Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend for Adults

We just got home from Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, and my legs (and liver!) have *mostly* forgiven me. Arya and I ran all three races this October: the 5K, the 10K, and the half, and somehow still had enough left in us to stay at the EPCOT after party until 1:00 a.m.

We spent a lot of this trip at the pool. Between the early alarms and Sunday night’s party, neither of us was trying to fit in park days too. We stayed at Fort Wilderness, went to the expo Thursday, and spent Friday through Sunday running, eating, and catching up on sleep.

If you’re still deciding whether to sign up, our runDisney for adults guide covers costs and registration. We’ll update this page after every race weekend.

Our Wine & Dine Weekend, Day by Day

We flew in Wednesday because that’s where the best flights were. For us, it was less expensive to come in a day early and pay for another night in the hotel than it would have been to fly in on Thursday.

If this is your only Disney trip of the year, Thursday is your best chance to squeeze in a park day. We’d rope drop a park that morning, join the expo merch virtual queue at 1 p.m., then head over to the expo in the afternoon.

Which Wine & Dine Races Should You Run?

There are three races (the 5K on Friday, the 10K on Saturday, and the half marathon on Sunday) plus the Two Course Challenge, which is the 10K and the half back to back for an extra challenge medal.

If you really, really want the 10K and the half marathon, but the Challenge is sold out, you can buy the 10K and the half separately, but you won’t get the Challenge medal.

For most adults, we’d point you to the Two Course Challenge or the half on its own. The after party is included with both, and the party (in our opinion!) is the best part of this weekend.

The 5K is fun, but adding that one race adds a lot of extra expenses (extra hotel day, extra entry costs, etc.) without a lot of time actually on the course, having fun. And, just like the other races, 5K bibs are only handed out at the expo, with no race-morning pickup.

Of course, there is the fact that adding the 5K gets you another medal and one more morning in EPCOT in the dark. But while we ran all three this year and loved it, three early mornings isn’t ideal if you also want to pack in park time, too. Just know that if you fly in Thursday, you can still make it, as long as you reach the expo before it closes (8 p.m. in 2026). Flying in Wednesday gives you a buffer if your flight runs late.

The Expo and Packet Pickup

The expo is at ESPN Wide World of Sports, and it is in-person pickup only. That means you can’t pick up another adult’s bib for them. Bib pickup for all runDisney races is in the State Farm Field House, with windows sorted by race and bib number.

Lines can get long (both inside and outside), but those lines moved fast.

Shirt pickup is a separate area, and that’s where the crowd was. The longest wait we had all afternoon was Arya exchanging her shirt for a different size. In our experience, the later in the day you go, the more people have already swapped, so there are usually more sizes to choose from. Availability can vary, but that’s how it’s worked for us.

As always, the official merchandise shop was in a different building, the AdventHealth Arena, and it needed a spot in the merch virtual queue on Thursday. There were two windows to join, 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., and we picked 1 p.m. By the time we walked in, nearly all the 5K merch was gone. If you want something specific, go for the 7 a.m. window or pre-purchase it.

How the New 2026 Wine & Dine 5K Works

The 2026 5K was a completely different race from past years. runDisney added thousands of extra spots, so it switched to a bigger, more structured format. The extra 5K spots are coming to every Walt Disney World race weekend this season, so we’ll see in January whether the Marathon Weekend 5K uses the same setup.

• Seven start groups, A through G, released in three blocks: A to C, then D and E, then F and G.
• The first group started at 4:30 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than before. The last group went off around 8 a.m.
• Bibs had a timing chip, plus a tear-off tag at the bottom showing when your start group opened. You hand that tag to a cast member to get into your group.
• You could move back to a later group, but never up to an earlier one.
• The official 16-minute-mile pace requirement now applies to the 5K, with balloon ladies on a runDisney 5K for the first time.

runDisney sent the official start group timeline in its race-week email, plus you can find it in the digital event guide they post online:

runDisney recommends arriving about an hour before your projected start. If you miss your group’s closing time, you drop back to the next block, and that can mean an hour or more of waiting. That isn’t the end of the world, BUT if you are like us and eager to get back to bed, standing around for another hour isn’t ideal.

The Sweep and the Balloon Ladies

Between blocks, runDisney cleared the course so the next block had a clean run. The balloon ladies we saw were moving at about a 24-minute-mile pace, so in practice there was more cushion than the official 16. I’d still plan around 16 rather than count on that extra time.

And yes, they did sweep people. They were kind about it, though. From everything we saw and heard, swept runners in the 5K got a ride closer to the finish line so they could still cross it. At the half, swept runners are driven to the end, and they don’t get to run or walk across the finish line.

Even if you get swept, you still get your medal. The only exception is Challenge medals. Those are only handed out if you complete the race.

Why Your Spot in the Block Matters So Much

For most people, it is the extras (like character stops) in a runDisney race that make it “worth” it.

Character lines grow as each block goes on. Runners in the last group of a block (C, E, and G) reported waits closer to an hour, and cast members were warning people in those lines that the sweep was coming.

So if you’re assigned the last group of a block and you care about character photos, it’s worth thinking about moving back to the first group of the next block. Moving from C to D, or from E to F, trades a later start (and more sun) for a much calmer race. You can always move back. You just can’t move up.

What the 5K Was Like From Group A

Our alarms went off at 2:30 a.m. We drove, and when we passed the Fort Wilderness main building at 3:15, four runDisney buses were already lined up for all the runners staying there. We were parked at EPCOT by about 3:20.

Being in Group A meant almost no waiting. We were in the last wave of A, crossed the start around 4:41, and finished around 5:40. The character lines were long, and we stopped for exactly one: Clarabelle. That was my spur-of-the-moment call. We originally weren’t going to stop for any.

Her line was posted at 15 minutes but looked way shorter, and it took us about 3 minutes total. We passed several others with 30-plus-minute waits. No thank you.

Finishing that early had one downside. Post-race beer sales didn’t open until 6 a.m., and we were already done and ready to get back to bed.

Getting to and From the Races

We drove twice, took the resort bus once, and took an Uber back after the half. Parking at EPCOT is free before 7:30 a.m. on race mornings, and that’s what we did for the 5K and the 10K. (Sidenote: if you are an onsite guest at a WDW resort hotel, parking at the parks is always free.)

Driving was easy both mornings. For the 10K we were walking from the lot to security at 3:54 a.m., and we parked in the identical row, nearly the same spot, as the day before. Our best tip whenever driving to one of the theme parks, including on race weekend, is to take a picture of your row number and lot sign. The car locator option in the My Disney Experience app (and on iPhones) works decently, too. But having a picture is a fantastic backup, because at 3 in the morning it can be difficult to remember your name, let alone where you parked. And this is even more true after you run 13+ miles.

For the half, we took the resort runDisney bus. Our bus got lost. A ride that should take 15 minutes at most took about 40. We were VERY glad we weren’t in Group A, B, or C. The runners on our bus who were had every reason to be nervous, and three of them used the bathroom on the bus because they knew they couldn’t wait in a long porta-potty line and still make their group.

By the time we got to EPCOT, the porta-potty lines were already long. We got through with about five minutes to spare before our group closed, did a few quick stretches, and off we went. That experience made us glad we’d driven the first two days. If you take the bus, build in a cushion and hit the porta-potties first.

If you’re taking the bus, these were the official 2026 windows:

The 5K is the one that changed. In past years, 5K buses dropped you at the EPCOT bus loop and picked you up near the finish and reunion area. In 2026 they used the bus loop both ways, so 5K finishers had a longer walk back. The 10K and the half kept the old setup. runDisney says to be in the EPCOT lot by 4 a.m. at the latest for both of those.

Resort buses are for Disney resort guests. If you’re staying off property, our guide to getting to EPCOT covers the other options.

What the 10K and the Half Felt Like

The 10K

We were in Group D, started in the last wave, and took our time at about 13:30 per mile. It felt cooler and not very humid. The course felt less crowded than the 5K.

The 10K heads out and around the BoardWalk, and that stretch can get slippery. runDisney makes announcements as you enter the BoardWalk to warn you, so slow down when you hear them. We stopped for a couple of characters, including Elena, and the lines were still long.

The Half Marathon

It rained right before we left on Sunday, so the half was SUPER humid. It was the hottest start and the hottest race of the weekend by far, after two cool mornings.

We started at the back of Group D and finished in about 3 hours and 15 minutes, with two bathroom breaks and four character stops. The worst part of this course is the path between the BoardWalk and Hollywood Studios. It’s narrow, so runners and walkers end up packed together, and it’s slow going for everyone. If you’re walking, stay to the right so runners can pass on the left.

I think that the best part of any race is the choir near the finish. Just when you are mentally (and physically) done, you get serenaded by a different school or group singing something inspirational. It’s the best feeling when you start to hear them, because you know you’re almost done.

We trained with runDisney’s Galloway run-walk plans going in. I was tired by the end of the half, but my legs felt good, and I still felt great on day three.

After the half, we took an Uber back to the resort, took a nap, and spent a little time at the pool. We left for EPCOT around 6 p.m., four hours before the party officially started, which gave us time for dinner and drinks before the fireworks.

Characters on the Course in 2026

The longest lines are almost always the characters tied to the race theme and the rare ones you can’t meet in the parks. In 2026 that meant the Aristocats kittens at the 5K, where waits hit about an hour. If you only have time for a couple of stops, prioritize the characters you’re unlikely to meet during your park days.

Every character from runDisney’s official 2026 course maps is below. Tap a race to open its list. The lineup changes every year, so we’ll swap these out after each race.

At the half we stopped for Snow White and her Prince, Bird Woman, Woody and Bo Peep, and the Suffragettes. The Suffragettes were brand new this year, so we grabbed selfies with them. You can see the full course maps on runDisney’s official site.

Post-Race Beer and the Souvenir Cups

The post-race beer in a souvenir race cup is one of our favorite parts of the weekend. We don’t buy much merch, but we always want the cup. The beer lineup changes a little every year, but there’s usually a domestic like Michelob Ultra, a craft beer or IPA, and a cider. Honestly, by the time we’re downing one we don’t really care what we’re chugging.

The line for beer can also be intimidating, but it is a well-oiled machine, and they move people through FAST. So don’t bail because it looks like a 9 a.m. line for Slinky Dog.

Prices were the same as at our last runDisney race: $13.25 for a domestic beer in a souvenir cup and $16 for a premium one, before tax. In 2026 the cider counted as premium. Refills in your cup are $8.25 for domestic and $9.25 for premium. Beer sales start at 6 a.m., and there’s a limit of two alcoholic drinks per person with a valid ID.

Where you can buy the cups changed about a year ago. They used to be sold at the expo too, so you could buy one early and get cheaper refills on the first race morning.

Now they’re only sold on race day, and they’ve sold out every race weekend we’ve done. We bought cups after the 10K, then checked a gear bag on Sunday with those cups inside. After the half, we grabbed the bag and got refills in Saturday’s cups, which saved us almost $7 a beer on the premium side.

If you’re staying in EPCOT to keep drinking after you finish, our sister site has a guide to the bars in EPCOT.

The Wine & Dine Post-Race Party

Disney officially calls it the Post-Race Party, but we just call it the after party. We love it, and it’s the reason we keep coming back. Wine & Dine is the only runDisney weekend with an after party, and it’s included with the half and the Two Course Challenge. Non-runners can buy a party ticket, too, so if you are traveling with people who aren’t running, they can still go with you to the party.

The party officially ran from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday, but party-ticket holders could get into EPCOT from 5 p.m. We got there a little after 6, came in through the Main Entrance with our tickets, and went straight for poutine at the new La Poutinerie in Canada. There are no photos of that poutine, because it was raining. And because we were starving and inhaled it super fast.

Two Things to Watch For Before You Go

Your party ticket comes in the mail in a plain white envelope. You’ll get an email first telling you it’s coming. Do NOT toss it as junk mail. Officially, runDisney will tell you to bring that physical ticket to get in (your bib won’t work) but you can link the ticket to your My Disney Experience account and scan your MagicBand to get in, just like any other ticket. (But I’d still bring the physical ticket just in case as a backup because I’m a nervous Nelly.)

Arya forgot hers at home this year, and she hadn’t linked it to My Disney Experience before we left, so she had nothing to get in with. After calling and asking three different people (including at the Runner Relations booth), we discovered that the only place that could fix it was the box office at the AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports, where they canceled her original ticket and issued a new one. If yours is sitting on your kitchen counter, take care of it during your expo visit.

Half and Two Course runners also get a $15 Disney gift card by email, from Disney Gift Card Services. The 2026 gift card expires November 2, about a week after the race, so use it at the party. You can add it to Apple or Google Wallet.

What We Did at the Party

The ride waits were a little long, but we weren’t there for rides. We did some drinking around World Showcase. Highlights included chocolate liqueur shots poured from a giant gold foil bottle at the wine shop in Germany, and two cocktails at the Rose & Crown bar. I spent about $60 on my own dinner and drinks before the $15 gift card, which came in under the $82 per person we estimated in our runDisney for adults guide.

After the fireworks, we headed to CommuniCore Plaza for the Character Dance Party. A DJ plays from a stage there, and the music carries through the park. Minnie, Daisy, and Pluto were working the crowd, with Minnie and Daisy in their race gear. The characters at the dance party are a little less formal than at a regular meet and greet.

It rained off and on all night. When it did, we ducked under the overhang and kept dancing. It wasn’t too crowded where we were. We were having so much fun that neither of us wanted to leave and we stayed until the end.

We walked out at 1:05 a.m. and caught the resort bus back to Fort Wilderness. Resort party buses run until an hour after the party ends.

What Else Was Open in 2026

• Rides: Spaceship Earth, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, Soarin’, Living with the Land, Gran Fiesta Tour, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. The party guide had a QR code for live wait times.
• Food and drinks: the Food & Wine Global Marketplaces plus a list of regular World Showcase spots.
• Party-only cocktail: a Watermelon-Gin Cocktail with Gin Lane 1751, Grand Marnier, cranberry, and strawberry pearls, sold at seven of the festival booths.
• The pin: a Mini Jumbo pin at Creations Shop starting at 7 p.m., while supplies lasted.

Food & Wine is running during the party, so if you want a booth-by-booth plan, our Food & Wine drinks guide on DATW has every beer, wine, and cocktail.

What We’d Change and What We’d Do Again

Next time, we’re bringing ear plugs and eye masks. The fireworks woke us up every night, which was rough with a 2:30 a.m. alarm. We’re adding them to our packing list for adults.

We’d also book a later flight home on Monday. After a night that ends at 1 a.m., an early flight is the last thing you want.

The weather surprised us. It was amazing for about 90% of the trip, and even the hot, humid half wasn’t THAT bad. Wine & Dine kicks off the runDisney season, so there’s a ton of energy all weekend.

I’d happily do the races and stay out for the party again. I’d just like a little more sleep in between.

Looking Ahead to Wine & Dine 2027

runDisney hasn’t officially announced the 2027 weekend yet, but some details are already out. The dates going around are October 21 to 24, 2027. That follows this year’s pattern: the expo on Thursday, then the 5K, 10K, and half Friday through Sunday. We’ll update this as soon as runDisney confirms.

The 2027 themes leaked a few days after this year’s race, when theme art briefly showed up from runDisney’s website before it was pulled. The theme is “World Showcase tastes and tales,” with each character drawn in front of a pavilion and surrounded by food:

• 5K: Abu from Aladdin
• 10K: Pinocchio
• Half marathon: Elsa from Frozen
• Two Course Challenge: Sam Eagle from The Muppets

The pavilions in the art look mixed up, with Pinocchio in front of Morocco and Elsa in front of Italy, so it may change before it’s official. In 2026, registration opened in February, and every race sold out. Set a reminder.

Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend FAQ

Can You Pick Up Your 5K Bib on Race Morning?

No. In 2026, 5K bibs were only available at the expo on Thursday, and there was no race-morning pickup. If you fly in Thursday, get to the expo before it closes (8 p.m. in 2026).

Does the Wine & Dine 5K Have a Time Limit Now?

Yes. Starting in 2026, the 5K has the same official 16-minute-mile pace requirement as the longer races, with balloon ladies and a course sweep between start blocks. In 2026 the balloon ladies we saw moved at about 24 minutes per mile.

Do You Still Get a Medal If You’re Swept?

Yes. Swept runners still get the finisher medal for that race. The exception is Challenge medals, which are only handed out if you complete the races.

Is the After Party Included With Every Race?

No. It’s included with the half marathon and the Two Course Challenge. 5K and 10K runners and non-runners need a separate party ticket.

Can You Run the 10K and the Half Separately If the Two Course Challenge Sells Out?

Yes. You can register for the 10K and the half marathon as two separate races. You’ll still get both race medals, but you won’t get the Two Course Challenge medal. The after party comes with the half.

When Can You Buy the Souvenir Race Cups?

Only on race day. They’re no longer sold at the expo, and they’ve sold out every race weekend we’ve done.

Is Parking Free at EPCOT on Race Days?

Yes, if you arrive before 7:30 a.m. on race mornings.

If we’ve talked you into it, start with our runDisney for adults guide for costs and registration, then come back here the week before your race.