The end of September marks about the halfway point of training for marathon weekend in WDW in January. For anyone participating in the marathon or any of the challenges, if you’re following the official training plan, you’re deep into the long process to race weekend. But we’re not here to talk about training, let’s skip to the good part and talk about our RunDisney weekend earlier this year. I say ours, because it’s important to understand, especially if you’re doing a challenge, that it’s a team event. Even if I was the only one on the course for my Dopey Challenge, I could not have done it without Maria, Susan, and Chris. So it was important to plan a weekend everyone can enjoy and with so many options at WDW, that’s easy to do! Before we get into the details, let just get it out of the way – this trip was planned as a once in a lifetime weekend. I knew Dopey was a one and done for me, so I wanted to go all out. Stay exactly where we wanted, eat at the restaurants we all enjoy, add some extras along the way. So this is not how to do Disney or a RunDisney weekend on a budget. As our mom likes to say, we didn’t nickel and dime this. 😊
When did we go – January 2024
- January races are always the weekend before MLK weekend. So this year, it was the first weekend in January. In 2025, it’s the second. If this is a race weekend you’re looking at, this gives you an idea so you can plan ahead. Depending on your holiday plans, kids in school & winter break, this might impact whether it’s the right one for you. Especially if the marathon is not something you’re interested in.
- Since we’re able to drive up from SWFL, we decided to arrive on the first Expo, Wednesday. But if you’re flying in, arriving the day before Expo begins is a good idea – no matter which race weekend you pick. Especially if you’re participating in any if the challenges. You must pick up your bibs the first day. So don’t chance missing it, because no one else can pick up your bib for you. We left Monday morning and if you can plan it that way, definitely stay Sunday night. This was you can plan a proper celebration.
Where we stayed – Disney’s Grand Floridian
Why we love the Grand Floridian for any Disney vacation –
- It has a beautiful Victorian feel, it’s elegant but not stuffy. Plus, all the rooms have recently been remodeled. (Don’t go off the pictures on the website, I’m not sure why they haven’t updated them. It’s really a disservice to the hotel)
- There is plenty to do here beyond the parks. They have great pools, a spa, pontoon boats to rent, cute stores, and plenty of places to relax and escape the craziness of the parks.
- Magic Kingdom & Epcot are just a monorail ride away. They are the most convenient of the parks from this resort, so if Hollywood studios is a favorite of yours, this location might not be the best. But actually, once you’re in Epcot, HS is fairly close…and Animal Kingdom isn’t convenient to any resort. So, we’re still saying convenience is a win here.
- They have so many great restaurants. From quick serve & pool food, all the way to the Michelin Starred Victoria & Albert’s. They also have a great bar – Enchanted Rose. Perfect for pre-dinner drinks or go after 5pm for appetizers yummy enough to make a meal out of.
Why we love the Grand Floridian for race weekends –
- It’s one of the quieter resorts. That can be an added bonus on race weekends when you have to go to bed early. Or when you’re trying to get a nap in post race.
- For the half & full marathon, you can take the monorails to the start line. That is huge for easing race day nerves. No need to worry if your bus will make it on time. This is true for the Polynesian & Contemporary as well. So if prefer either of those, you will also get the benefit of the monorail.
- Being a monorail resort is also helpful for your family when they come out to spectate. They can easily get to Magic Kingdom or Epcot without having to go super early or worrying if a bus will make it in time – this is important with road closures or slow traffic to accommodate the racecourse. They can also walk out to the front of the hotel for another spectating option.
- It’s a great resort to hang out at if you plan to skip the parks. I knew I couldn’t do Dopey and go to the parks, so the resort amenities were important. We chose to add on two splurges that made skipping the parks really easy – Spa appointments and renting cabanas. Of course you can make spa appointments even if you’re not staying at the Grand Floridian, but it’s really nice to just walk out of your room and be there in minutes. Cabanas are only available for rent to resort guests, so that is a benefit of staying here.
Where we dined –
There are plenty of participants of RunDisney weekends who are very strict about what they eat during the weekend. I am not really one of them. Part of the fun of WDW is having great dining options. That doesn’t mean we went crazy, but it meant not sacrificing fabulous meals just because there were miles to be covered. Most restaurants have enough variety I felt I could balance making smart pre-race decisions and still have a great meal. Here are some of the places we ate during the weekend.
- Gasparilla Island Grill (Grand Floridian) – This is one of the reasons why the Grand Floridian is a great option for us. Yes, it’s a quick-service restaurant, but Gasparilla’s is consistently good. They’re open all day, so it always works – post race breakfast, lunch, or if you need snacks to bring back to your room. It also has mobile dining, so if it looks busy, that is a great option. We ended up here at some point every day.
- Jaleo by José Andrés (Disney Springs) – Amazing Spanish tapas! We love it for its small plates and incredible flavors. This is perfect for sharing and trying lots of dishes. There is an energy here that we just love. We come back to this restaurant almost every time we’re in WDW.
- The Cookie Bar at Summer House on the Lake (Disney Springs) – Who doesn’t love a good cookie? We saw this right next door to Jaleo, so we decided to stop in after dinner for dessert. (Carb loading, right?) They recently opened and to us, they have the best cookies in Disney Springs. Yes, we know Giddeon’s usually gets all the hype, but for us we found that’s all it really is – hype. The Cookie Bar has plenty of options, all delicious. And as an added bonus, they last! We got quite a few (more than we could eat that night) and were pleasantly surprised how yummy they stayed, even a couple of days later.
- Eet by Maneet Chauhan (Disney Springs) – This just opened, so this was our first time having lunch here and did we love it! The staff was so helpful talking us through the menu and making suggestions. It’s a great quick-serve option, especially if you’re looking for something different to try. So many items are perfect for sharing, so get a few so you can try even more.
- Flying Fish (Boardwalk Hotel) – Even runners can’t live on carbs alone! This beautiful restaurant offers wonderful seafood options and has fabulous service. Not a seafood fan? Their oak-grilled steaks are a delicious option too! As much as we love the parks, sometimes it’s nice to feel completely removed from them, even when they are just minutes away.
- Narcoossee’s (Grand Floridian) – Even if this restaurant wasn’t steps from our room, we would have made the effort to come. But the fact that we had no travel time the night before a big race made it even better. It has recently been remodeled and it is so beautiful and airy now. Almost every table has great views of Seven Seas Lagoon and Cinderella’s Castle. Fun drinks, great seafood, and outstanding service.
- California Grill (Contemporary Resort) – This was our pick for the end of the weekend celebration meal. We come here often and have never been disappointed. The menu changes seasonally, so it’s great to return to try something new. They also have consistently the best service. So professional, yet so welcoming. If you go early it’s a little easier to request to sit by the windows to have an amazing view of Magic Kingdom (depending on your party size of course). And don’t worry about making your meal last until fireworks. You can come back with your receipt for that evening and go out to their balcony and watch from there. It makes for a perfect evening.
There are lots of ways to plan a RunDisney weekend, this was how we wanted it to go. A weekend of activities that could stand on its own, with a little running thrown in. 😊
