Disney Princess 5k 2/21 time limit

meghanb133

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 26, 2016
Hi everyone-

I signed up in June for the 5k along with my 12 year old daughter. Unfortunately, in late fall I got a terrible illness and have been sick for the last several months, in which I couldn’t exercise at all. I finally got the clear to exercise and plan to be there no matter what. Everything I have booked in non refundable anyways. Can someone please tell me what the time limit is for the 5k? I obviously don’t want to embarrass my daughter and get taken off the race course. Yesterday I did a 51 minute walking 5k at the gym. I’m determined to be at the gym every day until now and then to build back up some stamina. I know I can run I just need to ease into it.
Thanks for the info and see some of you there!!
 
The technical pace requirement is 16 min/mile, but the 5k is untimed so I think they are pretty lax. I think you'd be fine with a 51 minute 5k if you aren't starting dead last

Have fun!
 
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That’s only a tiny smidge over the pace (16.45 vs 16). ... if you can do that during the race you should be fine, although you probably won’t have time for character stops. (In our house we call the 5k the crack of Disney races... they want to suck you in so that you’ll be hooked and sign up for more.)
 
Totally doable. (See my PR below). Remember the pace officially starts with the last person in the last corral, so if you are towards the front, you have a buffer. Also, the 5K is not timed, so you'll be okay!
 


The W&D 5K took me close to 1.5 hours with all the character stops, it is very lax. Even still, there is no sweeping for the 5Ks if you're moving. If you're having a lot of trouble they may drive you forward a bit on a golf cart, but you won't be pulled off course.
 
The 5Ks are entirely within Epcot and its parking lot. No roads are closed. As long as you are moving and not in visible distress you will be allowed to proceed.
 
I've started 5Ks from the very last corral and then walked the entire course with some picture stops, and finished the race in just over 90 minutes. Not once did I hear any sort of warning that I needed to pick up the pace. If you're in any danger of them needing you to move faster, they will give you warning.

Just keep working on building up your stamina and you should be just fine. And have fun.
 


I started coral B second Wave of wine and dine 5k last year ... stood about 13 mins for a character early in the course and was told balloon ladies were on their way as the last runners just started and there was a long way to go to actually get to said character....
jumping ship I continued to run and finished in 75 minutes stopping for two other character meets later in the course
Was roughly 45 running 30 characters
 
I started coral B second Wave of wine and dine 5k last year ... stood about 13 mins for a character early in the course and was told balloon ladies were on their way as the last runners just started and there was a long way to go to actually get to said character....
jumping ship I continued to run and finished in 75 minutes stopping for two other character meets later in the course
Was roughly 45 running 30 characters

There are no balloon ladies on the 5K.. Someone was telling you that to get you to jump ship out of the character line. 😂😂
 
I walked the Princess 5K a few years ago with my mom, who has mobility issues. We started in the last corral and took almost two hours to finish. She was determined! As others have said, there are no balloon ladies and a generous buffer as all they have to do is get the park open on time. There was never any warning to speed up and zero threat of a sweep. I've read they don't even sweep during the 5Ks at all at Disney, and that was certainly our experience.
 
I read this thread with intense interest since I am considering doing the 5K run this August; however, I am not a runner. Do you think all the comments (i.e. no timing, pace is determined by the last runner, etc.)made about the Princess 5k run also apply to the race in August?
 
I read this thread with intense interest since I am considering doing the 5K run this August; however, I am not a runner. Do you think all the comments (i.e. no timing, pace is determined by the last runner, etc.)made about the Princess 5k run also apply to the race in August?

There are no race weekends at Disney in August.
 
I read this thread with intense interest since I am considering doing the 5K run this August; however, I am not a runner. Do you think all the comments (i.e. no timing, pace is determined by the last runner, etc.)made about the Princess 5k run also apply to the race in August?
the 5K in Aug is a virtual 5K which is run on the honor system
no proof of time to get your medals sent

There are no race weekends at Disney in August.

no race weekends but virtual Haunted Mansion 5K
 
my mistake. I should have typed January 2021.

That makes sense, then. In that case, yes, the parameters discussed for the Princess 5k will apply to the Marathon Weekend 5k, as well. All the 5ks are treated more as "fun runs" and follow the same principles.
 
For the record ... I was in a character line at the 5K and was told that if the bikes passed us, we would be swept. "Swept" in the 5K just means picked up and transported closer to the finish line, you still get to finish, but contrary to popular belief, there are actually sweepers in the 5K. So if you're too far outside the time limit, you may not get to do the full 5K, but you will get to finish.
 
For the record ... I was in a character line at the 5K and was told that if the bikes passed us, we would be swept. "Swept" in the 5K just means picked up and transported closer to the finish line, you still get to finish, but contrary to popular belief, there are actually sweepers in the 5K. So if you're too far outside the time limit, you may not get to do the full 5K, but you will get to finish.
Yea people also say no ‘balloon ladies’ but I was in a character line and a CM said the last coral just went off and the balloon ladies were around the corner and there was still a significant wait left (I’d already been waiting about 13 minutes) so I cut my losses and ended up leaving the line (meeting 2 other characters w/o warning)
 
Yea people also say no ‘balloon ladies’ but I was in a character line and a CM said the last coral just went off and the balloon ladies were around the corner

And people are telling you there are none. Balloon ladies are just people who volunteer to run it; they pay for their bibs. They don’t do the 5ks. The CM lied or was clueless.

Especially since you were able to meet two more characters, it’s clear that the CM didn’t know the situation.
 
And people are telling you there are none. Balloon ladies are just people who volunteer to run it; they pay for their bibs. They don’t do the 5ks. The CM lied or was clueless.

Especially since you were able to meet two more characters, it’s clear that the CM didn’t know the situation.
thanks to everyone for their replies
 

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