December - Pop Warner

[matheke]

Originally Posted by JennyDrake

I have been at WDW the same time as PW for at least 7 times, 6 of them at the same resort--the most recent was last year. I am Childless by Choice and can by NO means be considered Child Friendly. Yet I have NEVER had any issue with PW kids! I have found them to be poilte and respectful and even conversive on the buses. One of my all time favorite Disney memories is teaching the electric slide to about 8 middle school boys on the streets of America one night when it was all but deserted during OL!

Agree totally!!! Never had a problem with the Pop Warner kids and very seldom do you see very many of them. They are playing football, practicing, and having meetings a good portion of the time. As the week goes on and teams are eliminated you will see more of them in the parks. We like to ask them where they are from and how they did. Most are very polite.

Now the Cheerleaders.....

[gwb]

Originally Posted by matheke

Agree totally!!! Never had a problem with the Pop Warner kids and very seldom do you see very many of them. They are playing football, practicing, and having meetings a good portion of the time. As the week goes on and teams are eliminated you will see more of them in the parks. We like to ask them where they are from and how they did. Most are very polite.

Now the Cheerleaders.....

You have been lucky with no issues with pop Warner players. I have had the opposite. Pop Warner players tried to push My DW aside at MK and I step in front and the big teen went down yelling for police. A CM saw it all and had the whole team escorted out. There have new many other posters who complain about them

[dreamalittledream]

Nationals is a HUGE deal for these kids, they work really hard to get there. Most teams don't find out if they qualify until 1-2 weeks before Dec 1. (some just on Thanksgiving weekend) Try planning a trip with that short of notice.... it's crazy.
but just an FYI they aren't all teens, they can be in 5th -8th grades so some are about 10 or 11 yr old and up to 14-15yr old.

I hope they are as respectful to everyone as they are expected to be by Pop Warner standards.

[Magpie]

We've been twice during Pop Warner, and this December will be our third trip to coincide with theirs.

We've never had any trouble at all with the kids. Barely even notice them, other than the occasional group of happy girls breaking into cheers while waiting in line. It makes us smile to see them having fun.

I'm sure it's possible to run into the occasional poorly behaved kid, but I think it's the exception, not the rule. And rude guests are not limited to any one age, race, sex, country of origin, or anything else.

[TowMater92]

Haven't had any problems with Pop Warner players there coaches/chaperones do a good job keeping the players in line.

The cheerleaders are another story. I've had cheerleaders push my then 5yo nephew out of the way at a food court, walk into us because they aren't paying attention then say "excuse you" to us. The worst was at DTD we were waiting for the bus back to the All-Star resorts and we were at the front of a very long line when a group of cheerleaders walked up right as the bus arrived and tried to walk right on skipping the line. I told them to go to the back of the line and they told me they can do what they wanted. The bus driver didn't agree, she blocked them from getting on the bus and told them the end of the line was back there. There chaperone finally showed up and started arguing with the bus driver and then the whole bus started yelling at the chaperone. In the end the bus drive didn't let them on the bus and I went straight to the front desk when we got back to the resort to tell them that the driver did a great job and what happened so the bus drive would have a statement from a guest telling the truth.

[Missytara]

Been there, done that once at POR.

Believe or not, the parents were the worst. They acted like sailors on leave and let the chaperones take care of the kids. Security had to be called almost every night at the lounge at POR.

[john1928]

No problems over 2 visits with the football players, but as others have said the cheerleaders do not represent their organizations well... Perhaps not large percentage of the attendees, but a not insignificant number of incidents of rudeness, attempted line cutting, path blocking, frequent and loud profanity (doesn't phase me, but not something others would appreciate), and generally high levels noise all day/night. Almost all of this has been at the resorts and some downtown Disney, I don't recall any significant issues in the parks.

[Poolrat]

An FYI for anyone wanting resort info on Pop Warner.

From their site PopWarner

A three (3) night minimum stay is required and includes a standard room at Disney’s All-Star Resorts, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. All participants/coaches must book a package through Disney Sports Travel and stay at these select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels*.

[nowellsl]

Originally Posted by Poolrat

standard room at Disney’s All-Star Resorts

Anyone know which All-Star resort?

[Raenstoirm]

Originally Posted by nowellsl

Anyone know which All-Star resort?

By the looks of their documentation, all three.

[QueenBeeJenni]

Originally Posted by nowellsl

Anyone know which All-Star resort?

My CHEERLEADING team is in All Star Sports

[nowellsl]

Originally Posted by QueenBeeJenni

My CHEERLEADING team is in All Star Sports

Were you able to pick from the three? We're in a family suite at All Star Music, just wondering.

[NJDisneymom]

We are staying at Coronado Springs - choices were Coronado, CBR or All Star Sports this year.

Its sad that so many lump a few rowdy kids or parents into one giant group. We are polite, respectable disney goers who happen to be going down for Pop Warner Nationals again this year. We don't have "chaperones" for our kids - everyone goes with a parent and we do not let our children run off by themselves and we obey the 10pm resort curfew. Please don't lump all of us with the few bad apples.

As for the parks - the DHS party is at 7pm, it was my understanding if we were in the park prior to closing we'd have to leave and reenter with our party ticket so how would that work for people with late ADR's or the 6:30 Fantasmic????

[aubriee]

Originally Posted by NJDisneymom

We are staying at Coronado Springs - choices were Coronado, CBR or All Star Sports this year.

Its sad that so many lump a few rowdy kids or parents into one giant group. We are polite, respectable disney goers who happen to be going down for Pop Warner Nationals again this year. We don't have "chaperones" for our kids - everyone goes with a parent and we do not let our children run off by themselves and we obey the 10pm resort curfew. Please don't lump all of us with the few bad apples.

As for the parks - the DHS party is at 7pm, it was my understanding if we were in the park prior to closing we'd have to leave and reenter with our party ticket so how would that work for people with late ADR's or the 6:30 Fantasmic????

Somebody on the Pop thread posted that Pop was apparently being used for overflow this year, because they saw some checking in there yesterday. They were surprised because Pop is the one value they don't usually stay at.

I know I was at POFQ one year, when it was being used for the overflow from PORS. They were absolutely terrible that year. We asked to be moved to another resort, but were told everyone was complaining about them and that they knew they were out of control, but they could not move everyone. We even checked into leaving early just to get away from them and would have, if changing our flights wouldn't have been so expensive. They were that bad. The drunk parents and so called chaperones were just as bad, and for that matter, probably worse than the kids. They all acted like a bunch of drunk sailors on leave. One night on the way to DTD the boat captain had to stop the boat and two men had to seperate two drunk moms who were trying to fight. The whole group may not be bad, but just like the Brazillian groups, there have been enough bad apples that most people just want to avoid them. Good for you for keeping your kids in line and not letting them spoil others vacations. The year we were stuck with them, they had groups running up and down the halls yelling, banging on doors all hours, giggling, and running off. It was like there were two groups competing at annoying each other and catching us poor tourists in the crossfire. One group would start about 12:00am or 1:00 am and then the other group would start about 6:00am.

[Allieran3]

They are staying at PoP and last night they were screaming behind building 3 @ 1:00am.