VEX Returns Robotics to Disney World

[Rick TYler]

This announcement was made on the VEX forum today:

Greetings VEX Teams,

That's right. We are thrilled to announce a new event is being added to the annual competition schedule - the VEX Robotics All-Star Challenge at Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex Presented by NASA, iRobot, EMC, Autodesk and the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. The tournament will be held November 12-14, 2009 at the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort near Orlando, Florida.

A multi-year agreement has been reached with the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort to host the VEX Robotics All-Star Challenge each fall at Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex. The top teams from the VEX Robotics World Championship will earn special invitations to this event each year. The All-Star Challenge will be open to any teams from around the world who wish to participate and test themselves against the best of the best from the previous season in the new game for the current season (2009/2010-Clean Sweep).

The VEX Robotics All-Star Challenge at Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex will also be a qualifier for the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship, with the top teams earning an automatic spot. The event is now posted and open for registration, but space is limited.

Entry Fee: $250 per Team
Disney Hotel three night package:
Quad Room: $295 per person
Triple Room: $320 per person
Double Room: $363 per person
Single Room: $494 per person
Airport to Hotel Transportation: Included
Hotel to Event Transportation: Included
Park Passes: Included
Free entry into the Disney¹s Wide World of Sports® Complex: Included

You can visit the All-Star Challenge event page at Robotevents.com to register and for more detailed information. More hotel package details and an online registration site to reserve your hotel packages will be posted in the next couple of weeks on Robotevents.com.

We're very excited about the new partnership and can't wait to see the level of competition at this new premier VEX Robotics "All-Star" event each fall.

[Trying to Help]

OK, so that makes VEX more interesting to me.

Trying to Help

[artdutra04]

Niiiiiiiice!

I like how VRC listens to everyone's complaints about FIRST and them goes and solves them, such as the whole debacle a few years back about FTC team numbers, to now hosting a super-event at Disney World (for a very reasonable price no less!).

[JaneYoung]

I can't get over the package. Folks worked hard on that one. Great great deal.

Also, the sponsors look beautiful, just beautiful.
Congratulations on a job well done!

Disney World was just a little before my time in FIRST. So many people have expressed so many fond memories of that time. This is neat and the VEX competitors will have to share stories and photos with us.

Jane

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Disney World was just a little before my time in FIRST. So many people have expressed so many fond memories of that time. This is neat and the VEX competitors will have to share stories and photos with us.

I saw on the team registrations that 418 just registered a VRC team, Jane, so you might as well come down and see what's what.

(You might note in my signature that not only is VRC 418 one of the teams I mentor here in Washington, they've actually gone to both FTC and VRC World Championships, and were Technology Division Finalists at VRC Worlds. It's kind of a convoluted story, but we are giving up the 418 number and it's going to LASA for VEX. I hope they use it well. They've been our most successful team over the last two years. Following the growing tradition of organizations using a single number for all their teams in VRC, we are going to a single number this year.* We still "own" FTC 418 and that isn't likely to change any time soon.)

*(If you aren't familiar with VRC numbering, a school or club can choose to field teams as Number A, B, C, etc. The Cheesy Poofs are 254A through 254F, the Simbotics robots are 1114A to N (I think it only goes to "N"), and the Robowranglers are 148A through whatever. D? Anyway, we are one of the few big VRC organizations that use different numbers for each team, so we are going to switch over -- probably to 575A through G, but that's still being worked out. If you cared )

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

It's kind of a convoluted story, but we are giving up the 418 number and it's going to LASA for VEX. I hope they use it well.

Thank you, Rick. I know you have been very proud of your team(s). History is such an important part of these robotics teams and they do get very attached to their team numbers.

If we ever have the chance, let's have dinner. My treat. We can celebrate the number, 418.

Thank you again, I'll pass your post on to the team.
Jane

[Rich Kressly]

Jane,

Welcome to you and the "new" VRC 418. Having Rick's crew port over to a single number will better able event folks to target, errrrr "assist" his teams .

As for the packages, they're pretty exciting to me for sure. When I learned a few weeks ago that this event was a possibility, I immediately thought of my first two years in FIRST with FRC103. I was in Disney with them in 01 and 02 ... great times indeed.

The way our team runs, we won't be able to plan for it this year, but now that we know the All-Star Challenge exists in the fall, I'm sure 1712 will have discussions early in the school year about planning for fall 2010.

If you've never been a part of a Disney/robotics competition experience I'd encourage you all to give it a go. Even if you don't currently have a VRC team, the entrance fees, etc are very affordable, this year's game is already out with lots of design ideas, and an active Q&A over on the VEX Forum already. From what I hear though, you may need to act fairly soon for 2009.

[skimoose]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

The way our team runs, we won't be able to plan for it this year, but now that we know the All-Star Challenge exists in the fall, I'm sure 1712 will have discussions early in the school year about planning for fall 2010.

If you've never been a part of a Disney/robotics competition experience I'd encourage you all to give it a go. Even if you don't currently have a VRC team, the entrance fees, etc are very affordable, this year's game is already out with lots of design ideas, and an active Q&A over on the VEX Forum already. From what I hear though, you may need to act fairly soon for 2009.

As much as we'd like to go this year, our team works the same way and the economy isn't helping. This certainly gives 228 all the reasons they need to produce a quality robot this year to earn a berth to next year's Disney All-Star event!

Affordability, isn't the only issue, I've heard many FRC teams say they'd be willing to pay extra to return Championships to Disney. I'm positive our team would be no exception. Thanks to all the dedicated FIRSTers who are working on plans for Championship's future. What ever happens Championships will continue to be a quality event, but the lure of a return to Disney is just too great. It was a major recruiting tool for our team back in the day!

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Disney World was just a little before my time in FIRST. So many people have expressed so many fond memories of that time. This is neat and the VEX competitors will have to share stories and photos with us.
Jane

I too, didn't become involved with FRC until after the Disney years, but it seems to always creep into a FIRST conversation. The impact is still being felt today. Must be a culture changing event.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of culture changing events from the past, maybe someone will arrange to have Disney's subsidiaries ABC or ESPN broadcast the competition again. Wouldn't that be a walk down memory lane.