Has anyone been to the parks during Pop Warner/cheer championships, 1st weekend of Dec?

[Happy_2_B]

I wouldn't get nervous- this is no big deal. I have been there 8 times during this time period, and most of them are rarely in the parks. Just don't stay at value resorts and you will hardly notice they are there.

 

[anniemae]

I would not be concerned AT ALL if I were you. The worst is if you stay at the same resort at them. You will be off site so it will not be an issue. You will not be using the Disney bus so that won't be an issue.

I have been during that time and I was not bothered at all in the parks. I found they did not travel in a huge group, but in small groups of 4-8. They have very little impact at the park IMO. We were in the single rider line for TT and I wound up in a car with them. They were very polite, and enthusiastic girls. I had no problem at all with them. They chatted with me a bit and were very friendly. You hardly notice them. Please don't be deterred by them. I think they get a bad rap.

 

[dkrauss]

We're visiting the weekend of Dec 4th. Knowing about the football and cheerleading.........I did my research (I guess ). We're staying at AoA..........the Pop-Warner kids stay at the All Stars, Caribbean Beach, and Pop Century. I've been told by some that the only issue is at the resorts, if at all. I too have heard their impact on the parks isn't really noticeable other than a cheer or two............they're kids right Again we're not staying at a resort impacted........we also don't share buses with those resorts either.

I'm not going to let it bother me...............can't wait for this visit.............first Christmas time visit for me

Doug

 

[texasroni75]

I am expecting their presence to affect us primarily at our resort (we are staying at All-Stars the beginning of December). Hoping to time our food court breakfasts and morning bus rides so we aren't stuck in huge lines there, but otherwise not too concerned.

 

[shh]

Yikes. I read that they'd be at all-star only - didn't realize they'd also be at POP when I booked 8 months ago and now we're right in middle of their visit (12/9-11). Unfortunately, rates everywhere are much higher now. If it's as bad as everyone says, I guess my only viable choice is to cancel booking completely and search offsite a.s.a.p. - as we're not budgeted for mods and deluxes this trip - especially not at last min prices.

Just wondering: does anyone know if the hotel tries to group all Pop Warner rooms together in one part of the resort? If so, perhaps I can specifically request bldg furthest way and that might help a little?

It looks like group staying at Pop are the "mitey mite" ones...the little kids. Does that make it much worse or better than older kids at all-stars?

I dread the thought of cancelling and searching offsite at this point - so wondering if I can make the best of it. We breakfast in room, so are rarely at food court and don't hang out poolside. We have our own car, so we can avoid WDW bus transport if needed. But nonstop yelling/traffic by the room is definitely not going to work!

 

[Magpie]

We've stayed at Pop Century during Pop Warner and didn't find the kids any problem at all (but we don't eat breakfast in the food court, so we might have missed them). We heard a little bit of cheering in the parks, but we weren't especially bothered by it. We just adjusted our touring to head the other way whenever we saw an enormous crowd coming (same as we do with tour groups).

The only negative experience we have had, had nothing to do with the kids. There was some jerk of an adult (coach or parent, I don't know) screaming at his kids at 5:30 am one morning a few rooms away from us. Never heard a peep from the kids themselves. We seriously wanted him to shut up. Poor kids - I don't care what they might've done, no one deserves to be hollered at, at 5:30am!

 

[shh]

Magpie, thanks for sharing your experiences! Glad it didn't impact your trip too much. I've always been careful to schedule at diff weeks or diff resorts since we visit in early/mid Dec every year - just messed up this time. But we're only onsite for 2 nights, so may just grin and bear it. If they group the kids in one area vs randomly assigning rooms resort wide - I think that might help. Will be calling to ask.

 

[TeachTink]

I am hoping since we are in a Preferred Pool Room at Pop Century, we may not be bothered by them since they would most likely be Standard? Being near the pool for us isn't an issue because we won't be in our room during the day anyway.

 

[ArielRae]

We are booked at Pop also for Dec 8-12. If the kids become to much of a bother I won't hesitate about asking to be transferred to a different resort to get away from them and enjoy my trip. No sence in letting them ruin your trip you paid good money for if Disney can transfer you to make your trip better.

 

[Duckyduckycatcat]

We went that time last year and we are going again this year 3rd to the 12th. I get there for rope drop and take a break late afternoon. I had no issues.

 

[monty]

We are booked at Pop also for Dec 8-12. If the kids become to much of a bother I won't hesitate about asking to be transferred to a different resort to get away from them and enjoy my trip. No sence in letting them ruin your trip you paid good money for if Disney can transfer you to make your trip better.

The OP mentioned that everything on site was booked out!

 

[monty]

We have ONLY ever been during Pot Warner week and have never had any issues. The only time we really noticed them was during Fantasmic when there was a bit of pre-show singing and cheering but we were not bothered by it. We did not stay at one of the value resorts...it sounds like that is where they make more of a negative impact!

 

[LMN]

We have been during Pop Warner week 3 times and not experienced any problems. If you believe you will experience problems, you will. Why not go in with the expectation that you will have a wonderful trip and expect to have a fabulous time? Our experience has been that the wait times for rides has been low and the weather has been great. The Pop Warner kids generally travel in small groups, unlike other tour groups, so they are not an issue in the parks. Most of their time during the day is spent at WWOS.

 

[rcraw45425]

I originally booked a last minute "let's see the Osborne Lights one last time" trip for Dec 11-14. Passholder rate at Pop was ~$150 with tax. When I realized that this was the last weekend of Pop Warner I was able to book AKL standard view for ~ $258plus tax (passholder). Caribbean Beach shows pirate rooms for $211 + tax too

 

[flvy]

Personally I'd avoid it, but that's because I know myself and I have a lower tolerance for unsupervised kids being obnoxious. I'm also normally a solo traveler, and spend a lot of my time observing.

I think if you're with others and pack your patience it shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We are staying only one night at POP 12/6. Hopefully we are too exhausted from a long travel day to care lol

 

[sndral]

I've been early Dec. several times and only had issues twice, once when I caught a bus they were on - they cheered on the bus, non stop & loudly, not sure why their moms/chaperones didn't stop them as it was quite rude to other passengers. The other time was when we were going through the line at Little Mermaid and about a dozen girls swarmed around us & crowded in front us to 'join' their friends ahead of them in line - again just very poor manners. I've seen clumps of the boys in the park and they seem better mannered than the girl groups. I'm going again this early Dec. & am not concerned, but I'm not staying where they stay, not likely eating where they eat and they tend to be in smaller packs in the parks (v. the BTG massive herds) so aren't as noticeable.

 

[jo-jo]

Before we have DVC, we stayed at Pop and only had some issues at food court. And with a number of trips at that time, we've only had one issue in the parks. After fireworks at Epcot, crowds are leaving, so we are walking , walking, walking. All of a sudden the pack on a dozen or so girls who were right on our heels, start YELLING a cheer. I almost had a heart attack.

 

[kiford]

We've been there a few times during this period (and will be this year as well). We don't stay at the same resorts so we're not impacted by that. I've seen small groups in the parks wearing the same shirts - took me a while to figure out why there were so many groups wearing the same shirts - but I didn't find them any louder than other large-ish groups or families with several children. I don't recall them on any of the same busses as us so I can't speak to that.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I'm staying at POP Dec 5-8. We decided only about a month ago to splurge on a long weekend to see the Osborne lights. This particular weekend is the only one that we could both go and there was decent airfare. After I finished booking everything I found out it was PW week. Oh well, we are going to have fun anyway. We have our days fairly unscheduled and will be in the parks at night. Hopefully, it will be quiet in the morning....when we are trying to sleep in a little.