Marathon Weekend 2026

[nancipants]

I’m wondering if there’s a way to go the red way?

 

[accm]

I doubt they'll send us though that narrow corridor. It would be a hot mess for runners and park guests.

My new hypothesis is that we'll exit by the Nemo show building. It'll shorten the course slightly, so maybe we'll get another parking lot tour in its place.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

I doubt they'll send us though that narrow corridor. It would be a hot mess for runners and park guests.

My new hypothesis is that we'll exit by the Nemo show building. It'll shorten the course slightly, so maybe we'll get another parking lot tour in its place.

Boo! No parking lots! I’m hoping they add some distance in at HS.

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

Today was our second ADR day. We have ‘Ohana for a celebration dinner on Sunday, and Geo-82 for Monday evening. Do they enforce a time limit there? We had in mind to linger and watch the fireworks.

 

[accm]

Boo! No parking lots! I’m hoping they add some distance in at HS.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think there is a zero percent chance we'll get any additional time in HS.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I’m wondering if there’s a way to go the red way?

i mean...probably. and I feel like that's the most likely, given that there's a pretty big aversion from the parks side to give us more park time that might interrupt ticketed guests in the park. I can't really see them running us through any of the other sections. I am disappointed that we will be losing the dinoland bathrooms because those were the last "real" bathrooms until you hit HS.

 

[nancipants]

i mean...probably. and I feel like that's the most likely, given that there's a pretty big aversion from the parks side to give us more park time that might interrupt ticketed guests in the park. I can't really see them running us through any of the other sections. I am disappointed that we will be losing the dinoland bathrooms because those were the last "real" bathrooms until you hit HS.

Yeah, those were really nice. The Nemo bathrooms are pretty big. And there's bathrooms inside Restaurantosaurus.

 

[RuntheMouse]

Geo-82 for Monday evening. Do they enforce a time limit there? We had in mind to linger and watch the fireworks.

We’ve been twice, and neither time was there a time limit enforced. We spent about 90 minutes there each time.

 

[Disneyhanna]

Today was our second ADR day. We have ‘Ohana for a celebration dinner on Sunday, and Geo-82 for Monday evening. Do they enforce a time limit there? We had in mind to linger and watch the fireworks.

We had a 7:25 (arrived early and seated on time) and stayed for 9:00 fireworks. We got our 2nd round of drinks just before 9! Many parties were already there when we were seated and stayed for fireworks.

 

[Disney at Heart]

I wondered if there was a time limit just because of how popular it's going be as the new kid in town. This is good to know.

I’m sure that’s it. I hope there won’t be a time limit by the time of MW, but we were informed before we were seated of the two drinks and the time limit at Beak and Barrel. I didn’t see them kick anyone out, but the waiters, of course, knew how many drinks a party was served and if they lingered too long. The decor and the atmosphere were great, though. The drinks were also not as pricey as those upper class cocktails at Geo-82, so we lower class scurvy pirates had a rollicking good time, however short!

 

[accm]

I’m wondering if there’s a way to go the red way?

I haven't been to the parks since the boneyard closed (RIP, will be greatly missed by my kids and my tired feet), but I thought that whole path was closed off, so unless they're sending us into Discovery Island (yes please), I don't think we'll get as far as Dinoland was.

 

[accm]

You know what would be nice if they did to make up for the missing miles? Instead of turning left when you get into AK, if they had us turn right and take the bridge into Discovery Island, go past the Tree of Life, then take the bridge back into Asia. These aren't highly congested areas and they have relatively wide walkways. It would be a big win for the athletes without a big compromise from the park's perspective.

Looking at a map I can also see them making it so we don't run past Everest anymore. I'm sure the parks don't like athletes taking ride capacity for free. Something like this:


I vote that they use the course from the 2021 Wine and Dine:

 

[nancipants]

I don’t know how much they’d want runners going through Pandora during park open. But it’s early enough that maybe they won’t care as much?

I can also see them using this as an excuse to change the course so we don’t go past Everest. God forbid the marathon runners have any fun.

 

[Herding_Cats]

You know what would be nice if they did to make up for the missing miles? Instead of turning left when you get into AK, if they had us turn right and take the bridge into Discovery Island, go past the Tree of Life, then take the bridge back into Asia. These aren't highly congested areas and they have relatively wide walkways. It would be a big win for the athletes without a big compromise from the park's perspective.

Looking at a map I can also see them making it so we don't run past Everest anymore. I'm sure the parks don't like athletes taking ride capacity for free. Something like this:
View attachment 1023858

Oh my gosh if they sent us that way, but then down toward "conservation station" to exit instead of toward nemo, we would also lose the asia bathrooms, and the nemo bathrooms. Yes, I studiously plot out the real bathrooms that are available on-course, and AK is always a for-sure stop.

 

[marty3d]

Today was our second ADR day. We have ‘Ohana for a celebration dinner on Sunday, and Geo-82 for Monday evening. Do they enforce a time limit there? We had in mind to linger and watch the fireworks.

I booked 815 Monday to make sure I could see the fireworks - and also to give me some time to rest after DATW.

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

I booked 815 Monday to make sure I could see the fireworks - and also to give me some time to rest after DATW.

We have an 8:25 reservation, so we’ll see you there!

 

[WDW 4 ME]

Oh my gosh if they sent us that way, but then down toward "conservation station" to exit instead of toward nemo, we would also lose the asia bathrooms, and the nemo bathrooms. Yes, I studiously plot out the real bathrooms that are available on-course, and AK is always a for-sure stop.

I mean, priorities. Bathrooms are important!

During the SS 10 miler, I stopped at the Toy Story bathrooms. Not that I really needed to go. But because I knew there was nothing favorable up ahead if things changed!

 

[JediKnightXan]

Late SAFD. Usually don't do ADRs, partly to enjoy flexibility/maximize park time, and partially to keep food cost down while we are there. This trip we got the Character dining in EPCOT.

I miss the breakfast option at Beast's castle in Magic Kingdom, that was a really good value, and a really cool restaurant.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I don't have any reservations at this time.
Right now, I have park hoppers for Fri and Sat. I would love to stay for DAW on Monday, but probably need to head back to take care of the wife. Hmm, I wonder if DD2 will still be here.
That said, I'm down there solo, so open to hitting parks or dinner with anyone who is also solo. I don't have any set wish-list of parks, but rides like GotG, Tron, ToT, and RnRC Muppet Coaster will be high on my list of preferred activities.
FWIW, in the past, I have had great success with showing up a dining establishment by myself and no reservation, and being able to get a table with a short wait.

 

[camaker]

Good afternoon RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week's edition of Sundays are for Disney (SAFD). As we near the end of our Marathon Weekend journey, let's go back to the beginning, the chicken and egg question, if you will. How did you find and get involved in RunDisney? Were you a runner who came across RunDisney looking for cool races? Were you a Disney fan who got drawn into running by the siren song of running through the parks? Were you both runner and Disney fan with RunDisney providing the chocolate and peanut butter combination of your two hobbies? Everyone loves an origin story, so what's yours?

SAFD:
I've been a Disney fan my entire life. Running was never something that crossed my mind as an enjoyable pastime. It just seemed like it would be incredibly boring, so I spent my athletic time chasing balls or frisbees like a near hairless golden retriever, with Ultimate Frisbee being my adult activity of choice. That all changed in January, 2015, though. My PT, who was also a huge Disney fan, asked me to run the W&D half marathon with him that year. I thought that was a crazy idea and that I was crazy to even consider it. I reluctantly agreed and started training for a 10k PoT race.

To my great surprise, I found I loved running. I ran my first 10k that April and was hooked! Unfortunately, we weren't able to get into W&D that year, but I continued running anyway, running my first half in June. As a consolation, I registered myself for the 10k and half at MW 2016, then over the summer I got the ill-conceived idea to register for the marathon, too, "just to see if I could do it" as a one-time bucket list item.

The atmosphere at MW was absolutely intoxicating and I knew I had to do Dopey at some point after hearing all the hype around it. The early races went well, but I was terrified in the corral for the marathon and almost stepped out of the corral and bailed a couple of times. Being undertrained due to an injury and hearing Jeff Galloway on stage taking about respecting the distance didn't help my mental state. My legs were dead at the start, but warmed up and were feeling better by MK. When I got to the halfway point in AK I started to believe I could finish it. By the time DHS and the World Showcase rolled around, I was positively giddy. It's still the only race I've ever really experienced a runner's high in.

I was hooked and have done every MW since either as Dopey (8x) or Goofy (1x). Oh, and that "one-time, bucket list marathon"? Last month's RDC Marathon was my 17th completed marathon...