Parks busy during marathon weekend? Help!

[Aiko]

Hello all! My hubby and I are planning our first trip and in his excitement he booked our plane tickets before we did a bit of research. He booked our tickets right in the middle of marathon weekend and I am afraid the parks will be crazy busy. Has anyone been there during this time and can tell me how busy it really is? Should we pay a fee and move our vacation back a week? Any help would be appreciated thank you!

[Strmchsr]

to Intercot!!!

The parks are definitely busier during marathon weekend, but the only one that's really a problem is Epcot. I noticed MK was definitely busier, but it's always a lot busier on the weeekends. It's not impossible to deal with. Just expect the crowds, use fastpass, have a plan and you'll be fine. I would definitely recommend avoiding Epcot on those two days, though.

[Melanie]

What day are you coming in?

Crowds aren't terrible during that weekend, but like any weekend, they are increased. What makes Marathon weekend interesting is logistics. During the morning hours, getting where you may want to go is difficult. By 2pm or so, it should be all cleared out (earlier on Saturday as half marathon doesn't go as long).

I'd definitely avoid Epcot and Magic Kingdom on Saturday and Epcot and Hollywood Studios on Sunday.

A difference this year is that all marathon finishers get free admittance to a theme park on Monday with their medals. This could definitely drive up crowds on Monday.

[ILoveLegos]

I've been to WDW on nearly every January Marathon weekend since the mid-90's (were there even marathons in 1994? - I don't remember - but the 2nd & 3rd week of January are my usual times to be there for the past 16 years, LOL).

Here are a few things I know & like about marathon weekend that might effect crowd flow and answer your question a little more indepth.

1. The pasta (carb loading crowd is huge) I remember trying to "swim upstream" in world showcase as the pasta dinner crowd were being herded into a backstage area in Epcot. Some guests even started mooing! It was amazing to see so many pre-marathoners going in the opposite direction, but I had fun navigating the crowd none the less! - (Yes - I'm easily amused).

2. The buses start running at some crazy hour in the morning like 2:00 am or 3:00 am for the compettitors & supporters to get to the start of the race or where ever they are going. At certain resorts, marathoners can be a little noisy leaving out to those guests sleeping in (thin walls??? or really loud excited guests? I dunno - it's all part of the experience I guess) - but, since I want to watch the race, so I'm up too but I'm a little more quiet, LOL, anywho...

3.I always drive my car from home during this time of the year, to give more seats to those who need them (it's really just more convenient for me to navigate to various stages of the race, but - but that last sentiment is a very nice one, I think.)

4. Watch out for the changing traffic patterns, if you are driving around WDW during the marathon. Random lane and street closing may occur, but detouring is okay for me. It's my family's pleasure to cheer the runners passing by (one year we though we spotted Oprah - but alas it was just a look alike!) whether we are on the sidelines, in the car or running with them (a future goal for us).(Just plan on it taking a little longer to get where you are going due to the race).

4. Post race we congratulate anyone who after running 26+ or 13+ miles who actually feels up to doing the parks! There are not that many either. We congratulate anyone we see with a finishing medal on for the week following too. In my experience, the parks are just a little bit more crowded that Sunday afternoon, than the typical low attendance days in January, but it is still pretty much a walk-on time of year for rides. Remember even the supporters started out pretty early in the morning so it's a long day for everyone involved in the marathon - I imagine the resort's hot tubs might be a popular spot though.

5. We have found Martin Luther King day & Presidents day weekend to be much more crowded by comparison to the Marathon Weekend. This year we'll be interested to see what the "Free Monday" will be like attendance-wise ...

Hope this helps!!!

[Aiko]

We arrive Jan 5 at about 6pm and leave Tue (11) morning so we are there the whole weekend I think we are going to leave it and see how it goes. Thanks for the help guys!

[WDWCrazyKaren]

We did Marathon weekend 2 years ago. Here was our experience:

The Friday before the Marathon, every single runner who brought their family members were at MK. Do NOT go to MK the Friday before! Epcot was dead that day. We avoided Epcot on the weekend, and the other parks were wonderful. Back to Epcot on Monday, and all was right with the world again.

Don't worry, as long as you don't HAVE to go to Epcot on the weekend, you will be fine. Just do a bit of flip-flopping of your park days.

Edit: forgot to mention we will be there surrounding the marathon this year too. We'll feel your pain if we happen to be wrong!

[rubato]

I will be there on your exact dates. Of course, I'm running the half and full, so it's not like I had a choice on dates. But, I've only gone during really slow times, so I'm a tiny bit nervous also. I have plans to do DHS on Friday, Epcot on Saturday and MK on Sunday. I may change my Sunday plans because I'm going to be so exhausted that there's no way I can take advantage of the EEMH, so why be in the crowded park? But, I have hoppers and will just move if need be.

[DisneyDudet]

In 2009, we participated in the marathon weekend: my mother ran the half, and my dad and I ran the full. This year, I went and met up with a friend doing the Goofy Challenge. Last year was quite a bit different as the temperatures were WELL below freezing, so people just weren't out as usual.

Some tips for you:

If you are heading to Epcot or MK on race days... allow for a LONG travel time. You will probably be able to get to MK ok by opening time, but travel to Epcot will be hard. Until the race is over, you can only get to Epcot by way of the TTC if you are using WDW buses. I would suggest using the bus system rather than a cab or your car, as there are some areas that the buses can only go through, so there's a little less traffic sometimes.

Since both races begin and end at Epcot, that will be one of the busiest parks of the weekend. Most others want to celebrate at MK.

Something new this year is that finishers of the Marathon are allowed free admission to the park of their choice the Monday after the race, so that may affect Monday crowds (quite a few people leave Sunday night or Monday after the race).

If you have gone to WDW around Christmas or in the summer, you will know crowds. Sometimes WDW Marathon Weekend can feel crowded like that, but It really isn't.

What REALLY impacts crowds this weekend (or season entirely) are the tour groups. There is usually one country that has a major presence at WDW and they are in at TON of LARGE groups that all travel together. They are usually at the values, and maybe moderates, but my experience is most have charter buses, so they don't use the WDW transport en mass. I find them a nuisance because my experience has it that they are loud, even during shows or in line. That is the major problem I encountered last year .

The first year we visited WDW during marathon weekend actually inspired us. When we saw the runners, my dad was inspired to run a marathon before he turned 51. So, MANY years later, there we were, with our medals around our neck as a family! It is fun to see all the finishers that made personal histories by running 13.1 or 26.2 (or for those goofy people... 39.3) miles!

[EmmMOM2]

What if you have dinner reservations in EPCOT on Sunday night around 5pm or so...???

The race will be completely over by then, right? Or should I switch my dinner ressie???

Thanks!!

[Strmchsr]

What if you have dinner reservations in EPCOT on Sunday night around 5pm or so...???

Yes, the race is over by then. I did notice, though, that by the evening crowds were definitely increasing. I attributed that to folks going back to their rooms after the race for a rest and a shower then returning to the parks for the evening. Still, I don't think there's any need to cancel your ADR. You'll be fine.

[DisneyDudet]

You should be ok. Crowds may pick up, but I doubt they will be manageable.

[kdbianchini]

We have been during marathon weekend twice before and it was very managable. I would definately recommend using Disney transportation. They know what streets are closed and how to get around easily. We have found that Sunday after the marathon, Epcot has a lot of runners enjoying World Showcase while wearing their metals, but still easily managable. I think your dinner reservations will be fine.

[DisneyDudet]

I meant to say that doubt they won't be manageable

Darn iPad!