Hello and welcome!
I’m VERY excited to FINALLY have runDisney maps to dive into, it’s one of my favorite blog posts to do! I’m going to go through each of the Wine and Dine maps and compare it to past years and make some predictions/wishes for the 2022 WDW Marathon Weekend courses too.
So with that let’s dive in!
2021 Wine and Dine 5k Course
The first thing that’s most obvious is that the 5k course for 2021 is looking more like the WDW Marathon Weekend and Princess Weekend 5k courses. The Wine and Dine 5k course was always a unique 5k but over the years with the move of the race to Epcot it’s slowly been looking more like the other 5k race courses.
Did you know that originally there was a Halloween themed 5k at the Magic Kingdom? Also, when the Wine and Dine Half Marathon was run as a night race, the 5k ran the same day in the morning at the Wide World of Sports or Animal Kingdom.
This is all to say, it looks like for 2021, runDisney has decided the tried and true loop around Epcot is the way to go.
If you have run any 5k at Epcot other than Wine and Dine the start will look exactly the same. Line up in the parking lot and then run by where the buses do the pick-up after the race before heading backstage, past the Epcot cast member parking lot and costume building, and then under Test Track.
Runners will then enter World Showcase between Mexico and Norway at the entrance where Donald/the Three Caballeros did meet and greets pre-COVID. I’m really hoping they have the Harmonious barges going during the race, it would be such a nice addition!
You will take World Showcase all the way past Japan and go backstage right before Morocco. This is where the one and only water stop is noted on the map. Also, for those that like to use the Morocco bathrooms, they are going to be WAY off course this time. The course then re-enters World Showcase on the other side of France so you’ll run past the entry path to the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride but most of this backstage area will just be running beside (I think) the ride show building for Remy’s.
After a brief run over the bridges between the France and UK pavilions, runners will exit again through the International Gateway and hang a right to go backstage again and then re-enter World Showcase between the UK and Canada pavilions where the World Showplace building entrance is.
Runners will finish running around World Showcase and then be directed down the path connecting World Showcase and the Imagination Pavilion.
Runners will then take the curving path in front of the Imagination, Land, and Seas with Nemo pavilions before running to the front of Spaceship Earth.
Since they are making a strange path to run under Spaceship Earth I’m REALLY hoping that the Beacons of Magic show will be on and she’ll be all twinkly and beautiful for runners!
The course will then follow the usual finisher chute. Runners will exit just behind the bathrooms beneath Spaceship Earth, run past the backstage area, and then exit to the parking lot and the finish line!
I’m hoping this will be the same 5k route for the 2022 WDW Marathon Weekend 5k. I was NOT a fan of running the last mile backstage in the Guardians ride construction and this course is a huge upgrade. I’m also hoping that they have the Harmonious barges active and that the Beacons of Magic on Spaceship Earth is just constantly looping for runners to see too. Both will look great in the darkness of a 5am start!
That’s it for now, good luck with your training!
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