I’ll be staying at the Port Orleans Riverside resort which is in Downtown Disney - whatever that is.
Whats the best way to make my way to the start at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground?? Can we drive around? Take the monorail ?? how do we make it there with all our gear and our family who are there to watch?
Thanks, I’m obviously not familiar w/ Disney and their site, and FLHalf’s site aren’t too descriptive.
Thanks!
Unfortunately, with this event, transportation can be a logistical issue if you’re not staying at Ft. Wilderness or the Wilderness Lodge.
YOU could theoretically ride your bike from Port Orleans Riverside (which is not technically in Downtown Disney, but is physically located between Ft. Wilderness and DTD–the Disney folks try to group the resorts by what they’re near–as in the Contemporary is a Magic Kingdom resort, etc). Anyway, Port Orleans isn’t terribly far by bike, but I wouldn’t have family/friends walk from there. (Port Orleans Riverside is on the other side of Vista Blvd. from Ft. Wilderness, but Ft. Wilderness is about a mile deep to get from Vista to the beach/transition area).
It looks like they are having athletes and spectators park at Stolport, off of World drive. If you look at your bike course map, Stolport is roughly located where the words “Fort Wilderness Trail” are printed on the map. In other words, just to the east (right) of World Drive, before the turnaround indicated on the bike course. There are supposed to be adequate busses, though I didn’t hear good stuff about that last year. (I stayed at the Lodge, and this year am staying at the cabins.)
Someone who dealt with the transportation may want to chime in if there are better transportation options involving the resort busses. Such as…maybe if the family sleeps in a little, then rides a boat to Downtown Disney and catches a bus from there to Ft. Wilderness?? Unfortunately there are no resort-to-resort direct busses, except to linked resorts.
Hope any of that helps! feel free to post more questions if I can make some of that more clear.
So you are saying that the bike check in is not the day before?
Hi bt!
Hey thanks for taking the time to help out. Okay, I’ve read and reread the emails about directions.
Yes it looks like the best is to park at Stolport - can we drive there in our own personal vehicles? By that I mean is it logistically possible? Looks like its $8-9 bucks
So I ride from there to the Transition area, no probs, but the freinds/family should huddle to Pioneer Hall? If they want to sleep in a bit, they should make their way there later in the day via bus/park transportation since parking closes at 630?
Thanks, you’re a lifesaver!
Is there a map of the area showing the roads, resorts, etc? The maps on Disney’s site are a joke.
You have the option of checking your bike on Sat. or on race morning. I, personally, will likely choose Saturday, as the racks were a little crowded by the time I got there on race morning last year.
If you check your bike on Sat, and have to park at Stolport, you can take a bus to Ft. Wilderness. You can’t take your bike on the bus either day.
One thing to think about before everyone blasts Disney for making it hard…this race is not PRODUCED by Disney…they are just letting us play in their backyard for a while. There seems to be less transportation issues, etc. with THEIR marathon, but that is their show, and it is more centrally located, and doesn’t involve bikes and lots of tri equipment.
Frankly, I think the most comprehensive map is the one of the WDW marathon. it’s at www.disneyworldsports.com under endurance events. I may have another one linked somewhere…will see what I can dig up.
I totally understand about the maps with road names and stuff. If you’re driving to the parks, I think they figure you will get onto the property and read the signs. It is more difficult to plan ahead.
I’ll see what I can do for you. I actually like to travel to WDW, and have managed to learn my way around pretty well. 
Here’s the url for a decent map that shows road names.
http://wdisneyw.co.uk/wdwmap.html
Note that what is called “Dixie Landings” on the map is what is now called Port Orleans Riverside. And what is called “Port Orleans” on the map is now Port Orleans French Quarter. The map is a little old, but not too bad…I think those name changes happened in the last 3 years?
Not sure of scale on the map…but you could correlate it with something off Mapquest.
Hope that helps!! (get any other questions out now, 'cause I’m leaving in the morning to go out there for the race!)
Hi,
I am also staying at the port Orleans. Its not far from the Fort Wilderness area. Last year I rode over to get my race packet. Also rode over on the bike the morning of the race. only ended up a few miles to ride over. So good warm up. Was very cool in the early morning so dress for it. Also a light on the bike would help since its dark at 5 AM.
good luck!!!
Oh, definitely bring a little flashlight or something. A headlamp would be cool. There was a bit of grumbling last year about lack of lights. Which was weird to me…racing in Texas, all the summer races start at the crack of dawn because of the heat, so we always set up transition in the dark.
Okay, lets see if I have it down…
I’m driving in Saturday evening, so I can’t check the bike in the day before… We’re staying in the Port Orleans at Riverside - Unfortunately, won’t be able to drive out the course… Sunday morning we drive my car to Solport. There I bike down to the Transition area, while my family takes a bus to the Pioneer place?
oh and bring the flashlight…
Sounds cool, I may choose to ride down if the family wants to sleep in and drive down later. Thanks… hope I dont’ get a flat!
Is it confusing to get to the Port Orleans Riverside hotel?? I’ll be coming in Saturday night. Again, I’m unfamiliar with the area. I"m picturing confusing roadways crowded streets blocked off by parades, etc etc…
Packet pickup/registration ends at 6 pm Saturday…so I hope you’ll make it down by then. And you can check bikes until 7 pm on Sat.
Have safe travels…it will all work out just fine!!
! ! ! Packet pick up ends on Saturday? There is no packet pick up on Sunday morning?? Anyone confirm this?
oh boy
Bring your rain gear. 60% chance of rain on sunday. See ya there.
Yes, I have been reading all the info as I flew into Florida yesterday and I am 99% sure that packet pick up ends on Saturday with no check in on Sunday.
This is pretty standard with ironman events.
Maybe you could drop them a line to confirm.
Good luck.
Last year, packet pickup ended Saturday. No Sunday packet pickup. No Saturday bike check in. I got up and drive in early Sunday and parked at stolport. Rode my bike with gear to transition area, it wasnt far, i mostly coasted all the way. It is dark! I wished I had a small flashlight at the time, and wore sweats to keep warm. I am not I opted to do the Assault on Mt. Mitchell this year instead of the Disney 1/2 because of all the problems. Hopefully it will be better this year.
Its sort of one big circle and their are guards at the gate. You can ask them directions and will get lots of help. Just have to exit out of the right gate to go in the direction of Fort Wilderness…its just down the road literally.
Good luck!!1
This is going to be fun for me…NOT! I live about 40 minutes away, so I am going to drive down there that morning for the race. My dry run for figuring out my way through there is Saturday, fortunately it isn’t Memorial day weekend. I drove the race course last Monday after mostly recovering from the GCT, what a retarded course layout for the bike! Tons of tight off-camber 90 degree bends, 3 sections of construction (hopefully we will stop shy of two of them), and a nice sharp right turn against oncoming bike traffic at Lake Hancock Rd. Not to be too bitchy or anything, but Floriduh in general has great roads, and they’ve found all the bad ones in a 50 mile radius. 
I’m not sure what happen but last yrs course was safe and fast, there was a section of very rough chip seal pavement I don’t recall it being long. I have talked to Fred a while ago and there is no control over construction. A friend of mind is a high level volunteer at IM events he’ll be there today, I report back if I hear anything.
Paul