Thinking about tackling the Dopey Challenge at Disney? Below is everything you need to know about logistics from packet pickup through the finish line(s).
Packet Pick Up:
If you are doing the Dopey Challenge, Wednesday is the only day you have for packet pick up. Make sure to print off your waiver and bring it with you. You will be able to print off your waiver at packet pick up; however, there are not a lot of computers designated for the waivers and the lines for these computers can get very long. Packet pick up takes place at Wide World of Sports and begins at 12 pm; however, lines start forming well before, especially for the merchandise tent. I was through packet pick up by about 1 pm and still had to wait about an hour to get into the area with race merchandise. Of note, the line to pay for the merchandise took about 15 to 20 minutes to get through.
Disney resort hotels provide free transportation to packet pick up. I stayed at Boardwalk for 2018 and we waited for 50 minutes. During that time, two busses came through but only had a couple of available seats left. After 50 minutes passed, we just ordered Uber to get to the expo. I later found out the problem was the bus was stopping at 2 different hotels before stopping at Boardwalk. I would recommend trying to get to Wide World of Sports at least an hour early. This will allow you to get through the fieldhouse relatively quickly, so you can make your way over to check out the race merchandise.
Race Morning:
Pictures: There are six locations in the first waiting area before you drop off your morning clothes bag. These will be the same characters you will see after you finish the race. Lines for these characters will get very long as people make their way from the bus drop off. This year (2018) they had a sign up with wait times for the characters.
Transportation:
Pre-Race: Transportation from the resort hotels usually begins 2.5 hours before the start of each race (5:30 am). I recommend being on one of the first busses to leave your resort. This will allow you to avoid any problems with road closures and deliver you to the Epcot parking lot with plenty of time for character pictures.
Weather: The weather can be extremely unpredictable. There have been years where it has been in the 70’s for the 5k and then below freezing for the marathon. Bring enough clothes so you are prepared for cold weather running! It would also be a good idea to pack a spare Mylar blanket for those cold and windy mornings.
Corrals: The corrals for the 5k and 10k are in the Epcot parking lot. For the half and full marathon, you will have to walk about a mile to get to your corral. Once in the corrals, expect to wait another 45 minutes to an hour before the race starts.
Post-Race Transportation:
For the 5k, the busses will not start running until the last wave of people have cleared the road. The beginning of the 5k course travels along the same path the busses use to leave the Epcot parking lot. After you finish the other races, busses are usually already waiting to take runners back to their resorts. If you are staying at Boardwalk, I would recommend getting off at the first stop (Swan and Dolphin) and walking back to Boardwalk. You will be able to make it back to your room faster this way. In addition, there is a little coffee shop in Swan and Dolphin that sells fantastic fruit and yogurt parfaits that you can pick up on your way back to the room.
Race: Each corral is broken up into mini waves to help spread people out on the course.
5K:
Things to note: Be careful on the boardwalk. It can be very slick in the morning if any moisture has accumulated on the boardwalk. You will run this same portion for the 10k as well.
10K:
The first half of the 10k is all on highway; however, once you enter back into Epcot, the rest of the race travels through Epcot and around the boardwalk before entering back into Epcot.
Half Marathon:
Prepare for a long out and back (all on highway) from Epcot to Magic Kingdom. Your time running through the parks, however, is epic! In all the years I have run Disney, they have had the Christmas lights on the castle in Magic Kingdom for both the half and full marathon. If you are able to get there before the sun comes up, it is one of the coolest sites to see during a race!
Marathon:
One of the coolest parts about the marathon is you run through all four parks and Wide World of Sports. Once you enter Hollywood Studios around mile 22, you run through parks or resort properties until the finish line. It is a great boost to help you make it to the finish line. Of note, every time I have entered Epcot to head for the finish line, the lines for the characters around world showcase have been non- existent. It’s worth the extra couple of seconds to grab those pictures!
Photos: 
Of note, if you have an annual pass, all your race photos are included with your annual pass! So, make sure to stop and get all the photos you can.
Post-Race: Make sure to high-five one of the characters on either side of the finish line. It makes for a great finishing photo! The best piece of advice I can offer is to carry a small bag with you for each race. The breakdown of the finishing chute is medal distribution, water/Powerade, pictures, challenge medals, and food followed by morning clothes drop off. I recommend carrying the small bag, so you have something to put all the above goodies in as you make your way back to morning clothes drop off. It is nice to have something to hold everything while you wait in line for character pictures after the race.
You can see my full training plan for the Dopey Challenge here.