2024 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend Recap

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Lace up your sneakers and don your aprons, the 2024 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend is here, and I am recapping my experience during this chef-inspired race weekend. Wine & Dine Weekend kickstarts the 2024-2025 runDisney race season, happening from October 31st to November 3rd, and overlaps with the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World. The race weekend consists of three races: 5K, 10K, and the half marathon in addition to the Wine & Dine Two Course Challenge where registered participants run both the 10K and half marathon. Let's dig in!

This was my first time running during the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend so of course I had to sign up for everything! Registration opened on March 12th, 2024, for the general public. If you would like to read up on my tips and tricks for registering check out my separate blog post here. When registering, I signed up for both the Wine & Dine 5K and the Wine & Dine Two Course Challenge, which included registration for the 10K and half marathon for a total of 19.3 miles. Registration for the Wine & Dine Two Course Challenge is required to receive the additional challenge medal. The 5K cost $112.00, and the latter cost $400.00 at the time of registration. Along with the Wine & Dine Two Course Challenge medal, my registration also included a $15 Disney Promo Card and a complimentary Post Race Party ticket at EPCOT.

The $15 Disney Promo Card was a nice added benefit to the race registration. The Promo Card essentially functioned as an electronic gift card and could be used towards virtually any purchase. For example, you could use it to pay for snacks at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, put it towards a runDisney merchandise purchase, or apply it directly to your resort account which is what I did since I charge everything to the room. The only stipulation is the card must be used before November 10th, 2024. I received an email about a week and a half before the race weekend started with the Promo Card enclosed. You could either add the card to your mobile wallet or have a Cast Member scan the bar code embedded into the email.

Since I am signed up for the Goofy Challenge during the 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend was a perfect check-in for my marathon training. This would be my sixth official half marathon since I started my running journey back in 2018. For this race weekend, I was going solo and stayed at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort located near Disney Springs. This is a moderate resort with quick transportation to the start/finish line and a quiet, relaxing atmosphere for those early bedtimes. I decided to spring for a Preferred Room located in the Alligator Bayou section of the resort, specifically Building 14, so I could be close to the water fountains in the main lobby and the main bus stop. runDisney transportation did pick up at the other three bus depots placed around the resort, but on the way back from the races the South Depot in front of the lobby was where they stopped first.

Since I would be busy during the weekend with running and resting, I came down a couple of days early to enjoy the parks. I flew into Orlando on Wednesday, October 30th, and checked into my resort before heading into Magic Kingdom for the night. Due to the early bedtimes, I would be missing out on fireworks, so I was ecstatic to watch Happily Ever After. This weekend was also special because the start of Wine & Dine weekend overlapped with Halloween!

Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports

All race participants are required to attend the runDisney Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex before their first race to pick up their race bib(s). Based on my previous experience with the Expo during the 2024 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, I decided to attend the Expo later in the day, near closing time, to avoid the crowds. The exclusive merchandise draws plenty of runners and is the main cause of the chaos. The last Expo was overwhelming and hectic, and since I wasn't interested in merch, I approached it with a different strategy. I would have liked to avoid the first Expo Day altogether, but I needed to pick up my bib for the Wine & Dine 5K.

I took my time getting to the Expo, spending the morning at Magic Kingdom to take advantage of the low wait times due to the reduced hours for the final Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. runDisney provides bus transportation to and from the Expo at all Disney resorts, Shades of Green, and the Swan and Dolphin, with buses running about every 30 minutes. The schedule for the Expo was as follows:

• Thursday, October 31st, 2024 | 10:00am - 7:00pm

• Friday, November 1st, 2024 | 12:00pm - 7:00pm

• Saturday, November 2nd, 2024 | 11:00am - 3:00pm

The Expo is divided into three sections: Bib Pick-Up, Health and Fitness Expo, and Official runDisney Merchandise. Typically, for the first day of the Expo, runDisney uses a virtual queue to access the Official runDisney Merchandise. To join the queue, you need to be less than 45 miles away from the Walt Disney World Resort. The virtual queue opened at 8:30 am. I joined through the My Disney Experience app and hesitated for about 30 seconds to get a later boarding group because I knew I was not attending until later. I was assigned Group 61 which ended up being called around 1:30 pm. Technically, you have a one-hour return window, but the Cast Members did not bat an eye when I rolled in late.

Since my Virtual Queue had been called and expired already, I decided to head towards the AdventHealth Arena first to check out the official runDisney Merchandise. Along with merchandise, this building has a ton of cute signage and photo opportunities, this is also where you will find the giant mileage numbers for each event. Once inside, I briefly perused my options but didn't gravitate towards anything. Although I loved the race weekend's color scheme and graphics, the merchandise that was left was okay and I always find the quality to be hit or miss. My wallet was definitely happy with me walking out empty-handed.

My next stop was the State Farm Field House to pick up my race bibs. To pick up a race bib, you need a valid photo ID, a digitally signed waiver (that can be completed beforehand online), and your Check-In Pass which lists your bib number. In total, I had two bibs for this weekend, one for the 5K and one to wear for both the 10K and half marathon signifying I was a challenge participant. Since this was an anniversary year for the half marathon, all half and challenge participant received a medal replica luggage tag with their bibs. Something that was different than last time was the character meet and greets were located in this building rather than in the AdventHealth Arena with the merchandise. Along the back wall, there was a Magic Shot themed to the Muppets and Remy from Disney Pixar's Ratatouille, along with Princess Tiana and Louis from Disney's The Princess and the Frog switching off every 30 minutes. All of these shots had a PhotoPass Photographer so if you purchased the Memory Maker or have the add-on to your Annual Pass, these photos will be available for download.

Exiting the bib pick-up area, we were led to the Athletic Center where runners could pick up their participant t-shirts as well as check out the array of vendors attending the expo. In total, I received four participant shirts plus a gEAR bag if I wanted to check a bag during the races. The clear gEAR bags are the only bags runDisney accepts. runDisney was also showcasing the upcoming medals for the 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend so I got to take a peak at those.

On my way out, I had to stop and purchase one of the souvenir cups I saw people walking around with all day. At various vending locations, runDisney was selling beer along with a refillable souvenir cup with the Wine and Dine logo. I am not a beer drinker, but the Cast Member cut me a deal to purchase the cup separately for $6. Then it was time to head back to the resort and get ready for a weekend full of racing!

Wine & Dine 5K

Bork, bork, bork! My first early wake-up call was for 3.1 miles of Muppety madness during the Wine & Dine 5K. I try to always be on one of the first busses, so I woke up promptly at 2:00 am to transform into Chef Kronk and head to the South Bus Depot at 3:00 am. Since this weekend celebrates all things food and wine, my costumes for this weekend pay homage to a few iconic Disney chefs. The 5K is a short distance and untimed so I had a lot of creative liberty for pulling together a Chef Kronk costume complete with a wig, oven mitts, and replica spinach puffs that I modeled and manufactured on my 3D printer.

The runDisney bus transportation can sometimes be whacky because it is run by a third-party company, so I never know what to expect in terms of pickup times and routes. In this case, the bus arrived at the South Depot around 2:45 am and left promptly at 3:00 am. Honestly, this was preferred as both Port Orleans Resorts, French Quarter and Riverside, share a bus route with the Riverside resort having multiple stops. I anticipated having to make additional stops once I had got on, so I was pleasantly surprised we headed straight to EPCOT.

Port Orleans Riverside was strategically placed in terms of the bus route avoiding all the road closures and detours due to the races so the commute was about 5-10 minutes. The busses drop us off where Disney Transportation usually picks up and drops off resort guests for EPCOT with the Start Line located in the Rocket section of the lot. This means there is about a 10-minute walk through security, across the front entrance of the park, and down the Wall-E section to enter the event space. My favorite part is the entertainment area including a DJ and character meet and greets. Start Groups for the 5K do not open until 3:45 am so there was plenty of time to enjoy the pre-race entertainment. Characters included Princess Tiana in her outfit from Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Remy, Chef Mickey and Chef Minnie together...and the best surprise of the weekend...the Chickens from the Muppets! Watching them dance and groove to the music was the funniest thing ever.

runDisney organizes the Start Groups according to anticipated finish time and releases corrals in waves to prevent course crowding. For the 5K, the anticipated pace per mile is self-reported when you register. Corral A is typically reserved for Platinum Club runDisney members and elite runners. Since the 5K is untimed and they do not sweep runners, corral placement is not as crucial as it is for those longer races. I was sorted into Corral C for the 5K with a 10:01 - 12:00 anticipated pace per mile. After meeting with some characters, I headed to the corrals with about 35 minutes until the start. Since it was low stakes, I minimized the amount of time standing and waiting in the corrals.

The race announcers kicked off the morning by introducing the one and only Swedish Chef to help count the runners down! Yes, another Muppet made an appearance this weekend, and it was so cool seeing an actual Muppet, albeit from a distance, in person. The Swedish Chef was hilarious, throwing marshmallows and silly string all over the stage, mumbling his Swedish gibberish. Even after the first runner, the Swedish Chef remained on stage, and it helped pass the time before my wave was up. 3...2..1...GO!

I donned my oven mitts and began running onto the highway towards the backstage entrance to EPCOT near Test Track. My strategy was to run a strong mile until I reached the park and then slow down to take it all in. The first character stop was at the Mexico Pavilion, so this plan worked perfectly. I usually try to run fast on the highways to maximize the time for characters and the parks. After a couple of minutes in, I ended up striking up a conversation with a couple from North Carolina. I matched my pace with theirs which helped pass the time and pushed me to run faster. The conversation also distracted me from the insane humidity. With both oven mitts and wig on, I was drenched in sweat before the Mile 1 marker despite not exerting the effort usually required for me to sweat. I tend to bring a cooling towel with me to wipe down the sweat, but alas, I was confident I wouldn't need it for such a short distance.

For Marathon Weekend, we had entered EPCOT through the backstage entrance adjacent to the Mexico Pavilion, however, now that the construction walls were down, the course spit us out between Test Track and Mission Space. I loved that the course got us into EPCOT quicker with the full World Showcase loop. The entire park was lit up, including Spaceship Earth, throwing hues of orange, yellow, pink, and purple everywhere. Then it was time for my favorite thing, running around the World Showcase with the pavilions twinkling with lights and the torches blazing with fire. To add to the ambiance, they had Muppets tunes piped in throughout the entire park, it made me chuckle bouncing through the countries to "Mahna Mahna".

Between the Mexico and Norway Pavilions was the first character stop which was Donald Duck in his chef outfit. The line was already long and, although he is Number One, I have seen Donald Duck plenty of times, so I opted to keep moving forward. The course had one water stop around Mile 2, in the American Pavilion. Normally I skip water for 5K races, but since it was so humid, and I needed to stay hydrated the entire weekend, I grabbed a cup. Sipping on the water, I looked across the lagoon, watching the lights dance on the water.

Running again, I passed through Japan and Morocco into the France Pavilion where the next character stop was. Right in front of the fountains, Duffy was meeting runners. I had made great time, so I hopped in line for Mickey's teddy bear. The Cast Member holding the character signage informed me that Duffy had briefly left for a break and the wait might be a little longer so if I was running for time, I should skip this character. Donned in a short black wig and teal oven mitts, I thanked him and assured the Cast Member I was in no way running for time (LOL!). Personally, I had not seen Duffy since he had his own meet and greet in EPCOT when the character first debuted, so I was excited to snap a photo. Ages ago, Duffy had been the mascot for the KIDCOT activity where kids (and kids at heart) could color and collect a stamp in each country. Seeing him gave me a sense of nostalgia for the old EPCOT before the recent overhaul.

To round out my run through the World Showcase, I passed through the United Kingdom and Canada Pavilions. Another fun thing about the courses that filter through the countries is that there are usually Cast Members who come in early and cheer runners on with their country flags and props. Exiting World Showcase, I headed towards the front of the park and got to do something I hadn't done since 2018: run underneath Spaceship Earth! Wrapping around Spaceship Earth, I ran under the twinkling lights and loved every second of it. It also makes for some pretty awesome running photos.

The final mile marker was shy of the finish line and Sweetums was perched on a step ladder cheering on runners. Although I wished Sweetums had been stationed on the course for official photos, it was still cool to have another Muppets character included in the event. Crossing the finish line, I completed my sixth runDisney race and earned my 5K medal with the Swedish Chef front and center. Let me tell you, I was so happy to finally take those oven mitts off! My hands were dripping in sweat, and my left wrist was cramped up from the weight of the dish prop. Before heading out, I jumped in line to meet Remy who complimented me on my beautiful dish and took a quick whiff of the spinach puff aroma.

I returned to the hotel before 7:30 am, so I had plenty of time to shower and get dressed to rope drop Disney's Hollywood Studios! I am a firm believer that rope dropping is the best way to get the most done at the parks. A perk for staying on property is early entry or entry into the parks 30 minutes before the official park opening. That morning, I was able to ride Tower of Terror and Rockin' Rollercoaster twice before the park opened. I came across one runner who still had her bib on, and she told me she came straight from the race, true dedication there!

The main reason I wanted to visit Hollywood Studios was to snag photos of my 5K medal in Muppets Courtyard and celebrate my achievement with Muppet*Vision 3D. While at the park, I had time to visit some characters, ride a couple more attractions, and watch the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular which I hadn't done in a while. By lunchtime, I was hungry, as one can imagine, so I mobile ordered a chicken sandwich from the ABC Commissary Lane. At that point the park started to get busy, so I decided to take the boat over to EPCOT for a change in scenery. For some random reason, I chose Saratoga Springs as the stop for my early runner's dinner since they had a simple spaghetti and meatballs at the quick service location. The best thing to come out of this weird diversion was the Bullseye Cupcake which was a most delicious peanut butter and chocolate cupcake that I snacked on the next couple of days. Other than that, the resort was underwhelming, and it took FOREVER to get back to Port Orleans Riverside via the Disney Springs boat launch.

Wine & Dine 10K

Now it's time to go down the bayou! My second race of the weekend was the Wine & Dine 10K with Chef Tiana for the 6.2 miles through EPCOT and the Boardwalk. Initially, I had planned on creating a DOLE Whip ensemble, however, when testing my outfits, the ensemble was not coming together as I envisioned so I pivoted and wore my Lily Pad Collection from Crowned Athletics along with my Tiana-inspired headband I made for a previous event. Honestly, I loved how it turned out and I felt like a princess doused in glitter.

As I had done the previous morning, I caught the first bus leaving for the start line. The jazzy music was bumping and runners dressed in beignets were milling around the staging area. It seemed beignets and fireflies were the hot ticket items for this race. There wasn't much difference in pre-race characters, Princess Tiana, Chef Mickey, and Chef Minnie were there again, with Emile from Disney Pixar's Ratatouille replacing Remy's spot and Baloo from Disney's The Jungle Book rounding out the line-up. I saw Baloo and Emile before heading to the corrals a little earlier.

One new race logistics for this race weekend was the organization of corrals. runDisney had recently expanded its submitted POT range (i.e. if runners expected to finish the half marathon in less than 2 hours and 30 minutes, previously this had been 2 hours and 15 minutes) so the change in corral layout did not surprise me. Corrals A through C are now reserved for those who submitted a POT, Platinum Club runDisney members, and Elite runners. The remaining Corrals D and E are for runners who did not submit a POT. Instead of having two large corrals, runDisney separated D and E into color-coded sections and once the first section filled up, they closed off the corral and began filling the next one. I preferred this as the corrals did not feel as cramped and people were not pushing to the front before we started moving. It gave me peace of mind that based on when I entered the corrals, I was guaranteed to be in that wave. I had plenty of space to sit down, stretch, and walk around a little bit.

Based on this change, I strived to be in the first color-coded section of Corral D each morning to minimize the time between when the race officially started and when I crossed the start line. To kick off the race, the announcers brought out Princess Tiana in her bayou costume to count us down. After some waiting, it was my turn to watch the fireworks shoot up into the sky and begin the 10K. By far the 10K course has been my favorite as the highway miles are front-loaded and kept to a minimum. The race is long enough that runners tend to spread out more and characters near the end of the course have relatively short lines. The first two miles were circling on and off ramps in front of the EPCOT entrance with if I recall correctly, Prince Naveen and Chef Goofy for character spots. Right before the Mile 2 Marker, Louie from The Jungle Book was out. I can't imagine walking around with those long arms, it made me chuckle that the PhotoPass Photographer snapped the photo landscape because usually, the on-course photos are all vertical.

Once backstage, I hit the brakes for Timon and Rafiki. Odd choice for Wine & Dine, but nonetheless, you can only meet them separately at Disney's Animal Kingdom, so I stopped for the duo. I then entered EPCOT from the backstage entrance next to Figment and the Mile 3 Marker before doing this weird out-and-back loop towards The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Again, by Mile 3, the Florida humidity was noticeable and all I could think about was how easy it was to run without oven mitts! You know, because running with oven mitts is a common experience every runner shares. Entering World Showcase from Canada, *shudders*, if you know you know, I stopped for Jiminy Cricket who had the most atrocious green stage lighting. I already knew those photos were going to make us both look like we were telling scary stories by the campfire with a green flashlight.

A portion of the 10K goes around Disney's Boardwalk so runners were diverted to a backstage outlet once in the United Kingdom Pavilion that spits out next to the Skyliner. Since we are running past a few hotels, the Boardwalk is designated as a quiet zone, so spectators are not encouraged to cheer and make noise. This makes for a somewhat odd atmosphere as it turns quiet, and everyone's footsteps on the boardwalk echo off the lake. The loop includes Mile Marker 4, Yacht & Beach Club, and of course, the Boardwalk. Near the Atlantic Dance Hall, Chef Mickey was meeting in his old red coat. I tend to skip the Fab 5 characters especially if the lines are long. Some runners get excited about the unique and historical outfits they pull out of the archives for the races, while some focus on those hard-to-meet characters that don't have permanent locations in the parks.

Along the Boardwalk leading back to the International Gateway entrance, runDisney lined the side of the course with The Princess and the Frog-themed signs with artwork and motivational quotes. Once inside the park, I was able to gauge how I was doing in relation to the balloon ladies and had plenty of time if I wanted to stop for more characters or slow to a walk while in the World Showcase. Remy was meeting in the France Pavilion, so I paused for him since I had spare time. Since I was running a half marathon the next day, I took the remaining mile slow to keep my legs fresh including breaking for the final water stop in the America Pavilion.

There were a couple more character spots thrown in near the last half mile of the race. Chip n' Dale were meeting in their chef costumes as well as Chef Donald and Daisy Duck. I ended up stopping for Donald and Daisy situated in front of one of the Connections entrances. Well, let's say when I had gotten in line it was Donald and Daisy, but the party in front of me decided to play musical chairs and take a variety of group photos instead of the unwritten quick "one and done" per party so Donald left for a break, and it was just Daisy. Quick PSA: Remember, we are still running a race, so be mindful of other runners' time and keep your turn short and sweet!

This 10K course also had runners wrap around and run underneath Spaceship Earth, yay! At that point, the sun had started to rise so it felt like a whole new experience running around the ball with not only the lights but the first rays of dawn. Mile Marker 6 was stationed right in front of the gospel choir before the turn to the final straightway. The number 6 had fallen at some point, so it was propped up against the marker. I let out a giggle because there was something metaphorical about the slumped number at the end of a race, almost like a tired runner perhaps? Crossing the finish line, Chef Goofy was there cheering runners on.

With my 10K medal in hand and a bundle of blue Powerade, I stopped for a photo with Princess Tiana in the reunion lot, before heading back to the hotel via bus. Once that was all said and done, I was off to EPCOT around 10:00 am. The bus was taking a long time, so I decided to hop on the Hollywood Studios bus that showed up first to take the Skyliner over to EPCOT and enter via the International Gateway entrance. And yes, I 100% took a power nap on the Skyliner. As I entered the park, Chef Daisy was out roaming so I showed off my medal to her before walking towards the front of the park.

Interestingly enough, as I passed by the space in between the United Kingdom and Canada there was a sign out for audience participation on America's Funniest Home Videos. Talking with Cast Members, they do this twice a year where they have day guests vote on the winning video for an episode. Who knew! I always wondered who voted for those videos that won prize money at the end. The park was pretty busy so I decided to watch the videos and vote in exchange for a free t-shirt! Bonus, I finally got to see the inside of the venue building between the two pavilions that they use for weddings and stuff like that. The episode I voted for aired January 5th, 2025.

After killing some time, I headed to the Italy Pavilion for my reservation at Via Napoli. When I travel solo, I usually stick to snacks and quick service, however, I wanted a delicious meal loaded with carbs in preparation for the half marathon. I had an order of focaccia bread and the chicken fettuccine alfredo. The pasta was fresh, and the sauce was light. After my dinner at 3 pm, I headed back to the hotel so my head could hit the pillow. Oh, did I mention it was Daylight Savings the next day? Try figuring that one out when you need to wake up at the same time the clocks switch back!

Wine & Dine Half Marathon

Yes, Chef! The morning of the Wine & Dine Half Marathon had finally arrived. Aside from mentally trying to wrap my head around how to wake up when I wanted to during Daylight Savings Time, I wanted to wake up at 1:45 am, but Daylight Savings kicks in at 2 am, I woke up refreshed and ready to conquer this half marathon fully dressed as Chef Minnie. I was so proud of my outfit and how accurate it was to the source material. I bought pieces from Amazon like the chef's coat and then added elements to replicate her outfit. If you would like to shop my looks, check out my other post here. However as I stepped out to another humid Florida morning, I came to terms with the fact that I would be very hot and sweaty in a few hours.

For the third morning, the reunion area had the same character spots with the addition of the Beast from The Beauty and the Beast. Of course, I beelined it to Chef Mickey and Minnie to grab a photo in my matching outfit while I was still put together. After, I headed straight to the corrals to be in the first wave of Corral D.

Before kickstarting the 15th Wine and Dine Half Marathon, the race announcers emphasized hydration and told runners not to skip any of the hydration stations. At the time, I did not think the humidity was going to affect my performance that much, but boy, I was glad I followed their advice and downed cups and cups of fluids at every station. The fireworks shot up, Chip n' Dale wished me luck, and off I went to complete my SIXTH half marathon.

I am a fairly slow runner, so for these longer races, I refrain from stopping until most of the miles are behind me. The fear of getting swept is always on the back of my mind as I work to get to the fitness level I was before the pandemic. The first mile took us on the highway, working towards the utility roads behind the Mexico Pavilion. Normally, I wait until after the 5K marker to grab some water, however, I slowed for both stations at Mile 1 and Mile 2.5. I entered EPCOT through Mexico and oh how lucky am I to get to run through World Showcase! Poor Canada got left out of the rotation, however, as the course had us exit through a backstage area in the United Kingdom to enter the Boardwalk.

To reach Hollywood Studios, runners used the walking path past the Swan & Dolphin Hotel, and let me tell you that was the worst pinch point I have ever seen in a race. Since we still hadn't reached Mile 4, there was still crowding on the course and the walking pathway was extremely narrow. runDisney also decided to place a water stop along that path which compounded the crowding because runners were stopping abruptly for water without adequate space to pull off to the side. I ended up trudging along at a slower pace than desired until the course opened at the Hollywood Studio's bus depot.

One part of the Wine and Dine Half Marathon I was looking forward to was running through Hollywood Studios. During my full marathon in January, the course barely took runners through the park, strictly entering and exiting through Sunset Boulevard. For this race, I got to run through almost the entire park, including Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land. There is something so satisfying about running full speed through a theme park. The fifth mile of the half marathon took runners past the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and Muppet Courtyard to enter Galaxy's Edge. On one of the mezzanines, Chewie and Rey were interacting with guests from afar. I love this type of course entertainment because it offers something different than the traditional photo stop.

The next stop was Toy Story Land, or as I like to call it, "the land of heat stroke", since it is notorious for heat-related medical emergencies due to the lack of shade and seating areas. This land is always busy, so it was refreshing to be there bright and early before the day guests arrived. The conclusion of my run through Hollywood Studios took me down Sunset Boulevard and out of the park via the Fantasmic! backstage corridor. I have to admit something. After exiting Hollywood Studios, the chef hat did come off and was stuffed in my apron for the next 6 miles of open highway. Daylight Savings had the sun coming up earlier than the day before, and with the unshaded roadway, the Florida humidity slowly made running a little more grueling. Aside from running past Coronado Springs Resort, there was not much stuff to look at. Occasionally there were a couple of characters placed on the course to break up the miles. To my surprise, Bowler Hat Guy from Disney's Meet the Robinsons, one of my favorite films, was out around Mile 8!

Before the race had started, the announcers also referenced a heartbreak hill between Mile 9 and Mile 10. Of course, coming from the New England area, when someone drops the term "heartbreak hill" I immediately envision a pretty steep hill with a substantial elevation gain. Well, what I will say is there was a hill, but to New Englanders, it was moderate. My main issue with it was the camber of the road since it was an off-ramp. The slight convex nature of the roadway was obnoxious on the ankles since your foot is hitting the ground at a sideways angle. On a lighter note, they did have a comedy duo stationed at the top of the hill with speakers loud enough to hear them the entire time. As they cracked jokes and interacted with runners, it served as a great distraction.

After Mile 10, there weren't too many memorable moments until runners made their way back to the entrance to EPCOT. As the course took us behind the Land Pavilion, a couple of mimes were out backstage silently cheering on runners which was super cool and unique. They looked like they were having a blast taking selfies with runners. We entered EPCOT through the backstage entrance to Figment. I had about a mile to go, so I slowed to walk as the humidity ramped up. Runners hooked a left past The Land Pavilion towards World Showcase before a quick hairpin turn back towards Spaceship Earth.

The course diverted us to the standard backstage exit next to Test Track. Just in front of the walkway to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Star-Lord, and Gamora attracted quite a crowd. I quickly pumped the brakes and hopped in line. I had seen Star-Lord before, but never Gamora. Last year I ended up skipping Star-Lord near the end of my marathon because I wanted to be done with it, so I was excited for another chance to meet him. I could also tell it was killing Star-Lord to have to keep the chit-chat to a minimum as I ran up for my photo, which honestly felt so accurate to his character.

After my photo with the Guardians, there wasn't too much course left. Passing by Test Track and sneaking a glance at her construction, I entered backstage, where the gospel choir and final turn were located. I ended my half marathon feeling strong. I crossed the finish line, placed my rat medal around my neck, and inhaled a Powerade. There is nothing more satisfying than a bottle of water or Powerade after completing a race in Florida weather, even if the bottle is at room temperature. I also received my Challenge medal which was the chunkiest thing ever and clanked around like a cartoon character with kitchen pans.

Wine & Dine Post-Race Party

Half Marathon and Challenge participants received a complimentary ticket to an after-hours party at EPCOT later that evening. About a couple of weeks before the race weekend, I got a physical ticket in the mail for the party and was able to link it to the My Disney Experience app. Tickets were available for others who wanted to attend at an additional cost, such as friends and family, and sold out a month before the event.

The Post-Race Party was from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am with ticket holders being admitted to EPCOT as early as 5:00 pm. During the party, runners had access to Global Marketplaces, live entertainment, photo opportunities, and select EPCOT attractions, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind which was standby for the event.

The parks were getting busier as Jersey Week started, a crowding phenomenon in early November at Walt Disney World when New Jersey schools close for a week, and families flock to the most magical place on Earth. After a quick shower and nap, I decided to head over to Animal Kingdom to treat myself to a celebratory dinner at Tiffins Restaurant, one of my favorites. I splurged on the Surf & Turf, and it hit the spot! After spending the afternoon in Animal Kingdom, I hopped on the bus to transfer over to EPCOT for the post-race party. I timed it so they would already be letting runners in to avoid having to check in inside the park.

At the main entrance to EPCOT, they had the far-left lanes open for those with post-race party tickets. Once scanned in, I received a wristband so Cast Members could easily identify who was allowed in the park after 10 pm and a special park map listing all the offerings available during the party, including character locations. I accidentally missed the maps when first entering and didn't realize they were available until I saw others holding them. They had plenty at the check-in spots inside EPCOT, so I grabbed one from there.

For a Sunday Night, EPCOT was busy. I attempted to work through World Showcase and felt like a salmon swimming upstream. I was able to catch a showing of Impressions de France, which has the most ridiculous hours, and grab a French dessert from the quick service counter. The time for fireworks was fast approaching, so I migrated to the Odyssey Pavilion, where I like to watch away from the crowds. With all these early bedtimes, it was nice to finally catch some fireworks. Then it was time for a literal half an hour of nothingness. To filter out day Guests, all the attractions closed temporarily, and the characters were not scheduled until 10:00 pm when the party officially started. To me, it was poorly managed logistically; everyone sat there and twiddled their thumbs for stuff to start.

Since I was near the Mexico Pavilion, I sat in a dark alley with my fellow runners waiting for Miguel from Coco to appear. It was quite humorous as Cast Members clocking off their shift walked past us all just silently sitting in the dark. Eventually, Miguel came out, late, and unfortunately was without a Photopass Photographer even though that was advertised. The line moved quickly, and I headed to ride Frozen only to be met with an extraordinarily long line that wrapped around to China. Hard pass. I checked the event guide and headed towards Canada to meet Koda and Kenai from Brother Bear. Their line was also insane, and I waited at least 45 minutes. While in line, the people behind me had a friend join them and reported back that most, if not all, of the lines were pretty much this level of craziness.

At that point, I was overstimulated, my feet were dog-tired, and all I could think about was the comfortable bed waiting for me at Riverside. Although I love to close down a park, I listened to my body and headed out. I am lucky enough to visit the parks regularly, so I don't need to push myself to try and do everything. Overall, I left feeling a little underwhelmed. I believe part of it was due to my solo status and the fact that I am not a big drinker. It appeared a lot of attendees had grabbed a drink and were simply socializing. The other factor was the lines. Both the characters and the food booths had very long lines, and the entire World Showcase felt packed even though this was advertised as an after-hours event. In addition, with tired feet, I was less motivated to bounce back and forth long distances to ride attractions. If you do not have an annual pass, this is a great registration perk, as you can skip buying a park ticket. I could also see groups enjoying the time in the park to celebrate their achievements. For me, this was a lackluster end to an exciting race weekend, and I would skip going forward unless I don't have an annual pass.

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