Crowds during Marathon Weekend

[beksy]

We are going to WDW Dec. 29 through January 10. I know it will be busy at least through January 1st. Then our last few days are during the Marathon Weekend. What kind of crowds can we expect? I imagine they will die down some after the 1st but since it falls on a Friday I wasn't sure how fast and then didn't know how quickly Marathon crowds would build up or how much they affect park crowds. I just want to be prepared! TIA for any info or suggestions!

[sisterslovindisney]

We'll be there from Jan 2nd-10th maybe we'll see each other!! Anyway, we have been twice during the marathon and the first time we didn't even know it. What resort are you staying at? I think there are some that tend to be more crowded by the marathon. On actual marathon day, the only thing you might see is people running the race, the actual park crowds should be lower that day. Both January trips our longest wait was like 20 minutes.

[Strmchsr]

I was down that week last year and it was definitely a good bit more crowded than I expected. It does calm down after the 1st, but it doesn't drop to empty like I expected.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Marathons create resort business.
2) They do not add too much to the parks.
3) But, certain roads are blocked off or restricted in the AM.

[ThanxForNoticin]

In general, if Jan 1st is a Friday, you'll probably find folks extending their holiday stay through Sunday or Monday. Then the crowds will likely ease during the week with a small increase over Marathon weekend.

I think TheRustyScupper is right on about it not impacted park traffic much. After running 13 or 26 miles during the morning, I think the hot tub and pool might be more appealing to the runners than walking around the parks!

[MinnieMommie]

We will be there Jan 3 through 10 (have runners this year) and expect it to be more crowded than the other weeks we have visited in Jan. A couple of years ago we went down for New Year's Eve and stayed up until the marathon. The parks did not empty after the 1st as we were told they would. It stayed fairly crowded (comparatively - not like the week between Christmas and New Years). There were nights when the parks were open till 2 (late EMH) and the MK was mobbed. People with really young children were still in the parks. I am expecting it to be fairly crowded. :mickey:

[beksy]

Thanks for all the info...I'm hoping it's not too bad! To answer a pp question, we are staying at the CR. :party:

[irish1967]

Another consideration for marathon weekend is that the routes do go through the parks. EPCOT, especially, can be difficult to get around in while the half and full marathon are in progress. EPCOT is the park that the runners go through last so they are still running through the park well after the park opens.

It isn't a show stopper, but it definitely slows things down a bit.

Also, since runners take food seriously, I wonder if ADRs are harder to come by (I don't know, we have always gotten the ADRs we wanted for the 6 days we are down for the marathon weekend.)

Definitely not a bad time to go - we have always managed to do everything we wanted to even taking out a complete day for the race.

[beksy]

What day is the marathon? I think I saw four dates but I don't see if there is a marathon each day or how that works. :blush:

[irish1967]

I don't have my calendar in front of my so I don't know the exact dates, but the half marathon (MK and EPCOT) is on Saturday, the full (all four parks) is on Sunday.

[jray21]

I've been for the past two years and the crowds really are not bad at all. I rarely had to wait more than 20 minutes for the rides, and the evenings were usually very empty, especially on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Even though we were running, we still stayed up late and I was glad we did. Since the races start at 6am on Saturday and Sunday, many people do not stay up that late the night before, and after running that long, many cannot stay awake that long.

Also, a few of the runners do not stay on property, so they don't want to pay for a whole day when they know they are getting up early and will go to bed early.

The Disneyworld Marathon is also known to have a lot of beginners. These beginners are usually way too sore to stay in the parks after both days. But, their families and supporters are ok, so the crowds are a little more than other January weeks, but still alot better than summer, or christmas. I guess you could say it's a busier slow time:secret:, but still great when compared to most of the year.

Resort location. The All Stars are slammed during this time. Most nights, the All Stars would have 2-4 times the lines of every other resort.

As for parks, it is true that Epcot is usually the most difficult as people will be running through there from 6 am to 1 pm. The runners go right through the central fountain plaza so to get from one side to the other (For example from space to the land) it can take a long time, and it's like running across the freeway during rush hour. The only way to get from one side of Epcot to the other is through these Freeway Crossing Gates.

Magic Kingdom is a little busier as well, not because of the runners, but because of all the visitors. A lot of people only come for a few days for the marathon weekend, so of course they have to stop by the Magic Kingdom. It's still not bad, but a little more than compared to the other parks.

Animal Kingdom and The Studios are pretty empty compared to the others, but that's usual.

It really isn't bad at all, hope you have a great time and remember to cheer us on! I'll be the one either lying in the dirt crying at Animal Kingdom, or sitting in the main fountain in Epcot whimpering. :blush: