Limiting teams to Nationals

[Madison]

Originally posted by patrickrd
If we utilize Disney for both nationals that happen during the same weekh, we nearly cut the cost in half of what it would take to have two separate nationals. All FIRST & Disney would need to do is set up the tents a few days earlier.

This by far seems the most cost effective option that excludes zero teams. If we double again in size in a few years, we can split nationals into four parts over two weeks. This solution is flexible enough to work with much greater growth than we see today.

Patrick

But, how do you plan for that?

It's one thing to say to say it's not cost effective for the winning to team to hand around a few days for a competitor. . . but, how can a team plan for that prospect at all?

Would every team be expected to book an entire weeklong stay on the remote possibility that they may be competing in the final events? Since most teams won't ever get that far, how do you justify the expense? Additionally, how can you get everyone to agree that it's okay for a team to miss that much school on the slight chance they might compete.

Holding the finals at some later date would work, but it would absolutely destroy all interest and momentum created by Nationals. I don't want to watch everyone compete for three days and then have no resolution as to who wins. That sucks.

Now. . .something just occurred to me. . . what about satellite events around Epcot? It'll be effectively the same as splitting the competition up between the parks, but it'll make moving teams around a bit less cumbersome, I think..... at least, in some respects.

There's our main site, of course. The Millenium Pavilion is sitting dormant on the west (I think) side of World Showcase. I refused to go in during the Millenium Celebration in protest of its ugly cheesiness, but it's pretty big. The Oddysey Restaurant is empty, but it's go low ceilings, but it could be great for auxiliary uses.
We could also set up a bit in The Yacht and Beach Club parking lot. They're quite close to Epcot.

Park admission is the biggest hurdle to that plan, but maybe FIRST could get to Disney to allow FIRST into Epcot during the competition hours (no use trying to get 'em out ), and regular admission media would be required for everything else.

Robots and things could be shuttled around backstage, as there's a road that wraps all the way around World Showcase.