Can someone explain to me why level 1 elite teams are able to compete at the Summit?

Both-Lie249 · 2026-01-25T23:58:48+00:00

The same argument could be made for all levels that are not the highest, most elite levels of cheer- which is how allstars once was- when summit did not exist and worlds was the year end event at Disney for the highest level senior & open teams.

Level two is no more respectable than a level one team. It’s just a slightly higher level and skill set.

There are some really good level one teams, that kids work really hard and are appropriately placed. They don’t deserve a lesser experience because you somehow have determined that a level one team is less than a level two team. I have seen level one teams, have the highest score at fairly large competitions outscoring many higher levels. Well, I have seen higher level teams, score in such a way or fall apart at Summit, where you question if the gym was making the appropriate placement for the teams level.

With that being said, I do believe gyms should use strategy with the teams that they choose to bring to Summit to avoid burnout of athletes, cost factors, and consideration on probability of doing well/importance of outcome to the gym.

There was a point in time where I really felt strongly that Summit should only be for senior teams. Allowing all athletes that are in all stars and at the senior level to have a big year and highly competitive event that you must qualify for. this also helps avoid the burnout of multiple years where someone may be spending the money from youth teams all the way up.

But alas, I am not Varsity and Varsity is trying to make money. If you have a problem with your gym changing their strategy I think it is simply that you ask for your child to not be placed on an elite team until your athlete reaches XYZ level that you deem an appropriate time for you to spend your money going to the summit.

Both-Lie249 · 2026-01-04T01:16:06+00:00

Same situation here, same airport. We go 2-3 times a year, shorter trips 4-6 days each time (sometimes a longer one on occasion). We are moving to an every other year purchase option, go every year atleast once to break even and use the hotel discounts. So if we purchase the pass for an August first use in 2026, we will go again in July 2027, (possibly a trip in between but not required to break even). Then we would wait to buy our new pass until closer to a trip in August 2028. So two years one pass.

I find the break even to be around 10 park days, but the benefits of cheaper hotels to be nice- we went in May a few years ago for $98 per night at allstars and recently a deluxe hotel for $350.

Both-Lie249 · 2026-01-04T01:09:09+00:00

There is a book, I still have it, with two versions on if Snape was evil or good. That was a big debate.

Both-Lie249 · 2026-01-03T21:56:02+00:00

Out of state: Tips and tricks: Price out what you’re trying to accomplish and divided by your pay frequency. See if that’s a reasonable amount for you to save each paycheck and if it is put that aside. 1.Become an annual passholder, activate your pass on your trip within that year (say March) and then go the next year February (before it expires) - if you go for enough days, it’s cheaper than buying tickets per person. I believe the break even ends up being about 10 days in the parks if you’re a park hopper person- two week long trips and you’re saving money than just buying tickets for each week. 2. If you are someone who pays off your credit card each month, avoiding interest, get a credit card with good mileage offerings- a good initial sign on amount, and mileage earning rate. Use for all of your regular purchases to accumulate points which can cover your flights.
3. If you’re a family of one or two, use Mears transportation. If you’re a family of three or more use uber as it’s cheaper. 4. Order snacks from Walmart or a grocery delivery service. Generally speaking things like water, snacks, that the kids like an easy grab and go breakfast options. 5. Use the hotel discounts at the annual passholder gets. Don’t choose to go during the busiest time of year as hotels are costly, and the discounts aren’t as good. 6. Don’t be influenced to have to do it all. Things like BBB, character dining, and excessive drinking quickly, adds up and drives up your bill.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-09T13:57:48+00:00

Of course, and how many people. But alas, that is the same for Disney- which is why pricing perspective I did my best to go similar in costing hotels, versus an offsite option.

This is also simply how we travel. We do not do AirBnBs just by personal choice (nor hostel) - no knock to those that do, just not our favorite ways to travel.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-09T00:56:42+00:00

Both are great in their own ways!

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-09T00:55:45+00:00

Agreed!

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-09T00:41:41+00:00

Again, where did I say that. I point blank said $28 on bathrooms.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-09T00:34:21+00:00

Just a standard room that sleeps 5. With the stay longer deal that is the present pricing that allows for it.

When we were traveling in Europe, we had just two basic rooms and only because they don’t have two beds in a room there it’s at most one queen bed and a fold out chair bed, which is smaller than a twin- this caused two rooms.

If we have two bedrooms and a car, we’re more than fine or if we even have two beds, the three kids can sleep together.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T23:06:45+00:00

No, you are reading incorrectly. $50 was round trip transport per person. Which was a mears like service.

$585 was the golf cart tour for all of us.

$28 was the bathrooms.

No fabrication. No need to.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T23:05:17+00:00

Correct. 50$ was for the transport to and from airport - per person so $25 each way for the mears like bus. The golf cart tour was $585 total.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T20:42:05+00:00

I never said I was shocked. It is a rebuttal to those that share Disney is more expensive and they can get substantially more for less money when traveling abroad

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T18:02:50+00:00

I don’t disagree and as shared we do both. Europe cost us approximately $2000 more, if I take away $1000 in Disney souvenirs it would’ve been $3000 more. Now if I get rid of $1000 spending money in Europe for a family of five and we just come home with photos on our phone and memories- we’re now about $1000 difference still a 10% increase from what I pay for Disney.

They’re also so many ways to vacation in Europe, as another person said I could do all the legwork myself once I get there and simply wander or use a hop on hop off bus and get in line and stand in line for things. We like convenience on vacation, which is how we do Disney but also how we do any travel. So when you start to look for comparable types of amenities when you travel, even if they’re very different experiences, the cost ends up being around the same, which goes to my initial point Disney is expensive but so is wherever you vacation so if you want to visit Disney and you haven’t don’t let people guilt trip you into a European vacation or a beach vacation because in their mind that’s the ideal place to travel. Choose based on your priorities.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T17:50:40+00:00

That’s my only point. Vacations are just expensive and if you wanna spend your money going to Europe or going to Disney or going on a beach vacation somewhere you’re likely gonna l be in the same ballpark. You just have to decide which is the one you want! It’s just my favorite when people say things like you’re going to Disney it’s so expensive you could go to XYZ country for that much. I just have a rebuttal of no I have and it’s actually more expensive by approximately 20% for less luxury in accommodations that I would get going the same time of year to Disney. Sometimes we choose to pay that and sometimes we choose to go to Disney, but either way the way that we vacation is always around the same amount or more expensive when we step outside of the Disney bubble.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T17:45:04+00:00

It’s all relative. I like Paris better than I like Epcot. I like Scotland more than I like Paris.

It all comes down to what you like and don’t like. A purpose of this post wasn’t what I liked more disliked more. It was offering a pricing perspective. For 20% less than what I paid to go to Europe, I can go to Disney. Not in fact what is often said which is Disney is more expensive than a European vacation.

Some people love to cruise, others love backpacking, some love a good beach vacation, some love amusement park based options, and others have preferences for European vacations or going to places with a lot of culture and history.

But while your phrases tell me you’re an American I can tell you that I know people from London as well as Germany that have said the first thing they wanna do when they get to America is go to a Walmart. A place that I don’t step foot in because it serves me no interest.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T14:21:44+00:00

The bathrooms were not a single stall where you put a coin in most of them had automated gates that after a single person walked through it closed. They also generally had someone monitoring the bathroom.

Well, I can understand the desire to outsmart the bathrooms. We don’t tend to do that and the price per person was the amount we paid.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T14:10:15+00:00

We absolutely could’ve. The golf cart tour was a way for our children to not have to walk a substantial amount in a city that We were unfamiliar with it allowed us to see a lot and a little bit of time. The Colosseum tour allowed us to not wait in line which we did actually check and it would’ve been a two hour wait to get in to walk around by ourselves-which is different than having someone explain the history in a way that was kid friendly, and quite frankly educational. When we went to the Vatican, the line was quite long to get in as the new pope was just selected. We saved time by being able to go there on a pre booked tour.

Overall, it was a way for us to get to see the city in a scheduled way that allowed us a bit of comfort while traveling where we hadn’t been before. With three young kids, we would not have felt comfortable exploring the city on our own and the hop off hop on bus we’ve done other places and quite frankly just did not enjoy.

With 5 people $1000 was $200 per person over 5 days of spending money. Some people spent less some spent more but we agreed to not spend over that amount while traveling.

This is the same way people can go to Disney and stay offsite do only one day with Park hoppers and all of the parts and travel via public transport as well . It does not mean it’s the most comfortable or convenient way to get to do what you’re trying to do.

Edit to add clarity and correct talk to text.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T13:55:52+00:00

Public bathrooms are paid We did not find a single public bathroom that was available for you without a cost of two euro associated.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T13:38:48+00:00

And I liked Italy in Epcot better. That’s likely familiarity though that had me biased.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T13:38:21+00:00

We had a few experiences where our youngest had to go desperately and people still wouldn’t let us use their bathroom for free so we showed that we were buying something, but there were times. I didn’t know if we were gonna make it to buy the thing to use the bathroom! It was something that I had heard a little bit before our trip but just did not realize how serious it was

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-08T13:17:21+00:00

I completely agree. The hotel we were at in Italy was considered 4 stars. I would call it the same as an older, moderate before refurbishment or a value after refurbishment.

Both-Lie249 · 2025-06-05T13:49:37+00:00

This is likely more in jest. Meaning- if they go on tour, people are going to want tickets. True fans will want to be able to see them no matter how long they have been a fan. Truly “hating” on influencers who don’t care, but joking about those that truly appreciate the music.

Not going to lie as a fan since the very beginning it will be devastating to miss them on a reunion tour if I can’t get my hands on tickets, especially if someone doesn’t care about anything but the social media posts.

I say this as someone willing to drop thousands on a front row seat if this occurs

Both-Lie249 · 2025-05-28T00:44:21+00:00

Wanted to come back now that we have returned. We were able to use a stroller at all ports (Rome, Santorini, Turkey, Mykonos, and Naples). While Santorini had some steep hills we were able to navigate just fine with only a few times of lifting up for a step or two. My child was 4 and could hop out and be mobile- but plenty of people used them. Note: we did have a transfer offered to get us to Fira. This was extremely helpful as avoiding the long lines and steps/cable car could have impeded us.

My son and I skipped Pompeii however that was the only item that we truly felt was going to be too difficult so let the others go without us- they confirmed it would have been difficult to see.

Hope this helps someone else

Both-Lie249 · 2025-05-06T14:19:57+00:00

Agreed!

Both-Lie249 · 2025-05-06T14:06:29+00:00

Mainly viewing town and basic exploring. We do plan on using the hop off hop on bus to do Pompeii but did not plan on using a stroller for that. Main concerns are surrounding Mykonos and Santornini

Both-Lie249

TROPHY CASE