Transportation on marathon day

KMarston

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
I’m trying to figure out FP+ For Sunday, 1/12/20, Marathon Day. I’ve read that traffic can be a gridlock and also that the race is changing course this year. We will be heading to DHS and I canceled our PPO ADRs for fear of not making it on time. Can anyone tell me the best way to get to DHS from the Poly, what time we should leave or plan to be there? We have a 4 yo so minivan is an option as we won’t have a car.
 
Minnie Van or bus. A word of caution- they was a marathon last week. I was talking to another guest who said he was on a bus for over an hour due to marathon traffic/detours.
Try to time your use of transportation around race hours.
 
Minnie Van or bus. A word of caution- they was a marathon last week. I was talking to another guest who said he was on a bus for over an hour due to marathon traffic/detours.
Try to time your use of transportation around race hours.
Thanks for the reply! That’s what I’m trying to avoid as we’ll have our DGS with us. I just don’t understand the area enough or the race path to make an educated plan. Maybe I’ll ask on the race thread. Thanks again.
 


If you have Hoppers, I would actually consider taking the monorail to Epcot, walking thru the park, and then Skyliner to DHS. No dealing with traffic at all!

But that wouldn't get you there for RD, since you won't be able to get thru Epcot until it opens. Assuming a 9 a.m. opening, you'd get to DHS around 9:45 at the earliest.
 
If you have Hoppers, I would actually consider taking the monorail to Epcot, walking thru the park, and then Skyliner to DHS. No dealing with traffic at all!

But that wouldn't get you there for RD, since you won't be able to get thru Epcot until it opens. Assuming a 9 a.m. opening, you'd get to DHS around 9:45 at the earliest.
Thank you, that actually sounds like a great plan! I’m not riding the skyliner but we could take the boat!😂
 
Curious how much extra time to allow from Art of Animation to Disney Springs on Saturday, Jan 11. We only have a few hours to spare before catching our ride to Ft Lauderdale.
 


Curious how much extra time to allow from Art of Animation to Disney Springs on Saturday, Jan 11. We only have a few hours to spare before catching our ride to Ft Lauderdale.

Saturday is the half marathon, which will be over by about 10. Going from AoA that direction should not be any worse than usual at that time of morning.
 
Thank you, that actually sounds like a great plan! I’m not riding the skyliner but we could take the boat!😂
The friendship boats will not start running until around 1:00 PM on Marathon Sunday. HS dock is closed due to the course. You can bus from the front of Epcot to HS or bus from any of the Epcot resorts while the Friendship boats are not operating.
 
The friendship boats will not start running until around 1:00 PM on Marathon Sunday. HS dock is closed due to the course. You can bus from the front of Epcot to HS or bus from any of the Epcot resorts while the Friendship boats are not operating.
Thanks for that, we may just take our chances with a Minnie Van from the Poly then. I’d have been bummed if I’d done all that walking to find them closed! Any idea where I can find the course and times?
 
Thanks for that, we may just take our chances with a Minnie Van from the Poly then. I’d have been bummed if I’d done all that walking to find them closed! Any idea where I can find the course and times?
The marathon course has some changes for 2020 and the specific map [or changes] hasn't been published yet. I know that some of the key spots will remain the same so can tell you that using Disney transportation or Minnie Van from Poly is a good idea. Even with the road closure the buses are still pretty efficient. To answer your specific question, the marathon starts at 5:00 AM with various stages/staggering of runners so the last group will most likely go off around 5:40ish. Pre-race activities get going around 3:00. First stage of the marathon runs from Epcot to MK, then MK to AK, AK to BB, BB to HS and then through the Epcot resort area and into Epcot. With a 16 minute/mile pacing requirement the course should be completely cleared by 12:45 - 1:00 PM. MK will clear first, AK second, then HS [proabably noonish] with Epcot and the Epcot Resort areas last. This is why the Friendship boats are suspended until around 1:00 PM.

Having said that, no one knows what exactly the course changes are yet so my assessment might be wrong, but I'm pretty confident it will still hold to some degree. My advice to you would be to check the RunDisney site for race specifics closer to the actual marathon weekend. It's hard to say when they will officially drop the course map and event guide. Also, your resort will have published information on race weekend impacts and CMs will also be able to answer specific questions! You will get to HS!
 
The marathon course has some changes for 2020 and the specific map [or changes] hasn't been published yet. I know that some of the key spots will remain the same so can tell you that using Disney transportation or Minnie Van from Poly is a good idea. Even with the road closure the buses are still pretty efficient. To answer your specific question, the marathon starts at 5:00 AM with various stages/staggering of runners so the last group will most likely go off around 5:40ish. Pre-race activities get going around 3:00. First stage of the marathon runs from Epcot to MK, then MK to AK, AK to BB, BB to HS and then through the Epcot resort area and into Epcot. With a 16 minute/mile pacing requirement the course should be completely cleared by 12:45 - 1:00 PM. MK will clear first, AK second, then HS [proabably noonish] with Epcot and the Epcot Resort areas last. This is why the Friendship boats are suspended until around 1:00 PM.

Having said that, no one knows what exactly the course changes are yet so my assessment might be wrong, but I'm pretty confident it will still hold to some degree. My advice to you would be to check the RunDisney site for race specifics closer to the actual marathon weekend. It's hard to say when they will officially drop the course map and event guide. Also, your resort will have published information on race weekend impacts and CMs will also be able to answer specific questions! You will get to HS!
Excellent advice! OP, I would not plan walking through Epcot on Marathon day to save time.... I would stick to the bus. Take it from a runner...
 
The marathon course has some changes for 2020 and the specific map [or changes] hasn't been published yet. I know that some of the key spots will remain the same so can tell you that using Disney transportation or Minnie Van from Poly is a good idea. Even with the road closure the buses are still pretty efficient. To answer your specific question, the marathon starts at 5:00 AM with various stages/staggering of runners so the last group will most likely go off around 5:40ish. Pre-race activities get going around 3:00. First stage of the marathon runs from Epcot to MK, then MK to AK, AK to BB, BB to HS and then through the Epcot resort area and into Epcot. With a 16 minute/mile pacing requirement the course should be completely cleared by 12:45 - 1:00 PM. MK will clear first, AK second, then HS [proabably noonish] with Epcot and the Epcot Resort areas last. This is why the Friendship boats are suspended until around 1:00 PM.

Having said that, no one knows what exactly the course changes are yet so my assessment might be wrong, but I'm pretty confident it will still hold to some degree. My advice to you would be to check the RunDisney site for race specifics closer to the actual marathon weekend. It's hard to say when they will officially drop the course map and event guide. Also, your resort will have published information on race weekend impacts and CMs will also be able to answer specific questions! You will get to HS!
Thank you so much for all of the information! I appreciate you typing it all out. I’ll keep checking for updates!
 
Thank you so much for all of the information! I appreciate you typing it all out. I’ll keep checking for updates!
You're welcome! This will be my 15th marathon weekend so I'm pretty familiar with the changes and issues.
Not running the marathon or 1/2 this year due to achilles surgery in May but good enough to run the 10K!
Let's hope for good weather!
 
Everything flows quickly on the actual race course if you are looking to avoid gridlock (although the waiting corrals are cozy). You could just sign up for the marathon, take a bus to the starting line, wear a costume with your 4 year old hidden inside...Quasimodo?, finish the 26.2 miles (don't worry, there are plenty of drinks along the way), hop a post-race resort bus to the Boardwalk while enjoying a box of snack foods, and then walk over to HS (possibly, don't know if it is open or altered due to the race day). It is probably a bit more indirect of a route to get to HS, but it would avoid a lot of vehicular traffic.
 
Everything flows quickly on the actual race course if you are looking to avoid gridlock (although the waiting corrals are cozy). You could just sign up for the marathon, take a bus to the starting line, wear a costume with your 4 year old hidden inside...Quasimodo?, finish the 26.2 miles (don't worry, there are plenty of drinks along the way), hop a post-race resort bus to the Boardwalk while enjoying a box of snack foods, and then walk over to HS (possibly, don't know if it is open or altered due to the race day). It is probably a bit more indirect of a route to get to HS, but it would avoid a lot of vehicular traffic.

The four year old IS my marathon! I hope you have a wonderful race!
 
Curious how much extra time to allow from Art of Animation to Disney Springs on Saturday, Jan 11. We only have a few hours to spare before catching our ride to Ft Lauderdale.
Hey! How did it go for you this weekend? We are staying at AOA for the Princess marathon in Feb and also are planning to go to MK on the half-marathon day and our departure day. If you don't mind, please tell me what you ended up doing and if it worked out.
 

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