Pros and Cons of visiting WDW during cheerleading trips

[kiwi2013]

I just found out my March trip begins and ends with cheerleading competitions ....Please give me the pros and cons of visiting WDW while all the groups are there. I’m a Sept-Nov DIsney traveller so never came across many groups before
I know I’m at Disney and that’s all that should matter but I’m also staying at a value resort and according to guest services whom I spoke with this morning cheer teams are at all values.
Thanks for your help

 

[Southernmiss]

I just found out my March trip begins and ends with cheerleading competitions ....Please give me the pros and cons of visiting WDW while all the groups are there. I’m a Sept-Nov DIsney traveller so never came across many groups before
I know I’m at Disney and that’s all that should matter but I’m also staying at a value resort and according to guest services whom I spoke with this morning cheer teams are at all values.
Thanks for your help

Believe it or not, there are youth sporting events at Disney all. the. time. of one type or another.

Yes, the values host the cheerleaders. But Disney anymore is busy any time.

Go and be flexible. Bring ear buds if you need to block noise at your resort.

We are on our way home from Girls soccer showcase at Disney. There was also boys baseball and college basketball at the ESPN center.

With 4 days there and 3 were game days, we were left with one park day. We chose Epcot for the holiday extras. Many on the team went to Universal.

Traffic was a nightmare and our off-site hotel complex full, and it was Thanksgiving week but the sports kids made no real difference from any other busy Disney time.

 

[tnolan]

Last time we stayed at the Pop, a few years ago, one of the cheerleading competions was going, and it affected everything from the bus lines at the parks (took me 2 hrs to get back to the hotel), to the quietness at the hotel (kids were making a racket in room over our heads till about 1 am, and to one of our sides; the earplugs are a very good suggestion). So good luck!

 

[randumb0]

The parks will be fine, but your resort may be a little rowdy

 

[100acreHiker]

I don't think the groups have a discernible effect on crowds within the parks, but because they travel in packs, when you do encounter a group, it can be frustrating if you're waiting in line behind them, at your resort getting food, in line for a bus, behind them in a queue for a ride, etc. Someone I know stayed at one of the moderate resorts that housed them a few years ago and said it just felt congested and was annoying to hear the chanting and squealing and generally normal things 13 year old cheerleaders are apt to do. I have nothing against them; I'd love for my son's soccer team to go to Disney some day, but I don't spend thousands of dollars to risk having a group of tweens running up and down the halls of my resort or having to eat in the quick service of my resort with them every morning.

 

[kiwi2013]

The parks will be fine, but your resort may be a little rowdy

That’s what I’m most worried about

 

[Melissa Perez]

Phoning in here as a former cheerleading that would compete at WDW....

- we stayed at All Star resorts exclusively
- we have curfews! But we also will be practicing early in the morning and up until our curfews
- we are there to compete so much of our time is spent at the fieldhouse, only when we get eliminated can we go to Disney so it’s not a big pull on the resorts

If you are nice to us we will do a cheer for you

 

[halfpintpeggy]

That’s what I’m most worried about

The cheer groups are full of pep and energy, they will be LOUD at the resort! They seem to love (of course!) breaking out into cheers no matter where they are lol. Good luck!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Phoning in here as a former cheerleading that would compete at WDW....

- we stayed at All Star resorts exclusively
- we have curfews! But we also will be practicing early in the morning and up until our curfews
- we are there to compete so much of our time is spent at the fieldhouse, only when we get eliminated can we go to Disney so it’s not a big pull on the resorts

If you are nice to us we will do a cheer for you

That's what she's worried about lol!!!

 

[brookmey]

We stayed at POP a couple years ago that was full of cheerleaders. There were several groups practicing cheers on the grass and sidewalks that were causing congestion because they were taking up a lot of space and people had trouble getting past them, especially the ones with luggage. We were woken up at 7 am each morning to nonstop cheering in the parking lot below us as they boarded a bus. After a late nights at the parks, we were not very happy about that.

It was hard to move through tables at the food court because they would move chairs and gather around tables, leaving their backpacks and things all over the place.

We like spending time at our resort, but on that trip we avoided POP except to sleep because the cheerleaders were just too much.

 

[Upatnoon]

As someone said, the big issue is that they move in giant packs. If you see 100 girls entering the food court all at once, It means the food court will be slammed. Just try to zig when they zag and stay out of the way. Know your options and be flexible to avoid frustration.

 

[pjhootch]

We stayed at CSR a few years back when there were cheerleaders staying there. We encountered groups of cheerleaders in the hot tub and pool areas. They were happy and giggly but not any kind of problem. CSR is spread out so the close to curfew noise didn't bother us. I would try to steer around the large groups and mkae the best of it. Smile at them and clap, when they cheer. I have found that we (and our kids) are so tired at night that nothing really disturbs us when it is time to sleep.

 

[anniemae]

We stayed at CBR when they were there and had no problems. We only really saw them in the morning at the food court. They would pull tables together to sit. No big deal at all. I have always found them to be fine, and have had zero problems with them. Barely saw them at the parks. Sometimes groups of them would cheer a bit, but that was not any big deal.

 

[scrapquitler]

In the parks, not even worth worrying about. Yes, you might see large groups, but the ones we saw were well behaved.

In the resort you will see more of the cheerleaders, esp. if you are in a value. You'll mostly see them gathering to meet their group, and you'll see them in the food court. Our experience was that they were in the food court first thing in the morning, and late at night after the parks closed (9pm and onward). But again, we didn't see any behavior problems.

 

[kiwi2013]

Thanks everyone for the comments....lots of good tips.
Regardless of the crowds,noise and constant cheers....I’m going to be at Disney so best to enjoy it

 

[DisneyFive]

Sorry, can't think of any PRO's. Only cons.

Dan

 

[PSUGuy]

More than once we just happened to be at WDW during a cheer competition and except for encountering small clusters of uniformed cheerleaders in the parks we never would have known. We certainly would never modify WDW plans based on knowing a cheer competition was on.

Bill From PA