Will nationals ever be back in Disney?

[Macdaddy549]

How many of you remember the days when the National Championships were hosted at Disney? I haven't attended the one in Atlanta yet but I hear that there is not much to do after hours. My question is, does anyone forsee it going back to Disney, or maybe Universal or even Bush Gardens in Tampa?

[roboticscom13]

I have been to Disney, Texas, and Atlanta. Disney was a great venue but we outgrew the facilities. Do i foresee a return to Disney? No. This is because FIRST left because Disney wasn't willing to provide a discount. As for going to Bush Gardens, I'm not sure where you would hold it down there, or if it is big enough for this event. It seems to work well in Atlanta and thats where, if not to another big city, where it will stay. Thats my two sense.

[Joe Matt]

How many of you remember the days when the National Championships were hosted at Disney? I haven't attended the one in Atlanta yet but I hear that there is not much to do after hours. My question is, does anyone forsee it going back to Disney, or maybe Universal or even Bush Gardens in Tampa?

Not enough room at Universal or Busch Gardens, at Disney FIRST would need to move into the Wide World of Sports complex, something that Disney probably wouldn't want.

[DarMagi]

I would like to see nats back at disney as the reason I live like 5 miles from disney! Lol, I'd be at nats every year whether we compete or not! Well Disney is big and I know funds alot of robotics teams, mine included. I don't see the problem with giving us a discount and a bigger facility, after all it's robotics!

[Beth Sweet]

Championships moved from Disney because there wasn't enough room. I believe that Dean called it "growing pains." Therefore, as FIRST isn't anticipated to shrink anytime soon, unless the Championship process is changed and less teams are allowed to attend, no, I seriously doubt it.

[Code\\Pilot]

well, i've never been at nats, so i have no idea how big it is, i live really close to Disney too, so it would be cool if they get the nats back at disney. What sucks is that when i'll go to nats (if i ever would) will not be for competing, cause this is my senior year, and i dont know what am doing after graduation.oh well...

But still, even if they dont change it back to Disney, they should rotate the nats to other places, so other teams that didn't have the means to go to nats on a certain city could assist to a closer one on that certain year and whatnot.

[activemx]

Epcot was awesome. I think sadly it will never comeback, i might be wrong but disney just could'nt support the growning first teams. They didnt have capacity to hold that many teams.

[KenWittlief]

I went to championships at WDW twice, and it was great

but I think we have outgrown this aspect of FIRST and there is no going back.

To be honest, it was a bit of a sticking point, asking companies to sponsor teams, when a big part of the budget was sending 20 to 60 students and adults to Disney World for 5 days

when you pitched FIRST to a potential new sponsor, that part of it was a bit awkward.

The way the championship is now is, well... pure FIRST and nothing else

but to be honest, I miss those days - it was magic.

[ChrisH]

I went to championships at WDW twice, and it was great

but I think we have outgrown this aspect of FIRST and there is no going back.

To be honest, it was a bit of a sticking point, asking companies to sponsor teams, when a big part of the budget was sending 20 to 60 students and adults to Disney World for 5 days

when you pitched FIRST to a potential new sponsor, that part of it was a bit awkward.

The way the championship is now is, well... pure FIRST and nothing else

but to be honest, I miss those days - it was magic.

Maybe we could have it on the West Coast for once. The Anaheim Convention center would be nice. It is certainly big enough. Of course you might have to feign ignorance about the large resort area across the street when talking to sponsors ;)

[KenWittlief]

Disneyland in california would not be the same

as staying in WDW florida for 4 or 5 days, being there at night, riding the monorails around

sitting by the pool at midnight on friday, planning to start new teams at new schools

the on-site hotels, entire hotel complexes filled with FIRST teams from around the world

it just wouldnt be the same

[Kyle]

I missed WDW by one yet but I have been to Texas and Atlanta, I think FIRST tries to keep Nats in a centralized location because it might be easier for teams on the west coast to go to Nats in the west but the teams on the east coast would have to have that huge money burden, I know that is what teams had to do when it was on WDW but not that it is in ATL it is a bit closer to the central areas and west coast, I would love to see a Nats in CO because it would have the same cost for both coasts to fly/drive to.

[Collin Fultz]

But still, even if they dont change it back to Disney, they should rotate the nats to other places, so other teams that didn't have the means to go to nats on a certain city could assist to a closer one on that certain year and whatnot.

It takes months/years to plan and execute a successful regional event. I can only imagine all the things that go into 300 200+ teams at nationals, plus trying to keep it affordable. For this reason, FIRST probably won't rotate the location of the Champs. Yah it sucks for teams that are far away, but, what are ya gonna do.

As far as the difference in venues, I spent a year at each. Houston was my least favorite, though I love the city. WDW was better. Hot-lanta is the best, IMO, especially from the driver walk standpoint. That's where Houston was lacking. If there is a good thing about WDW, during the divisional quals you were very close, most of the time closer than most regionals, but for closing/opening ceremonies if you weren't close you were almost too far away to keep interest. Plus it was outside, and while there never was rain while I was there I'd hate to see what happened when it was. Plus a girl on my team got pooped on by a bird :eek: it was funny though.

[Vin211]

I went to Florida for FIRST 4 TIMES! It was the best time I ever had. The costs for putting on an event in Florida is astounding. The competition use to be held in Epcott Parking Lot for those who were lucky enough to be around during those day. The odds of Nationals returning to Disney is very unlikely. From what I understand was, Disney was not tollerating Kamen and revenue from the event was not accumulating the way Eisner wanted. Therefore, Disney wanted to charge FIRST more for hosting the even there.

I foresee in the future there is going to be Two National Events. FIRST is getting way to big for just one. I imagine someday there will be one held in the south (i.e Houston, Atlanta) and another held in the north (i.e Toronto, New Hampshire). Either of those cities will do.

That is my expert opinon and I doubt FIRST will ever be back in Disney. In order to compensate for this, I consider it a personal lost. So, here is what I am proposing. Anyone that went to Florida for a FIRST Robotics Competition lets sit down and hammer out a date to return. Instead of working in the pits, cheering in the stands, or handing out buttons lets all go on vacation. How about we meet there in the summer and have our own FIRST Disney Florida Reunion!


::::Salutes:::::

[Koko Ed]

Personally I would be happy if the championship is NEVER held at Disney again. I love Disney but the event itself had nothing at all to do with FIRST. It was too hot, too spread out and too Disney (I think people were thinking more about going to the parks than the competition). It's better off being played out in large arenas.

[Tytus Gerrish]

Epcot was horrible for nationals. the Field is outside. the turf got wet, the ac Couldn't handle the amount of people in the pits. not to mention Disney has complete control over that area It's not the kind of place made for high school students to hang out Houston was Kay except the air tasted like gasoline. ATL Is The Shiz!!! everything is there and its an awesome stadium and the pits are in the perfect place. for drivers and coaches its a nice underground walk to the Fields. and the omni is the most awesome place to hang. no shortness of things to do in ATL.

[Rick TYler]

I missed WDW by one yet but I have been to Texas and Atlanta, I think FIRST tries to keep Nats in a centralized location because it might be easier for teams on the west coast to go to Nats in the west but the teams on the east coast would have to have that huge money burden

Sounds OK to me.

I know that is what teams had to do when it was on WDW but not that it is in ATL it is a bit closer to the central areas and west coast, I would love to see a Nats in CO because it would have the same cost for both coasts to fly/drive to.

Kyle, don't confuse distance with airfare costs. I can fly from Seattle to Orlando for $232 roundtrip. Denver is $349. Atlanta is $253. (Prices as of today for an April trip using Travelocity.com.) For what it's worth, New York to LA is $221, while New York to Atlanta is $161. That's only $60 more from New York. From Chicago, LA is $30 more than Atlanta, roundtrip. In the grand scheme of things, the major destination cities in the continguous US are close to the same cost for travel.

[Ryan Albright]

I dont think it will ever make it back to disney but what would be nice if they tried to host it in the Orlando Convention Center. That place is huge, If i am not mistaken its one of the biggest convention centers in the country. Its right in the middle of disney and universal. It would take FIRST a couple of years to grow out of that place and it brings the championship back to orlando so people can enjoy the parks before and after the event

[Mike Norton]

I went to disney all but the first year when it was inside Epcot.

The early years the pits where small but they got there act together. the last year they held it the pits where great, lots of room. all but one field was inside under the tents AC.


The way it works each park runs itself and has it own budget. Epcot footed the bill without the help of the hotels. So Epcot alone could not put this on without the help of all the parks and hotels.

We did not out grow Disney. they have plenty of room. It was who was going to pay for it and who was getting the profits from it. The hotel made out and the park tickets made out but Epcot needed more help to be able to put it on and they didn't get it.


I think Disney is the best spot. We treat the Florida regional as our Disney National. We go under the YES program at disney and pay very little for Park tickets and rooms.

What we get out of it is a 3 hour class in one of the parks. This is great to teach kids. The other thing is there is so much robotic at disney for the kids to see. We make this a very good education trip for the kids.

[omutton]

Personally, I liked Atlanta last year. Although I never went to nats when it was at Disney, I have only ever heard that it was too small. A lot of people from my team say they'd love to go to Disney (probably to escape the cold Canadian weather) but I don't think it would be appropriate for a FIRST competition. A lot of people would be drawn away from the competition and want to go to the theme parks. The walk to the pits in Atlanta was a little far, but, correct me if I'm wrong, I believe the walk will be dramatically reduced this year.

[KenWittlief]

I foresee in the future there is going to be Two National Events. FIRST is getting way to big for just one. I imagine someday there will be one held in the south (i.e Houston, Atlanta) and another held in the north (i.e Toronto, New Hampshire). Either of those cities will do.

That is my expert opinon and I doubt FIRST will ever be back in Disney. In order to compensate for this, I consider it a personal lost. So, here is what I am proposing. Anyone that went to Florida for a FIRST Robotics Competition lets sit down and hammer out a date to return. Instead of working in the pits, cheering in the stands, or handing out buttons lets all go on vacation. How about we meet there in the summer and have our own FIRST Disney Florida Reunion!


::::Salutes:::::

Boy you confederates never give up, trying to use FIRST to divide the US into two nations!

how can you have two 'nationals' in one nation - besides, its called the championship now. :^) (ok, Im done picking on you for now)

Those of us who have embraced FIRST dont need Disney world to be an official part of it, we can look to successful careers and goto WDW, or anywhere else whenever we want to.

Personally I would like to see SuperRegionals at places like the Kennedy Space center

BTW, Cedar Rapids Iowa is the closest major city to the geographical center of the lower 48 states. I wonder if you ranked the location of each team by size, where the geographical center of all teams would be?

Interesting computer/math problem for some young genius to solve.

[tiffany34990]

i remember it at disney!!!

yeah it wasn't the greatest field for einstein being outdoors but it was interesting...i do miss it being way close to us though...but the fields inside were way cramp...not much fun when u were on those fields...and all the tents trying to be ac was hard

i'm not sure it'll ever go back..it seems like it should travel around..lol..cause FIRST is all over..

[Barry Bonzack]

I have vowed to myself to try to attend nationals any year that it is within driving distance. I would be thrilled to have it somewhere in Disney again. I bet that have seen the writing on the wall and realize this kind of event can no longer be held out in a parking lot. I can see it returning, I can't imagine why Disney wouldn't want it back.

[KTorak]

I've never been to nationals, but i'll be there this year. I heard Dallas was cool, and so is Atlanta, but I'd like to see it somewhere out west (San Fransisco is a nice place, or they could even put it in like Arizona). I think Disney is a little over rated period.

[MrToast]

Ya know, I could forsee the day when the nats are in Salt Lake City at the Delta Center there.... that would be kinda convenient for me..... :D

Dave

[Macdaddy549]

The reason I would like to see Disney again is there is plenty for the students to do after hours. Also the students are some what confined to the park area. I also understand the cost sky rocketed with the need to purchase park passes.

[Winged Wonder]

I remember Nationals at Disney... (yes, i was there!) i was in 7th or 8th grade, and i went to the last National Championship held at Epcot with a friend of mine to go see my brother's team compete... that experience is what really hooked me on to FIRST. the cheering, the suspense, the robots of course, and all of the swag... (i still have the buttons i collected way back then!) everything was just an incredible experience. sure, the Pits were really hot and didnt really have sufficient air conditioning, but please, we're talking about Florida. Whats a trip to Florida without experiencing the humidity? :p

Everyone has made good points... I wasnt at the Houston Championship (a year before my time) but i've heard that in comparision, Atlanta is better. I can't really say i prefer Atlanta to Disney because i never really experienced the whole Disney experience as part of a team, i was just moral support. ;) But for now, i believe Atlanta is where its going to stay.

... I foresee in the future there is going to be Two National Events. FIRST is getting way to big for just one. I imagine someday there will be one held in the south (i.e Houston, Atlanta) and another held in the north (i.e Toronto, New Hampshire). Either of those cities will do. ...I'm tempted to tease about the Confederate mentality... :p (just kidding), i dont like the thought of two separate International Championships. (remember, FIRST is not just for we spoiled United States-ians... its for all of the teams across the globe!) the thought just makes me really uneasy. sure, in regards to funding and geographical location it seems more logical, but theres also a lot you have to take into consideration... for the Championships, every team should have to face the same circumstances for competition... the same arena, the same altitude, the same everything... if not, thats not really fair, is it? You're all talking about how FIRST is outgrowing everything... thats not a bad thing! and there are ways to get around it. for example, instead of just three competition days, there might be four or five! (could you imagine week-long competitions??) Also, instead of just breaking everyone going to the Championship into four groups (einstein, curie, newton, archemedes), you could break it into five or six, so that you could have the same amount of matches with more robots in the same time period. there are ways around growth "issues"... one just has to be creative! =) i know that at Atlanta, theres plenty of room for at least one more field... and if we somehow outgrew Atlanta, i'm sure FIRST is resourceful enough to find somewhere new to host it. who knows... maybe one day, FIRST will have its very own Robotics Stadium! thats a couple of years off... but you can't reject the idea. it could happen. =) anything can happen with a little perservierence and hard work. isnt that what FIRST teaches?

fret not fellow FIRSTers... if you fear you'll be bored at the Championship Event (i'm not quite sure how thats possible... but regardless), make your own fun! invite other teams over for a game of Twister or DDR... stop complaining, and be creative! :)

[Scott team 48]

The walk to the pits in Atlanta was a little far
I take it you didn't go to nationals in Texas, if you did you would think that Atlanta's walk was nothing.
I didn't go to Disney because I wasn't on a team but I would like to go there and experience First there. Texas was fun too though apart from the walking, we all got to go to six flags a day before it opened to the general public.

[Kevin Sevcik]

I've never been to nationals, but i'll be there this year. I heard Dallas was cool, and so is Atlanta, but I'd like to see it somewhere out west (San Fransisco is a nice place, or they could even put it in like Arizona). I think Disney is a little over rated period.
Ack! That was in Houston, not Dallas. They're only 200+ miles apart. I mean, I know that just next door down here in Texas, but still....
I take it you didn't go to nationals in Texas, if you did you would think that Atlanta's walk was nothing.
That was an unfortunate oversight by FIRST in the midst of moving nationals from EPCOT to Houston in the space of 6 months or so. So cut us a little slack for saving Nationals, wouldja?

*Pauses*

*Shakes fist at kids on his lawn*

[Not2B]

Been to EPCOT parking lot.
Been to the ATL, baby!

Atlanta was really nice. And the town, as far as I could tell, really went out of their way to be robot-friendly. The arena was great. Weather was nice. The olympic park was a great place to have a wrap-up party.

Disney gave too many distractions. Lots of people ran off to ride spaceship earth or go eat in China or America - and forgot to check out the robots, meet with other teams, and participate in the grand festival known as FIRST. Mainly because Disney IS really cool.

In Atlanta, FIRST is a big deal, not just people in the parking lot.

Thanks ATL, baby!! (And THANK YOU, Sir Charles, for adding ATL to my vocab.)

[Erin Rapacki]

I agree that Atlanta is a good choice. FIRST outgrew Disney three years before we left and I highly doubt we'll ever be back there. I don't miss the manufactured magic of Disney because Championships creates magic in itself; wherever the event may be held.

[Stephen Kowski]

man im tired of driving.....bring it to tampa....we got the ice palace (oops, now the st. Pete times forum)....beaches are less than an hour away....ybor city for all the adult mentors....come on do the right thing here and save me some gas $$ :P

mainly im just tired of driving all over the southeast.....which includes orlando ($%#* I-4 what a terrible road)

[Ryan Albright]

man im tired of driving.....bring it to tampa....we got the ice palace (oops, now the st. Pete times forum)....beaches are less than an hour away....ybor city for all the adult mentors....come on do the right thing here and save me some gas $$ :P

mainly im just tired of driving all over the southeast.....which includes orlando ($%#* I-4 what a terrible road)
No one likes a cry baby, plus the only thing good in tampa is the hard rock casino......wait on second thought BRING IT TO TAMPA :rolleyes:

[Justin]

I think that Nationals at Disney were pretty cool. Maybe because I don't know anything else since I haven't been to any of the other nationals but most of the stories I've heard seem to indicate that logistically Nationals @ Disney worked out better. Frankly I'm not sure that we've ever heard the full story as to why FIRST and Disney parted ways and likely never will. All I know is I have some great memories from some of the Disney Nationals. I think I speak to everyone who ever attended nationals there when I say...say it with me...

"Please stand clear of the doors. Por Favor Metengan se alijados de las puertas." (sorry if I botched the Spanish spelling.)

Justin

[Donut]

I wasn't at Nationals in Disney, but it seems like Disney would be too big a distraction, especially for some of the kids on our team.

The Nationals in Atlanat was great, lots of close hotels and a pit area that wasn't really that crowded. My only question is why does it need to be there 3 times in a row (that's the current plan)? FIRST should try to work out a deal between two places for Nationals a good distance apart and alternate between them every year.

[KenWittlief]

Arnt we getting a little national-ecentric here? what about a championship in Toronto?

Tokyo?

London?

Singapore?

BTW, one great thing about the field being outdoors at WDW - The Xcats handed out buttons to people in the parks, inviting them to come see the FIRST matches

the buttons said

"There are 298 robots outside

and they want to SEE YOU!"

[Koko Ed]

Arnt we getting a little national-ecentric here? what about a championship in Toronto?

Tokyo?

London?

Singapore?

BTW, one great thing about the field being outdoors at WDW - The Xcats handed out buttons to people in the parks, inviting them to come see the FIRST matches

the buttons said

"There are 298 robots outside

and they want to SEE YOU!"
We still have some of those buttons.

[Rombus]

"There are 298 robots outside

and they want to SEE YOU!"

I think we need some serious national exposure! Think about having first televised on a major network? Heck, the current biggest craze on tv is watching people PLAY CARDS, Personally robots are much more intresting!

Im partial to Disney as a location since my parents are DVC memebers :D

[Kris Verdeyen]

..."There are 298 robots outside

and they want to SEE YOU!"

Awesome.

So, the wrap party in olympic park was a lot of fun - better than Houston, I have to admit.

I would still like to see the Championship back here in the HOU one more time, baby. I think that these Texans would put on a great show given the time to do it. Reliant was every bit of the arena that the GA dome is, and (even though I liked the Astrodome), the pits could be put into the Reliant Center, a more modern, less cavernous, and better lit facility that has its floor at ground level, and is just as close.

Disney was great, too, of course. I went there for two years, and had a great time on and off the field.

In fact, I can't remember a FIRST competition I've gone to that I haven't had a great time. Hmmm - maybe it doesn't matter where it is. :)

[Cory]

I think we need some serious national exposure! Think about having first televised on a major network?

Kinda like when CNN was doing their reports to footage of nats in the dome last year?

[sven]

My only complante for Atlanta was that the funnest thing my team could come up with was going to the underground(I will die happy NEVER having to go back there) and see how many wanabe bum rappers you could get to follow you at one time. :(

The end party was very cool though :)

[KarenH]

Been to EPCOT parking lot.
Been to the ATL, baby!

Atlanta was really nice. And the town, as far as I could tell, really went out of their way to be robot-friendly. The arena was great. Weather was nice.


The weather WAS nice last year--during the Championship. I returned to Atlanta with my family 2 weeks later, and on Saturday night the weather was WILD. Lightning, thunder, and rain blowing sideways in sheets! I was forewarned by a team member who had lived in Atlanta, but it was still amazing to see such a storm. I can only imagine what a team party in Centennial Park would be like under those conditions. :ahh:

[Dan Richardson]

I remember disney and I miss it :-( Mainly because it was practically in my back yard, second because of the social. I mean sure AstroWorld is fun and atlanta was cool too, but really All of Epcot was ours. That was awesome!

Nationals hasn't grown too much since the last of the Disney nationals FIRST has grown but the number of attendees isn't that much more if I remember correctly. Rumor has it disney wants it back and it seems like it would be fun.

As far as Wild World of Sports, Rumor also has it that there may be off season competitions scheduled there sometime in the future if things work out. ( But you sure as heck didn't hear that from me :-) )

Dan

[Koko Ed]

I think we need some serious national exposure! Think about having first televised on a major network? Heck, the current biggest craze on tv is watching people PLAY CARDS, Personally robots are much more intresting!

Im partial to Disney as a location since my parents are DVC memebers :D
We have videos of ESPN coverage of the championship back in the mid 90's. It would be nice if FIRST got national coverage but it obviously would not get the full 8 hour coverage people crave so perhaps it's best we get the webcasts.

[D.J. Fluck]

FIRST outgrew Disney....Disney really didn't want us there unless you wanted to pay some ridiculous costs (As we joked, "Disney Inflation")..it was time to move on.

The #1 reason (my opinion) that Atlanta was the choice is because Atlanta's primary airport is one of the busiest in the nation...ive seen flights through Orbitz to fly round trip from Indianapolis to Atlanta for $155. Flights are cheaper, hotels are cheaper (well depending on where you stay of course)....


Anyway, FIRST is under contract with the GA Dome 1 more year after this year...and who knows about an extension

[Meredith343MiM]

The nationals are in Atlanta untill my senior year and quite frankly i'm immensely happy about it. It's only about an hour and a half away from where our team is located (far enough to stay in a hotel but not some crazy long drive home) (This isn't true for most teams though unfortunately) The venue in Atlanta is really great... and I honestly don't believe it's short of things to do. There's plenty of places to go and things to see!
Disney was great though, despite the nasty hot stickiness. The only time you could ever "cool-off" was in the pits. And even there... it was rather stuffy. Houston was... a long 20 hour bus drive and a crazy long walk to and from the pits to the playing field... besides that... it was fun. All in all, FIRST is robotics and no matter the venue I'll still participate. I'll still love it. I'll still get that wonderful feeling inside when my teams robot is on the field and i hear the lovely sounds of hundreds of people clapping and cheering. :D

[The Lucas]

The #1 reason (my opinion) that Atlanta was the choice is because Atlanta's primary airport is one of the busiest in the nation...ive seen flights through Orbitz to fly round trip from Indianapolis to Atlanta for $155. Flights are cheaper, hotels are cheaper (well depending on where you stay of course)....


Due to recent Delta actions (http://www.industrypages.com/artman/publish/Industry_News_4706.stm), Atlanta is the World's largest hub, so airline prices should be good. Atlanta has a nice setup with the convention center, the Georgia Dome, and Omni all in the same location. It has escalators which is much better than the endless series of ramps in Houston.

However, I still miss Disney. The down time (aka the time after they kick you out of the pits) was much more fun. The mentors could simply let the students roam free inside the parks without worrying about their safety. The same can't be said about our area of Atlanta, or for any major city that might host the Championship. The CNN center connected to the Omni is fun, but its not Disney. In Disney, our team rented villas (Disney didn't like that) so curfew was no big deal like it is in a hotel.

I think Disney didn't like the timing of Nationals, because it coincides with one of their busy seasons. They would value Nats more if it brought 16,000 people in when they weren’t already busy.

[Amanda Aldridge]

Plus it was outside, and while there never was rain while I was there I'd hate to see what happened when it was.
Lucky you. We had monsoon-like rains one year (either 01 or 02) - it rained like heck all day, and the floating floor in the tents was, well, floating. Disney was great, and some of my best FIRST memories happened there, but I think I must concur with the others who say it will probably never come back, for the same reasons everyone else has already mentioned.

[mtaman02]

I went to Epcot in 2002 and it was not only a cool area to have the nationals, but it made a great trip for the seniors who were on the team that graduated that year. Sadly like many posts, Disney is too small for FIRST let alone the discount packages would not be that great. FIRST wants to have everyone participate in the nationals but since there are too many teams FIRST can only have (X) amount of teams to go including the Regional and Certain Award Winners.

Personally what FIRST shoud do is restructure the championship event into 2 smaller championships. A western and eastern championship - that way more teams can play or so I hope. The down fall is it will cost more.

After that the winning teams can go to a main championship with maybe a few more teams or whatever regional winners are left that haven't played, and they all battle it out for the National title.

Like I said key points are venues, funding, team approval, and after hours things to do.

The only way FIRST will go back to WDW is if either WDW grows or FIRST shrinks. =(

[KenWittlief]

The championship at WDW was one of the phases that FIRST went through as it grew.

Im sure people who attended the original competition in the 1st year of FIRST think it was something special

and the 1st time the championship was held at WDW, that had to be an awesome experience

FIRST is growing and evolving, we cant go back anymore than I can do to my HS prom again, or my freshman year of college again. Some things are a once-in-a-lifetime experience

Im certain FIRST will continue to present outstanding experiences for everyone involved. Remember the 1st regional you attended? does anything compair with that?

We dont need WDW or any other organization to make FIRST special. We ARE FIRST

we make it what it is.

Onward and Upward :^)

[Sgraff_SRHS06]

I went to championships at WDW twice, and it was great

but I think we have outgrown this aspect of FIRST and there is no going back.

To be honest, it was a bit of a sticking point, asking companies to sponsor teams, when a big part of the budget was sending 20 to 60 students and adults to Disney World for 5 days

when you pitched FIRST to a potential new sponsor, that part of it was a bit awkward.

The way the championship is now is, well... pure FIRST and nothing else

but to be honest, I miss those days - it was magic.

Although I've never seen a FIRST championship (and understand its growing pains), I think WDW can accomodate the championship in one way or another (as being a one-time honorary Disney castmember as a member of my school's marching band and orchestra). We could always advocate that Disney build a new stadium exclusively for FIRST there, perhaps in Downtown Disney (which recently opened) or Coronado Springs.

If we can't go to WDW, it's cool, but if we can, it will be an excellent plus.

[Wetzel]

If FIRST ever goes back to Disney, it will be to goto the Wide World of Sports. WWS is a beautiful facility that would be great to hold the Championship at. However, I think it will be a few years before it becomes possible for FIRST to go there.

There is a bidding process for the location of the championship venue, similar to how the Olympics are figured. Cities and venues are courting FIRST to come to their location, I think that is a good thing.


Wetzel

[dangerousdave]

While our team is happy to have the National's in our area we certainly understand others wanting them near their home. Here is some Georgia Dome news that just appeared in the Atlanta newspaper today.

"Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank plans to invest up to $150 million in the state-owned Georgia Dome. While a big reason is to help the city land the Super Bowl all who use the dome will benefit. Mr. Blank said "But the reality is that if we don't get the bid, this is the right thing to do for Atlanta and our community."

While these improvements will not be immediate they will help the GA Dome stay a state of the art facility to help keep up with the needs of First Robotics. At least 70% of the income for the GA Dome comes from the Falcons so it is very likely that Mr. Blank's needs will be addressed.

Also, late this year Atlanta's new aquarium will open. This should help address the concerns about things to do in downtown Atlanta.
Thanks to a generous gift from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, the Georgia Aquarium will be one of the largest and most exciting aquariums in the world, featuring more than 55,000 animals from 500 different species in over 5 million gallons of water. The Georgia Aquarium is located in downtown Atlanta, next to the new World of Coca-Cola, and across the street from CNN Center, the Georgia World Congress Center, Centennial Olympic Park and Imagine It! Atlanta’s Children’s Museum.

Some facts from the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

Atlanta is 1st in:

Fastest Growing Online City
Source: Nielsen/NetRatings 2003

Airport for non-stop service to United States Destinations
Source: Back Aviation Solutions and OSG, 2003

Airport in Number of Passengers
Source: The Atlanta Journal Constitution, February 16, 2005

America’s Hottest 50 Cities
Source: Expansion Magazine, January, 2004

Most Affordable Market
Source: Business Week, Jan. 3, 2005

Technology Accessible (2nd)
Source: Popular Science, 2005

Georgia Dome - the largest cable-supported domed stadium in North America

Convention information for 2004

3,041,387 Convention attendance
92,359 hotel rooms at 745 properties
more shopping center space per capita than any other U.S. city except Chicago

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
80 percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight of Atlanta

See everyone at the GA Dome next month!

[Kit Gerhart]

Epcot was horrible for nationals. the Field is outside. the turf got wet, the ac Couldn't handle the amount of people in the pits. not to mention Disney has complete control over that area It's not the kind of place made for high school students to hang out Houston was Kay except the air tasted like gasoline. ATL Is The Shiz!!! everything is there and its an awesome stadium and the pits are in the perfect place. for drivers and coaches its a nice underground walk to the Fields. and the omni is the most awesome place to hang. no shortness of things to do in ATL.
Epcot was not the best place for watching matches, but the atmosphere was fantastic. OK, it was sometimes hot at the outside stadium and too cold in the pit tents early in the morning. The fact remains, though, that if you stay at an on-site hotel, Disney is the best place in the world to turn 15,000 teenagers free to safely have fun and not get into trouble, and it wasn't THAT bad for the competition itself. I went to six Championships at Epcot, and, to use Disney terminology, it was magic, really.

For watching matches, Atlanta, and even Houston are better, unless you want to get from the pits to the playing field. In that case, Atlanta is not good. For the drive teams, it is an easy walk back and forth, but the drive teams make up fewer than 10% of the people at the event. Also, the "food nazi" situation where you can't take food bought at the pits into the arena is crazy. In most ways, though, Atlanta works well for the competition itself, and the "wrap party" was a lot of fun.

From what I've said, it is obvious that I liked Disney for the Championship, but as others have said, it is not likely to return there, at least with the very expensive and less-than-optimum temporary facilities. Still, to me at least, it was fun while it was there.

[IanT]

I would like to see nats back at disney as the reason I live like 5 miles from disney! Lol, I'd be at nats every year whether we compete or not! Well Disney is big and I know funds alot of robotics teams, mine included. I don't see the problem with giving us a discount and a bigger facility, after all it's robotics!


I agree with this guy i live not so far from disiney. the same distance as code//pilot. i would go to nats if it was at disney but seeing how many teams are in one regional i can see why it was moved. someone in this post also mentioned the wide world of sports complex over at disney. this would be the ideal venue for nats. :yikes:

[RoteAugen]

Ill just leave my two cents at this:

at atlanta, i had little to no contact with other teams. i made no new friends, and had a seriously hard time reaching out to other teams as people were caught up in the pits, and when they werent, they were elsewhere and not accessable (unless we broke the elevators again)

at disney i met and maintained friendships from at least 10 different teams, swapped tech support and ideas with 5 others, and physically helped 3 others fix problems/pack up/find parts.

[Koko Ed]

Arnt we getting a little national-ecentric here? what about a championship in Toronto?

Tokyo?

London?

Singapore?

BTW, one great thing about the field being outdoors at WDW - The Xcats handed out buttons to people in the parks, inviting them to come see the FIRST matches

the buttons said

"There are 298 robots outside

and they want to SEE YOU!"
Actually 297. But who's counting? :p

[Dan9874123]

I dont think so, FIRST has definately outgrown Disney. Houston wasn't that great because of the air, and the sprawl of it all, the hotels were miles away from the venue and it required a huge number of buses to move everyone around.

Atlanta was a great venue last year. The place is big enough to hold everybody, the foods not terrible (krispy kremes....mmmmm.....). And aparently there's not gonna be a long walk for spectators this year because the pits are in concourse A instead of B. An added plus is that all the hotels are within walking distance of the georgia dome, and within walking distance of various malls and shops. And there's MARTA for getting people from the airport to the the georga dome and surrounding hotels. So transportation is definately easier.

[Macdaddy549]

I agree that housing my team on Disney property is much safer. There is also much more for the kids to do.

MY VOTE......DISNEY 2007

[wheeler]

Just to put this out there.
This year the pits will be in C hall which is the hall across the green space from the dome. The walk will be shorter and the access will be just as easy for drivers.
Also the bids for 2007-2009 have already been submitted. To my knowledge only a few of locations entered a bid.
It all comes down to location, availability, and access for participants.
I went to Disney in 2002 and enjoyed the experience but to meet people you have to get out and try. I met alot of people last year and even more this year already at Regionals. When you are talking about 20,000 people in one area it takes effort to get out and meet others.
I met a great group of people at the celebration last year and can't wait to see the new theme of the celebration this year.

[servo175]

I dont see Disney holding Nationals again. Its a nice idea but not really logical or realistic. I thought Houston was great, and Atlantas not bed either. I think wherever they have nationals its going to be great. All the venues have draw backs, whether it be the distance between the pits to the fields, or not having enough to do while you are down there. If teams are going down to Atlanta and are trying to find stuff to do i would just recomend booking stuff or getting reservations a head of time so that way your not competing with 300 other teams for restaurants or other things. Plus just getting out and meeting people from other teams is cool.

[Jill1022]

Dang, I sure hope so!

[jpsaul7usa]

I can't believe only one person has suggested Anaheim. ChrisH knows what he's talking about. Come on all you west coast teams, represent! :) 80% of the US population can fly to Atlanta in 2 hours eh? That other 20% is the west coast. I think Nationals out west is a great idea. Switch things up a little, lesson the costs and the jetlag for teams who've paid more and slept less in every year of national competition (unless the championship was out west long ago, was it?). Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center would be a great combination if FIRST could get Disney to open a back door to DCA and get a pedway across Ketalla Avenue for easy access to both Disney and FIRST venues. I even made a visual aid to show how easy it would be:

http://dana.ucc.nau.edu/~jps64/images/anaheimcomp.jpg

I think that's all the evidence needed to prove that Anaheim is the best possible location for a championship competition in the coming years. Go west, young league, go west.

Oh, I'm glad to hear Atlanta's improving over last year. Now with that aquarium they'll have... 2 'eums' to entertain high school students for 3-5 nights? And we all know good things don't end with eum... I loved Championships at Atlanta last year because of the terrific venue (where else are you going to find an indoor football stadium connected to a convention center?) but Atlanta is a terrible city to find nightly entertainment in if you're traveling there with a team of high school students. It does have a beautiful skyline though, and I do want to check out the new aquarium. It sounds cool. We'll have to go next year. I'll let the team know. :)

[Rick TYler]

I can't believe only one person has suggested Anaheim.

I wish they all could be California,
I wish they all could be California... etc!

Great idea. I did suggest (coughing modestly) moving the So Cal regional to Anaheim.

Let's see, what is there to do in the greater LA/OC area compared to Atlanta?

It's not a difficult choice, is it?

http://www.hbvisit.com/externals/cf/f0138cb6d2bf2cf04d623c93ebc4e837f09fc4.jpg

[dangerousdave]

As a long time Atlanta area resident, I would love to have a beach close by but obviously that will never be the case. There is no doubt that So. Cal. has great beaches. However, you will need transportation to get there. From the Anaheim Convention Center to what I believe are the nearest beaches, Newport or Huntington, it is 16-17 miles.

While we can’t compete with the across the street Disney park we do have an amusement park that teenagers and others enjoy. From the Georgia Dome to Six Flags over Georgia is 12 miles. I think that the traffic problems of each city are about equal having driven in both. Atlanta does have a very good rapid transit rail service in Marta that delivers you right to the GA Dome. I don’t know what the Anaheim area offers.

The Atlanta Braves will be in town on Championship weekend vs Philadelphia.

As far as food costs at the GA Dome, without a doubt they are way overpriced but I believe comparable to other major venues. However, if you just walk about 3-4 minutes to the CNN Center, you will find a massive food court with many lower priced items and a much better selection.

Hopefully the pits will be less of an issue or perhaps a non-issue beginning this year. This year the pits will be located in building C which is directly across from the GA Dome. See the attachment below.

As others have stated, there are not an abundance of activities in downtown Atlanta for visitors to do but that is being addressed. Perhaps the high school students don’t care much about a world class aquarium (late 2005) as a previous post mentioned. It will be right there with the World of Coke, Centennial Olympic Park and the CNN Center / GWCC. I think that most attendees from last year will state what a great party was had at the park. Many downtown hotels are right there also or only a short walk away. Atlanta does have great nighttime entertainment but you have to get on the Marta rail to get to it.

As far as meeting and convention space goes between the two sights:

The Georgia Dome has 102,000 sq. ft. on the field. The Anaheim Convention Center has 28,140 sq. ft. on the floor. Can the ACC accommodate 4-6 First playing fields? I do not know but look at the numbers.

The Georgia World Congress Center has 3.9 million sq. ft. of space while the Anaheim Exhibit Halls have 813,607 sq. ft. Obviously the growing needs of First can be met by the GWCC in the future.

As stated in another post, where are you going to find an indoor football stadium connected to a convention center?

I don't know if WDW in Orlando can ever host the event again and I am sorry I did not get to attend it. I certainly understand the feelings of other people here who had a great time there in the past. That area is no doubt a lot of fun!

No I don’t work for the convention bureau; I just enjoy promoting what the city can offer to First Robotics and obviously am happy to have The Championships close by. If another city gets the event in 2007 and beyond our team will be there when eligible, because First Robotics is just so much fun. I think we all can agree on that. :)

[JonBell]

If we go out west, the only true place to do it is the Alameda Naval base, but I hear that there are too many nuclear wessles there ;)

[Rick TYler]

My apologies to dangerous Dave. I was having some fun. That pier is where I grew up: Huntington Beach.

I've been at conventions all over the country. There aren't many places that have the facilities that I think you need for the Championships. Since I haven't been to one yet, what is required? Do you need sports-stadium seating for all the fields, or do they bring in bleacher sections and use a convention center? If you need stadium seats, that would really reduce the available locations.

Interestingly, to me anyway, one of the facilities that might offer enough space for that many stadiums is the Portland convention complex. Between the Rose Garden Arena and Memorial Coliseum, and the Oregon State Convention Center there is lots of room. They are all in the same neighborhood, which also has lots of hotels. It's not the World Congress Center, but it's pretty big.

[dangerousdave]

Rick, You have no need to apologize. You were just stating where you would like to have the Championships! It is extremely unlikely that this thread will influence anyone that is making the decisions for 2007 and beyond but it is fun to promote each of our preferences!

[katiyeh07]

I personally think that there's a chance FIRST will go back to Disney in the future (hopefully near future, Disney was great). I don't think it was an issue of us outgrowing the facilities, I think it was simply a matter of how expensive it was. If you think about it, the turf, the tents, the air conditioning in the tents, the stage, all the stands, the bathrooms, the food, ect. It just seems like it probably got really really pricey. I loved Disney, it was like our own little niche. Not to mention, its Disney World, how can you not love Dinsey World? Atlanta is good too, but personally I hope we head back to Disney...

[CourtneyB]

I thought disney was awsome for nationals! I so wish it went back to being the host of nationals. yes i still liek atlanta and all, but i thoguht nationals bring at Disney was awsome. It was much more opener and bigger and plus it was outside (well at least the seatings and the einstein field). The team social was also cool too having it be at epcot and stuff, and our team would have a whole day (sunday) to go tot he parks, etc and do whatever cuz of course its Disney! haha

[stealth13777]

Atlanta should improve this year... pits will be closer to the game fields and more doors will be open into the georgia dome. Being from an atlanta are school, we really like it hear. Having heard rumors from trusted sources I think nationals will probably be held in atlanta for five or more years