Welcome to planDisney, Matthew! Thanks so much for coming to us with your question today. I understand that finding out there's a big event during your Disney vacation can cause a little bit of anxiety, so let's chat about what will be going on the week of your trip and what you might be able to expect in the theme parks!
The D2 Summit cheerleading competition is taking place at
ESPN Wide World of Sports between May 9th and 11th this year, and while it does fall in the middle of your vacation, I don't think you'll have to worry too much about the impact. Without the help of
Madame Leota's crystal ball, I can't predict with any accuracy what the crowd levels will be like when you go, but I can tell you from experience that I haven't noticed much of a difference in wait times or crowds when I've visited Walt Disney World during a sports competition. The athletes will be busy competing and attending workshops while the parks are open, especially during the first few days of the event. The one thing you probably will need to be aware of is that they typically close a theme park early on one night for a celebration exclusively for the athletes. When I went a few years ago, it was
Animal Kingdom, but keep an eye on the calendar as we get closer to your check-in date so you have all the information relevant to your stay.
Matthew, it is very rare for the theme parks to reach capacity, even while events and conventions are happening on property. In the last five years, I can think of only a handful of times I have seen it happen, and those have been on days with expected higher crowds, like New Year's Eve or the 50th-anniversary celebration in 2021. I would not expect any issues getting into a theme park due to phased admission for capacity during your trip. Any notifications regarding phased entry will be pushed to you in the
My Disney Experience app, so keep an eye on it during your vacation so you have all the most up-to-date information.
Have a magical day!
Jessica