Castaway Cay 5k questions

[firstwdw]

Several questions from a new cruiser. Thank you in advance.

How much earlier can you get off the ship if you are running the race? Can a non-running Mom get off the ship with running teen and running husband?

What time would you get off the ship if not running the race? Trying to determine how much of the day at Castaway Cay is taken up if we decide to run the race.

Do you see parts of the island you wouldn't otherwise see by running the 5k and is there anything special along the race course such as character meets etc?

Any idea what the temps would be in mid- Nov for running? Is it hot and muggy?

 

[lpm23]

So you can actually get off the boat earlier than the people doing the race if you just wait by the gangway. they will allow you off with your teen and husband if you want to go off with them.

I would probably allocate about an hour to the race if you want to do it. you have to wait a bit for it to start as some people doing it need to sign their kids into the kids club on the island.

you see parts of the island you wouldn't see otherwise- although it basically is like a long cement strip with trees so not sure how exciting it really is. there are no character meets etc. It is pretty no frills. you do get a rubber metal at the end.
it's a good way to get in some exercise and fun if you are a runner.

it could very likely be hot- we were there in February and it was definitely warm. you are in direct sun for most of it so it heats up quick.

I had fun and enjoyed it, but if you do it- I would recommend dropping your stuff in beach chairs first and then heading to the start. if you wait you might not get a good spot on the beach.

 

[ajo]

The race course is along the bike path and the air strip. You can walk or bike this same route. There are no characters or other “special” things along the course. Just a couple of CMs handing out water and cheering you on.

I don’t know if they would let a non-running adult off the ship in the same group with the runners, but they do let running adults bring their kids off with them and drop them off at Scuttle’s Cove.

Typically the runners get to be first off the ship, but the last time I did the 5k there were non-running guests getting off at the same time as the runners (and some had already gotten off the ship), so it wasn’t really a head-start.

The race typically starts around 9, so depending how fast you run, you can be done and changed and on the beach by 10.

I haven’t run in November, but in January, it wasn’t hot and humid. The one time I did it in June it was very hot and humid!

 

[Dug720]

So you can actually get off the boat earlier than the people doing the race if you just wait by the gangway. they will allow you off with your teen and husband if you want to go off with them.

I would probably allocate about an hour to the race if you want to do it. you have to wait a bit for it to start as some people doing it need to sign their kids into the kids club on the island.

you see parts of the island you wouldn't see otherwise- although it basically is like a long cement strip with trees so not sure how exciting it really is. there are no character meets etc. It is pretty no frills. you do get a rubber metal at the end.
it's a good way to get in some exercise and fun if you are a runner.

it could very likely be hot- we were there in February and it was definitely warm. you are in direct sun for most of it so it heats up quick.

I had fun and enjoyed it, but if you do it- I would recommend dropping your stuff in beach chairs first and then heading to the start. if you wait you might not get a good spot on the beach.

Actually you are in places anyone can go - the bike loop multiple times, and the air strip is how adults get to Serenity Bay (you can walk or take the tram).

As an aside, I think the actual-distance 5K that RunDisney puts on as part of the Challenge after Marathon Weekend (and maybe some half marathon weekends but I'm not 100% on that) might take you to some not-usually-public areas - but that's to make it a legit 5K distance. The "fun" run is a bit short of a legit 5K.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You will probably see more characters NOT doing the race, as they have characters at the gangplanks, and along the path from the dock, that come out for the general all-ashore.

 

[Bonnie1222]

FYI - they say you get off the boat before others but I have done the 5K 5 time over the last 4 years and when the "runners" are getting off the boat from the forward gangway, they are letting non running guest off at the mid or rear of the boat, so they are actually ahead of the runners.

And we usually loose 10% of the pack because they just show up saying they are running because it used to be how you got off early; and I have seen families with runners and non-runners show up the the WDT that morning and the runners head one way and the rest of the family goes on to do what they want. But the majority of people who show up actually do the race.

Last year we asked how far do you really walk/run for the 5K. And if you count the walk to the starting line they said it is 6.25K. Normally DH and I walk to the start line, walk the 5K then walk back to the boat to shower and have breakfast and then walk back to the tram or if we are really energetic we walk all the way back to Serenity bay.

The latest I have done the 5K was 1st week in November and it was still pretty warm.

Oh, and when they say be at the WDT at 8... be prepared to wait in line to get your bib, and then you wait in the theater until the boat is clear.

 

[Shanti]

Several questions from a new cruiser. Thank you in advance.

How much earlier can you get off the ship if you are running the race? Can a non-running Mom get off the ship with running teen and running husband?

What time would you get off the ship if not running the race? Trying to determine how much of the day at Castaway Cay is taken up if we decide to run the race.

Do you see parts of the island you wouldn't otherwise see by running the 5k and is there anything special along the race course such as character meets etc?

Any idea what the temps would be in mid- Nov for running? Is it hot and muggy?

When we ran the 5K in 2016, we were let off the ship after the other guests, not before. It was early January and it was quite hot, sunny and muggy- far from ideal running weather. The entire track is within areas that anyone can see, and there are no characters taking part. You get the experience of running or walking it, and you get a nice plastic medal. We still have ours, but once was enough for us.

 

[bumbershoot]

I’ve done it 4 times, I think, and for the free island run you’re asking about I have never gotten off the ship earlier than others.

Only one we were off the ship early for was the one following marathon weekend that we had to pay for (after participating in the weekend). But that’s not the one you’re asking about.

The race course is along the bike path and the air strip. You can walk or bike this same route. There are no characters or other “special” things along the course.

Exactly. There’s nothing extra to see.

 

[firstwdw]

Thank you all very much for your responses! Very helpful! I think we will skip out on the race this time around since it's our very first cruise.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

Do the walkers/runners get to take a the tram to the start line on Castaway or do they walk to the start line?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Do the walkers/runners get to take a the tram to the start line on Castaway or do they walk to the start line?

Walk.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thank you all very much for your responses! Very helpful! I think we will skip out on the race this time around since it's our very first cruise.

Now, just in case you thought we are negative about not getting off early, I don’t think we are. I felt that it’s a terrific way to start the day. We’ve only been on the Dream, so it’s a big shop with many passengers, and even when I do the 5k (and I’m slow), go back to the ship, clean up and get ready and retrieve the lazy family, we have had no problems finding good spots to laze the day away.

Do the 5k, laze, eat, laze, beverage, laze...nothing better.


And if you’re not going to participate, you can find seats for the running family members. Or wait and cheer everyone in.

 

[firstwdw]

Now, just in case you thought we are negative about not getting off early, I don’t think we are. I felt that it’s a terrific way to start the day. We’ve only been on the Dream, so it’s a big shop with many passengers, and even when I do the 5k (and I’m slow), go back to the ship, clean up and get ready and retrieve the lazy family, we have had no problems finding good spots to laze the day away.

Do the 5k, laze, eat, laze, beverage, laze...nothing better.


And if you’re not going to participate, you can find seats for the running family members. Or wait and cheer everyone in.

NO, not negative at all!!!!! My hubs likes running and the teen just tolerates it! They'd rather do the jet skiing, biking, snorkeling. I was trying to fit toooooo much into our time there with little time left to just chill! We may very well end up changing our minds!

 

[CM Dad]

As an aside, I think the actual-distance 5K that RunDisney puts on as part of the Challenge after Marathon Weekend (and maybe some half marathon weekends but I'm not 100% on that) might take you to some not-usually-public areas - but that's to make it a legit 5K distance. The "fun" run is a bit short of a legit 5K.

When I did the runDisney Challenge race, it only did the loop once. The free 5k does a turn around wen you get to Serenity bay. The official 5K has you turn right there and go to the end of that road before tuning around. As far as I know, those are still all public areas.

 

[Dug720]

When I did the runDisney Challenge race, it only did the loop once. The free 5k does a turn around wen you get to Serenity bay. The official 5K has you turn right there and go to the end of that road before tuning around. As far as I know, those are still all public areas.

I don't know - I just remember someone saying that the official "actually 5K" one that you paid for as part of the challenge went to other places.

The included one on the island every cruise - the not really 5K and not official for any proof of time for anything - was IMHO boring and hot. LOL.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't know - I just remember someone saying that the official "actually 5K" one that you paid for as part of the challenge went to other places.

The included one on the island every cruise - the not really 5K and not official for any proof of time for anything - was IMHO boring and hot. LOL.

It went up along the path for the Serenity cabanas. And back. That’s how they got the mileage lost by not going around the loop twice.

Since I have a minor child who dislikes the on-island kid-care, I hadn’t seen that area, but it’s not behind the scenes.


(And yet it was still all boring bc we started in the dark and I couldn’t see much of anything lol. Just a little less hot bc of the dawn hour and it being in January)