We were going to write about the best places to grab breakfast near the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex before a race. That was the plan. Instead, runDisney spent the entire morning issuing one apologetic statement after another before finally confirming that registration for the 2027 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend is not happening today and they will have more information by 8:00 PM ET tonight.
Thousands of runners had today blocked on their calendars. Payment information ready. Coffee made. Refresh buttons primed.
And then nothing.
Look, we are not here to pile on runDisney. Technical issues happen. Things go sideways. But if you are one of the people who rearranged your morning around this registration window, you deserve a full picture of what actually happened today and what comes next.
Here Is How the Morning Played Out
runDisney did not go silent. They communicated, which is worth acknowledging even if the news kept getting worse with each update.
The first statement came early this morning and confirmed registration would be delayed, with a promised update at 10:30 AM ET. That time came and went. A second statement followed, apologizing for the ongoing hold and moving the next update to 11:00 AM ET.
Then at 11:15 AM, the third statement arrived and made things official. “We know many of you are eager to register for the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, and we apologize for the delay,” runDisney said. “Unfortunately, registration will not take place today. We’ll share an update on runDisney social accounts by 8:00 PM ET this evening. We appreciate your patience.”
Three statements. Three delays. No explanation for what actually caused any of it.
The 8:00 PM update tonight is your next checkpoint. Watch runDisney’s social accounts. That is where the new registration date will be announced first, and if it comes with a specific time, you will want to know immediately.
What You Are Actually Registering For
The 2027 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend runs February 25 through March 1, 2027, at Walt Disney World Resort. AdventHealth is the presenting sponsor. Five races are on the schedule and each one is themed around a different Disney Princess, which is genuinely one of the more fun things about this particular race weekend.
The Disney Princess 5K is on February 26, themed around Tiana, and costs $125. The Disney Princess 10K follows on February 27 with a Snow White theme at $175. The Disney Princess Half Marathon runs February 28, themed around Jasmine, at $269.
The Disney Princess Fairy Tale Challenge is the one most serious runDisney participants are after. It combines the 10K and the Half Marathon across two consecutive days, February 27 and 28, covers 19.3 miles total, is themed around Ariel, and costs $449. Finish both races and you get the Fairy Tale Challenge medal on top of your individual finisher medals. It is the most popular entry and historically among the first to sell out when registration opens.
Closing out the weekend is Disney Princess Yoga at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on March 1 at $127. If you have never done Disney Princess Yoga, it is a genuinely lovely way to recover after a half marathon. Just saying.
Why This Delay Is More Than a Minor Inconvenience
We know a registration delay sounds like a small thing. One day, maybe two. But for the runDisney community specifically, these delays have real downstream effects on vacation planning and we want to be honest about that.
Most runners are not just signing up for a race. They are anchoring an entire Walt Disney World vacation around it. Flights get booked. Resort rooms get reserved. Travel companions, who are often family members or friends coming along to cheer and visit the parks, make their own plans around the confirmed race date. All of that planning tends to happen in a specific sequence, and race registration is the first domino.
When registration gets delayed, runners who were waiting to confirm their entry before booking a room are now waiting another day. Walt Disney World resort accommodations during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend go fast, particularly the closer properties that put you near the race start areas. February 2027 is far enough out that the situation is not urgent yet, but every day of delay is a day that other runners who may have registered during a future window can also be booking rooms simultaneously.
Travel companions feel this too. Non-runners who are planning to visit the parks during the race weekend need to coordinate their own tickets, dining reservations, and accommodations. The longer the confirmation sits open, the harder that coordination becomes across a group.
The good news is that February at Walt Disney World is genuinely one of the best times to visit even outside the race context. Crowds are lower than summer and holiday periods. The weather is actually pleasant instead of aggressively humid. The Princess Half Marathon weekend adds a specific energy to the resort that guests tend to talk about long after they leave, whether or not they ran a step of it.
When registration does open, move quickly on accommodations. The race entry and the resort booking should happen as close together as possible.
One More Thing Worth Saying
If today’s delay has you feeling anxious about whether you will actually get in, that is a completely understandable response given how competitive runDisney registration has historically been. We are not going to pretend the spots are unlimited or that you have endless time.
What we will say is that the 8:00 PM update tonight should give you a specific path forward. If it comes with a confirmed date and time for registration, treat that window exactly like you treated today’s. Have your payment information ready. Have your race selections decided. Know whether you are going for the Fairy Tale Challenge, the half marathon, or one of the shorter distances, because waffling during registration costs you time you do not have.
And if you want to talk through the Disney World planning side of a Princess Half Marathon trip, from where to stay to what to eat the night before a race to how to make the most of the weekend with people who are not running, drop it in the comments. We have been covering runDisney weekends for a while and this particular event is one of our favorites. We will get back to you.
