Wine and Dine 2026 athletes- your race weekend approaches! But there is some important information you still need to know/consider- where can you use the bathroom?!
RunDisney does a good job of having bathrooms on the course including being able to find port-a-potties at the start/finish line and typically at least every 2-3 miles on open road areas.
But who really wants to use a port-a-potty? Especially in the dark…
One of the great benefits of running through the parks during a RunDisney race is access to many of the bathrooms along the way. Please be aware that just because a bathroom is along the course, does not automatically mean Disney will have it open/available for athletes to use. RunDisney staff and volunteers may tell you that you cannot use a certain restroom because it is too far off course, please remember to listen to them and follow those rules.
So what bathrooms are available for use?
First up, for all 3 race events, when you first arrive at EPCOT in the morning, once you go through security, on your right hand side before you leave the front of EPCOT to head to the staging area off in the parking lot, there is a bathroom. This is your last real bathroom before the race begins and your corral is released.
There are TONS of port-a-potties in the staging area and near the corrals but those will be your last bathrooms possibly until you get into the park (there may be a small line of port-a-potties just before the park but usually Disney doesn’t have the first batch until at least mile 1).
For the 5k, the race route goes through EPCOT and here are the bathrooms that SHOULD be open:
•Norway- these are large but since they are the first set of bathrooms, the line can get long
•America- there are family bathrooms but there are also large bathrooms on the far side. If you can hold it to this point, this might be your shortest wait. This is also a water stop.
•United Kingdom- lines and urgency have likely diminished compared to the first bathrooms
•Port of Entry- before you officially turn left to head towards Spaceship earth there are bathrooms just off the course here
*There are bathrooms behind the Imagination pavilion but they are a little bit off course so be aware that you might not be able to stop here.
•World Celebration offers a few bathroom options. If you want a real bathroom before you exit the park and head to the finish line, you will want to use the ones to the right as you exit the Connections passway.
The 5k this year will be timed and with the new rolling starts, there is a chance the course could be swept between waves- so plan accordingly. RunDisney requires a 16:00 per mile pace and while historically this was not enforced in the 5k, it is possible that this will be required this year.
For the 10k, the route will take you back into EPCOT but also out into the Boardwalk area. Here are the bathrooms that SHOULD be open:
•Norway- these are large but since they are the first set of bathrooms, the line can get long
•America- there are family bathrooms but there are also large bathrooms on the far side. If you can hold it to this point, this might be your shortest wait. This is also a water stop.
•As you head out to the Boardwalk area, there are large bathrooms just past Guest services outside EPCOT. There are NO bathrooms in the Boardwalk area so this might be a good option otherwise you have to wait until you come back into EPCOT by the United Kingdom about a mile later.
•United Kingdom- this will be the first bathroom back in the park after the water stop so this could be on the busier side. If you can wait for the next bathrooms, you may find shorter lines.
•Port of Entry- before you officially turn left to head towards Spaceship earth there are bathrooms just off the course here
•Imagination pavilion restrooms will be on your left before you exit the park again. This is an underrated bathroom option.
•World Celebration offers a few bathroom options. If you want a real bathroom before you exit the park and head to the finish line, you will want to use the ones to the right as you exit the Connections passway.
During the half marathon, bathrooms are vital and actual bathrooms are fewer and further between distances.
The same bathroom and port-a-potties will be available before the race begins that morning and your first set of actual bathrooms will be at mile 2 when you enter EPCOT. There are going to be 3 park sections that will offer real bathrooms, so plan accordingly.
At Mile 2 in EPCOT, you will have the bathrooms in the World Showcase- Norway, America, and Morocco then the bathrooms at the International Gateway before you head out to the Boardwalk and over to Hollywood Studios. The best bathroom option at that phase is either the America bathrooms or at International Gateway.
Remember, there are no bathrooms available through the Boardwalk area and it’s unlikely for there to be many port-a-potties there either (there are typically one or two at the medical tent which will be at the spot where you turn off the Boardwalk and head for Hollywood Studios but this should be reserved for emergencies and typically has a long line).
As you arrive at Hollywood Studios, there are bathrooms on your right across from the buses. If these are open, they can be a great option because they are a decent size bathroom and not many people realize they are here.
The first official bathrooms in Hollywood Studios are just inside the park as you enter. These bathrooms are on the smaller side and since they are the first bathrooms in the park, they may be on the smaller side. There will be quite a few bathrooms available in the park, so if you can, try to head to one of the next options.
Near Star Tours, you will have 2 bathroom options: by the Olaf meet and greet area and across from the Star Tours exit. These are both better options than the park entrance.
Contining along, you will have 2 sets of bathrooms in Galaxy’s Edge- one as you enter and one as you exit. Warning- Galaxy’s Edge tends to be slippery if it is wet/damp that morning so be careful.
Toy Story Land will have bathrooms on your right as you enter this area and I like how colorful these bathrooms are (plus they are a good size) or as you exit Toy Story Land they will have bathrooms on the right by the Pixar area.
You will head to Animation Courtyard and there are bathrooms listed here but these MIGHT not be open so I recommend planning for other restrooms.
Your final bathroom options in Hollywood Studios will be on Sunset Blvd. There are bathrooms on the right in between the shops and across from the Sunshine bar. Then there are bathrooms on the right just before you go past Tower of Terror (just past the entrance for Beauty and The Beast show). Both of these bathrooms are on the smaller end but this will be your last real bathroom for 7 miles, so I highly recommend making a pit stop.
The big chunk of your mileage for the half will not be in the parks and begins once you exit Hollywood Studios until you re-enter EPCOT at mile 12. There will be port-a-potties along the course and typically they have groups of at least 5 of them available. Warning that if you are a later athlete, these get very warm and smelly.
And finally, at Mile 12 you will re-enter EPCOT at the front of the park but the first bathrooms open will likely be the Port of Entry ones (so a little ways in). Lines could get long for this bathroom but only this and then the bathrooms across from Mission Space will probably be the only two options open/available in the park. Most other bathrooms in this area would require you to veer off course and it is likely that staff will direct you to stay on course.
A few important bathroom tips for your race weekend:
Stay hydrated! It can be tempting to avoid hydration because you are worried about bathrooms but please stay hydrated.
Bring tissues and hand sanitizer with you on your run. Bathrooms and port-a-potties can run out. Trust me- that is the last thing you want to worry about in that moment. Throw them in a small bag in your pocket (so they stay dry) or in your run belt.
Avoid eating anything new to you 12 hours before or during the race especially for the longer distances. If you did not train with the RunDisney fuel, don’t use their fuel. Bring your own. As someone who has been personally victimized by their own GI system during a race, stick with what you know.
Overall, have fun! Not every mile will feel magical but you will make lots of magical memories along the way.
And if you want help planning YOUR best RunDisney racecation, fill out a custom quote request so we can work together.
