Marathon Weekends at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and adjoined Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, make these excellent host resorts for runDisney events. They call it “a VIP experience for an athlete” and after experiencing it, I agree. Let’s talk about some of the perks:
The Welcome Runner’s Amenity was really nice. It was a little basket delivered to our room complete with Clif Bars, Power Bars, Nature Valley bars, Odwalla bars, pretzels, popcorn, and water. Sometimes you just forget to drink water, I actually did this weekend, and it was so nice to have some on hand. The bars and snacks were so convenient, too, especially the day after the race when I was super hungry in the morning.
When I ran my first Disney Princess Half Marathon in 2010, I tried to make a reservation at Tony’s to get some pasta the day before the race. Of course there was no availability and I ended up with a burger. Boo. I was pleased to see special pasta dinner options added just for Marathon Weekends at the Harvest Bistro restaurant at the Hilton. We had a relaxing and meal before the race with no reservation, no wait and no worries.
When it was time to head to the race we had an amazing sendoff with tables of runner food, drinks, music, a photo op and folks from the resort cheering us on. It was such a nice atmosphere. You can read more about the sendoff in my Wine and Dine Half Marathon 2014 recap.
These hotels are gems. Super luxurious and like a dream. For staying for Marathon Weekends you’ll also get savings on room rates and food and beverages during your stay. I have a lot of faith in the Marathon Weekends program because of the people that run it. The service was fantastic and it’s clear that they are passionate about improving the program as they go along and giving runner’s an excellent retreat. I look forward to enjoying another Marathon Weekends stay at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando some time.
If you’re still looking for a room for Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend or Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, definitely look into Marathon Weekends at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando or Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek located just behind EPCOT.
