The advice here is spot-on, but I will add my experience from DL last January. I jumped in with a pace group during the HM just outside the parks where it started to get really boring and hot. I ran with them through the Honda Center parking lot and then had to stop for a porta. It was a nice distraction during a time when there was little else to focus on and nothing I wanted to stop for.
Following your journal and IG, I'm going to guess you'll be doing a similar pace as me, possibly
@Herding_Cats and a few others. We can all compare paces and intervals a few weeks out and plan to hook up on the course for whomever is interested and up for it. Absolutely no pressure or expectation, but ime there are lots of us who end up in the same part of the pack regardless of where we start -- especially after AK when it gets pretty tough. It's nice to have the distraction and camaraderie, at least for me.