Princess Half Marathon Weekend 2025 (Feb 20-24 2025)

[PirateSnowmen]

Hello! This is my first RunDisney event and I’ll be doing the half to celebrate my 40th (which is on the 20th)!! I’m trying to finalize some plans and help my husband with the spectating situation. We are staying at Saratoga Springs and will have a car. I’m trying to figure a few things out:
1.) Should we drive to Epcot? This way my husband can wait in the car and stay warm and comfortable? He definitely wants to be there at the finish line and maybe get over to TTC too if feasible.
2.) Or should he take the bus? Either the first one with me or the last one that leaves the resort for the race so he doesn’t have to wait outside as long?
3.) I didn’t submit proof of time and it looks like it threw me into 3:00-3:30. I know I can run it faster than that, but I don’t really mind. Since I’ll probably be in the last coral, what time can I expect everything to finish by? Trying to figure out if a 12pm brunch booking at Summer House is reasonable considering I want to get back to SSR to shower first.
4.) With #3 in mind, would the bus or driving be easier post race? I know the roads will be a bit nuts and we’re not super familiar with driving around WDW.

Anyway, I’m really excited! My training hasn’t been going as well as I’d like (I’m not getting as many runs in per week as I’d like) but I’m steadily increasing my mileage each week and I feel really confident! *knock on wood

Any other first time RunDisney runner advice/tips?

12pm is perfectly doable for brunch! As someone else said, the last finishers finish around 9:30. I'm a slow runner and I typically finish around 9:15; I looked at some pictures I took after the Princess Half last year and it looks like I was back in my room (at Coronado) by 10:30. I was watching a live stream of the finish of the half yesterday and the last racers finished right around 9:40.

I've driven and taken the bus to races and I, personally, prefer the bus. Sometimes you do have to wait a little bit, but I just enjoy the ease of someone else transporting me. I also really dislike the walk allllll the way back to the car after the race vs. the busses that pick you up right near the finish. Getting from Epcot to SSR after the race should be no problem. Sometimes the parking lot is a little congested (sort of like leaving the park at the end of the night), but the roads themselves will be fine.

 

[KCO5988]

Strongly considering buying this to wear during the Mulan 5k…

 

[Ismo]

Thank you. This is awesome info!

 

[jpholic]

Strongly considering buying this to wear during the Mulan 5k…

View attachment 928687

I love this! dishonor on your cow, dishonor on your family. LOL

I want to costume it up but fear being a sweat monster it will make me miserable.

 

[Naomeri]

I love this! dishonor on your cow, dishonor on your family. LOL

I want to costume it up but fear being a sweat monster it will make me miserable.

Take it from someone who’s done some HOT costumes (never a fuzzy onesie though)—you can handle almost anything for the length of a 5K, especially since there isn’t much of a time limit. 10K is also pretty doable. It’s longer races that you have to really consider what the costume will do to you.

 

[KCO5988]

I love this! dishonor on your cow, dishonor on your family. LOL

I want to costume it up but fear being a sweat monster it will make me miserable.

I figure if I can do 5-8 mile runs in southern GA in August on my lunch break, I can handle the heat of this costume! hahaha

 

[Rarity]

Hello! This is my first RunDisney event and I’ll be doing the half to celebrate my 40th (which is on the 20th)!! I’m trying to finalize some plans and help my husband with the spectating situation. We are staying at Saratoga Springs and will have a car. I’m trying to figure a few things out:
1.) Should we drive to Epcot? This way my husband can wait in the car and stay warm and comfortable? He definitely wants to be there at the finish line and maybe get over to TTC too if feasible.
2.) Or should he take the bus? Either the first one with me or the last one that leaves the resort for the race so he doesn’t have to wait outside as long?
3.) I didn’t submit proof of time and it looks like it threw me into 3:00-3:30. I know I can run it faster than that, but I don’t really mind. Since I’ll probably be in the last coral, what time can I expect everything to finish by? Trying to figure out if a 12pm brunch booking at Summer House is reasonable considering I want to get back to SSR to shower first.
4.) With #3 in mind, would the bus or driving be easier post race? I know the roads will be a bit nuts and we’re not super familiar with driving around WDW.

Anyway, I’m really excited! My training hasn’t been going as well as I’d like (I’m not getting as many runs in per week as I’d like) but I’m steadily increasing my mileage each week and I feel really confident! *knock on wood

Any other first time RunDisney runner advice/tips?

Birthday twin! I'm also turning 40 on 2/20 The Princess half was also my first runDisney race, and I celebrated turning 30 by doing it. Now I'm back for 40 and to earn my first Coast-to-Coast medal!

My sister and I always have a car, but still take the buses for the races. We just like the convenience of having someone else do the thinking when we're tired, haha. We stayed at SSR two years ago for Marathon Weekend. If you decide to take the buses, they only pick racers up at the Carriage House/lobby area, so if you can request a room, try to pick one close to that area. We stayed in Congress Park and had about a 5-minute walk to the bus stop.

When I spectated for my sister during the full marathon, I rode the bus over to EPCOT and then took the monorail to the TTC to stake out a spot.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

Looks like quite a few of us are celebrating birthdays! Mine is the 24th and I’m also turning 40! My God brother went to Vegas last year to celebrate and I’m doing the Fairytale Challenge

 

[nancipants]

I’m so glad I have Princess on the schedule or else I’d have such post marathon depression.

 

[azrivest]

My God brother went to Vegas last year to celebrate and I’m doing the Fairytale Challenge

I'd take the challenge over Vegas anyday. We have much more fun on the course than anything they could come up with in boring Nevada

@nancipants see you at the Expo?

 

[Ismo]

Birthday twin! I'm also turning 40 on 2/20 The Princess half was also my first runDisney race, and I celebrated turning 30 by doing it. Now I'm back for 40 and to earn my first Coast-to-Coast medal!

My sister and I always have a car, but still take the buses for the races. We just like the convenience of having someone else do the thinking when we're tired, haha. We stayed at SSR two years ago for Marathon Weekend. If you decide to take the buses, they only pick racers up at the Carriage House/lobby area, so if you can request a room, try to pick one close to that area. We stayed in Congress Park and had about a 5-minute walk to the bus stop.

When I spectated for my sister during the full marathon, I rode the bus over to EPCOT and then took the monorail to the TTC to stake out a spot.

@Rarity
BIRTHDAY TWINS! Happy early 40th! I can't think of a better way to celebrate And thank you for the info on SSR and buses. I'm thinking buses are definitely the way to go!

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I'd take the challenge over Vegas anyday. We have much more fun on the course than anything they could come up with in boring Nevada

@nancipants see you at the Expo?

I don’t drink much or gamble at all so… yes running challenges are more fun!

 

[Jonnnyap]

Kudos to all the runner! Hope you have a great time.

I’ll be spectating and cheering you all on, I’ve done a little bit of research to learn about the schedule and locations for spectators (from the 2024 info). Has the 2025 spectator info been posted? Also, if you’ve done this before or know how it works, what do you recommend? I’m guessing the best approach is to arrive early with runners and then take monorail from EPCOT to TTC then monorail to MK to cheer along main street. Any advice on when to arrive to EPCOT parking lot to begin the process, and do busses run continuously, or do I need to get on one early (I’m staying in AKV)?

Thanks for the advice, and I hope everyone has a great run/walk/experience!

 

[Luvmyfam3]

Princess Half Marathon/Park Strategy recommendations:

My daughter and I are running the Half Marathon and we're super excited about it! We will be at WDW for 4 full days, and I plan to buy a 3-day park ticket. We are debating which day should be our "off" day. The day before the race to rest up, or the day of the race to recuperate? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Kim

 

[nancipants]

I think either options are good for different reasons. You'll probably want to go to bed early the day before the race, so you could spend that day at Animal Kingdom, or another park you don't mind leaving early. But you could also visit a park later on after the race to stretch out your legs and get active recovery. Plus, taking medal pics is always fun!

 

[azrivest]

Princess Half Marathon/Park Strategy recommendations:

My daughter and I are running the Half Marathon and we're super excited about it! We will be at WDW for 4 full days, and I plan to buy a 3-day park ticket. We are debating which day should be our "off" day. The day before the race to rest up, or the day of the race to recuperate? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Kim

That's just me, but I always take the day before the big race off. I'll hang out at Disney Springs or something similar.

On the day of the race, I go into the parks in the afternoon/early evening for pictures and to celebrate.

 

[DianaMB333]

That's just me, but I always take the day before the big race off. I'll hang out at Disney Springs or something similar.

On the day of the race, I go into the parks in the afternoon/early evening for pictures and to celebrate.

I follow this same approach… the day of the race you will have lots of energy due to adrenaline/happiness/ medal-bragging rights LOL

 

[Livelovedance]

I haven’t posted on the DIS in a long time but I’m so happy to have found my way back and see so many familiar names. Life has been dark and really really HARD. This will sound cliche but I’m working on finding “me” again and runDisney has been a big part of that, so here I am.

I had a couple of friends running Dopey this year and I was cheering them on from home and trying to get excited for my own upcoming races. I’m currently registered for the challenge for both Princess and Springtime Surprise, but I’m not 100% sure yet if I’ll be able to make Springtime happen.

I hope to be back to regularly posting and reading here again. This community was a huge reason why I loved runDisney and helped me with my greatest running accomplishments to date!

 

[azrivest]

Is it me or is the Princess Expo Guide live already?!

https://rundisneyexpo.run/expo

 

[azrivest]

We've got race courses y'all!

5k


10k (best course too )




Half