Pop Warner Week - NEVER AGAIN. Anyone Feel The Same???

[cobbler]

I was there during Pop Warner this year, in fact I was at ASSports from the 2nd - 7th so I got to be one of the lucky few to be in the thick of it.

Now while I didn't run into any major problems, I very well could have if I were staying closer to where they were but thank my lucky stars I was not staying near them.

I can't remember how many times I seen the parents at the pool bar getting "their drink on" while the kids were going nuts in the pool and food court area.

Good thing we don't spend a ton of time at the resort and I am thankful we didn't run into them at the parks because I may have burst

 

[wdwmaineac]

We just returned from CBR. The kids that we encountered at the pool and food court were fairly obnoxious. Some 16-17 year old boy picked up my 7 year old son and THREW him in the pool. There was a bunch of teenagers who were a fixture in the hot tub, farting and making rude jokes. I wouldn't let my children in there. Disney is loosing sight of who their core business is. 10 years from now, when the parks have dregraded an over-priced, second-rate amusement park, Michael Eisner can explain to stockholders what happened. If they want to court this kind of market, they should open up another park/resort complex and do it there.

 

[FatCow]

Talking about pool My daughter is extremely disappointed that she can't use the pool at all during this trip. How could I let her be in the pool when there were such animalistic behaviours happening.

 

[DebbieB]

I hope everyone reports their experiences to management. The only way they will tighten the rules and provide more security is if they are aware of what happened. I sent them an e-mail earlier today asking about the dates for 2005 and said I want to make my trip plans for next year to avoid this time.

https://secure.disney.go.com/wdw/contact/contactUs

 

[wdwmaineac]

WDW wasn't built on the revenues from this particular group. Alienating your bread and butter market for some of the gravy is not good business.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Footballers usually aren't too bad, it is the cheerleaders.
2) I held off posting an answer regarding cheerleaders.
3) Everything I wanted to write seemed to much like an insult.
4) But I guess the name cheerleader is enough of an insult.

5) Yes, the cheerleader mentality leads to loud and boisterous behavior.
6) However, I blame the chaperons.
7) Chaperons (many of them, anyway)
... seem to have lower IQ's than the cheerleaders
... don't seem to bother about the kids
... want their own vacation and don't want to mind the kids
... don't want to be bothered watching the kids
... get offensive if you mention badly behaving kids

8) During early December, we simply avoid certain resorts.
9) This helps keep our sanity until we get to the parks.
10) We haven't been bothered too much in the parks.

 

[wasabi girl]

I sent an e-mail to WDW asking about the Pop Warner thing, saying that my gold plan vacation is booked during this time...and mentioned that I'd heard reports of groups of poorly supervised teens making time at WDW much less enjoyable and just requesting information saying that for our first trip we just didn't want anything to make me regret choosing to go to WDW (and spending $$$$$$$!!!). It'll be interesting to see what they say.

 

[John Dobbertin]

I sent an e-mail to WDW asking about the Pop Warner thing, saying that my gold plan vacation is booked during this time...and mentioned that I'd heard reports of groups of poorly supervised teens making time at WDW much less enjoyable and just requesting information saying that for our first trip we just didn't want anything to make me regret choosing to go to WDW (and spending $$$$$$$!!!). It'll be interesting to see what they say.

I'm not at all certain if anyone on this thread has yet determined the exact dates for PopWarner05. If WDW fills you in, please post. Thanks.

 

[Epcotgal8]

1) Footballers usually aren't too bad, it is the cheerleaders.
2) I held off posting an answer regarding cheerleaders.
3) Everything I wanted to write seemed to much like an insult.
4) But I guess the name cheerleader is enough of an insult.

5) Yes, the cheerleader mentality leads to loud and boisterous behavior.
6) However, I blame the chaperons.
7) Chaperons (many of them, anyway)
... seem to have lower IQ's than the cheerleaders
... don't seem to bother about the kids
... want their own vacation and don't want to mind the kids
... don't want to be bothered watching the kids
... get offensive if you mention badly behaving kids

EXCUSE ME? "The name cheerleader is enough of an insult" ???? The people who have posted about the improper behavior by the Pop Warner groups while in WDW have every right to be upset but the above comments you made about cheerleaders and their chaperones in general are not true and are unfair to those of us who DO see that our children behave properly as a group. Frankly your obvious mentality about cheerleaders is a bit odd and sounds petty and jealous. These girls work HARD at what they do. They participate in school activities, and fundraisers. They have to maintain a grade point average and not get into trouble at school or they won't be on the squad anymore. Some are able to go to college due to scholarships. Terrible activity huh? I do not condone bad behavior by anyone but do not make a blanket statement about cheerleaders, dancers, football players, or any other group. It's not only prejudicial, it is rude and unfounded.

 

[DebbieB]

I'm not at all certain if anyone on this thread has yet determined the exact dates for PopWarner05. If WDW fills you in, please post. Thanks.

There is a separate thread on this:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=699487

The e-mail I got today from them was that it was planned for Dec 4 to 10 but they may move it back a week. It seems to me if they are planning on more rooms for 2005, that they have to set a date soon so Disney can hold the rooms.

 

[emmabelle]

I was at CBR for the fourth of July week 2003 and thought that the theme pool area was ridiculous. Kids running around, jumping on top of my kids in the pool, scaling the wall in order to go down the slide after they had closed it for the night. I could go on, and guess what there wasn't a Pop Warner cheerleader in sight. Imagine that. After that experience I wouldn't stay on site unless I could afford a deluxe.

 

[jag90]

We were there too in early December. We stayed at ASSports our first night, prior to moving to VWL. We were totally dreading our one night in ASSports. To our surprise, we didn't encounter any problems at the resort. We did have the privilege of listening to several boatloads of cheerleaders reciting a cheer at the top of their lungs while in Mexico. And, we did notice large groups of the cheerleaders in the parks. We couldn't help but notice them because they walked side-by-side-by-side down the middle of the walkway, blocking passage for anyone else. Don't remember seeing any adults at all with any of them.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I am sure that many of the popwarner football players and cheerleaders are great kids, who are just happy being at WDW and who have very good chaperoness. The problem is that it only takes one or two groups of football players, cheerleaders or chaperones for that matter, who cause problems to give everyone a bad name. It's not fair to point the finger at everyone who comes down for the popwarner nationals because obviously it's not everyone who is causing these problems. However some people seem to forget that it's also not fair for those who travel under the popwarner banner to be disrespectful to those vacationing at the same time and disrupt there trip. Many of those people who are vacationing at this same time have spend thousands of dollars to go and have a good time, not to have a couple bad seeds ruin the trip for them. If everyone would just follow the rules, be respectful, understand that they aren't the only ones at WDW, there wouldn't be an issue.

 

[John Dobbertin]

EXCUSE ME? "The name cheerleader is enough of an insult" ???? The people who have posted about the improper behavior by the Pop Warner groups while in WDW have every right to be upset but the above comments you made about cheerleaders and their chaperones in general are not true and are unfair to those of us who DO see that our children behave properly as a group. Frankly your obvious mentality about cheerleaders is a bit odd and sounds petty and jealous. These girls work HARD at what they do. They participate in school activities, and fundraisers. They have to maintain a grade point average and not get into trouble at school or they won't be on the squad anymore. Some are able to go to college due to scholarships. Terrible activity huh? I do not condone bad behavior by anyone but do not make a blanket statement about cheerleaders, dancers, football players, or any other group. It's not only prejudicial, it is rude and unfounded.[/QUOTE]

Maybe the opinions stated were a bit "over-the-top" but -- I'm afraid -- were closer to the truth than not. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but that puts you awfully close to "cheering for the kids." & of course, "my kids are never wrong!" One of the worst incidents we ever experienced personally with this self-centered group of teens was a long-long bus trip from AS to MK. We were with our DD, her DH & two grandchildren -- one 1-yr-old & one 3-yr-old. Do you think one of those teen cheerleaders would give up a seat to two adults holding their kids in their arms on the WDW bus? Of course not. I do suppose that is a bit much to ask in this day. But what about cheering sessions in the public areas starting at 6:00 a.m. at AS resorts? We actually had two parent-chaperones say to us: "We really feel sorry for any families staying here."

 

[MagicKingdom05]

John,

The problem is that we are blaming all of the popwarner people for the problems that some of players and cheerleaders and crew have caused. Like I mentioned before, obviously most of the kids are nice and resepectful, but you will run into those groups that are allowed to do whatever they want to and that needs to come to an end. I am not saying that they shouldn't go to the parks and that by themselves, but someone should be with them letting them know that what they are or were doing is unexceptable.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I've never been for Pop Warner week (and will plan my schedule accordingly when I'm old enough to be planning my own vacations). However, we encountered many cheerleading and dance groups when we were in Disney in Feb 2002, and they were unbelievably obnoxious. Had the same problem at Universal this year. And yes, it does partially come down to chaperoning, but I've had the uhhh great "fortune" to be spending time at a colllege at the same time as a cheerleading camp. Let's face it cheerleader defenders, cheerleaders are LOUD. They do break into random cheers. It's annoying to people who don't want to deal with that. I have nothing against fun; it's the way they act that I have a problem with. I'm a teenage girl, and I find most (not all but most) cheerleaders to be catty, rude, loud, and annoying. It has nothing to do with having a big group of teenagers together on a vacation. It has to do with the type of people they are. I was at a national conference last month in St Louis, with 700 other teenagers. There wasn't a single reported problem, and the report that just came back says the Hyatt would be thrilled to hold our convention again. I will definitely plan around Pop Warner, and cheerleading events in the future.

 

[John Dobbertin]

John,

The problem is that we are blaming all of the popwarner people for the problems that a small group of players and cheerleaders and crew have caused. Like I mentioned before, obviously most of the kids are nice and resepectful, but you will run into those groups that are allowed to do whatever they want to and that needs to come to an end. I am not saying that they shouldn't go to the parks and that by themselves, but someone should be with them letting them know that what they are or were doing is unexceptable.

If the incidents were isolated, what you say would be understandable. Unfortunately -- as you might tell by reading other posts on this thread -- the entire situation is out-of-hand. WDW is doing -0- to enforce any rules with these large groups -- & we're talking groups of 5,000+. Some groups are worse than others. Some are simply annoying. Some become dangerous to be around. A few lawsuits from kids paralyzed by being thrown in the swimming pools might sober WDW -- & it's only a matter of time until there are some of those. Hopefully, it won't be your kids. Talk with the CMs at the resorts & they'll give you their HOPs. Hey, it's your choice -- your money -- your vacation at WDW. For my money & good times, I'll vote with my feet. Love WDW, but won't be there with any of these groups: PopWarner, cheerleaders/dancers, South American Youth Groups, High School Grad Nights.

 

[FatCow]

It's not a "small group of players and cheerleaders". If one stayed for 11 days and each day encountered at least 3 negative encounters from different cheerleading group, that's 33 different groups. Those encounters were only based on my experience at the ASMu and when they are being negative directly affected me.

That does not include several encounters each days of rowdy cheerleading groups at the parks. If, say, I only encountered 2 rowdy groups each day, that means there were another minimum of 22 rowdy groups.

So, there were at least 55 negative-behaviour groups I encountered during the trip.

55 groups are NOT "a small group".

 

[alyssa810]

we were there then too....and the breaking out into cheer in the middle the the walkways was quite annoying. We also went over to All star sports for pin trading night, and while my DH was with the pin geeks, I was in the gift shop, sandwiched between the cheerleaders and their moms, or should I say, "MOMMMA (buy ME the minnie pillow heads)s" who are just as bad. The poor salesgirl looked at me when I finally got to the register, and asked if I was with the cheerleaders too, and laughing, I said "Good God NO!" and she said "Thank god- someone normal!"

 

[Epcotgal8]

I TOTALLY agree that when ANY group are causing problems, not following rules, then the group's leaders need to know about that and lay down the law. It's not fair to be rude and disrupt other's vacations whether they're Pop Warner, Little League, or snake charmers from India ;-) I have been a chaperone for my daughter's (dare I say the disgraceful name? ) CHEERLEADER squad, as well as both my son's baseball teams. I have been on trips when I really had to put on a flameproof suit because some parents would let their kids run wild and I was determined not to let a couple of out of control kids make the rest of the group look bad. I know it happens, and trust me it isn't all fun trying to supervise kids who are over-excited. But we bite the bullet and handle it. I'm sorry that the groups' chaperones that you encountered did not. Not ALL kid/teen groups are like what some of you experienced and that was the point I wanted to make. JMHO and as one said I'm just a "low IQ" chaperone.

John,

The problem is that we are blaming all of the popwarner people for the problems that a small group of players and cheerleaders and crew have caused. Like I mentioned before, obviously most of the kids are nice and resepectful, but you will run into those groups that are allowed to do whatever they want to and that needs to come to an end. I am not saying that they shouldn't go to the parks and that by themselves, but someone should be with them letting them know that what they are or were doing is unexceptable.