First Disney 5k: Marathon Weekend or Princess?

[merfsko]

Hi all!

I'm hoping to do my first Disney 5k in 2025 and was curious- for the 5K only, do you personally prefer Marathon Weekend or Princess Half, just in terms of overall vibe and experience?

I ran 5Ks as a teen and although I was never a speedy runner, I always had fun and loved the whole atmosphere. I always wanted to run at Disney, but had an injury that led to a chronic pain condition-- and when I stopped running, I stopped considering events for over a decade... Luckily, walking has never been an issue. Recently, I tried doing a a few virtual 5ks (and the on-your-own Castaway Cay 5k) and was able to keep my pace under 50 minutes... so I've decided to go for it and bring myself up to speed on everything runDisney! I know I still have months to decide but I want to be ready for registration day, and, honestly, just excited to be taking this step.

Would love to hear from you!

 

[BigEeyore]

Overall vibe - MW for sure

But you will run into New Years crowds if you are planning on hitting the parks, so if doing the parks is a priority Princess is a better time to go.
Either way you will have a blast!

 

[nancipants]

My first was Princess, and I went with a few friends. I loved that it was a more "women" focused event, and everything was super positive. (Except for people who crowd the walkways and won't let runners pass!)

 

[Naomeri]

Overall vibe - MW for sure

But you will run into New Years crowds if you are planning on hitting the parks, so if doing the parks is a priority Princess is a better time to go.
Either way you will have a blast!

Actually, 2025 MW is Jan 8-12, so hopefully the New Year’s crowds will be gone by then.

Whatever weekend you choose, you’ll have a great time

 

[Popo]

I would recommend the Princess 5K. On MW the 5K is run on Thursday. For that reason you are a little removed from the weekend vibe. Also, MW seems to be more focused on the marathon, and Goofy and Dopey Challenges. Princess weekend seems to be more positive and relaxed.

 

[The Expert]

My first rD race was a Princess 5K, and I would definitely recommend it. MW is great but as @Popo pointed out, much more focused on the longer runs and challenge runners. Fair warning to pack your patience as the Disney 5Ks (all but especially Princess) tend to draw very inexperienced runners who aren't always aware or focused on course courtesy. Dress up and have fun! It will probably be the first of many to come.

 

[Disneyhanna]

One thing to also consider….if you are a fan of meeting characters, do you like meeting princesses? When I first did princess weekend I realized that I didn’t care for a majority of the photo stops. I don’t enjoy meeting face characters and much prefer meeting the fur characters! Marathon weekend is better for that, whereas Princess will obviously mostly be princesses or fur characters in regal attire! Might be obvious to some but I never really considered it especially since that was my first runDisney weekend. The character stops were much more fun for me at MW for that reason!