WDW Marathon - convenient offsite hotel?

[kbpelton]

For people who have run the Disney Marathon - is there an offsite hotel you'd recommend?

DH is running in 2007. I expect he'd take a taxi to the marathon start (at whatever ungodly hour that is), and then I would drive to WDW with our kids later on and take up a vantage point along the route.

Ideally, the hotel would have rooms that sleep 5 people, and would include breakfast, and be an easy drive to the Marathon start. Price is definitely a consideration. I'm aiming for no more than $80 US/night.

Please no recommendations to stay onsite - we are doing that later on in our trip - the Marathon is near the beginning of our trip, and I want the Disney "magic" to be at the end of our trip.

Thanks!
Karen in Canada

 

[spiceycat]

sheraton safaris, cypress pointe or embassy suites aren't too far.

SS and CY are closer than ES.

but ES has everything you want.

www.hotelkingdom.com
www.hotelmartusa.com
www.expedia.com

 

[spiceycat]

forgot this might be what you are looking for

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/bvsuites/bvsuites1.cfm#hm-bvsuites-book

 

[littlegreydonkey]

I know you said no on-site recs, but the night before the marathon is the ONLY night that I believe there's a true advantage to staying on Disney property (if you have a rental car) as it means he can get the planned bus from the hotel and be dropped at the start with no stress. This year we saw lines of cars backed up by the main entrance at 4.30am - I can just imagine my stress level if I was in a taxi with a meter running (let along with a race to run and all the bathroom visits/gear bag sorting etc that has to be done first) and stuck in completely unmoving traffic, but the buses by passed all of that. We're big offsite fans - I only ever stay onsite for the marathon but even if he (all alone) just checks into a value for the night and doesn't poke his head out of the door to preserve any suprises, my humble opinion is that onsite might be better just for that night.

If you do want to stay offsite though, bear in mind a number of the roads are closed - the west of 192 (where we stay in the comfort suites) has a short cut up to disney via Sherberth road but it joins the route and the clearly marked way to the parks is coned off. I think coming in via the maingate entrance or from Downtown Disney/ Lake Buena Vista might have less issues.

 

[kbpelton]

That is excellent information. I was hoping to hear from someone who has actually BTDT. So there are specific buses to take marathoners from Disney hotels to the start? I agree it would be horrible to be sitting in traffic in a cab hoping to make it to the start on time. Maybe I will have to rethink ...

If you have any other pointers, please let me know!

 

[HopperFan]

Last year we stayed at ASMo and took the bus to start. Buses run from 3-4 am. We waited in the cold for the bus, the bus got lost (they bring in lots of private hires), we arrived about 4:30 to EPCOT. We saw all that terrible traffic in line to get in at 4:30...........BUT...........this year we decided to chance it anyway and stayed at Doubletree Suites in Downtown Disney. Couldn't pass up the rate/breakfast/2 room suite deal. We got up and left the hotel about 3:40 am, drove straight into EPCOT without any slow down. I guess the key is to get there around 4 am. There were runners already there and stuff going on, and we all split up - one runner, two stayed in car to hang out and see runner finish, two went on monorail to MK to watch runner come by there (and still made it back for the finish). I would stay offsite if that is what you want, get the taxi so you arrive at EPCOT by 4 am. Make sure he wears a few layers of sweat clothes (it is cold that early) that you want to dispose of (my DS likes that option) or bring his official race clothing bag to pack it in before the race. You should be fine. Lots of folks came early and sat in their cars. As long as you are there around 4 I think you are fine. You start arriving at 4:30 on....you will be sitting in a long line - stressing ! People were even stressing on our lost bus last year.