Park Days Before or After Run

For Marathon weekend, my trips are usually Thursday-Monday, and I'm hitting the parks every day. This year, I just ran the half. So I was up, did my run, back in my room for a shower, at breakfast at Boma at 9:30, then out to the parks.
Do you have a trip report for this half? This will be my first one, so I'd love to glean from you if you do! (And, thank you for the insight about MK on Sunday/marathon day!)
 
Do you have a trip report for this half? This will be my first one, so I'd love to glean from you if you do! (And, thank you for the insight about MK on Sunday/marathon day!)

I've got one from 2017 and 2018 where I did Dopey as well as parks essentially all day. My wife says at the end of the day it's a family vacation. So I'm still responsible to be at 99% of everything everyone else is doing even if my running makes me tired.

2017
2018
 
I've got one from 2017 and 2018 where I did Dopey as well as parks essentially all day. My wife says at the end of the day it's a family vacation. So I'm still responsible to be at 99% of everything everyone else is doing even if my running makes me tired.

2017
2018
Thanks, DopeyBadger. I was awe-inspired by your 2018 report! Although you are way out of my league, it did help me get a feel and give me insights for race day.
 
Yes, we go to the parks before, during and after run days, but our touring style is different from normal park days. Slower, we claim a spot longer before shows and parades, breaks at a hotel bar. And we learned the hard way that on the day of and the day after the half marathon we should avoid rides with a lot of stairs in the queue :p
 


This was something we debated before finally deciding to do the week after which is similar to how we did our NOLA trip this year. Arrive on the Friday, run on Saturday and Sunday and then enjoy a week. We're going to check-in, go to the expo and then probably hang out at the resort on the Friday. Saturday we're both running the 10k. She'll have a little bit of a nap when we get back to the room and then we'll hang out at Disney Springs for the day, possibly go to Typhoon first. I'm running the half on the Sunday so after I return back to the resort it'll be a matter of getting ready and then heading out to the parks for the rest of our stay. The plan right now is to do EPCOT after the half. While it's a lot of walking, it's easy to pace yourself and just stroll around. I find it the least intensive of the four parks.

I'm also usually not bad after a race, although a 10k a month ago had me sleeping for a few hours that afternoon! This will be my fourth half and it's less than a month after I'm running a 30k race. I don't plan on racing the half or even the 10. These to me are more about the experience and enjoying it. Although, I might race between photo spots!
 
Our very first race in 2014, we napped after the 10k and then went to the parks. Since then, no naps--even after Dopey in 2018. We have found that we need to keep moving (sometimes after a nice hot tub soak). We don't stay out too late, but have full days before, during and after the races.
 
For my first half marathons at Disneyland, I always did light park touring with early bedtimes the day before the race itself. I went to the parks after the race and usually called it a night after the fireworks. I knew I could handle the distance, but didn't want to press my luck.

For my 3rd half, this time at Disney World, I did normal park touring until the day of the race itself back when Wine & Dine was a night race when I only went to Epcot because my plans to stay off my feet in my hotel all day long were causing me to go stir crazy. I needed to burn off that excess adrenaline so I went to Epcot and sat down. A lot. As often as I could.

Coming off a cold and doing my usual early morning late night park schedule, I still finished the race at a good time for me.

As it turned out, that race experience convinced me that I could run races on back to back days with training, which began to break down all sorts of mental barriers I had created. And five runDisney 10K/Half Marathon challenges later, I took the plunge and went for Dopey marathoner.

So it is possible to tour the parks and do the races. Even all the races that weekend. It can also lead to attempting crazier things in running that you once believed were impossible for you.
 


So it is possible to tour the parks and do the races. Even all the races that weekend. It can also lead to attempting crazier things in running that you once believed were impossible for you.

I didn't hit the parks after my WDW 10k, but I've been to the parks the day of every other race. Having done it twice now, it is tradition for me to go to AK after the race to get photopass pictures with my medal(s). (See my avatar for an example.)

I have noticed that, for a 10k/half challenge, I'm generally more wiped out the day of the 10k than the half. Not sure quite why.

As for before/after - I tend to end up flying home on Monday after the race, so I get a bit of parks in after but not lots. As I'm flying cross-country, I fly in early to give me some slack time if something goes wrong. And as long as I'm there, I might as well hit the parks...

Plans for my next two trips:
Princess: fly in Thursday (possibly expo if I get in early enough), park/expo Friday, park Saturday, race and parks (probably AK) Sunday, park and fly home Monday. Exact parks aren't planned yet, will need to consult with my daughter as we get closer.
Star Wars: fly in Friday with intent to hit expo, park Saturday, park (probably AK) Sunday, park (probably Studios) and fly home Monday. I may see about adding a day and flying home Tuesday. (Friday is an AP blackout day, so I can't add a day to the front.)
 
Another viewpoint from a non-runner:) We vacationed the week after the Princess half marathon thinking everyone would want to go to the parks before. I rationalized this on the fact that the races started on a Wednesday, and figured everyone would want to not break up another week. WRONG! The parks were extremely packed the week following the race.
Granted, I don't know if the post race was the only reason. But I would guess that you would want to "save" your feet, legs for the race, so not go before? Then when it's all over, hit the parks. Just my 2cents worth:)
 
personally i will be choosing to go to a waterpark after the half. It will be my first half and i'm unsure of how my body will feel or how busy the parks will be so i chose a leisure route. Planning on the parks the day before and after though!
 
As for before/after - I tend to end up flying home on Monday after the race, so I get a bit of parks in after but not lots. As I'm flying cross-country, I fly in early to give me some slack time if something goes wrong. And as long as I'm there, I might as well hit the parks...
Coming from California, I definitely want to spend time in the parks as well although I like to stay long enough so as to feel like I justified the cost of traveling to Disney World. For Marathon Weekend, I stayed left on Wednesday after the race and for Star Wars, I have left the Saturday after the race. No wonder I'm so wiped out from those trips. I say I'm going to take a day off from the parks next year, but with an annual pass we'll see if that actually happens.
personally i will be choosing to go to a waterpark after the half. It will be my first half and i'm unsure of how my body will feel or how busy the parks will be so i chose a leisure route. Planning on the parks the day before and after though!
I considered the water park route for an easy day, but ultimately decided against it. I felt like it might be too much time on my feet waiting in lines. My leisurely parks to rest, but still tour are Epcot and DHS because they both have enough shows that involve sitting down. I will also happily sit down for 20-30 minutes on a bench multiple times after shorter races on challenge weekends before the longest race.

While park touring is definitely doable without wiping out your legs before a race, it does involve knowing how your body reacts to park touring and the best things to do in order to rest your body. Water parks probably won't work for me, but if they work great for you, then enjoy them. I get too much nervous energy if I'm just sitting around the day before a race so I fare much better mentally when I tour the parks, but allow myself to sit down early and often.
 
Definitely after. I walk around the parks/resorts/Disney Springs a little bit before and between races, just to keep my legs loose, but nothing too crazy.
 
personally i will be choosing to go to a waterpark after the half. It will be my first half and i'm unsure of how my body will feel or how busy the parks will be so i chose a leisure route.

I'm not sure what you plan on doing at the water parks (wave pool/lazy river versus water slides), but I would add a word of caution to remember the stairs/raft carrying that goes along with the water slides. I found out after last year's half that for at least two+ days afterward, stairs were the mortal enemy. A couple stairs were do-able - kind of - but anything that had a full flight, I was looking for the elevator. We were at Universal those days, which seems to have a lot more stairs than Disney so it got on my radar screen fast.

Just something to consider...
 
I'm not sure what you plan on doing at the water parks (wave pool/lazy river versus water slides), but I would add a word of caution to remember the stairs/raft carrying that goes along with the water slides. I found out after last year's half that for at least two+ days afterward, stairs were the mortal enemy. A couple stairs were do-able - kind of - but anything that had a full flight, I was looking for the elevator. We were at Universal those days, which seems to have a lot more stairs than Disney so it got on my radar screen fast.

Just something to consider...

Agreed! It doesn't matter how well trained I am, I still don't even want to do the stairs to get on and off the bus!
 

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