Marathon Weekend 2025

[DisneyMountainWoman]

SAFD:
Ohh my last trip to Disney was Disneyland.

Soo many great new experiences there... I looved the new Pixar Place hotel.
Walking into the special new gate was amazing!! It was like our own private gate. And we went when it was still under construction but everything was just soo cute and amazing. All Pixar lovers should stay there once.

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: I was in Orlando for a work conference in July and stayed an extra night to take a friend and coworker to the parks. I grabbed a night at Pop, when I usually stay in DVC resorts. I hear so much buzz from you all about how great POP is for races, I had to try it! I booked a preferred room and asked for close to the Skyliner, and they literally gave me THE closest room on the ground floor in the 60s building! I was so sad I was only there long enough to sleep. It was so easy to get to the food court and the Skyliner! I would absolutely consider it again for a non-DVC trip.

 

[DHSsenior007]

I will say this is not an SAFD answer, though I am taking notes on everyone's responses in case they give me some ideas.

But I do have a question-- For a bit of background, we are combining a family vacation with the marathon weekend, arriving Friday of marathon weekend (I'm 'only' doing the marathon) and staying for 1 week. On the trip will be my DH, our 20-month-old, and my parents. My parents offered to stay back in the room one night once our daughter is asleep so DH and I can have a date night. We are considering doing the Disney After Hours at MK that Monday night so we can easily fit in the rides our toddler can't do + enjoy walking around at night with fewer crowds, no stroller, etc., but we have a few concerns:
1) Will I be too tired/sore after running the marathon the day before to really enjoy it?
2) We haven't brought our child to WDW yet, so I have no clue how she'll respond and if she'll be more challenging than normal.
3) Will we be too tired in general? We're normally early risers at home so the thought of staying up late is hard to fathom.

Part of me wants to forget these rational concerns, drink caffeine and be crazy, but I'm afraid I'll regret that and won't be able to enjoy the rest of the trip as I recover from the late night. While it is expensive, we figure we could spend close to that amount on a nice dinner + babysitter at home, so it isn't that different.

I realize that no one can tell me what's the right choice, but figured I would see if anyone has a point we haven't considered yet. Or if you have an alternative date night idea, we're open to that. I don't think we want to necessarily do a nice dinner as it would be later at night (the earliest we could do a dinner would be 8:30 PM or so). We did think about going to AbracadaBar (we're staying at BWV), but we aren't sold on that either...

 

[The Expert]

I will say this is not an SAFD answer, though I am taking notes on everyone's responses in case they give me some ideas.

But I do have a question-- For a bit of background, we are combining a family vacation with the marathon weekend, arriving Friday of marathon weekend (I'm 'only' doing the marathon) and staying for 1 week. On the trip will be my DH, our 20-month-old, and my parents. My parents offered to stay back in the room one night once our daughter is asleep so DH and I can have a date night. We are considering doing the Disney After Hours at MK that Monday night so we can easily fit in the rides our toddler can't do + enjoy walking around at night with fewer crowds, no stroller, etc., but we have a few concerns:
1) Will I be too tired/sore after running the marathon the day before to really enjoy it?
2) We haven't brought our child to WDW yet, so I have no clue how she'll respond and if she'll be more challenging than normal.
3) Will we be too tired in general? We're normally early risers at home so the thought of staying up late is hard to fathom.

Part of me wants to forget these rational concerns, drink caffeine and be crazy, but I'm afraid I'll regret that and won't be able to enjoy the rest of the trip as I recover from the late night. While it is expensive, we figure we could spend close to that amount on a nice dinner + babysitter at home, so it isn't that different.

I realize that no one can tell me what's the right choice, but figured I would see if anyone has a point we haven't considered yet. Or if you have an alternative date night idea, we're open to that. I don't think we want to necessarily do a nice dinner as it would be later at night (the earliest we could do a dinner would be 8:30 PM or so). We did think about going to AbracadaBar (we're staying at BWV), but we aren't sold on that either...

Calling @Herding_Cats to the thread! (She's done MW with a toddler in tow and will have allll the advice on that.)

 

[sandam1]

We are considering doing the Disney After Hours at MK that Monday night so we can easily fit in the rides our toddler can't do + enjoy walking around at night with fewer crowds, no stroller, etc., but we have a few concerns:
1) Will I be too tired/sore after running the marathon the day before to really enjoy it?
2) We haven't brought our child to WDW yet, so I have no clue how she'll respond and if she'll be more challenging than normal.
3) Will we be too tired in general? We're normally early risers at home so the thought of staying up late is hard to fathom.

I can't give you any advice about the kiddo aspects, but I can speak to my experiences.

We are also doing the After Hours on Monday night. I've done a number of other Disney runs including one other Dopey and did one previous After Hours in 2020 after running the Princess challenge races.

1. Are you going to be tired and sore? Yeah, probably. Make sure to take some painkillers (Biofreeze is still your best friend, closely followed by the "free" Coke are included in the ticket price) and prepare to groan a bit getting on and off rides. For me, the worst thing post-race is standing in line so AH is ideal.

All of that being said, there is also a post-race euphoria that will help make those things less noticeable. Make sure you wear your medal and you'll have some fabulous conversations with strangers, particularly when the CMs are less busy during the event. I suspect that this AH is going to have a bit of the race after party feel with a lot of runners.

3. I've come to expect that my "normal" bedtime is going to be all thrown off after runDisney weekends. After my last Dopey, I was waking up between 2 and 2:30 for 7 days after the race. Getting up for Early Entry felt like "sleeping in," but by lunchtime, I was ready for a serious nap. My plan for that day is to spend the afternoon sleeping (and packing to go home since we leave first thing the next morning). I'm hoping that will reset my body clock to get through the evening. Now I know that that might be difficult with your little one, but do you think that you will be able to get some sleep during the day? Maybe have DH spend a couple hours on kid-duty at the pool? I am a napper, but even if you aren't, there is some benefit to being horizontal and stationary for a period of time.

I think if you go in with realistic expectations - you aren't going to be able to move quickly and might need to spend more time sitting than you would on a normal park day - you could have a great time.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

I cannot address toddler-related questions However:

1) Will I be too tired/sore after running the marathon the day before to really enjoy it?

It depends. How sore do you typically feel after especially long runs/hard workouts? How hard are you planning to run the marathon? I ran the Disney marathon at an easy pace and felt just fine the next day. I raced my second marathon and was essentially hungover until the following evening. Everyone is different and every race is different. But if you're just sore and not feeling ill like I was, getting up and moving is actually good for your recovery.

3) Will we be too tired in general? We're normally early risers at home so the thought of staying up late is hard to fathom.

You will probably be tired. But on the bright side, you will probably be tired enough to take naps, even if you don't normally. So if you can schedule your day right, you could take breaks during the day and be okay for AH (and still go to bed afterwards, because marathons are tiring).

 

[runsparkles]

SAFD: A new thing for me recently at Disney was New Years Eve at Epcot. Last time we did it, I was a bit too young to remember. Was very fun and could spend all night there if it wasn't for the races being not too far after (last year) and needing to get some rest for my legs.

 

[GollyGadget]

1) Will I be too tired/sore after running the marathon the day before to really enjoy it?

How sore you are is directly related to your training and how hard you push yourself during the race. I've ran marathons where I'm not sore at all but I've also experienced half marathons where I struggle to squat down onto a toilet. How is your recovery typically and what is your race plan?

2) We haven't brought our child to WDW yet, so I have no clue how she'll respond and if she'll be more challenging than normal.

I'm the quintessential childless millennial so very little advice. I feel most children are experiments of one so just because one toddler responded a certain way doesn't mean yours will. You know your child best.

3) Will we be too tired in general? We're normally early risers at home so the thought of staying up late is hard to fathom.

Maybe? It depends what you do on Sunday and Monday preceding the AH. Have you looked into enjoying the extended evening hours? If it were me, that's the route I would take. It's already included in your resort ressies and tickets so a lot less risk is you decide you're too sore, tired, or just want to move it to another night.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Re: race weekends and toddlers. Dd came with us when she was 2 for our first MW, and I ran goofy while my husband ran the 5 and 10. Basically, just lower your expectations. If things go smoothly and they love everything, great! Enjoy it and do all the things. And if things don’t go so smoothly, well, you lowered your expectations for a reason and it’s still ok. For us, DD skipped most of her afternoon naps (not a surprise to us in any way) which allowed us to get a lot done in the parks, but made evenings interesting.


How sore will you be: I feel like you’re already putting in some big miles on long runs? In the teens? I could be mid-remembering. As already stated: Tylenol, Epsom salt soak post-race, and any topicals you already use.

AH could be really great because there would be very little standing in line, and soreness post-marathon (IME) is more about getting started again once you’ve stopped, and my personal nemesis: stairs.

Tiredness:
I’m very pro team nap during race weekends, so if the opportunity presents itself on Sunday or even Monday, go for it! We are “lights out at 10pm” people, but I can make it to 1am for Magic Kingdom

I will say that I see your post says “once she is asleep, we would go” and wonder what time she usually goes to bed? One of the benefits of AH is being able to get in a 5pm. How will you feel if it’s a difficult bedtime and you don’t make it in until 8 or 9? (We do a 1mg tablet of melatonin when we go on trips and she’s too overstimulated to just lay down and go to sleep without being utterly exhausted, but I absolutely recognize that’s it something not everyone is comfortable with.)


As an alternative, we went to the Cirque du soleil show at Disney springs 2 years ago and that makes a nice date night as well and could easily be coupled with a dinner.

 

[col1]

SAFD - just back from WDW….. Best new experiences were

Rides - Tiana. Had not really expected too much but went with open mind. Had not seen Princess and Frog so watched it before we went. I really enjoyed it. Only down side was after the drop we got stuck outside when the torrential rain broke and we had nowhere to escape too…. It is the wettest I have ever been I think

Food - Polite Pig sharing board. Barbecue is not so prevalent in the UK and therefore when you do find it it can be pretty patchy quality. We were excited try it and it did not disappoint.


Oh and also this from the Gasparilla Grill

 

[col1]

Thanks for this. Surgery is scheduled for Tue afternoon next week.
I've been worried about whether too much time has expired since the injury, and how badly I've injured myself (pulled my hamstring right off the top attach point, apparently), and if it is repairable. And I freely admit that even after I'm cleared I'll be worried about reinjuring myself, at least for a while. Glad it isn't just me.
Met with the surgeon this morning and he seemed fairly nonchalant (in a good way) about the surgery, recovery, and going back to being fully active. Sounds like it'll be just under an hour of operating time and appx 3-inch long incision and I'm back home in the afternoon. Then recovery and start PT in about a month. I'm lousy at being inactive, so I'll be going stir crazy with idleness, but easier to do when I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I'm still not looking forward to surgery, but I can now better see the path forward. Target now is MW 2026. Thanks for listening. BTW, rD did de-register me from MW and sent an electronic gift card that is a defacto partial refund and which will get consumed by an entry fee in the future....

Sorry only just seen this. Best wishes for a smooth procedure and recovery.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

But I do have a question-- For a bit of background, we are combining a family vacation with the marathon weekend, arriving Friday of marathon weekend (I'm 'only' doing the marathon) and staying for 1 week. On the trip will be my DH, our 20-month-old, and my parents. My parents offered to stay back in the room one night once our daughter is asleep so DH and I can have a date night. We are considering doing the Disney After Hours at MK that Monday night so we can easily fit in the rides our toddler can't do + enjoy walking around at night with fewer crowds, no stroller, etc., but we have a few concerns:
1) Will I be too tired/sore after running the marathon the day before to really enjoy it?
2) We haven't brought our child to WDW yet, so I have no clue how she'll respond and if she'll be more challenging than normal.
3) Will we be too tired in general? We're normally early risers at home so the thought of staying up late is hard to fathom.

So hard to plan things at that age, at least it was for us. Every vacation, experience, trip, was a new adventure in bedtimes, what worked, what didn't work, how that did/didn't impact the rest of a stay, everyone's moods, etc. We had Disney trips where all of our planning worked well, and others that were a bust (1 hour at MNSSHP after paying for four tickets... blah!). All in all it was mostly great, with on occasional curveball in there where we had to pivot/adjust and sometimes not 'get our money's worth.'

That said, I love the After Hours product and a few hours alone in the MK with likely lovely January weather, low/no lines, the evening ambiance, enjoying time together, etc seems like something worth doing or at least trying to do. I might be an enabler but I fall into the camp that if you've gone through all the time/trouble/money to get you and your family to WDW property - might as well take advantage of the things going on while there even if may cut against your normal routines, as those moments over time are few and far between and they can occasionally create fantastic memories. And some will disagree but I don't think you need to stay for an entire After Hours for it to be worth it - you can get plenty of enjoyment out of the evening without staying the whole time, in my humble opinion.

As for being tired - seems like we're all so different, but after my one marathon/Dopey in 2023 - that Sunday I definitely hit a wall around dinner where I went from feeling good to feeling like a zombie and was absolutely worthless. But by Monday I was feeling fine/normal and preferred walking/moving to sitting around.

Good luck with everything, whatever you decide!

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: We had never spent NYE at a Disney Park until this past year. Since MW was so close to NY this past year, we decided to make a long trip of it and do NYE at Magic Kingdom. We had a great time. The DJ's on the rooftops was a surprise and was pretty cool. I would definitely do it again if the timing of MW and NYE fell close again.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

SAFD: My last Disney trip was to Disneyland for the race weekend a few weeks ago. As it was only my third trip there ever, I made it a point to do things I had not done before. The highlight was probably getting to see DL's version of Fantasmic for the first time (it was closed the first two times I went) and doing the dining package. The lunch at Rancho del Zocalo was surprisingly good for a QS, and I really loved how the different scenes DL does compared to WDW.

I really am trying to do new things every trip I take to WDW. I have a habit of falling into a rut of trying to hit all of the big rides and eating at the same places. I have some new dining reservations for my upcoming W&D trip, including dinner at Chefs de France with some internet friends I haven't met in person yet. I also booked lunch at the Plaza just to try it.

 

[marty3d]

Did everyone get the email about the new course and start time for the marathon? 4:30 start

 

[fatmanatee]

Ummmm… I just got an email. New start time… and course map????? Already?????

 

[nancipants]

noooooooooo, I don't want to run around World Showcase first! That's the victory lap!!!!!!

Also, the email said more parks time but it's really not? AK and DHS are the same.

 

[disneyrunnergrl]

No more world showcase at the end - booo. Not a fan of that. I guess they want to keep that open for guests.

 

[disneyrunnergrl]

noooooooooo, I don't want to run around World Showcase first! That's the victory lap!!!!!!

Also, the email said more parks time but it's really not? AK and DHS are the same.

It’s def less park time and more highway miles with the added out and backs at MK parking lot and before the cut off to animal kingdom

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Wow!