How We’re Kicking Off Our UCA Nationals Weekend in Orlando

The weekend we’ve been waiting for is finally here! We arrived in Orlando yesterday, and now it’s officially time to dive into all things cheer at UCA All Star Nationals. While Laurel is gearing up for her team’s first official practice of the weekend, the rest of us are settling in and getting our game plan together for the next few days. Here’s what we’ve been up to so far and what’s on deck for today!

Our Travel & Arrival Game Plan

Even though the competition doesn’t start until Friday, we flew in on Thursday to give ourselves a buffer. If you’ve ever traveled with kids, you know that extra time is worth its weight in gold. Well, yours truly forgot my jacket on the plane and said jacket had my flipping driver’s license in it 😬 It seems that it was found by the flight crew and was brought out to my gate, so I'm just waiting for the nice folks at Southwest to bring it out to the baggage claim office (while I hyperventilate a tiny bit). 

Instead of heading straight to Disney last night, we cashed in some travel points for a free hotel stay on our first night, because why not save where you can?. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort Waterpark and the kids LOVED IT. They swam in the heated pool despite the temperature in the 60s, and afterwards didn't even complain about feeling cold (LOL JK JK, they complained the whole walk back to the room). The resort is huge, so if you stay here plan to walk quite a bit to get from your room to the pool entrance and Marketplace where all of the restaurants are. I loved that kids eat free for breakfast with purchase of an adult entree--up to 4 kids per adult entree! That's a big score. 

This morning, we’re making the move over to Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, while Laurel is checking in with her team at All-Star Sports. If you’re staying at one of Disney’s value resorts during a cheer competition weekend, expect to be surrounded by cheer teams, endless cheer backpacks, and a very energetic atmosphere.

Friday at UCA: What’s Happening Today?

Today is all about settling in, getting organized, and soaking up the pre-competition excitement. Here’s what’s on our agenda:

✅ Checking Into Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

We chose to stay at a Disney resort because of the simplicity. With Laurel staying in her team room at All-Star Sports, she gets free transportation to ESPN Wide World of Sports. We booked our room outside of the official competition package so we could stay in a slightly larger room with the boys. Despite picking a bigger room, we actually saved a lot of money compared to the official packages which come with multi-day park hopper tickets that we just aren't going to use. 

✅ Lunch with a View at Animal Kingdom Lodge

We’re keeping the kids entertained with a fun lunch at Animal Kingdom Lodge, where they can watch giraffes and zebras roam the savanna while we eat. No park tickets required!

✅ Outdoor Practice at All-Star Sports

One of my favorite parts of UCA weekend is outdoor practice at the resort. Imagine a giant, high-energy block party with teams stunting on every patch of grass and sidewalk. It’s chaotic, slightly terrifying, and a must-see if you’ve never experienced it before.

What’s Coming Next?

Tomorrow is competition day 1, and we are diving headfirst into the action at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes look at the comp, our best survival tips, and a real-time breakdown of how much this whole weekend *actually* costs.

If you’re here for UCA, let me know in the comments—what are you most excited (or slightly terrified) about this weekend?

Cheers-

Lexie

P.S. If you want to track your competition expenses without breaking into a cold sweat, grab my Cheer Budget Workbook—it’s designed *specifically* for cheer families who want to stay on top of their spending. Grab yours here before the weekend spending spree begins!