Pop Warner?

[hsmamato2]

what resort do the kids from this usually stay in? Also, I see cheerleaders will be in WDW the same week....is this a good time to stay far away from value resorts?

 

[Missytara]

what resort do the kids from this usually stay in? Also, I see cheerleaders will be in WDW the same week....is this a good time to stay far away from value resorts?

They have a value and a mod. Usually All-stars for values. For mods, it used to be POR, but they switched to CBR last year due to the refurb. We suspect they may not be back at POR, but stay at CBR, since they are last to be refurbed.

The only way to be sure is book deluxes.

 

[JennyDrake]

I have posted this repeatedly <smile>: I am Childless by Choice and by no means "kid friendly." I have been at WDW at least 8 times over the past 13 years during PW. At least 5 times at the same value resort. I have never experienced ANY problem with the kids at the resort or in the park.; in fact, I find them to be polite, respectful and even conversational.

 

[nkereina]

They have a value and a mod. Usually All-stars for values. For mods, it used to be POR, but they switched to CBR last year due to the refurb. We suspect they may not be back at POR, but stay at CBR, since they are last to be refurbed.

The only way to be sure is book deluxes.

I second this. This past December, they also stayed at CSR which was a first for them. Hard to tell if they will do that this year or not.

I have posted this repeatedly <smile>: I am Childless by Choice and by no means "kid friendly." I have been at WDW at least 8 times over the past 13 years during PW. At least 5 times at the same value resort. I have never experienced ANY problem with the kids at the resort or in the park.; in fact, I find them to be polite, respectful and even conversational.

Of course everyone's experiences are different, however, this is one group that gets a mass amount of consistently negative reviews. Based on that alone, I would want to do everything I could to avoid this group rather than deliberately booking while they were there. If I wasn't aware of Pop Warner and I found out about them a month or two before I was going, I probably wouldn't switch resorts, but if I knew about it before booking, then its worth avoiding it.

 

[aubriee]

Of course everyone's experiences are different, however, this is one group that gets a mass amount of consistently negative reviews. Based on that alone, I would want to do everything I could to avoid this group rather than deliberately booking while they were there. If I wasn't aware of Pop Warner and I found out about them a month or two before I was going, I probably wouldn't switch resorts, but if I knew about it before booking, then its worth avoiding it.

I would do anything to avoid being in the same resort with them. As you said everyone's experiences are different. I've been down there twice with them. The first time we were at POFQ when it was being used for the overflow from PORS. They were absolutely horrible and their parents and so called chaperones were even worse. They were like a bunch of drunk sailors on leave. It was so bad, that after several nights of being awakened by screaming kids pounding on the doors and then running off in the middle of the night, we went down to guest services and stood in a loooong line to complain and asked to be moved to another resort. The poor CM looked so frazzled by the time we got to him that I felt sorry for him, but still asked to be moved. He apoligized, said they knew they were out of control, but there were just too many of them and they couldn't do anything. He said we were like the 40th complaint that morning and they could not move everybody. It was so bad, that we actually called our airline to see how much it would cost to move our flights up. They were actually that bad. We were exhausted and just wanted to get away from them and was willing to cut our vacation short to do so. It cost too much to book another ticket, so we just stuck it out but swore we'd never go down there with them again. Even the CMs said that while they are always bad, this particular group was worse than usual. The poor CMs looked as exhausted and frustrated as we felt. To be fair, we didn't notice them in the parks that much, but at the resort they were horrible and I swear just tried to see how obnoxious they could be, with their parents encouraging them and joining in.

A few years later, due to the way my work schedule worked out, the only time I could take my regular Dec trip down there was during Pop Warner. Remembering our last exerience with them, I seriously just considered going somewhere else that year. However, I love Disney around Christmas, so booked a split stay at CSR and then YC (for the days Pop Warner was coming in). The experience was night and day. If I hadn't known it was their week, I'd never have even known they were down there.

 

[mm126]

I switched our reservation from POR to Wilderness Lodge once I found out that Pop Warner was the same week. Glad to hear that the problems encountered were really only at the resort. We are very excited and hear that Wilderness Lodge during holiday time is beautiful.

 

[Marsheliz]

When is Pop Warner week?

 

[dansdad]

When is Pop Warner week?

It always starts 7 days after the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. So December 7th 2013.

 

[Cindie-rella]

We were at POR in Dec of 07 when Pop Warner arrived. I had no idea what all the big tents outside the resort were for, if I had known what we were about to experience I would have asked for another resort the day we arrived. Thank goodness we only had to deal with them the last few days but boy they made our last few days at what was suppose to be a "quiet, relaxing resort" and turned it into the "crazed resort from Hell"! I was actually mad at Disney for not warning us what was about to happen to our relaxing vacation we spent alot of $$$ on ! Like I said on another post, they should place all these groups at All Star Resorts and if people want to book them for weeks certain groups are there they should warn any regular guests what is going on and give them the option. Just forget about using the food courts or pools while they are there ! Does that get my point across ?! Crowded, LOUD and Crazy !!! UGH !

 

[AuroraRora]

I would absolutely change resorts in a heartbeat if I realized in advance that I'd be at the same place as the Pop Warner kids!!

 

[WDW1979]

several nights of being awakened by screaming kids pounding on the doors and then running off in the middle of the night

After such behavior, Disney should have evicted the whole lot of them from their rooms. For the CMs to say "there are just too many of them for us to deal with" is management's fault (should be more CMs brought in to deal with it). After the first night of knocking on doors Disney should have had CMs out all night watching to catch the offenders.

 

[KittyKat1978]

What is Pop Warner week?

 

[AuroraRora]

After such behavior, Disney should have evicted the whole lot of them from their rooms. For the CMs to say "there are just too many of them for us to deal with" is management's fault (should be more CMs brought in to deal with it). After the first night of knocking on doors Disney should have had CMs out all night watching to catch the offenders.

Agreed! Stories like that make me wish Disney was tougher on guest behavior. They should have a zero tolerance policy - behave like that and you're off the resort property, leave it to the leaders to sort out where their children will be sleeping and how they'll divide the leaders/kids around new hotels etc.

 

[TDC Nala]

they should place all these groups at All Star Resorts

They don't, because there are too many of them.

 

[siskaren]

What is Pop Warner week?

Pop Warner is organized football for kids, like Little League is for baseball. They have national championships every year at WDW in December. You can read more about it here.

 

[MissionMouse]

... Glad to hear that the problems encountered were really only at the resort...

Disney only wishes that was true. There is a list of incidents in the parks too.

 

[goofy4tink]

I am usually at WDW for at least some of the time that the PW kids are there. My first trip down in Dec, back in '03, I had no idea what I was doing. I booked AllStar Music for myself and my dd, then 10. We found out that the PW kids were there as well. Other than the food court being overly busy and crowded at normal times, and the buses being overly crowded and noisy later in the week, we didn't have any actual issues.
Now, I haven't stayed at the same resort as the kids again. But I have been in the parks with them. Early in the week isn't usually an issue, but as competitions go on, groups are eliminated and they tend to head to the parks later in the week, especially at night. And I have to believe that more and more families are choosing to go with their PW kids...perhaps they are getting really good group rates, because I have seen more and more large family groups in the parks at this time in recent years than I remember seeing over 5 yrs ago.
I am heading down again this Dec. And again, the PW kids will be there. If I see a large group of kids heading in the same direction I am? I usually go in the other direction now!!! They are usually well behaved, but some have been less so in recent years.

 

[WEDWDW]

In my experience,things have definitely gotten better the last few years.

Disney does try.

 

[4kids4karen]

In my experience,things have definitely gotten better the last few years.

Disney does try.

The letter is from Pop Warner, not Disney. Seems like they are aware there is a problem. What should happen is teams who behave poorly should be eliminated if they have not yet competed and/or banned from the next several years of competing (1, 2, 3 years banned)? The ban should come from Pop Warner, not Disney as Disney has no control over the organization.

My only beef is the Pop Warner issue has placed a stereo type on all other cheerleaders such as all-stars.

 

[goofy4tink]

In my experience,things have definitely gotten better the last few years.

Disney does try.

That's nice to see. I do think they are trying after the incidents of previous years.