Marathon Weekend or MLK?

[Nebula]

We're planning a trip for the beginning of January 2018. The absolute latest we can stay is the Tuesday after MLK Day, since one in our party has to get back to college. We're tentatively planning a Thursday-Thursday (4-11) but no matter which weekend we're there, it'll be crowded. So... do we keep our plans and deal with Marathon crowds? Or is MLK weekend less crowded? Does the Marathon have much of an effect on wait times?

 

[Mushu's Twin]

I would think that Marathon weekend would be less crowded than MLK weekend, I've been during MLK weekend and it was worse than sometimes I've been over the summer.

 

[NYCANC]

I was there for both weekends this year. I would choose Marathon weekend to go. The hardest part for me (I was in the Poly) was getting into MK for a BOG breakfast while the race was going down Main Street. It only delayed us by 10 minutes or so. I heard that it took people a long time to drive into the parks that morning.
I could definitely tell when it was getting close to MLK weekend. There was a big increase in the crowds and the lines. Still not terrible but bigger crowds and longer lines.

 

[barbliny]

I was there MLK weekend 2017 (actually Wed - Sun of the weekend). It was crowded with crowds building starting on Thursday night and being pretty darn crowded on Saturday. We didn't even realize it was MLK weekend until a couple of weeks before we went (our kids were in college (with a holiday break that ends early in January) or post-grad, so we are infinitely less aware of holidays that don't bring them home!).

We were there because my husband had a meeting in the Rosen Center by the Orlando Convention Center. Well, that place was packed when we stayed there Tues and Wed. (moved to Disney on Thursday). It turns out that the International Builders Show and the International Kitchen & Bath Show were at the OCC that Tues - Thurs. It was 1000's and 1000's of people. I'm sure that convention added to the crowds over MLK weekend once the shows were over. I know a lot of those people brought their families because I was shopping at the outlets while my husband was busy and I struck up a conversation with a clerk in a store and she was saying how busy they were the past couple of days because of that building show!!

I looked and those same builders' shows are there Jan 9 -11 2018. So, you're going to have that same effect on MLK weekend along with all of us northerners looking for a possible warm weekend in January, without taking days off school/work.

Also, airfare will be higher surrounding MLK weekend than the random days after the New Year.

So, to shorten my answer - I might pick Marathon weekend. There will be traffic implications from what I understand on the day of the race - so buses will be impacted. But, I think general crowds will be lower than MLK.

 

[rteetz]

Marathon weekend is going to be crowded this year not from the runners but from the holiday timing. This year was the same way. Many schools were still off and crowds were higher than I am used to during that time.

 

[PCFriar80]

I would still go with Marathon Weekend. The runners, including me tend to "water down" park attendance albeit there will still be crowds from the New Years hangover. MLK weekend is all parks and nothing but parks for the crowds.

 

[MissPrice]

I would choose Marathon.

 

[Bashara]

That's a relief to hear. I didn't realise it was Marathon weekend when we booked 2-6 Jan. I figured if you can't beat them join them so have entered my two youngest in kids races lol. My husband would have run the 5k or 10k but that's all booked out.

Do you think it's best to visit the parks the races aren't running through the day a race is on? Or will the parks the races are in be less crowded away from the race route because everyone thinks they should avoid them lol?

 

[rteetz]

That's a relief to hear. I didn't realise it was Marathon weekend when we booked 2-6 Jan. I figured if you can't beat them join them so have entered my two youngest in kids races lol. My husband would have run the 5k or 10k but that's all booked out.

Do you think it's best to visit the parks the races aren't running through the day a race is on? Or will the parks the races are in be less crowded away from the race route because everyone thinks they should avoid them lol?

Personally I don't think it matters. Only issues you might have is transportation getting to and from the parks. The 5K and 10K are done before the parks even open. The half doesn't affect much. The full is really the only race that throws a wrench into things but even then it isn't that bad.