I am not sure what people expect...maybe it's just runners like (have to?) complain! The Marathon course winds between the parks and takes you to some behind the scenes areas of the Mouse's house. Where else will you see the greenhouses and the animal pens. Aid stations are well staffed. Water/food stops are thought out well. Entertainment abounds. I never once felt board, or put out by the course. The volunteers and especially the staff of Disney are enthusiasticly cheering you on as you run by and make a point to call out your name. In addition guests of the parks and resorts are out in full force to cheer you on. As to the comments about the smell...folks, that wasn't sewage, that was the compost pile. As for the comments about food at the end...I got a bottle of water, bottle of poweraid, banana, orange, bagel, clif bar, clif shot, gummies, can of pop. What else do you want? Furthermore there were food trucks in the runner reunion area. You want more, go get it. I had a wonderful cupcake! The food trucks were an awesome touch...nothing like breakfast with the family. Also, the buses back to the resorts...I waited 5 minutes tops, in the bus.

The race was phenomenal. 17,000 people running was great and a spectacle. The course opens up enough that if you need a BQ it can be done. There are some tight spaces but mostly one has plenty of room to go at your own pace. I am not fond of getting up at 2:30 am for a 5:30 am start. There are lots of people and lots of waiting once you get there. If one has the money, it is best to stay at the Grand Floridian or Polynesian since we get the tram instead of a bus and the busses can get backed up. We stayed at the Floridian and got there super fast. Do the race retreat! You get a heated tent with chairs, food, coffee, your own drop bag place and can hang out before and after the run. Well worth it versus sitting in a large parking lot. Get to the start line early. The 10 minute walk turns out to be 30 minutes and you may miss your corral so I say start walking at 445 am.

Disney does what they do very well. They handle crowds and create unique experiences. Of course you have to wait in line sometimes, and the the early start is painful.

This race is fun. It seemed like every mile had a water station and Disney experience. The music was always changing as you were greeted by new characters and floats. The time really did fly by. The course challenges are not hills, it's twist, turns and chagnes. Runners narrowing from an 8 lane boulevard to a walking trail can be difficult.

This is a nice race for recreational runners, first timers, and Disney fans.

This was my first marathon, and I was pretty disappointed. Running through the parks was very cool, but that was about 25% of the race. You are mostly running behind the parks on service roads. Spectators are very limited in where they can go to cheer. Also Disney does not cater to runners. Our hotel checkout time was before I finished running the marathon, and trying to push it back was difficult. If you do this race, stay until Monday. After the marathon I was forced to walk (limp) 30 minutes to a bus and go straight back to hotel to check out. There were limited food and celebration after the race as well. There were a lot of food and water and medical stops during the race, and the Disney volunteers were very helpful and encouraging. All in all, it was a bit of a disappointment.

I can't begin to think of anything wrong with this race. And why would I (or anybody) try? It is nothing but FUN start to finish...

It's amazing  The Disney employees and volunteers work as hard as the athletes, cheering so enthusiastically for so many hours. They deserve true gratitude from all of us runners.

Really...If you run, this is a 'Must do'. I did the Goofy Challenge the past two years, and will be back!

A great place for my first marathon. As other have said though, they need to improve the distractions from miles 18 to 21. They added a lot of porta-potti's at the beginning and along the course to minimize the tree watering. Where else can you bask in the glory of a marathon finish with
others for a day or two following the race at the parks.

This was my fourth Disney World Marathon. It seems like the organizers dont listen to constructive feedback from those that spent a lot of money to run only to find out that you are running (again) next to the sewage plant. For those that ran this year, the smell was a lot worse than previous years. Why or why, with all the feedback they get, do the organizers feel like the runners need to run next to the sewage plan?? I guess they choose not to move to course since they always have a fresh group of new runners every year. As far as the organizationnobody does it better than Disney! As far as the volunteers, nobody has better volunteers than Disney!

This is a great marathon for 1st timers without time goals. Your mindset is different if you're running a race to just finish rather than for time. I understood going in that Disney really isn't the place to run for time (that's what I was looking for). A lot of people stopped to take pictures w/the Disney characters that were standing throughout the whole course.

The organization was great (I'm comparing this to the many 1/2 marathons that I've run). The volunteers were excellent, and worked hard standing out there in 52 (f) degree weather. The water stops were well stocked with Powerade and water. They were also well place throughout the course. They had tables on both sides of the road. I loved that fact that it was consistent at each water stop that as you approached the Powerade was at the 1st few tables and water was at the last few tables (no guessing which was which). The cups were even labeled. Great touch Disney. The aid stations were adequate. The volunteers at the end were very nice and extremely helpful, which is what you need after running 26.2 miles.

The fans were sporadic. Most of the course is out on the back lots which were blocked off to fans. But, when you came into the parks the fans were great. It would've been nice to have more fan support along the way b/c 26.2 miles is a long way and you can really draw from the energy of the cheering crowd.

The course was fair. There were several roads that were extremely cambered. They can really take a toll on my legs, hips and ankles. However, for the most part it is a flat course. There were a couple of inclines (not real hills) that helped to keep things interesting. There were a couple of places inside the parks where the pavement was uneven that were trip hazards. However, volunteers would warn you as you approached those areas (so don't where headphones).

The temperature was really nice. It started out at about 52 degrees and quickly rose once the sun came up. I believe it was around 75 degrees. Some people that finished after me were clearly over heated. To that I would just say, be sure to watch the weather forecasts ahead of time for the area, and dress appropriately.

All in all, I'm glad I chose this event as my 1st marathon b/c there was really no pressure and everything was well organized.

But remember, 26.2 miles is still 26.2 miles and is challenging (please don't take your training lightly).

This is a great fun marathon with all the 'magic' that Disney brings. The event organization was spot on and easy to navigate despite having over 20,000 marathon\half marathon runners (San Francisco take note). Even the expo was well done with multiple buildings keeping the crowds from achieving critical mass. I do have a small gripe, however...narrow running paths! Disney race organizers, you cannot squeeze thousands of runners on a sidewalk that measures 5 feet across! Even though I got a PR out of this race, I felt I could have done much better. But alas, there were long stretches where all I can do is slow down to the pace of the crawling crowd of runners directed to run in constricted spaces. Still, it was a great experience with live bands, park fans (you run through all the Disney parks in the area) and decent food. I also need to mention that the weather was fantastic! And to start at 5:30 made it all even better thanks to the fireworks and lighted parks. I recommend this race without hesitation.

Good first time half or full. Running the parks are fun, but the 10 to 20 mi, half or full, running past the waste treatment plants and never seen back roads of the Disney mega complex get old fast. I suggest run with friends or a team. Medals are nice. Is also only place where half and full are on 2 different days, plus Goofy option which is a fun endurance 40 mi run for 3 medals.