It’s almost that time of year! And no, we’re not talking about the holidays…
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
We’re talking about the 2019 Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer & Dance Championships, which takes place from Saturday, December 7th through Saturday, December 14th at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Disney World.
This annual event brings in many youth football and cheerleading teams, as well as their families, many of whom stay on property for the event. As with any special event at Disney World, it goes without saying that you should definitely expect some crowds and a little bit of crazy during this time.
Lines and Crowds in Disney World
Luckily, we’ve got some tips and tricks on how to best navigate your Disney trip during this busy time of year!
Disney World is no stranger to crowded times of year, and when special events are happening at the parks it can get especially busy! While we have plenty of tips for avoiding crowds during a busy time of year at Disney World, if you will be at the parks during the 2019 Pop Warner Super Bowl, here are a few tips to get the most out of your trip!
Where to Stay
While we’ve never certain where Disney will house the participants, there have been many years where the kids participating in these events stay at the All Star Resorts — All Star Sports, Music, and Movies.
All-Star Music
Occasionally, the kiddos get up early to practice football plays and cheers, so things may get a little loud if you’re staying at these resorts at the same time they are. Consider other value resorts like Art of Animation or Pop Century if you’d like to avoid potential early morning wake-ups.
FastPass+
FastPass+ is a service that allows guests to book up to three attractions for one day in one of the four theme parks in advance when tickets are linked to a My Disney Experience account (online or via the My Disney Experience app).
Seven Dwarves Mine Train
If you have specific rides you KNOW you want to check out on your trip, we highly suggest trying to see if you can get an advanced FastPass+ reservation!! This cuts down SIGNIFICANTLY on your wait time, and allows you to bypass the long standby lines. While you can book your FastPass+ day of in the park, times do go quickly, so we would definitely recommend trying to book your’s in advance if you already have your ticket!
Click here to check out ALL our tips on FastPass+!
Pre-Plan Your Park Hopping
If you know there are certain parks and lands where you want to spend time, we recommend planning that out in advance. When you’re planning, make sure to keep in mind what parks and lands will be the most crowded. For example, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios is certain to be a hot spot for everyone (especially with the new Rise of the Resistance Ride opening on December 5th).
Rise of the Resistance ©Disney
If you’re staying on Disney property, take advantage of Extra Magic Hours to get the most out of your time, or plan to go to these especially crowded parts of the parks at non-peak hours of the day. Speaking of which…
Click here to read ALL about the opening of the new Rise of the Resistance ride!
Go to the Parks Early/Late
The early bird gets the worm — and, in this case, the night owl might as well! When there are a lot of people at Disney World Resort, you can expect midday to be the MOST crowded!
Morning at Magic Kingdom
You’ll be surprised how much more you can get done at the parks by going first thing in the morning, or closer to park closing! If you plan it right with FastPass+ and Advance Dining Reservations (more on that in a minute), you can actually fit a surprising amount of activity into your day, no matter what the crowds are like.
Click here to read ALL our tips on how to avoid crowds at Disney World!
Mobile Order & Advance Dining Reservations
If there’s a Table Service restaurant you know you want to visit, we highly suggest making an Advance Dining Reservation ahead of time! The booking window for most Table Service locations opens 180 days in advance, so the further out you are able to make your reservations, the better your chances are for getting your top choice. That being said, even if you’re making a list minute trip, you will still likely be able to find an ADR somewhere for a magical meal!!
Mobile Order
For crowded days that you aren’t necessarily in the mood for a full Table Service Meal, then you will definitely want to check out the Mobile Order option on your My Disney Experience app! Mobile Order lets guests pre-order and pre-pay for their food at various Quick Service restaurants through the parks, bypassing the line so you can pick up your food at a specific time. The 2019 Pop Warner Super Bowl will be bringing lots of hungry little athletes into the World, so this is one great way to make sure you can get your food in a jiffy!
Check out our step-by-step Mobile Order guide here!
My Disney Experience Will Be Your BFF
As we mentioned before, FastPass+ and Mobile Order are two great ways to get the most out of your day at Disney World. Luckily, both of those can be found right on your mobile phone thanks to the My Disney Experience app!
My Disney Experience app
This app has everything you could need for your trip. Not only can you plan out your FastPass+ and Advance Dining Reservations on the move, you can also easily look up bus schedules at your resort, and even find the closest restroom! The app helps take a lot of the stress out of not only trip planning, but your day-to-day activities on your Disney trip. It will truly be your navigation BFF!
Check here to read our secret tips for My Disney Experience!
We hope these tips and tricks help with navigating the Most Magical Place on Earth during what is sure to be a crowded week with the 2019 Pop Warner Super Bowl! Do you have any tips for dealing with crowded days at the parks? We’d love to hear ’em!
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My family will be in Disney during that week (dec 6-14) and I’m a little bit peeved that our Disney travel agent didn’t let us know before we booked that this would be going on. I would have likely moved our trip a week earlier or a week later had I known.
However, the crowd tracker I’ve been following still has relatively low crowds for most of those days, with the exception of Hollywood Studios. Does this event actually make it way more crowded or is it just the multiple large groups making it seem that way?
Either way, we’re well planned and there’s nothing I can do about it now!
I was down in WDW during the Pop Warner championships back in December 2006. I will say that as far as the kids, I saw them the most during the evening EMH only once at DHS. Otherwise, they were mostly at the ESPN complex for most of the day, and the parks were light with crowds early morning to midafternoon. Of course, this was just after Soaring and Expedition Everest opened.