Just planned 1st trip to WDW & it's Pop Warner week!

[Corie]

Just finished planning and booking the reservations for our
early December visit to WDW. Yesterday, I happened to hear
that it's Pop Warner Week during the week that we are going.
I don't really know what this means!!

My husband and I are taking our 2 children. They are age
5 yrs. and 2 yrs.

How will this affect our trip? I'm really bummed. I don't want
our trip ruined by this Pop Warner thing.

Please help!! Thank you!!

Corie

 

[Colinsmom]

When we went (unknowingly) during Pop Warner in 2004, the only time it affected us was on our first day in MK. The park was mobbed (it was a Mon or Tues, I don't remember which), so we left much earlier than planned. We had park hoppers so just went to a different park later that day. When we finally got brave enough to attempt MK a few days later, it was completely empty again.

Which hotel are you at? That matters a lot, from what I understand.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I think it is some kind of football thing ??? Don't really know for sure. Maybe high school football players. Where are you staying? I think these groups generally stay at a value resort and that is where the problems come in, with loud teenagers being up all night. . .

Please don't let it ruin your first Disney vacation!! Can't wait until we can make a December trip!

 

[Corie]

We are staying at the Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

You should be alright staying there. I don't think the big groups like that generally stay at hte Moderates.
As far as the parks go, you may want to do some research on that and try to find out which parks the group will be in on which days and just avoid them!

Have fun!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

You should be alright staying there. I don't think the big groups like that generally stay at the Moderates.
As far as the parks go, you may want to do some research on that and try to find out which parks the group will be in on which days and just avoid them!

Have fun!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I don't know why that just posted twice ???

Sorry!

 

[Colinsmom]

We are staying at the Port Orleans Riverside.

Yeah, it's high school football players and cheerleaders. The day MK was mobbed for us, it was full of rude, loud, crude teenagers. Not my idea of Disney fun.

They stay at one of the values, and the overflow goes first to POR then to POFQ. There was just a thread on the Resorts board, if you want to check it out.

Of course, you'll be looking for a discount code for the resorts in the next month, and may rebook your reservation then anyways, right?

 

[Manda]

We were there in 2005 during that week. It made absolutely no difference. The only thing I noticed were the occasional group of unaccompanied pre-teen boys being overly boy-like. They weren't causing any real problems at all. Just being goofy. And they were all very polite and quick to straighten up once they noticed that anyone else was noticing them.

Once, at Epcot, some biggish boys were running through some tunnels obviously meant for smaller kids. My son was crawling through and I was following him and I heard the boys tossing around some choice 4 letter words. I gave them a Mom look and told them they should watch their language with little ones around and they stammered all over themselves apologizing.

I wouldn't worry about it one bit. I'd go back that same week in a minute. The parks are practically empty.

 

[Corie]

Manda,

Your post made me feel so much better!! I just didn't want
our Disney trip ruined because I messed up on the scheduling.

I chose this week specifically for the low crowds and my kids
are young enough that school is not a problem.

I was afraid that this Pop Warner week was going to make
the week miserable with crowds.

Thanks for posting!!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

When is pop warner week? Just curious because I try and schedule around the crowds and am pondering dates for December.

 

[princesssfws]

We were there in 2006 when Pop Warner was there. It is both football and cheerleading competition from elementary on up. We noticed some increase at the beginning of the week but soon they start competing and stop touring the parks.
I think they stay at mostly the Values but I do know that they have overflow at PO but I'm not sure if it is Riverside or French Quarter or both.
I was worried when I saw this last year too but we had short waits and did everything we wanted. Have a great time.

Pop Warner is usually the first week of December.

 

[MSSANDRA]

We have been during that week and really did not have any issue though I have heard of others that did. We stayed at WL so that was no problem. I know that the values are horrible during that time. EVerywhere we went the bus lines for the values were unreal. I really do not remember PO lines at all but you could call and check the avalability for the resort during that week to see. Parks attendence was a little higher that we were used to but it was also due to the Christmas activities. We saw a lot of the POP kids in the parks but we saw no behavior issues as others have reported. Be sure to make all your ADR's ASAP because we did fine that trip that most resturants were full!

 

[bjscheel]

We were there last year. I don't think I saw more than 10 kids that I could identify as "Pop Warner" kids. Maybe 2 groups of 5 girls in matching cheer t-shirts. Other than that I wouldn't know they were there. It shouldn't ruin your trip! We stayed at Pop Century.

The only downside is that discount codes came out later and our week was blacked out from codes, probably because of PW.

 

[my3disneygirls]

TONS of Pop Warner people stay at POR. I stayed there 4 out of the five years I went to Disney for Pop Warner.

 

[lazydazy8]

We were at POP last Pop Warner and were fine. The parks were somewhat crowded on that Saturday, but other than that we were fine.

Don't get upset about it. Some people really complain, but I'll tell you we were fine.

I do suggest you get hoppers, though. If the park is too crowded, move to another park!

Have an awesome trip!!

 

[cuppycake]

We were there during Pop Warner last year and the worst part was really not at the hotel (we stayed at POP), though it was EXTRA crowded at the food court, it was really at the parks.

The lines weren't necessarily longer, but everywhere you went you found these obnoxiously loud kids. Seriously. No matter where we were, we would roll our eyes and say, oh no not again! The girls were shouting cheers all the time (and yes, I know, that's what cheerleaders do) walking in the parks, standing in the lines, eating lunch, and we couldn't catch a break

At the hotel, the kids were just running around and up late and such. For the most part they weren't horribly LOUD or anything....just everywhere!

All in all, not a huge deal...just annoying. We wouldn't avoid disney just because of this.

 

[connie1042]

But I would not book that week again. We where there for Dec. 2-9 of last year. Stayed off site. Parks were ok crowd wise, but the pop kids thought that they owned the parks. Very loud and rude. Chaparones thought they were funny. We were in line for some ice cream after the parade. A group in front of us were hitting and shoving each other, cheering and just being brats. Chaparone did nothing. When they got up front they let about 5 more of their group in line. It was the cheering in all the lines that drove you crazy. Never ran in to any of the boy groups.

 

[maxtomsmom]

We were there last year during Pop Warner and we really didn't see a thing. We stayed at CSR and there was a chess tournament going on and saw a bunch of kids doing that. In the parks we saw some crowds with the same shirts on, but we didn't see or experience any rude behaviors or problems for that matter. They pretty much are not in the parks during the day as they are in their competitions. The parks got more crowded at night, but they weren't too bad. The holiday decorations would make me go back even if it is Pop Warner week.

 

[mum of two pirates]

We stayed at CSR and sooooooooooooo loved the place. The only place I didn't like was Epcot as there were a lot of teenager getting off at the park and being way way to loud and cheering so loud. But we are going back this year same time but staying at pop tell the codes come out. go me go me goooooo me! LOL