I have been following all the Summit posts since we are heading to D2 for the first time, the day after tomorrow. Wondering if anyone who was just there has any tips or advice? We are staying at Coronado on the Varsity Package. Thanks!
I’ll reiterate leave plenty of time to get anywhere. There is one light specifically that takes 4-5 minute to cycle through each time. I don’t be remember it being that bad in the past, but it just backs everything up. People say it all the time, but seriously don’t forget the ponchos and ziplocks for your cell phone. Get your park hopper as early as you can bc that line is crazy. Do not being your children with you to wait on that line If you can help it. Priority loading is great in visa, you are right up front. Don’t bother if I’m hp, it is all the way back and in arena just get the best seat you can and stay put! If you need a quiet bathroom head to the baseball field. Read up on lovebugs, they are harmless but annoying and currently in mating season in Florida!! Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the moment.
The kids get a lanyard with their Disney ticket card inside. A couple of our moms took the Disney ticket out of the lanyard to keep it safe, I almost did it... The kids need it to get into ESPN. Visa center has a sit down restaurant. The arena has food but no place to sit. The refillable cup is worth it IMO. Yes bring rain jackets! And sunscreen. Stay inside or in the shade if you can.
Have the kids take a picture of their Disney hopper pass that shows the number on it. If they lose it (but still have that #) they can get a replacement.
Part of me wishes they would put D2 Summit in between worlds and Summit just to keep the excitement holding out until the end of the season :/ also maybe attract more attention towards the D2 summit. Maybe that doesn’t make sense but my point is just that I wish there was more attraction to D2 summit for the smaller gyms.
The one thing that helped us with how D2 is scheduled is that it enabled us to compete at US Finals last weekend which gave us one last big comp under our belts before D2.
The one BIG perk of D2 being last is that it seems to run soooo smoothly because all the issues that came up at Worlds/D1 are ironed out by the time we get there (well, at least it seemed that way last year. Maybe not the year before where storms shut down Saturday at D2.) But, in my perfect, ideal world... Worlds would be last. Also, all these competitions would happen in April rather than dragging out the season into mid-May. The burn out is real.
The team I was there with competed in the Visa Center early in the morning so it didn't effect them so I'm not 100% certain, but I believe a lot of divisions had to do both semi-finals and finals on Sunday. The thunderstorms only shut down the tents they used to use before the Arena was built (I think the metal was a hazard with the lightning) but I believe half the day was lost in those tents so there was a lot to make up on Sunday.
Another tip is, if you see something you might want in the Varsity tent store, buy it straight away! The store closes when there's lightning and they also run out of stuff! CP wanted a summit sports bra but they were all gone when we came back Sun night. She got a shirt though so she'll live.
