How does everyone feel about the kentucky center in Louisville, KY, being the world championship location for the next few years? Do you like its location, its structure, or other things? Vex and recf try really hard to find a good location, and this really takes a lot of weight off their shoulders, but it would be nice to have a different worlds location everywhere, it makes the experience feel like an adventure, there’s different buildings and places you can visit, the structure of the place will make it feel different. Also, looks like first already planned something similar.
I like the the venue (aside from the barnyard smell of vrc middle school and iq areas) but for teams like us who are based in Arizona it would be easier to go to Anaheim in terms of money but that is a given.
I didn’t get to go this year after going for four years.
From what I hear and saw through pictures, the venue seems nice and bigger. Much better than the tent I was in when Worlds was in Florida.
However, I was told my high school team basically ate fast food for 4 days… We never needed a bus in Anaheim for real food. It seems like Anaheim is so much better in terms of the location, having all the amenities and hotels located in a safe, walking friendly area. Anyone else disappointed?
As well, previously we’d get a night’s sleep before hitting the theme parks. Having to go Kentucky Kingdom after a day of intense competition doesn’t sound appealing to me at all… Hope someone that went will chime in!
You are exactly right about the Kentucky Kingdom after a day of matches it was very tiring. The area around the center includes a good 50% of the people or more that I saw smoking… Finally yes the food was not that good.
A wind down sitting dinner party worked in previous years… I didn’t even go and I could foresee that coming.
Anaheim worked for the not so fortunate teams. The only bus we took was to / from LAX. I might sound spoiled, but going from The Cheesecake Factory, iHOP and Denny’s to Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Subway for dinner because of no transportation makes it so much less attractive. It was easy for our teachers to previously let us roam around. Not so much this year it seems!
While all the above points are true…
RECF should be prioritizing robotics and letting more teams participate in Worlds more than anything else. With this new location they are promising even more teams next year which to me, someone who was a finalist at WA State and still didn’t qualify, seems like it is worth it. Having an amusement park is more of a nice add-on although I can see why the community and food situation is troubling.
I know nothing of how VEX teams are spread out throughout the country/world, but Kentucky is a far more reasonable place for me to travel to than California. KY seems to me to be able to benefit a larger area by providing a closer place to drive to instead of coordinating flights. However the number of teams within driving distance of KY might be less than California (would be interesting to see a density map of VEX teams).
My hotel was within walking distance of the venue (10 minute walk maybe) and I passed numerous hotels on the way there so unless you are lugging your robot to and from the venue everyday, the walk is not that bad.
Restaurants were within driving distance (5 minute drive) if you wanted to eat out everyday, but if you’re like me and don’t want to pay for that many meals in one week it was real easy to get a loaf of bread and some lunch meat to make sandwiches to bring to the competition.
Overall after going to numerous FIRST World Championships, this was a great first experience with VEX. Can’t wait to be back next year (hopefully).
Worlds has been the first airplane ride for many students at Gladstone. I get that robotics is what Worlds is about, but the ability to make it a memorable year-end celebration trip of the season makes it a lot more fun for everybody. Anaheim didn’t require anything extra. With the CDN dollar so low this year, it just wasn’t feasible to see / visit ANYTHING other than the Convention Center/Hotel for the whole trip.
I see your point though and it really is an issue with stronger regions. Maybe a East Coast and a West Coast worlds each year? 
Don’t have a 30 seater 
Location wise it makes sense I guess.
What is that a map of? Total amount of vex teams? From when? The numbers seem small…