It's Pop Warner Week....

[Bugsmom73]

We saw them at the parks, and aside from one group of boys, whom the CM's talked to about their behavior. We had no problems in the park. We stayed at AKL though to avoid them.

 

[scottybnyc]

First time poster, long time Disney nut. My next trip to the World is scheduled for 1/6/08. I try to go the same time every year. I always stay at either ASMU, or ASMovies. I always see kids in sports uniforms piling in to the resorts towards the end of my trip. I've heard numerous stories about it. Cheerleading championships, soccer tournament, but I assumed it was Pop Warner. Am I wrong?

 

[klmall]

DH's secretary is down there right now with her son's PW football team along with her family. Based on past experiences, she chose to send her husband and son to stay at PO Riverside with the group while she and her daughter stay offsite . She has been calling in with stories of some other PW group that is way out of control. She went to visit her DH and found cheerleaders yelling and practicing their cheers up and down the walkways and screaming up and down from room to room very late in the evening (after 11:00 pm).

Needless to say, she is very glad she is staying in Downtown Disney! It really is a shame that some kids are not properly supervised and that some groups don't provide supervision at all (and I have taken kids all over the country so I know what is required). But it's very good to hear that so many groups are behaving!

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

DH's secretary is down there right now with her son's PW football team along with her family. Based on past experiences, she chose to send her husband and son to stay at PO Riverside with the group while she and her daughter stay offsite . She has been calling in with stories of some other PW group that is way out of control. She went to visit her DH and found cheerleaders yelling and practicing their cheers up and down the walkways and screaming up and down from room to room very late in the evening (after 11:00 pm).

That is exactly the reason we won't go during Pop Warner again. Also there's a cheer competition in the Spring that's horrendous. We stayed in POR & were miserable. The Cheerleaders were everywhere cheering, screaming, - even in the bars and shops & lobby. Don't try riding the boat to DTD with a group of them either - it's deafening!! They seemed to be mainly in the mansion area because every square inch of grass available was being used.

 

[Tink rules]

They have several competitions during the year - but I think PW is the biggest.

The problem I have is the groups that are loud and not chaparoned very well.. you appreciate the ones that are.

And as far as the mess they make... Mousekeeping goes through their paces when they leave... ever see the messes they make with all the window paint and such? Team spirit is good, but not when you leave it behind for others to clean up.

 

[Brise Nannie]

We'll be checking in while they're checking out. Staying at ASMu and purposely planned our trip clear of Pop Warner week (no offense intended to anyone). Been there, done that with DD.

 

[crazy4wdw]

I've seen several groups around the parks and for the most part they seemed well behaved. There was a large group that got out of hand at Epcot just prior to Illunimations one night. About 30 to 40 cheerleaders started to perform their cheers and were also blowing whistles in the central area between Mexico & Canada. WDW security put a stop to stop to the cheering quickly.

 

[tink4ever]

Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading championships...

I think activities are great for kids, but personally, I know that my mom and even myself would NEVER allow my children to take a week off of school to go to WDW for this competition. Sure they competed... but mostly they roamed around alot and visited the parks. I know that parents often take kids out of school to go on vacation, but this was a bit too much.

I would like you to know that my DD who is now 20 years old and our towns High School Varsity Cheerleading Coach, performed in DW when she was 11 years old. The reason parents allow their kids to be taken out of school is because making it to Nationals in Disney World is the biggest honor there is! They compete in Local, state and Regional competitions and only the BEST of the BEST make it to Nationals. I know some teams are rowdy but as her coach and her mom, our girls were very well behaved and I am so glad she experienced Nationals at the PW level because it will be something she will never forget.

 

[tink4ever]

That is exactly the reason we won't go during Pop Warner again. Also there's a cheer competition in the Spring that's horrendous. We stayed in POR & were miserable. The Cheerleaders were everywhere cheering, screaming, - even in the bars and shops & lobby. Don't try riding the boat to DTD with a group of them either - it's deafening!! They seemed to be mainly in the mansion area because every square inch of grass available was being used.

In December it is Pop Warner, In January it is High School and in March it is College and Allstars which is a very large competition. My DD performed at all 3 competitions in her 12 year cheerleading career and her squads were always well behaved. Yes they can be loud but Horrendous is a pretty strong word for it. It is a very high honor to cheer at Nationals in WDW so they are all very excited. Only the best of the best qualify so they should be thrilled to be there. There have been so many threads with people complaining about the cheerleaders but why don't you all complain to the Disney people who invite the competitions into their resorts? If they invite them they will come and any time you get a group of excited girls together there is bound to be some noise. Yes I think some groups are rude and should have more supervision but I don't like when everyone groups all cheerleaders into the category as Horrendous!

 

[klmall]

............. any time you get a group of excited girls together there is bound to be some noise. Yes I think some groups are rude and should have more supervision but I don't like when everyone groups all cheerleaders into the category as Horrendous!

ITA - I worked in a high school the last four years before retiring last June and this is so true! Most coaches and sponsors are usually very concerned when their charges misbehave or do not represent their schools in the best light. And the opposite is true also! They appreciate hearing even the smallest compliment. Kids are naturally talkative when walking somewhere together but they do not have to yell, scream, slam room doors, "cheer" in a food court etc. Trip sponsors should be setting and enforcing room hours and rules. If they aren't, just like reporting offensive guests of any kind, calls to The Front Desk should be made.

 

[Tink rules]

Calls to Front desk don't help... in alot of instances even Security was overwhelmed...

& of course I look at it from someone who isn't there for the competition.

They should close off one of the resorts and only house the PW guests there so they can safely secure the area for all concerned, along with being able to transport them and let them practice in areas that are safe for them as well as guests. Alot of the teams were using the parking lots which is a large space for them, but with cars coming and going could hardly be safe for the kids.

 

[myladyisatramp]

As far as older kids they usually play in a band at MK.
Both my daughters went to WDW for Pop Warner Nationals its a great event.
We were there in 99 and 00. Our kids were never let out to roam around and had curfew each night. They were there to compete not play games.
After competition you could do as you wanted. So hopefully these teams that were running a muck, lost. Its an incredible event if you have never been. Something my daughters now 23 and 20 will never forget.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

In December it is Pop Warner, In January it is High School and in March it is College and Allstars which is a very large competition. My DD performed at all 3 competitions in her 12 year cheerleading career and her squads were always well behaved. Yes they can be loud but Horrendous is a pretty strong word for it. It is a very high honor to cheer at Nationals in WDW so they are all very excited. Only the best of the best qualify so they should be thrilled to be there. There have been so many threads with people complaining about the cheerleaders but why don't you all complain to the Disney people who invite the competitions into their resorts? If they invite them they will come and any time you get a group of excited girls together there is bound to be some noise. Yes I think some groups are rude and should have more supervision but I don't like when everyone groups all cheerleaders into the category as Horrendous!

I'm sorry that you feel horrendous was a strong word - but you weren't there. They were very over bearing and POR couldn't do anything with them & the parents/chaperones who were with them just didn't care - they weren't bothering them - they're used to it!! It wasn't just one squad, but several. I'm sure there were some well behaved squads, but we certainly didn't encounter them then. I too am a parent of a competitive athlete. My DD was a competitive baton twirler winning local, state and national titles and traveling all around the US, but at least our parents and chaperones never had to put up with the cheering, screaming, etc in the lobby, bar & on the boats to DTD. The girls do compete at WWS, although when my daughter participated it was held at Universal.

I will give props to the cheerleading groups who were at MGM on Sunday, though. They were very well behaved and great to be around.

 

[Tink2312]

We left on Thursday and only encountered the cheerleaders on Tuesday night at Epcot. It wasn't too bad but they did hang around in HUGE groups blocking up the walkways in WS and the cheering did get on your nerves particularly when you could hear it halfway across the lagoon. Glad we didn't encounter more of them!

 

[LegoJediMom]

We just arrived at POR today and we are sandwiched between two rooms of PW participants. So far, we haven't heard a peep They've gone all out decorating their windows here. We were a little concerned when we saw the room situation, but fingers are crossed that the night stays this quiet.

 

[Tink rules]

They should all start to leave this weekend so I hope that you have a quiet week...

That said...

Let the clean up begin!!!

 

[trivial]

No way in hell would I stay at a value during Pop Warner. It's a shame Disney is so ineffectual in these circumstances, even if it means considerate guests pay the price. How were they on the buses?

 

[star2500]

Hey Everyone...

We just got back last night (Dec 8th). We were there Nov 29th - Dec 8th so was there the entire time Pop Warner was there. We stayed at the Contemporary. Would I go again during this time absolutely. Would I stay at one of their designated resorts. No. I think that's where you run into issues. Contemporary we didn't see any of that going on because they weren't there. We ran into some football players and cheerleaders on occassion at the parks. And I have to say...they were 80% supervised in groups. We saw the parents and the group of them all together. We would catch on occassion an older group of kids....unsupervised obviously because they were older....but never once ran into any issues with them either.

Pop Warner was fine...never ran into issues with them. Issues with others...lol...yes....like very RUDE people lol. I'll save that one for my trip report. All I can say on that is people need to relax there, you are on vacation...and even if you are on vacation...doesn't mean vacation equals lack of respect for others. Although, I have to assume these people don't respect other on vacation or not. Just an example was a man dropped a whole huge soda in the food area....just walked away and left it all. Expecting the hotel just to take care of it...then you wonder why some kids act as they do. Another was a monorail issue. Yes it was closing time, yes there were hundreds of people getting on the monorail....but when you see people in line ahead of you just about to get on the monorail...and 2 girls (20's) push their way past your stroller and kids to get on knowing you won't fit with the stroller after they get on...is total disrespect. Anyhows enough about that...will go into it further with my trip report...

And keeping on topic....if you are questioning whether to go during Pop Warner....it's not bad at all if you aren't at their resorts....I've already booked the same week for next year!

Pixie dust to all....

 

[dvcnewgirl]

I just posted about this this morning. We stayed at BWV and did not even know Pop warner was there. Then we did one night at AS Sports. The kids were loud into the night. Rough in the pool. Like I said in my post. I feel sorry for those who were booked there for their vacation.

 

[crushonmickey]

We just got back this morning. The cheerleaders were everywhere at the PORiverside food court. I don't think we will be going during Pop Warner again.

By the way, do you think some of these Moms realize how these girls are dressed? I'm talking young, young girls dressed to show off every curve of their bodies. I am no prude, and I was uncomfortable.