YIKES!! Gymnasts! Are they like Cheerleaders?

[Catrin]

Hi Everyone,

I just read that there is a big Gymnastics event at Disney in June.. the weekend I am there! (june 9-13).
I am staying at POR..... does anyone know where they will be???

AND>>>> are they like the infamous cheerleaders? The good thing is, they don't cheer... but they can still "take over" hotels and food courts!
Any advice/info/experiences?
Catrin

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

I have one of those gymnasts Shes 6. We won't be taking over anything lol. The rest of her team (girls ages 6-11)and their families are staying at POP I believe. My family is well behaved and I promise we have good manners . So if you are staying at CSR...we will be there June 7-13 with our competition day being the 8th.

 

[Catrin]

Good Luck on your Competition!!
The good thing, it sounds like the competitors will be with their families! That makes things wonderful for the most part. I think with the High School kids who come with "Chaperones" - those are the groups that get out of control.
Have a WONDERFUL time!
Catrin

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

I'm not sure how the other teams travel, I can only speak for ours. But at all the regular i state competitions we have been to, it was mostly familys taking their girls. No buses,vans etc. I hope that helps a little at least.

 

[Laura's Dad]

My daughter was also one of those gymnasts. We traveled with the team and had a wonderful time with girls supervised by their parents and coaches. They are also young girls who get occasionally silly and loud. Isn't WDW for children, too? I don't see a problem with cheerleaders and gymnasts and any other youth group as long as they are well supervised.

 

[debm]

Well supervised is the main thing!! I know Disney is for children (and big ones like me) but I think with any large group it is easier to get out of control. A couple of years back we had dinner at CM and were seated in the front section in the center and the tables behind us were about 20 female cheerleaders and their ADULT chaperones. Probably 8 adults. Well, the adults sat at one end of the table and the kids were constantly moving around. I know it is a buffet but they were getting up for other reasons too. They were getting in small groups doing cheers! And coming up to the characters while they were at our table! I thought that was the rudest part. Minnie would be hugging my daughter and they were tapping her on the back. I really don't blame the girls--- I blame the parents that sat there and never once said anything. The manager came over to them and us and actually gave us a big discount on our meal. It was not a good memory. But we've been back since. My kids love CM! I want to think that the gymnastics groups would be "better" because their theme doesn't revolve around being loud. Please no one with a cheerleader be mad at me--but in our area where we live the cheerleaders do a lot of the gymnastics training too BUT they also focus a lot on the costumes and makeup and "sexiness" of their performance. This is what I've observed in my friends' kids that do cheer rather than just strictly gymnastics. Only my observation so I'm sure it is different in many other areas. Just for that reason my daughter is not doing the local cheerleading. She is in a gymnastics program that just focuses on skills, body awareness, and having fun!

I hope you have a wonderful trip. We are heading down there next week! Yea!!!

 

[pouncingpluto]

As a gymnastics judge (not at that competition), I just want to say:

Gymnasts are my favorite kids!!!

For the younger kids, you will mostly see them with families. The older kids often travel with just coaches and teammates, although even they often have their families along to watch the competition, just traveling separately.

As far as gymnasts versus cheerleaders... there is some overlap, obviously. Some kids are gymnasts *and* cheerleaders. However, I would say the cultures of the two sports are quite different.

 

[mom2rb]

OK, I am a gymnastics coach and my girls DID NOT get invited to a meet at Disney World. What's up with that? Parents please tell me what type of meet this is. I want to go or at least get to go next year.

 

[Becky2005]

Good Luck to all the gymnasts!! My DD is one too (and we didn't get invited to Disney EITHER! but we are on the Park District team so it's a bit different).

Sounds like it's a family affair, which would be fun.

 

[232271]

OK, I am a gymnastics coach and my girls DID NOT get invited to a meet at Disney World. What's up with that? Parents please tell me what type of meet this is. I want to go or at least get to go next year.

http://aausports.org/sports/gymnastics/2005%20Age%20Group%20Entry%20Kit.pdf#search='gymnastics%20disney%20world%202005'

here is a link about it.

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

It's the AAU National Age Group Championship. Here is a link to the site.

http://www.aausports.org/sprt_Gymnastics.asp

 

[missypie]

There was a "big" gymnastics meet at the World in late January that a few of our girls went to and I posted here to be on the lookout for them and no one even noticed them. No mention of them on the boards ever.

Gymnastics are terrific! Our girls always travel with their families...one parent at a minimum, so there shouldn't be groups of girls running wild.