Athletes to your starting corrals! The events of the 2025 Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon weekend begin this Thursday, September 4 and continue through Sunday, September 7, 2025.
The events draw tens of thousands of runners, walkers, friends, and family to the Disneyland Resort, and include road closures and operational changes that could impact anyone visiting the Anaheim Resort area this weekend. Here’s what runners, visitors, and spectators should know as we head into this busy race weekend.
Disneyland Resort Hotel guests
Staying at the Disneyland Hotel? The race expo takes place in that hotel’s convention center Thursday through Saturday, so expect extra crowds at the shops and restaurants.
If you’re staying at the Grand Californian Hotel or the Pixar Place Hotel in a theme park view room, especially one facing Pixar Pier, expect to hear race-related activities between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Friday, September 5, as the finish line for the Disneyland 5K is located in Pixar Pier. Finish line announcements will likely be audible from theme park view rooms. Participants and spectators will also be making their way from the Mickey and Friends parking structure as early as 3:00 a.m., and back again after the race.
This year’s 10K and half marathon races again avoid most of Disneyland Drive and skip Downtown Disney entirely, so there will be less impact to Pixar Place or Disneyland Hotel guests than in the past. Both courses pass through Disney California Adventure for the first few miles, so again, guests with park view rooms at the Grand Californian hotel may be able to see or hear the runners starting around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Those with Pixar Place rooms facing Disneyland Drive may hear spectators gathered just south of the hotel where the course enters Disney California Adventure.
If you are a runner or spectator staying at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels, there are shuttles available on Saturday and Sunday to take you closer to the race start. Shuttles for registered guests from 3:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2025, and Sept. 7 2025. You will need your room key to board the bus, marked, “runDisney Athletes & Spectators”
Local hotel guests
The Disneyland Resort is going to be very busy this weekend, which you may already know if you had a hard time finding a reasonably priced hotel room in the immediate area. Hotels closest to Disney Way and Harbor Blvd. will get the most of the pre- and post-race noise Saturday and Sunday mornings, as the start and finish lines for both Saturday’s 10K and Sunday’s half marathon are on Disney Way.
There are road closures planned for both Saturday and Sunday due to the race. If you plan to use the Anaheim Regional Transportation buses to get to the Resort, be sure to check with your hotel’s front desk for more information about possible route or schedule changes. ART buses will begin running early all three days due to the races to accommodate runners and spectators, but you’ll need to check the ART website for details for your specific route.
For those who plan to drive from their hotel and park in one of the resort lots, we recommend that you park in the Mickey and Friends parking structure, and avoid the Toy Story lot entirely unless arriving after 11:00 a.m..
For the 5K on Friday, September 5 spectator viewing is at the finish line only, inside Disney California Adventure park. You enter the park from 5:00 to 6:15 a.m. from Downtown Disney through the gate located between the World of Disney store and Earl of Sandwich.
Non-participants – parking and road closures
While all of the races take place before park opening or outside the parks, you may still experience traffic delays and extra crowds.
On Friday, 5K participants are directed to park at the Mickey & Friends parking structure, but because most participants will be completely done well before the parks open, entering the structure should be relatively easy for park visitors.
If you’re driving to the Disneyland Resort on Saturday or Sunday to visit the theme parks, be sure to pay attention to road closures. Runners and spectators are directed to park in the Toy Story parking lot this weekend, and there are road closures starting at 4:00 a.m. and running as late as Noon on some local streets due to the race.
We recommend that you park in the Mickey and Friends parking structure, and avoid the Toy Story lot entirely unless arriving after 11:00 a.m..
Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure open at 8:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, both parks open at 9:00 a.m. Early park entry for hotel guests is offered at Disneyland on Friday, September 5 and at Disney California Adventure on Saturday, September 6 due to the races.
Spectators
Spectator viewing areas vary per race.
For the 10K on Saturday, September 6, spectator viewing is available on the course along Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue, as well as in the esplanade between the theme parks, and at the finish line (see the course map for specifics).
The same viewing areas are available to spectators on Sunday, and because the majority of the half marathon race takes place on city streets in Anaheim and Garden Grove, there is ample opportunity to view your runner along the route. Be sure to consult the road closures map above so you can get to and from your preferred spot.
Disney shared the following tips for spectators:
• Use bright paper for signs to help athletes see them in low light.
• Know your athlete’s pace to time your arrival at the viewing location.
• Identify your athlete by their outfit.
• Do not hand out food or drinks to athletes on the race course.
Participants
We’re going to refer you to the official runDisney handbook for details of your various events, because so much changed since the last race. Please don’t rely on your hazy memory of the last time you ran through Sleeping Beauty Castle—read the guide so you know where to park each day (it changes!), where the start line is for each race (it changes!), and when you need to be where.
Keep in mind that you are required to attend the runDisney Expo at the Disneyland Hotel before your first race in order to pick up your race bib. Expo hours are:
- Thursday, September 4 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Club runDisney Platinum Early Shopping at 7:00 AM
- Club runDisney Gold Early Shopping at 7:45 AM
- Friday, September 5, 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday, September 6 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Pixar Pals parking structure opens at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 4 for those who want to get to the Expo extra early, and at 8:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Show your Check-In Pass to the parking attendants to receive $10.00 parking at this location only. Otherwise, daily parking rates will apply.
Good luck to all of the rollers, walkers and runners participating this weekend!
