All-Star Competitions At Disney World

[rmo15]

Hello! Thinking of adding Mickey to our schedule for this upcoming season, and looking for some feedback on various competitions companies that host at Disney...please give any advice/feedback! Thanks!

 

[Magnolia]

Obviously UCA Nationals - this is the biggest and the best at Disney. You won't find anything else hosted at Disney that comes even remotely close to competition size and quality.

Some others at Disney:

Contest of Champions - very, very small, all star competes one day in late February
Americheer - just as small, this is in March

These are the only three that actually host the competition at Disney. There are other good-size competitions in the Orlando area that aren't at Disney parks, but UCA Nationals is the biggest and best out of all of them. This is coming from someone who has been to every single end of season nationals in the Orlando area.

 

[flcheermom]

Actual competitions held on Disney property? The two I know of are UCA Nationals and Contest of Champions. Of the two, UCA is more well known, and well attended. I have been to Contest of Champions when my daughter was about 8 - she is 17 now, so I can't tell you much about it now - but there is info online about the size of the competition.

 

[Magnolia]

Contest of Champions only had about seven total all star gyms at its competition this year. Only a few divisions had competition.

http://contestofchampions.com/pdf/Schedule%20Cheer%202012.pdf

Americheer had a very similar turnout.

 

[flcheermom]

Contest of Champions only had about seven total all star gyms at its competition this year. Only a few divisions had competition.

http://contestofchampions.com/pdf/Schedule%20Cheer%202012.pdf

Americheer had a very similar turnout.

Wow..Very small. It seems like it was bigger when we went - but that was like 8 years ago. I remember that celebrity cheer (before merging with east elite) was also there and they had a very good youth team.

 

[notyourcheermom]

We just did The American Nationals, a Varsity brand, in March at the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando for two days. There were enough teams to break Youth 2 into two divisions and Mini 1. I didn't pay attention to other teams and divisions, just one night at practice I had schedule and was asked several, several times about those two, so rember my answer. It was a two-day comp. The American National Championships - American Open - Orlando, FL We are doing UCA next year, but you didn't have to buy park passes doing it, but right next door to Disney It was a fun, big enough, comp for two-days. There was one team there from Omaha, Nebraska. We did Universal at night.

 

[cheergirlbrey]

Done the Americheer one 5 times and would never return! The first 2 years were good then it went down. The same teams mostly each year and those teams win, our old gym was even one.

 

[dream-infinity]

European Open is at Disney, in Paris though!

 

[ACEDAD]

Hello! Thinking of adding Mickey to our schedule for this upcoming season, and looking for some feedback on various competitions companies that host at Disney...please give any advice/feedback! Thanks!

Don't do it. You'll only encourage them.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

We just did The American Nationals, a Varsity brand, in March at the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando for two days. There were enough teams to break Youth 2 into two divisions and Mini 1. I didn't pay attention to other teams and divisions, just one night at practice I had schedule and was asked several, several times about those two, so rember my answer. It was a two-day comp. The American National Championships - American Open - Orlando, FL We are doing UCA next year, but you didn't have to buy park passes doing it, but right next door to Disney It was a fun, big enough, comp for two-days. There was one team there from Omaha, Nebraska. We did Universal at night.

My gym attended this competition several years ago, when I was still cheering all star. We always found it to be a well-run competition with plenty of teams/organizations.

Perks about the area:
1. Plenty of hotels are within walking distance.
2. The Orlando outlets aren't far.
3. Plenty of places to eat & you're not on Disney property so it's not as expensive!
4. Universal is close by and easily accessible.
5. Disney is also close and families can stay extra days for Disney if they'd like.

Perks about the competition:
1. The convention center is beautiful and in a good area of town.
2. Private rooms for large programs to stay in.
3. Great vendors.
4. Competition in almost every division. When we went (which was a few years ago), Brandon, CC Champs, etc all went.

 

[Babs]

As a parent, UCA is my least favorite competiton. Disney isn't a good Worlds location and it's not a good national competition location. Disney gets in the way of the competition. And like Worlds, their competition area isn't big enough to hold the entire UCA competition. When we went two years ago the level 1 and 2 teams competed at a completely different area ... and it was in a Disney theme park so every single parent, fan, and supporter of those teams had to buy a full Disney admission ticket to go watch their team. Of course that also meant that the level 1 and 2 teams didn't watch any of the higher level teams and the higher level teams weren't there to support their level 1 or 2 teams.

I don't know about the other competitions, but they would have the same problem of the trip being all about Disney. Probably just like UCA, part of the athlete registration price is a 3-day park hopper pass for the athletes. Well guess what ... every athlete expects their parents and siblings to buy Disney tickets so the athlete can use their ticket.

#Disney + All-Star = Bad Experience

 

[xomckenzieee]

We used to go to COA Ultimate Nationals in Orlando but it wasn't in Disney, at the Gaylord Hotel or Convention center... something like that. I really liked that competition but it's been about 3 years since we've gone. Went against teams like Top Gun and Orlando All Stars back in the day. I want to say it was Easter weekend? If COA still hosts that one, I strongly recommend it.

 

[Magnolia]

COA Ultimate has gotten really small. Not worth the price of airfare and hotel to me unless you have strong competition in every division, which is why I would only do UCA if it were me.

 

[ItsJackiiiie]

I wish I saw this thread before we made our competition schedule!! I am bringing my whole gym (cheer & dance) to Contest of Champions... you will be seeing 10 teams from IL there. Woo Hoo Twisters Elite will be winning every division I guess, since it seems like there is no competition! Greatttt!

 

[ItsJackiiiie]

Quick Question to anyone that has competed at Contest of Champions... they are forcing all of our families to buy the hotel package, but some of my families have like HUGE families and they all wont fit in that one small room at the Allstar Resort... so basically what they are telling us that in order to compete they have to purchase the package AND the room.... just wondering why that is? to the ppl that have been to this event, did you guys go through the same thing? bc some of my parents are pissed and dont even want to go now... Advice?