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pskorf

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
We are planning a trip to WDW January 5-12, 2019 and heard about all the runs and marathons that weekend. What happens in the parks during the run? For example the 5K is on Thursday, January 10th at Epcot and that is the day we were planning to go to Epcot and work our way around the world for my daughter's 21st birthday? Will we be able to be in the world showcase that day?
 
We are planning a trip to WDW January 5-12, 2019 and heard about all the runs and marathons that weekend. What happens in the parks during the run? For example the 5K is on Thursday, January 10th at Epcot and that is the day we were planning to go to Epcot and work our way around the world for my daughter's 21st birthday? Will we be able to be in the world showcase that day?
The races begin at 5:30 am, so all or most of the action will be done by 9:00 am. For the 5K on that Thursday, all runners will be at the Epcot parking lot (where race ends) way before opening.
 
The races begin at 5:30 am, so all or most of the action will be done by 9:00 am. For the 5K on that Thursday, all runners will be at the Epcot parking lot (where race ends) way before opening.

OK - thank you - that's what I thought but I wasn't sure.
 
We are planning a trip to WDW January 5-12, 2019 and heard about all the runs and marathons that weekend. What happens in the parks during the run? For example the 5K is on Thursday, January 10th at Epcot and that is the day we were planning to go to Epcot and work our way around the world for my daughter's 21st birthday? Will we be able to be in the world showcase that day?

You’ll be fine! You’ll be working your way ‘around the world’ with some fine people ‘in training’ for the next day’s half marathon!

If you’re driving in, some of the lot will be affected. If you’re simply bussing it, zero issues!
 


The biggest issue will be on Sunday for the full marathon,that day there will be transportation delays for sure.The last runners will finish that day from 1-2pm coming from DHS into Epcot through the IG entrance and then exit Epcot as the finish line is in the parking lot close to the wonder lot.On thursday the runners will be finished and showered and in the the parks by the time WS opens,its basically a 30-60 minute race event,depending on the runner.
 
Several years ago we were there race weekend. We knew the marathon ended at Epcot so we planned on a mk day. The traffic was horrible especially at the TTC. It felt like half the world was trying to monorail to Epcot. It took an hour for the bus to go from AKL to MK. We heard the wait time for Epcot monorail was 90 mins. Folks were trying to go meet up with their family runner.
 
5k and 10k days should be fine. Saturday the 12th is the half marathon day, and that one could be problematic. The race should finish about 10am, and the course is usually from Epcot to Magic Kingdom and back. Buses that cross the race route will be slow due to detours, and that may affect the whole system. If you've got a morning flight, take that into account. If you're in Epcot, there will be special crossings to get across the race route, but they shouldn't be a major problem that early.

Once the race is done (call it 9:30 or so to get off the main roads, 10 to get off of the Epcot entrance ramp, and 10:15 to get out of Epcot) things should go back to normal pretty quickly. Disney's got a lot of practice in cleaning things up after the race.

It looks like you'll be gone before the marathon on Sunday, but for anyone else looking for info - the race goes until about 1pm and touches all four parks, so the effects are broader and last longer. The crossing points are in Animal Kingdom, Studios, and Epcot, and you can end up with a 15-30 minute line just to get across the race route. If you can avoid the roads, I recommend it - boats are good, walking distance to parks is better. Monorail is apparently a mess, unfortunately. (Never stayed in a monorail resort, so that's news to me.)
 



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