Marathon Weekend 2027

[Psymonds]

You’re right, the expo could get even crazier.

I think if they did better with the merch lineup (not making it so you have to be there weds at open for some things) then it can be ok. We went weds last year at 5pm and it was fine. Same as any non-rundisney expo I had ever been to.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I think if they did better with the merch lineup (not making it so you have to be there weds at open for some things) then it can be ok. We went weds last year at 5pm and it was fine. Same as any non-rundisney expo I had ever been to.

I’m doing the 10k and won’t even consider the expo that first day. The first day has gotten crazier and crazier.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

Heads up to anyone planning ahead…..the Swan and Dolphin have rooms to book through the 10th (Sunday) and have the D23 rate available.

How does the D23 rate look? We aren’t D23 members but have considered it.

 

[Naomeri]

Also they really should be considering a day to the expo. Since Wednesday is already a mess as it is. If they’re going to add a lot of registrations but we will see if that happens.

I guess the Resorts side would be in favor of that, since it would mean that people who want to get to the expo on Day 1 would have to get there yet another day earlier.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

Just because they technically don’t sweep doesn’t mean they won’t do other things to encourage people to get through the course. Closing character lines and redirecting runners are tactics I’ve seen both during the 5k. Since not timed doesn’t mean unlimited.

They may take a page from DLR’s book and be much more strict on people getting through the course quickly.

 

[Novatrix]

I’m doing the 10k and won’t even consider the expo that first day. The first day has gotten crazier and crazier.

I got to the expo just after 6pm the first day, and I swear it was perfect. No lines for anything. The only thing is some key merchandise was sold out (like most Dopey merch, most passholder merch, the women's paid marathon shirt), but it was a worthy trade-off to not deal with the earlier chaos.

 

[Disneyhanna]

How does the D23 rate look? We aren’t D23 members but have considered it.

If you have Disney+, you can get D23 gold for free (normally $50/year). I find it's around $50/night cheaper than the AP rate and it is the same pool of room availability.

 

[FFigawi]

I really hope they plan to move the resort return bus location, then. If you're in an earlier corral you can already end up waiting an extended time for the course to clear of starters before you can head back. This year, I don't think the buses started back up until ~6:45-6:50 with a normal, continuous release starting at 5:00. Move the start earlier and extend the release time and you could have finishers waiting for 3+ hours in the parking lot!

That’s plenty of time for parking lot beers after running the course a second or third time

 

[WDW 4 ME]

If you have Disney+, you can get D23 gold for free (normally $50/year). I find it's around $50/night cheaper than the AP rate and it is the same pool of room availability.

Oh good to know! Thank you!!!

 

[smrt1]

I waited almost an hour for a bus after the 5K at MW and was annoyed. I'm not even that fast, though I do start out of B thanks to the club. I'd definitely take the walk over the wait.

The return transportation is one of the areas that rD falls short. I waited well over an hour after the MW 5K. I was in A corral and started in third or fourth wave. I was joking with my wife that start to finish it took me about 4 hours to run for 25 minutes. The 10K wasn’t much better, and I seem to recall the 10K not being a problem in the past. They had a schedule that they were sticking to as far as departure times. After the marathon my bus left with me literally 10 feet away from it and I was told by a cast member it would be about 5 minutes for the next one. While true, the bus arrived in 5 minutes, I had to wait for over 20 minutes before it was allowed to leave. I get it, but it is a bit of an annoyance. Had no issues with transportation to the races this year. In years past we’ve gotten stuck in traffic and been down to the wire as far as time.

 

[jrsharp21]

If you have Disney+, you can get D23 gold for free (normally $50/year). I find it's around $50/night cheaper than the AP rate and it is the same pool of room availability.

I just tried to find the info for this, and it looks like that offer expired 12/31/25. Dang.

 

[jrsharp21]

The return transportation is one of the areas that rD falls short. I waited well over an hour after the MW 5K. I was in A corral and started in third or fourth wave. I was joking with my wife that start to finish it took me about 4 hours to run for 25 minutes. The 10K wasn’t much better, and I seem to recall the 10K not being a problem in the past. They had a schedule that they were sticking to as far as departure times. After the marathon my bus left with me literally 10 feet away from it and I was told by a cast member it would be about 5 minutes for the next one. While true, the bus arrived in 5 minutes, I had to wait for over 20 minutes before it was allowed to leave. I get it, but it is a bit of an annoyance. Had no issues with transportation to the races this year. In years past we’ve gotten stuck in traffic and been down to the wire as far as time.

This is why I drive myself to the races. No waiting for buses. For the 5k, I was back in my room before 6am. The walk back to the parking lot does suck after the longer races, but I will take the walk over standing and waiting for a bus.