Marathon Weekend 2026

[Herding_Cats]

Lol I will never do Dopey. After four days of waking up at 2 a.m., I would have a mental breakdown . Non-Dopey-ers, unite!

I have one every year

Sleeeeeeeep. Need the sleep.

 

[azrivest]

As of right now I have no desire to train in December for another marathon. We'll see after I cross the finish line on January 12th But I don't think so.

My plan is actually to do the DL 2026 January races and then either Princess or STS.

 

[nancipants]

Lol I will never do Dopey. After four days of waking up at 2 a.m., I would have a mental breakdown . Non-Dopey-ers, unite!

I would love to do Dopey as a bucket list item, but I also get extremely cranky without sleep. I did my time partying all night and waking up early at conventions and needed another vacation when I got home. I’m doing the Princess challenge this year and that will be tough!

 

[FFigawi]

Lol I will never do Dopey. After four days of waking up at 2 a.m., I would have a mental breakdown . Non-Dopey-ers, unite!

That’s why I’m never on the first bus. I typically don’t get up until 330.

 

[The Expert]

I honestly thought the early wakeups would be harder, but I've had pretty good luck with it. I may regret saying this, but once you commit and get acclimated to the schedule, it kind of helps keep you in a race mindset. It just isn't super conducive to a park vacation at the same time. I do the parks, yes, but Dopey is about the races. My other trips to WDW are park focused.

 

[nancipants]

I honestly thought the early wakeups would be harder, but I've had pretty good luck with it. I may regret saying this, but once you commit and get acclimated to the schedule, it kind of helps keep you in a race mindset. It just isn't super conducive to a park vacation at the same time. I do the parks, yes, but Dopey is about the races. My other trips to WDW are park focused.

Pro for me is being local, but there’s no way I’d be able to have my kid around, so I’d have to convince the in-laws to visit for New Year’s and stay for the races.

 

[The Expert]

Pro for me is being local, but there’s no way I’d be able to have my kid around, so I’d have to convince the in-laws to visit for New Year’s and stay for the races.

Maybe in a few years when MW falls closer to the holidays?

 

[accm]

That’s why I’m never on the first bus. I typically don’t get up until 330.

I would have an anxiety attack if I didn't wake up until 3:30. I tried to tell myself it would be fine if I didn't take the first bus for the 5k last MW so my son could sleep a bit more. After laying in bed for 2 minutes working myself up about it, I knew it wasn't going to work so just got up.

 

[dobball23]

I've done Dopey every even year since 2018, so I guess I'm in for 2026. I am planning on it as long as money budget and time off from work budget works out.

I will say I did like the timing of training for my November marathon this year vs. Dopey through Thanksgiving and December when colder weather and snow can impact the training.

 

[marty3d]

I will say I did like the timing of training for my November marathon this year vs. Dopey through Thanksgiving and December when colder weather and snow can impact the training.

This is the one reason I’m not completely ruling out Dopey next year (though 2027 is more likely). If I train for a November marathon I feel like it just makes sense to do Dopey in January since I never run that for any kind of time.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

I expect I will be back again for MW in 2026, probably for Goofy again or "just" the Marathon. I do always get a but of FOMO on Thursday when I see the 5-K reports start coming in, but I don't love the 5-K or the extra early wake ups. Besides the cost savings, Goofy gives me a bit more flexibility on when to head down to WDW if something is going on at home or work. Now if one of my kids wants to do the 5-K or 10-K and we can make it work from a school perspective, I might have to change my mind and return to Dopey.

 

[lukemorenus]

As long as my wife is Perfectly Dopey, I will be forced to endure this again

 

[dobball23]

As long as my wife is Perfectly Dopey, I will be forced to endure this again

She can't stop now! How many Dopeys have you done?

 

[lilmc]

As the mind wanders as it does on runs, I figured out a few years ago that I would be 48.6 years old for the 2026 Dopey, so fate has decided I have to participate whether I want to or not. I don’t make the rules.


Now here’s hoping registration goes through…..

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Given my total FOMO for 2025 ( even with the weather forecast), I plan to be signing up for the 2026 Goofy.

 

[lukemorenus]

She can't stop now! How many Dopeys have you done?

I did the first one... then skipped a few years... and have recently added 4 more (with Goofy in the off years)

 

[NewYKRunner]

I’ve been looking forward to this thread starting. Life has been getting in the way for doing my 2nd Dopey but if all goes well a good friend and I will be signing up in April.

 

[lilmc]

Are we still assuming no Castaway Cay 5k cruise anymore?

 

[dobball23]

Are we still assuming no Castaway Cay 5k cruise anymore?

Sadly, I'm assuming no. But I can guarantee I'd sign up for it if it was offered. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[Zutroy]

Are we still assuming no Castaway Cay 5k cruise anymore?

If you just mean running the 5k on Castaway Cay, it’s still there (sort of). If you mean the Castaway Cay Challenge, I think the last one was in 2020? I didn’t sign up for it that year, and said I’d do it in 2021. Whoops. I’m still bummed because the medal is so cool.



I did get to run the 5k when it was an actual race, so at least there’s that. You would all meet up early on the boat, and the runners were the first ones on the island. It was like a mini-RD event, with the bonus of passing confused cruisers showing up to the beach and seeing you with a bib, running clothes, and a medal. I’ve done the 5k twice since 2020, and somehow walking up to the bike rental shack and telling them you ran to get a medal doesn’t give the same vibes.