If your athlete has earned a bid to The D2 Summit, congratulations — you’re headed to one of the most exciting end-of-season events in all-star cheer! Whether this is your first time or your fifth, the rules, schedules, pricing, and bid types can feel overwhelming. I've created this guide from 5 years of experience to help break everything down in one clear place so you know exactly what to expect for May 8–10, 2026 at the Walt Disney World Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
📅 Event Dates & Schedule (2026)
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orlando, FL
Official Competition Dates: May 8–10, 2026
Competition Rounds
- Friday, May 8 – Prelims
- Saturday, May 9 – Semi-Finals
- Sunday, May 10 – Finals
CheerABILITIES teams, skip straight to Finals on Sunday. 🎉
🎀 Divisions You’ll See at D2 Summit
The event includes a wide range of USASF Junior & Senior Level 1–6 divisions, including:
- Small, Medium, and Large divisions
- Junior, Senior, and Coed
- Flex divisions
-
Level 4.2, 5, and 6 variations
Note: Large divisions, defined as those divisions with more than 71 registered teams, will be split into smaller groups (A, B, and C), and each group will crown a champion.
👟 Crossover Rules
Athletes can compete on no more than two teams at D2 Summit, and athletes Level 6 and below may crossover up or down two levels, with a few exceptions for 4.2 and Worlds athletes.
🌍 Can You Do Both Worlds & D2 Summit?
Yes — but with limits.
Athletes may compete at both Cheerleading Worlds and D2 Summit, but:
- Only 8 athletes per team can do both
-
Worlds athletes may only compete Level 4–6 at Summit
🏆 How to Earn a Bid: Understanding Bid Types
This is the topic that confuses parents the most — so here’s the breakdown.
- Wild Card Bid
- Gets your team into Prelims
- Must pay full cost
-
Cannot be used in international divisions
- At-Large Bid
- Skips Prelims → goes straight to Semi-Finals
-
Must pay full cost
- Partial Paid Bid
- Advances straight to Semi-Finals
- A portion of athletes’ travel package is paid
-
Gym must cover added athletes later
- Full Paid Bid
- Advances directly to Semi-Finals
- A large portion (or full amount) of the travel package is paid for rostered athletes
- Priority performance times
To learn more about the different types of bid, check out our blog HERE on Understanding Competitive Cheer Bids.
How Teams Advance Through the Rounds
This is another major point of confusion for new parents — especially with large divisions.
Prelims
- All Wildcard teams must complete day 1 in the Prelims.
- Top 5 teams advance to Finals
- If fewer than 5 teams compete, everyone advances
- Divisions of 21 or more teams advance additional teams (See "Reveals" below)
Prelim Reveals
- Top 5 teams advance to Finals
- All Teams that "Hit Zero" receive recognition and a Peak Performance award
- If fewer than 5 teams compete, everyone advances
- Divisions of 21 or more teams advance additional teams (See "Reveals" below)
Semi-Finals
- All teams receiving an At-Large, Partial Paid, or Paid bid will automatically advance to compete in the Semi-Finals.
Semi-Final Reveals
- The number of advancing teams is based on 50% of the division.
- A minimum of 5 teams and a maximum of 10 will advance to the Finals.
- All Teams that "Hit Zero" receive recognition and a Peak Performance award
Finals
- Advancing Prelim teams and Semi-Final teams perform!
Awards
- Summit Champions are awarded!
Reveals (Advancement Announcements)
Reveals are held live onsite at The Stadium AND streamed free on Varsity TV.
The number of teams advancing to the finals during the D2 Summit Championship is determined by the size of the division and results of the Prelim and Semi-Final rounds.
Prelims:
- The top 5 scoring teams in each division will advance to the finals.
- If a division has fewer than 5 teams, all teams will advance to the finals.
- For the Wildcard large divisions, the number of teams that will advance is as follows:
Registered Teams in the Division After Splits | Minimum # of Advancing Teams | Additional Advancing Teams | Total # of Teams to Advance |
1-5 | All Teams Advance | - | - |
6-20 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
21-30 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
31-40 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
41-50 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
51-60 | 5 | 8 | 13 |
61-70 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
Semi-Finals:
- Teams receiving an At-Large, Partial-Paid, or Paid Bid advance to the Semi-Finals.
- The number of teams advancing from the Semi-Finals is based on 50% of the division’s total teams on the competition day but will be no fewer than 5 and no more than 10 teams.
- Divisions with odd numbers will round up. For example, a division with 19 teams would advance 10 teams.
🏅 Awards & What Athletes Receive
According to the official guide:
- All athletes get a medallion
- Hit Zero teams (first day) earn a Peak Performance Plaque
- Finals teams receive a team banner
- Top 3 teams receive a larger banner + mini banners
- Division Champions earn Summit Rings
🏨 Travel Package & Pricing Overview (2026)
According to the Varsity 2026 pricing sheet:
Hotel Packages Include:
- Disney resort stay (All-Star or Coronado Springs)
- Park Hopper theme park tickets
- Bus transportation to ESPN Wide World of Sports
- Admission to ESPN WWoS
- Celebration Party at EPCOT
Approximate Athlete Pricing (Per-person)
All-Star Resorts (Value Hotel 4-night package):
- Quad Occupancy: $874 (Total $3,496)
- Triple Occupancy: $944 (Total $2,832)
- Double Occupancy: $1,044 (Total $2,088)
- Single Occupancy: $1,324 (Total $1,324)
Coronado Springs (Moderate Hotel):
- Quad Occupancy: $940 (Total $3,760)
- Triple Occupancy: $1,004 (Total $3,012)
- Double Occupancy: $1,164 (Total $2,328)
- Single Occupancy: $1,714 (Total $1,714)
Commuter Pricing and Pricing Comparison
For families who don’t want the hotel package:
- $510 per person (includes competition fees, 2-day park hopper, ESPN tickets (for your athlete only)
Here's a breakdown of what's included and estimated cost for comparison between the value, moderate, and commuter packages for comparison.
Athlete + 1 Guest (4-days) | Value Hotel Package | Moderate Hotel Package | Commuter Package |
Accommodations | Disney's All Star Resort Stay Included | Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Included | Airbnb @ $200/night |
Post Event Epcot Celebration Tickets | Included | Included | $120 ($60 each) |
Disney Hopper Passes (note the park ticket differences when comparing) | 3-days included | 3-days included | 2-days included (athlete only) $495 for Guest (2-day hopper only) |
Disney Park Parking | Shuttle Provided | Shuttle Provided | $60 ($30/day) |
Event Tickets (ESPN WWoS parking is Free) | Included | Included | $50 (Guest Only) |
Commuter Package | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | $510 |
Estimated Total | $2,088 | $2,328 | $2,145 |
If you're evaluating your entire Summit budget other expenses to consider include:
- Car rental versus taxi or ride share.
- Toll pass (Tolls are avoidable, just be sure to factor in traffic and adjust your GPS to avoid toll roads).
- Dining out versus stocking up on groceries. Disney meal vouchers are available for $20 each
- Water Park Tickets: $58/day
- Shopping Varsity Summit swag store (Clothing, bows, stuffed animals, and more)
- Summit specific practice wear and/or bows
- Spirit wear for friends and familyTeam Goody Bags (Gifts donated by parents to the team to celebrate making it to Summit)
What should you plan for during your stay?
If this is your first time attending a D2 Summit, here is what most families plan for during their trip.
- Stay in Orlando 4-nights
- Your athlete's team will likely have a "Practice" at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
- This is a great way for your athlete to feel the excitement and anticipation, plus get to see around the park and what to expect before their big performance.
- 1 Dedicated Park Day
- 2 Performance Days (If you're a wild card team that does not advance the 2nd day becomes a park day)
- 1–2 park days
- 1 team dinner
- Watching other teams perform
- Celebration night at EPCOT
- People love to debate this one, but here’s the truth: I think it’s absolutely worth it. Sure, there aren’t many rides open and the lines can be rough. But when you shift your mindset from “theme park value” to “memory-making value,” it becomes priceless. The bonding that happens - you can’t buy that anywhere.
Final Thoughts: Make the Most of Your Athlete’s Summit Weekend
The D2 Summit really is its own world—the lights, the stage, the parks, the celebration party—it all adds up to a weekend your athlete will never forget. With a little planning (and this guide), you’ll know what to expect at every step. I’ve watched my daughter go in as a Wild Card, fight through Semi-Finals, make Finals, miss Finals, lose by a hair, and stand there with a championship medal. Every version is HUGE and emotional… and no matter how it ends, you’ll want tissues handy. 🤧