Stay at Disney or not

FIRST General Forum
1

Posted by Michael Martus.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.

Posted on 8/7/2000 6:59 AM MST

I know that there are teams that stay off Disney property at the Nationals rather then staying at Sports or Music.

How has that experience been?

Has it saved money? ( The Nationals is the most expensive part of the entire competition ).

From the teams that stay off site what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Afterall with the daily activiites on Thur, Fri and Sat the park pass for those days is a waste. Only if you come in early on wed. and stay Sun do you actually get to use the park.

Opinions?

2

Posted by Splash.

Student on team #53, Team Inferno, from Eleanor Roosevelt High School and NASA GSFC.

Posted on 8/7/2000 2:21 PM MST

In Reply to: Stay at Disney or not posted by Michael Martus on 8/7/2000 6:59 AM MST:

: How has that experience been?

Nothing short of terrible. We stayed at one of Disney ‘friendly hotels’ or something like that two years ago. We would have made it into All-Star but our coach thought we should wait until February to make reservations. The hotel rooms weren’t very nice, it wasn’t close to anything so at night we had to sit around hungry, and transportation was awful. Disney sent buses to pick us up, but not very often because there were only 3 teams at the hotel. At night we weren’t able to take advantage of Disney transportation and missed out on time that we could have spent on the park.

Because it was in the same package deal as the All Star hotels, I don’t believe we saved much money.

I don’t think Thursday and Saturday are a waste for the passes though. Every year we leave on Tuesday so we can spend the whole day Wednesday at the park. This past year we came back on Sunday night so we could spend the day at a park. On Thursday, only important people have to stay at the arena (sadly, everyone is not important). And I’m sure with the teams that have great robots, they don’t spend as much time working on them and therefore don’t need the students to stay on site. Friday is typically a waste. But Saturday can be salvaged if your team (most of them) don’t make it into the finals.

Our team bought the optional Blizzard Beach tickets. While us students wanted to go on Saturday in the blazing sun, our ‘great’ coaches insisted we go Epcot and go to Blizzard Beach on Sunday when it was barely 70 degrees (the employees there wore jackets it was so cool.)

In conclusion, leave early, go home Sunday night, and make your reservations early so you can get a room at Disney.

3

Posted by S. Krussell.

Coach on team #349, Robahamas, from International Academy and Ford Motor Co…

Posted on 8/7/2000 11:21 PM MST

In Reply to: Stay At Disney! posted by Splash on 8/7/2000 2:21 PM MST:

Splash, I read your post THREE times, because I thought I was misreading your message. What a remarkable litany of complaints. I am so sorry that you had to suffer through such a horrible experience
and even sorrier that the Thursday, Friday and Saturday activities at Nationals intefered with your Disney Time.

Okay, pardon my sarcasm, but if the other kids on your team have an attitude like yours, I feel sorry for your coach. I’ll say it again. Unbelievable .

4

Posted by Splash.

Student on team #53, Team Inferno, from Eleanor Roosevelt High School and NASA GSFC.

Posted on 8/8/2000 2:57 PM MST

In Reply to: Unbelievable posted by S. Krussell on 8/7/2000 11:21 PM MST:

Attitude? Let me respond to your comments one at a time.

I did more for the team than the coach. I looked up prices ahead of time so this wouldn’t happen. If you were a student who worked harder, and invested more MONEY into the team, even loaned the team THOUSANDS of dollars, you might get worked up when something like that happends too. Maybe you should feel sorry for the coach, if only he were as hard working as the students, the team would reach its full potential.

Sure I have complaints about what happened that year. And maybe I wouldn’t if I hadn’t worked to make sure that it didn’t happen. But MY POINT WAS to keep people from making the same mistake our team made, staying off-site is not preferable in my opinion.

Maybe you should read my post again. I said ‘only important people ha[d] to stay at the arena (sadly, everyone [was] not important.)’ I was there everyday. So the 4 day tickets are not a waste for everyone. Perhaps you didn’t notice that a lot of team pits are practically empty on Thursday. Considering that some teams have 50+ students, where do you think they are?

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Posted by Michael Martus.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.

Posted on 8/8/2000 9:13 PM MST

In Reply to: Re: Unbelievable posted by Splash on 8/8/2000 2:57 PM MST:

Allright guys cool down a bit. Notice in ‘posted by’ who is writing, student, coach, engineer or other. I think you will understand the different perspectives a little better. Views differ depending on who is talking.

As far as our team #47 Chief Delphi, All students go to the park or none at all. Each student, coach, engineer has assignments. Thur, Fri, Sat (except party) are not park days. If there is time at the end of the day it must be spent back at the hotel relaxing and saving energy for the next days events so all can give 100%.

In the 5 past years we have operated as a team both in work and in fun. However, many teams have different structures and it works for them. Each team and the leadership of the team must make choices based upon the what everyone wants.

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Posted by Jon.

Engineer on team #190, Gompei, from Mass Academy of Math and Science and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Posted on 8/7/2000 7:27 PM MST

In Reply to: Stay at Disney or not posted by Michael Martus on 8/7/2000 6:59 AM MST:

We’ve stayed at the Doubletree Suites, which are part of the Downtown Disney region. they are very nice and there are lots of places to eat nearby and stuff, its also less expensive in the end according to our money person…

i prefer all star because of the proximity to other teams, but having stayed in both, i am much more comfortable in the suites and going a little further on the bus… both are technically onsite i guess

given a choice: all star

7

Posted by Pamela.

Student on team #166, Team Merrimack, from MHS and Unitrode/ R S Machines.

Posted on 8/7/2000 8:36 PM MST

In Reply to: Stay at Disney or not posted by Michael Martus on 8/7/2000 6:59 AM MST:

This is my brother Nick, He and the rest of my team definitly have an opinion about staying off Disney
from their ummmm…wonderful experience.

Three years ago we stayed in an off-Disney hotel. And it sucked…big time! Our rooms had cockroaches, the hotel had bad service (none of that smile while you work stuff that goes on at Disney) and I couldn’t even buy a postcard from the gift shop to send to my parents b/c all of them had naked people laying on the beach. But the thing that made it worst was that we had one bus over in the morning and one bus home at night. Two years ago we stayed in All-Star movies and it was great! Being able to decide to go back to our room in the middle of the day or have an early (or late) night was great. I would definately recommend staying in Disney to anyone b/c it really is that much better and the All-Star hotels are pretty cheap but very nice (even if I did need to put up with a scenic view of Herbie the Love Bug every morning).

8

Posted by Greg Mills.

Engineer on team #16, Baxter Bomb Squad, from Mountain Home and Baxter Healthcare.

Posted on 8/8/2000 5:52 AM MST

In Reply to: Stay at Disney or not posted by Michael Martus on 8/7/2000 6:59 AM MST:

:
We hit upon a very workable solution last year - the students and adults from the school stayed on-site. The Baxter folks stayed at the Maingate Ramada. Saved alot of money and worked nice. Good bus transportation and rental cars are cheap in Orlando. Good food close by - ten minutes to EPCOT.

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Posted by Ryan Shanley.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Student on team #191, The X-Cats, from Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School and Xerox.

Posted on 8/10/2000 7:53 AM MST

In Reply to: Stay at Disney or not posted by Michael Martus on 8/7/2000 6:59 AM MST:

I understand that teams have had good and bad experiences with Disney, as well as with non-Disney organizations. However, what venue other than Disney could not only support such a large (and growing) gathering of people from all around the world, but house them, feed them, and entertain them?? Disney, despite its drawbacks (which I am very aware of), has the necessary experience, capabilities, money, space, and man-power to accomplish such a feat, while at the same time tending to its normal guests, as it has done for years now.

If someone can give me an alternative to Disney as a home for Nationals that could do all this, I would be totally supportive to looking into the change.

ryan

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Posted by Joe Johnson.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 8/10/2000 6:48 PM MST

In Reply to: ALTERNATIVE??? posted by Ryan Shanley on 8/10/2000 7:53 AM MST:

I still hold that many places could host the Nationals.

See my message from early August on this very topic.

Joe J.

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Posted by Jason T…

Student on team #191, X-CATS, from Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School.

Posted on 8/11/2000 6:59 PM MST

In Reply to: Alternatives are many… posted by Joe Johnson on 8/10/2000 6:48 PM MST:

Although many places could hold the nationals, I still think Disney is a great place to have it. If it weren’t for FIRST I would never travel. Both of my parents work full time just to make ends meet and have no money for a vacation. Although the Nationals are always held at Disney, also remember that the Regionals are held in many many places. I think the main reason that the Nationals are held in Disney World is that many people will never get to see Disney. I for one would have probably never left New York if it weren’t for FIRST.

I think that it should stay in Disney, mainly because there are many people who will never have the chance.

Jason ‘JDoggyDog’ Trotter

: I still hold that many places could host the Nationals.

: See my message from early August on this very topic.

: Joe J.

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Posted by Ryan Shanley.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Student on team #191, The X-Cats, from Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School and Xerox.

Posted on 8/11/2000 8:19 PM MST

In Reply to: Alternatives are many… posted by Joe Johnson on 8/10/2000 6:48 PM MST:

I am curious, but for the sake of the discussion, what were your other ideas for venues would be (as I said, I would be in support of looking into a change to a better home for nationals).
…call me pessimistic, but even if a city with that many (vacant) hotels was available, I doubt that it wouldn’t produce similar (or even worse) problems as those expressed…holding nationals in another city would no doubt bring higher costs for room, board, transportation, etc, and many teams that can’t afford such a rise wouldn’t make it as a result…Disney gives large dicounts so that around 20,000 people can eat and sleep in the same general vicinity for the same weekend, and get to and from the competition.

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Posted by Nate Smith.

Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.

Posted on 8/13/2000 11:44 AM MST

In Reply to: Alternatives are many… posted by Joe Johnson on 8/10/2000 6:48 PM MST:

: I still hold that many places could host the Nationals.

: See my message from early August on this very topic.

: Joe J.

One of the nice things about it being at Disney, in addition to what the other people have mentioned(discounts, crowd control, chance to travel, etc.) is that for the teams that can take the time to stay a day or two beyond or before the competition, it gives them something to do! While other major cities may have the venue space to host the event itself, you also have to look at the added benefit of being on a site where you have plenty to do with any spare time you have. Think regionals: except for the team party Friday night, what did you do with a lot of the non-competition time? Drove the staff at the hotel crazy, right? Not a problem with nationals at WDW…

Just my thoughts…

Nate

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Posted by Dodd Stacy.

Engineer on team #95, Lebanon Robotics Team, from Lebanon High School and CRREL/CREARE.

Posted on 8/10/2000 8:03 PM MST

In Reply to: Stay at Disney or not posted by Michael Martus on 8/7/2000 6:59 AM MST:

For the three years that we have attended the Nationals, we have stayed at the RIU Orlando Hotel in Lake Buena Vista. This is right on the highway, 10 minutes from Epcott. The hotel is modest in cost, clean, the people are nice, and our (frozen New England) kids like the pool in April. ‘Cheap’ food of various interpretations is available on foot.

Transportation to Epcott was viable the first two years via the courtesy buses that serve the hotels, and the schedule was frequent enough to work out, although they were a little reluctant to take organized groups, like FIRST teams. Last year the hotels had changed bus vendors, the schedule had shrunk, and we wound up renting a van and a big car. Two trips each of two vehicles, and we could get our team of 18 young people and 6 elders to the games, so it worked out.

When we go to the robot games, we go to the robot games. We fly down Wed pm, check into the hotel, and settle in. From Thursday morning (late for those not essential in the pits) through the awards ceremony Saturday evening, we focus on the competitions and our scene together at the hotel. Those who want to stay late at the wrap party Saturday do so, and those who are pooped retire to the hotel.

Sunday is free day to go to the parks, lounge by the pool, blob in the hotel (some actually do), or visit Cape Kennedy, etc. The rental vehicles come in handy for those who venture out a ways. People team up, look out for one another, check in for a head count when/as pre-agreed. Monday we fly home. We separate the Disney park thing totally from the FIRST thing, and it’s worked well for us.

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Posted by Joe Johnson.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]

Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 8/10/2000 8:26 PM MST

In Reply to: Nationals Hotel Experience posted by Dodd Stacy on 8/10/2000 8:03 PM MST:

As usual, Lebanon Robotics hits the target about as well as any.

I admire your team for a number of reasons, not the least of which is your team’s ability to focus on important matters. I think your Florida plan helps that happen. My question is one of the chicken and the egg: Does your focus produce the plan or does your plan produce the focus? Perhaps some of both.

I will run your team’s plan of action past the folks on our team to see if some or all of it could be adopted to fit our team.

Thanks for your input.

Joe J.

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Posted by Dodd Stacy.

Engineer on team #95, Lebanon Robotics Team, from Lebanon High School and CRREL/CREARE.

Posted on 8/10/2000 9:33 PM MST

In Reply to: Lebanon continues to impress… posted by Joe Johnson on 8/10/2000 8:26 PM MST:

Thanks for the kind words, Joe. I’m very clear about it - it’s the focus that produces the plan. We pretty much show up by our fingernails, and thanks to some pretty amazing dedication by our Engineer/Leader Jim Lever of CRREL, which, by the way, is the Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab, and our sole Teacher, Pam Franklin, and by the equally amazing energy of a couple of the kids’ parents each year.

There just isn’t any question about why we’re there, and I have never sensed that the kids fail to share the focus. The Sunday in the parks is the ‘coming down’ experience to soften the crash after the FIRST Nationals life-changer.

Dodd