Marathon Weekend 2023

[wdwjoe13]

ADR’s…
So I was with family traveling to New York yesterday when my ADR time started. I was literally racing from the airline gate back to the parking lot via a shuttle and then back to the airport, security and getting to the gate all between 5:30am & 6:20am, because someone (me) forgot their wallet in the car… So, during all this I was simultaneously trying to book ADR’s.

Luckily my wallet was in the car and not still at home! And I managed to hustle through all of that with my eyes on my phone. Unfortunately our number one priority was Boma for a post Marathon dinner and it was booked up. I managed to get three of four during that madness, so not to bad! Plus at the expo later yesterday I managed to find Boma on a different day, so at least we get to eat there still!

I didn’t have any tech issues trying to book stuff and was using the app. So based on a lot of what you all shared I guess I was pretty lucky.

Apparently Boma did not open up their availability yesterday morning for the +9 days. But, it is open now. So, if you need to try again for marathon evening, there are times available.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Good evening runDisney All-stars! I am sending this out on Saturday night this week as It will be late in the day before I get back to the hotel from the race. So I guess it is time for SEAFD (Saturday Evenings are for Disney).

Tonight’s question - How is Disney planning going? Have you booked ADR’s? Flight set? Hotel set? Airport shuttle? Any special plans?

My Answer:
I love Disney planning, then changing plans and replanning (then likely changing them again, and so on….). So I am sure that this will change some, but we have set all our ADR’s and as I shared the other day, it was a mostly successful and fairly stressful adventure - but we made it to New York and I made the ADR’s and that is as good as I could ask for! Flights are set and we are headed to the Wilderness Lodge, our favorite! To get there we are going to try the Sunshine Flyer for our shuttle. Last time we did Mears, it worked fine, but thought we would try something else. Since we are staying until Tuesday we are going to the late night event at MK on Monday the 9th as the final celebration to the trip. Looking forward to that. To any running the half tomorrow down at WDW, have a great race!

 

[nekonekoneko]

SEAFD: All the planning has had my head spinning pretty much since we left Disney after MW2022. Where do we want to stay, how do we want to get around? Is there anything we want to do after the races are over?

This past January, we went on what was supposed to be the CC cruise, but they didn't have the actual run. We did enjoy the cruise, but we also realized that cruising is not for us. So we decided to go to Uni after the races. We're coming back to Disney for After Hours on Monday, so we might see you @Baloo in MI !

We fly pretty much on SW down to Orlando, so I was smashing the refresh button on fare release day. The prices have gone down a couple of times, and I used points, so the balance is pretty good.

Getting the rental car this past trip after the prices crashed made us say that we're not going to rely on Disney Transportation, anymore, and we're going to do it ourselves. Prices for 2023 have been a bit higher, but that was to be expected. We're staying at Riverside, which is also our favorite resort!

ADRs have been a pain this time, I think this update a couple days ago is causing some unexpected problems. I picked something inside the parks for the days we have passes, and maybe adjusting as I keep looking. Though I got an ADR for V&A for Tuesday after the race. I wish they were open on Sunday, but, oh well.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SE/SAFD: Planning is being thoroughly done. I have a spreadsheet (OK, so maybe I have 2) because that way I can put in all the details as they come and don't have to remember things.
I did all of the "running math" for lunchtime ADRS so I know what is a reasonable time for those. ADRs were an absolute disaster to make. The app didn't work. The website didn't work. I ended up having to call and the ONE reservation I reeeeeally wanted (Homecomin') hadn't released their availability yet (on Friday) according to the CM I talked to. Well this morning everything except for a 9:20 dinner is gone on Saturday, so it looks like I will be stalking for one of those, or DH will put us on the walk-up list while I clean up post-race. We did manage Morimoto (which will be after we watch Drawn to Life) and Paddlefish. I currently have Sanaa booked for Monday lunch (before we fly home) but I'm not super attached to it....I'd probably just get the bread service and an app.

We booked our flights shortly after we got registered, and then with all of the schedule changes United made, we ended up tacking on a day at the beginning so we can have more "vacation time" before the race-cation portion starts and I have to go to bed early.

I'm still stalking rental car rates, and will cancel and rebook as many times as I can to make it cheaper. ETA: just looked and it's another $5 $10/day cheaper, so prices are coming down.

We have 2 park days planned right now, including a super exciting one thanks to a pretty awesome person. There's a small chance we will add another one, or DH will add one on Sunday so he's not sitting around all day while I run.


It's also BLOWING MY MIND that we are less than 2 months out now.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

SEAFD: Fortunately for me there is virtually no planning involved. In a couple of weeks, my dog and I will drive down to my parents' house in Orlando for the holidays and just stay there until MW. And no ADRs because I do better with frequent snacks than full meals after a race. Honestly the most difficult thing I have to figure out is what time to leave my parents' house to get to Epcot in good time on Sunday morning.

 

[1lilspark]

BUT...I don't have anything reserved for my race day (Friday). Everything was booked. So now I'm looking for suggestions of quick service places with good breakfast/brunch options. We'll be in MK that day.

Since you specifically said breakfast/brunch QS options gonna go with the Nutella Waffle at Sleepy Hollow

SEAFD: since I’m only following the thread for the community no MW prep… have a few pieces for my Springtime Surprise costumes though as well as hotel & park passes for the days I’m not blocked out

 

[Novatrix]

SEAFD:
Hotel got finalized just this week as my waitlist for the final day I needed to complete my 10 night BWV reservation filled. Super stoked to be at an EPCOT resort for NYE!

My plane tickets were settled but are now up in the air. Originally planned after work evening flight Friday before NYE. A few weeks ago, management announced work would be shutdown and everyone would be forced to take vacation that day, so I planned to rebook to a morning flight. Now, however, the plant manager keeps waffling on whether my department is going to be required to be on site, so I'm reluctant to book a replacement just yet...

ADRs, I booked some stuff, but I'll probably cancel most 24 hours before. Usually, I prefer just getting take-out/quick service whenever I feel like day of from whatever park I felt like going to. I really dislike needing to determine what I'll feel like eating 60 plus days out and at what time I'll be hungry.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

I really dislike needing to determine what I'll feel like eating 60 plus days out and at what time I'll be hungry.

Me. Too. The Genie Plus system also messes with dining reservations— what if your ILL or even virtual queue ends up during one? If they’re going to make us do 60 days out then everything should be 60 days out.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I have everything done for Princess except ADRs. My travel party has our list set for ADRs, we're just waiting for our booking window. I do have a reservation at Wine Bar George since we didn't have to wait for that one.

I'm now trying to figure out my spring race. Choices are both in April: the SS 10-miler since I feel ready to push my mileage after injury, or a 10k in SLC. Disney would be high chance of steamy, and Salt Lake would be a chance of winter weather.

 

[camaker]

SAFD: I have my resort reserved, and both plane and park tickets purchased. Decided to let my annual pass go. I've only been going once a year or so, here lately, so the AP just doesn't make sense. I need to make my park reservations here soon. I absolutely despise the park reservation system. I want to be able to go to the park I feel like when I'm there, not lock myself in months in advance! I won't make any ADRs, either, preferring to just eat counter service wherever I end up on a given day.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: Hotel, tickets, park reservations (including Monday MK DAH), ADRs, flights and car rental all booked. I continue to watch car rental prices as they come down and also keep watching flights as I’m not happy with my inbound at the moment and would rather come in the night of the 2nd even if it’s late at night.

 

[HangWithMerida]

Tonight’s question - How is Disney planning going? Have you booked ADR’s? Flight set? Hotel set? Airport shuttle? Any special plans?

I’m basically done. I’ve had my room and flights for months. I got most of my ADR’s. There are a couple I am stalking for possible time or location changes, but if I end up with what I have now, I’ll be happy. I used Lyft for airport transportation last trip and it was super easy, so planning on that again. And I booked a nighttime safari for my arrival day as a special thing since I am staying at AKL and not doing parks that day.

 

[dobball23]

SEAFD: All the planning has had my head spinning pretty much since we left Disney after MW2022. Where do we want to stay, how do we want to get around? Is there anything we want to do after the races are over?

This past January, we went on what was supposed to be the CC cruise, but they didn't have the actual run. We did enjoy the cruise, but we also realized that cruising is not for us. So we decided to go to Uni after the races. We're coming back to Disney for After Hours on Monday, so we might see you @Baloo in MI !

We fly pretty much on SW down to Orlando, so I was smashing the refresh button on fare release day. The prices have gone down a couple of times, and I used points, so the balance is pretty good.

Getting the rental car this past trip after the prices crashed made us say that we're not going to rely on Disney Transportation, anymore, and we're going to do it ourselves. Prices for 2023 have been a bit higher, but that was to be expected. We're staying at Riverside, which is also our favorite resort!

ADRs have been a pain this time, I think this update a couple days ago is causing some unexpected problems. I picked something inside the parks for the days we have passes, and maybe adjusting as I keep looking. Though I got an ADR for V&A for Tuesday after the race. I wish they were open on Sunday, but, oh well.

We were on the cruise on the Dream right after Marathon Weekend 2022, too. I was disappointed they didn't have the Castaway Cay 5K. I did run the course, though, with my wife biking next to me. It was fun, but not the same as if it had been a race.

 

[accm]

SEAFD: We have almost everything planned out already. It's been more of a challenge than usual since we're taking family with us, and they're trying to fit a lot in during a busy period.

Actually, I have a question for those who have been to MW weekend previously. We're staying at BLT, so I'm assuming there will be a lot of road closures around for the half and full. My family was planning on going to Universal on Saturday and Sunday. Is that a terrible idea given the road closures? How hard will it be for them to get out?

 

[DLmama]

SEAFD: This will be our first MW, only participating in the 10k. What started out as planning a bucket list NYE trip, turned into ending with the 10k. So excited!

Flying from CA on 12/30, ADRs were booked this week. The only events I wasn't able to get are the MK dessert party on NYE (knew that was a long shot anyway) and Fantasmic dining package on 1/2. It looks like they haven't been released yet, so still checking.

We booked transportation to and from MCO with a private car. We're staying at POFQ for the first time. I've been updating my spreadsheet as plans get finalized.

 

[The Expert]

I'm a bit disappointed that V&A isn't open for Marathon Sunday, but, it is what it is.

Yeah, I'm bougie!

SAME! Though I was hoping for Monday to give myself a bit of recovery. Those are the two days a week they are closed. ::sigh:: We resorted to Citrico's.

SAEFD: I travel a lot so the Disney trips are just part of a routine of booking things. We're DVC so we got the room way back in February. Trying Bay Lake Tower after staying BWV for almost every other race at WDW so that will be new. I booked my flight several months ago. Coming from Salt Lake I take the redeye the night before the expo to help acclimate to the time. That's worked well for previous trips, and shouldn't mess with the Expo much as I have early access from Club rD. I am working on ADRs as our stay is split, but since we have a kitchen and try to focus on Dopey rather than park time, I really only book breakfast or lunch and one celebratory dinner after it's all done.

Now that W&D 5K is behind me I really need to focus on getting my costumes together and completed for MW!

 

[nekonekoneko]

We were on the cruise on the Dream right after Marathon Weekend 2022, too. I was disappointed they didn't have the Castaway Cay 5K. I did run the course, though, with my wife biking next to me. It was fun, but not the same as if it had been a race.

My DW thought about just running it, for whatever prizes they had. I said I was done. That morning, as we docked into Castaway Cay, she just said "eh... **** it" and we ended Marathon Weekend 2022 right there.

 

[Bree]

Glamping at FW and that has been booked for months. Made one ADR, booked one park day for DATW and that’s it. I’m local so I don’t have to plan too much beyond that

 

[surfde22]

Tonight’s question - How is Disney planning going? Have you booked ADR’s? Flight set? Hotel set? Airport shuttle? Any special plans?

Planning pretty much done. Got ADRs, there was only one we didn’t get that we wanted, Story Book Dining on Sunday night, but did snag it for Monday. Flights are booked. Rented DVC points. Just need to book the shuttle from the airport.

 

[AJruns]

Logging back in this morning after a break due to my ADR stress- I knew this group would understand! This is my 4th race weekend, but first time setting an alarm for the 6am window opening- with a lot of stress and refreshing I’ve been lucky and got what I wanted in the past as people cancel/switch around. I wanted to avoid that this year and somewhat succeeded… no major tech glitches like people reported earlier, but I struggled more than I expected as a party of 1. Cinderella’s Royal Table is my race night tradition (I do actually like the food though barely eat it- I’m in the struggle to eat after running a lot camp), but I only saw openings for parties of 2 or more. I grabbed a 2 person spot when I saw the time I wanted, and am going to look for 1 person cancelations, but this doesn’t seem like one I can change because you have to pay in advance. I can ask more formally as we get closer, but thought I’d throw it out there now as people are planning- if anyone wants to join me I have a 9:15pm on Sunday. I love that time (or later if I can)- you get spit out into the park after close but while the photographers are still there- it’s almost like a personal photo shoot in front of an empty castle. I almost had a heart attack realizing my CC security code had changed mid- reservation, running downstairs mid-typing to find the new card luckily in the mailbox, but phew it feels good to have that one now The one I’m still looking for is Olivia’s breakfast after the 10k (and before remote work starts). Other than that I’m reserved except airport transportation. SW flights always, because of bag check and cancelation policy. Have a cheap, potentially sketchy hotel for the first two nights while I just need WiFi to work and nothing else (I got suckered into club RD this year for easier race registration, trying to take advantage of the early expo access and not use PTO until post-races) before switching to Pop. Did my first “official” training long run yesterday, and struggling to comprehend how it can be so close in time and so far away in feeling ready Having these other logistics figured out is a huge step though!