RunDisney weekend is one of the biggest events happening on Walt Disney World property and there are a ton of details you don’t want to miss.
From registration to booking the right hotel and navigating the weekend, there is a lot of planning involved when you sign up for a runDisney race.
This post is all about the Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend at Walt Disney World.
If you’re looking for tips on attending your first runDisney event at Walt Disney World, read ahead because I’ve put together a complete list of everything you need to know.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links. No extra cost is added to the item. Commissions come from a portion of the sale.
Registering for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon
We registered for the Half Marathon in March 2022 and the race was in November 2022. Registration goes quickly, so be sure to register online the day it opens as soon as possible. Registration for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon was $229 per person. We registered two people for the race.
The price for registration goes up the closer the date gets to the race but it usually sells out within a day or so of opening. The Wine and Dine weekend has three races, the 5k, 10k and Half Marathon. You can register for one race or all three, but you will need to pay for each race individually.
Booking Flight and Hotel for RunDisney Wine and Dine Weekend
We did a lot of research of where to stay for our first RunDisney half marathon. We wanted a hotel close to EPCOT but also more upscale since we were also celebrating our four-year wedding anniversary. We had contemplated staying at a non-Disney hotel but still on Property. We were looking into the Waldorf Astoria and Hilton in Bonnet Creek. These hotels are sister hotels and offer transportation for runners on race day.
We ended up booking a room at the Gran Destino Tower at the Coronado Springs Resort. This ended up working out perfectly. Everyone at the hotel was prepared for race weekend. There was clear signage in the lobby for runners with transportation and event schedules and the hotel was stunning, perfect for an anniversary trip.
If you’re participating in runDisney race weekend, I would suggest staying at a Disney property or knowing your way around Disney World very well. The bus routes and car routes are different and traffic can really build up race weekend with road closures. If you do book at a non-Disney hotel, I would call the property ahead of time and make sure they are providing transportation to and from the race and some hotels offer free late checkout for runners.
@julia.vaness Room Tour at the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort at Disney World. We loved our room and this hotel! #disneyworld #disneyworldhotels #disneyworldroomtour #disneyworldhotelroom #disneyworldgrandestinotower #coronadospringsresort #coronadospringstower #coronadospringsdisney #disneyvacationplanning #disneyworldcoronadospringsroomtour #disneyscoronadosprings #disneycoronadospringsresortroomtour ♬ original sound – Julia Vaness
runDisney Wine and Dine Weekend EXPO
The runDisney Expo for Wine and Dine weekend is hosted at the ESPN World of Sports. The Gran Destino offered transportation directly to the Expo so that runners didn’t have to take multiple buses to get to the location. The entire Expo area was very organized. It was separated into three different areas, one for bib pickup, one for the Expo floor and one for runDisney Half Marathon merchandise.
There was a ton of signage, so you can clearly see where you need to go and tons of staff are working the event to help too. You will need your photo ID, race confirmation email and a signed waiver before picking up your bib.
I will say the actual Expo floor was kind of underwhelming. I was imagining a lot more vendors being there since it’s such a huge race weekend but I’m sure Disney likes to limit who they work with on purpose. I would have liked a few more booths to browse at but we did have a good time.
Since it’s called the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, they had booths set up with food and drinks from EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival. A lot of people were relaxing with a beer between grabbing their race bib and shopping for merchandise. It was a really big area to hang out and get excited for the upcoming races.
runDisney Merchandise: I would suggest getting to the merchandise hall early. If you are able to go on the day it opens, that’s the best day because we went the second day and a ton of sizes were sold out for Spirit Jerseys and race shirts. I assume, just like with other exciting new merchandise, resellers come in and buy everything up. It’s unfortunate so please be prepared.
To help with securing your merchandise, runDisney offered a virtual queue for runners this year. The virtual queue allowed guests to join from the comfort of their beds, anywhere within 45 miles of the Expo hall. Once your group is called, you have 1 hour to get to the hall to checkout. We didn’t use the virtual queue, so we’re not sure how easy it was to use. If you did use it, I would love to know how well it worked and if it’s worth using for the next race weekend we register for.
Training for the RunDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
If this is your first half marathon or even your first 10k I would start training as soon as you register. Your body and mind will need time to adjust and get stronger. We trained a lot with intervals, which was a lot easier than just running. There are pacers set up throughout the race that keep time with run/walk/run intervals.
We started with C25k or Couch to 5k. It’s a program we had done before and really loved. After a few weeks we decided to try another program by Thomas at Marathon Handbook. We like this program a lot because it involved not just interval training but also strength training to build up overall strength and endurance.
Find a program that works best for you and stick with it. Consistency is going to make a world of difference.
As you get closer to race day, start training with the pack you will wear during your race – if you’re planning on wearing one. I ran with a great Camelbak that held my DripDrops electrolyte water, phone, wallet, snacks, and more. It was perfect but I didn’t train with it and I wish I had gotten into a rhythm of water, snack, and running. During my training, I would just stop and have a snack and then get back to running. Please train as if it’s race day to help your body adjust to everything as you go.
As training went on, we started to adjust what we were eating and introduced higher protein meals and more carbs. For a full rundown of everything we at while training for the runDisney half marathon, check out the full post here.
What to Pack in Your runDisney Half Marathon Race Bag
The first thing I Googled was, What to carry with you during a half marathon? There were a ton of articles and it was tough to sift through but I managed to put together a list of the top items. I knew I had to carry some type of electrolyte drink, snacks and then I always like to carry a light first aid kit too.
There are a ton of lists online but here is what I packed:
- Camelbak gear bag
- DripDrops electrolyte water
- phone
- wallet
- headphones
- Mini First Aid Kit with Band-Aids, Neosporin, and Advil
- Beef Jerky
- Nerds Rope
- Pretzels
I will say right now that Pretzels were the worst thing I could have possibly packed. My mouth was dry and I was dehydrated no matter how much water I was drinking and the pretzels turned to a chalk in my mouth and I could barley swallow them. I only had them once and tossed them. The Nerds rope were great and I like the beef jerky because it was salty. Next time, I want to focus on a few different snacks.
I have a very sensitive stomach so I was afraid to use the running gels but I think it’s safer to train with them instead of not. Drink a ton of water and please eat any snacks they give you. You will be surprised at how quickly you run out of energy.
My bag was perfect for the race and fit everything comfortably. Once again, I will suggest you train with whatever bag you plan to run with because running with a bag does cause you to tense up a bit more and use different muscles. I was very sore in my shoulders after the run because of my bag.
Other than my snacks, everything else I packed was perfect. Test out different items as you train and take it seriously. Yes, its a Disney race but its still a race and you can still get hurt.
@julia.vaness Me, nervously packing for my first half marathon #rundisney #halfmarathon #halfmarathonracebag #rundisneyhalfmarathon #wineanddineweekend #wineanddineweekend2022 #wineanddinehalfmarathon #wineanddinehalfmarathonweekend #wineanddinehalfmarathonweekend2022 #myfirsthalfmarathon #tipsforrundisney #rundisneytips #rundisney2022 #rundisneywineanddine #racebag ♬ original sound – Julia Vaness
What to Wear for a Half Marathon
Running is an investment. It’s an investment in yourself, your time, your patience, your strength, endurance and everything in between. If you’re committing to running a half marathon, invest in good gear, just like you’re investing your time and energy.
Find good supportive shoes, get custom insoles made and please wear the fancy socks with extra cushions that are non-slip. Having your socks slip down on mile 9 is not something you want to deal with.
Early on in our training my husband and I invested in new shoes. We visited our local Road Runners in Solana Beach and got fitted for insoles, shoes and purchased fancy socks. We both went with Brooks running shoes and custom insoles. The non-slip socks made a HUGE difference and I now wear them almost daily, even when I’m not running.
PT tape also helped a lot with my knee pain and my husband’s ankle pain. You can find some great taping videos for runners on YouTube.
We also loaded up on Sunblock, purchased new lightweight running hats, and packed sunglasses. I purchased the Top Knot hat that fits a high ponytail and it was perfect. I highly recommend it if you like to run with your hair up.
I did see a lot of people running with bags in their hands but I wouldn’t suggest that. Depending on how fast you’re going, the race can take up to 3.5 hours. That’s a long time to hold something. I would suggest wearing a backpack or checking in your items before the race.
@julia.vaness I was so excited 😁 #rundisney #rundisneyhalfmarathon #rundisneyhalfmarathonoutfit #rundisneyoutfit #rundisneyootd #rundisney2022 #wineanddinehalfmarathon2022 #halfmarathonoutfit #rundisneyoutfitinspo #whattowearforrundisney #outfitsforrundisney ♬ original sound – Julia Vaness
What Time Does the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Start?
The Wine and Dine Half Marathon starts at 5 AM. You get dropped off quite a distance from the starting line and it takes a while to get sorted into your corrals, I would suggest arriving at EPCOT no later than 4 AM. The walk is at least over a mile, there are food trucks available for coffee and snacks and when you enter the runners’ area there is water available near the bag check tables.
The race has multiple waves in each corral. Each wave was two minutes apart from the previous one. We were in the last corral, letter E, and our wave started around 5:40 AM. We were glad we arrived when we did because we were at the beginning of our corral. The last group is always the largest, so please give yourself enough time to sort through the corrals and get lined up.
Transportation to the Wine and Dine Half Marathon
Transportation to the Wine and Dine Half Marathon is available by bus from the Disney World Resort hotels. Runners can also drive to the Park or take an Uber/Lyft but please be aware of the traffic for the race. The lanes have been narrowed to single lanes to make room for the runners’ so be sure to give yourself extra time if you drive in or take a ride share. The buses have their own lanes, so they don’t get stuck in traffic. There were a number of buses lined up at our hotel starting at 3 AM so that runners can easily get to EPCOT. If you are taking a bus, try to get on by at least 3:40 AM.
We did speak with the Concierge at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria, their hotel was offering bus rides to the Half Marathon starting at 3 AM too. If you are staying at a non-Disney resort, please call ahead to make sure they offer transportation for the race.
Mile-by-Mile Breakdown of the RunDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
I don’t fancy myself a runner but I am a very strong walker. My husband and I trained by jogging and walking and we had gotten up to 10-mile walks. I will say that we really relied on how excited we would be during the race to keep us going but please train for the full 13 miles. It’s a mind game more than anything but your body will need to be prepared.
We went to bed very early the night before. We got into bed around 5:30 PM and fell asleep by 6:30 PM. We had a full day before and I was so nervous about the race that I barely ate (mistake #1). We had a nice meal at Planet Hollywood in Disney Springs, we had chicken salads and a large side of rice, and a smoothie. But I had a small peanut butter sandwich for dinner and because we went to bed so early I had a pretty empty stomach before the race. We set our alarms for 2:20 AM and popped up with excitement.
The night before we had tried on our race outfits, packed our race bag, and laid everything out for race day. It made our morning very easy. We did make peanut butter sandwiches again but I was so nervous I only ate half (mistake #2). We were at the buses by 3:20 AM and got right on. They had a handful of buses ready to go for racers so they were leaving pretty often.
We arrived at EPCOT a few minutes later and it was packed. They had a nice walkway already full of racers walking to the starting line. On the way, we passed some food trucks and photo-ops. There was a lot of music playing and everyone had really great energy for so early in the morning.
Everything up until that point was open for everyone, family members were there dropping off racers and cheering them on. Then we walked into the runners’ area, we had to show our bibs and in that area, there were porta-potties, water stations and a bag check.
From that runners’ area, you follow a path at least another 10 or so minutes long to get to the corrals and starting line. We arrived between 4:20 AM – 4:30 AM. So it took us about an hour from when we got on the bus to get to the starting line, this is why it’s important to board early.
Because this was our first race ever in years, and our first ever half marathon, we didn’t have race times to submit prior to race day. This meant we were in the last and largest group to start the half marathon. Luckily, we weren’t in the last corral of the group but it was still a tough race for us to keep up. It would have been a smoother race if we had started a few corrals earlier.
Racers need to maintain a 16-minute mile pace, which typically is easy but maintaining that pace for 13.1 miles is completely different. We were able to slow down a bit and we would have been able to finish easily with a nice 20-minute average towards miles 9 and 10 but because we were already at the end, the Balloon Ladies were close behind.
Before we discuss the Balloon Ladies, let’s start the darn race and get into a breakdown of each mile.
Mile 1
We started the race around 5:45 AM being in the last group. It started raining at the beginning but we had on hats and it was only light rain, so it was kind of fun. Immediately, I was like, I don’t like running but our energy was high and we ended up not doing intervals at the beginning as we had planned. I think that was a mistake. Stick to doing the race however you trained.
Mile 2
I was very excited about mile 2 and feeling great. We were walking a bit more but nothing paced. It was still dark outside and wet, so we were more focused on not tripping or slipping than anything else.
Mile 3
We ran a 5k! Here is where I was getting tired and realizing that I had 10 more miles to go. About halfway through our 3rd mile we found a Pacer and decided to stick with them. Honestly, it didn’t last very long because they had very short intervals. We slowed down a bit but continued doing our own interval pace.
We were running through EPCOT at this time, running Around the World, and from there we ran to Hollywood Studios.
We ran the walking path that connects them, by the Swan and Dolphin Hotel, IT IS A VERY NARROW PATH! Honestly, the entire race, we just keep questioning why Disney would throw THOUSANDS of runners onto a small and narrow walking patch. You could barely run, more of a fast walk and it was wet and people did fall.
Mile 4
This was when we were leaving EPCOT and “running” between parks. It was more of a mess than anything. It was nice to kind of slow down though.
Mile 5
We made it to Hollywood Studios! We were tired but honestly feeling good. The ground was very slippery inside the Park but we took it slow. Everything felt better because we were running through Star Wars Land (Galaxy’s Edge) and Toy Story Land. I did stop here for a minute or so pull out my snacks and stretch. Looking back, I should have started fueling up before this time. Because once you’re already tired, it’s a bit too late to get back the strength.
Mile 6
I was SO proud of us for hitting mile 6. At first, I was all annoyed because you know, running, and I’m a walker but hitting this marker felt amazing. I had great energy was felt excited to hit the halfway mark. But really, this is where things went down hill.
Mile 7
The next 3 miles were all open highway and terrible. Maybe some people loved it but it was a struggle. This is where the pain started and panic started to set in because we realized how far back we were. We didn’t stop for a single character photo but somehow we were in the back.
Mile 8
This is the part of the story where we’re introduced to the Balloon Ladies. If you don’t know, the Balloon Ladies (and I’m capitalizing because they’re important) are the official time and pace keepers and are supposed to be the very last people to cross the finish line.
When we were on our way to the Mile 8 marker we were notified that the Balloon Ladies were only 5-6 minutes behind us. This was terrifying because they will “sweep” people for not keeping pace. That means, they will have you load a bus and drive you to the finish line because you aren’t keeping pace.
Literal panic set in at mile 8 but it didn’t help me to move faster. I was tired and felt weak. I was drinking water and Gatorade the entire time and Disney has drink stations at almost every mile. They also had a snack station around this mile too. But nothing helped. I had my snacks and the pretzels were the worst idea because my mouth was so dry that it took me minutes to eat because it soaked up whatever moisture was left. I focused on the beef jerky which was nice and salty and then my gunnies for sugar. Also lots of water and Gatorade and DripDrops.
I started crying halfway through mile 8 because the Balloon Ladies were getting closer and I felt like shit. Sorry for the cursing but honestly, I felt terrible and I couldn’t slow down because that meant I would be swept up.
Mile 9
We saw people stopped and loaded on buses. It was not a fun moment to see people be stopped over half way through a race they had planned for and taken off the course. I know Disney need open the roads, but taking people off the course feels wrong.
At this point, we could see EPCOT again but it didn’t help. We were still running on the literal highway and people were driving one lane over from us, heading to the Parks. It was busy and everyone looked to be in pain too.
Mile 10
The last stretch before heading into EPCOT. This is where we first see a Balloon Lady. Just as we’re about to enter EPCOT, I see a balloon in front of me. I freak! We start running but there’s really no space to run. Once again, we were like sardines. It was packed. Everyone was tired and there was no space but everyone was freaking out because we were officially at the end of the pack.
Mile 11
I wanted to fully stop and just be swept. We were keeping pace with the Balloon Ladies but honestly, they weren’t very nice. They just kept yelling at everyone to keep moving because we would be scooped up by people on golf carts if we couldn’t keep pace. They made the last two miles the least magical part of the entire race.
Mile 12
This one felt like the absolutely longest mile because just after passing the mile 11 marker, there was a band and a DJ that was saying we were almost at mile 12 and then we weren’t! Once again, we were like sardines. You literally couldn’t move faster even if you wanted to but we kept getting yelled at to move faster. We were like cattle.
Also! I almost passed out around this time because I was so dizzy. I kept having my snacks and drinks but it didn’t help, I was too far gone at that point.
Mile 13
I walked this last bit. I saw the sign and literally stopped moving. The Balloon Ladies passed me and I could see the finish line, I knew they weren’t going to sweep me when I could see the finish line.
THE END
We did it. I walked very slowly down that last .1 mile stretch and didn’t smile. I crossed the finish line and then sat down immediately on the other side of the line but off to the side where the barrier was. A Cast Member politely told me I had to keep moving, so my husband got me up and then I almost passed out again. At that point the Cast Member had me sit in a wheelchair they had lined along the edge and to my surprise, as soon as I sat down I was whisked off to the medical tent.
I’m always afraid I’m being dramatic but I’m glad they took me to the med tent. I couldn’t stand at all and felt very dizzy. In the tent, I saw a lot of people I was with during the race. It was a lot to see other people in pain and I remember seeing most of them and thinking to myself that I was weak and why couldn’t I be strong like them. But we’re all human and we all just did something very difficult and it really does take a toll on you. It’s okay to ask for help and it’s okay to admit when you need help.
My husband and I were in the tent for about 30 minutes. They provided us with water, Gatorade, snacks, and of course our Medals. The staff was very nice and was very thorough in taking care of us. Honestly, we were just so happy they brought us our Medals in the med tent. That made our day. They also nicely drove us to our bus which was about a mile away. That was the biggest win of all!
After the Race
The biggest takeaway from the race, we can do hard things. We can cry and crawl but we will get through it. It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop.
Looking back, I should have trained harder and I should have eaten a full meal the night before and morning of the race. There’s a lot I would have changed but I don’t regret doing it. I vividly remember at mile 8 telling myself that and promising myself that I would never ever do this to myself again. I was apologizing to myself and I said I would never sign up for another race again. That feeling passed as my pain started to go away over the next few days. I was so happy and proud of us for doing this race and I want to train for my next one. Harder, better, faster, stronger. Queue the music!
RunDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Post-Race Party at EPCOT
Your registration for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon includes admission into the Post-Race party at EPCOT. The tickets will be mailed to you about 1-2 weeks before the race. Take a photo of them and be sure to pack them for your trip, you will need these to enter the post-race party.
Family members and friends that didn’t register may also attend the post-race party by purchasing a separate ticket. These tickets are available months ahead of time but do sell out. Tickets for the post-race party were $94 each. The party started at 5 PM and went on until 1 AM.
The line to enter EPCOT was pretty long when we arrived around 5:45 PM. But it’s important that you enter through the correct gates to make sure you get your post-race party wristband. This wristband will let you stay in the park after it closes at 10 PM.
Themed cocktails and treats were available to purchase and all of the food stalls at the World Showcase were open too. We hit up Frozen as soon as we entered and waited about 60 minutes before we boarded the boats. After that, we did Living with the Land which had no wait and Soaring over the World which had about a 10-minute wait.
Remy’s Ratatouille ride posted a 70-minute wait but ended up being around 25 minutes and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was posted at 50-minutes but was also around a 25-minute wait. Cosmic Rewind was also the BEST ride I have ever been on. I would describe it like Space Mountain (CA) and Rise of the Resistance had a baby. It was that good!
Overall, the party was a lot of fun. There was a DJ playing great music and everyone was in a good mood. It was really special to be in a park where almost everyone had completed a race. To see everyone celebrating their hard work was really special.
RunDisney Wine and Dine Weekend Photopass
In order to view and purchase your runDisney photos from your race, you will need to set up an account with Disney Photopass. You can access this by visiting the MyDisneyExperience App or by visiting Myphotopass.com.
“To link your race photos to your Disney account, log in at MyDisneyPhotoPass.com, select “Link Photos,” and enter your 16-digit code, which is the 11-digit RaceID, plus your 5-digit bib number. If your bib number is less than 5 digits, add zeros before your bib number to fill in the remaining numbers.” – rundisney.com
Experiences Available for Wine and Dine Weekend
There was a lof of different experiences offered on Disney property race weekend. Disney Springs had some fun food and drink offerings and merchandise available.
The post-race party is the best part of the weekend aside from the race but there are a lot of ways to celebrate! We saw people decorate their hotel room doors for the races they were in. We say fun outfits during the race. There are a ton of ways to show your love and excitement over race weekend.
The Day After Our First Half-Marathon
The morning after our race was TOUGH! I could hardly move and my feet felt bruised. I put on my cute Crocs and a comfortable to head down to breakfast. I had to hobble around but everyone knew why and they were congratulating us for finishing the race. It was such a great experience to stay at the hotel with other runners. Everyone was wearing their medals the next day and it was nice to say hi to people you experienced running 13.1 miles with.
It took about 10 days to be fully back to normal. If you’re a professional runner then I doubt it will take you that long to recover but for the fun-runners, like myself, it may take a while so be prepared. Taking Advil helped a lot and also Magnesium. Check with a Doctor if you plan to take any new supplements to make sure you are taking the correct amount. We did a lot of research for post-race recovery.
@julia.vaness Comfy outfit for our last day at Disney World. #rundisney #postrundisney #rundisneyhalfmarathon #halfmarathonweekend #rundisneyweekend #wineandineweekend #rundisneyoutfit #rundisney2022 #wineanddineweekend2022 #rundisneywineanddine2022 ♬ original sound – Julia Vaness
The End of the Race!
Thank you for sticking with me through this post. It was a whirl wind to write it all out and relive such an intense weekend. The Disneyland Half Marathon is coming up and unfortunately they sold out extra fast and we weren’t able to secure a registration but hopefully next year we can participate in another RunDisney race.
If you have any questions about the race or planning, let me know in the comments. I would be happy to help anyway that I can! Enjoy your race and enjoy the time you take to focus on your physical and mental health as you get stronger.
You got this!
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