What I Wish I Would Have Known Before my First RunDisney Race
The excitement, the nerves, and the magic to come…there were so many emotions before my first RunDisney race weekend at Walt Disney World. And it’s crazy to think that I’ve lost count of how many races I’ve completed now.
I started participating in RunDisney events in 2018 when I convinced my best friend to come with me to Walt Disney World so I could fulfill a bucket list item of running the Princess FairyTale Challenge. We hadn’t even left before we were already planning our return and we were signed up for Wine and Dine 2018 shortly after we got back home.
I’ve adapted through the race weekends, made mistakes and now developed a system that makes RunDisney race weekends one of my favorite experiences and something I continue to go back for. But there were things I wish I had known before my first race weekend and I want to share a few of those things with you.
Different challenges include different races.
When you are going to register for the actual RunDisney event there will be challenge options. I learned the hard way that during Princess weekend, the FairyTale Challenge “only” includes the 10k and the half marathon. It does NOT include the 5k- that is a completely separate registration. So most of the challenges do not include all the race events for a race weekend- the only exceptions would be the Dopey Challenge during marathon weekend which includes the 5k, 10, half marathon and full marathon and the Springtime Surprise Challenge which includes the 5k, 10k, and the third race which has so far been a 10 miler.
While staying on property is king, not all on property resorts are created equal during a race weekend.
Every official Walt Disney World resort will offer transportation to and from the run start/finish as well as the expo which is so convenient, but not every resort is the best option for a race weekend. And which resort is best might depend on your travel party, which race weekend/events you are doing, and overall, your budget. Some resorts even do some fun extra things for athletes during a race weekend which is extra special.
Who you travel with/stay with during a race weekend will impact your trip.
A RunDisney race weekend is not a traditional Walt Disney World vacation. You will be getting up at 2am to head to the races, you will put lots of miles on your feet in the events and will need to take it slower in the parks, you will need to go to bed early, you will need to be mindful about food choices. In general, I don’t recommend a race weekend with a travel party who doesn’t support and respect your race goals. Choosing a travel party who is also participating in the events, who will cheer for you, or who will at least give you space to sleep and rest as needed is a vital part of having an enjoyable race weekend.
Plan your food ahead.
Nothing is open at 2am when you are heading to the buses. Do you need coffee in the morning? Do you need a bagel with peanut butter before your race? You need to plan these details ahead of time and have them ready in your room. I’ve actually learned to adapt my training fuel based on what will be easy for me to prep and have available during a race morning. For example, I eat an uncrustable in the morning before a race and often bring them with me as fuel on the course because I can have a few of these in my room, they are sold on Disney property and I know my stomach does well with them. I also recommend that you mobile order your breakfast when you finish your race and your bus starts to head back to your resort. You are going to be tired and not want to stand around so having food ready to go when you arrive is so helpful. Bonus- book a fun character meal to celebrate during your race weekend and bring your medal for the characters to sign the back!
The race photographers are mainly in the parks, at the character stops and at the finish line.
When you sign up for a RunDisney event, everyone automatically imagines the images of people running down Main Street and in front of the castle. What you might not realize is that most of the races don’t even go down Main Street and the majority of the mileage for every race happens outside of the parks but across Disney property. You will experience the majority of the mileage on highways and backstage areas although every race does go through at least one of the parks. EPCOT is actually the most utilized park for RunDisney events because the parking lot here is the start and finish line. With this being said, there are amazing photographers out on the course (be sure to get Memory Maker) will be ready to take your picture but they are not across the entire course. You will find them at most of the character stops (note that these are quick photo stops- no autographs and no big interactions with the characters because RunDisney needs you to keep moving), inside the parks or along the Boardwalk if you race goes through this area and finally at the finish line. Photographers will use your bib number (so make sure it’s visible) and hand enter each photo after the races so be patient if it takes a day or so for your photos to appear. One of my favorite photos to grab is the “I Did It” photo after the finish line area and I love to grab at least one character photo in the start/finish area ideally before the race but they are also around for a little while after.
And finally- you probably won’t do just one! Haha! Once you discover the magic of RunDisney, the community, the fun, you will want to come back again. So plan accordingly.
These are just a few of the details I wish I would have known before my first race and that I love to share with my RunDisney clients.
From understanding how to register, to navigating the expo, to costumes for the races, I share tips and tricks with my clients to help them have as many magical miles as possible during their RunDisney race weekend.
If you want help planning your RunDisney race weekend, head to amyrunsonmagic.com and let me help you find the magic of RunDisney, one step at a time.
If your wanting to book a RunDisney race or just a magical weekend click the link below to get connected one of our advisors like Amy
