The Cheerleading Worlds in Orlando & NCA in Dallas are the ultimate places to be a spectator in my opinion.
The atmosphere for both is quite an intense experience, but I will say that worlds requires more "camping out" to actually get into the arena and obtain seats.
The Cheerleading Worlds - Orlando, FL (April):
-Only level 5 & 6 (you are watching the best of the best from around the globe!)
-At Disneyworld, so it is easy to get to from the airport + there are lots of hotels in the area
-Small arena, so be prepared to camp out in line EARLY to get in (6am to get in by 7:30am for the first team at 8am)
-Be ready to sit in the same seat all day long if you want to keep it (alternate bathroom breaks, bring a big backpack full of snacks, a mega gatorade, a blanket or something to sit on)
-The arena is COLD. The air conditioning is blasted always, so wear leggings and a sweatshirt even though you are in Florida
-You can combine this with spectating at the ICU World Championships (cheer on team canada!) for the two days prior to cheer worlds + you can also check out the Dance Worlds @ Epcot during the same weekend. ICU is similar to an Olympic event, with one team per country per division. Its more relaxed in terms of finding a seat and being a spectator & pretty magical to see SO many teams from around the world with pure joy on their faces just for making it to the arena. The awards ceremonies from ICU are actually my favorite thing to watch of the whole weekend. (USA & Japan are spectacular in the dance divisions. USA, Canada, Slovenia, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, Thailand, Chile etc. are all crowd pleasers for the cheer divisions)
NCA Nationals - Dallas, TX (February) :
-Levels 1 - 5 with a few level 6 teams
-At the convention center in downtown Dallas... some hotels in the area with one attached to the convention center. Not as much to do in downtown Dallas itself however, aside from the Galleria. Most things are outside the downtown area. There are plenty of cheer gyms that you could visit after the weekend though such as Cheer Athletics, Spirit of Texas, Pro Spirit, Champion Cheer, etc.
-Spread out between around 4 "halls" (the arena in the picture above + several other ballrooms in the convention center). Its all connected by a large hallway, but you really have to hustle to get from the arena down to the last hall. This means you also have to plan your schedule wisely & know what time & hall that teams you want to see are going on. The hallways can be packed in between sessions, so be sure not to lose a kiddo in the crowd
-The stage for this competition is probably the biggest & best in the entire world (big lights, smoke machines, big backdrops, etc.)
No prob! Enjoy
