Running in Disney - Suggestions

[eporter66]

We will be in WDW for a week in October. My wife is currently training for the NYC Marathon this November and has a few long runs for training while we are in Disney.

Any suggestions on where to run? She has some pretty long runs, I think a 15 miler, and then back down to some shorter 7-9 mile runs.

We are staying at AKV Kidani, but we are renting a car, so it will be no problem for her to drive to a different location for a run. She wants to run early in the morning.

Any suggestions would be appreciated - Thanks

 

[smmast]

She should check out www.disneyrunning.com. They have all sorts of maps for trails around WDW of varying lengths. Good Luck!

 

[Coach81]

She should check out www.disneyrunning.com. They have all sorts of maps for trails around WDW of varying lengths. Good Luck!

 

[eporter66]

Thank You - perfect!!!

If anyone has any trails they really enjoyed, I would like to see your posts as well!

 

[sleepydog25]

Thank You - perfect!!!

If anyone has any trails they really enjoyed, I would like to see your posts as well!

Though it is a short run, the trail from the Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness is enjoyable. It's quiet, fairly scenic, and keeps you off the roadways. Further, you can run along the shore of Bay Lake and follow more of a nature trail route, sans pavement, if you start out by the bike rental shop at the Wilderness Lodge. The nature trail connects to the main path in a couple of places, or you can just continue along the lake until you reach the campground. In either case-the main path or the nature trail--you can then run around Fort Wilderness to extend the run. The distance between WL and FW is one mile, but I've easily done 4-5 milers by running back and forth a couple of times or getting extra miles running through the campground areas. Along the way, I've seen deer, rabbits, and once a hawk that was sitting alongside the main path with a field mouse in its talons. Very cool.

 

[holcomb-mania]

I ran from Kidani to Osceola, then down Sherberth to Irlo Bronson. The distance isn't that great, and even early traffic flew down Sherberth. Stepping onto the shoulder was dicey, as the sandy soil just isn't reliable. I went back to the treadmill the next day.

I also ran around SSR, but again, you can't get good distance. Maybe adding DtD would help.

 

[holcomb-mania]

She should check out www.disneyrunning.com. They have all sorts of maps for trails around WDW of varying lengths. Good Luck!

I couldn't get that link to work for some reason.


eta: Finally got it to work.

 

[JimMIA]

I think she's going to have difficulty in the WDW area finding a decent long run in a safe environment. There is a running club in Orlando and they have long runs on Sundays, but they are all the way on the other side of Orlando, I think. Their website has some course maps, but probably more helpful for your wife, they have some links to plan-your-run sites.

Here's the link to the Orlando Runners training page: http://www.orlandorunnersclub.org/training.htm

If you look at the bottom of that page, you'll see the links.

 

[JimMIA]

Also, I'm sure she already knows this, but I'd sure avoid unpaved trails that close to a marathon...especially NY. It would be a shame to sprain an ankle on a bumpy trail and miss NYC.

(I missed NYC in a similar way. I was helping put on a run locally and jumped off the Start/Finish scaffolding and tore a tendon two weeks before NYC!)

 

[adminjedi]

Hmmmm...let's see....running in Disney.
Yes - after the bus, to the front of the line, to catch up to the kids, to make the elevator, and finally, running late!

 

[disneyrunningnut]

I really like starting at OKW running the paved trail to DTD to SSR then back to OKW. You can't run it before dawn so I hope you get some cool weather. It is a good route with lots of different things to look at. I don't remember how long the loop is but you shouldn't have to run it too many times to get to 15 miles.

 

[RobDoc]

It is 0.93 miles from OKW Building 55 to Cirque. If you continue on thru DD and around the drive at SSR and back, you could easily have about 6 miles with one round-trip loop. There is also a running path (paved) thru OKW that would add a couple more miles.

I agree about avoiding unpaved areas or along public roadways within Disney since the highways are pretty busy with a lot of traffic and there are no sidewalks along the roadways.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

DH is a runner and though there aren't any long runs at WDW, he does enjoy a few different routes.

His favorite is in the Boardwalk area, followed by SSR. He says they are safe and have lots to look at as he is flying by.

He tried running at AKV on our recent trip and said there was no decent place to run. The roadways were too busy, no matter the time of day, and there was no path.

Good luck!

And thanks smmast for the disneyrunning link. He will appreciate it.

 

[kikiq]

My brother runs marathons and the route he used 2 years ago was the SSR-OKW-DTD loop staying on the sidewalks, no trail running. Early morning through the inside loop and then circling the outside loop of SSR, there aren't many cars, then run to OKW along the golf course cart lane, run through OKW to DTD. He said he ran into each OKW section and back out to the main road then over to DTD. He ran along the outside sidewalk then back through DTD middle then back down the sidewalk to SSR, along the river and made the inside loop around the lake. He felt the loop around the BWV lake to DHS wasn't long enough unless you took it several times.

You might ask one of the CMs who is in the college program. The area around Chatham Place and Patterson, college program housing is located close to the Outlet mall and in a residential area. Some of the streets are lined with trees.

 

[Deb & Bill]

My husband likes running from OKW to DTD to SSR to the DTD hotels and back.

 

[IM140.6]

Since I have run the WDW Marathon 12-years in a row now I know the area pretty well and hae no problem finding a way to run.
1. take your room key because they will ask when you com running back in past the guard booth
When I stayed at AKV I would go very early like 5:00 AM and run straight out along the edge of the hwy. Yes there is very little edge but I can always hear cars or busses coming up from behind and move over to the grass.
After leaving AK I would run out to the Wide World of Sports Complex, this is the same route as the actual Disney Marathon.
Then circling back on the other side and turning right on the Hwy that takes you to Disney Studios (first exit going back) here you will see the Tower of Terror bilboard in the middle. Take the first exit turn right and run over to the Disney studios parking lot. Run through the parking lot and as you approach the gate to the Disney Studios you will see the path on the right along the river where the boats come from Epcot.
Take the Path and it will take you over to the Boardwalk area and you can run up to the International Gateway at Epcot. Circle back the same way you came. You can choose to run against traffic or run on the other side of the Hwy edge. I ran this loop each day for 5-days whlle staying at AKV. Doing it early is key to advoid the traffic. Like most runners you can find a way even though there is a minimal road edge - just be alert. The run is about 8-9 miles.

 

[eporter66]

Thanks everyone - we are putting the plan together so she can get her time in. I do think she will like the OKW/SSR/DTD loop. These are great suggestions, and with the change in scenery, should keep her happy if she has to do a few loops.

Keep your suggestions coming!

 

[lklasing]

I'm doing NYC also, and I'm so jealous that your wife gets to do some of her training at WDW! I would suggest going to Fort Wilderness. Not only can you run to and from the Wilderness Lodge, but you can run all through the Fort Wilderness resort itself. It's quite large and has lots of "loops" - some with campers and some with cabins. The camping loops are most interesting, as the campers often decorate their sites to the nines. I don't remember when you're going, but decorations will be out in full force for Halloween by the beginning of October, I would think.

Anyway, your wife could just set her watch and run until she thinks she's gone the number of miles she intended. I could easily do a 7-8 mile run that way.

Have a great trip!