Princess Weekend
Princess race weekend is all about the ladies, but that doesn’t mean men can’t show up either!
Dates and Details
WHEN: Fourth week of February (the weekend following Presidents Day)
DISTANCES AND PARKS COVERED :
Yoga - Magic Kingdom
5k - EPCOT
10k - EPCOT with a loop through the Boardwalk area or Hollywood Studios + EPCOT.
Half Marathon - Magic Kingdom + EPOCT
CHALLENGES:
Fairy Tale Challenge (10k + Half Marathon)
Price
February is generally a slower season for the parks. Much like January, the crowds are lower, and room prices tend to be cheaper than other times of the year.
THEMING
Princess race weekend is all about the leading ladies. A different Princess represents each race's distance and the challenge. Every year, those princesses change. For example, in 2022, the 10k Princess was Tiana, and in 2023 it was Belle. Disney tends to stick to official Princesses, but it’s not a hard and fast rule. There have been exceptions.
On-course entertainment matches the princess theme. You’ll find several princesses on-course, sometimes with each other and sometimes paired with their princes. While no character stop is guaranteed, there is often a photo stop with several Princes all posed together - a rare sight! You may also see props like Cinderella’s carriage and even a few villains.
Princess Weekend Pros
1
RACE CONDITIONS
Yes, I know. Florida's weather is notoriously unpredictable. However, February in Florida tends to be mild and generally pleasant, giving you good odds for favorable race weather. With the exception of the on-ramps, the course is flat. Th’s a solid combination.
2
TRAINING
Princess may have one of the best training cycles. Challenge and half marathon training starts in late fall at the end of October, avoiding the summer heat. The long runs peak after the Holiday season, giving you some breathing room regarding holiday obligations and travel.
3
THE CASTLE
Four different race weekends are held at Walt Disney World, but only two feature courses that run through the Castle. Princess is one of those weekends. The half marathon goes through Magic Kingdom, and you get the big moment of running down Main Street and through the Castle. I’s every bit as magical as it sounds.
4
THE HALF IS THE BELLE OF THE BALL
Princess caps off with the half-marathon, making it the weekend’s main event. Ther’s something to be said about the energy and magic that comes with being part of the marquee event.
5
BEGINNER FRIENDLY
Princess race weekend tends to have a lot of first-time runners, particularly with the half distance. Th’s nothing special about the race weekend that makes it more suited for first-timers over other races. In fact, I would argue all Disney races are beginner friendly. However, if you’re looking to race with others in the same newbie boat, Princess is one to consider.
PRINCESS WEEKEND CONS
1
NO EPCOT FESTIVAL
If you’re very very very lucky, you may be able to catch the tail-end of the EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts or the beginning of Flower and Garden. Most of the time though, Princess race weekend falls right between the two. If your idea of a great Disney vacation includes snacking at festival food booths, you may want to consider another weekend.
2
NARROW THEMING
If you love Disney Princesses, great! If not, you will be hard-pressed to find anything that’s not princess related. The field at Princess Weekend is over 90% female. The expo is princess themed and has princess activities (Disney has been known to put a nail salon in the vendor hall). The race merchandise is all princess related. It’s inescapable. If you don’t vibe with the princess theme, you’ll probably enjoy one of the other race weekends more.
3
COURSE ETIQUETTE
Of all the race weekends offered at Walt Disney World, people like to complain about Princess Weekend the most. They’ll describe it as “too much estrogen”, the women as “catty”, and especially complain about participant behavior on-course. I’ve run all the race weekends at Walt Disney World, several times. I don’t find any of these statements to be true.
In fact, many of my favorite on-course moments have been due to the camaraderie found between women at Princess. There’s nothing like breaking a hair tie at mile five and having all the strangers around you immediately offer you one of theirs. I’ve seen 30+ people bust out in song, singing together as they channel their inner Elsa with “Let It Go” as we run towards the finish line. And more than any other weekend, Princess has a feeling of female empowerment. There’s something special about seeing all these other women get out there and quite literally chase their goals.
So what’s with the complaints? I think it comes down to course etiquette and expectations. First off, Princess is a massive race. One of the largest at Disney, and one of the top 10 largest half-marathons in the United States. There will be issues with crowding and you’ll need to bring patience based on that fact alone. On top of the field size, Princess has a lot of beginner runners. Newbies aren’t necessarily aware of running on the left, walking on the right. They may not know to signal their run and walk breaks. Additionally, Princess Weekend has a lot of groups (because there’s nothing like a girl’s trip to Disney). Those groups may not realize more than two abreast will block the course in some areas and make it difficult for others to pass.
Because it’s such a frequent complaint, I’m including it here on the list of cons. To be clear, all races have newbies and groups. I haven’t found Princess to be noticeably worse than other races the same size, but it’s also not something I’m particularly sensitive about. I want to acknowledge the experiences others have had.