Favorite RunDisney event hotels

[matt and beth]

Thought it would be fun/informative to share your favorite hotel for RunDisney races.

Items to share/consider are:
Dining options
Pool
Views
Buses/transportation
Resort size
Room layout
Proximity to race start
Price/affordability
Theming

Having stayed at CCV, BWV, OKW, BCV, AKL, CSR it’s really tough but probably CCV wins.

Great dining options with lots of meat for tons of protein and we love bbq. The views are good with the night time fireworks from MK. Pool is nice with CCV rooms being close to the pool area. CCV rooms are close to the lobby so the painful walk isn’t terribly long. Buses are fairly close to Epcot. Theming is warm.

 

[AaronB]

May be in the minority on this, but I intentionally avoid the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness, Boardwalk, and Beach/Yacht. The fireworks from Magic Kingdom/Epcot and the Electrical Water Pageant are too disruptive when trying to get sleep for the early starts. As quiet a location I can get is the only thing in my mind when I pick a room for RunDisney trips. As DVC, I tend to end up at Saratoga often, which is one of the quieter resorts I have found. The Congress Park section gets a little noise bleed from Disney Springs, so I usually try and request a room not in that section. However, being close to Disney Springs does have the benefit of offering all the meal options.

 

[marty3d]

We almost always stay at one of the crescent lake hotels. We‘ve stayed at all of them and while BW is our favorite, we usually end up at the Swan or Dolphin due to the price difference.

Our reasons for staying here are :
- Walking distance to Epcot and DHS. We really appreciate this especially at park closing
- Easy to be a spectator for at least the half and full marathon
- Short drive or bus to the start
- Room size
- Easy access to more restaurants and lounges than we can eat at!
- The pools
- Late night strolls on the BW

We have always wanted to do one of the monorail resorts and are seriously considering that for MW 25.

That being said, because I’m doing this MW solo, I’m currently booked into Pop (Unless I can get a last minute deal at the Swan or Dolphin). Can’t justify the higher cost of those resorts if it’s just me But I did want to be on the Skyliner.

 

[Herding_Cats]

May be in the minority on this, but I intentionally avoid the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness, Boardwalk, and Beach/Yacht. The fireworks from Magic Kingdom/Epcot and the Electrical Water Pageant are too disruptive when trying to get sleep for the early starts. As quiet a location I can get is the only thing in my mind when I pick a room for RunDisney trips. As DVC, I tend to end up at Saratoga often, which is one of the quieter resorts I have found. The Congress Park section gets a little noise bleed from Disney Springs, so I usually try and request a room not in that section. However, being close to Disney Springs does have the benefit of offering all the meal options.

I agree with all of this, except I really like being in Congress Park because it makes the walk so short to DS. It's also like a 6min drive to Epcot. We always rent a car, so the size of the resort isn't much of an issue.

The walk isn't terribly long to the lobby for the bus in the morning (if needed) and if you ride the bus back from the race and are in a more distant section, you can just use a park bus to get to your section from the lobby (except if you are in Grandstand, I think.)

And if you don't own DVC and choose to rent points for a reservation, you're looking at about $250/nt for a week a SSR.

 

[SheHulk]

Trying to remember the places I've stayed for race weekends:
Saratoga Springs - Marathon - 1x
Wilderness Lodge -Marathon - 1x
Contemporary - Marathon - 1x
Beach Club - Marathon - 1x
Swan/Dolphin - Goofy - 1x
Pop Century (once I stayed here for a race weekend, I just kept doing it from then on except for the S&D stay in between)

Note that most of the stays other than Pop were pre-covid (maybe not S&D), but I really do like Pop Century for race weekends. It feels like at least 50% of the other people staying there are racing too, and the experience feels more catered to racers. I've said it a million times all over these boards, but just walking out the lobby door in the morning and seeing a half dozen buses lined up and ready to fill and leave, is very comforting. Buses to the expo are also very short waits. And at least recently the food court has been open in the early hours during bus boarding which I really appreciate. I also really like the Skyliner, I haven't gotten used to it yet so it's still exciting!

SS was fine, that was about 10 years ago now but I don't remember any problems, it was just fine. I liked having a hot tub after the race, that's for sure.
WL is a nice hotel, but the bus situation was harrowing that morning. Granted this was 9 years ago so who knows about now. I left early enough it wasn't a problem, but my family was spectating and had to wait what felt like a long time and they were worried they would miss me. In retrospect bringing my family with young kids was more of a general issue that weekend, than anything about WL.
Contemporary was great, I really enjoyed being able to take the monorail in the morning. After the race when I was physically devastated, I would have preferred boarding a bus, rather than making the parking lot trek and then climbing the ramps to the monorail. And having to change monorails. But if you're in better shape for a marathon that's probably not a problem.
Beach Club was just ok. You think it's close but you still have to take a bus. I wanted to get a coffee in the morning but nothing was open. This had been true for every other hotel I had stayed in race weekend, prior, but this time it bothered me in particular. That and the other big draw of that hotel is the pool, but it was absolutely freezing that weekend. It's always a crap shoot relying on having a good pool experience in January I'll bet.
My experience with S&D was that there were buses lined up in the early mornings too. That went smoothly but my kids didn't like not being able to charge things in the park to the room with their magic bands. Bus transportation to AK and MK were not that convenient either.

 

[GreatLakes]

I don't think you can beat Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve for a combination of price and location plus I still get my Marriott Points. TBH as much as I like the Disney resorts, and we will be at an AoA suite this year for MW, I find it harder and harder to justify staying anywhere other than Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve. We do from time to time but it is now the exception where even 10 years ago we would stay at a Disney report pretty much exclusively.

 

[The Expert]

May be in the minority on this, but I intentionally avoid the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness, Boardwalk, and Beach/Yacht. The fireworks from Magic Kingdom/Epcot and the Electrical Water Pageant are too disruptive when trying to get sleep for the early starts.

FOR REAL! After years of staying at Boardwalk Villas for races, we decided to move to Bay Lake last MW. I drove to the 5K and 10K, and the monorail was super convenient for the HM and full. I also loved having MK right there for race photos or a quick park outing. HOWEVER, they put us in a room about as close to MK as you can get and the fireworks were insanely loud -- they shook the windows. I'm doing all I can to request something on the other side of the building this year.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I don't think you can beat Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve for a combination of price and location plus I still get my Marriott Points. TBH as much as I like the Disney resorts, and we will be at an AoA suite this year for MW, I find it harder and harder to justify staying anywhere other than Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve. We do from time to time but it is now the exception where even 10 years ago we would stay at a Disney report pretty much exclusively.

I stayed at the Swan in 2022 while my parents were at the Boardwalk. I did the 10k and didn’t have any issues with the buses. My mom stayed with me the night before the half so my dad didn’t have to worry about being quiet, and she said my room was bigger than theirs, and I paid a fraction of what they did.

I also love being able to walk around Crescent Lake and the boardwalk area. From there my room was quiet in the evenings and I could still walk over in the mornings if I wanted something from the Boardwalk Bakery.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

AKL is my fav for race weekends.
-It being remotes is a good thing! No waking up in the middle night from fireworks or anything else.
-It is the best resort for not going to the park. On rundisney weekends we tend to stay away from the parks to save money and AKL has the most things to do to keep u entertained without going into the parks and staying at the resorts! It has a freaking Savanah!
-It has the best food options. You have the best buffet with Boma! Then u have a the best bread service at Sanaa which we all know us runners love a good bread service. Then if u want to go full fancy to celebrate your run you can go to the best fancy restruant at Jiko.
-You have two huge pools to choose from between Jumbo and Kandi with hot tubs. So u can always find space to relax.
-The bus service to Rundisney is actually really great here. They time them out and always have a bus waiting. My mom talked to the coordinator last year about how they make sure there is always a bus waiting. The route to Epcot is actually closer than most other resorts like in MK area. Never had a rundisney bus issue.
-A great workout area if u want to stretch, warmup or cool down...

The bad...
-If u have a room that is away from the lobby... but hey ateast it is all inside.

A specfic reason for us..
We own at AKL so it is easy for us to get a room here and we have managed to get club level on rundisney events too... having club level is the most wonderful on rundisney weekend. Lots of snacks, icecream bars and drinks.

 

[RuntheMouse]

We love BRV for runDisney weekends. I love the DVC pool area for lounging and the hot tub. The food options are great there as well. It has a great relaxing vibe which I enjoy after all the race excitement. I also like how easy it is to get to MK for pics or the monorail resorts if we want to resort hop.

We didn’t notice the fireworks too much but I think that the main building acts as a great buffer for that.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

We almost always stay at one of the crescent lake hotels. We‘ve stayed at all of them and while BW is our favorite, we usually end up at the Swan or Dolphin due to the price difference.

Our reasons for staying here are :
- Walking distance to Epcot and DHS. We really appreciate this especially at park closing
- Easy to be a spectator for at least the half and full marathon
- Short drive or bus to the start
- Room size
- Easy access to more restaurants and lounges than we can eat at!
- The pools
- Late night strolls on the BW

We have always wanted to do one of the monorail resorts and are seriously considering that for MW 25.

That being said, because I’m doing this MW solo, I’m currently booked into Pop (Unless I can get a last minute deal at the Swan or Dolphin). Can’t justify the higher cost of those resorts if it’s just me But I did want to be on the Skyliner.

I’m in Pop for the same reason

 

[azrivest]

It's fun to see all the different answers based on people's personal preference.

I loved POFQ last Princess cause the resort is so small, so no long walk post-race, and the bus ride to the race start was so short. We were on the first bus and arrived before security was even open at EPCOT. For someone likes me who wants to take all the pre-race character pics, it was perfect.

We're going back to CSR for MW. I don't know if it's the best race resort, but it's a good place for my family to hang out while I'm at the races. Good pool and many restaurant options.

I'm doing Pop solo for PW 2024, based on @SheHulk 's previous recommendations about the atmosphere and the Skyliner. Really excited!

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

We've stayed at a number of resorts for race weekends. Yacht/Beach Club and Boardwalk and great for proximity to the start and finish. I also enjoy the hot tubs and pools at Y&B. However, as some have pointed out, you can get woken up by the Epcot fireworks which isn't ideal if you want an early night.

Contemporary was just not for us. The fireworks were loud and the elevators were a nightmare.

All of the value resorts were too loud for my taste when trying to turn in early, but it seemed like everyone was wearing a medal after the races and were all quick to strike up a conversation about the races. I enjoyed that.

POR and POFQ were perfectly fine. Quiet enough but nothing really remarkable. Same for Caribbean Beach.

Old Key West was excellent as far as noise went. I could go to bed at 7 and nothing woke me up.

However, while Old Key West gets an honorable mention, I'm going with Wilderness Lodge as my favorite race weekend resort. It's nice and compact so you aren't far from the bus stop no matter which room you are given. It is far enough from Magic Kingdom that the fireworks didn't wake me up, but the days following the races I could still watch the fireworks from my balcony. On race days when I didn't want to go to the parks, I loved spending time in the pool and lobby, plus Fort Wilderness was right there for me to go exploring.

 

[camaker]

I've been to Marathon Weekend every year since 2016 (missing 2021, of course) and have also been to one W&D and one SWDS weekend each. I've stayed at three resorts during those race weekends, two of which I love and one that I will not do again. The most important things to me are proximity to the drink refill stations (food is less important, as I eat almost exclusively in the parks) and the convenience of the transportation locations and options. Here are my summaries:

Coronado Springs Resort
We'll get the bad news out of the way first. I stayed here during MW 2018 and 100% did not enjoy and do not recommend. I was in a relatively close group of rooms to the main building, but it was still a >1/3 mile walk to the food court every time I wanted a drink refill. It didn't help that this was the MW that I ran with bronchitis and ended up confined to my room for large portions of the weekend, with that walk being needed for food as well as drink. Transportation was ok, but spread out and sometimes it's a little mazy trying to find your way to the bus stops in some of the outlying room enclaves. I've also stayed at the resort on non-running weekends where my room has been as much as 3/4 mile from the food court. I fully admit that having bronchitis colors my opinion of the resort, but I won't stay here for a race weekend unless absolutely necessary.

Port Orleans French Quarter
One of my favorite resorts for any situation and the one that I've stayed at the most. The resort's small size means you're never far from food, drink or transportation. The boat to DS is a plus. I enjoy the food on offer here, too. Proximity to the race start can't be beat. You don't even have enough time for a decent bus nap before you're being dropped off at Epcot for race staging. Highly recommended.

Caribbean Beach Resort
Historically, I have not cared for this resort due to its size and the theming and food options not really speaking to me. Now it's my preferred resort for race weekends. Why? Two key reasons. First and foremost, the Skyliner. I absolutely love the Skyliner and the convenience it brings to getting to DHS and Epcot. I spend more time in Epcot than anywhere else and being able to get dropped off at the International Gateway entrance is a huge plus. I always request a room in the Jamaica or Aruba areas for easy access to both bus stops and the Skyliner terminals. The huge size of the resort from a refreshment standpoint is mitigated by the fact that they've put the Sodastream machines out in roughly every other building. You're never more than a few steps away from a refill. As long as I'm not forced to eat at the resort, the size isn't an issue. I'll be there again this MW.

 

[Naomeri]

I’ve stayed at All Star Music, All Star Movies, Pop Century, and Coronado Springs for race weekends. CSR is my favorite because its very peaceful, and I get a room in the Casitas section so I’m close to the first park bus stop.

I’ve learned my lesson with the value resort: don’t cheap out, spring for a preferred room so you’re not super far from the transportation. I had a room at Pop for Springtime this year that was nearly half a mile from the rD bus stop, which doesn’t seem that far until you’ve just finished a 10 mile race at the end of a 19.3 mile race weekend, and then it seems like an insurmountable distance.

This room was also so far from the skyliner station that if there had been a walking path, I think it would’ve been faster to just walk to the Caribbean Beach station, than it was walking to the Pop/AoA station, boarding the skyliner, and riding to the CB station

 

[jmasgat]

It is far enough from Magic Kingdom that the fireworks didn't wake me up,

But watch out for the Electrical Water Pageant! Found that out one year when I had a great room at the stub end of the corridors looking out on the lake. Went to bed at 9, and soon heard the show. It was fun though, since I never seem to stay out in the parks late enough for fireworks/shows. This way I just watched and went back to bed. Who sleeps before races anyway? My mind is usually busy. It's like an overseas flight--if I get "rest" I consider myself lucky.

As for my answer: I am perfectly content at Pop and now that it's New and Improved with More Skyliner! I think it's totally fine for my always-solo trips. I will say that I do like AKL for the resort vibe and the chance to look at animals outside the window and have a slightly saner/quieter/less "cheer squad/dance team/loud family" experience that a value is bound to invite. Renting DVC points there is still a way to cushion the blow of the usorious other-worldly insane pricing of Disney resorts, which I just will not pay.

 

[pluto377]

I've stayed at a bunch of different resorts for race weekends- AoA, Pop, ASMo, BCV, CCV, CSR, Poly, and AKL.

While I like the Deluxes for the relaxed after race atmosphere and the hot tubs, I think my favorite is Pop. As others have mentioned there are just so many racers there, the buses are always plentiful and Skyliner access is amazing. Plus I like having a food court because I'm extremely picky with what I eat and I'm also solo so I like to just be able to grab food and eat in my room.

I think my least favorite was AKL. I didn't feel like I was at a race weekend at all. The food options (for me) were not great. And I felt the buses were not good either. But this was about 5 years ago so...

I'm hoping to stay at FQ next year, but not sure I can justify the price.

 

[azrivest]

I had a room at Pop for Springtime this year that was nearly half a mile from the rD bus stop

I'm curious which section this was? The 50s?

 

[Naomeri]

I'm curious which section this was? The 50s?

Yep. I might’ve been exaggerating on the the half mile a little, but it was really far. It didn’t help that the rD bus stop was at the furthest end of the bus stops from my end of the resort. And I ended up with a room facing the bowling pin pool, so early bedtimes were a problem. I’m doing a preferred (but not preferred pool) for Springtime 2024.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I've stayed at various hotels for races, starting with Boardwalk. When I was in college, I was able to enjoy my parents' DVC at Boardwalk, and if they decided not to stay at Boardwalk, then Beach Club. That was a main reason I stayed at the Swan in 2022 because I absolutely love the area. When my coach gave me a shake out run the day before the 10K, it was easy to do around Crescent Lake. There's plenty of restaurants between all of the resorts and I never felt like I didn't have choices. The Swan has a cafe that I took advantage of, and the Boardwalk has a great bakery (now deli).

I've stayed with my mom at Coronado for Princess 2019, and really liked it. The walk wasn't too bad to the main building, and we had worked with a TA to get a good room and the walk to the bus stop wasn't far either. My cousins and I will be staying in the Tower for Princess 2024, and I know that'll be different.

I loved staying at Pop for Springtime this year. I paid for a preferred room, and even though it didn't have a tub, I love that the murphy bed was up, giving me more space in the room. I was able to do some yoga my first morning in the room to stretch out after the flight. Now, I will say if two or more people were in that room, it would've been tight, but I absolutely recommend Pop if you're traveling solo for a race weekend. It's also close to WWoS so the bus ride

I think my least favorite was POFQ. There wasn't anything bad about it, the one complaint I have is they were showing a movie in the courtyard right outside my building the evening before the 10K, and I could hear it in my room. I also needed to do a shakeout run after I got to the resort after my flight, and the running path was OK down to Riverside, but I had to weave around to get the mileage on my plan, and I much prefer the Crescent Lake area. The food court is small too, and what I really liked at Pop is it has a large bakery and cold foods area in the back of the food court, where I could go in and pick what I wanted. I had to wait at FQ to get something for race morning, and it wasn't fully staffed at that time of day so it took a while to get someone's attention. There wasn't anything bad about French Quarter, I just much prefer other resorts.