This is a super fun 5k put on by Track Shack usually in September. Given the time it can still be…read moreuncomfortably hot, but that's the price we pay living in Florida. The course is beautiful and given the title there are 3 bands that play at different markers. After the race participants vote on their favorite band. I mean how much fun is that? As with all track Shack events the race is very walker friendly, and I would definitely recommend it as a first time race for someone. The Bands offer a nice distraction from the fact that you are running or walking (or any combination thereof) for 3.1 miles

Begging you to read reviews, or one of the many many Running Disney books or blogs before you go…read more.. most people who complained had zero idea what to expect because they were unprepared. There are 25,000 people, mostly WALKERS, then joggers and very few actual runners coming to this and Disney has to organize them in a way that makes it possible for all to visit characters, get photos and experience the parks before they open. Stroll through this... my husband actually wore slip on shoes to the 5K.. take your photos and take in the park in the pre-dawn hours. I was in the very last corral so didn't start the race until 6:30am.. those at the back of my corral, probably closer to 7am. (You arrive here by 4:30 so it's a long wait) It really is amazing to enter Epcot early morn and soak it all in... dress up as your favorite character for the 5K, (it's harder to do if you're running the half marathon and still be comfortable), and greet the countries along your way.. they are out there to cheer you on! (Except japan? Who sent one tiny quiet person for both the 5K and 10k??). We were back at the Beach Club resort by 7:30 with our medals and my teenager was still asleep, lol If you're doing all three race days, make sure and stroll this one because the big one is worth every mile and you don't want to be on tired legs.

The 5k was labeled as a fun run and it sure was fun! The organization was superb from the expo…read morethrough race day! I ran it as part of the Dopey's Challenge. The race now falls on Thursday. The start and finish lines are located at the Epcot parking lot. When you first get there, you can go to the finish line area and check your gear bag if you have stuff to check. They encourage you not to check anything unless you absolutely need to since there will be security check for all bags. Then you can head to the starting corrals. They then release the corrals one at a time starting with corral A. The course itself was pretty much a loop of the parking lot and a loop around Epcot. It was a fun course. Nice and fast!

I participated in the half marathon in 2017 for the first time and found it to be a very well-run…read moreevent. The main location was Lake Eola Park, where the race started and ended. I checked in the day of the event and picked up my bib, shirt and tote bag. Also, arriving early was helpful for finding street parking nearby. The volunteers were very cheerful at the water/Gatorade stops and along the entire race path, holding up humorous and inspirational signs by OUC. The event after the run had food from Sweet Tomatoes, milk products and two tickets for beer. The half marathon also offered text message updates and official race timing. I had a great experience and would participate again.

So this has been an Orlando tradition for sometime now. I just have the fortunate opportunity to…read moreparticipate this year in the 5k. Not sure of the half route, but 5k route had tons of girls on the run group and other 5k groups. Everything was organized and straight forward. Race swag including tee shirts, beer, chocolate milk race bags and other what nots. I have no idea who the beneficiary is for this race if any. However happy for the choice of short or long race. Gives me plenty of time to write review while friend finishes half. Anyone that runs a half is crazy. . .I should know, ive done it 3 times.

Y'all, I will never get over how fun this ride was. Was it 60 degrees, January, and cloudy? Yes…read more Did I get soaked? Yes. Did the available dryers help? No. Would I do it again? Absolutely. The queue is adorable. I love feeling like I'm immersed in a world. And I feel like Popeye is a cartoon and a cartoon aesthetic that stands up to the test of time. It's the right amount of thrill for a family friendly ride, aligned with a cute little story. Can you believe I have never been on this ride on a hot park day?? That's got to happen next!

Perfect for a hot summer day! I definitely wouldn't do it in…read morethe winter! You will get wet! It was always fun to listen to the bickering between Popeye and Bluto on the raft while it floated along the track. I always begged my parents to give me a quarter to use the watergun on other riders.

It was a blast. I had so much fun. First I didn't run. Very expensive and it sold out like in an…read morehour. However I did volunteer. Waking up at 1:30 in the morning to get there by 3 am. Struggle, but I got there with around 1000+ volunteers. We park our cars at ESPN center and walk into building. We sign in, get our shirt and lanyard. They mark the lanyard card as we get our items. So there's no seconds. We put our shirts on and proceed to get our snack box that the runners also get at the end of the race. We get to make our breakfast box. Which can be a muffin or croissant. Snack bar or apple. Coffee or juice. We eat a little before we go walk to find our bus to take us to our location. I chose the finish line food. Which is there recovery box of snacks. Very good choices. Apparently everyone was saying cheese and I was okay. I didn't know they had cheese in the boxes till I got back home and open it myself. Fast forward to about 10:30 am. About 8000 runners came past us on both sides of tent. We folded some tables and started to close some sides. Once we saw the balloon ladies. We new it was time to box up the remaining boxes and head back to buses. We were looking for a blue ballon. Started walking toward it and waited our turn to get on bus. We were maybe 10 minutes away from where we parked. We went back inside the center and was able to take a picture with Minnie Mouse. Then we went to get our Thankyou gift for helping out. A igloo bag and a beach towel that says princess half marathon 2024. Again I didn't look at it till I got back home. Plus they gave us a coupon for lunch truck outside. I had a beef patty melt on toasted bread with something that I think was hashpuppies. I had half of it, saved the rest for later. Overall it was great. I look forward to April.

This was my 12th(?) half marathon. I think. I'm losing track. It was DEFINITELY my third Princess…read moreHalf Marathon. Somehow, the race just keeps becoming more magical every year that I run it. My race times also just keep getting longer, so maybe the secret is to stay on the course for as long as possible to soak up every magical moment. Unique race strategy, I know. RunDisney requires you to maintain a minimum of a 16 minute mile pace to avoid being swept. I'm not a "fast runner," but I'm getting faster every year and am currently sitting in the middle of the pack or most races. So you may ask - how and why are my race times for this race getting slower and slower every year? This isn't a "race" to me. It is an experience. I submit a proof of time every year hoping to get an earlier corral so I CAN be slower and have more time. The 16mm pace doesn't start until the very last corral starts and this race is MASSIVE. Most corrals have more than one wave starting. It is over 30 minutes from the time the first corral gore until the last corral. The lower your corral, the more time you will have. This is why I do not suggest you race this as your first half marathon. There are two perspectives to this race worth covering... From a Runner's Perspective Eh- like 2 or 3 stars I don't even hang my medals any more and I have lost track of how many half marathons I've completed. The bigger the race the more different your experience will be. This is not an ideal race to "race" unless you are in a really early corral. Even starting in corral D, a good portion of the race was just too crowded to truly run even at a 11-13mm pace. The only miles I could fit in running my 9:30-10:30 pace were the ones most early on. Once I got to Magic Kingdom- forget about it. This race also had an ungodly start time. 5:30am. But that doesn't mean arrive at 5am- nope. If you are staying at a Disney Resort get on that bus or monorail by 3:30am. If you are coming off site, you will still want to leave around the same time or earlier. My friend coming from a hotel around Universal left her hotel at 3:45 and the traffic combined with the long walk to the corrals (around a mile from the staging area). She was too late to enter her corral and ended up having to start two corrals back. The time sucks- but Dom't chance it. There is water and Powerade stations, on an overcast day like we had this weekend it was plenty, but on the hotter years I have definitely wished to carry a hand held for the highway, even though that isn't even something I do for marathons. They give out sports beans instead of gels, which don't typically do much for me. I'd say the majority of people run this race for the experience and for the Disney magic. Runner's etiquette for this is almost non existent. You will get bumped. Walkers don't stick to the right and people move in large packs. It isn't a pleasant experience for a serious runner focused on just running the 13.1. From a Disney Fan Perspective ALL the stars. 5 doesn't seem like enough. Yes- a lot of this race is highway. There are only so many miles you can get in the park for the route to make sense and to be able to accommodate thousands of runners. Plus Epcot is open for a lot of the race, so being able to accommodate runners and the general public is a logistical challenge. This year the route even changed to eliminate most of Epcot. Disappointing, but I get it, especially with the International Festival of the Arts happening at the same time. There is still SO MUCH Disney Magic during this race. The highways give you more time to really appreciate the costumes around you. Even for the half marathon people can get intense with their costumes, pure artistry! It is also just cute to read the Disney sayings and get into character yourself if that is your style. (My outfit for the half is usually more survival based.) Running through Magic Kingdom gives me the BIGGEST smile on my face. It is just magical and with this race you get to run through the castle. As a runner and Disney fan this is always so special to me. They have so many character stops throughout the race. I think they average to be one every mile or mile and a half (most are jam packed in MK though). Sometimes you get to see characters that never make an appearance in the Park. This year they had a villain stop that absolutely made my day! The lines can be long. It isn't an autograph or interaction stop though so they usually move as quickly as possible. About 30 seconds per picture. This is the perk of starting in an early corral and being properly trained for a half marathon so you can make up time running and have some extra time to play with by starting in an earlier corral. I just love this race. It gives me an excuse for an annual girl's runcation and trip to Disney. I always get some fun pictures and have a truly magical experience that just keeps getting better every year.

So fun! The decor in the waiting area is nice to look at while you're waiting. The line moves…read morepretty quickly, but know that the ride itself isn't very long. I've been on other river rapid rides that are atleast 2-3 times longer. That being said, you WILL get wet. I'd recommend wearing a poncho or something if you're worried about it. There is also no dry bag, but there are lockers.

"It's all chemistry of a car crash" -Shiny Toy Guns…read more We were semi excited for this mid ride, as we heard many complaints against it in several YouTube videos, for being boring, short and lackluster. What we didn't expect was the back jarring, spine popping, body churn from the sudden shift of rotational force when the raft catches on the sides of the rapids. Not okay, Disney. This is the first Animal Kingdom ride to receive a lifetime ban from us. If you have, or suspect any back issues, I'd recommend passing on this chiropractor's dream.

What an amazing time. Our tour guides were amazing and you can tell they loved their jobs and…read moretalked. Any questions you had about the wildlife if they would had an answer for you. The meal break was delicious and everything is made just for the track and can't be found anywhere else in Disney. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get closer to the wildlife. Side the tour everyone gets free photos and water bottle to take home. I will definitely do this again.

Review of the privately-guided, pre-paid VIP expedition (NOT Kilimanjaro Safari ride). This was a…read morefun excursion. Both of my young adult children really loved it. The trek begins with getting fitted with a harness, a headset (to listen), a complimentary aluminum water bottle, sunglass strap and phone strap. You walk on some back trails until you get to the interpretive stops. All the while the guides are providing interesting info about the park right to your ear (I thought the headsets were a great feature for the tour). Safety is paramount, so they are constantly checking your gear. There were specific stops to see the Hippos and Crocodiles where you would attach your harness and peek over the edge to see the animals. There were also a couple of cable and wood bridges to cross over the streams and crocodiles. The tour continues as you board a special open air truck and tour the savanna, getting a little closer to the animals than on the safari ride tour. Here the trucks would occasionally stop for more detailed info on the animals and Q&A. Next you head to a patio dining area overlooking the savanna where an African themed meal is served along with the ever popular Disney POG juice. After this break, its back on the truck for a couple more stops before returning back to the departure dock. Also included are several photos taken by the guides. I'll admit it is a bit pricey, but if you have the means it is an experience one won't soon forget and the kids will love.

Favorite Winter Park 5K for the tree hugger in all of you. Love the dirt road trail at the Genius…read moreDrive Nature Preserve. Beautiful shady canopy of trees, peacocks calling out along the way, and a tree to take home at the end. This is a timed 5K that does not return to the starting line, you have to walk about 1.5 miles back to the start (partially along Aloma), or take a free shuttle bus back to Showalter Field. Great everytime!

As usual, any race planned by Track Shack is well organized and starts on time. The race course…read moreitself was very pretty and goes through Genius Drive, a privately owned, beautiful road with gorgeous views. The whole course is through beautiful Winter Park neighborhoods, so it makes the miles go fast! There's even a lot of support along the race course- one family was even outside their home giving out free OJ and mimosas! The only negative of this race for me is that it is point to point, so you have to wait for a shuttle at the end of the race to take you back to your car, which isn't my favorite. You get a free small tree to take home too!