Sunshine Showdown VEX V5 Robotics Competition™ Signature Event
High School
- Date
- 27-Dec-2026 - 29-Dec-2026 Add to Calendar
- Event Code
- RE-V5RC-26-4952
- Program
- VEX V5 Robotics Competition
- Event Type
- Open Tournament
- Event Format
- In-Person
- Field Control System
- Smart Field Control
- Capacity
- 80
- Spots Open
- 80
- Event Region
- Florida - North/Central
- Max Registrations per Organization
- 6
- Priority Registration Opens
- 4-Sep-2026 12:00 EDT
- Standard Registration Opens
- 18-Sep-2026 12:00 EDT
- Registration Deadline
- 13-Dec-2026 12:00 EST
- Payment Deadline
- September 27, 2026
- Price
- $450.00
| Region | Maximum % | # Spots Allowed | # Spots Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida - North/Central | 50% | 40 | 40 |
- Registration opens at a future date.
General Info
Welcome to The Sunshine Showdown 2026!
Get ready for the HOTTEST Signature Event of the 2026-2027 VEX V5 Override Season. The Sunshine Showdown High School VEX V5 Robotics Competition™ Signature Event is happening in Orlando, Florida, the tourist capital of the world! This unique event offers 80 of the most amazing teams from around the world to gather at the entrance to Universal Studios to prove who is ready to earn one of three world qualifying awards. It's the perfect opportunity to experience the beautiful weather and sunshine Florida has to offer that time of year!
Website
Learn more about Sunshine Showdown at https://www.sunshineshowdownrobotics.com/
When:
The Sunshine Showdown will be a three day event, December 27-29, providing teams with a great experience formatted similar to the VEX Robotic World Championship.
- Sunday: check-in and inspection, practice fields open, pits open, skills open, judging begins
- Monday: opening ceremony, practice fields open, pits open, skills open, qualification matches, judging continues
- Tuesday: skills open, practice fields open, pits open, qualifying matches continue, judging if needed, alliance selection, elimination matches, awards, closing ceremony
Where:
Partner Hotel:
DoubleTree Hotel, Orlando, Florida: 5780 Major Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
Stay to Play Housing Requirements for Sunshine Showdown:
Teams must book their hotel rooms through our partner hotel. We have negotiated the lowest rate and discounted parking fees using our unique link. This helps us keep our registration fees low. Please enter team name and number in the Special Comments section when booking.
Guests are able to make reservations through Hilton Reservations at 1-800-222-TREE (8733) using the special rate code (RC5) or the Hilton Link provided. Booking Link: Sunshine Showdown Robotics Competition Hotel Booking Link
Room Rate if booked by December 5, 2026: $142 (available three days pre/post event dates)
Discounted Overnight Parking: $20 plus tax
Discounted Event Only/Daytime Self Parking: $15 plus tax
At the entrance to Universal Studios Orlando, this modern hotel is a 1-minute drive from Interstate 4 and 18 miles from the Orlando International Airport. Casual rooms feature flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi, as well as coffeemakers and custom-designed beds. Some rooms offer views over Universal Studios. Suites add separate living areas. There are 2 casual American restaurants, along with a breakfast eatery, and a Starbucks. There's also an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The DoubleTree is a Universal Orlando Partner Hotel, a short walk to Universal Orlando CityWalk, Universal Studios Florida, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Universal’s Island of Adventure. Universal’s Volcano Bay, the Orlando International Premium Outlets, and the Mall at Millenia are within two miles.
Click the link above or check out our website to book your room!
Things to Do While in Orlando:
Add Some Universal Magic to Your Trip!
Sunshine Showdown participants and their families can purchase exclusive discounted Universal Orlando tickets — up to 50% off!
Tickets are valid for both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, with flexible 10-day use windows.
* Learn more and order your tickets HERE!
Event Judging:
Our Judge Advisor is highly qualified and has served in this capacity at worlds and signature events for several years. Our judges are members of the business and educational community from the Central Florida area. They will be conducting interviews Sunday evening, Monday througout the day and Tuesday morning as needed.
Registration Guidelines:
Registration fee is due by September 27, 2026 for teams who register during Priority Registration. Teams registering after that date have two weeks to pay. Teams registering less than two weeks before the registration deadline must pay at time of registration. Any teams that fail to pay the registration within these guidelines will be moved to the waitlist without notification and their spot will be offered to a team on the waitlist. This is necessary due to the need for teams to make travel arrangements.
Food Options:
Lunch will be a 1 hour window. There are many restaurant options in the area as well as within the hotel. Uber Eats is available for delivery to the DoubleTree Hotel.
Live Stream:
Sunshine Showdown will be live-streamed. Check the Webcast Tab as we move closer to event date.
Set Up For Success:
In order to make this the best experience for all teams, please come prepared for the competition.
-
Know the rules of the game
-
Check the VEX Forum and the Q&A for official rule updates and changes
-
Ensure that you have the latest version of the firmware
Grade Level: High School
Skills Challenge Offered: Yes
Judging Format: Remote Engineering Notebooks
Skills Challenge Offered for VURC/VAIRC teams: Yes
Event Dates & Locations
Date: 27-Dec-2026 - 29-Dec-2026
Venue/Location:5780 Major Boulevard
Orlando, Florida 32819
United States
Contact the Event Partner
You must login to contact this Event PartnerAgenda
Sunday
5:00 Doors Open
Check-in, Inspections, and Skills and Practice Fields open. Pits will be open. Interviews will begin.
9:00 Doors Close
Monday
7:30 Doors Open
8:00 Skills and Practice Fields Open
8:30 Opening Ceremony and Drivers Meeting
9:15 Qualification Matches Begin
12:15 Lunch (Skills Closed)
1:30 Qualification Matches Resume (Be at queuing tables at 1:15) Skills Open
6:35 Qualification Matches End - Skills Closed
7:00 Doors / Pits closed
Interviews will be conducted throughout the day
Tuesday
7:30 Doors Open
8:00 Skills and Practice Fields Open
9:00 Qualifications Matches Resume, Interviews as needed
10:30 Qualifications Matches End / Skills End
11:00 Alliance selection
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Elimination Matches Begin (Some Awards will be presented between matches)
3:00 Elimination Matches End
3:30 Final Awards
4:00 Closing Ceremony
4:30 Doors Close
Volunteer
Volunteers are essential to the success of any event, and this one is no exception. It takes a dedicated team to bring everything together, and we’re truly grateful for your time, energy, and skills. Your support makes all the difference.
All volunteers receive a volunteer event t-shirt. Volunteers will also receive lunch and a skills fast pass on the day(s) of their shift.
Please sign up at this link: Coming soon!
Any volunteer queries can be sent to Lori Westphal at [email protected].
Emergency/Bad Weather Policy
Hurricane season ends in Florida on November 30. And since it doesn't snow here, we do not anticipate any weather preventing this event from occurring.
Refund and Payment Policies
If the Event Partner cancels the event:
Refunds will only be issued if the event is cancelled due to weather or health-related orders from the relevant local and state agencies for Orlando, FL. Due to fixed costs for this Signature event, any refunds will be allocated after all event expenses have been taken care of.
If a Coach/Mentor completes registration for the event then chooses to withdraw or not attend:
No refunds will be issued.
Date: 27-Dec-2026 - 29-Dec-2026
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando5780 Major Boulevard
Orlando, Florida 32819
United States
Travel Info
Event Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando
DoubleTree Hotel, Orlando, Florida: 5780 Major Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
Stay to Play Housing Requirements for Sunshine Showdown:
Teams must book their hotel rooms through our partner hotel. We have negotiated the lowest rate and discounted parking fees using our unique link below. This helps us keep our registration fees low. Please add your team name and number in the Special Comments section.
Guests are able to make reservations through Hilton Reservations at 1-800-222-TREE (8733) using the special rate code (RC5) or the Hilton Link provided. Booking Link: Sunshine Showdown Robotics Competition Hotel Booking Link
At the entrance to Universal Studios Orlando, this modern hotel is a 1-minute drive from Interstate 4 and 18 miles from the Orlando International Airport. Casual rooms feature flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi, as well as coffeemakers and custom-designed beds. Some rooms offer views over Universal Studios. Suites add separate living areas. There are 2 casual American restaurants, along with a breakfast eatery, and a Starbucks. There's also an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The DoubleTree is a Universal Orlando Partner Hotel, a short walk to Universal Orlando CityWalk, Universal Studios Florida, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Universal’s Island of Adventure. Universal’s Volcano Bay, the Orlando International Premium Outlets, and the Mall at Millenia are within two miles.
Click the link above or check out our website to book your room!
Room Rate if booked by December 4, 2026: $142 (available three days pre/post event dates)
Discounted Overnight Parking: $20 plus tax
Discounted Event Only/Daytime Self Parking: $15 plus tax
The Orlando International Airport is the closest airport to the Sunshine Showdown Signature event at 18 miles away, but Tampa and Sanford airports are also possible options.
Webcast
This event will be webcast. Stay tuned for more information.
Judging Format
For Sunshine Showdown, team interviews will be conducted in-person at the event. Engineering notebooks will be submitted digitally for evaluation via a link uploaded within the "My Account" panel of the team contact. The Submission Deadline for your Engineering Notebook is 11:59PM on 12/16/2026.
Our Judge Advisor is highly qualified and has served in this capacity at worlds and signature events for several years. Our judges are members of the business and educational community from the Central Florida area. They will be conducting interviews Sunday evening, throughout the day on Monday and on Tuesday morning as needed. If you are interested in judging, please email our volunteer coordinator at [email protected].
Please note, no parents, coaches, or anyone closely affiliated with a participating organization can judge this event.
Universal Ticket Order Form
Sunshine Showdown Discounted Universal Tickets 2026-2027
Sunshine Showdown is excited to offer all participants, staff, and families exclusive access to DEEPLY DISCOUNTED Universal Orlando Tickets.
Follow the link below to access the form to request your tickets. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
*****Click HERE to order your tickets!*****
PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TICKETS BEFORE CONTINUING:
- Ticket orders due by Wednesday, December 16 at midnight.
- EPIC ticket orders for the December 13-23 Validity window are due December 4 by midnight. These tickets will be mailed to you. This is an additional $10 charge.
- You can order as many tickets as you'd like; and you can do multiple orders.
- All tickets expire after the final day of the validity window.
- After you complete this order form, please send your payment through either Zelle or Venmo.
- If you choose the credit card option, we will email you a secure web link through SQUARE to enter your credit card payment.
- Your order is not complete until payment has been made.
- All ticket payments are due by Friday, December 18, 2026.
- Tickets should be picked up during team check-in on December 27. However, if you plan to use the ticket before December 27, you can pay $10 for us to send it via certified mail.
- Tickets are physical - you must keep up with your ticket!
- We are unable to process refunds. You must go through Universal Ticket sales if you need a refund.
Ticket Validity Windows:
- The ticket validity window for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure options is December 22 through December 31, 2026. There are no blockout dates within this window. This validity window does not include an option for EPIC tickets due to our EPIC Blockout window.
- The ticket validity window for tickets that include EPIC, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure is either December 13 through December 23, 2026 OR January 1 through January 10, 2027. There are no blockout dates within these windows.
Ticket Options:
$160 - 1 Day Park-to-Park: Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure. This ticket option allows you to move freely between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure throughout the day any day between December 22 and December 31,2026. REGULAR PRICE at the gate is $254.
$215 - 2 Day Park-to-Park: Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure. This ticket option allows you to move freely between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure throughout any two days between December 22 and December 31, 2026. They do not need to be consecutive days. REGULAR PRICE at the gate is $428.99.
$310 - EPIC TWO day Park-to-Park: This is a 2-day ticket. Spend one day at Universal Studios Florida AND Islands of Adventure & spend the other day at Epic. This cannot be used as a two day EPIC only pass.Tickets are valid either December 13 through December 23, 2026 OR January 1 through January 10, 2027. REGULAR PRICE at the gate is $369.99.
$365 - EPIC THREE day Park-to-Park: Allows you to move freely between EPIC, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure. This ticket allows you unlimited access to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, AND Epic Universe all three days. No restrictions. You can even go to Epic all three days if you’d like. Tickets are valid either December 13 through December 23, 2026 OR January 1 through January 10, 2027. REGULAR PRICE at the gate is $554.99.
Photo Album
2025 Event Pictures:
Check out our 2025 Sunshine Showdown Picture Album HERE.
Picture Credits: Robbie Arkovich
2025 Event Videos:
Sunshine Showdown Winners Interview | 1658S & 7760X | Push Back 2025
Video Credits: Fun Robotics Network and Logan Thomley (Ace 229V and Gator Robotics)
2026 albums will be posted here after the event!