D2 Summit Questions

[npatellye]

Hi all,

Both of my girls are doing all star cheer again this year but at a new gym that is smaller and closer. Obviously their goal is to get to the D2 Summit but we won’t know until late in the spring if they get a bid. I have never been to Summit but I’m sure many parents or athletes here have. I have just a few quick questions (I am asking now so I am not scrambling if they get a bid). I know it’s super far in advance and the season hasn’t even begun. But I am a planner and I need to have a tentative plan if they get a bid since February through April is a super busy time for me at work.

1. Do we have to get a package offered by Varsity?
2. Do we have to stay at the same resort as the team? Or can we book our own resort and just make sure the girls are at any and all practices and team events on time? I’m thinking this could be a good opportunity (and more cost effective for us) to use those extra banked DVC points if they make it. Also, two cheerleaders plus my husband and I is going to be nearly impossible in a value. We tried a value when the girls were 6 and 3 (they’re now 9 and 7) and we switched resorts partway through our trip because we felt like we were on top of each other.
3. Is it easier to stay at the same resort for transportation purposes?
4. I believe the packages include tickets. Is the commuter option still available for athletes? Or is there an option that includes registration and ESPN WWOS entry but not park tickets? I ask because we will be renewing our APs in November and I don’t want to pay for tickets in addition to our APs.

If this isn’t the right forum, please feel free to move it. Thank you in advance for any and all input!

 

[JMommyof3]

We have been to Summit 3x with 2 different gyms. Depending on the comps you go to, you could find out sooner than late spring if they get a bid. Last year, we got our bid in December. This year our first Summit comp is Jan. Feel free to DM me with more questions. I'm totally a planner like you and make reservations before I know we have a bid because rooms book up so quickly.

1. Do we have to get a package offered by Varsity?
Short answer is Yes. Long answer, it's up to your gym which package. Our previous gym required us to buy a travel package but our current gym says at least commuter. This is how the kids register for the comp.
2. Do we have to stay at the same resort as the team? Or can we book our own resort and just make sure the girls are at any and all practices and team events on time?
Again, this is gym specific. Gym #1 required us to stay moderate, Gym #2 said stay anywhere but you must be here through these dates.
3. Is it easier to stay at the same resort for transportation purposes?
You only get transportation if you buy the travel package. In my experience, it's way easier to Uber/Lyft to WWOS than it was using transport. We could go at our own time and the busses leaving the WWOS were so packed, long lines etc.
4. I believe the packages include tickets. Is the commuter option still available for athletes? Or is there an option that includes registration and ESPN WWOS entry but not park tickets? I ask because we will be renewing our APs in November and I don’t want to pay for tickets in addition to our APs.
You are required to purchase at minimum the commuter package, again depending on your gym but at least commuter. Basic commuter comes with 2-day PH and 5 days of WWOS entry. I know a few people sold their ticket portion to other people but that also sells your WWOS entry to you'd have to buy that separately for your girls.

 

[npatellye]

We have been to Summit 3x with 2 different gyms. Depending on the comps you go to, you could find out sooner than late spring if they get a bid. Last year, we got our bid in December. This year our first Summit comp is Jan. Feel free to DM me with more questions. I'm totally a planner like you and make reservations before I know we have a bid because rooms book up so quickly.

1. Do we have to get a package offered by Varsity?
Short answer is Yes. Long answer, it's up to your gym which package. Our previous gym required us to buy a travel package but our current gym says at least commuter. This is how the kids register for the comp.
2. Do we have to stay at the same resort as the team? Or can we book our own resort and just make sure the girls are at any and all practices and team events on time?
Again, this is gym specific. Gym #1 required us to stay moderate, Gym #2 said stay anywhere but you must be here through these dates.
3. Is it easier to stay at the same resort for transportation purposes?
You only get transportation if you buy the travel package. In my experience, it's way easier to Uber/Lyft to WWOS than it was using transport. We could go at our own time and the busses leaving the WWOS were so packed, long lines etc.
4. I believe the packages include tickets. Is the commuter option still available for athletes? Or is there an option that includes registration and ESPN WWOS entry but not park tickets? I ask because we will be renewing our APs in November and I don’t want to pay for tickets in addition to our APs.
You are required to purchase at minimum the commuter package, again depending on your gym but at least commuter. Basic commuter comes with 2-day PH and 5 days of WWOS entry. I know a few people sold their ticket portion to other people but that also sells your WWOS entry to you'd have to buy that separately for your girls.

Thank you so much for this information!

My girls are 9 and 7 so they’re just getting into the Summit eligible age brackets now. Their old cheer gym had a bid for 2022 but we had to take that season off because it was just not possible with the driving almost an hour each way 4 nights a week. That gym only offered travel packages as an option and over 50% of the families said they would not go.

The commuter option would definitely work for me. We could absolutely get that for the girls and then just purchase our own WWOS admission for my husband and I are own through Varsity—is that an option? We definitely aren’t big Disney transportation people and usually rent a car and drive to the parks. I’ve heard that getting to WWOS via car can be difficult, though, so I expect we would Uber there.

Perhaps I shall book our DVC accommodations for now and cancel as we get closer if they don’t get a bid. We have our draft day next week but I know from conversations that they’re going to be on a junior L1 team just because of the numbers.

This gym is new, incredibly new. The coaches have coached all star elsewhere and have been all star cheerleaders themselves but they finally just decided to open their own place. Since it’s so new, I think they are only doing 4-5 competitions this season. The last time my girls did all star, they were with their previous gym and did US Finals in Ocean City. We all booked our own hotels and transportation for that event. Since it was a Covid impacted season, all of our other comps were virtual so we didn’t travel; the travel policy there was that you stayed at the same hotel as the rest of the team.

I’m not sure how this gym will work but I will find out more at draft day.

Thank you for offering so much information! I really appreciate it and I likely will reach out to you directly.

 

[Jenny10267]

Thank you so much for this information!

My girls are 9 and 7 so they’re just getting into the Summit eligible age brackets now. Their old cheer gym had a bid for 2022 but we had to take that season off because it was just not possible with the driving almost an hour each way 4 nights a week. That gym only offered travel packages as an option and over 50% of the families said they would not go.

The commuter option would definitely work for me. We could absolutely get that for the girls and then just purchase our own WWOS admission for my husband and I are own through Varsity—is that an option? We definitely aren’t big Disney transportation people and usually rent a car and drive to the parks. I’ve heard that getting to WWOS via car can be difficult, though, so I expect we would Uber there.

Perhaps I shall book our DVC accommodations for now and cancel as we get closer if they don’t get a bid. We have our draft day next week but I know from conversations that they’re going to be on a junior L1 team just because of the numbers.

This gym is new, incredibly new. The coaches have coached all star elsewhere and have been all star cheerleaders themselves but they finally just decided to open their own place. Since it’s so new, I think they are only doing 4-5 competitions this season. The last time my girls did all star, they were with their previous gym and did US Finals in Ocean City. We all booked our own hotels and transportation for that event. Since it was a Covid impacted season, all of our other comps were virtual so we didn’t travel; the travel policy there was that you stayed at the same hotel as the rest of the team.

I’m not sure how this gym will work but I will find out more at draft day.

Thank you for offering so much information! I really appreciate it and I likely will reach out to you directly.

I know your original post is several months old, but have you seen the pricing options on varsity?Have your girls had luck receiving their bid? My daughters junior L1 received a paid bid (Grand National champions at Spirit Celebration Dallas)! This will be my daughter’s 3rd summit (D2). We’ve always rented a house and car and only did commuter tickets. I’ve not had issues driving/parking at WWOS, but I guess some depends on luck of the draw with meet times. Best of luck to your girls and perhaps we’ll compete together.

 

[npatellye]

I know your original post is several months old, but have you seen the pricing options on varsity?Have your girls had luck receiving their bid? My daughters junior L1 received a paid bid (Grand National champions at Spirit Celebration Dallas)! This will be my daughter’s 3rd summit (D2). We’ve always rented a house and car and only did commuter tickets. I’ve not had issues driving/parking at WWOS, but I guess some depends on luck of the draw with meet times. Best of luck to your girls and perhaps we’ll compete together.

Congratulations on the paid bid! That’s amazing! Our comps don’t start until February because the gym itself didn’t open until June so they didn’t want to commit to anything earlier.

I’m glad to hear the commuter tickets have worked! That’s ideally what I’d prefer to do and just stay on property with our points.