Running Trail(s) Near BLT/Contemporary (with updates for this year?)

[prncssjas]

Good morning RunDisney friends,

I am heading over to BLT for the first week of May and would love to hit an outside route instead of the health club treadmill to maintain my mileage that week. Does anyone know if the pathway from the Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom is open super early and if so, how far is that distance? And if I can run to the MK, can I then take the path from the MK to the Grand Floridian? Has anyone been there recently to confirm? When we stayed at the GF for Princess Weekend in Feb, that pathway was closed for construction.....

Any tips? Thank you so much!

 

[accm]

When I was there for MW, I asked security, and they said that the pathway is closed, and generally opens about 1hr before early entry, but then you'll have to deal with a line.
I checked the GF resort thread, and it looks like the path from MK to GF is closed until late spring.

 

[prncssjas]

When I was there for MW, I asked security, and they said that the pathway is closed, and generally opens about 1hr before early entry, but then you'll have to deal with a line.
I checked the GF resort thread, and it looks like the path from MK to GF is closed until late spring.

Ok thank you so much! Bummer! Sounds like getting outside to run might be more challenging than I thought.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Good morning RunDisney friends,

I am heading over to BLT for the first week of May and would love to hit an outside route instead of the health club treadmill to maintain my mileage that week. Does anyone know if the pathway from the Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom is open super early and if so, how far is that distance? And if I can run to the MK, can I then take the path from the MK to the Grand Floridian? Has anyone been there recently to confirm? When we stayed at the GF for Princess Weekend in Feb, that pathway was closed for construction.....

Any tips? Thank you so much!

Given the condition of the CR fitness center, running outside is definitely the better option, in my humble opinion!

Under normal conditions, yes, as long as MK security is open you can run from CR, go through security, run in front of MK then on to the path to GF, over to Poly, turn around, etc. I think security normally opens an hour before early entry - so call it 7:30 for a 8:30 AM early entry. That’s not early enough for me as I prefer to run much earlier, but I see people running it a fair amount. Obviously you have to slow down and maybe wait/stop in a brief line with security both on CR side and coming back on the GF side - but otherwise it’s the best way to log some non-repetitive miles if that time works for you.

But as you’ve noted the GF path is still closed through “late spring 2023” to use Disney’s words. We were at CR recently and my wife ran it hoping the GF side path would at least be open to the water bridge or maybe closer to GF, but it was blocked off at the GF/Poly boat dock in front of MK… so other than the CR to MK path it didn’t really help much.

So you’re left with running round and round CR/BLT, which to me is incredibly boring but at least it’s passable in a pinch. This was 5.7 miles recently… I get bored with just staying on the real running path so mix it up with BLT parking lot time, around the front of CR, etc. Since I’m usually running early before much traffic the parking lot time isn’t too much of a problem.

On the bright side, while I generally dislike loops/repetition, the parts around the Garden Wing and on the water side of CR are quite pleasant, IMO, especially early in morning when things are calm, the sun starts coming up, etc. You can also add out/back on the boat dock too.

Hope that helps!

 

[prncssjas]

Given the condition of the CR fitness center, running outside is definitely the better option, in my humble opinion!

Under normal conditions, yes, as long as MK security is open you can run from CR, go through security, run in front of MK then on to the path to GF, over to Poly, turn around, etc. I think security normally opens an hour before early entry - so call it 7:30 for a 8:30 AM early entry. That’s not early enough for me as I prefer to run much earlier, but I see people running it a fair amount. Obviously you have to slow down and maybe wait/stop in a brief line with security both on CR side and coming back on the GF side - but otherwise it’s the best way to log some non-repetitive miles if that time works for you.

But as you’ve noted the GF path is still closed through “late spring 2023” to use Disney’s words. We were at CR recently and my wife ran it hoping the GF side path would at least be open to the water bridge or maybe closer to GF, but it was blocked off at the GF/Poly boat dock in front of MK… so other than the CR to MK path it didn’t really help much.

So you’re left with running round and round CR/BLT, which to me is incredibly boring but at least it’s passable in a pinch. This was 5.7 miles recently… I get bored with just staying on the real running path so mix it up with BLT parking lot time, around the front of CR, etc. Since I’m usually running early before a lot/any traffic the parking lot time isn’t too much of a problem.

On the bright side, while I generally dislike loops/repetition, the parts around the Garden Wing and on the water side of CR are quite pleasant, IMO, especially early in morning when things are calm, the sun starts coming up, etc.

Hope that helps!


View attachment 754169

This is SUPER helpful, thank you so much!! It is exactly what I am looking for! Thanks again.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

This is SUPER helpful, thank you so much!! It is exactly what I am looking for! Thanks again.

Glad to help - enjoy your stay!

 

[jmasgat]

I walked from MK to Poly in January. Yes the pathway is blocked at some point, but you can detour around that by cutting across Floridian Way near the wedding chapel and then cross back a little ways past. It wasn't an issue.

 

[nancipants]

This probably won't be feasible due to time constraints, but if you can make your way to Fort Wilderness, it's beautiful to run around.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I walked from MK to Poly in January. Yes the pathway is blocked at some point, but you can detour around that by cutting across Floridian Way near the wedding chapel and then cross back a little ways past. It wasn't an issue.

Just FYI, that’s a different detour than the source of the problem above - at the moment there is exterior construction on one of the GF outer buildings that is right by the path and it totally blocks access, hence why the whole GF path is blocked at the GF/Poly boat dock in front of MK. Per Disney this closure will last through “late spring.”

Between GF and Poly there’s the detour you mention, although it was recently changed a bit so you no longer have to cross Flordian Way - the current path hugs the construction fence the whole way.

 

[prncssjas]

Given the condition of the CR fitness center, running outside is definitely the better option, in my humble opinion!

@GADisneyDad14 I came here, back to this particular statement you posted to share that I could NOT agree more.

Oh my word, I had a 5 mile speed workout scheduled for last week and thought...."ok, will try the health club treadmill just this one time so I could watch my pace and keep on track...."

BIG MISTAKE! The health club at the contemporary was awful, LOL!!! The whole time I kept thinking about your comment and chuckling to myself. No windows, low ceiling, crummy ventilation, and creepy as heck!!! We typically stay at the GF, which has a very nice fitness center or at the BC, which is also very nice. I learned my lesson.

FWIW, we did also get a nice long run around the outer perimeter of the EPCOT resort area and that was lovely. It was very easy to pick up 10-12 miles without issue (and without having to loop crescent lake too many times, as it gets crowded once the parks open up). I never realized that there are sidewalks outlining all of the resorts (Yacht/BC,BW, Swan, Dolphin).

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@GADisneyDad14 I came here, back to this particular statement you posted to share that I could NOT agree more.

Oh my word, I had a 5 mile speed workout scheduled for last week and thought...."ok, will try the health club treadmill just this one time so I could watch my pace and keep on track...."

BIG MISTAKE! The health club at the contemporary was awful, LOL!!! The whole time I kept thinking about your comment and chuckling to myself. No windows, low ceiling, crummy ventilation, and creepy as heck!!! We typically stay at the GF, which has a very nice fitness center or at the BC, which is also very nice. I learned my lesson.

FWIW, we did also get a nice long run around the outer perimeter of the EPCOT resort area and that was lovely. It was very easy to pick up 10-12 miles without issue (and without having to loop crescent lake too many times, as it gets crowded once the parks open up). I never realized that there are sidewalks outlining all of the resorts (Yacht/BC,BW, Swan, Dolphin).

Lol, that is too funny. Or not funny I guess, but I feel your pain. I had a few trips last year where I was supposed to have a Peloton day per my workout schedule so I used those horrible stationary bikes that are in that tight little “cubby” area that has even shorter ceilings. I couldn’t get those rides done fast enough.

Not sure if the bathrooms are original to the 70s or if they’ve been renovated somewhere along the way, but they are a total blast from the past. Pretty horrible frankly.

Definitely not one of CR’s finest features.

 

[The Expert]

This probably won't be feasible due to time constraints, but if you can make your way to Fort Wilderness, it's beautiful to run around.

At one time there was a boat that looped between CR, WL and FW but not sure if that's still the case. It is too bad they closed the wonderful wooded path between WL and FW.

 

[nancipants]

At one time there was a boat that looped between CR, WL and FW but not sure if that's still the case. It is too bad they closed the wonderful wooded path between WL and FW.

Sadly the boat is no more.

 

[accm]

The boat is no more, but you can walk over to MK and take the boat from there if you wanted to