Marathon Weekend 2026

[fatmanatee]

SAFD: I’m not good with the rare characters, always a fun time when I hear a lot of excitement about so and so and having absolutely no clue who it is. Some highlights over the years:

- BB-8 at my first race, the 2016 Star Wars Half. I don't think I had stopped for anyone prior to that but that was an absolute must for me, and I ended up waiting for a solid 20-30 min.
- The old SW photo ops (Hoth mentioned above) were definitely cool, would be neat if they could bring those out of storage.
- THE STAR WARS MILE
- Aside from that, this past MW was the first where I made more of an effort to stop for more characters. My faves: Gaston, HM ghosts, Dopey (not on course but was nice to get that photo this time). Definitely regret missing Cruella (I think it was Cruella?) that weekend, but it was one of those spots where it's too early, line was already getting long, and I didn't want to wait too long and have that wait start to build up in future stops.
- Not doing next year but would be nice to see Guardians characters at more of these races (and it's insanely wishful thinking but I hope with DL going on hiatus they actually do something more substantial with Marvel characters there in January).

 

[nancipants]

SAFD: I don’t stop for a lot of characters because the lines are usually too long for me, but at the last marathon I made four stops: Gaston, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, Phasma, and Vi Moradi. The lines were a lot shorter than other races! I like to get characters you can’t meet in the parks. I’m still so mad I didn’t stop for Bianca and Bernard because from a distance I thought they were the mice from Cinderella.

I LOVED the Star Wars mile last year, but hope to see the Haunted Mansion characters next time.

And my holy grail character, CLARABELLE.

 

[Zutroy]

SAFD: Does the goat as you’re leaving Animal Kingdom count? Because while I generally don’t care about people in costumes, there’s no bigger joy I get than seeing the goats they bring from Rafiki’s Planet Watch (or whatever other live animals they also have). That goat is the GOAT at MW for me.

 

[nancipants]

SAFD: Does the goat as you’re leaving Animal Kingdom count? Because while I generally don’t care about people in costumes, there’s no bigger joy I get than seeing the goats they bring from Rafiki’s Planet Watch (or whatever other live animals they also have). That goat is the GOAT at MW for me.

I didn’t see any animals when I was running into AK and was so sad about it. Then on the way out the goat was there and I sprinted over for a photo.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

What?!? @nancipants and @Zutroy, are you serious?!!? There’s a goat we can seen AND take a photo with? This is literally the best thing I’ve heard in days! Yiu have no idea how happy this makes me!!!!

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

SAFD: I haven’t been stopping as much lately, because I’ve gotten slower and the lines have gotten so much longer. There was one race ( I think the 2020 marathon) where DH and I stopped for almost all the characters so we could get lots of pictures and make a book of them. Our most interesting rare characters were probably Bowler Hat Guy from “Meet the Robinsons,” Donald dressed as a Fortune Teller, the penguins from “Mary Poppins,” the Grave Diggers, and Gamora. I miss seeing the pirate ship float in the median. That was terrific! I also liked the unusual things, like trampoline people, stilt people, etc.


Edit: I looked at the book. It was the 2019 marathon. The 2020 one was that awful year when it was blazing hot and I had the flu. I did finish the marathon, but we didn’t stop for many pictures that year.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

SAFD: I stopped for almost every single character for this years SS races. Hades was super impressive. Agent P was special for me because my boys were huge Phineas and Ferb fans. I loved Groot; he wasn’t in the actual course but took photo with him and my medal after the race. Robin Hood was a fun one. And you just can’t beat the classic characters.

For the marathon, I will be incredibly selective. First marathon, training through an injury so not where I want to be, scared I will be swept = no time for pit stops!! I LOVE seeing them out there though, and will enjoy it even if I don’t get to stop. I would stop for anything rare or sentimental, or something I don’t already have a picture with. Will be interesting to see what that adds up to at the end!

 

[lilmc]

What?!? @nancipants and @Zutroy, are you serious?!!? There’s a goat we can seen AND take a photo with? This is literally the best thing I’ve heard in days! Yiu have no idea how happy this makes me!!!!

 

[SheHulk]

SAFD: My favorite was probably Kevin from Up! in Animal Kingdom. I never stopped at the pirate ship there in the median in all those years they had it, I never stopped for characters when I first started running these races. But I definitely would now and I hope/wish they bring it back!

 

[fatmanatee]

FWIW I think they rotate the animals out of the AK spot, either that or I missed the goat. There was a possum when I was passing by.

 

[Naomeri]

What?!? @nancipants and @Zutroy, are you serious?!!? There’s a goat we can seen AND take a photo with? This is literally the best thing I’ve heard in days! Yiu have no idea how happy this makes me!!!!

Only during the marathon, since they don't let us go to AK for any other races

They also had a donkey this year--I got the goat on my way into AK and the donkey on my way out.

 

[Zutroy]

What?!? @nancipants and @Zutroy, are you serious?!!? There’s a goat we can seen AND take a photo with? This is literally the best thing I’ve heard in days! Yiu have no idea how happy this makes me!!!!

They rotate animals, but I love goats and it temporarily lifts my spirits to see one, especially knowing that Blizzard Beach is next. I have a picture saved somewhere, but I can’t find it, so here's one from Insta.
Behold those weird creepy goat eyes!

 

[AZMermaid]

SAFD- I’m slow enough that I can’t stop often, but I did stop for Pete at the DL half two years ago and the evil hag at Princess 2019. I would stop for Scrooge and Travel Genie who I have seen in others pictures but never myself. But I would also hope those two were in the later half of the course when the lines are shorter!

After a major pity party that I’m still visiting occasionally, I walked two miles today with minimal pain. That gave me just a smidge of encouragement.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD:

My whole reason for running races for POT is to be in an earlier corral so I can stop for more characters! My only must do's are the Fab 5 + obscure or attraction based characters. The gravediggers, anyone from HM or ToT. And any cast members from the Canada Pavilion

For the Marathon, I want to save time to ride either Everest, ToT (or both) so I'm pretty selective about getting into long lines.

That being said - if there's almost no lineup I will get a picture regardless of who the character is!

 

[nancipants]

What?!? @nancipants and @Zutroy, are you serious?!!? There’s a goat we can seen AND take a photo with? This is literally the best thing I’ve heard in days! Yiu have no idea how happy this makes me!!!!

Oops I was wrong, I saw the donkey!

 

[Herding_Cats]

Sometimes there’s a snake too!
*shudder*

 

[Dopey 2020]

SAFD I generally stop for all the characters the first 3 days just to take it easy but I just enjoy the show as I run by in the marathon. If I’m not trying for a particular goal then I’m stopping for just about any of the villains, especially if there is a great scene setting with them and Stitch. I get a picture with Stitch in different outfits just about any chance I get.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

Only during the marathon, since they don't let us go to AK for any other races

They also had a donkey this year--I got the goat on my way into AK and the donkey on my way out.View attachment 1017532View attachment 1017533

This is FANTASTIC!!!!!! This is incredibly motivating!!!!!

 

[WDW 4 ME]

but I love goats and it temporarily lifts my spirits to see one

Yes!!! If they had animals sprinkled throughout the entire course, it would do wonders for me mentally!

 

[accm]

SAFD: I love the characters on course. I don't stop if the line looks like longer than about minutes, but even without stopping, it's nice to just run past the characters.

Some of my favourites that I've gotten a picture with are Jose Carioca (from the three cabalheros), Chip and Dale in their rescue rangers outfit, ALL the characters from Duck Tales, the ballroom dancers from Haunted Mansion. The one character that I'm super jealous to have missed out was Wall-E when he was meeting before one of the SS races.