Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Details (2023)
In 2018, I got my boyfriend to sign up for his first half marathon – the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. It was my 9th half marathon and second runDisney race for the year.
As an avid runner, it was cool to see how a beginner runner experienced the race as opposed to my own experience. If you’re asking if the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon is worth it, it absolutely is.
You likely have a few questions surrounding this race, so let’s get to the good stuff!
Quick Details
Date: November 5th, 2023
Start Time: 5:00 a.m.
Start Line: Walt Disney World Resort, Florida
Finish Line: EPCOT Theme Park
What is the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon?
The runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend is more than just a half marathon in Walt Disney World. The race weekend coincides with the annual EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.
The Orlando, Florida, event includes a 5k, 10k, and half marathon over three days .
The half marathon is a 13.1-mile race. The 10k is a 6.2-mile race. And the 5k is a 3.1-mile race.
Can’t make it to Florida for the race? Sign up for the virtual events!
When is the Wine and Dine Half Marathon 2023?
The races will be held this year on November 3-5, 2023.
• November 3rd – Wine and Dine 5k
• November 4th – Wine and Dine 10k
• November 5th – Wine and Dine Half Marathon
All events start at 5:00 a.m., so plan an early wakeup!
Veteran runners or Disney fanatics can join the Disney Two Course Challenge. This challenge will have you registered for the 10k on Saturday, November 4th, and the half marathon on Sunday, November 5th.
The benefit of running the Two Course Challenge is earning three medals. You’ll get a finisher medal for the 10k, one for the half marathon, and one to celebrate your completion of the challenge of running both races.
How Much Do the Wine and Dine Races Cost?
Prices for the 2023 Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend are as follows:
5k – $107.99 USD
10k – $150.99 USD
Half Marathon – $234.99 USD
Two Course Challenge – $389 USD
After Party for Wine and Dine Half Marathon Runners
The post-race party is a top reason you should sign up for the half marathon distance. The After Party perk is only available for the Half Marathon and Two Course Challenge runners.
Wine and Dine Half Marathon runners are granted After-Hours access to EPCOT to celebrate their accomplishments. This bonus gives you quick access to purchase and enjoy any delicious treats onsite for the International Food and Wine Festival.
In 2018, our After Party had torrential downpours. We still had a blast running around the different areas and eating the different foods. There was rarely a wait since half-marathon runners were nearly the only people in the park at this time.
The After Party helped us figure out a game plan for the day we planned to spend at EPCOT later that week. We also rode the highly popular Frozen ride three times with no wait!
If you have friends or family joining for race weekend, they may purchase an After Party ticket for $105 to join.
Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Course
This is my Wine and Dine Half Marathon map from when I ran the race in 2018.
We started in a parking lot just south of the Magic Kingdom. Mile 5 was spent running through Animal Kingdom. Mile 10 brought us through Hollywood Studios. In the race’s final mile, we ran through EPCOT for the big Food and Wine finale.
I loved this race and how it covered three of the four parks. Of course, Florida races are fairly flat. It’s true for this one, with just under 350 feet of elevation gain over the 13.1-mile distance. Disney races are a great way to run a mostly flat course if you hate hills.
If you’re a Magic Kingdom fan, I highly recommend running the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. That race runs through Magic Kindom, which is still lit up from Christmas. I ran that race on my 27th birthday, which was incredible.
The Wine and Dine Half Marathon is still a wonderfully magical event everyone should do at least once.
Training for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
Training for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon requires the same planning as any other half marathon.
Start by deciding on your goals for the event.
Do you want to run the entire time or stop for character photos? Are you trying to walk the half marathon or run as much as possible?
If you have a specific time goal, this is the time to set expectations for your training.
Next, pick a training plan that meets your needs. It’s always best to work one-on-one with a running coach.
If you don’t have the means to do that right now, find a half-marathon training plan that helps you work up to the distance safely. A quality half-marathon training plan should include rest days and cross-training workouts.
runDisney provides training plans created by Jeff Galloway.
If you don’t know Jeff, he’s a legend in the running community. In addition to being a former Olympian, Jeff created the run-walk-run program to help runners safely accomplish their long-distance running goals.
Crowds During Wine and Dine Half Marathon
Disney Tourist Blog expects crowd levels at Disney World during the Wine and Dine Half Marathon week to be around 7/10 to 8/10.
My experience at the 2018 half marathon weekend was that the crowds were manageable. We had to wait in long lines for the most popular attractions, but getting food and drinks and getting around was completely doable.
FAQ
The Wine and Dine Half Marathon is worth it. I’ve run many half marathons, and the runDisney events are always well organized and provide many memorable experiences. This event isn’t for you if you don’t like Disney or crowds.
Some runners don’t like the Disney races due to the price point. In my experience, the price is worth the event because of the high-quality production and support throughout the event.
Yes! As you can expect from any runDisney event, the Wine and Dine Half Marathon sells out every year. If you want to run this race, sign up early. Registration generally opens in mid-to-late March.
The Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend brings around 30,000 runners to the park.
The Half Marathon event itself generally has around 9,000 runners.
The overarching theme of this year’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon is Banquet Bash.
The theme of the 5k is Alice in Wonderland.
The 10k theme is Be Our Guest-themed.
The theme of the half marathon is Encanto.
Final Thoughts: Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
If you’re running the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon this year, best of luck, and have so much fun!
If you didn’t sign up for this year but are considering the 2024 race, do it! While you’ll have to pay a higher price than most half marathons, there’s truly nothing like the magic of a runDisney race. Disney during the International Food and Wine Festival is also an incredible time to visit.
Wishing you many magical miles ahead! 🐭🏰
