Marathon Weekend

[Maggie Ann]

Hi! We will be in WDW from Jan. 10 - 15th which I realized last night is the Marathon Weekend. I'm traveling with my mom, DH, DD(4) and DS(2). I don't know anything about this event but from what I understand the full marthon starts at 6am (at WDW?) and should end at Epcot at 4pm. As a group of 3 adults with 2 strollers and possibly a motorized chair, do we need to avoid the parks or certain parks on Sunday, or even the whole weekend?

Thanks for any help. And to all the runners out there.... have a great time and enjoy the race!

 

[Kimmumum]

We went last year (DH ran the 1/2) and I thought the crowds were insane. One day it poured (we were there for 6 days) and there were more people in the park then I think I have EVER seen. We have been there for 4th of July, Easter, summer etc and we thought it was really busy.

We will be there again next year. DH is running the 1/2 and the full (they call it the Goofy!!!) Even though it is crazy busy you will still have a great time!!!

 

[crzy4pooh]

It will be a bit more crowded, but I wouldn't say to avoid the whole weekend. The hardest thing is traffic on Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you can, wait until mid-morning to head to the parks. Certain roads will be closed, and we've heard of people sitting in traffic for well over an hour. If you are staying on property, you should get some info in your welcome packet. Keep in mind there are around 15,000 runners for each race. Also, please be aware of the race course as it goes through EPCOT. There are CMs there to help you cross the pathway safely, but many times the runners are having to dodge strollers and scooters during that last very difficult mile. Both the half and the full finish in the EPCOT parking lot after going through the park. The half should finish by 10:00am Saturday, and the full should finish by 1:30pm on Sunday. Hope that helps! DH and I will be running again this year. Yea! Have a wonderful trip!

 

[susykt4]

We went during marathon weekend in 2006 and it didn't affect us at all! We even went to Epcot on full marathon day (where race ends.) We stayed at Pop Century that was supposedly sold out due to marathon but we NEVER would have known! The food court wasn't busy at the times we went and the buses weren't any busier than usual. We went to AK on half marathon day and didn't encounter ANY unusual traffic. It probably took slightly longer to get to Epcot (by Disney bus) on marathon day but nothing worth griping about. We stayed on The Land side of Epcot all morning and by the time we crossed to Test Track side the marathon was over.

The weekdays after the marathon were MUCH LESS crowded- I can remember Wednesday had a 5 minute wait for Space Mountain at 2 or 3pm!

I'm kind of shocked at the previous post comparing marathon crowds to some of the busiest times of the year. Perhaps it was because they were actually involved in the marathon and intentionally around all the marathoners?

 

[Skyw]

We went last year. We got there on the Thursday before the marathon. On Friday we went to MK first thing in the morning. We went right to the kiddy rides. (son was 3). We were able to get on Dumbo, Pooh, Merry-go-round, Goofy's barnstormer, and one other attraction withour a wait. By 1130 my son was ready for a nap. We went back to FW.

On Sat we went to MGM. We got there around 10am. DS spent time in the "honey I shrunk the kids" playground, then off to Disneyplayhouse, and a few other kid/toddler attractions. Barely any lines. We left the park again mid day for a break.

Sunday went to AK. It was crowded. We only did a few things. Sunday evening we went MK and it was empty. I think we waited 10 minutes for the HH. 15 for PoTC.
The marathon did not effect our trip in the slightest. I think the starting line is near Epcot, so it may be crowed there. I suspect that with a 2 and 4 year old you will be at MK the most.

The buses run really early for the runners, so if you staying near a bus stop, you may hear them as early as 4am.

 

[Kimmumum]

I'm glad no one else had the crowd issues that we did last year but I don't know why. I think on race days we went to MK and Epcot. We didn't go into Toontown so I don't know about the little kid rides. I just remember LOTS of people.

Susykt4 says she stayed at Pop and couldn't tell it was sold out. We stayed at Carribean Beach and there were people everywhere. The "snack shop" ran out of food everyday. The food court ran out of pasta the day before both races.


Hope everyone has a great trip. See you there!!!

 

[livndisney]

We have been there for several marathons. We were at MGM this year during one of them. It was INSANE. The CM was crossing some guests at a marked crossing area and a runner ran into a guest and cussed her out! I felt so bad for the poor woman who got hit/cussed out. She was just stunned.

 

[Maggie Ann]

Thank you for all of the replies. I feel much better about Marathon Weekend. And thank you for all of your tips, it will really help with the itinerary. Even though there could be some tricky spots, at least I know it can be managable.

And to all of the runners out there... we will be cheering you on from the side lines. Have a great run and a wonderful trip!