Planning to the disneyland half marathon ? Then this is everything you need to know to insure an easy and fun race weekend .
I’m sharing everything I learned from the first race weekend back at the disneyland resort and from past rundisney events in florida. I’ll share how the weekend flows, what worked well for me and what I wish I’d known before the entire disneyland half marathon weekend.
We did it! The first race weekend back on the West Coast is complete……after a couple years of Florida races…..for the first time I got to do a race inside Disneyland (where we are locals). After running the Walt Disney World Princess Race and the Wine and Dine Race Weekend …..I was really excited to be able to drive a short distance from San Diego and to attend the fun-filled days of events surrounding the races.
Bonuses as a local? I wasn’t dealing with a time change or having to fit items into suitcases. Somehow, I filled my entire car with groceries, race gear and…..who even knows what else.
Now that I’ve experienced a number of race weekends…. I learned a LOT. I feel like I’m very equipped to plan for everything and to give some solid advice about what helps to make rundisney disneyland half marathon weekend (or any race weekend) fun and smooth!
disneyland half marathon : the ultimate guide
I’m going to break this down into a couple of parts. We’ll talk about important plans for before you arrive at the disneyland resort (travel, hotel, race registration , theme park tickets ). Then we’ll talk about the fitness expo and getting your bib, race morning and what to plan AFTER you cross the finish line.
general registration
The first part of any rundisney race including your disneyland half marathon weekend race? Registration. Now this is important, because all these races sell out FAST (even the shorter races and the kids’ races ).
Planning to run? These are the run disney race registration dates for 2024 and 2025. Save these dates and be prepared to….spend some time waiting. Race registrations usually open to the general public at 7 am pacific time. You’ll want to be online and in the virtual queue before that time. If you are running under a 10:15 mile, you’ll also want to have your proof of time information handy. This pace determines your start group. Be prepared to pay any registration fees in full upon check out. You can also prebuy certain special merchandise then as well (usually jackets and shirts as well as special exclusive pins).
Like with any rundisney weekends, if you can’t register during the initial online time frame before events sell out, a charity fundraising campaign bib is also a great option. All of the rundisney races charity partners are able to provide bibs if you commit to their required fundraising minimum…..plus it’s a fun way to support an amazing cause and see all your favorite disney characters while running through your favorite theme parks .
disneyland half marathon planning : what to do BEFORE race weekend
There are a couple things you’ll want to do before your disneyland half marathon race weekend. Once you’ve paid the full amount of your registration fee and reserved your race spot, I’d suggest booking travel and hotel as soon as possible. Things definitely book up, this race weekend is a huge boost to the orange county economy and the disneyland hotel and along with all hotels in the surrounding area book up VERY quickly.
When to Arrive
In terms of arrival for the weekend, you’ll want to arrive at the VERY LATEST the morning BEFORE your race. You can see details about timing in your virtual event guide but…..I would NOT leave anything to the last minute. On the West Coast, the first day of the Expo is especially crowded with people trying to get bibs for the entire weekend. It’s always held in the disneyland hotel. If you are participating in the dumbo double dare you can pick up your bib ONCE and be set for the entire weekend. Remember, bibs must be picked up by you in person.
If you are coming from out of town for the disneyland half marathon weekend (especially from the east coast), I suggest allowing for extra travel time and flying in two days prior to your race.
When doing the reverse, I arrive by evening, wake up the next day somewhat adjusted to the time change and I have the whole day to enjoy the expo. I get my bib, I shop for my race weekend spirit jersey and commemorative pins and I generally give myself time to rest up and prepare.
Disneyland Half Marathon : Where to Stay
Now, this is where Disneyland differs from Walt Disney World (besides the california sun and lack of humidity). Regardless of where you stay at Disneyland, there will not be race transportation provided by Run Disney. Why? Because honestly, you can walk to the start line in fairly short amounts of time regardless of where you are staying.
For the last race weekend, I stayed at Hojo Anaheim and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s one of my favorite hotels close to Disneyland. It’s filled with midcentury disneyland nostalgia , it has spacious rooms and tubs for soaking post race. It also is literally a 3 minute walk from the race starting lines.
This Link Will Give You a Discount At Hojo Anaheim
Dining Reservations and Theme Park Tickets
The next thing to consider is what you’ll want to do and when surrounding your race through the happiest place on earth. For ME? I learned a lot from my Princess and wine and dine race experiences and planned for more rest this race weekend. This MAY be an unpopular approach, but I planned for more limited time in disneyland and disney california adventure park surrounding my races.
My race weekend flowed like this:
Thursday Evening Arrival: walked over to the Disneyland Hotel and did quick service Tangaroa Terrace (they do have mobile, so you can order in advance and walk over for ease)
Friday:
Expo day, lunch at the Coffee House right outside the Expo, dinner at Heathstone Lounge at the Grand Californian. I will say, there was a LONG wait for seating and this was a race night for me. We walked over at 5. Weren’t sat until after 6. This felt VERY late and stressful. The food is GREAT, but I’d recommend heading over by about 4 or 4:30 if you are running the next morning.
Saturday:
Up at 2:30 am to get ready, and left Hojo Anaheim by 3:30 am. It was a quick and easy walk to the starting line. The 10k was LOVELY and a quick jaunt through both DCA and disneyland park . I was finished and back in our hotel room by about 8:15 am. My daughter was signed up for the kids’ races. I showered, then took a 45 minute power nap. The rest of the adults brought her over to check in.
I made it back to the race area just in time to see her run (she was the last age group before the diaper dash ). We spent the rest of the day in the parks where we did various spots on the San Fransokyo Pier for lunch (highly recommend mobile ordering). Headed back to the room by about 6 pm. Since I had the big 13.1-mile course the next morning, I wanted to be sure to carbo load….so I ate two baked potatoes for dinner. I brought some from home, but you can also purchase baked potatoes inside Disneyland at the Troubadour Tavern.
Sunday:
Up at 2:30 am to get ready, and left Hojo Anaheim by 3:30 am. We crossed the start line by about 5:15 am and ran the 13.1 mile course through the parks and the streets of anaheim . Our course crossed a ton of road closures and passed by both angel stadium and the honda center (these were fun to see). We were back at our hotel by about 9 am. We soaked in hot water, showered, took an hour nap and then…..and this is key, did the buffet brunch at Storytellers Cafe.
I booked this for 12:40 pm WAY in advance and am so glad I did. The timing was perfect and it’s one of my favorite character dining spots on property. After brunch, we did a few hours in the parks. We were back in our hotel room by 6:30 pm and fast asleep by 8 pm.
This schedule was perfect.
Training and Running Gear
So now that you’ve registered for your disneyland half marathon (or any other run disney race)….you have to prepare to actually RUN it! Don’t be scared. You really don’t have to be an experienced runner or a mega athlete to love running in the parks. Run Disney races really are accessible to everyone and you get to chose your own approach . Run Disney has wonderful training programs that are completely free to follow and super helpful (I used their program to train for the Dumbo Double Dare challenge). They have options for both beginning and experienced runners. HIGHLY recommend using these. I also know plenty of people who walk the 5k or 10k or run / walk.
During training and on race day, having the right running attire and accessories has made a HUGE difference for me. I’ve tried a LOT of shoes, running tights, socks, headphones, antichafing products…..and I definitely found my favorites.
Shop my Favorites:
Race Day Morning
Ready???? Let’s do this! At Disneyland, the 5k has one procedure and the 10k and Half Marathon have a separate one. The 5k starts inside Disneyland itself, where the other two start outside of it. As mentioned above, both locations are accessible by walking.
You can bring anything you’ll want at the finish line with you (water bottle , change of clothes or layers, sunscreen , headphones, hotel room key, etc). You’ll have the opportunity to gear check it all. At the rundisney health expo they will give you a special clear bag. The clear bag is the ONLY bag they will accept at gear check.
The gear check area is located close to the starting line and after you’ve gone through security. You’ll give it to the volunteers when you arrive, they’ll label it with your bib numbers and a sticker. When you return to the parking lot at the end of your race, you’ll have it returned to you.
Weather can vary ( it was VERY cold this last Disneyland Half Marathon weekend). If you’d like to wear a layers until you cross the starting line…..you can. Lots of people wear old sweatshirts or bring mylar, then drop it at the start line. The clothing is collected and donated to local charities that support those in need. You can drop clothing along the course as you warm up, but the mylar must be dropped before the starting line.
During Your Race
Get ready…..this is going to be fun! Let’s talk character stops and pacing (and water, first aid, and the all important bathrooms). If you don’t have prior experience with run disney races…..this is important!
Pacing is important in any public race. That includes the Disneyland Half Marathon races. The most important thing you need to know? The balloon ladies. They are a visual representation of the pacing requirements. They are a….slightly scary but gentle reminder to keep it moving. The balloon ladies are the VERY last people to start any run disney race.
You’ll know them because they have….. Disney balloons. The group walks at a 16 minute mile pace throughout the race. If they pass you by, you will be removed from the course. You can however, walk WITH them.
My suggestion? If you are in a later starting group and you know that your pace is about a 16 minute mile? Maybe skip a couple character stops and get ahead.
Characters
There will be multiple character stops along the route for each course. There are lines, and cast members with signs at the back of them. I look at these as a nice little break from running. I think it’s important to clarify that at Disneyland, the characters will only be IN the parks. There will be cast members to help you take photos at each stop!
Bathrooms, Water and First Aid
PLEASE…..take care of your needs so that you can enjoy your race. I can’t say this enough! There are plenty of portapotties on the public parts of the race course and regular park bathrooms during the in park parts of the race. I’d suggest looking at the park map in advance if you aren’t familiar with Disneyland and figuring out where the restrooms are. The portapotties tend to have a longer line. The park bathrooms are built for a lot of people….so if you CAN wait, they’re the best stop! There are also a number of water stops. The event guide will show them on the course map that releases a week or so before the race) and first aid stations just in case you need them….they tend to be every mile or so. There will also be a fuel stop for any race over 10 miles (it was sport beans for the disneyland half marathon ).
Race Photos
This is always a VERY popular question! If you have a magic key, these photos will be included. If not, you can sign up for one of the memory maker packages in the My Disney Experience App. Your race bib will have info on the back for how to access the photos. They’ll load into the My Disney Experience app within a few hours after the race.
I hope that this guide was helpful and can’t wait to hear if you are planning to run the disneyland half marathon races!
