Quote:
Originally posted by dlavery
Additionally, I can virtually guarantee that no one on this thread knows all the details of the discussions, arguments, negotiations, and deal-making/breaking that FIRST went through leading up to their decision to move the competition. We can spend months second-guessing that decision. But the simple fact is, the decision has been made, for whatever reason, and the teams only have one choice to make: to attend or not. You can either spend lots of energy complaining about it and whining about how you don’t like the bus system or the theme park across the road or the food, etc., or you can try to figure out how to make a positive experience from the whole thing.
Maybe it is only me, but I think some serious attitude adjustment is in order here.
Flame off.
-dave (gets down off soapbox)
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Well said, Dave and Matt.
While I agree that Disney's parks are great places for vacation, and its fun and relaxing for teams and FIRST participants to visit them and unwind, I still have to say the Championship event is the most important thing out of the whole trip. Some of the most important value of going to the championship event are:
Competing with major teams from around the country under the same roof.
Meet all the other enthusiastic FIRST-a-holic and realize we are all in this together.
Have a chance to shoot for the Champion title.
I still remember when Joe Ross posted his little hoax, everyone was so worried that there wasn't going to be a Championship event at all. Not because there won't be rides at Disney, but because there won't be the competition.
For those of you out there who are going to the Championship Event for rides, I suggest you book your trip to Disney again just so you won't be "disappointed" next year. As far as I knows, Disney is still open for everyone to go. If you aren't interested in the competition itself, by all means make yourself happy and go to whereever you want. I am not being sarcastic or anything... I really do believe if you want to do something bad enough, you can really make it happen.
Mean while, the rest of us are going to go to Houston and check out what the Championship Event will be like. None of us will know what the event will be like until we go there. Mean while, you cannot deny the possibility that you might have fun there.
I can't say that there won't be changes at the event this year... I know for certain that it will be different. But it is still going to be one of the most valuable experience and FIRSTers could have. A lot of teams couldn't go to the Championship event due to money, or the distance, but the ones who does, they always came back talking about how much of a great time they had at the competition.
For those of you who thinks that Disney World is a great place for FIRST, I agree with you, and so do a lot more people. FIRST probably tried everything they can to get the Championship event back to Disney, but it just didn't work out. Houston must be the next best thing. Frankly, I am very thankful that FIRST tried so hard to make sure we HAVE a championship event this year.
And hey, why the negative attitude? There are different way to deal with changes, you can accept it and try to see what good things might come out of changes, or you can reject it and keep on thinking how the past is so good. For me, I am going to look forward to next year's Championship event, and try my best to go.
And remember, without FIRST, those 20,000 people would've have gone to Disney in the first place.