
I'm planning on doing Dopey for the first time. It'll be a somewhat big trip, with some family members from Brazil joining us. There will be a total of 7 of us running the 5k, and I think my husband also wants to run the half?
Right now we're booked in a 2bed at BLT, but there's still time for that to change. Apparently normal people don't plan trips almost a year in advance, so it's been hard to figure out with my family in Brazil how long they'll want to stay with us.
We'll definitely be going to the parks before/during/after the weekend. I'm hoping we can extend the trip until Wed/Thur, so we can enjoy the parks with hopefully fewer people.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

SAFD: I am planning to register for Dopey. I want to redeem myself in the Goofy challenge and feel like I should just go for Dopey while I’m at it.

I’ll probably go Tuesday thru Tuesday and do park days after the Weds expo, 5k, and on Monday. I really wish they had some sort of half day pass because it is hard for me to justify spending so much money on park tickets when I know I’m not going to be there the entire day.

I think it might be a solo trip for me because my DH is not a huge Disney person and he would probably like to save his days off for something else. If he did come I don’t think he would do any races and would just go play golf every day. We shall see. One of my best friends lives in Orlando and I’m trying to convince her to do the 5k with me. While I might be traveling solo, my next door neighbors are definitely going to do Dopey so while I don’t want to intrude on their entire trip I’ll have some people to hang out with sometimes.

I want to stay in the Port Orleans Riverside Royal Room, I think. I absolutely love Disney Springs and would enjoy the boat transportation over to there. My second choice is Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms, which I have stayed in once before for my bachelorette party. Anyone have any suggestions re: either?

 

[DIS-OH]

SAFD: Seriously considering Dopey…my birthday falls during that weekend and I think it would be a fun way to celebrate my last birthday in my 50’s.

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

I want to stay in the Port Orleans Riverside Royal Room, I think. I absolutely love Disney Springs and would enjoy the boat transportation over to there. My second choice is Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms, which I have stayed in once before for my bachelorette party. Anyone have any suggestions re: either?

I've stayed in both, but neither was for a race weekend. The Royal Rooms are a bit nicer, but both are super fun and well themed.

 

[azrivest]

SAFD: I'm thinking of trying Goofy. I've already booked POFQ for the Thurs-Tues.

But seeing as my legs are jelly today after "just" a half, I couldn't imagine today prepping for a full tomorrow. Any middle of the pack runners that can help me with their own experiences?

I really did love Princess Weekend so I'll have to choose one weekend or the other

 

[GreatLakes]

SAFD: We will be skipping MW 2023. We are about 75% certain we will be doing a long weekend for W&D and we are going to plan Disneyland for 2023 since my wife hasn't been there.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD: I'm thinking of trying Goofy. I've already booked POFQ for the Thurs-Tues.

But seeing as my legs are jelly today after "just" a half, I couldn't imagine today prepping for a full tomorrow. Any middle of the pack runners that can help me with their own experiences?

Oh pick me!! Last year I ran a Memorial Day half (and walked a 10k the day before to complete my virtual princess challenge.) My feet were killing me, I walked the last 2 miles of the half questioning all of my life choices and why I had thought that this sounded like a good idea. I finished in just under 3:00. I was sore, but manageably so for a few days.
And then I somehow forgot all of that and talked my SIL into running an October full "for her birthday." Hit the wall (HARD) at around mile 18 and we mostly walked the last 5 or 6 miles of that race. I finished in a little over 6:00. I could barely manage stairs for 3 days after that. And then I did Goofy this year.

My DopeyBadger plan completely came through for me. I figured out a few post-long-run self-care things over the summer and fall that seemed to help, AND my fitness was just better because of how long I had been training at that point. TheExpert (who I stumbled across in the corral and ran most of the race with...I finished somewhere around 3:40 with lots of picture and bathroom stops) recommended just hanging out in the pool after the half (even to just sit on the edge and dangle my feet in it) which was another layer of "stuff" that had me feeling like I could make it through the full. The full was challenging to get through, but I never felt "I can't do this any more" and we finished in a little over 7:00 with again, lots of picture and bathroom stops. And on Monday, I had a 27pound toddler strapped to my back as we went through the airport to come home. My legs were somewhat sore, but NOTHING like October.

All of which is to say, if you put in the work you have a TON of time to train for, and complete it!

 

[pluto377]

SAFD- planning on the 10k and half but a little voice in the back of my head keeps nagging me to try dopey again. MW is my annual solo trip to get my mommy break. I have a room booked at ASMo, but I’ll be on the lookout for a discounted DVC rental or a discount that might allow me to afford POFQ. I might skip the parks this time since it’ll be a shorter trip.

 

[striker1064]

But seeing as my legs are jelly today after "just" a half, I couldn't imagine today prepping for a full tomorrow. Any middle of the pack runners that can help me with their own experiences?

I have yet do to a marathon myself, but I know it'll be similar in structure to a challenge weekend. You have to do the HM slow, as in no faster than your recovery pace. A pace that you feel very little exertion and you could do it all day if necessary. We all have that pace, so find that. And you have lots of time to train!