Marathon Weekend 2025

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Most runs I have my phone in my flip belt. If I carry it in hand it’s usually a shorter easy run. In reality, I know I’ll want to take pics while at wdw so I want to be used to carrying it. I tried carrying a handheld bottle but it ended up being too heavy for me and made my arm and shoulders hurt. upper body strength is not something I do very well.

Oh I totally want to take pics during MW! I have a Nathan belt that I used to use for my phone. Even if not loaded up with gels and such, it was a bit of a PITA to have to access it for my phone.
I discovered some mens short leg running tights that have side pockets for a phone, and now they are my go-to even for neighborhood runs. Pull the side of my shorts up, slide the phone into the tights, and it stays put, but quick and easy to get to. No bouncing around in my pockets, no gentle bouncing against the small of my back as with the Nathan belt. The tights pocket on the other side usually holds flat items like a credit card, ID, room key, cash etc.
I still use the Nathan belt, but only for longer runs/races as a holder for fuel, inhaler, post-race grocery bag, and such.
YMMV, but it has made a huge improvement to my running configuration.

 

[camaker]

I haven’t looked yet for MW, but the AP prices for W&D/Halloween week were ABSURD! Clearly, I am not part of the demographic Disney is hoping to lure to its resorts. The really wild part is that I am staying onsite mid-December at a totally reasonable (for 2024, anyway) rate. So they’re really jacking up the prices on dates they think they can.

You're not kidding about the rate differences! Our 5 day POFQ reservation for W&D was more expensive than my 7 day CBR reservation for MW!

 

[sandam1]

Thanks for the heads up---but not one penny of savings for the placeholder Pop registration I currently hold. Time to look for better deals offsite. Spending $200+/night for Pop is so.......Disney. And so outrageous.

Not to sound like a broken record, but in case anyone is interested, Universal has rooms for MW as low as $96 per night and if you buy a vacation package (hotel and tickets), they are offering a free dining gift card (amount depends on the hotel you stay at).

I have a suite at Cabana Bay (a hotel which I would argue is a step up from Pop) using my passholder rate for $165 per night.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

SAFD: (delayed version)
I'm going to have to train vicariously through you guys leading up the MW 2025 and other races.

In the meantime, my training journal is now temporarily a recovery journal, as a couple of you discovered before I had even finished updating it. Thank you for the kind comments.
I was very nervous and concerned prior to the surgery and took a lot of comfort from those who recounted their experience with a torn/ruptured hamstring.
Hopefully by documenting my recovery, it'll be there for anyone else who has to go through this and what they can expect.
Thank you again for all the kind thoughts, words, prayers, and encouragement. It has meant a lot.
Status update: recovery is going very well so far. Details in the journal.

 

[DianaMB333]

I have a (fun) problem to solve:

In the Galloway customized program I have to do like a “weekend rehearsal” with a 4M/10M/23M …. That weekend I will be at WDW -although not staying onsite- but would like very much to run around the property… which areas could be best to do it?

Maybe the inside loops at FTWilderness? Or Grand Floridian walkway multiple times? LOL

Appreciate pls your thoughts / All ideas are welcomed! Thanks

 

[PrincessV]

Hilton property rates are WAY lower than WDW for anyone looking offsite. The Flamingo Crossings properties are always appealing to me, but the route to spectate Marathon morning is problematic with Western Way closed.

 

[PrincessV]

I have a (fun) problem to solve:

In the Galloway customized program I have to do like a “weekend rehearsal” with a 4M/10M/23M …. That weekend I will be at WDW -although not staying onsite- but would like very much to run around the property… which areas could be best to do it?

Maybe the inside loops at FTWilderness? Or Grand Floridian walkway multiple times? LOL

Appreciate pls your thoughts / All ideas are welcomed! Thanks

Oof, that 23 is the tough one. I’ve run pretty much everything that can be run at WDW and the longest route without needing to do a bunch of loops is a combo of the outer EPCOT resorts loop + Crescent Lake + DHS and back. I want to say that makes up around 8 miles, so you’d still need to triple it up, but it’s better than 20 loops of a resort, lol!

If you can get into CBR, that’s a nice one to loop a few times for the shorter distances. Ditto for CSR, with the added bonus of a sidewalk you can take out of the resort, along Buena Vista Dr, down through the All Stars, and back. It’s a very quiet, pretty run. You could maybe park at the McDonalds if the resorts say no.

 

[disneyrunnergrl]

I have a (fun) problem to solve:

In the Galloway customized program I have to do like a “weekend rehearsal” with a 4M/10M/23M …. That weekend I will be at WDW -although not staying onsite- but would like very much to run around the property… which areas could be best to do it?

Maybe the inside loops at FTWilderness? Or Grand Floridian walkway multiple times? LOL

Appreciate pls your thoughts / All ideas are welcomed! Thanks

I’ve done up to 14 miles at Saratoga Springs + Old Key West. There is a nature trail that connects the two resorts. It definitely required running multiple loops though, but there is enough space that they were spread out. I wouldn’t go on the nature trail in the dark though. It’s very secluded and not lit.

 

[MissLiss279]

I did the 2021 Virtual Marathon at Saratoga to include looping around the Treehouse Villas and every nook and cranny of OKW. The tricky part with running over to OKW was I had to wait for the sun to come up because the nature trail is ‘closed’ from dusk til dawn.

ETA:
It looks like I looped most of Saratoga 4 times, the Treehouse Villas 3 times, and once over to OKW.

 

[nancipants]

I have a (fun) problem to solve:

In the Galloway customized program I have to do like a “weekend rehearsal” with a 4M/10M/23M …. That weekend I will be at WDW -although not staying onsite- but would like very much to run around the property… which areas could be best to do it?

Maybe the inside loops at FTWilderness? Or Grand Floridian walkway multiple times? LOL

Appreciate pls your thoughts / All ideas are welcomed! Thanks

Running with Makeup did a YouTube series earlier this year where they ran around all the running "tracks" on property. It took all day and they ran longer than a marathon. I'd definitely check that out and see which loops are easiest to get to/are the longest.

If you want to go off-site for the 23 miler, try the West Orange Trail or around Celebration.

 

[sandam1]

In the Galloway customized program I have to do like a “weekend rehearsal” with a 4M/10M/23M …. That weekend I will be at WDW -although not staying onsite- but would like very much to run around the property… which areas could be best to do it?

Not answering your exact question, but if you are looking for friends to join you on your run, I know that there are a lot of Galloway runners in the Orlando area that might be willing to join you.

 

[jrsharp21]

FYI - Disney put out early 2025 general public and AP discounts today that cover "most Sunday to Thursday nights from January 1 to February 20, 2025". Like usual, not exactly ideal for race dates themselves but maybe of some help for those with dates before/after - it's worth checking to see if anything can be applied to your reservation.

General Public Discount - https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/2025-early-room-offer/details/

Passholder Discount - https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/passholder-early-2025-room-offer/

Took a look at our reservation at CBR and the AP discount. I would have to split up our reservation to save $20/night on the first two nights. The rate I got when I reserved the same day as MW registration is overall lower than what I would save with the AP discount.

 

[Disneyhanna]

I had a few nights before my DVC rental booked at Movies (I am so paranoid about weather and decided to fly to Florida earlier), I was able to switch to Pop for the same price thanks to the AP discount. Will be nice to have the Skyliner for some more meal options since I'll be working remote a few days.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

SAFD: I've posted this on other threads (and maybe here), but I am attempting a perfect runDisney season so I will be in perpetual training of some sort between now and April 6th. Next up is W&D 5K and challenge and then I am also doing the Dallas BMW Half Marathon in mid-December as a training run (maybe I'll see you there @DHSsenior007!). I'm particularly excited about that one because I have friends from my running group flying in to run it with me! Dopey is the big goal for the season, so the three runDisney race weekends after that will be just for fun and I don't plan on training super hard for them. Softball season also starts in mid-February so I will have to balance that with running.

 

[DHSsenior007]

@Let's Get Kronk that's exciting that you're also doing the BMW half! Have you done it before? I think it will be my 3rd or 4th time to do it; definitely a nice set-up and the course isn't too bad. Would be fun to meet up!

 

[Barca33Runner]

Not sure if everyone will have the same luck, but my direct flights for MW on Southwest that I’ve been stalking for months dropped substantially today and I finally booked my airfare. Might be worth taking a look for anyone who considers Southwest.

 

[DHSsenior007]

Now that October is here, I've finally let myself start thinking about ADRs since the booking window opens next month. After all, what’s the point of running long distances if not for the food? As this will be my first marathon at Walt Disney World, I’m curious about what dining experiences others have enjoyed or avoided, especially before the race.

For context, we’ll be staying at BWV and arriving on Friday afternoon. I’m only participating in the marathon, but I want to keep my meals light and not greasy on Friday and Saturday. However, I would love to have something carb-heavy on Friday in particular. I understand that everyone has different tolerances for food, but I would appreciate any suggestions so I can review the menus myself.

Additionally, have people found it more enjoyable to plan a fun dinner on marathon day or opt for brunch/lunch instead? From my previous marathon experience, I remember not feeling hungry until much later in the day. I also want to avoid feeling rushed to shower and get ready after the race just to make an ADR.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

@Let's Get Kronk that's exciting that you're also doing the BMW half! Have you done it before? I think it will be my 3rd or 4th time to do it; definitely a nice set-up and the course isn't too bad. Would be fun to meet up!

I did the weekend series last year and I'm doing it again, although this year the Saturday race is an 8K instead of a 10K for some reason. Would love to meet up!

 

[Fischstick]

SAFD: Currently training for Dopey. Added in Wine and Dine Challenge to force myself to do the back to backs. I don't LOVE those. But, I am very pleased to see the hot Southern temps finally beginning to drop! Makes me feel faster.

 

[sandam1]

Additionally, have people found it more enjoyable to plan a fun dinner on marathon day or opt for brunch/lunch instead?

I never feel like eating immediately after a long run - although I do force myself to - so I definitely wouldn't go for brunch/lunch.

After my first half marathon, I did a big dinner - and then spent the rest of the night sitting on a park bench, saying "you go ahead and go on the rides, I'll be right here." I think a large part of that was because I didn't eat much post-race, but I'm not interesting in chancing it again. Now the celebratory meal comes on Medal Monday.