Marathon Weekend 2027

[Novatrix]

Add me to the list of people who has difficulty spotting people in the wild. My friends and I in high school found out that Gwyneth Paltrow was sitting within 4 ft of our group with her children when one of my friend's aunt saw a photo of us in a paparazzi rag.

NYC is such an interesting example because there's just so many people of various levels of fame, that usually unless it's an event they're left alone by new yorkers. I've personally seen Daniel Radcliffe do his thing without bodyguards or anyone bothering him around the city, then saw the MOB at stage door for one of his shows on another day.

 

[Psymonds]

I used to cover the Sundance Film Festival for SLC news media, and let me tell you there is a SKILL to spotting celebs in the wild. Especially when they are among a throng of festival-goers and bundled up for Park City winter weather! Most often I would notice an entourage first, or someone else who had recognized someone (or thought they had).

We always wanted to do an experiment where we dressed someone up in an expensive coat and sunglasses with a couple of "bodyguards" and see how many people thought they were "somebody". It probably would have worked.

We play this game in DL when we see plaids walking someone around "rich? or famous?"

 

[Novatrix]

We play this game in DL when we see plaids walking someone around "rich? or famous?"

 

[lhermiston]

Some Saturday evening musings...

With registration behind me, my thoughts have turned to lodging for the race and I'm seriously contemplating three spots. I'll be down for Dopey, which means staying Tuesday to Tuesday; but I'm probably only doing 3 (maybe 4) park days, which means downtime and finding entertainment. With that in mind I'm thinking about:

- All-Stars: Probably Sports, but they're all more or less the same. I stayed at All-Star Movies for one Marathon Weekend and it's totally fine. The food court is acceptable and race transportation gave me no troubles. But there's a not a ton going on.

- POFQ. I did Riverside one race weekend and love the resort, but couldn't stand the multiple bus stops for a race weekend. I did POFQ another race weekend and really loved how compact it was. The food on site is pretty bueno, I like being a short walk from Riverside, and the boat to Disney Springs gives me something to do on my no park days. I also love the vibes of NOLA, even the Disney-fied version. But, it's pricy for a solo trip when really all I need is a roof over my head.

- Swolphin. The wild card. I've never stayed here, but I'm intrigued, largely by the location. Am I way off or could it be comparable in price to POFQ? It would be so fun to stay in that area, but I'm turned off by the resort fee and the food on site seems expensive by Disney standards.

I'd love any feedback (including recommendations) as it's been a few years since I've done a race weekend.

 

[marty3d]

Some Saturday evening musings...

With registration behind me, my thoughts have turned to lodging for the race and I'm seriously contemplating three spots. I'll be down for Dopey, which means staying Tuesday to Tuesday; but I'm probably only doing 3 (maybe 4) park days, which means downtime and finding entertainment. With that in mind I'm thinking about:

- All-Stars: Probably Sports, but they're all more or less the same. I stayed at All-Star Movies for one Marathon Weekend and it's totally fine. The food court is acceptable and race transportation gave me no troubles. But there's a not a ton going on.

- POFQ. I did Riverside one race weekend and love the resort, but couldn't stand the multiple bus stops for a race weekend. I did POFQ another race weekend and really loved how compact it was. The food on site is pretty bueno, I like being a short walk from Riverside, and the boat to Disney Springs gives me something to do on my no park days. I also love the vibes of NOLA, even the Disney-fied version. But, it's pricy for a solo trip when really all I need is a roof over my head.

- Swolphin. The wild card. I've never stayed here, but I'm intrigued, largely by the location. Am I way off or could it be comparable in price to POFQ? It would be so fun to stay in that area, but I'm turned off by the resort fee and the food on site seems expensive by Disney standards.

I'd love any feedback (including recommendations) as it's been a few years since I've done a race weekend.

My 2c - Swolphin is my choice and actually where I'm currently booked in for MW. The rooms are a good size and it also gives you most of the same benefits as the Disney Deluxe resorts at closer to a moderate resort prices. Especially if you can use the D23 Gold (E2660) or AP (QWH) discounts. Race transportation is easy - the buses typically only stop at the 3 resorts - Swan, Dolphin and SR. You have all the Crescent Lake benefits and walking distance to Epcot and DHS.

The biggest issue you'll have is getting a room. I booked in January and I'm in a split stay with 2 days at SR and 5 days at the Dolphin. For this last MW I was never able to get a room for the Sunday night and ended up deciding to just spend my whole time at Pop.

ETA: I should note that this year was the exception for me - in previous years I've usually been able to get a room if I kept checking- though sometimes it wasn't until October. They are a big conference hotel and there are often room blocks that expire - YMMV.

 

[lhermiston]

My 2c - Swolphin is my choice and actually where I'm currently booked in for MW. The rooms are a good size and it also gives you most of the same benefits as the Disney Deluxe resorts at closer to a moderate resort prices. Especially if you can use the D23 Gold (E2660) or AP (QWH) discounts. Race transportation is easy - the buses typically only stop at the 3 resorts - Swan, Dolphin and SR. You have all the Crescent Lake benefits and walking distance to Epcot and DHS.

The biggest issue you'll have is getting a room. I booked in January and I'm in a split stay with 2 days at SR and 5 days at the Dolphin. For this last MW I was never able to get a room for the Sunday night and ended up deciding to just spend my whole time at Pop.

ETA: I should note that this year was the exception for me - in previous years I've usually been able to get a room if I kept checking- though sometimes it wasn't until October. They are a big conference hotel and there are often room blocks that expire - YMMV.

I appreciate the feedback. Were you able to book because it's a Marriott? When I reached out to my travel agent this past week, she said I wouldn't be able to book a room until late April/early May.

 

[marty3d]

I appreciate the feedback. Were you able to book because it's a Marriott? When I reached out to my travel agent this past week, she said I wouldn't be able to book a room until late April/early May.

Yes- Marriott opens up for bookings approximately 50 weeks ahead of time. I booked as soon as I could and still could only get a split stay which leads me to believe not all rooms have been made available yet- perhaps due to conference room blocks. These are massive resorts so for some nights to be sold out that far ahead of time is strange. I wouldn't rule out eventually getting a room. I used to book Pop/BW/YC/BC as backup when I can't get a room and then cancel the Disney resort once I secured a room at Swolphin.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

Some Saturday evening musings...

With registration behind me, my thoughts have turned to lodging for the race and I'm seriously contemplating three spots. I'll be down for Dopey, which means staying Tuesday to Tuesday; but I'm probably only doing 3 (maybe 4) park days, which means downtime and finding entertainment. With that in mind I'm thinking about:

- All-Stars: Probably Sports, but they're all more or less the same. I stayed at All-Star Movies for one Marathon Weekend and it's totally fine. The food court is acceptable and race transportation gave me no troubles. But there's a not a ton going on.

- POFQ. I did Riverside one race weekend and love the resort, but couldn't stand the multiple bus stops for a race weekend. I did POFQ another race weekend and really loved how compact it was. The food on site is pretty bueno, I like being a short walk from Riverside, and the boat to Disney Springs gives me something to do on my no park days. I also love the vibes of NOLA, even the Disney-fied version. But, it's pricy for a solo trip when really all I need is a roof over my head.

- Swolphin. The wild card. I've never stayed here, but I'm intrigued, largely by the location. Am I way off or could it be comparable in price to POFQ? It would be so fun to stay in that area, but I'm turned off by the resort fee and the food on site seems expensive by Disney standards.

I'd love any feedback (including recommendations) as it's been a few years since I've done a race weekend.

I’m staying at the Swan for MW and I love the convenience of everything. It’s easy to get to Epcot and Studios, especially given how tied up the roads will be for the Marathon. Swolphin buses drop off at the parks at different locations, but you can get around that by walking over to Boardwalk/YC/BC. Food’s actually more in line with Disney price wise, and I always walk over to the Boardwalk bakery multiple times for breakfast.

If you’re at one of the three, you get to enjoy the perks at the other two. It’s really nice to stay in the Boardwalk area and be more price friendly.

 

[FFigawi]

I appreciate the feedback. Were you able to book because it's a Marriott? When I reached out to my travel agent this past week, she said I wouldn't be able to book a room until late April/early May.

I booked my room at the Dolphin two weeks before registration. Keep checking. Rooms should be open.

 

[The Expert]

I agree you really can't beat Crescent Lake for that race weekend, especially if you're doing any of the non-race meetups (mini golf, HH and DATW are all walking/boating accessible). And I also agree to just keep checking on availability -- it changes all the time with their conference traffic. Watch aggregators,t oo. Marriott often drops room blocks on Expedia that don't show up anywhere else.

 

[PrincessV]

Some Saturday evening musings...

With registration behind me, my thoughts have turned to lodging for the race and I'm seriously contemplating three spots. I'll be down for Dopey, which means staying Tuesday to Tuesday; but I'm probably only doing 3 (maybe 4) park days, which means downtime and finding entertainment. With that in mind I'm thinking about:

- All-Stars: Probably Sports, but they're all more or less the same. I stayed at All-Star Movies for one Marathon Weekend and it's totally fine. The food court is acceptable and race transportation gave me no troubles. But there's a not a ton going on.

- POFQ. I did Riverside one race weekend and love the resort, but couldn't stand the multiple bus stops for a race weekend. I did POFQ another race weekend and really loved how compact it was. The food on site is pretty bueno, I like being a short walk from Riverside, and the boat to Disney Springs gives me something to do on my no park days. I also love the vibes of NOLA, even the Disney-fied version. But, it's pricy for a solo trip when really all I need is a roof over my head.

- Swolphin. The wild card. I've never stayed here, but I'm intrigued, largely by the location. Am I way off or could it be comparable in price to POFQ? It would be so fun to stay in that area, but I'm turned off by the resort fee and the food on site seems expensive by Disney standards.

I'd love any feedback (including recommendations) as it's been a few years since I've done a race weekend.

Once upon a time, I’d stay ANYWHERE, including the back seat of my car, over an All Star. Then they re-did the rooms and they’ve become one of my favorite places to stay! That said, I’ll always take Movies or Music over Sports, for no reason other than every ingle stay I've ever had at Sports, dating back to the early 90s, had noise issues. Pretty sure this is just spectacularly bad luck on my part, but still… I also love the variety of food options between all 3 food courts, and will often visit one of them if staying elsewhere to get their salmon for dinner.

I do also love POFQ (and POR). Rooms are lovely, it’s always been a quiet stay, the grounds are relaxing. Some points off because I have a hard time with the food options, though proximity to D. Springs and SSR helps.

I’ve never stayed at Swolphin because room rates + resort and parking fees make them run more than better other options.

 

[lhermiston]

Once upon a time, I’d stay ANYWHERE, including the back seat of my car, over an All Star. Then they re-did the rooms and they’ve become one of my favorite places to stay! That said, I’ll always take Movies or Music over Sports, for no reason other than every ingle stay I've ever had at Sports, dating back to the early 90s, had noise issues. Pretty sure this is just spectacularly bad luck on my part, but still… I also love the variety of food options between all 3 food courts, and will often visit one of them if staying elsewhere to get their salmon for dinner.

I do also love POFQ (and POR). Rooms are lovely, it’s always been a quiet stay, the grounds are relaxing. Some points off because I have a hard time with the food options, though proximity to D. Springs and SSR helps.

I’ve never stayed at Swolphin because room rates + resort and parking fees make them run more than better other options.

I’ve generally enjoyed the All Stars, too. I’ve stayed at Movies twice and my first MW was at Pop. They’re the best option for me most trips because I’m barely at my room to begin with.

With there being considerably more downtime this trip, I’m just considering more amenities and walkability.

 

[jpholic]

Some Saturday evening musings...

With registration behind me, my thoughts have turned to lodging for the race and I'm seriously contemplating three spots. I'll be down for Dopey, which means staying Tuesday to Tuesday; but I'm probably only doing 3 (maybe 4) park days, which means downtime and finding entertainment. With that in mind I'm thinking about:

- All-Stars: Probably Sports, but they're all more or less the same. I stayed at All-Star Movies for one Marathon Weekend and it's totally fine. The food court is acceptable and race transportation gave me no troubles. But there's a not a ton going on.

- POFQ. I did Riverside one race weekend and love the resort, but couldn't stand the multiple bus stops for a race weekend. I did POFQ another race weekend and really loved how compact it was. The food on site is pretty bueno, I like being a short walk from Riverside, and the boat to Disney Springs gives me something to do on my no park days. I also love the vibes of NOLA, even the Disney-fied version. But, it's pricy for a solo trip when really all I need is a roof over my head.

- Swolphin. The wild card. I've never stayed here, but I'm intrigued, largely by the location. Am I way off or could it be comparable in price to POFQ? It would be so fun to stay in that area, but I'm turned off by the resort fee and the food on site seems expensive by Disney standards.

I'd love any feedback (including recommendations) as it's been a few years since I've done a race weekend.

I have OKW booked for MW and while I have stayed there before (we were across from hospitality center) and it was not for a race weekend. I'm flying down for my first longer trip for SS and will see how it goes with no personal transporation and relying on the buses in the early mornings. The multiple stops has me a little antsy. I know many use it as a base for race weekends so I am assuming its all gong to be fine.

Looking at POFQ for W&D, I love the charm of this resort and having newly renovated rooms makes it even more appealing.

Stayed at Swan for 2025 Princess and really loved it.Transporation was great and proximity to Epcot/Boardwalk was perfect plus friends could step out and cheer me on then go right back to bed. If I find a good deal I might be swayed to venture from my POFQ plans for W&D.

All-Stars was my last couple rD trips and its gets the job done but outside pool bar abd food court there wasn't a lot to do or food options IMO.

 

[Baloo in MI]

I have OKW booked for MW and while I have stayed there before (we were across from hospitality center) and it was not for a race weekend. I'm flying down for my first longer trip for SS and will see how it goes with no personal transporation and relying on the buses in the early mornings. The multiple stops has me a little antsy. I know many use it as a base for race weekends so I am assuming its all gong to be fine.

Looking at POFQ for W&D, I love the charm of this resort and having newly renovated rooms makes it even more appealing.

Stayed at Swan for 2025 Princess and really loved it.Transporation was great and proximity to Epcot/Boardwalk was perfect plus friends could step out and cheer me on then go right back to bed. If I find a good deal I might be swayed to venture from my POFQ plans for W&D.

All-Stars was my last couple rD trips and its gets the job done but outside pool bar abd food court there wasn't a lot to do or food options IMO.

I just did OKW for MW26. I went into it a bit anxious about the internal bus system. We ended up in the Turtle Pond area. Worked
out great, runDisney buses picked up in the internal loop. If I am remembering right it was two more stops and then straight to Epcot; which is a pretty quick trip. After races we did have to switch from a runDisney bus to a park bus at the hospitality house. But we just walked and it was not bad, maybe 5-7 minutes. It is a huge resort so walking back might not be so great depending on where you stay. Honestly though OKW was really nice and relaxing and the extra space more than made up for walking.

 

[Novatrix]

I do like to point out, the furthest room from Hospitality House at OKW (in the South Point section) is 0.7 miles away.

 

[camaker]

Good morning RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week’s edition of Sundays Are For Disney (SAFD) where we’ll be continuing our March Movie Madness event! The first round seemed to push many of you to the brink of madness and I don’t anticipate things getting any easier from here. So, for our first order of business, here are the first round results, which, for all the complaining about difficulty, weren’t all that close:

Lion King trampled the Little Mermaid 31-11
Beauty and the Beast withstood Encanto’s storming of the castle 28-14
Toy Story monologued the Incredibles 32-10
Up floated past Coco 28-13

Pirates of the Caribbean gave Enchanted a full broadsides 36-5
Mary Poppins knocked Roger Rabbit right out of the frame 28-11
Guardians of the Galaxy squeaked past Raiders of the Lost Ark 21-20 in the only real close match up
Empire Strikes Back struck down Rogue One 33-6

Here are your next round match ups. Take your best shot!

 

[dobball23]

I just did OKW for MW26. I went into it a bit anxious about the internal bus system. We ended up in the Turtle Pond area. Worked
out great, runDisney buses picked up in the internal loop. If I am remembering right it was two more stops and then straight to Epcot; which is a pretty quick trip. After races we did have to switch from a runDisney bus to a park bus at the hospitality house. But we just walked and it was not bad, maybe 5-7 minutes. It is a huge resort so walking back might not be so great depending on where you stay. Honestly though OKW was really nice and relaxing and the extra space more than made up for walking.

We stayed at OKW for MW 2024 and 2026. I thought it was fine, but the size of the resort is a detriment. And the internal bus service seems to take forever. I wouldn't discourage anyone from staying there, but for us we're going to try somewhere different for MW 2027 to switch things up a bit.

Right now, debating between Pop Century and renting DVC points for Saratoga Springs (which is also big).

 

[dobball23]

Good morning RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week’s edition of Sundays Are For Disney (SAFD) where we’ll be continuing our March Movie Madness event! The first round seemed to push many of you to the brink of madness and I don’t anticipate things getting any easier from here. So, for our first order of business, here are the first round results, which, for all the complaining about difficulty, weren’t all that close:

Lion King trampled the Little Mermaid 31-11
Beauty and the Beast withstood Encanto’s storming of the castle 28-14
Toy Story monologued the Incredibles 32-10
Up floated past Coco 28-13

Pirates of the Caribbean gave Enchanted a full broadsides 36-5
Mary Poppins knocked Roger Rabbit right out of the frame 28-11
Guardians of the Galaxy squeaked past Raiders of the Lost Ark 21-20 in the only real close match up
Empire Strikes Back struck down Rogue One 33-6

Here are your next round match ups. Take your best shot!

View attachment 1060095

SAFD...my votes:
- Lion King
- Up
- Pirates
- Guardians of the Galaxy

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD:

Beauty and the Beast

Toy Story

Mary Poppins

Empire Strikes Back

 

[lhermiston]

Good morning RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week’s edition of Sundays Are For Disney (SAFD) where we’ll be continuing our March Movie Madness event! The first round seemed to push many of you to the brink of madness and I don’t anticipate things getting any easier from here. So, for our first order of business, here are the first round results, which, for all the complaining about difficulty, weren’t all that close:

Lion King trampled the Little Mermaid 31-11
Beauty and the Beast withstood Encanto’s storming of the castle 28-14
Toy Story monologued the Incredibles 32-10
Up floated past Coco 28-13

Pirates of the Caribbean gave Enchanted a full broadsides 36-5
Mary Poppins knocked Roger Rabbit right out of the frame 28-11
Guardians of the Galaxy squeaked past Raiders of the Lost Ark 21-20 in the only real close match up
Empire Strikes Back struck down Rogue One 33-6

Here are your next round match ups. Take your best shot!

View attachment 1060095

Thanks again for your work on this!

Lion King
Toy Story
Pirates
Empire