Marathon weekend choices

[stitchnj]

Thanks for all the good advice I received with my last post. We are three women all running various races Marathon weekend, two running the 5K and one (me!) the Half Marathon. We all want our own sleeping surface (daybed ok). I have received quotes for several resorts and our current options are:

Contemporary Standard Room
Beach Club Standard Room
Polynesian standard room ($60 more per night)
Coronado Junior suite (rack rate - $150 more per night, I assume we'd get a code later)

Opinions? Contemporary standard room means no view, no balcony. Beach Club Standard room means we take the chance of not getting a daybed and someone paying big bucks for the privilege of a rollaway cot. Will the Poly be still under construction in January? Pluses for Contemporary and Poly include being on the monorail, and the half marathon runs past both. But we can walk into Epcot from the Beach Club. Decisions, decisions!

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I have traveled with marathon runners the last several years in a row. Last year we were at the BC and I think it was the easiest time we ever had with transportation to and from the races. 2014 we were at the CR and 2013 the GF, the line for the monorail both years was horrid. But those two resorts were still better than 2012 when we were at AKL and hit total and complete gridlock on the roads. I definitely vote BC/YC/BWI as the best resorts of marathon weekend. The view would be the least of my concern.

 

[Ceryssa]

I'd say BC for sure. The monorail seems iffy lately, lots of maintenance and downtimes. I found it frustrating when it was down when we were trying to get somewhere. Plus you just can't beat an Epcot area resort during food & wine (I assume you'd be doing some of that, if not I guess it isn't much of a factor), and its proximity to the Boardwalk is another plus.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...Pluses for Contemporary and Poly include being on the monorail, and the half marathon runs past both. But we can walk into Epcot from the Beach Club. Decisions, decisions!

Any advice would be much appreciated!

You cannot walk from the BC to Epcot for the start of the races. They start and end in the parking lot and Epcot isn't open before the race starts. And you have to have park admission to walk back through Epcot after the race.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yep, what Deb&Bill said. Epcot proximity is only good at the end of the race, and IF you have admission that you're willing to use for it.

I'd go for a bigger room. I saw from the other thread that you're talking about the January weekend, As you know, the 5Ks will be 2 days before your Half, and you're going to want your SLEEP before the Half. If you're crammed into a smaller room, it's going to be harder to not impact the others. I personally liked two ideas on that thread that you've dropped; getting a DVC villa or getting two rooms at a Value.

Even a one bedroom at OKW would be good, and as someone else mentioned, oh that jacuzzi tub. My friend and I soaked our legs in it after getting "home" (SSR one-bedroom) from the Wine&Dine Half, and it really helped. I'd picked up some Epsom salts before, and I put half that bag into the tub and we helped our legs out before passing out, LOL.

So I'd follow the good tub.

And if two of you are OK with sharing a King sized bed, then one can go on the pullout sofabed and two could go on the King, and no one would have to be on the pullout chair.

 

[stitchnj]

Thanks for the input. I knew about Epcot and needing a pass, I was thinking more for after race and shower libations!
That's interesting about the monorail and lines - I had read differently elsewhere but it makes sense that there would be lines. It's a tough decision!

 

[Simba's Mom]

You cannot walk from the BC to Epcot for the start of the races. They start and end in the parking lot and Epcot isn't open before the race starts. And you have to have park admission to walk back through Epcot after the race.

Has anyone walked on the sidewalk outside the resort, under the roadway, to the starting line? When DH and I were there, that's the route the lobby concierge gave him to run and so now DH's convinced he can go that way to the start of the race. He used to wave at the guard at the security gate ever morning as he ran out the entrance and took a right.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm not one who has the clearest mental map of the area. So I'm just going to quote what it said about the start line area in this year's January marathon event guide.

Runners will be prohibited from accessing the start corrals from Bonnet Creek Parkway or Buena Vista Drive.You must access the start corrals through the Explore Lot at Epcot®.Runners who try to access the start corrals from any area other than the Explore Lot at Epcot ® are subject to disqualification. Runner drop off is available in the Taxi Lot at Epcot®.