Pop Warner in December

[zandalee]

I've just realized that my trip is booked on the exact same week as the Pop Warner Superbowl / Cheer Championship. Has anyone else been at the parks during this time period and does this event make a huge difference in wait times and crowds?

I'm trying to decide if I should go a week earlier and just deal with the tail end of Thanksgiving. (Going Sat to Sat)

Any ideas? :veryconfu

 

[hcphish]

We are stuck staying at Pop during that time frame as well. We can't change our date. Last year they had fights with the POP Warner kids and some got kicked off the property. Follow this link. Hope it helps.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=258123&highlight=pop+warner+fight

 

[mickey&me]

We were there during Pop Warner this past Dec, staying at ASMo. We didn't see any of the kids in the parks at all. DHS was closed one night for a party, but it was well-publicized in advance. As for the resort, we didn't even know if there were Pop Warner kids in our resort. We met one of the cheerleading groups on a bus one night when they were park-hopping. They were extremely well-behaved and adequately supervised.

To sum up, Pop Warner Superbowl was no big deal to us. However, I am given to understand that it was a very big deal to those staying at ASSp.

 

[Master Yoda]

As a general rule Pop Warner does not have a huge effect on the parks. The resorts however take a huge hit All Star Sports in particular.

 

[mousefan1972]

I've just realized that my trip is booked on the exact same week as the Pop Warner Superbowl / Cheer Championship. Has anyone else been at the parks during this time period and does this event make a huge difference in wait times and crowds?

I'm trying to decide if I should go a week earlier and just deal with the tail end of Thanksgiving. (Going Sat to Sat)

Any ideas? :veryconfu

I've never been during that time, but from what I've read on here the Pop Warner kids have the most effect on the resorts and bus transportation, specifically at All Star Sports. You don't mention where you are staying, so if you are just concerned about the parks, you should be ok.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

From what most have said you don't see too much of a difference in crowd levels during the day because that's when the kids have their different competitions. You may see them out and about in the parks at night. I think they all attend MVMCP on the same night, too, which won't necessarily impact the number of people at the event but can have a bit to do with your experience overall if you happen to have the misfortune of finding the obnoxious groups. Last year when we attended MVMCP it was sold out. The park was packed. Although we tentatively are planning another WDW trip the same week you are going, we won't be spending for the MVMCP tix again. In all honesty, tho, we've been giving serious thought to rescheduling our family trip to January.

As for the brawl from last year previously mentioned, I'm banking on WDW tightening the strings a bit as a result of that. Also, I think it was a great example to the Pop Warner kids that WDW really will toss you out on your hiney if you screw up. Perhaps they'll watch their p's and q's more as a result. :shrug:

 

[DeborJohn]

We've been down there three times during some part of PopWarner. The only time we notice them is on the buses, usually at night. It wasn't a big deal for us.

 

[nmj91385]

We've been there countless times at the same time as the cheer teams. The boys in our group are always in love. This year was the only time we've had a bad experience. We were staying at CBR and the girls were running around at all hours. There was also a very loud fight between one girl and the team, and then a mom and some moms. Overall, it's not too bad if you can take the cheering in lines, on rides, in the food court, and anywhere else possible.

 

[H20Babie]

I think Pop Warner starts December 7. How far in advance of the Pop Warner events do they start coming?

 

[MasonDuo]

A couple years ago we were there during Pop Warner and stayed at Pop Century. Did not notice a big difference in park crowds and I don't recall seeing many Pop Warner people at the resort. I have to agree with the others, stay clear of ASSports and you should be just fine. It was a wonderful time of year to go to the parks.

 

[WDI 1998]

We stayed at the All Star Sports last year during the last few days of the POP Warner Superbowl. I must say NEVER EVER AGAIN will I make that mistake. We were in the building right next to the food court and lobby. No more than a 1 minute walk from the lobby to our room. BUT in that 1 minute I saw more unruly, unsupervised kids than I had ever seen in my life!! If you are going then do not stay at any of the All Star resorts. We asked the cast members we say when they were leaving and the all said the same thing. They hoped they were leaviing on Saturday. We got there on Thursday. One thing in Disneys favor though. They had security out and visible on our walk through the masses. If I were you I would reschedule or stay at another resort. Just my 2 cents.

 

[zandalee]

Good to know about the parks. We are actually staying at the POFQ so I don't think we'll have to worry so much about the kids and as we're driving down we don't have to be reliant on the buses.

Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that they go to MVMCP on a different night than I do! Does anyone know if they go on Tuesday?

 

[MasonDuo]

As far as I recall I don't think they went to the MVMCP. They had their own evening thing at Hollywood Studios. I would highly doubt that they would pay the extra $$$ to go to the MVMCP.

 

[Master Yoda]

Good to know about the parks. We are actually staying at the POFQ so I don't think we'll have to worry so much about the kids and as we're driving down we don't have to be reliant on the buses.

Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that they go to MVMCP on a different night than I do! Does anyone know if they go on Tuesday?

From my understanding your neighboring resort, PORS, is also one of the resorts on their booking list as well. However, having stayed at PORS during Pop Warner they did not appear to be there in mass as they are at All Star Sports so you should be fine.

 

[Tomcat47]

I have been there twice during the Pop Warner Super Bowls. You don't see too much of the teams at the parks. The Cheerleaders are a different story. Try having a nice dinner in the Mexico pavilion with the beautiful river and pyramid back drop while a boat load of screaming cheering teenage girls goes by. Then get stuck in a long ride line with them. I'd rather ride Small World 50 times in a row. From what I have heard the teams for the most part stay at the value resorts. We stayed at Caribbean Beach in '04 and there seemed to be a good number of teams staying there. The only time it was a problem was in the mornings at the food court and one night there was a rather loud party. No trouble like last years fights between the two teams from Hawaii and the one from Maryland. In '06 we stayed at Coronado Springs and did not see any signs of football players or cheerleaders there.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Been there; done that.
The Pop Warner people are nice people. There are just at lot of them.
They tend to get special offers for the All Stars and for Port Orleans Riverside and maybe also French Quarter.
There was a special events or registration tent set up in the POFQ parking lot last December.

The only time we saw extra crowds was on Friday when most all the Pop Warner activities at the sports complex were over and everyone seemed to come to the parks.
Then it was very crowded.

It did affect the availablility of getting ADR's all week.

I would not cancel a trip because it's Pop Warner week but would try to plan around it. That doesn't always work because, if many people do that, then the week after Pop Warner becomes crowded.

Good luck.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

As far as I recall I don't think they went to the MVMCP. They had their own evening thing at Hollywood Studios. I would highly doubt that they would pay the extra $$$ to go to the MVMCP.

Hhmmm...I don't know why I was thinking they did MVMCP...guess I had it confused with the DHS night. :shrug: Either way, I doubt we would do MVMCP again. Glad we did it once but that was enough.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Been there; done that.
The Pop Warner people are nice people. There are just at lot of them.
They tend to get special offers for the All Stars and for Port Orleans Riverside and maybe also French Quarter.
There was a special events or registration tent set up in the POFQ parking lot last December.

The only time we saw extra crowds was on Friday when most all the Pop Warner activities at the sports complex were over and everyone seemed to come to the parks.
Then it was very crowded.

It did affect the availablility of getting ADR's all week.

I would not cancel a trip because it's Pop Warner week but would try to plan around it. That doesn't always work because, if many people do that, then the week after Pop Warner becomes crowded.

Good luck.

Oooh...thanks...think I'm leaning more and more towards rescheduling for January...

 

[Master Yoda]

Oooh...thanks...think I'm leaning more and more towards rescheduling for January...

I would not give up Disney in December for anything. If you are not at All Star Sports in all probability you will never notice them.

Just a short list of what you will miss out on by switching to January
Osbourne lights
MVMCP
Gingerbread Houses and sculptures
Candlelight Processional
Decorated parks
Decorated resorts
Christmas around the world
Christmas shows at AC
etc,etc

 

[eroyee]

We have "enjoyed" the cheerleaders at both POR and CBR. Not fun. loud and obnoxious at the food courts and on the busses and out in the yards practicing and running around yelling all hrs. of the day and nite. :hammer: