Marathon Weekend 2025

[Desdemona924]

Good, available, real bathrooms in WWoS too if I remember correctly

I didn't even think of the bathrooms! Yes! Another plus.

Only once since 2012 have I been shut out of a race, and never out of an entire race weekend’s events. Considering I truly do not know how many rD races I’ve done at this point, I think that’s a pretty decent statistic. And I don’t do anything special, beyond using registration links donated by kind-hearted DISers lately. I have noticed that registrations these days fall on my WFH days over WiFi and my queues take much longer to go through than other people’s, and the whole process seems to take longer than it used to when I was on work’s corded network connection, but I’m not tech-savvy enough to say whether that has any bearing at all.

I didn’t exactly like WWOS, but I didn’t mind it. I did mind BB’s scorching parking lot.

I do truly love WDW’s long stretches of highway, though!

The last two races I've signed up for, I've had to use links from here. I'm so glad that people are willing to do that. I've done at least one weekend a year since 2015 and it's really only been those two that I have worried about getting.

I like a nice highway to zone out on, until I get stuck in my own head about it being difficult or hot or my legs are tired.

A favorite memory was coming out of Animal Kingdom, passing the people who were coming in the opposite direction from the highway, and I was cheering them on, telling them Animal Kingdom was right up ahead, they're doing great. You know, the usual. As I was passing two guys, I heard them say if she can be that happy and upbeat 18 miles in, that's great. I think it was 2020 when it was so hot and people were flagging hard.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I've only experienced the dreadful Blizzard Beach parking lot, but I imagine that I would have much preferred ESPN WWOS. Truth be told, I have a huge smile on my face whenever I drive there going to the Expo. Mind you, I could just be excited about the upcoming race. However, it's a great place for a sports fan.

I didn’t mind WWoS despite what I said before. I didn’t love it though. I liked the real bathrooms as @SheHulk said. I like the fact there isn’t any real bottlenecks that I can recall. I liked running on the track because it was soft. It was nice and flat too. And one year I ran it they had the wet sponges to cool you off. I didn’t like the baseball field because I got the dirt in my shoes. What I didn’t like most was how long it was. Felt like I was running in WWoS for 26.2 miles alone.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

Blizzard Beach parking lot will not seem soo bad after experience Disneyland Half Marathon run through parking lots... that made Blizzard Beach parking lot look small... it was soo long... but do wish we could actually run through Blizzard Beach... that would be nice.

 

[Herding_Cats]

OK, I'm feeling like a newbie with this question but....
Do I need to use a different email address to create a profile for my son?
Is there a way to create a profile for him "inside" of my account, or do I need to create a whole separate account as if he were doing it on his own (don't even get me started by pulling on that thread....)

Thanks. Just trying to have all my waterfowl aligned for next week.

(This answer is based on my experience registering other people. @camaker might have some insight as I believe he registered several for W&D)

Unless he's a minor, it'll be easier in the long run if he has his own account. that way you can avoid the "disappearing registration" issue. If he's under 18, you can just register him using your email.


Assuming the person you are registering is not a minor:
You do NOT have to be logged into their account to register them, it's just for the whole "transfer the registration to the proper person/account" for the waivers.

Now, could you make a dummy email account for him for MDE and use that for all of it, so that you control it? Sure. If he's going to do any park days with you/stay onsite he's going to need a MDE account anyway for assigning a ticket and unlocking the room.

 

[Naomeri]

Blizzard Beach parking lot will not seem soo bad after experience Disneyland Half Marathon run through parking lots... that made Blizzard Beach parking lot look small... it was soo long... but do wish we could actually run through Blizzard Beach... that would be nice.

Oh my god, that Angel’s Stadium parking lot was never-ending!!

 

[Goofed98]

I actually LOVED WWoS.

I break down the marathon into segments, to trick my knees into thinking we're not actually going 26 miles.

WWoS was a slog to get to from AK, but those 3-4 miles weren't too bad, and then WWoS itself was a great distraction. Come out, Mile 20 extravaganza, then get ready to run up the on-ramp with the green army guy yelling at me. Top that, short jaunt to the next road, while being serenaded by a lonely speaker blaring "Sweet Caroline", then into HS.

 

[SheHulk]

Mile 20 extravaganza,

 

[GuinnessRunner]

Kinda like choosing which poison is worse, but I prefer the newer BB route over the old WWOS courses. I agree that, once you were in it, WWOS was better than the BB parking lot (an on par with the one year we ran through BB), but it was a long, hot slog to get there. I think it may have gotten tweaked later on, but I seem to recall a one mile out/back on the highway that was truly awful at that stage of the race.

 

[Disneyhanna]

As someone who has only ran through the BB parking lot and never WWoS, I want to go through WWoS at least once to know what it's like

 

[camaker]

Kinda like choosing which poison is worse, but I prefer the newer BB route over the old WWOS courses. I agree that, once you were in it, WWOS was better than the BB parking lot (an on par with the one year we ran through BB), but it was a long, hot slog to get there. I think it may have gotten tweaked later on, but I seem to recall a one mile out/back on the highway that was truly awful at that stage of the race.

That out and back was just before entering AK and, yes, it was pretty bad.

ETA; It was mile 11 on the course map above.

 

[Dopey 2020]

I enjoyed WWoS because that was my first marathon (2019) and I was pretty beat by then. When I entered the ball field there must have been a timing mat and someone on a computer because they announced my name and city over the speaker. It was really a nice boost at that point. That being said, I was happier with BB the following year and even though they took the actual park out in favor of just the parking lot, I like the overall course.

 

[marty3d]

Oh my god, that Angel’s Stadium parking lot was never-ending!!

I was thinking that at the time - it made me me think that WWoS or BB were simply not that bad (other than the classic cars)

 

[sandam1]

Oh my god, that Angel’s Stadium parking lot was never-ending!!

In my head while running through that parking lot, I could see the meme "Disney World - We've got Blizzard Beach!" and "Disneyland saying 'Hold My Beer'"

 

[marty3d]

Anyone try to book into Swan/ Dolphin for MW2025? I'm used to the prices being high at this time and coming down later but they are incredibly high (and Swan doesn't seem available at all).

Glad I have my Pop reservations as backup.

 

[nancipants]

Anyone try to book into Swan/ Dolphin for MW2025? I'm used to the prices being high at this time and coming down later but they are incredibly high (and Swan doesn't seem available at all).

Glad I have my Pop reservations as backup.

I’ve been checking and they’re ridiculous even with an AP discount.

 

[marty3d]

I’ve been checking and they’re ridiculous even with an AP discount.

All the Crescent lake resorts are less expensive - wonder if there's a convention. Or they are really trying to maximize room rates - though doesn't make sense that the Swan isn't available at all - even on points (Dolphin also won't allow booking with points right now)

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

Well, I think I am going goofy again, if registration works out. Originally I had planned to do the marathon as a standalone. I like the artwork, and the bling.

I have some reservations at POP, do they ever go down in price? I check every once in awhile.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I have some reservations at POP, do they ever go down in price? I check every once in awhile.

Sorry if you already know all of this. Right now the only rates available that far out are rack rates - those don't go down, and important to note for the last few years Disney has quietly done across the board rack rate increases at least once during the year (to use an example, they just did it for 2024 rates the same day they released 2025 dates for booking in late Feb... sneaky like that).

What you need to keep an eye out for later in the year is any discount/promotion they offer that covers your dates - and then hopefully there is availability of that discount to modify your reservation. Disney is often stingy with discounts covering race weekends but the later January dates further from the holiday crowds should hopefully mean some availability for whatever discount(s) they offer. That's always the hard part - sometimes they'll run a discount offer and it seems like lots of availability and other times it seems very limited.

Personally I book at the rack rate to secure the resort/room type I want, but keep an eye out like a hawk for future promotions (and keep my fingers crossed). There used to be more regular patterns about when they released discounts so it was easier to give a range of when to be paying attention - not so easy anymore as things have really varied.

Hope that all helps/makes sense.

 

[jmasgat]

I have some reservations at POP, do they ever go down in price? I check every once in awhile.

Base rates? No, but it is possible that they could offer some kind of discount. They did have AP, Disney+ and general public discounts for early 2024. According to mousesavers, they were released in late September last year.

 

[Tall Todd]

Sorry if you already know all of this. Right now the only rates available that far out are rack rates - those don't go down, and important to note for the last few years Disney has quietly done across the board rack rate increases at least once during the year (to use an example, they just did it for 2024 rates the same day they released 2025 dates for booking in late Feb... sneaky like that).

What you need to keep an eye out for later in the year is any discount/promotion they offer that covers your dates - and then hopefully there is availability of that discount to modify your reservation. Disney is often stingy with discounts covering race weekends but the later January dates further from the holiday crowds should hopefully mean some availability for whatever discount(s) they offer. That's always the hard part - sometimes they'll run a discount offer and it seems like lots of availability and other times it seems very limited.

Personally I book at the rack rate to secure the resort/room type I want, but keep an eye out like a hawk for future promotions (and keep my fingers crossed). There used to be more regular patterns about when they released discounts so it was easier to give a range of when to be paying attention - not so easy anymore as things have really varied.

Hope that all helps/makes sense.

THIS...
I've booked the earliest available rack rate. Later on a discount is released that somehow ends up being more expensive than my original booking. They raised the rack rate between the time I booked and when the discount came out. Sneaky money grab if you're not watching.