Pop Warner Crowds

[GrammyJudy]

We are planning on a trip in Dec 2013 and would like to hear from anyone that was there this year how PW affected crowds in the parks and in the resorts. Do you know what resorts they use? We usually go late Jan and have had to endure the Brazilian teenage groups. We just avoid them in the parks. But have seen them at the resort a couple of times. We are planning on POFQ in DEc as we want to see the Xmas decorations etc.

 

[sheilanne]

We are planning on a trip in Dec 2013 and would like to hear from anyone that was there this year how PW affected crowds in the parks and in the resorts. Do you know what resorts they use? We usually go late Jan and have had to endure the Brazilian teenage groups. We just avoid them in the parks. But have seen them at the resort a couple of times. We are planning on POFQ in DEc as we want to see the Xmas decorations etc.

We went in January of 2011 and there were so many Brazilian groups you could hardly get on the rides or get anything cs to eat. We went 11/27 - 12/4/12 and it was no comparison. This time we stayed at BLT and on the weekend we saw some but nothing like in January. This trip wasn't really affected by the groups. We probably will never go back in January because of the rude, loud, Brazilian teenagers.

 

[Karabee]

I've been twice in early Dec. once was at the beginning of PW week and we stayed at SSR and the other was at the end of PW week and we stayed at POR. I firmly believe that it depends on which resort you stay. Our stay at SSR was at the beginning of the week and you never would have noticed that PW week was happening since they don't stay there. When we stayed at POR (in 2010) we were with many of the PW kids so it was noticeable at the pool and food court. As for the parks, it seems that December is a month that just gets more crowded as the month goes on so being there for the first weekend was wonderful. I found low crowds that were not at all filled with lots of PW kids even after hours. In 2010 we were there the second weekend and it was slightly more crowded but not too bad in regards to kids at the park (there were a few Brazilian groups however). We also were told that the kids are eliminated throughout the week so the end of that week is when you might see more of them in the parks since they won't be competing.

 

[CanadianGuy]

If you're at a resort where they are staying ... they are pretty impossible to miss.. I stayed at All Star Sports during P/W one year. It wasn't that bad honestly. Mind you, I'm not a light sleeper.

Further, that was the year that Disney put their foot down and kicked out not one but three teams for bad behavior... so things simmered down very quickly after those three teams were escorted off the property at 4am one morning.

I didn't really notice them in the parks at ALL that trip.. Small groups here and there but nothing like the hoards of foreign travel groups you can encounter in mid-late January and February.

 

[mommadjones]

We went this year from Dec4-14. We did nit stay at a PW resort thankfully and did run into them a few times at the parks. For the most part they were fine. There were on two occasions I was offended. Once in AK when a group of girls was chanting some very racially insensitive nonsense and once in MK when all the girls had on shorts so short you could see their bums and the shirts they wore had been cut all the way down the side with nothing but a sports bra on underneath. On both occasions parent were with these girls so the blame for both lands squarely on them. That said this is not a PW phenomenon its just what happens sometimes regardless of the group.

ETA It wasn't so much the attire that was offensive as much as it being worn by a bunch of 12-13 year olds. Just too young IMHO

 

[helenk]

We are planning on a trip in Dec 2013 and would like to hear from anyone that was there this year how PW affected crowds in the parks and in the resorts. Do you know what resorts they use? We usually go late Jan and have had to endure the Brazilian teenage groups. We just avoid them in the parks. But have seen them at the resort a couple of times. We are planning on POFQ in DEc as we want to see the Xmas decorations etc.

The resorts that stayed in this year were the Allstar Sports and Allstar Music and for the moderate resorts they stayed at the Coronado Springs and the Caribbean Beach. The moderate choices might be different next year, but could be the same. The Allstar resorts have been the value choice for quite a few years.

 

[nkereina]

In 2013, Pop Warner will be 12/7-12/14. It's difficult to predict the resorts anymore because they have changed them. Last year, Pop Warner families were at All Stars, Pop, CBR and CSR. Pop and CSR are not typical - not sure if they had more families than usual or if they were trying to spread them a little more thinly since they get so many complaints about them. I would not expect them to be at POR or POFQ. POFQ is too small for Pop Warner and POR just completed a renovation which is why they moved them to CBR. They don't stay at deluxe resorts either.

 

[fla4fun]

I stayed in the Epcot resorts area, and wasn't affected by PW at all. I didn't notice them in the parks much at all (every now and then I'd see a family with team shirts - that was about it). I agree that so long as you aren't staying at their resort, they won't impact your trip a lot.

 

[KatMark]

We were there last month while they were there. They had no impact whatsoever on our park time...we had no waits, etc.

The resort...that was a different story. I would check to see when they release their resorts where they are staying and stay as far away as possible. They were at the Coronado Springs where we were and they were awful...in the quiet pools until past midnight cursing, screeching, etc. The parents sat around oblivious to what was going on around them drinking and talking so loud that they couldn't hear anything going around them.

We plan to go back next December but will probably stay at the Dolphin where we know they won't be!

 

[goofgal31]

We were at Pop this year during PW. We did not notice them at all at the resort. saw groups with their team shirts now and then, but never had an issue with any of them. The only issue I had in any of the parks was one day at Epcot when two groups were parading around doing their chants at the top of their lungs. I found this totally unnecessary and it bothered me enough that I left the park to go else where. This was on the my last full day there so was very dissapointed that I could not enjoy Epcot for the full day.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have been to WDW at the same time as the PW kids about 8 times so far....that includes this past Dec. I have seldom had any issues. Yes, they are in the parks, but that usually hasn't had a huge impact on my fun.
This past year there were more tour groups. There actually seemed to be more people in the parks than in previous years. Not sure why that was, but many of us noticed the difference. And I don't think it was all due to PW..unless they got such a terrific deal that their extended families came down as well.