2015 AAU National Club Championship
Link to event information:
http://image.aausports.org/dnn/athletics/2015/2015-Clubs-Event-Info.pdf
Link to Event Schedule:
http://image.aausports.org/dnn/athletics/2015/Clubs-Schedule-Tentative.pdf
Link to 2014 Results:
http://image2.aausports.org/sports/athletics/results/2014/club/clubcompleteresults.htm
Previous Team E-mails discussing this event:
2015 AAU National Club Championship July 14-18, Orlando, FL
Each year, the sanctioning organizations (USATF, AAU, TAAF) for Track & Field and Cross Country host their Championship series of meets in different locations. We look at them all and weigh the many factors involved to determine which route works best for our team. This year, we are choosing AAU and hoping that your family is able to attend the 2015 AAU National Club Championship in Orlando, FL on July 14-18. Here are a few key points that went into our decision:
- There is no "qualifier" for this event, so we can make travel arrangements in advance and take advantage of lower pricing. In the other Championships, families do not know if their athlete has earned a spot until the regional meet a couple of weeks before the championship. Then you are stuck paying last-minute prices for travel and accommodations.
- Allegiant Air currently has round trip tickets Austin to Orlando (direct non-stop) for under $165. We booked last night, flying out July 12 (Sun) and returning July 19 (Sun). They only have one flight coming and going and the plane is nearly empty so far. I say we fill it up with our team's families and make it feel like a private charter flight. If you haven't used Allegiant before, they do things a bit differently. They offer a bare-bones price, then ask you to pay extra for almost everything. Let me know if you have any questions. In all, we booked 4 seats, 2 pre-paid bags, and a rental car for the week for $927.
- The event is held on Disney World property at the ESPN Wide World of Sports track and field facility.
- It's Orlando, so you can spend as little or as much as you desire on lodging. AAU has a list of hotels near the venue with negotiated rates. I am investigating the Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort property. It has a traditional hotel as well as 1-4 Bedroom Condos on property. Because the condos are timeshare units, renting them is not quite as straightforward as calling a hotel. If anyone has any expertise in this area, or has a recommendation on Orlando lodging, please let me know.
I wanted to get this info out as early as possible since I know that families plan their summers well in advance. More details to follow. Attached is the meet info from AAU.
Please let me know if you have any questions
Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort - July 12-19, 2015
I wanted to follow up regarding lodging for the AAU National Club Championship in Orlando. As of tonight, my family is booked at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort from July 12 - 19. This property has a traditional full-service hotel (Wyndham Grand - Bonnet Creek), but also has timeshare condos with bedrooms (1-4) and full kitchen and living areas. Booking the condos is a bit different, so I will share my cursory understanding of the process:
Timeshare owners accumulate Wyndham Points to spend on their lodging. When owners do not travel as much as they once planned, they accumulate points that can expire. In an effort to get some value for these points, owners will list a rental at a Wyndham Resort on a site like: vrbo, ebay, homeaway, craigslist, flipkey, etc. You arrange a rental agreement with the timeshare points owner, they rent the unit you want for the dates that you desire and then transfer the reservation into your name as a "guest" of theirs. This requires a bit more research and a certain level of trust in the "owner" that you are renting from.
Anyway, through this process, we secured a 2BR unit, July 12-19 for a flat $800. There may be a way to get a better deal, but I was perfectly happy to lock in that rate ($114 / night).
Here is a link with pictures of the unit and resort property, including a floor plan: