Pop Warner Week!

[JerzeeGirl4Disney]

If I am understanding this correctly 12/5-12/12 is POP Warner week at disney. Meaning Pop Warner has some 8000 kids competing in Orlando and they stay at the All Star Resorts.

I can't believe an athletic organization for kids promotes a week out of school for competition. <Of course I am a hipocrite I am taking my kids out of school that week too...LOL> It just really surprises me that Pop Warner has these kids in disney 3 weeks before Christmas break. I guess the schools don't mind losing their cheerleaders and football players for a week, but they love giving everyone else a hard time for taking their kids out of school!

Anyway...has anyone been there during this week before and how are the parks?? I'm not concerned with the resort it doesnt seem the Poly will be affected, but I wonder how the parks and PS seatings are affected. Anyone with insight?
How are the parks???

 

[DisneyWisher]

A few years back they used to have it during spring. I guess since spring is a busier time for Disney they wanted to move it to a slower time of the year. Back then they used to have it at MGM. I never thought it was unusually busy. My DDs loved going that time of the year because of all the boys. (teenagers *sigh*). We even used to stay at AllStars. Was never a problem for us.


Shirley

 

[RebeccaLovesDisney]

I'd also like to know how the Pop Warner kids, 8000 of them ,will affect the park crowds. Otherwise, crowds should be low this week.

Also, will they all be staying at the All Stars? We are currently planning to stay at PC during that time - any chance they will also stay there? What about the moderates?

 

[BB&T mom]

We just returned from our trip 8/21/04-8/28/04 we stayed at all star sport had a great time the place was really clean and fun however we did want to return the same time in Dec. and were told by MANY people who were every nice and friendly Not to stay all stars unless we like allot of kids and it can get wild. If you stay at a delx. like polly you will be fine acording to the many people we talked to. The people are really down in the parks that time of year weather is great. We will just stay at CR or Polly.

 

[disneysnowflake]

Our original WDW plans were to arrive on Dec 6th and stay at All Star Movies.

However, after finding out that Pop Warner was going to be there we decided to start our vacation on Dec 11th instead. We since decided to stay at POFQ.

We knew someone who was less than thrilled staying at All Star Sports at the same time as Pop Warner. He said it was rowdy and loud there.

After our terrible incident in Maryland having to stay at the Hampton Inn on a floor with unsupervised preteen and early teen baseball players we will never again book our vacation where hoardes of kids are going to be there for an event like that. 8000 kids.. whew, that's a lot!!

 

[DebbieB]

I've been there the past 3 or 4 years when they were there. It doesn't make a big difference at the parks. They are having their competitions/games during the day. They do have a private after hours party for them at MGM. I'm not sure of the actual number, 8,000 sounds high. Only the top teams make it to WDW.

 

[Magic2000]

This will be our fourth time going to Disney during Pop Warner! Twice we stayed at All Star Movies, once at Grand Floridian, and this year, we'll be at Pop Century! We never had a problem with the kids at All Star Movies; never heard them at night in our room. (We stayed in Love Bug & 101 Dalmations) Our room was very quiet.

The food court was a little busy in the morning, but we were able to get a seat with no problem. Buses were fine. The parks were great - most things are a walk on or a short wait!!!

In Dec 2002, at Epcot, my little girl was working on her mask. At almost all of the countries, there was a school group of kids - about 11 or 12 yrs old, and their assignment was to get a paper stamped at each country. Well, there was a lot of pushing and shoving as they tried to get their stamp. They weren't concerned with the little kids working on the mask. And, yes, they were there with an adult who didn't say anything to them.

But, we had no problems with the Pop Warner kids. We really didn't even know they were there!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by JerzeeGirl4Disney
I guess the schools don't mind losing their cheerleaders and football players for a week, but they love giving everyone else a hard time for taking their kids out of school!

B]

We're going to be there that week, but will be staying offsite at a timeshare that my mom arranged. I'm not worried about the Pop kids, from the things that I read.

I also find it strange that they are out of school for a whole week. It's not so much that I have a problem with that, just that schools allow these "field trips" that are through the school or another organization, but hassle me when I pull my own kids out of school for the same type of trip. My daughter went on a band trip to WDW and missed a few days of school, but that's different in the eyes of the school and the work could be made up.

T&B

 

[ztam3]

I had the privledge of visiting Disney with my cheerleading squad in high school in 1996. We knew how many cheerleaders and other sports participants were there when we gathered together for the various events. It was also very evident at the resorts where we stayed. When in the parks, all the sports participants seem to split into teams or schools and it is not as overwhelming. I hope we did not interfere with anyone's vacation while we were at Disney. We were always well mannered and respectful as you would expect. My squad had a blast and performed flawlessly at the OUTBACK bowl in Tampa. I have not been to Disney since my honeymoon in 2001. I am READY to see the mouse and try Old Key West for a change.

 

[sue1013]

The Pop Warner competitions are not just a "field trip". A team does not just decide to go, they must qualify to get there. Those kids work hard to make it to the finals.

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

If anyone wants additional information about Pop Warner and the Super Bowl week at WDW please feel free to PM me. I am both a WDW patron annually during this time and I am also a Pop Warner coach of 15 years.

IMHO, the parks and PS's will have no impact from this group, as their schedule is very tight and regimented with practices, games, banquets and private events. Although it is a large group, it has little impact in the overall attendance as this is one of the least busy times of year for the resorts and with 8,000 - 10,000 of the resort's guests being on a schedule away from the parks, it makes for even lighter traffic at the parks.

As for being out of school for a week during this time... Pop Warner's actual name is "Pop Warner, Little Scholars". To be on a Pop Warner (football or cheering) team mandates that you are proficient in scholastics and maintain a higher than "C" average to be eligible. Each child in order to participate must submit a copy of his/her report card in order to be eligible. Any child having below a "C" average is required to have a letter from their schools principle and stamped with the official school stamp, stating 'although the students grades are below Pop Warner standards, that in the principle’s opinion, participation will benefit the child as a learning experience outside of the classroom'. Without this letter or a "C" average the child is ineligible to play, period!

It is important to note that this is not an open event for any Pop Warner Team that wants to participate. A team must be invited to participate at this level of completion. In order to be invited means that each team has won their local division (8-10 game schedule), the local state regional (3 game series), state finals (3 game series), national regional finals (3 game series) as well as all students being academically sound. Then and only then are they eligible to be invited as the top student athletes in the nation for their respective ages/divisions. They even have a special banquet for the top scholars who receive national academic awards. To my knowledge (correct me if I am wrong), Pop Warner is the only national youth sports association to promote academics. To receive the academic award, one need not be on a winning team as it is based solely on grade point average and mere participation in the sport. I have sent 4 students to date as a Pop Warner coach to receive this honor and each time the students’ respective school was not only aware of, but also involved in raising funds to send the student and a parent/guardian to receive this award in person at WDW.

In regards to the resorts during this time... Below is an excerpt from a previous post I had submitted from a different thread but similar topic...

Basically during this time there are approximately 8 teams per level (4 levels) and per division (2 divisions) for football for a total of 64 teams of up to 35 players per team, same with the cheerleaders (30 per team). So during this time there are roughly 128 teams from around the country competing for a super bowl and/or national cheering title. In total Pop Warner brings 3500-4000 kids to compete, plus coaches, family & friends for an approx total of 8,000 - 10,000 guests affiliated with Pop Warner during this time . They primarily use the All Star's then overflows go to Pop Century. Sometimes this can also overflow into some of the moderate resorts (I've seen them at both CBR and PO both during different years). My guess is if the value resorts are full they use the least occupied moderate to fulfill their reservations needs.

 

[goofy4tink]

Hey BostonDisneyKid...I didn't know that about the grades!!! Thanks for the info. As far as the kids impact on WDW....we were staying at AllStarMusic from 12/12-12/17 last year. The competitions were finishing up. I have to say that our stay at the AllStars was one of the quieter stays we've had!!! We requested a top floor room, away from the pool. Very quiet. We tended to eat at off-peak times so the kids didn't bother us as far as lines go. As far as the values vs. deluxes and kids go.....I will say that the worst behaved children I saw were at the Polynesian!!! And it wasn't just a few kids or families. It was a good 50% of the kids. WHining, rude, screaming, running around banging into people, throwing food at the ducks and then chasing them through the tables. It was really unbelievable. But the kids we saw at BWV were better behaved. So, what's the reason? Don't know. I just know that you can't just say that the many children at the values are louder or nastier than the deluxe kids.

We would go back at Pop Warner time again in a shot. THe kids didn't impact the parks at all. MGM did start to get a little congested on the night the Pop Warner had a private event and had the park to themselves. But, we were leaving anyway so it didn't matter. THere were more kids at the Kidcot stops then I've seen before or since...but it wasn't bad.

 

[tink2]

Does anyone know which night MGM has the private party for them? Is it after regular park hours or do they close early for them? We make dining ps Tuesday and are planning our days out. We would like to see Fantasmic! that Friday night. Will we be affected?

 

[gardendame]

IMHO, people take their children out of school all of the time to go to Disney, and that is a parental decision. Most schools will allow the children to make up the work and look at these trips as a learning experience.
As a football and cheerleader Mom (NOT Pop Warner), I have taken my children out of school to attend our national championship every year for the past five years. Their teachers have always been very supportive, and even excited, for them. It has never occurred to me that this might offend someone else. Really, why should it? My children have worked hard, make much better than average grades, and have the support of their teachers and their school. Our Nationals have never been held at WDW, but I wish they were. And, as far as the crowds, I would never go to Disney expecting to have the entire park to myself, or minus school age children. It just isn't going to happen, no matter what time of year you go.

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

Tink2 - The Pop Warner Private Party at MGM is traditionally on the Friday evening (12/10 this year). The party is free of charge to Pop Warner players/cheerleaders but additional guests may purchase tickets ($50.00) at the Wide World of Sports complex up until the day before (12/9) if you wanted to attend (I would suggest otherwise personally).

goofy4tink - I have to agree with that you, in that I have seen the better behaved children at the moderate resorts. By far, the worst behaved children I have seen were also at the Poly (and other deluxe) as well. Wonder why?

 

[scrump]

We stayed at All Stars Sports exactly during those dates last year, and very much noticed them in the food courts and pool areas, but never beyond that. I doubt there was any Park impact, as mentioned before, since they are competing during the day. If we had a choice, we'd prefer to stay elsewhere, but it really didn't matter in the end.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

BostonDisneyKid, like I said, it's not that I have a problem with these kids going, it's that the schools at least around here hassle us so much for taking a family vacation. I'm always careful to schedule around a time that they already have a day or two off and I avoid times when there are lots of testing at school, but am still hassled. This is especially true in our middle school (haven't done it much in high school).

My boy that I'm taking to WDW in January is an excellent student (now in 6th grade--we'll see how this year goes, but in 5th grade made nearly perfect grades all year long), well behaved at home, very involved in sports, etc (hey, I deserve one easy child ). He has a 3 day weekend and I'll pull him out of a day or two of school so we'll have 4-5 days at WDW. Still, the school will not be happy. They've made it clear that school should be the priority and that kids should not be pulled out for a vacation. I am frustrated because the schools take field trips that are at best questionable from an educational viewpoint and sometimes just pure fun (like the band trips to Hershey Park every year). But, as a parent, I get hassled.

We'll go, anyway, and have a good time. He'll make up whatever work he is allowed to make up and in the end it won't really matter because these grades don't go on his high school transcripts and won't hold him back from graduating. That fun starts in a couple of years for him...

Have fun on your trip and we'll see some of you there!

T&B

 

[erikthewise]

We have been during Pop Warner week at least once, maybe twice. Why am I not sure? At the parks and at resort other than the ones they stay at, there is no noticeable effect. I think I saw maybe three cheerleaders that week, and that was it. Wouldn't have minded seeing a few more.

 

[Steve Hurley]

Originally posted by erikthewise
We have been during Pop Warner week at least once, maybe twice. Why am I not sure? At the parks and at resort other than the ones they stay at, there is no noticeable effect. I think I saw maybe three cheerleaders that week, and that was it. Wouldn't have minded seeing a few more.

You do realize you are talking about 10-12 year old cheerleaders???

 

[The4OfUs]

My daughter is doing the whole Pop Warner cheer thing this year, first time for us, so I'm just wondering how you already know about dates and such? I was wondering how they would handle this if the girls DID get to that level, considering that their first competition date is in October! Wouldn't the hotels and such be all filled up by then, for December? And would we be REQUIRED to stay at All Stars, seeing as we're DVC members and could stay at our home resort on points instead? (although I bet my daughter wouldn't want to be that separated from her teammates...hmm...)