Our family of 4 is signed up for 5k- super excited for first Disney race. Question for those who have been before- does park open early on 5k morning? We will be done by 7am at the latest. If park is not open, what do people typically do until they do open?
If the parks aren't open you could go to a resort and have breakfast. If you're unsure of the timing you could do quick service instead of making a table service reservation. Personally I've always finished the race, went back to the resort to shower and change, and then visited the parks (with a shiny new medal!). If I've done breakfast reservations I've done it for late morning so there's no rushing around.
As it's your first Disney race, I just want to mention some things you may or may not be aware of. You can definitely finish by 7am or sooner, but there are some variables in a Disney race that could change how early you are ready to visit the parks:
- The number of people participating. I've never done a race larger than a runDisney race. While the 5K starts at 5:30, that doesn't mean you will start at 5:30! The participants are divided into corrals, and then each corral is divided into separate starting waves.
- The photo opportunities! Stopping for photos during the race will add some time to your run. Personally I think they're totally worth it, but everyone has their own opinion on this. There are also some characters out by the stage before and after the run. Waiting on line for these photos will add a little time, but the lines are usually shorter than they were before the race. The characters leave after a certain time though, so finish time matters for this.
- Transportation plays a role too. Buses are available to take you back to the resorts, but you have to walk to get to them (not far, but not right at the finish either). You could get lucky and get right on the bus and it leaves right away, but there could also be a line or you could be waiting for a bus. These are coach buses, not the Disney transportation buses. Then you have to factor in how many resorts the bus is going to, and which stop your resort is. If Epcot is open when you finish (which seems unlikely for the 5K), I've read that you can walk to the park entrance and walk through the park (using a park ticket) to get to the Epcot resorts. I couldn't comment on that though because I've never done it.
I hope you and your family enjoy the 5K!