Should we change our reservations to avoid the Pop Warner kids?

[deanainnc]

Hi,
We made our reservation for Dec. 1-10, 2006. Staying at ASMO. Now I am fretting over this pop warner group. Would anyone who has been there with this group help. Should I change our week to Dec 8-17? Is the parks really more crowded the first week of dec than the second week.
Thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

I was there at the same time as the kids in '03. Stayed at ASMusic with them. I have to say that they were never an issue for me. THere was one night where they closed MGM early for a private party for the kids. It got really crowded with the kids about an hour before they closed it to the public. Now, this year I was there for the tail end of their time. There were a few roaming groups of girls that were a bit noisier than normal...how did I know they were with the Pop group you ask?? It was those interminable cheers!!! But, they were happy and not rude, so I didn't mind.
I wouldn't change my plans because of them. But, there are those who have a different opinion.

 

[helenk]

We were in WDW this year from 12/4-12/9 and we stayed in the Poly so we did not see that at the resort..any really saw very few of them in the parks. There were a group of them at Fantasmic, they were cheering before the show but other than that we only saw small groups of them in the parks and generally that had at least one adult with them.
I do not think that they stay at the ASMO, but they do stay at the Sports and the Music so most likely you will share a bus with them from time to time.

 

[Marthasor]

I wasn't there during Pop Warner week this year, but was there the week after and I have to say, the parks were HEAVENLY right before the weekend of Dec. 17-18 hit. We walked onto EVERYTHING! I actually changed our trip to this week because I was afraid of Pop Warner too - I was not disappointed!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I was only at ASMu with PW 1 night 12/9, and the pool was noisy at night up to 11 PM and then again later. Our room was the courtyard, but we were not facing right into a pool, but it was as if they were right outside our door. I did sleep, and I slept well, but I would not want to have been there for a week with them.

Bobbi

 

[LiteBrite]

If it were me, and I had the flexibility to easily change the dates, I would. I've been at the All Stars with Pop Warner kids before, and it was a pain. They flood the resort, the food court, the pools, the buses, and they make their presence felt at the parks, too. From reports I read on the DIS this year, it sounds like the situation is getting worse rather than better, and that mid-December (after they've left) was really great this year, with very low crowds. Seems like a much better time to me.

 

[Willowtrees]

We are planning on going from Nov 26 to Dec 6, 2006 and staying at pop century - do you know the dates when they are going and where they are staying this year? thanks

 

[dejr_8]

If possible I would change the dates or hotel of your stay. Last year the Popwarner kids were also at POR and we overlapped with them for two days. What a Pain in the A**. I could not image spending 10 days with them. All I can say is RUDE, RUDE , RUDE.

But before I get trashed. I am not saying it is Popwarner kids that are bad. It just having such a large (and somewhat unsupervised) collection of hormonally charged teenagers in one place that makes for a bad time.

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

We were at PoP in 05 for those exact dates and we didn't have a problem with the PopWarner kids. We noticed large groups of kids together in the parks a couple of times with chaperones but we never waited over 25-30 minutes for any ride in any of the parks.

 

[Willowtrees]

I don't mind a little longer wait at the parks if thats what it means, BUT I would mind if they were staying at the same resort and being loud and crowding the pools, etc. I e-mailed pop warner to try and find out when they would be there.

 

[theostwalts]

We are planning a December trip as well and I do not know if I am clear on the Pop Warner Kid issue. If we are staying at the Poly or GF it will not be an issue? And it is really not an issue in the parks?

 

[glass slipper girl]

We were there 12/3 - 12/11 this year and stayed at the GF and AKL. We had no problems at all with the kids. We did see groups of them (cheerleaders and football players) in the parks, usually identifiable by the fact that they were a pack of pre-teens all wearing the same shirts and accompained by 2 or 3 very tired looking chaperones in the same shirts as well, but they were never a problem in the parks. We were really pleased with the crowd levels too...we walked on to probably 70% of the things we did and didn't wait for more than 10 minutes for anything. Yes, we saw some longer wait times posted for headliner attractions but we rode those early in the day or during the parades and walked on no problems. We did everything we wanted to except one thing. We missed Turtle Talk but beyond that, everything else was great!

 

[zulaya]

Pop Warner groups usually stay at the All Stars, occasionally at POR for overflow. If you are staying deluxe, no problem.

 

[TheresaNY]

We were there Dec. 2 through 10 at ASMusic and it was HORRIBLE !!! HORRIBLE !!! The resort bus system was a disaster due to the crowds (it seems that Movies had it bad too as the last resort on the AllStar run). There were screaming rude girls everywhere and they NEVER EVER shut up !! They woke us up all the time. Most of the "chaperones" could be found sitting at the bar, or with their drinks and cigarettes by the pool.

There is a lot of threads already donated to this subject. I would suggest that you change your reservations THEN do a thread search for Pop Warner.

Good luck to you !

 

[cslittle999]

Our experience was the same as glass slipper girl's. We stayed at WL from 12/4 to 12/11. We actually saw few PW kids. I think this was partially because we avoided EMH, especially the night time ones. As for where to stay, any of the deluxes should be fine. My understanding is that the PW kids are at all of the values and all of the moderates except for Coronado Springs. We specifically chose WL to avoid them. Even if all of the kids are well behaved, and most of them are, having to compete with that many large groups with be a pain. It would be the same with any group that was moving around WDW together.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I would change! Our trip overlapped with them as well - I will second the "they took over everything" and the rude, rude, rude" - not just the kids, the parents are actually worse!!! We stayed at POR and will also second the "pain in the you-know-what". Will never do it again - we were so happy to be out of there on the 6th!!! Can't believe I just used that sentence - that is how bad it was!!! My feeeling is Disney should give them entire resorts just for themselves and not subject unsuspecting/innocent guests to that. )If you want to request a resort knowing - that is fine!)

We didn't notice them in groups at the parks - but did notice them with their families - and attendace/crowds did increase as their first weekend grew near. I would go during the quiet time after they leave.

I had heard mixed comments on these boards - hoped the positive ones were true - and also hoped that they would be spending most of their time at competition at the Milk House,,,boy was I wrong!!!



edited to add: we did meet a few very nice Pop Warner parents and there was one group of football players at the park who were being incredibly polite and greeting everyone - clearly they are not all rude - but there were enough who were to leave an overwhelming impression - rude and entitled. There were clearly some groups very much aware that they were representing their own group, Pop Warner, and their school district/area. However, many didn't have a clue and couldn't care less. Pop Warner - and the school districts (not sure about everywhere, but here they are named the same as the school district) they represent should do something about this image.

 

[cobbler]

Are you going to want to sit down and enjoy a meal in the food court? Are you going to want to enjoy a dip in the pool? If you answered yes then you should switch dates or resorts.

We were there in 04 at Sports when they were there - madhouse!! It was really more of a lack of supervision and the "chaperones" (I use the term loosely) that were more concerned with "getting their drink on" then watching the kids. And we all know if you give an inch, take a mile.

 

[Kapp]

I would change.

 

[cyndibelle]

if you dont wanna change dates change resorts...asmovies and assports are their main places to stay..we stayed at pop and had a bit of overflow..they were not too bad..but they could have been alot better..