Running at Walt Disney World
Everything you ever wanted to know about running at Walt Disney World - and then some!
I love RunDisney races. I’m at one of my favorite places in the world. I get to dress up as a Disney character and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the costume ideas that other people come up with. I get to run through empty parks and take photos with tons of characters. But one of the coolest things about RunDisney races is the inspiration. Running at Disney has a way of inspiring you to do things you never realized you were capable of. You see people out there - some just like you and some overcoming obstacles you never have to face - all doing things they once thought impossible. After two years of running only the 5k distance, I finally looked at those people with the half marathon medals around their necks and thought, well if they can do it, why not me? So not only did I sign up for my first half marathon in 2016, I signed up to get the Coast to Coast medal with my twin sister. The Coast to Coast medal was given to individuals who ran a half or full at Walt Disney World and a half at Disneyland within the same calendar year. Sadly, 2017 was the last year Disneyland held any races and there is currently no word on when - or if - they are coming back. However, you can still get the Castle to Chateau medal by running a half or full at Walt Disney World and the half at Disneyland Paris in the same calendar year. They have plenty of other challenges you can sign up for to enhance your medal collection. For Star Wars, Princess and Wine & Dine weekends you can do that race weekend’s challenge which involves running the 10k on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. 19.3 total miles and 3 medals. Over the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend you have two choices for a challenge - either the Goofy (completing the half marathon on Saturday and full on Sunday) or the Dopey (running all 4 races - the 5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, half on Saturday and full on Sunday). You’ll get a medal for the race as well as the challenge (Dopey gets you both the Goofy and Dopey challenge medals for a total of 6 medals for 48.6 miles).
Running at Disney takes some planning as registration can be 9+ months out from the actual race. Registration and race dates can be found at https://www.rundisney.com/ All weekends run the same schedule - race expo starts Thursday, 5k on Friday, 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday with the exception of the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. It adds an extra day for the full marathon on Sunday so the schedule is bumped up a day with the Expo opening on Wednesday and the 5k kicking off the races on Thursday. All races start at 5:30am. Once registration is open, you can sign up at: https://manage.rundisney.com/login/rundisney Create an account before the registration date/time and be ready to go when the clock hits the registration opening time. The 5k and 10k races will sell out quickly. Depending on the race you are signing up for you will have to enter a mile per minute time or an estimated finish time. Make your best guess based off your ability. You will also have the opportunity to enter a proof of time for the half and full (more info on this below in the Starting Corrals section) but you do NOT have to do this at registration. Kids races can also be registered for at this time.
Once you’ve signed up you’ll want to ensure you have a good training plan. Training can begin up to 5 - 6 months before the longer races! You’ll inevitably hear stories about people not training for the longer distances. Don’t be one of those people. RunDisney’s training plans can be found at: https://www.rundisney.com/running-training-programs/ During your training, start thinking of your race costume! While some don’t wear them, the majority do and it’s one of the best parts of the weekend. Some people pick any character, some pick one from the race weekend theme (Star Wars weekend, Star Wars character) and some wait until the medals are released before selecting (2019 Princess Half Marathon had Aurora on the medal so there were lots of people dressed as Sleeping Beauty). Pinterest is a fantastic way to get costume ideas. You can check out our Pinterest board of costumes to get you started! You can pretty much wear anything for a 5K, it doesn’t need to be super functional. Once at the 10K or higher distance we always plan our costume so it’s functional as well as fashionable (using clothes you would actually exercise in as your base). Visors are great for keeping the sun out of your eyes for the half and full but also come in handy if it’s raining. The Headsweats brand is our favorite type of visor and Sparkle Athletic has a ton of fun ones that will coordinate with any costume. I think sunglasses are a necessity for the half and full and Goodr has our favorites to run in. Run in everything at least once before the race to ensure it will be okay to run in. You don’t want to find out 2 miles into a half marathon that your pants fall down or that the Cheshire cat tail is bounces around and totally annoys you.
RunDisney places you in starting corrals using letters with Corral A being comprised of the fastest runners. For the 5k and 10ks you are typically placed in corrals based off your estimated mile per minute time that you entered at registration. For the half marathons and full marathon you are placed based off your estimated finish time that you enter. If the time you list is below a certain number of hours you can submit a ‘Proof of Time’ (POT) to prove that you can indeed run that time and therefore, get put in a higher starting corral. If you can’t prove that you can run that time, RunDisney will likely put you in one of the later corrals. To obtain a proof of time you can submit a result from another race that was timed (it can be a RunDisney race or another race, the results just have to be available online). The POT for the half marathon can be a 10k, 15k, 10 miler or half marathon. For the marathon you can submit a race that was a 10 miler, half marathon or a full marathon. If you submit a POT that is a shorter distance than the race (ex. 10k for the half marathon), they will use a formula to determine your finishing time in the actual race and place you in a corral based off that time. Keep in mind while the POT doesn’t have to be submitted at registration, there is a deadline to submit it (around 3 months pre-race) and it must have been run within 2 years of that deadline. Those that are running the half or full will have their corrals released online ahead of time, about 3 - 4 weeks before the race. 5K and 10k runners have to wait for their corral until the expo when they pick up their bib. You can always drop back corrals but you can’t move up. If you are in B but your friend is in C, if you want to start together, you will both need to start in C. However, the higher corral you have, the sooner you start and the more time you have before the infamous Balloon Ladies start. The Balloon Ladies aren’t officially affiliated with RunDisney. They register for the races just like everyone else. However, they voluntarily start at the very back of the very last corral making them the last ones to cross the start line. They then walk at the RunDisney required pace of 16 minutes per mile. They tie balloons to the back of themselves so you can see them from far away. You know if they pass you, you are below the required pace and in danger of being removed from the course. They are not the official cut off but RunDisney can decide at any point after they pass you to pull you off the course and not let you finish.
When packing for your trip, lay out your costume and ensure you have all the pieces. Pack everything you normally run with (shoes, watch, etc.) and things you use post race for recovery (compression socks/pants, Oofos, etc.). If the bottoms you are running in don’t have pockets get something to carry your phone, ID and cash/credit card (like an armband, running belt/pouch, etc. We use this pouch). If you are staying on property you can use your magic band to pay so you won’t necessarily need cash or a credit card. Some people carry a water bottle with them but I don’t think it’s necessary. I will pack my own race day fuel. I also like bringing a different pair of shoes of flip flops for the parks after the race. Extra safety pins are always a good idea as is a grocery bag for post race.
Once you’re at Disney, it’s time to go to the Race Expo! You must go in person to the Expo at least one day before your race, no one can pick up your race bib for you. Expo hours will be in the digital race guide and will not be open early enough for you to go race morning (more later on what happens if you can’t get there in time). If you have a car you can drive and park easily but Disney resorts also have bus transport. If you printed out your waiver (if not you can at the Expo) take that, your ID and some spending money. The Expo will be open the day before the first race and then also every race day except the last (Expo Opens Thursday, 5k Friday/Expo Open, 10K Saturday/Expo open, Half on Sunday/Expo closed - all race weekends follow this pattern except the Marathon weekend. Expo opens Wednesday since the races start on Thursday). The most important thing to get at the Expo is your bib but there are plenty of things to spend money on. Race themed and RunDisney merchandise will be in the first building on your right as you walk in (The Arena at ESPN). At the 2019 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, bibs were also picked up in this building. If you didn’t print out your waiver you will be able to do so here. Look at your bib number on the bottom and find the booths for your race and then the specific booth that has the range that includes your bib number. You’ll show the volunteer your ID and they will give you your bib. Once you have your bib you can pick up your race shirt and check out all the expo vendors further in to the ESPN complex in the Visa Athletic Center (in 2019 Dopey participants received their bibs and shirts together so a 2nd stop wasn’t needed). Once in the Visa Athletic Center you can get your shirt by heading towards the back and looking for the signs for your race. You’ll then see a volunteer that is standing under the size shirt you selected at registration (this is on your bib). They’ll pull a part of your bib off and give you the shirt along with a clear bag and safety pins for your bib. If the shirt doesn’t fit you can always go and exchange it at another table. There will be vendors to browse so if you did forget anything, you’ll have plenty of shoes, shirts, pants and running gear to choose from. You can also browse everything with a drink in hand. My favorite booths are Sparkle Athletic, Raw Threads and Beecause Charms.
2018 Princess Half Marathon Expo
The night before the race don’t forget to set your alarm. And a back up alarm. We get up anywhere from 2:30am to 3:30am depending on several factors: the amount of costume prep, the importance of getting to the front of the corral, if we want pre-race photos and if we are driving or not. You’ll need to be in your corral by 5am and RunDisney wants you on the race buses by 4am. If driving know that 10K distance races or higher will have road closures and can result in traffic delays. 5ks don’t involve roads being closed and are easy to drive to. If you were unable to make it to the expo to get your bib, you’ll want to get there about 30 minutes earlier than your normally would. Lay out your costume to ensure you have everything ready (this is a good time to get a ‘Flat lay’ photo!). Put the safety pins on your bib. If you want to check a bag get the clear RunDisney bag from the Expo and put anything you want for after the race in it. I don’t really think this is necessary for shorter races but some people put other shoes in it or prior race medals for photo ops (if running multiple races in one weekend).
2017 Walt Disney World 10k (and Kids Race!) Flat Lay
The morning of, once you are ready, put your bib and anything else you want to bring (like breakfast to eat on the bus) in the grocery bag so you can access it easily on the bus. Once off the bus attach your bib (this avoids getting it wrinkled while sitting). Roll up the grocery bag and put it in your pocket or running belt. If checking a bag you will need to go through the bag check line before taking it to the bag check table. If you were unable to pick up your bib before you should first go to the Guest relations tent before anything else. You’ll need to show your ID to get your bib. You will only be able to get your race shirt if you are able to go back to the expo. Once you have your bib and any bags are checked, you are free to explore the pre-race area. This can include food, drinks, a DJ and photo ops with characters. There will be anywhere from 2 - 4 character ops. Lines can be long (especially for the race host). Characters will be out after the race as well. Photopass photographers will take a photo with their camera but a cast member is always there to take one with your phone. To access the Photopass pictures you’ll need to purchase the Memory Maker package or have the annual pass that includes it. Also use this time to use the portopotty. There will be some around the main stage BUT there will also be some in the corrals with less lines.
During the race: Corrals will be released starting with A until the last letter for that race. The individual corrals are released in two to three waves depending on the size of the corral. So, it is beneficial to be at the front of the corral if possible. Regardless, the start of every corral/wave can be a bit of a bottleneck. Be patient for the first half mile or so until people start to spread out. Know that weaving around people and runners stopping in the middle of the street is inevitable. RunDisney races are about PRing in fun, not necessarily time. While it’s not advertised, walkers should stay to the right and runners to the left. If running in a group, try to avoid being more than two or three wide in the bottleneck areas. If using the Galloway method, use your hand to signal when slowing down to walk. We use this method and try to stay in the middle so when a walk break comes up, we are close to the right to be able to walk. If stopping to take a photo or get off the course just be aware of your surroundings so you don’t have anyone run in to you.
Bathrooms - the first portopotty usually shows up around mile one and the lines can be long. Most men end up in the bushes. If you plan well, you can avoid the portopotties and instead use the bathrooms in the parks. There will be more stalls, plenty of toilet paper, actual sinks with soap and far shorter lines.
Water/Fuel - 5ks will have a couple water stops but with just over half the race inside the park, you’ll have water fountains also. 10ks will have a few more stops but again, plenty of inside the park options. Half and fulls have water and Powerade just about every mile but not in the parks. You’ll need to rely on water fountains when in the park. The half marathons will have one fuel stop around mile 8, usually gels or sport beans. The full will have multiple fuel stops in the latter half of the race for gels/sport beans and bananas. There are almost always spectators with candy or other fun treats along the way too!
The marathon is one of the races that ends well after all the parks have opened so there are actually some fun bonus things to do. Depending on your pace you can run through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot after they’ve opened. So if you time things right you can ride a ride in Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios and get a drink in Epcot. Animal Kingdom opens at 9am. If you can be in the park right around then, you should be able to walk right on Expedition Everest. Some people have also ridden Tower of Terror or Rockin Roller Coaster once Hollywood Studios has opened, usually if they went through Animal Kingdom before it opened. Keep in mind if you pick Tower of Terror, it has a ‘pre-show’ which can make the wait longer than the either of the roller coasters where you just get on and ride. These rides are ones that the course goes right by so you don’t have to venture too far off course. If you can time it to arrive close to the park’s opening, the lines are minimal which helps expedite this process. Once off the ride, don’t forget to take a second to scan your magic band for the Photopass so you have a memento of this unique experience. When arriving in to Epcot you will go through World Showcase. If you arrive before 11am, it will not be open yet. However, as a faster runner, you will get some photo stops that go away once World Showcase opens. You won’t however, get to cross the finish line with a drink! Some people get Grand Mariner slushies in France, others get a beer in Germany. We got a margarita in Mexico. Being the last country as you exit World Showcase, you only have about a quarter mile left of the race to carry a drink. We ordered one drink with two cups. This not only saved money but we also weren’t sloshing our drinks the last quarter mile.
2019 Walt Disney World Marathon - Cheers to our goal of finishing with a margarita being realized!
Photo stops - the photo stops and getting to run through the parks are why we do these races. It makes the miles fly by. Just like the pre/post race ops there are Photopass photographers but they’ll also use your phone. On the race course we really prefer Photopass because you don’t have to worry about getting your phone out. Taking photos of the mile marker signs is a popular stop. These won’t have a photographer there so take a selfie or ask a fellow runner (and return the favor). Other fun photo ops can be ones without characters but are themed to who you are dressed as! For example, if you are a Snow White character and go through World Showcase, have someone take a photo of you by the wishing well in the Germany pavilion. Little Mermaid characters can get a photo at the Little Mermaid ride in Magic Kingdom. Characters on course are usually ones you don’t get to see too often in the parks. Or they are wearing special outfits. Seeing Oswald in 2017 at the Wine & Dine 10k was the best character surprise ever. At the 2019 the WDW 5k, Goofy was in the UK pavilion in a Scottish outfit - kilt and all. The characters are kept a surprise but can often be the same each year or will be expected based off the theme or park. During the marathon you’ll always see classic Disney characters in ESPN in sports gear. Animal Kingdom has animals (Rafiki, Baloo & Louie, etc.). Princess related characters - including Princes and Villains - will be out for Princess weekend. When you see a character stop coming up have someone in your group run ahead to see who the wait is for while the others get in line. If it’s not someone anyone wants to wait for just get out of line and carry on. While we are waiting in line, we like to look at the race’s hashtag on Instagram. Some people post as they go which helps us slower people know what is coming up. It just helps you make better decisions on who to stop for. The characters that you should absolutely stop for are ones that are your characters or from your movie/show/etc. Meeting your character on course is the best. There will also be Photopass photographers on course to get some action shots or shots in front of park icons. These photographers will ONLY be in the parks or ESPN Wide World of Sports. They will not be on the streets. They sit in green tents about the size of a phone booth so you can see when they are coming up. One will be on the right side of the course and the other on the left side. The best way to get a photo is to stay to the right or left and either speed up or slow down to ensure no one is directly in front of you so the photographers get a clear shot. There will also be tons at the finish line. Ensure everything is as it should be with your costume and then follow the same procedure - make sure no one is in front of you and stay close to the people you are running with. After you cross the finish line you’ll proceed out of the finishing chute getting your medal, water, powerade and snack box. Now is the time to pull out the grocery bag and put your food and drinks in it so you have free hands for medal selfies and a celebratory glass of champagne. You can get some additional photos with your medal and check out the food and beverage options. We like to go get the glass of champagne to drink as we wait for a character photo before heading back to the hotel.
2017 Wine & Dine 10k - Oswald is more common on courses now but this was the first time he was at a race other than the Marathon.
After the race you will want to eat and nap. This is assuming you aren’t going home the same day. If you are and you ran the 5k or 10k, you should have plenty of time to come back to the room, change, shower, finish packing and get out before check out time. If you are running the half marathon you may not have a lot of time so see if you can get a later check out. If you are staying, the easiest thing to do is go back to your resort and eat (feel free to stay in your costume!) and then go to your room to nap before going to the parks. If you make a breakfast reservation somewhere, just be sure to make it with enough time to finish the race and get there. We are usually ready to head back to the hotel by 7:30/8 for the 5k, 8:30/9 for the 10k and 10/10:30 for the half. If you are a faster runner and/or don’t stop for photos you could be done well before these times. When you are ready to go celebrate at a park or meal, be sure to wear your medal! You’ll get plenty of ‘congratulations’ but you can also get some photos with characters or in front of the park icon at whatever park you go to.
Obligatory post Dopey photo at Magic Kingdom
Kids races: All kids races are held at ESPN Wide World of Sports and typically are Friday and Saturday mornings of race weekend. They start after the 5ks and 10ks end so you should have time to go back to the hotel before heading to ESPN if you ran that morning. You can register your child when you register yourself. They are far cheaper than adult races but they get a medal, t-shirt, bib and snacks just like we do. They have races according to ages from the Diaper Dash to the kids mile. The younger kids can have the adults run with them. You’ll get a window of time for the start and they release in waves just like the adults. There is plenty going on before and during the races too for the kids and their families to keep them occupied. This is in the same location at the Expo so you can do any Expo related things while here too.
Spectating: Spectating for the 5k and 10ks is only available at the start/finish. One exception is if the 10k goes around the Boardwalk resort area. If you aren’t staying at one of the Boardwalk resorts (Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan or Dolphin) then you will need a car to drive there as buses won’t run that early. Once parked you can just head out to the Boardwalk area to spectate. For the half marathons or full marathon, you can pay for the ChEAR Squad to get reserved seating and goodies (read more here) but you can still spectate certain races without having to pay anything if you time it right. Sign up to track your runner so you can get text messages when they cross certain mile markers (5k, 10k and 15k). You can always hang out at the finish but, for certain races, you can see the runners in and around the parks. For the Princess Half Marathon and WDW Half you can see them at multiple places. Both of these races start at Epcot and you will utilize the monorail to get to the viewing spots. Once at Epcot, you’ll need to head over to the monorail to be ready to depart at 5am. This is when the first monorail will take people to the Transportation & Ticket Center (T&TC). If you are staying at a Magic Kingdom resort (Contemporary, Polynesian or Grand Floridian) you can take the monorail from there to the T&TC, no need to go to Epcot unless you want to be with your runner pre-race. Once you are on the monorail you’ll head to the T&TC. From here you have a couple options - you can stay at the T&TC (which will be just before mile 4) and watch, or head into Magic Kingdom. They will start letting people into Magic Kingdom at 5:30am. As long as you leave Magic Kingdom by 8am, you do not need a park ticket. If your runner is starting towards the back and is right around the max pace you may be there after 8am. You will line up on one side of Main Street or head up towards the castle. The castle is obviously a popular spot but it will be crowded - that is where the reserved Cheer Squad seating is. If you are in right at 5:30 you should have no trouble getting a front row spot right along Main Street. Have a sign if you can (you can make your own or make one at the race expo) so your runner has a better chance of spotting you. Once your runner passes, you can catch them again when they go by the Grand Floridian or Polynesian. If your runner doesn’t stop for pictures you may not be able to see them at Magic Kingdom AND the resorts. If they do stop, you should have plenty of time to get to a resort after Magic Kingdom. Head back out to the monorail and take it to the Grand Floridian (you’ll make other stops before). Once at the Grand Floridian you’ll need to get to the ground level and walk across the parking lot towards the street and the stop light at the parking lot exit. You can stand on the side of the road right by the stop light which is a good landmark to tell your runner, they will also just have passed mile 7. You can also get off at the Polynesian instead and head out towards the street there. After you have seen them you can get back on the monorail and head back to Epcot via the T&TC. Once at Epcot you can head towards the finish line or, if you have a park ticket and it is after opening time (9am) you can catch your runner in there. Not many people will be there watching so just find a spot you like along the course and wait for your runner. They will have about a mile to go at this point as they’ll hit 12 just before entering Epcot. Outside of Epcot, the finish line will have bleachers but some of these sections will be reserved. However, even the ones that aren’t may be full so you may need to wait to be allowed up. After your runner crosses the finish line you can meet them in the pre/post race area past the bag checks and celebrate!. Doug and Emmie of ‘We Do Disney’ have a great You Tube video that shows how to navigate all of this. It helped me greatly the first time I did this (you can check it out here). All this also applies to spectating at the full marathon as well. However, since this races hits all 4 parks, you have other opportunities to see them. After they leave Magic Kingdom they will go to Animal Kingdom (miles 13-14) and then to ESPN Wide World of Sports (miles 18-21) followed by Hollywood Studios (mile 23) and then finally Epcot (mile 25). You will need a park ticket to be able to get into all of these (and only after 9am) and see runners on the course. There is a lengthy stretch of road in between Animal Kingdom and ESPN that you can spectate on, and it is quite welcome to the runners but I honestly don’t know how the people get there besides walking from the closest non-closed road. For a no ticket required option, the Boardwalk is a good spot, it’s got some shade and covers mile 24. If you choose to be in Epcot, you can be in World Showcase and help your runner purchase a fun drink or food item to carry across the finish line in celebration!
Spectating outside the Grand Floridian for the 2019 Princess Half Marathon