Marathon Weekend 2027

[pluto377]

SAFD- Firmly team onsite because I go solo. I've stayed at a bunch of different places for MW- AoA, AKL, Pop, POFQ, OKW, ASMo, CCV, ASMu and BLT. I'm not sure which was my favorite.

I love the vibes at Pop. There are so many runners and the buses are super easy in the morning. I also love the Skyliner and how easy it is to get to the HH meetup from there.

I also loved POFQ. The small size of the resort is amazing as it the single bus stop. I loved how quiet it was there, but I didn't get that runner vibe that you get at Pop.

CCV is amazing because it's beautiful and the hot tubs are huge. Transportation from there was a little annoying because we stopped at Contemporary in the mornings. Not sure if they always do that.

I also loved my stay at OKW this past January. The rooms are gigantic, the resort is peaceful and driving to Epcot was incredibly easy from there. I would not stay there without a car though. It can be a long walk to the bus or having to wait for the internal shuttle.

BLT we did for Princess weekend and I love the location. Can you really beat walking to MK? The race pick up for busses was far though. And since we did only the 10K i didn't get to experience the monorail to a race.

For 2027 I've rented points at SSR. Never stayed there before so I wanted to check it off my list. Seems like a quiet place, I like the proximity to the Springs and it appears it'll be pretty much as easy as OKW if I decide to drive to races.

After having rented studios for a few years in a row now, I think I prefer that over a regular room. The kitchenette is great to have especially because I have anxiety eating too much restaurant food before racing. I also like the deluxe amenities like hot tubs and more restaurant choices.

I really think you can't go wrong with wherever you choose though. Find the theming that appeals to you and your group and is within budget and go with that. I highly recommend at least pricing out DVC rentals because the regular prices have gotten so out of control it's usually more economical. I paid less than $100 more for SSR than Pop would be for next January.

 

[Stitch&Co.]

SAFD: For MW I prefer to be on site. Off site is fine for other weekends, but I never know how I’ll feel after the marathon so being able to get on a bus afterwards makes things easier if I’m solo. If my DH is with me that leaves the car available for him to drive over to Epcot to see me finish.

I’ve rented DVC at SSR for the last few years from the same person and that has made things very easy. I can easily get over to DS to hit Gideons and it’s close enough to get off property to Apopka/ Vineland if I want to expand my food options. I request a building near the front so that puts me near Artists Pallet for QS food options and for bus pickup and drop off.

Every MW is different, but staying on property makes it so much easier to get around to the various activities like the HH meetup. I still have hopes to stay at BLT some time so I can take the monorail. Although I do have a fear of what would happen if the monorail broke down on the way to Epcot.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: Team Onsite for me.

Crescent Lake is my favourite area of WDW (outside the parks). I love being able to wake up to Epcot and DHS and not have to wait for any type of transportation. It's also very convenient for MW - Bus or Car tends to be very quick and I like to be able to walk back through Epcot on Marathon day and cheer on the runners. It's also incredibly convenient for the DIS activities over the weekend.

I've stayed at all the CL resorts and like all of them - though Yacht & Beach Club are my favourites for Stormalong Bay.

For MW 27 I'm currently booked into the Dolphin but I'm also trying to close on a resale contract at BCV and hope to be able to waitlist into either BCV or BWV (or a split).

 

[nancipants]

I’m Team My House because it’s cheap.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD:
Now that we own DVC, I’m team on-site. If we were traveling with another family I would be team off-site. We own at SSR and I really enjoy it because it’s quiet, spread out, and walkable to DS for a ton of food options. We have stayed at every WDW dvc resort other than CCV (but we have stayed at BRV), the new Cabins, and BLT at this point and keep coming back to SSR for the value factor. As others have discussed, it has a great comparable value to other options.

We are currently booked at SSR but are considering trying to move to BCV for a few days to change things up for the kids. I’m pretty over doing split stays, and we’ve done a lot of them, but I think a change for a weekend would be nice and I could spectate some of the marathon from there.

 

[Herding_Cats]

but I'm also trying to close on a resale contract at BCV and hope to be able to waitlist into either BCV or BWV (or a split).

One of us. One of us.

 

[lahobbs4]

SAFD: Onsite! While I love AKL for the vibes and the food, I've always gotten the luck of a room reallllly far away and that's hard after a race. Did POFQ last and loved the small, quiet feel but wanted more food options. Would probably say Boulder Ridge Villas has been our fave for race weekends! (hot tub, Geyser Point, Whispering Canyon)

 

[marty3d]

One of us. One of us.

Lol! Let's wait until Disney actually clears me as I sit at day 20 in ROFR.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

I’m Team My House because it’s cheap.

I'm Team My Parents' House because it's cheap.

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: Definitely on-site DVC for me. My preference is a standard view one bedroom at Boardwalk for proximity to parks, food, ability for family to spectate at least one race, and extracurricular DIS activities. DH can come along and not be too disrupted by my early wakeups, and we have the full kitchen, laundry and tub.

I did BLT a few times, and it works well for Dopey when you can use the monorail for the full and half, but it isn't as fun to just hang out at. We usually end up with too much time on feet at MK because of that. It can also be very loud with fireworks and the water pageant. If I'm staying on the monorail, I'd go back to Poly, which just has a bit more to offer outside the races (and the walk to TTC for one less monorail line to gamble with).

I've also stayed at SSR, GF, Pop -- all good options with their own pros and cons. I do have two nights at AK Kidani booked for this coming MW that will cover the expo and 5K day, because we couldn't grab a standard studio at BW fast enough, so I'll get a chance to try that out for a race for the first time. I typically drive to the 5K anyway, so it'll be a good test run.

My mom lives in Celebration and I've tried staying with her for "just a 5K" race weekends, but it gets tricky to balance what I need to do to prep with family obligations. Case in point, I'm watching for cheap point DVC rooms for the W&D 5K when I had originally planned to crash there. It works in a pinch, but not ideal.

 

[mrjack5]

SAFD- Firmly team onsite because I go solo. I've stayed at a bunch of different places for MW- AoA, AKL, Pop, POFQ, OKW, ASMo, CCV, ASMu and BLT. I'm not sure which was my favorite.

I love the vibes at Pop. There are so many runners and the buses are super easy in the morning. I also love the Skyliner and how easy it is to get to the HH meetup from there.

I also loved POFQ. The small size of the resort is amazing as it the single bus stop. I loved how quiet it was there, but I didn't get that runner vibe that you get at Pop.

CCV is amazing because it's beautiful and the hot tubs are huge. Transportation from there was a little annoying because we stopped at Contemporary in the mornings. Not sure if they always do that.

I also loved my stay at OKW this past January. The rooms are gigantic, the resort is peaceful and driving to Epcot was incredibly easy from there. I would not stay there without a car though. It can be a long walk to the bus or having to wait for the internal shuttle.

BLT we did for Princess weekend and I love the location. Can you really beat walking to MK? The race pick up for busses was far though. And since we did only the 10K i didn't get to experience the monorail to a race.

For 2027 I've rented points at SSR. Never stayed there before so I wanted to check it off my list. Seems like a quiet place, I like the proximity to the Springs and it appears it'll be pretty much as easy as OKW if I decide to drive to races.

After having rented studios for a few years in a row now, I think I prefer that over a regular room. The kitchenette is great to have especially because I have anxiety eating too much restaurant food before racing. I also like the deluxe amenities like hot tubs and more restaurant choices.

I really think you can't go wrong with wherever you choose though. Find the theming that appeals to you and your group and is within budget and go with that. I highly recommend at least pricing out DVC rentals because the regular prices have gotten so out of control it's usually more economical. I paid less than $100 more for SSR than Pop would be for next January.

SAFD: Definitely on-site DVC for me. My preference is a standard view one bedroom at Boardwalk for proximity to parks, food, ability for family to spectate at least one race, and extracurricular DIS activities. DH can come along and not be too disrupted by my early wakeups, and we have the full kitchen, laundry and tub.

I did BLT a few times, and it works well for Dopey when you can use the monorail for the full and half, but it isn't as fun to just hang out at. We usually end up with too much time on feet at MK because of that. It can also be very loud with fireworks and the water pageant. If I'm staying on the monorail, I'd go back to Poly, which just has a bit more to offer outside the races (and the walk to TTC for one less monorail line to gamble with).

I've also stayed at SSR, GF, Pop -- all good options with their own pros and cons. I do have two nights at AK Kidani booked for this coming MW that will cover the expo and 5K day, because we couldn't grab a standard studio at BW fast enough, so I'll get a chance to try that out for a race for the first time. I typically drive to the 5K anyway, so it'll be a good test run.

My mom lives in Celebration and I've tried staying with her for "just a 5K" race weekends, but it gets tricky to balance what I need to do to prep with family obligations. Case in point, I'm watching for cheap point DVC rooms for the W&D 5K when I had originally planned to crash there. It works in a pinch, but not ideal.

Does the monorail run in the early AM morning on race days or is it only for the return trip after the race is over?

 

[Herding_Cats]

Does the monorail run in the early AM morning on race days or is it only for the return trip after the race is over?

For MW, the monorail runs early TO the race start only for the HM and M. If you maximize your time on-course, or wait around post-race on 10k day, you could probably ride it back to the TTC and then transfer to the resort loop. Otherwise you are reliant on the busses, or your own transportation.

 

[The Expert]

Does the monorail run in the early AM morning on race days or is it only for the return trip after the race is over?

For select race weekends and select races -- Marathon Weekend and Princess Weekend, full and half marathons only -- the monorail runs before and after. They typically start at the same time as the other resorts buses do. Because those routes use the roads into and out of MK, there is limited* or no bus option TO those races at the monorail resorts, but you can take a bus back after the races assuming the roads are open when you finish.

*This past MW there was about 30 minutes of very early bus transportation TO the marathon.

 

[Psymonds]

SAFD: Definitely on-site DVC for me. My preference is a standard view one bedroom at Boardwalk for proximity to parks, food, ability for family to spectate at least one race, and extracurricular DIS activities. DH can come along and not be too disrupted by my early wakeups, and we have the full kitchen, laundry and tub.

I did BLT a few times, and it works well for Dopey when you can use the monorail for the full and half, but it isn't as fun to just hang out at. We usually end up with too much time on feet at MK because of that. It can also be very loud with fireworks and the water pageant. If I'm staying on the monorail, I'd go back to Poly, which just has a bit more to offer outside the races (and the walk to TTC for one less monorail line to gamble with).

I've also stayed at SSR, GF, Pop -- all good options with their own pros and cons. I do have two nights at AK Kidani booked for this coming MW that will cover the expo and 5K day, because we couldn't grab a standard studio at BW fast enough, so I'll get a chance to try that out for a race for the first time. I typically drive to the 5K anyway, so it'll be a good test run.

My mom lives in Celebration and I've tried staying with her for "just a 5K" race weekends, but it gets tricky to balance what I need to do to prep with family obligations. Case in point, I'm watching for cheap point DVC rooms for the W&D 5K when I had originally planned to crash there. It works in a pinch, but not ideal.

I'm booking cash for now, since our 7m window (as west coast DVCers) hasn't rolled around. we looked at renting points and our options may not be great. we have 5.

I'm thinking BWV for now, with the hope of picking up a 1Br with our own points.

 

[mrjack5]

For MW, the monorail runs early TO the race start only for the HM and M. If you maximize your time on-course, or wait around post-race on 10k day, you could probably ride it back to the TTC and then transfer to the resort loop. Otherwise you are reliant on the busses, or your own transportation.

For select race weekends and select races -- Marathon Weekend and Princess Weekend, full and half marathons only -- the monorail runs before and after. They typically start at the same time as the other resorts buses do. Because those routes use the roads into and out of MK, there is limited* or no bus option TO those races at the monorail resorts, but you can take a bus back after the races assuming the roads are open when you finish.

*This past MW there was about 30 minutes of very early bus transportation TO the marathon.

Thank you!

 

[dobball23]

SAFD: I'm team onsite. We've stayed at the following for MW...
2018: All-Star Sports
2020: Pop Century
2022: All-Star Music & Pop Century
2023: All-Star Sports
2024: Old Key West (rented points)
2026: Old Key West (rented points)

This year (2027), we're booked for Pop. We want to switch it up from Old Key West, and since we don't do parks, thought it would be nice to stay at a resort with the Skyliner. Seeing the current costs, I really want to switch back to OKW. But my wife wants to stay somewhere different so we don't do the same thing for the third time in four years. I've also considered renting points for Saratoga Springs, which is more expensive than OKW, but still a lot less than other DVC resorts.

My dream place to stay is AKL Jambo House. Someday!

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD: I’ll start by saying that if money were no issue, I’d stay on-site every time I went to Disney whether it was a rD Weekend or just a regular stay. There is undeniably an added Magic to being in the Disney bubble.

But, money is relevant and we travel as a large group for MW; so we have stayed off-site every year since the pandemic. The savings are significant, so much so that I usually fund most of my regular early September trip to WDW with what I didn’t spend on a hotel and trips to the parks during Marathon Weekend.

There are advantages outside of the savings. Driving on our own means we can minimize any pre-race elements instead of being stuck with whatever the weather is doing. We also get rentals with a private pool and hot tub. With my anxiety, I’m not much for resort pools and hot tubs. We also have a full kitchen and save on meals, both in cost and the amount of calories/salt we are consuming.

They are distinctly different experiences, but both are a ton of fun. If staying off-site at MW allows me to go to Disney more often, it’s a marginal hardship I’m willing to accept.

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

SAFD: Definitely team onsite. I can’t imagine not being in the bubble, and we want to eventually stay at every resort. We’ve done most now, but we do have some favorites for race weekends. For Princess, we have been at POFQ for the last several. For MW, we’ve stayed lots of places, but Pop is probably the one we’ve done most. For 2027, we’ve booked CBR for most of the stay (it’s been quite a while since we’ve been there), and we’ll move over to Boardwalk for DATW. We’ve never stayed there, and it’ll check that box, as well as be super convenient for getting to Epcot on Monday. Last year, we did YC for that day, and I think we had the room with the absolute best view in the building:

 

[GollyGadget]

SAFD: As with most decisions, there are pros & cons to staying on or off site. For this reason, I'm not on either "team", I like to think of us as one big team anyway, not opponents.

Cost & amenities are the biggest reason we stay off site for MW. Admittedly, we do things a bit differently. We drive down with our dogs and spend several weeks escaping the Midwest winter, only a portion of that time near WDW. We need space for our dogs and also dedicated areas for both of us to work remotely. In order to get the space we need onsite, we'd have to pay 5x as much. That math just doesn't math for us.

If we had a more typical travel plan and a standard hotel room fit our needs, we'd be more likely to stay onsite.

 

[accm]

SAFD: MW for us means a 1 bedroom at BLT. I love the extra bathroom, and it makes it really easy for my husband to take my boys to see me on Main Street. Our BLT point situation is a little rough right now since we're staying for just over a week in a 2 bedroom this summer, so we're doing a split stay with the first half of the trip in a BWV Boardwalk view studio.