RunDisney - staying off site

NJlauren

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 6, 2014
We are planning on running some combination of races next year for Princess weekend. However there is a chance that the make up of our party will push us to a good neighbor hotel or offsite.

Has anyone run a race and not stayed onsite? Is this a horrible idea and we should just figure out how to be onsite?

If you have stayed offsite or another hotel what can you tell me?
 
I'll chime in, and there are plenty of others who have as well. It will work out fine. I have stayed at the hotels in Marriott Village on Vineland. Drove to the races with no issues. You would need a car or Lyft/Uber to make it work.
 
We stayed at Universal for the marathon weekend and LOVED it! We had a rental car and it was an advantage for race mornings as it gives you a warm place to wait in the morning and a place to leave all of our stuff for after the race (foam roller, food and drinks, change of clothes, etc.) We built extra time into each morning just in case of traffic (which we didn't need) and we were still leaving our hotel around the same time that Disney was recommending on-site people be on a bus.

I was nervous as well beforehand, but having done it once, I wouldn't be without a rental car for a race weekend. Of course, I am the queen of catastrophic Disney transportation failures so I am admittedly gun-shy about trusting Disney to get me ANYWHERE.
 
I have stayed off-site for many WDW races and it is just as easy as long as you have a car. I usually stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek.
 


*disclaimer* I am a first timer in 2020 so no real-life experience.

I have Hilton points so I am planning on staying at Hilton Bonnet Creek. They run a “marathon weekends” package with free breakfast and a shuttle to the half and full (but not 5k or 10k)
 
*disclaimer* I am a first timer in 2020 so no real-life experience.

I have Hilton points so I am planning on staying at Hilton Bonnet Creek. They run a “marathon weekends” package with free breakfast and a shuttle to the half and full (but not 5k or 10k)

I stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek for the princess half in 2018. The shuttle leaves crazy early and the "breakfast" is some fruit, granola bars, juice, etc. It was good but we were so rushed to get on the shuttle that we didnt even get to eat anything.

This past princess (2019) we stayed at the Embassy Suites north of Disney Springs. It was awesome, we drove to Epcot (be there by 4am!) and it was so much more pleasant than the hilton shuttle.

I've never stayed on site for a race. The Disney hotels don't impress me for the price you pay.
 
I stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek for the princess half in 2018. The shuttle leaves crazy early and the "breakfast" is some fruit, granola bars, juice, etc. It was good but we were so rushed to get on the shuttle that we didnt even get to eat anything.

This past princess (2019) we stayed at the Embassy Suites north of Disney Springs. It was awesome, we drove to Epcot (be there by 4am!) and it was so much more pleasant than the hilton shuttle.

I've never stayed on site for a race. The Disney hotels don't impress me for the price you pay.

Good to know!! I may rent a car in January.
 


We stayed up at Universal for a 5K once, and it went just fine. I had to get there even earlier b/c I was volunteering.

That same trip, though, we got a room for the night before my Half. Just felt better to be closer. But I'm sure it would have been just fine if we'd stayed up at Uni for that night (we kept our Universal room...just moved over for the race then went back after my son's Mickey Mile after my Half).
 
For ALL of my Disney vacations and rD events, my wife’s family and ours rent a villa in Clermont. We rent a car and I have NEVER had trouble driving in. We usually leave our villa around 4:00 am and have an easy 15-20 minute drive before we arrive at EPCOT.

Plus I keep everything I need pre- and post-race in the car (food, drink, change of clothes, etc). Also, if we arrive early, we simply wait in the car(this great for cold and/or wet mornings)!
 
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This past November, I ran the W&D Half and stayed at the Best Western in Disney Springs. I was really nervous about staying offsite, too. My first race was Princess 5 years ago and was on property. This past trip, we rented a car, and I think that was the key to the weekend. We could get to the expo easily. We ended up driving to the parks each day (AP, so free parking). And because it was an "official Disney hotel", we still had the opportunity to book FPs at 60 days. I was really worried about not being onsite and having access to the monorail, like I did for my first race. But it went as well as it could have. Good luck!
 

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