Where to Stay for your WDW RunDisney race weekend
You are planning a RunDisney event and want to know where to stay or where is the best place to stay? I’m here to help.
The shortest answer is to stay on Walt Disney World property for any WDW RunDisney race weekends. Why? Because RunDisney will provide transportation from all their official resorts to and from the start/finish line for all the races plus to and from the expo. I also love the safety of the Disney bubble and never feel unsafe walking around the resort at 2am to head to the bus stop.
But with over 20 resorts on Disney property, which one is best? It partially depends on your travel party and what you want from your race weekend experience but here are some options:
Disney’s Pop Century- Preferred room- This is a value resort and the biggest perk is being on the Skyliner which gives you gondola access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The rooms here are updated and the food court has some good food options plus the staff here tends to get into race weekend and they cheer for you when you get off the bus, etc. The downsides of this resort are that the rooms are small if there are more than 2 of you running (with all your gear it can get very crowded) and as a value resort, it can sometimes be loud with littles. I do recommend a preferred room so you are closer to the main building as this resort is larger than some other options.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort- Riverside or French Quarter- these are moderate resorts and they are both sister resorts. They only offer bus transportation to the parks but the onsite dining options are delicious and the staff gets into the race weekends (we even had special runner recovery tools at the pool during race weekend and fun photo props). The rooms are larger here but it can still feel crowded if you have more than 2-3 runners in this space. Riverside is a larger resort so a preferred room or a Royal room is recommended. Moderate resorts include a hot tub which is a HUGE benefit during a race weekend.
Disney’s Beach & Yacht Club- these are Deluxe resorts and my favorite for a RunDisney race weekend. Often at least 1 race distance will pass through the Boardwalk area where these resorts are located so this is an extra bonus if you have anyone coming to cheer for you. The rooms are larger and this resort features on of the best pools on property at Stormalong Bay which is great for recovery but there are also “quiet” pools you can enjoy with hot tubs too. The food here is good but the quick service food options are more limited. Being able to walk to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios is one of my favorite features at these resorts. There are DVC rooms here including villas that feature kitchens if you are looking for a larger space too!
Disney’s Art of Animation- this is also a value resort but if you are going with a few runners or are traveling with people who aren’t running and need a separate room, this might be a better option in the family suites. The family suites here will feature 2 bathrooms (BIG win post run), a bedroom that has a queen bed and then there are 2 pull out beds in the main area plus a kitchenette (which is helpful when you need to eat something before the race in the morning). Warning that the pull out beds aren’t as comfortable.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge- another Deluxe resort, this may come as a surprise because it is a bit out of the way and only offers bus transportation to the parks (not as common in Deluxe resorts). However, this resort is peaceful and beautiful which can help make your RunDisney visit still feel like a vacation. If you need a more restful spot to sleep or don’t plan to spend as much time in the parks, this can be a perfect fit during a RunDisney weekend. The food options here are pretty good and the pools are great. There are options again for larger villas too and even savanna view rooms so when you get back from your race, you can sit on your balcony, eat your breakfast and watch the animals.
Many guests also like to stay on the monorail resorts but word of warning that the monorail does NOT run for transportation for every race morning and the one time I tried to ride the monorail on a race morning, we ended up stuck for over 20 minutes.
Want help choosing the best resort for your RunDisney race-cation? Fill out a quote form today and let’s plan together!
