We're back.

[Csaks]

Walked through the door Sat. afternoon and the the dogs didn't seem to miss us .
The drive wasn't as bad as I made it out to be in my own mind. On both ends of the trip we went long on the first travel day (14 to 16 hours) leaving a shorter day (6 to 8 hours) and it seemed to work pretty good. The two worst things that happened on the trip was the flat tire in the hills of West Virginia at 1 in the morning in the pouring rain on the way back. I was totally soaked and know have a cold to go with it. Thank you to the lady from WV MTO and her can of WD-40 or I would still be there trying to get the tire to drop down! The second thing was the traffic going though Oakville on Sat. afternoon it told me I was home .
We are already having withdrawl symptoms and jokingly saw an ad in the Sunday sun for a quick trip in Jan or Feb. NOT. The last night at MK was so much of a bummer, it was the fastest two weeks I ever have lived through. Man did it ever fly by but all and all it was great. The weather was great and I would come back at that time of the year before another April trip. We would give MVMCP another try and hope for no rain.

Alec PM me I have the item you wanted me to pick up.

Chris.

 

[craz4dogs]

We did not have any flats but the longest part of our trip was coming from Burlington-Bowmanville during rush hour! Figures we drive nearly 40 hours and no rush hours or major conjestion till we come home into Toronto.
Well that and hitting a major snow storm on 19 on our way home. we must have seen 10 accidents in a span of 2 hours. Next time we will avoid that at all costs. It added 2 hours onto the day plus the snowstorm and we ended up driving twelve-thirteen hours that last day instead of 8-9.

We ended up in AB section of POR. We had a great room right by the lobby/buses depot, and pool. We were 1436. Where did you end up?

Our weather was perfect the whole time we were there from 25th-1st. The Friday (last day at MK) was misty but still fine to be out. We loved everything and crowds were very reasonable.

Our dogs did really miss us

 

[Csaks]

I think my sister spoiled the dogs, that may be the reason they weren`t all that happy to see us back.

The flat was something I couldn't avoid, ran over something changing lanes and it was down on the rim within a half a kilometer. The transports flying through the mountains in that crummy weather on the way back was the only thing that bothered me. Some of them were getting up a big head of steam going downhill to make it up the other side. At one point I had to take off near the tunnels in WV to put some space between us and them because it was getting nerve racking being passed and then passing them on the next uphill and then repeating it over and over.

The only other traffic we encountered was in Charlotte, North Carolina both ways at around the same time of day 6PM (accidents). It was fun watching the temp slowly going up and up on the way down.

We were at POR in AB building 17, 1752 one corner away from a pool view. At first I wasn`t happy but it turned out to be a great place, not to much traffic walking by the door and far enough from the noisy second week. The first day was hard remembering where the room was but after that it was ok.

That first week was great weather but the second week had the nice warm day but very cool evenings and mornings it was in the single digits a couple of nights.

 

[digskat]

sorry to hear about your rainy MVMCP, we lucked out, and had a light drizzle for about 15 minutes at 4pm. How about the temps?
We didn't have a tire issue, we had the opposite axle rod go, in Ocala. Fortunately, we found an excellent dealership in Orlando, and had our truck back the next afternoon. How was your return drive? We left Saturday, and had no issues until Ohio on Sunday. We had driving rain through Kentucky (the water-proof luggage carrier...not quite), but freezing rain through Ohio. Was shocked to see temps in high teens in Kentucky. We loved the crowds first week, but quickly tired of the cheerleaders in week 2. Mothers, the only people who find your cheer-kids screaming their routines (in line) cute.......is you. To quote a guy behind me at Splash..." You can show more spirit than that......surely you can be even more obnoxious!" Disney.....please discontinue this competition, no one enjoys 12 pre-teens barrelling over a mother and daughter waiting for Minnie Mouse, or screaming the routine continuously in lines, or cart-wheeling down main street USA, or monopolizing the seats on buses.

 

[F4disneyfan]

We got home Friday night I hate short trips but leaving the kids home with Grandma makes for short trips. We usually go to Disney for 12-17 days but this trip was a mere 8 days start to finnish so very very short for us. We checked in at POP on Nov 30th and stayed there till the Sunday then over to Saratoga Springs. I loved POP it is such a big bright colourful resort it reminds me of the All stars which are my favourite resorts. We had temps in the day in the mid to high 80's which I found way to hot and the evenings down to the mid 40's which was very very comfortable. This is why we love going to Disney in Dec.

To quote a guy behind me at Splash..." You can show more spirit than that......surely you can be even more obnoxious!" Disney.....please discontinue this competition, no one enjoys 12 pre-teens barrelling over a mother and daughter waiting for Minnie Mouse, or screaming the routine continuously in lines, or cart-wheeling down main street USA, or monopolizing the seats on buses.

Wow we were at teh parks most days and even at POP and never really ran into any of this. Mind you we have been going the first couple weeks of Dec since 96 and I guess we are used to teh POP Warner crown and do not even notice it anymore. Our oldest daughter is supposed to be competing in this next year with her club from London so I hope they do not get rid of it or she will be heart broken.

 

[digskat]

this was our second (and last) trip during Pop Warner, and not because of the football players. We arrived at Pop Century on November 26th, and stayed through to December 8th. The first week it was very quiet at the parks and the resort. On the following Saturday, the change was very noticeable in the parks, as the crowds swelled, and lines doubled (we got a fastpass for soarin at 1030, with a return time of 1955). At Animal Kingdom, we saw quite a few football players, and they were excited, but polite. Early that week, we were at MGM, and were in line for pics with Minnie and Goofy, and a group of about a dozen cheerleaders (and 2 oblivious chaperones) chaarged toward M&G, screaming loudly. A mother grabbed her very young child, and pulled her to her chest, as the were swarmed, and she had to drop to a knee. The CM stopped them, and told them the line was closed, to which they started yelling "this sucks", "you suck", and "that's not fair". They then proceeded to scream "Minnie!" repeatedly, while the chaperones stood there smiling. In the Streets of New York, another group (including a chaperone), decided to skip in a line 8 wide, while people ducked for cover. The next day, we went to MK, and had a few lines where they decided they should practice while they waited (at rather high decibles) with encouragement from the chaperones. At Splash, we were 'lucky'enough to hear one teams routine 5x, at which point the guy behind me spouted his disbelief. After 25 minutes, they stopped the line, and let some fast pass people through....we actually thanked the CM. On our second last night, we were watching the MK and Epcot fireworks at our resort, and had a great conversation with a lady who had also had Pop issues. She got on the bus nice and early, to have a large contingent of cheerleaders scream their routine for 15 straight minutes. A mother of one said to her..."aren't they cute" to which she replied.."no they are not, the only one who thinks they are is you, cause you created one of them. Everyone else is sick of their crap, but are too polite to tell you...I'm not!" At AK that day, another team stomped on the bleachers at the Lion King, until they threatened to stop the show, and clear the theatre.
Last year... we watched 5 of them cartwheel down main street usa, while a mother clapped and cheered them on. A father grabbed his son, who fell trying to escape them. A CM at Test Track actually stopped the line to shut them up.
We usually take 2 weeks (with the drive), and enjoy the week after Thanksgiving, but never during Pop Warner again. The cheerleaders are out of control and obnoxious. The difference between the players and cheer squads, is clearly the chaperones. The players are expected to be respectful and responsible...the cheers are expected to be loud and noticed.

 

[F4disneyfan]

this was our second (and last) trip during Pop Warner, and not because of the football players. We arrived at Pop Century on November 26th, and stayed through to December 8th. The first week it was very quiet at the parks and the resort. On the following Saturday, the change was very noticeable in the parks, as the crowds swelled, and lines doubled (we got a fastpass for soarin at 1030, with a return time of 1955). At Animal Kingdom, we saw quite a few football players, and they were excited, but polite. Early that week, we were at MGM, and were in line for pics with Minnie and Goofy, and a group of about a dozen cheerleaders (and 2 oblivious chaperones) chaarged toward M&G, screaming loudly. A mother grabbed her very young child, and pulled her to her chest, as the were swarmed, and she had to drop to a knee. The CM stopped them, and told them the line was closed, to which they started yelling "this sucks", "you suck", and "that's not fair". They then proceeded to scream "Minnie!" repeatedly, while the chaperones stood there smiling. In the Streets of New York, another group (including a chaperone), decided to skip in a line 8 wide, while people ducked for cover. The next day, we went to MK, and had a few lines where they decided they should practice while they waited (at rather high decibles) with encouragement from the chaperones. At Splash, we were 'lucky'enough to hear one teams routine 5x, at which point the guy behind me spouted his disbelief. After 25 minutes, they stopped the line, and let some fast pass people through....we actually thanked the CM. On our second last night, we were watching the MK and Epcot fireworks at our resort, and had a great conversation with a lady who had also had Pop issues. She got on the bus nice and early, to have a large contingent of cheerleaders scream their routine for 15 straight minutes. A mother of one said to her..."aren't they cute" to which she replied.."no they are not, the only one who thinks they are is you, cause you created one of them. Everyone else is sick of their crap, but are too polite to tell you...I'm not!" At AK that day, another team stomped on the bleachers at the Lion King, until they threatened to stop the show, and clear the theatre.
Last year... we watched 5 of them cartwheel down main street usa, while a mother clapped and cheered them on. A father grabbed his son, who fell trying to escape them. A CM at Test Track actually stopped the line to shut them up.
We usually take 2 weeks (with the drive), and enjoy the week after Thanksgiving, but never during Pop Warner again. The cheerleaders are out of control and obnoxious. The difference between the players and cheer squads, is clearly the chaperones. The players are expected to be respectful and responsible...the cheers are expected to be loud and noticed.

Hmm we have never really run into any of this. We have had more issues with teh mothers of the little darlings than the kids themselves. In 99 at All Star Music 2 mothers nearly got into a fight over the two teams mind you this was after being at the bar by the pool for most of the afternoon so alcohol was obviously a factor. We have only ever had one issue with the kids that to was in 99 and they threw the kid out of the bus and out of the hotel for threatening the bus driver with physical violence. So 2 issues in over 12 years is not to bad. I have had more issues with the Brazilian tourist groups than ever with the POP Warner crowd.

 

[Csaks]

We left on Friday morning (8th) and had great weather until the Virginia's and it started to rain all night.The next day was drizzle till Penn.


Unfortunately our vacation mirrored digskat's and not F4disneyfan's. The reason you didn't notice them at Pop was that it felt like they were all at Riverside.


The bad thing for them is that a small number of teams seem to screw it up for the rest, we observed a number of cheer teams well behaved, noisy but to be expected with a gathering of teenage girls. One night at the Muddy River bar in the middle of old man island a group of them started to walk around singing their cheer doing laps of the island. So we decided to leave, as we were making our way to the bridge off the island and we come across the group taking up the whole path. My wife decided to stand her ground, this kid was fully expecting Amy to move out of her way. She was totally surprised when she almost ended up on her butt after she walked right into her but was smart enough not to say anything after looking at my wifes face.


The second thing that comes to mind was a night we got off the bus at the backside of the resort. A group got on the bus doing their cheer, the only time they stopped was when their escort needed to use the phone and screamed at them to shut up. We didn't need that so we walked back to the truck and drove ourselves. The escorts seemed to be the difference in the groups. The parents that had the good manners showed in their teams, well behaved and courteous to others around them. I also noticed the football teams were fine as well.


The CM's I talked to hate this time of year and fight for time off that week .Talking to others in the smoking areas the sediment was similar. Dec. is a great time of year to go but the POP Warner crowd is hard on the nerves. I wish they could get rid of the but I'm sure it brings in some good dough for Disney.

 

[digskat]

we did have one problem with a football team. A coach decided to start a "Whose house is this cheer" in the haunted mansion. After 3-4 renditions, he noticed that the other 50 people weren't as excited, and stopped.
Other than that, they were all well behaved and courteous. Unfortunately, we didn't have too many positive cheerleader experiences, and several other visitors (and CMs) mirrored our thoughts. It was up to Splash Mountain, that I thought I was being over-sensitive (since I work with problem teens). When the guy spoke up, I realized it wasn't just my family. One lady I spoke with was a DVC member, who stayed at POP or ASMo during the week after thanksgiving, and visited the parks. When the cheer squad appear, she goes to her DVC, and stays clear of the parks for her last few days.
Disney won't do anything about it, because it is a huge money maker. The week before, 5 minute waits and quiet resorts.....Pop Warner hits, and you see 60-70 minute waits at Soarin, Test Track, Space Mountain, Big Thunder, RnR, etc. The second week we were there, the food court was packed.

For us, it means a return to October visits....warmer, a little more crowded, but no cheer-brats. Fortunately, we haven't had experiences with the large tour groups as mentioned above. When is there time? I've learned from Pop Warner, I'll avoid them too.

On the positive side, we enjoyed Pop Century. Cute theming, very clean, reasonably quiet, and loved that the lake side of building 4 (from floors 3 and 4), had great views of fireworks. Had a good experience with the Ford dealership in Orlando. Loved 50's Prime Time. DS participated in Pirate training, and Jedi training. DD was honourary junior CM at AK parade. I was the engineer at Backlot.

 

[F4disneyfan]

Digs the tour groups have always been in Dec the only 2 trips we have taken outside of Dec were in 98 for our honeymoon and in 05 in May for a suprise trip for the kids. We always go in Dec it is our favourite time of year to visit WDW. Mind you next Oct we are suprising the kids with a trip to FW in Oct from the 19th to the 24th. Do you have any reccomendations for campsites and areas for the drive down we really want to throw them off by stopping one or 2 nights in different locations. We will be pulling the wifes Jayco tent trailer down for this trip.