Favorite RunDisney event hotels

[GuinnessRunner]

I've stayed at Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk, PO Riverside, POFQ, AoA (pre-Skyliner) and AKL over the years for Marathon Weekend. Knock wood, but have never experienced bus issues from any resort and while I know some were shorter rides than others, I don't remember any being enough that I loved it or hated it. Boardwalk has always been my favorite because I love being able to walk to Epcot & HS and love the atmosphere around the lake. Only downside was lack of quick service. When it's a solo trip, it's harder for me to justify the extra cost of staying there though. So this year I am trying Pop. As others have said, the Skyliner gives me close to the same access to Epcot & HS, and it also solves the quick service problem. I did reserve a preferred room to be closer to the Skyliner and the busses on race days, which also solves my only complaint from when I stayed at AoA and they put me way far away in the Little Mermaid section. Glad to see all the positive statement about Pop on here and looking forward to giving it a shot.

I haven't done a monorail resort for race weekend yet and still would like to try that some day too.

 

[pluto377]

Sounds like a few of us will be at Pop solo this year! We should try to meet up for bus rides or a meal or something.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

Sounds like a few of us will be at Pop solo this year! We should try to meet up for bus rides or a meal or something.

Group Skyliner ride to HH meetup on Friday

 

[accm]

I've only done two runDisney weekends, so don't have nearly as much experience as the rest of you.
Our first weekend was just my husband and I for wine and dine 2021. We stayed in a studio at BCV. We loved how easy it was to get to Epcot and HS, and when I was dead exhausted during the after party, it was a short walk back to our room.
This past January we stayed in a 2 bedroom at BLT and I loved it. The monorail access for the half and full was really convenient. The hot tub was quiet so I could relax while my husband took care of our kids in the pool. It gave really easy access to MK and the finish line for my husband with our boys. Food options were pretty good, and you also have the other monorail resorts as easy options as well. The only negative is how far the bus stop is. The race buses stop by the convention centre, which after you're done Dopey, feels like a cruel joke.

We're staying at BLT in a 1 bedroom for MW, and then BWV in a 2 bedroom for Wine and Dine 2024.

 

[marty3d]

Group Skyliner ride to HH meetup on Friday

I’m in!

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

Another solo at Pop!

 

[daisyduckismyqueen]

Port Orleans French Quarter (POFQ) Reigns SUPREME !! Esp for Dopey

- Quiet (heard NOTHING on any nights)
- Size is SO Small... less than 30 second walk to our standard room.
- Dining is the only "bad" part... 1 quick serve, 1 bar. Food options were solid but does get a bit backed up
- Pool had NO one majority of the time, has a decent sized hot tub
- Views are minimal but you can pick a bench and watch the river or a covered outdoor table and people watch outside of the lobby
- Park Transportation never waited more than 10 minutes
- Race Transportation never waited. 3-4 busses waiting every single morning
- Room is standard, but love having 2 beds and a table and chairs. Only thing I prefer is a mini-fridge not a bev cooler. Plus ours had a bathtub for post-race salt soaking
- Very close to race start... 5-ish minute bus and no road closures to deal with
- Not the most affordable in the moderate category
- Theming is chef's kiss perfect. Love love love.
- Transportation to Disney Springs

TLDR: French Quarter is perfect if you are looking for a no-frills, quiet, small, resort. Excellent bus transportation, cast members, and overall consistency. Pool, hot tub, and lobby are all very central. Minimal dining options are easily solved by sister resort Riverside or a quick boat to Disney Springs. Easy-going, quaint, and clean.

 

[lurkernj]

I don't think you can beat Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve for a combination of price and location plus I still get my Marriott Points. TBH as much as I like the Disney resorts, and we will be at an AoA suite this year for MW, I find it harder and harder to justify staying anywhere other than Swan/Dolphin/Swan Reserve. We do from time to time but it is now the exception where even 10 years ago we would stay at a Disney report pretty much exclusively.

I'm with you on this. The past few years, we've done Dolphin for race weekends. Price is much less than YC/BC/BW and still have the convenience of walking to Epcot. We were Yacht Club loyalists until it reached over $500/nt, loved hanging at Stormalong bay/hurricane hannas post race, but just can't justify that cost. Occasionally we'll stay at Pop for a budget trip now, but Dolphin isn't much more than that these days. Love getting those Marriott points too.

 

[scottfam527]

MW 2023 was our first RD race and we stayed at Poly. The Pago Pago longhouse is a great spot with quick access to the TTC to ride the monorail for the half and full. It also has it's own little parking lot which was convenient for driving to the 5 and 10K. We'll be staying there again for Princess in Feb.

 

[accm]

MW 2023 was our first RD race and we stayed at Poly. The Pago Pago longhouse is a great spot with quick access to the TTC to ride the monorail for the half and full. It also has it's own little parking lot which was convenient for driving to the 5 and 10K. We'll be staying there again for Princess in Feb.

Were you able to walk straight to the TTC? I've heard people say they were turned around because there was no security setup there?

 

[Zutroy]

Were you able to walk straight to the TTC? I've heard people say they were turned around because there was no security setup there?

I stayed at the Poly for MW 2023, and I rode the monorail from the TTC.

 

[scottfam527]

Were you able to walk straight to the TTC? I've heard people say they were turned around because there was no security setup there?

The security was all set up like a normal park day. Walked right from Pago Pago to the TTC. Super convenient for the half and full.

 

[2girlsR2good]

Bumping this one back up with a new entry:
Drury Inn in Disney Springs. Stayed here in a two room/two queen room for Dopey 2024. The extra room was really nice to have for two people who aren't family traveling together. We could spread out and not be on top of each other when we both wanted downtime. We rented a car and left by 3:05 every morning, so had no troubles at all with traffic. We were safely parked in one of the front(ish) lines in Epcot every day. For far less than a Disney room, we got a free hot second breakfast every day upon our return to the hotel after that day's run (3 mornings-5K, 10K, half a half). A hot tub that was fine, a bathtub for soaking in epsom salts, a microwave/fridge for making our own first breakfast. There's also a free evening happy hour/food that we only used once. Wasn't interested in free drinks and the food usually didn't appeal. Late lunch with leftovers to reheat for dinner via Disney Springs worked out well. Everyone working at the Drury was lovely. It's definitely not the Disney bubble (we did use their park shuttles and as long as you match your park time to their schedule, it's pretty easy). Ended our stay with 2 nights at the Contemporary and loved that as a finisher.

For prior races, I've stayed at the Contemporary in the garden wing (my favorite for a just one race stay, hands-down). POR (good, quiet, more reasonably priced so good for challenges that are just two days) and Swan/Dolphin which is my wine/dine favorite. Walking back after the after party is the best.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I don't know how I'd feel about it for a whole week, but if I just wanted somewhere nearby that was clean and had a place to sleep (and I had a rental car) Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista is an older (and it looks older) building, but it was VERY clean. And on NYE it was $100/nt. I would imagine that it would be cheaper on weekdays. It had a coffee maker and a mini fridge in the room. Definitely dated, but if you want to save money, it's a good choice.

 

[flav]

I stayed at Pop for my first race weekend (WnD, solo), it had a refurbished room, no Skyliner yet. I loved the crisp and well organized room, the possibility to run or stroll around the lake, the foodcourt with a super-nice chef who helped me carry my water, milk and bread all the way to my room, the efficient bus system, the giant icon making me feel like I am at Disney and the buzz of the runners, especially on race days.

For Dopey a few years later, my family decided to come too (DH, 2DD, DM and her brother). Even though they had been used to Poly, BC & GF, they also really liked Pop. For the same reasons plus the Skyliner (DM would have preferred bus, she is afraid of heights). DD who ran the 5k and 10k with me confirms that it is her favorite resort. The three pools are also nice. The vibe at the Values is lively, we like that. We had a one night at CSR DD and I on that trip and found it way too quiet with people in ties going to meetings. Also we didn’t like the foodcourt there.

For the last STS, DD and I stayed at ASMo. It has almost everything Pop has, except a third pool, the lake and the Skyliner. Being able to catch a bus to ASMu if it arrived first made for very efficient transportation.

For the next STS, I am booked at AS-Sports, just to try a different resort. I still prefer Pop but can stay 4 nights at an AS for the price of three nights at Pop. I would rather stay longer and come back to runDisney more often.