Pop Warner Crowds

[klangl6]

Hi everyone!

Has anyone been at WDW during the time Pop Warner is there? If so, how were the crowd levels?? We will be there Dec 7-12 and I didn't even realize that was going on at that time (I was wondering why all the resorts were booked LOL).

 

[Arianabtd]

I was there around that time last year (Going again this year)
If you're at a resort that they're staying at you MIGHT notice them. But crowd levels really don't change much when they're there. They do head to the parks but they have their own activities to do most of the time.

 

[kwdw]

Been there during Pop Warner - didn't find an impact on park crowd levels. And they were at my resort that year (I was at AS-Sports!). But beyond seeing the groups in team attire - they just were not a noticeable part of the overall experience for me. They tend to be pretty well chaperoned/behaved. And they have their own stuff going on much of the time - and while yes, some of them hit the parks - but you don't see much of the "whole team" traveling around the parks.

I'm not sure - but I have the impression that some of the teams don't schedule much, if any, park time. I saw small groups of them in the parks in matching team clothing - but these were usually small groups (less than 6 kids) - and that was with an adult or two. And when events were over - I was pretty sure there were some in the parks - but just with their own parents at that point. There were a few larger groups in the parks - but they weren't running wild in packs!

Now - ask my about some of the Brazilian tour groups of older teens - I've had a couple bad experiences with them around.....

 

[klangl6]

Been there during Pop Warner - didn't find an impact on park crowd levels. And they were at my resort that year (I was at AS-Sports!). But beyond seeing the groups in team attire - they just were not a noticeable part of the overall experience for me. They tend to be pretty well chaperoned/behaved. And they have their own stuff going on much of the time - and while yes, some of them hit the parks - but you don't see much of the "whole team" traveling around the parks.

I'm not sure - but I have the impression that some of the teams don't schedule much, if any, park time. I saw small groups of them in the parks in matching team clothing - but these were usually small groups (less than 6 kids) - and that was with an adult or two. And when events were over - I was pretty sure there were some in the parks - but just with their own parents at that point. There were a few larger groups in the parks - but they weren't running wild in packs!

Now - ask my about some of the Brazilian tour groups of older teens - I've had a couple bad experiences with them around.....

Thanks. I've had my own experiences with the Brazilian tour groups...never a good one...LOL

 

[anniemae]

We have been during this time and I have never been bothered by them. They are not in the parks much and when they are, I ALWAYS found them to be very respectful. We stayed at the same resort and barely noticed them, only in the food court and it wasn't bad at all. They just pulled tables together to sit in a group. No impact on us at all.

 

[Fangorn]

The Pop Warner events are Dec 2-9, so only a couple of days of your trip are affected anyway. But as already mentioned, the event doesn't really impact the parks much at all - if you didn't know it was happening, you'd likely not even notice.

It's similar to Marathon weekend - resort availability is impacted, but the parks not so much. Lots of people there for the event, but they are there for the event - parks are secondary.

Steve

 

[JennyDrake]

I've been there during Pop AND at the same resort for the last 10 years (at least) I find the kids to be well behaved and adequately chaperoned. PLEASE do not even think of comparing them to the Brazilian groups or Cheer Summit. Impact in the parks is pretty much only in the evenings, and is minimal.

 

[klangl6]

I've been there during Pop AND at the same resort for the last 10 years (at least) I find the kids to be well behaved and adequately chaperoned. PLEASE do not even think of comparing them to the Brazilian groups or Cheer Summit. Impact in the parks is pretty much only in the evenings, and is minimal.

That's great to hear! I've hear nightmare stories about the other groups and even had a few of my own, but I'm happy to hear this is not the case with Pop Warner.

 

[naneliz]

I have also been there unknowingly during Pop Warner week. I didn't even realize it until the last day or so. That was because they were all in line for Ice Cream right outside of Fantasmic and they said they were only serving them...

 

[W.E.D.]

Last visit our final couple of days were as the Pop Warner crowds were arriving. Only once did we have an issue: at the China pavilion a group decided to break into some sort of cheer and blocked to the path back to the theater. But that was it. I've heard the resorts they stay at can get kind of loud and obnoxious, but we were at POR. I think they mainly book the Value resorts.

 

[notrub98]

I have vacation with that pop warner kids by accident two years in a row . I think they drive up wait times on the high profile attractions considerably in the evenings. I also find them to be painfully obnoxious BUT I must admit that I'm just not a fan of this particular age band in general so I'm not sure that I'm the best judge...

 

[DisneyObsessedRN]

I'm nervous as part of our upcoming trip falls on Pop Warner week too! We were there in May and the only time I noticed them was on the buses. I found thought they were cute and decently-behaved then. But we were at POR at the time, and we will be at ASM this time so I'm scared about the noise level at the resort. During the end of the week, MK did appear to be very crowded in the evening and night.