Yet another Pop Warner question....

[AllyandJack]

Please don't hurt me....

I had planned to go the week after Thanksgiving....the 3rd to the 13th. We're staying at GF, so I don't worry about sharing a hotel with hundreds of pre-teens and teens (not that we don't anyway, since this IS Disney, afterall). I was just wondering if it makes a difference in the overall crowding of the place. I know this is supposed to be the LEAST crowded time, which is why we chose to go, but does the Pop Warner crowd make a HUGE difference. Is it always held this time of year? Anyone been there that week?

I'd like to go when it's least crowded - I just got out of school and would like to take advantage of NOT having to go during Peak times! I assume since it is said to be the LEAST crowded, the Pop Warner doesn't make a difference, unless you happen to be staying at their hotel. Or maybe this is the first year they've gone at this time?!?

I could push it up a week and go the 10th to the 20th, so it's not huge deal. Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[goofy4tink]

We were there last year for the tail end of Pop Warner week. It really wasn't all that bad. The parks weren't noticably busier with kids. Yes, there were more at our resort (AllStarMu) but the parks were fine. I think that week-end is MouseFest which could make the parks heavier tho.

We were there from the 12-17th. The crowds weren't bad but the weather was a little chilly for my tastes.

 

[WDSearcher]

During Pop Warner time, you'll notice DisneyQuest is amazingly more crowded, and you'll see a lot more kids out at DTD -- particularly the Lego store. Whichever resort the Pop Warner kids are in will pretty much have at least one pool taken over by them, so look out for that. (The nice thing is, though, that there are multiple pools at the resorts, and the kids and their chaperones tend to "claim" one and stay away from the others -- that whole "need to stay together" thing.)

You'll notice a bump in lines for things like the Mountains, R&R Coaster, TOT, etc ... the thrill stuff. I would imagine the kids will do at least one day at Universal, which will pull them away. And then, there are the games and coaching sessions that they're actually down at Disney for. So it's not like you have thousands of extra people in the parks every single hour of every single day.

In other words, there will be times when you see a whole bunch of Pop Warner kids all in one place. But they will not totally overrun the entire property all at once. I'd hang onto your dates as is. The closer you get to Christmas, the more crowded it becomes.

 

[keriannhoward]

ok-I've lost the dates again for Pop Warner in December what week are they there this year? I might just change my ressies to avoid them.

 

[AllyandJack]

The dates are the 5th through the 11th. I was going the 3rd to the 13th.

But, I would think if you stayed at a different hotel you'd be OK. I don't know this for a FACT though, so I wanted opinions.

If we push it back closer to Christmas, we run the risk of the REAL crowds starting. Plus, I've never heard of Pop Warner being a problem this time of year. I've always heard that this is the best time to go for adults.

You know...I thought the dates were going to be the EASY part about planning the trip! Now I have this and the hotel to figure out. Good thing we all know to plan so far in advance!

 

[keriannhoward]

Thanks Ally! We're staying Poly CL the 2nd-5th, so hopefully we'll miss a lot of it. My worry is that some families will come the weekend before. Somehow we always end up at Disney when there are cheerleader competitions, so there are tons of teenagers running around the parks.

 

[mapmakerj]

I had reservations from Dec 6-12 at ASMo but after all the pop warner talk I called to switch hotel. CM told me that if you stay at a mid-price it is usually ok and if you stay at a deluxe you probably won't notice them at all aside from the MK (for some reason they seem to hang out there more) and that should be at a minimum. I have heard alot of people say the same thing- as long as you avoid the AS resorts they are usually not a problem at all. FYI: We are now booked at AKL! Yeah!

 

[AllyandJack]

I think I might keep my dates the same and take the chance. We usually go in August, so if we can stand the heat and the summer crowd, I'm sure we can handle some football players and cheerleaders in the parks with us. Besides, if we go to MK and discover it's Pop Warner MK Day, we'll leave and go to Epcot - that's what APs or UPHs are for!

I've never gone during a time when it's not crowded. I'm very excited. I keep flashing back to my Thanksgiving Trip. I managed to have fun, but I just could not believe the crowds. August is crowded, but that week was a nightmare!

So....I'll see all of the Pop Warner people there and anyone else who decides to go that week to take part in the holiday festivities!

 

[stink]

Dec 2003 we stayed at the GF during Pop Warner Week. There were no problems at all. Some groups of cheerleaders and players at EPCOT & MK, Captain Jack's @ Downtown Disney and 1900 Park Fare had several tables of cheerladers they were all well behaved young people having a good time.

 

[tink2]

What about MVMCP? Will the cheerleaders attend this on a particular night or at all? Will there be larger crowds for the party on the nights they are there?
My trip dates are the exact same as the cheerleaders. We are staying at POFQ. I'm not too worried about the crowds during the day, just wondering if they will make the crowds at MVMCP more?

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by AllyandJack
I think I might keep my dates the same and take the chance. We usually go in August, so if we can stand the heat and the summer crowd, I'm sure we can handle some football players and cheerleaders in the parks with us.

Well if you're used to August, then even if the Pop Warner kids DID take over the park the first week of December, the crowds would still be smaller than you're used to! Keep your dates.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by tink2
What about MVMCP? Will the cheerleaders attend this on a particular night or at all?

It's not likely that the cheerleaders will attend MVMCP. If it was a free event, it would be packed, but an additional ticket on top of all the other stuff they're paying for? I wouldn't worry.

 

[stink]

We attended VMCP on a Sunday and a Thursday during the week in question. No large groups of pop warners & cheer leaders. Some cheerleaders/pop warners with their families, but all well behaved.