Pop Warner?

[jeeperwy]

I have read about Pop Warner Week at WDW. Can anyone tell me what this is, when it is, and how it affects crowds at the parks and the resorts?

Thanks!!
Kari

 

[KevinM]

There are many threads regarding Pop Warner and the effect they may or may not have on your trip. Try the search feature and you will find lots of info.

Good luck!

 

[crzy4mickey]

They usually stay at the All Stars or Pop. We were at Pop last December when they were there and didn't have a problem except that the food court was really crowded in the morning. We had younger cheerleaders (8-11) or so and had lots of fun with them at the pool. Didn't notice them being overly obnixous in the parts except one night in EPCOT. The highschool aged kids were using foul language and fooling around, almost took out a elderly couple walking along minding their own business! But other than that not a problem, some of the older boys at Pop were actually nice kids, holding the door for me a couple times when my hands were full etc. I would go back at that time again. If you don't want to deal with the crowds at your hotel stay at a moderat or deluxe, note that they do spill over to some moderats. Not sure which ones though.

 

[ccgegg]

I've read the Pop Warner visitors are trickling into the Moderate resorts as well. Most of what I've read on various threads is that they don't impact crowd levels in the parks, but if you stay at a Value (and maybe Mod) you may notice them. The event runs Dec 4-10. We just happen to be arriving on Dec 11.

 

[DebbieB]

Pop Warner is a league of junior football players and cheerleader teams, ages 5 to 16. They have their "Super Bowl" at Wide World of Sports at the beginning of the December. I know last year there were 64 football teams (8 teams in each of the various weight/age groups), not sure the number of cheerleader teams but at least that many. They stay at the value & moderates, making the pools & food courts very crowded. When not competing, they go to the parks in small groups. They have an after hours party for them at MGM the last night.

 

[aengus]

I have been there several times during the pop warner weeks and I wouldn't let it effect your decision either way. Unless you were planning at staying at the all stars. There is some spill over as the event has been getting bigger to some of the other values as well. They are suprisingly well behaved for the most part and since crowd levels are so low at that time of the year they are easy to avoid if for some reason they arent being well behaved.