Let's talk Cheer Squads / Competitions?

[bwvBound]

To what extent do you anticipate that Cheer Squads / Competitions may impact your stay at a DVC resort? Do they factor into your resort planning / strategy? How often do you cross paths with crowds of cheer squads and their parental units when navigating the resort grounds?

We recently had an encounter that surprised us. Granted, we likely should not have been surprised ... yet we were. This becomes a new thing for me to factor when planning our DVC reservations? Hmmm.

 

[Sandisw]

Never had much it an experience with them…seen in parks a few times…but it would not be something that I would plan around.

 

[CarolMN]

Like as @Sandisw , never at any of the DVC resorts And in the parks, only rarely. I don't plan around them - don't even look to see when they are there.

 

[CarolynFH]

I don't remember any issues with cheer or baseball or any other team sport, nor with the South American fifteens, at any DVC resort. We've interacted with them in the parks, but not in the resorts. Like Sandi and Carol, we don't look at the schedule.

That said, I have seen occasional mention of parents staying at deluxe resorts while their kids participated in those competitions and of the kids joining them at some point.

We recently had an encounter that surprised us. Granted, we likely should not have been surprised ... yet we were.

Do you feel comfortable adding more specifics? If not, that's fine, I'm just curious.

 

[Simba's Mom]

In my over 40 trips, at many different times of the year, I've seen a cheer squad ONCE, and that was in a park. They were being perfectly respectful, but I got such a chuckle out of the way they looked-I'm guessing they had a performance that night because I've never seen so many teenage/preteen girls with rollers in their hair at a theme park!

 

[CraigInPA]

I see a lot of these when we go January/February. In the past, they have been unruly. Line cutting and LOUS random cheering were the biggest complaints. I had an interaction once with one of the cheer parents (her squad was cheering while in line for ToT) She felt her group was oh-so-privileged and worthy-of-special-privileges because they were competing later that day. But, that was in the past. I think Disney must have set out a set of rules they intend to enforce, because I saw none of that old bad behavior in the last two trips in February.

 

[Giraffe_Zen]

We've dealt with them many times in April and May(even on our wedding trip lol), but only in the Parks, b/c we stay DVC.
But on our 2022 February trip we dealt with them at the Resort too (they were staying we presume the hotel part of AKL-Jambo, and we the DVC part). It was insane and we were not happy campers. I go to AKL/V-Jambo and Kidani to chill b/c they usually are. Not with a bunch of dancers and cheerleaders. I guess they put them there for the first time due to lack of mods open b/c of slowly opening resorts from COVID but NEVER AGAIN for us.

I'll go a month they aren't there unless we're celebrating our anniversary at the parks.

 

[bwvBound]

THANK YOU, ALL! Yep, your comments agreed with my expectations: might see them in the parks but not, as a concentrated population, at the DVC resorts.

Do you feel comfortable adding more specifics? If not, that's fine, I'm just curious.

So, umm, yeah, well ... hmm. Here is my new discovery: The Villas at the Disneyland Hotel is a new type of animal.

• DLH has a convention center which hosts cheer/gymnastics competitions (etc).
• The DLH convention center is unavoidable as one navigates between the DVC tower at DLH and the self-parking lot.
• Competitions can consume 100% of the available self-parking.
• The convention center is easy to access from the general neighborhood and may "attract" somewhat unsavory observers.

I criss-crossed between the DVC Discovery Tower and self-parking a few times during our visit. Seeing the scantily and provocatively dressed young girls was one thing. Seeing the supervising adults directing them in floor exercises including "downward-dog" yoga positions (with their backsides to an open walkway!) almost triggered me ... as I found that I wasn't the only one seeing these moves. There were plenty of men watching, too. UGH. I wanted to throw towels around the girls and get them shuffled to a space deeper inside the conference center! UGH. What were these people thinking?

EDITED TO ADD: The hotspot/link around the hotel name in my "discovery" statement is not mine. It goes to a board sponsor (advertisement) and I cannot remove it or turn it off. (Just giving the reader a heads up ... )

 

[bwvBound]

We've dealt with them many times in April and May(even on our wedding trip lol), but only in the Parks, b/c we stay DVC.
But on our 2022 February trip we dealt with them at the Resort too (they were staying we presume the hotel part of AKL-Jambo, and we the DVC part). It was insane and we were not happy campers. I go to AKL/V-Jambo and Kidani to chill b/c they usually are. Not with a bunch of dancers and cheerleaders. I guess they put them there for the first time due to lack of mods open b/c of slowly opening resorts from COVID but NEVER AGAIN for us.

I'll go a month they aren't there unless we're celebrating our anniversary at the parks.

Sorry for your Feb'22 report! Hopefully that was a rare exception due to COVID. Hope all your future trips are "chill" as expected!

 

[mort1331]

WE have run into Cheers many a Feb. They stay mostly at AllStars..or Pop...might see them at Contemp for the large convention rooms..but do alot at Sports Complex and sometimes perform at DS.
Seen them at the parks after but most times they are good

 

[bumbershoot]

Seeing the scantily and provocatively dressed young girls was one thing. Seeing the supervising adults directing them in floor exercises including "downward-dog" yoga positions (with their backsides to an open walkway!) almost triggered me ... as I found that I wasn't the only one seeing these moves. There were plenty of men watching, too. UGH. I wanted to throw towels around the girls and get them shuffled to a space deeper inside the conference center! UGH. What were these people thinking?

They are dancers.

Your idea of "scantily" or "provocatively" is your own. It is not theirs. It is not theirs to worry about. Worry about your own thoughts.

There is nothing wrong with yoga or stretching. Any issues you or others might have are your own thoughts. They aren't thinking it, so it's your own thought process to worry about.

Chaperones are there. You saw them. They were the ones leading them in stretches. The chaperones are fine. The dancers are fine. Worry about your own thoughts.

Go find a protest-art exhibit where they show the clothes people who were assaulted were wearing, including pants, long-sleeved shirts, even burkas. It's not about clothing. It's about the criminals letting their criminal thoughts become criminal actions. It's not about the clothing. It's never about the clothing.

-sister of a former cheerleader, mother of a dancer, and a yoga practitioner.

 

[bwvBound]

It's not about the clothing. It's never about the clothing.

The Emperor's New Clothes?

(Why were a team of young girls, dressed only in nude-colored body stockings, walking around the lobby area?? Shouldn't they have been kept in the dressing area if not wearing their completed costume?)

 

[CastAStone]

Ah. Yes. Disneyland is a totally different animal with group bookings. You’ll find all sorts of groups.

*ALL* sorts of groups.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

The Emperor's New Clothes?

(Why were a team of young girls, dressed only in nude-colored body stockings, walking around the lobby area?? Shouldn't they have been kept in the dressing area if not wearing their completed costume?)

Edited… just sounded too creepy to post.

 

[BuzzLightyr]

Swan and Dolphin host dance competitions. During these time periods I expect spillover demand at beach club and boardwalk.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Ah. Yes. Disneyland is a totally different animal with group bookings. You’ll find all sorts of groups.

*ALL* sorts of groups.

Don't forget the "somewhat unsavory observers that might be "attracted" from the general neighborhood". How we managed to grow up in Anaheim, with the constant threat of the denizens of the neighborhood, I'll never know. I'll just be thankful we made it through and warn against anyone with gentler sensibilities to stay away and save their eyes and souls.

 

[CastAStone]

Don't forget the "somewhat unsavory observers that might be "attracted" from the general neighborhood". How we managed to grow up Anaheim, with the constant threat of the denizens of the neighborhood, I'll never know. I'll just be thankful we made it through and warn against anyone with gentler sensibilities to stay away and save their eyes and souls.

I’ve been told it’s extremely unsafe to walk down Harbor Blvd at night with all the police and lights.

 

[Cfabar1]

I’ve been told it’s extremely unsafe to walk down Harbor Blvd at night with all the police and lights.

my understanding is Anaheim is not safe unless you are on property, and possible staying at the Westin, but even then you have to be careful... I have been to DLR twice, but don't have enough recollection to know if that is true or overblown pearl-clutchers warning me...

ALl I know is I feel very safe at WDW the entire time....

 

[CastAStone]

my understanding is Anaheim is not safe unless you are on property, and possible staying at the Westin, but even then you have to be careful... I have been to DLR twice, but don't have enough recollection to know if that is true or overblown pearl-clutchers warning me...

ALl I know is I feel very safe at WDW the entire time....

I was being facetious. Harbor is crawling with cops, as is Katella. They have an enormous theme park and convention business to protect. Thousands of people, mostly women and children, walk those streets every night. I find the immediate Anaheim resort area to be a very unlikely place to encounter actual danger..

 

[Tink3815]

We have had groups at All Stars Music blasting their boom boxes to practice their routines in the middle of the day. If you were trying to sneak back for an afternoon nap for your kids, you would be kept awake. It was that loud all over at the end of the resort. If staying at a value, I will stay Sunday to Thursday if the calendar shows a competition in Orlando