This post is based on my experience running the 2025 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon. Race details, schedules and policies can change each year, so always check runDisney for the latest information before your trip.
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What Is It Really Like to Run the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon?
Thinking about running the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon for the first time? I ran the 2025 race—my first runDisney event and my first half marathon—as part of a four-day girls' weekend at Walt Disney World. And I quickly learned that the race itself is only part of the adventure!
Between the runDisney expo, a VERY early race morning, Disney character stops, our stay at the Swan Reserve, and the incredible EPCOT post-race party, there were so many things I wish I'd known before arriving.
I'm sharing exactly how we spent our weekend, what I'd do differently, where I'd stay again, and my biggest tips for first-time runDisney runners.
And just to give you an idea of how much fun we packed into one day—my Apple Watch recorded 44,284 steps and 21.37 miles on race day.
Apparently, running 13.1 miles was just the warm-up!
Wondering what to wear or bring for your first runDisney race?
I've rounded up my race-day essentials, favorite running accessories, and the things that made this weekend more comfortable.
See my complete runDisney packing list and what I wore on race day.
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Before Wine & Dine: What I Would Do 4–8 Weeks Before the Race
Obviously, training matters. But about six weeks out, I’d also start making sure all of the little logistical pieces are handled.
First, stay consistent with whatever training plan you’ve been following. This isn’t the time to suddenly panic and start piling on miles your body isn’t prepared for. For reference, doing some middle of the road runs (3-5 miles) a few times a week and 1 long run a week would be ideal. All of that to say, I am NOT a runner! But I did my best lol.
I’d also have your hotel booked WELL before this point. For future runDisney races, I would book your hotel as soon as you know you’re going—ideally right after registering if you want the best combination of rate and location. And if you’re wearing a costume, get it finished early. Do not let race morning be the first time you discover that your adorable Disney accessory bounces, rubs, falls off or becomes absolutely unbearable after three miles. Actually run in it.
I’d also do at least one longer “dress rehearsal” run using the shoes, socks, headphones, phone holder, fuel, anti-chafe products and anything else you plan to use on race morning. Nothing new on race day.
Where to Stay for Disney Wine & Dine: Our Swan Reserve Review
We stayed at the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, and this was one of the best decisions we made for the entire weekend.
Normally when I’m picking a hotel, there are a million things I consider. For runDisney? I learned very quickly that location matters A LOT. The Swan Reserve sits in the EPCOT/BoardWalk area, within walking distance of EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests also have access to the amenities of the Swan and Dolphin complex. For us, that meant we could easily walk over to Disney’s BoardWalk for dinner Friday night.
It also meant that after running 13.1 miles Sunday morning, resting all afternoon and somehow deciding we were ready to go back out again, we could walk over to the Swan/Dolphin boat dock and take the water taxi to EPCOT. The Swan and Dolphin currently offer complimentary boat transportation to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, with boats generally running on a recurring schedule. After a half marathon, every step you don’t have to take feels like a luxury. Guests at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve also receive certain Disney resort benefits, including Early Theme Park Entry.
Would I stay at the Swan Reserve again for runDisney? Absolutely.
Friday: Arrive, Check In and Head Straight to the runDisney Expo
We flew into Orlando Friday morning, dropped our bags at the Swan Reserve and made the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo one of our first stops. (You have to pick up your packet ahead of race day)
The expo is held at ESPN Wide World of Sports (in 2025), and this is where runners pick up their bibs and race materials. For 2026, runDisney requires participants to attend the expo at least one day before their first event.
But it is definitely not just: Walk in → grab bib → walk out.
It feels like the official beginning of race weekend. There are vendors, shopping, photo opportunities and thousands of people walking around who are just as excited—and probably just as nervous—as you are.
This is also when we had that moment of holding our race numbers and realizing:
Oh. We’re actually doing this.
My advice? Don't treat the expo like an errand you're trying to squeeze between other plans. Give yourself some time to enjoy it. Once we were done, we headed back to the hotel, relaxed by the pool and later walked over to the BoardWalk for dinner. That was the perfect first day!
Saturday: How NOT to Prepare for a Half Marathon
Every running expert: “Stay off your feet the day before a half marathon.”
Us: Magic Kingdom anyone?
We took advantage of Early Theme Park Entry, rode TRON, Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world,” Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and basically behaved like four people who had completely forgotten that we needed to run 13.1 miles the following morning. I mean come on, we are moms who were let loose in Magic Kingdom with no kids!
Was this textbook race preparation? Absolutely not. Were we trying to PR the next morning? Also no. And I think that's an important distinction. We wanted this to be a girls’ weekend that happened to include a half marathon, not a race trip where everything else revolved around protecting our legs.
That evening we went for sushi, had a couple cocktails, laughed off some of the pre-race nerves and then called it an early night. Would I recommend walking around Magic Kingdom all day if your biggest goal is running your fastest possible half marathon? Probably not.
Would I do it this way again?
Honestly…yes.
runDisney Race Morning Tips: What to Expect Before 5 AM
This is one of the biggest things I would tell a first-time runDisney runner: A 5:00 AM race does not mean you wake up at 4:30. Race morning is basically an event before the event. You have to get dressed, make sure your costume is intact, get all of your gear together, eat whatever you've practiced eating before your long runs, get to the race area, walk, find your starting group……and then wait. With a LOT of other people. Expect a good 2:30-3am wake up call depending on what group you are starting in.
Getting to the race location from the hotel was super easy. This specific resort was on the route for the runDisney bus, so we simply waited outside the hotel at a designated stop, and the bus picked us up bright and early that morning and dropped us off at Epcot within 5-10 minutes. We took the same bus from the Epcot finish parking lot, back to the hotel after the race.
But honestly, the waiting is part of what makes runDisney fun. There are costumes everywhere. Music is playing. Everyone is excited. Everyone is taking pictures. And then the fireworks start. That was the moment it really hit me: We are about to run a half marathon at Disney. For 2026, the Wine & Dine Half Marathon again starts at 5:00 AM and covers 13.1 miles through Walt Disney World Resort.
What Running a Disney Half Marathon Is Actually Like
This was the part I was most curious about before the trip. Was it going to feel like a normal half marathon with a little Disney sprinkled in? For us, absolutely not. We intentionally chose the experience over the finish time. And I'm so glad we did.
There were character sightings and opportunities throughout the course, so we stopped, but because I’m super competitive, I didn’t stand in any lines for pictures, but instead stayed on course and selfied so we could quickly get back on it.
We laughed. We ran through Disney property and Hollywood Studios and soaked in the people cheering from the sidelines. Yes, there were absolutely moments where 13.1 miles still felt like…well…13.1 miles. But then you'd see another character. Or enter another Disney area. Or hear people cheering. And suddenly you had another little burst of energy.
That’s what made this feel so different from a normal road race. My advice is to decide before race morning what you want your race to be. If you're chasing a personal record, chase it. But if you're doing runDisney because you've dreamed of the Disney experience, give yourself permission to actually experience it.
Stop for the picture. Take the video. Meet the character. Laugh with your friends. You can run another half marathon. You may never get this exact race weekend again!
Crossing the Finish Line
And then suddenly…we were done. There is something incredibly satisfying about putting that medal around your neck after spending months preparing for the race. Especially when you're standing beside the friends who just did it with you. We celebrated, took approximately another 400 pictures, toasted the finish……and then went to find breakfast. Which brings me to another piece of advice:
Plan what you're doing immediately after the race.
Food. Transportation. Shower. Rest. Your future self will appreciate you.
Our Post-Race Recovery Plan
We headed back to the Swan Reserve, ate breakfast and spent the afternoon doing almost nothing. Which was glorious. We showered. Rested. And gave our legs several hours to recover before what may have been the most questionable decision of the entire weekend:
Going back to EPCOT.
The Swan/Dolphin complex also has Mandara Spa, so if you're someone who loves building a massage or spa treatment into a race weekend, this is another perk of the location. We actually scheduled massages for the following morning before we flew home.
The Wine & Dine Post-Race Party at EPCOT
This is one of the things that really makes Wine & Dine different. After resting all afternoon, we got ready, walked over to the boat dock and headed back to EPCOT. We walked through Food & Wine. We ate. We drank. We met more characters. We toasted with champagne. We watched fireworks. And somewhere along the way, four women who had gotten up at an absurd hour and run 13.1 miles that morning were walking through EPCOT singing songs into a selfie video like we had somehow forgotten what we'd done earlier that day.
The official Wine & Dine Post-Race Party begins after normal park operations and includes access to select EPCOT attractions, entertainment and Food & Wine Festival marketplaces. Half-marathon and challenge registration currently includes party admission; for 2026, the party begins at 10:00 PM, and ticket holders may enter EPCOT as early as 5:00 PM.
If you're running Wine & Dine, don't overlook the party. But also…REST FIRST.
Because this is how our Sunday ended:
44,284 steps.
21.37 miles.
I still laugh every time I see it.
Monday: The Best Possible Ending
Our last morning was purposely slow. We scheduled massages at the spa, grabbed some food and eventually headed to the airport. And ending a weekend where we'd walked more than 20 miles in a single day with a massage may have been the smartest decision we made the entire trip.
Is the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Worth It?
For me, 100%. But I also don't think it's automatically the right half marathon for everyone. If your only priority is running your fastest possible 13.1 miles for the lowest possible race-weekend cost, there are obviously easier ways to accomplish that. Disney race weekends require more logistics, more planning and—once you add travel, hotels, food and park experiences—more money.
But if you love Disney and want a destination race that feels like an entire experience? I completely understand why people get hooked on runDisney. The race was fun. The weekend was even better.
My Biggest Advice for Your First runDisney Race
Don't get so focused on having the “perfect” race that you forget to enjoy why you signed up. Train enough to feel prepared. Test your gear. Get the logistics handled. And then when you're finally standing there in the dark, wearing a ridiculous Disney costume while fireworks go off around you…look around.
You worked hard to get there. Enjoy it.