I Got Into the Disney Wine & Dine 10K!

Ahhhh, I made it! I officially signed up for the Disney Wine & Dine 10K!

Honestly, I didn’t even think I would actually get in. I joined the race queue on my phone first, but I was worried I might mess something up, so I opened it on my laptop too. Ironically, it was my phone that got through first.

The funny thing is, I wasn’t even 100% sure I was going to sign up that morning. I had an appointment earlier that day, and one of the nurses mentioned she was planning to join the race queue when registration opened. That was the moment I decided: if I get in, I’ll do it.

After my last race in January, the cold weather completely killed my motivation to run. I really needed something to hold me accountable, and signing up for this race felt like the perfect way to challenge myself again.

What makes this race especially meaningful is that I used to work for Disney. I worked in the parks doing parade audience control and later at Starbucks in both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. I’ve always been a huge advocate for running somewhere with a view, so the idea of running through the parks again — seeing the characters and performances along the course — makes this race even more exciting.

I’ve watched videos of past races and seen runners stopping to take pictures with characters along the route. Part of me really wants to do that, but another part of me is focused on my finish time. I guess the real goal is finding a balance: working hard in training now so I can enjoy the experience when race day comes.

I’m not sure yet if I’ll do a costume. I’m definitely more of a leggings-and-a-shirt runner, so I don’t want anything to get in the way during the race. That might be something I need to start thinking about soon.

For training, I found a plan on the Disney website created by Olympian Jeff Galloway, which looks like a fun place to start. Since I have about six months before race day, I have plenty of time to build my endurance. I’ll also be using a training plan from Runna, although that doesn’t start until August. Until then, my focus will be building both speed and consistency.

I’ve only run a 10K twice before, and that was during my Runna training for a 5K. Since I was able to complete both at under a 16-minute pace, I’m confident that I can train up and do well in this race.

I’m honestly just really pumped and motivated for this challenge. The race is on October 24th, 2026 starting at 5AM EST. It’s not the only race as the weekend is packed with several other races and challenges!

One thing I’ll say about the Disney race registration process: the queue is unpredictable. I saw so many people online who were disappointed that they didn’t get in. But if that happened to you, don’t let it discourage you from running. There will always be other races — including plenty of local ones — that can help keep you motivated and moving forward. If you want to join the next Disney race it’ll be the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend from January 6 - 10, 2027. There are several races like the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, and several challenges! Sign up for general public starts soon on March 17th. I will see if I can try again myself!

For now, though, I’m excited to start the journey toward the Disney Wine & Dine 10K.

Training starts now — I’ll keep you updated on my progress as I prepare🏃‍♀️✨