Best Tips to Register for 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and Other runDisney Races

RunDisney events are among the most coveted races worldwide, attracting thousands of runners eager to experience a race at Walt Disney World. However, the high demand makes securing a spot challenging.

Our guide, crafted from years of insights and strategies, simplifies the process to give you the best chance of registration success. Whether registering for Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend or Princess Half Marathon Weekend, these tips will give you everything you need to know.

Preparation is Key

The most important thing for registration in a runDisney Race (particularly for Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend) is speed. Have your information readily available and work your way through the process as quickly as possible.

Create or Update Your RunDisney Account:

Make sure you have a RunDisney account and your details are current for a seamless registration process. Visit the main RunDisney website, access Help & Support, and navigate to Manage Account to check your information. This preparation speeds up the process, crucial for securing your race entry.

Gathering Essential Information:

Here is the information you will need to have available for runDisney race registration:

• First Name

• Middle Initial

• Last Name

• Email

• Address 1

• Address 2

• City

• Zip Code

• Mobile Number

• Emergency Contact Name

• Emergency Contact Phone

• If registering a minor:

  • Parent/Guardian First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name and e-mail Address

• If submitting proof of time (not recommended for initial registration)

  • Race Name

  • Race City, State, and Country

  • Race Results Website

• Payment Information

  • Payer’s Name

  • Billing Address 1

  • Billing Address 2

  • City

  • Zip Code

  • Credit Card/Gift Card Number

  • Expiration Date

  • CVV

If registering others, collect their personal and emergency contact details, shirt size, and any Disney affiliations (DVC member, Annual Passholder, Cast Member). Determine if they're participating in military or wheelchair divisions and if they've completed the race distance before.

Pro Tip: do NOT use gift cards or provide proof of time. You will be able to update your proof of time later. Both of these options make the process take longer and lessen your chances of successful registration.

Registration Day

• Begin at the RunDisney website, select “Events,” and choose your race. “Registration Opening Soon” will change to “Register Now” shortly before launch, directing you to the queue. This usually occurs between 5-20 minutes before registration opens.

  • Each race event (5k, 10k, Half-Marathon, Marathon, Dopey Challenge) will have it’s own registration button. However, they all lead to the same queue. Click the first one that becomes available!

  • The URL is not locked to an individual. Anyone can click on it and access the queue without going through the runDisney site. If the RunDisney page crashes before registration the only way to join the holding area and queue is through the direct link.

  • Refresh regularly to catch the registration link's release. Once live, quickly distribute the URL across your prepared browsers and devices. Stay organized and listen for the notification chime indicating your turn to register.

• Each race link leads to the same queue, so choose any to enter. Additionally, the queue URL may be shared within our community for direct access.

The Queue System:

If the registration opens at 10 a.m. EST, that is when the queue randomizes and beings. It is CRUCIAL you enter the queue before the registration opens.

Once the queue starts it randomly assigns each browser a place in line. If you join after this process has started, you will be placed last in the queue.

Leveraging Multiple Browsers for Success

Photo: MinneSisters on Instagram, note, baby monitor optional!

Each web browser type and device gets a place in line. Use multiple browsers, browser profiles or devices to enter the holding area before the queue starts. Then wait for the first one to get in to registration and use that browser/device. Note, this is not multiple browser windows. You can’t open multiple Safari windows on the same device.

Example: enter the queue holding area on Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, iPhone, iPad or other devices you have available. Each one gets a spot in line. If you are advanced, you can create multiple Google Chrome profiles and each of those will get a spot in line.

The more devices and browsers you have, the better your odds to get an early registration spot when the queue is randomized.

Once the Queue Begins

Right around registration time, those with spaces in the holding area will be sorted randomly, and the queue created. While the sorting process is automatic, the decision of when to do so is not, and is activated by RunDisney.

It doesn’t always happen at the precise top of the hour, but usually takes place within a minute or two. When the queue goes live and those in the holding area are sorted, a projected wait time will appear on each screen.

This will range numerically from one to 55 minutes, and will show “over an hour” for anything larger.

Do not be alarmed if every one of your windows initially shows the “over an hour” message. The estimated time is only an approximation.

Because many people use multiple browser windows and/or devices, as they have success, they’ll drop excess sessions, and the wait time may drop more quickly than estimated. There have also been times when registration has been paused for a minute or two, causing all the messages to revert to “over an hour”. In those cases, when the issue was resolved, the times dropped back to where they were.

There is absolutely no need to refresh any browser window. Once a queue position is set, it cannot be changed. Refreshing a window won’t do any harm, but it also won’t provide any benefit.

Once registration is open, it’s very important to monitor return times. Once you’re in, GO! GO! GO!

Race registrations are not held while you are in process, and it is possible for a race to sell-out while you are filling out the page.

Strategies for Multiple Registrations

For solo registrations, proceed swiftly through selection and payment. When booking for multiple participants, plan your approach to combat the risk of races selling out mid-process.

While adding all registrations before paying seems efficient, it risks losing all if one race fills up. Conversely, securing each registration separately may reduce overall success but guarantees some entries.