Marathon Weekend 2024

[Let's Get Kronk]

After Hours events were just announced for January, and it looks like they don’t start until after Marathon Weekend.
I was hoping there would be one during the 10 days I’m there. The one at HS Wednesday night before the 5k was a lot of fun!

I did the HS After Hours event last year on that Wednesday during MW, but I was "just" doing Goofy so I got to sleep in a bit on Thursday while my roommate got up for the 5K. It was one of the best Disney park experiences I've ever had. I think I rode every major ride like 4 times until I'd had my fill. RotR was a walk-on. Slinky Dog was maybe 5 minutes. It was ridiculous. I was almost considering doing it again this year if it was happening the night before the 5K.

 

[Herding_Cats]

After Hours events were just announced for January, and it looks like they don’t start until after Marathon Weekend.
I was hoping there would be one during the 10 days I’m there. The one at HS Wednesday night before the 5k was a lot of fun!

Well dang! It wouldn't have been a good decision for us (because we already have a 5-day ticket) and I need sleep, but I was looking at them anyway.

 

[Barca33Runner]

After Hours events were just announced for January, and it looks like they don’t start until after Marathon Weekend.
I was hoping there would be one during the 10 days I’m there. The one at HS Wednesday night before the 5k was a lot of fun!

I’m also super bummed there won’t be an After Hours (or three) falling during my Marathon Weekend trip. After Hours have become far and away my favorite way to enjoy the parks. I did the MK one the day after the Marathon last year and another in Epcot in August and they were both amazing experiences.

The new MK one sounds really cool with the opportunity to see both HEA and Enchantment (with Enchantment presumably starting when it is just the After Hours crowd) and Tron as a stand-by. If they keep the crowd level the same as the parties I went to that should offer a really unique (i.e not insanely crowded) fireworks experience.

 

[Grabnar]

AH are just about the only way that I'll visit the parks nowadays, they're just too crowded and guests are way too unpleasant now.

Similar vein is the Orlando Informer events for Universal, they're a better bang for the buck as they include food too.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

AH are just about the only way that I'll visit the parks nowadays, they're just too crowded and guests are way too unpleasant now.

Similar vein is the Orlando Informer events for Universal, they're a better bang for the buck as they include food too.

The Orlando Informer Meetups with Universal are indeed the way to go if you want to experience those parks. I did a 2-night pass for one of their Meetups with my oldest sister literally right before Covid hit and we had the best weekend ever.

 

[Grabnar]

The Orlando Informer Meetups with Universal are indeed the way to go if you want to experience those parks. I did a 2-night pass for one of their Meetups with my oldest sister literally right before Covid hit and we had the best weekend ever.

We're going in December with my parents, they wanted to go after my girlfriend and I had a great time last year.

 

[pluto377]

I did the HS After Hours event last year on that Wednesday during MW, but I was "just" doing Goofy so I got to sleep in a bit on Thursday while my roommate got up for the 5K. It was one of the best Disney park experiences I've ever had. I think I rode every major ride like 4 times until I'd had my fill. RotR was a walk-on. Slinky Dog was maybe 5 minutes. It was ridiculous. I was almost considering doing it again this year if it was happening the night before the 5K.

I did it last year too! Except I was running the 5K. I went back to my room, rested for like an hour and then off to the race. It was so much fun, I was hoping they'd do it again this year. Ah well, maybe 2025...

 

[Bree]

Queue is open for MW weekend volunteers.

https://registration.rundisney.com/?event=f6ac8b685fb242bb5929

 

[jmasgat]

Queue is open for MW weekend volunteers.

https://registration.rundisney.com/?event=f6ac8b685fb242bb5929

I’m slightly amused that they make you enter a code to prove you’re not a robot. Do they really think people will be stampeding to volunteer and enlist bots to help?

 

[camaker]

I’m slightly amused that they make you enter a code to prove you’re not a robot. Do they really think people will be stampeding to volunteer and enlist bots to help?

I thought they were planning to switch to robot volunteers after the recent changes to the volunteer program, anyway?

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

I thought they were planning to switch to robot volunteers after the recent changes to the volunteer program, anyway?

The robots wanted a full-day ticket to one of the parks.

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

SAFD: I’m going to go with Pirates and Skipper’s. There are SO many good answers to this question!

 

[GollyGadget]

I need some help y’all. The dining reservation window is quickly approaching and I’d like to have some sort of celebration meal on marathon Sunday. Right now, brunch at Whispering Canyon appeals the most. We’ll be heading to MK so the location is definitely a factor.

This year, I was seated in MK with my embroidered ears for the noon parade so I’m guessing we arrived just before 11:30. And this race was less than ideal, I could barely walk out of the finishers chute but fortunately I quickly recovered.


My question is what time should I make the reservation? They serve brunch until 2p and that would give me the most wiggle room. However, last year I was absolutely famished when I finished and could not eat soon enough. In theory, we could go straight there unshowered at like 10a but that sounds unpleasant for me and other guests. I’ll have a car so Disney transportation won’t be a factor. I’m leaning toward noon. That would give me some buffer time but not so much that I eat an entire meal beforehand.

Is there anything I’m not considering? Is this all a bad idea? Assuming they still have a 2 hour cancellation window, I should definitely know by 10a if I’m going to make it or not.

 

[nekonekoneko]

You know your pace, and you know your timing. If you think you'll make it by noon, set up an ADR for noon!

For us, just to keep unforeseen circumstances from messing things up, we'll have a celebration dinner. For lunch, we'll just find things in MK. Like my DW loves hot dogs after the marathon. Dunno why, she just does. Maybe it's because Casey's is right there?

 

[RuntheMouse]

Is there anything I’m not considering? Is this all a bad idea? Assuming they still have a 2 hour cancellation window, I should definitely know by 10a if I’m going to make it or not.

They also give you a 15 minute buffer so that will help if you are cutting it close.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Is there anything I’m not considering? Is this all a bad idea? Assuming they still have a 2 hour cancellation window, I should definitely know by 10a if I’m going to make it or not.

Will road closures still be a factor by then? I feel like the answer to that is "no" because they want everyone through MK and spectators cleared out before the park opens, but would the surrounding roads and their closures make an impact in your travel time?

Maybe make 2 reservations (one for noon and one for like 1:30 in case stuff happens) and cancel whichever one you won't need day-of?

 

[azrivest]

After Hours events were just announced for January, and it looks like they don’t start until after Marathon Weekend.
I was hoping there would be one during the 10 days I’m there. The one at HS Wednesday night before the 5k was a lot of fun!

They're not After Hours exactly, but there's going to be Extended Evening Hours on Jan 3rd at MK if anyone's interested.

I need to resist the temptation of switching to a Deluxe resort , but for me personally, it would be a horrible idea to stay up late before doing Dopey. I'll need my sleep to survive those 4 early wakeups...

Kudos to all of you that can run on 2-3 hours of sleep!

 

[MissLiss279]

They're not After Hours exactly, but there's going to be Extended Evening Hours on Jan 3rd at MK if anyone's interested.

I need to resist the temptation of switching to a Deluxe resort , but for me personally, it would be a horrible idea to stay up late before doing Dopey. I'll need my sleep to survive those 4 early wakeups...

Kudos to all of you that can run on 2-3 hours of sleep!

I just saw that. I’ll have to think about it…

 

[GollyGadget]

You know your pace, and you know your timing. If you think you'll make it by noon, set up an ADR for noon!

For us, just to keep unforeseen circumstances from messing things up, we'll have a celebration dinner. For lunch, we'll just find things in MK. Like my DW loves hot dogs after the marathon. Dunno why, she just does. Maybe it's because Casey's is right there?

Thanks for the encouragement. Just typing out the scenario helped me sort through my thoughts quite a bit.

I can’t imagine anything worse than a celebration hot dog but I also don’t like them and sometimes avoid the Casey’s corner just so I don’t smell them.

They also give you a 15 minute buffer so that will help if you are cutting it close.

Good to know!

Will road closures still be a factor by then? I feel like the answer to that is "no" because they want everyone through MK and spectators cleared out before the park opens, but would the surrounding roads and their closures make an impact in your travel time?

Maybe make 2 reservations (one for noon and one for like 1:30 in case stuff happens) and cancel whichever one you won't need day-of?

The roads should be reopened. I’ve never had a problem getting to MK on marathon Sunday. (It’s actually a great day to go because so many avoid it ).

Two ressies is a brilliant idea! My biggest concern was if I had to cancel, what’s my backup? Turns out this isn’t a particularly popular ADR and there’s plenty of availability for this Sunday so I’d likely be able to modify it. However, I like having plan b already organized. My plan c would be to go straight to the restaurant so sorry in advance to anyone if that happens

ETA: the marathon only closes a small portion of world drive, from seven seas to the contemporary but that reopens at 9 so should be no impact.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Two ressies is a brilliant idea! My biggest concern was if I had to cancel, what’s my backup? Turns out this isn’t a particularly popular ADR and there’s plenty of availability for this Sunday so I’d likely be able to modify it. However, I like having plan b already organized. My plan c would be to go straight to the restaurant so sorry in advance to anyone if that happens

Well if you want to make a backup, plan D reservation somewhere else, and the software is cranky about overlapping times, just use someone else’s MDE that’s in your party to make it and don’t assign the other guests (so ones you make would be you and x number of other people and NOT you and named/assigned-in-mde people.)


Yes. I make all of the reservations. I’m the problem.