Planing a trip to WDW for school marching band

[yaya74]

So last night, I attended my first high school marching band meeting with my daughter who will join the group in the fall. One of the reasons why I supported my daughter joining the marching band is the chance going to WDW with the band. Although we have been to WDW four times by ourselves, the trip would be more fun if my daughter gets to go with her friends and I get to go without my husband who is really not a Disney fan. However, during last night's meeting, the band director said a trip to WDW is not possible due to 1. the cost and 2. the difficulty of using Genie +. So instead the band will go to Chicago next year. (Thanks a lot, Mr. Chapek for ruining my dream!)

(Note: I post the above message on the "Disboard on Facebook" group for some sympathy... but it didn't work out the way I had hoped. I got called a Karen and some people thought my message was stupid. So I removed it and try here )

Since I will be joining the band PTA, is there anything that I can suggest to the band director and even help him plan a WDW trip so we get to go??

 

[glocon]

I feel like in a past thread regarding a band trip, they said they couldn’t get G+ on the tickets. Maybe search for that thread for more info. If G+ gets taken out of the equation then maybe the school will consider it?

The cost factor, well I’ve got nothing on that for you. My son wasn’t in the band so I have no knowledge of school trip costs. Maybe you can offer to start a fundraiser for that, or search for less costly places to stay.

Good luck to you - I hope it works out!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Another factor to consider is how far in advance Disney chooses their bands that play? I would anticipate that due to the coordination of planning and fund raising it requires, they plan and book these bands far, far in advance. I feel this is an important fact that needs to be investigated.

 

[Marionnette]

So last night, I attended my first high school marching band meeting with my daughter who will join the group in the fall. One of the reasons why I supported my daughter joining the marching band is the chance going to WDW with the band. Although we have been to WDW four times by ourselves, the trip would be more fun if my daughter gets to go with her friends and I get to go without my husband who is really not a Disney fan. However, during last night's meeting, the band director said a trip to WDW is not possible due to 1. the cost and 2. the difficulty of using Genie +. So instead the band will go to Chicago next year. (Thanks a lot, Mr. Chapek for ruining my dream!)

(Note: I post the above message on the "Disboard on Facebook" group for some sympathy... but it didn't work out the way I had hoped. I got called a Karen and some people thought my message was stupid. So I removed it and try here )

Since I will be joining the band PTA, is there anything that I can suggest to the band director and even help him plan a WDW trip so we get to go??

I have a feeling that the deciding factor was cost, with G+ just being a minor consideration. Disney has their package price for visiting school groups. It's not negotiable and it's very expensive. Kids can spend years fundraising to cover the cost. Disney probably just isn't within the band's budget this year.

 

[martikus]

If the only reason your child is doing marching band is hopes of Disney you are in for a long 4 years. it’s HARD work being in marching band so your kid has to enjoy it. It can be such a fun and rewarding experience if in it for right reasons. And gives your child a group to hang with/identity in high school.

Socio economic makeup of your band families drives a lot. We are state winning so a lot of our fundraising goes to faculty etc. trips are extra cost. They try to do one every other year because so expensive and our families aren’t rich. Last year was DC and the kids had a GREAT time.

Keep in mind too trips to places like Disney aren’t like they are for vacations. They probably only get one day to do rides. The rest is marching or getting taught a class etc.

I hope you can enjoy the band experience - we just love it. But I don’t think you are going to convince everyone to just go to Disney.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I know our High School concert band goes to Disney every year. It's a bus trip for our school and not expensive. This past year the middle school band went too. It's in spring, around Spring Break time and it's for a music festival of some sort, that's held at the Contemporary. My high school actually participated in a similar, or could even be the same event, 42 years ago. I came with them the year Epcot was under construction. DGD is in color guard so she doesn't go so I don't know the details on it other than they go. I know they did not do/use Genie on their trip this past spring. There's school group programs that you pretty much just purchase and go, to sum it up to a very short cliff notes version. Google it and see if you can find links to the programs somewhere. It's not the old YES program but it's like that. Disney Arts maybe? It's a start at least.

 

[FreeTime]

I agree with the poster that said marching band is hard work and if your daughter is only joining for the travel, I wouldn’t do it. Our band actually cancelled their last trip due to the expense and went to Chicago instead. For prior trips, it wasn’t all roses. The kids do not get to do lots of attractions and have a strict schedule. Also, you said you are disappointed because you were planning on going. Our band has very strict rules on chaperones one of which is parents are not chaperones. They use teachers, retired teachers, coaches, board members, etc so that the kids get away from parents who have to be involved with everything. Other schools I know pick the chaperones years in advance for the big trips. For example, kid is in 5th grade band and they think they will succeed…parent is asked to start saving then just in case as they would like to preselect them as chaperone. Crazy!

 

[NavyDad]

So last night, I attended my first high school marching band meeting with my daughter who will join the group in the fall. One of the reasons why I supported my daughter joining the marching band is the chance going to WDW with the band. Although we have been to WDW four times by ourselves, the trip would be more fun if my daughter gets to go with her friends and I get to go without my husband who is really not a Disney fan. However, during last night's meeting, the band director said a trip to WDW is not possible due to 1. the cost and 2. the difficulty of using Genie +. So instead the band will go to Chicago next year. (Thanks a lot, Mr. Chapek for ruining my dream!)

(Note: I post the above message on the "Disboard on Facebook" group for some sympathy... but it didn't work out the way I had hoped. I got called a Karen and some people thought my message was stupid. So I removed it and try here )

Since I will be joining the band PTA, is there anything that I can suggest to the band director and even help him plan a WDW trip so we get to go??

Our DD just did her High School Band Trip in April and it went fantastic. We used the BrightSpark travel company that specializes in school trips. Highly recommend them and I would make it mandaory that everyone buy trip insurance. Our cost per person was around $1500 which included roundtrip flight from Baltimore to Orlando, private coach service, multiple meals per day. They visited all 4 Disney parks plus did 2 days at Universal.

The kids could not do Genie Plus on their tickets but they didn't really miss it. Our daughter did all of the headliners and everything she wanted. The kids didn't really seem to mind standing in line when they had a half dozen of their friends with them to talk to.

Honestly this sounds like a complete cop-out by the band director. I am an officer in our Band Booster organization. Our director did not want to go either but we arraigned everything ourselves through the boosters and it went great.

 

[NavyDad]

Another factor to consider is how far in advance Disney chooses their bands that play? I would anticipate that due to the coordination of planning and fund raising it requires, they plan and book these bands far, far in advance. I feel this is an important fact that needs to be investigated.

We did plan ours about a year in advance but they are super flexible. Our band was able to march in the parade at MK and do multiple music workshops at the different parks. They even offered us a chance to hold an open air concert at Disney Springs but we declined. They really bend over backwards to accommodate school bands.

 

[NavyDad]

If the only reason your child is doing marching band is hopes of Disney you are in for a long 4 years. it’s HARD work being in marching band so your kid has to enjoy it. It can be such a fun and rewarding experience if in it for right reasons. And gives your child a group to hang with/identity in high school.

Socio economic makeup of your band families drives a lot. We are state winning so a lot of our fundraising goes to faculty etc. trips are extra cost. They try to do one every other year because so expensive and our families aren’t rich. Last year was DC and the kids had a GREAT time.

Keep in mind too trips to places like Disney aren’t like they are for vacations. They probably only get one day to do rides. The rest is marching or getting taught a class etc.

I hope you can enjoy the band experience - we just love it. But I don’t think you are going to convince everyone to just go to Disney.

Our marching band just went in April. Our kids got 8+ hours of park time every day with roughly 1.5 hours a day doing workshops or marching in a parade. Most of the workshops were early in the morning before the park opened. Our daughter (chorus) got to do morning rehearsal with the singers who perform in the America Pavilion show. When Epcot opened for the day, her and her chorus friends had were already walking around World Showcase and having a blast. It was an amazing experience.

 

[NavyDad]

I agree with the poster that said marching band is hard work and if your daughter is only joining for the travel, I wouldn’t do it. Our band actually cancelled their last trip due to the expense and went to Chicago instead. For prior trips, it wasn’t all roses. The kids do not get to do lots of attractions and have a strict schedule. Also, you said you are disappointed because you were planning on going. Our band has very strict rules on chaperones one of which is parents are not chaperones. They use teachers, retired teachers, coaches, board members, etc so that the kids get away from parents who have to be involved with everything. Other schools I know pick the chaperones years in advance for the big trips. For example, kid is in 5th grade band and they think they will succeed…parent is asked to start saving then just in case as they would like to preselect them as chaperone. Crazy!

yeah - that is pretty crazy

Our band had all parents as chaperones. Once our chaperone spots were filled, parents and siblings were able to sign up as tag-alongs. The more people you have the less the costs are with the travel company we used (BrightSpark). The kids had to do 1 in person check in and 1 phone/text check in per day. Almost all of the possible work shops we had to pick from were before park opening so our kids had full days in the parks. We did have a group take a private coach bus over to Saratoga Springs in the afternoon to play with Disney band in the middle of the day and of course the parade was in the middle of the day.

 

[Shellyred8]

Our DD just did her High School Band Trip in April and it went fantastic. We used the BrightSpark travel company that specializes in school trips. Highly recommend them and I would make it mandaory that everyone buy trip insurance. Our cost per person was around $1500 which included roundtrip flight from Baltimore to Orlando, private coach service, multiple meals per day. They visited all 4 Disney parks plus did 2 days at Universal.

The kids could not do Genie Plus on their tickets but they didn't really miss it. Our daughter did all of the headliners and everything she wanted. The kids didn't really seem to mind standing in line when they had a half dozen of their friends with them to talk to.

Honestly this sounds like a complete cop-out by the band director. I am an officer in our Band Booster organization. Our director did not want to go either but we arraigned everything ourselves through the boosters and it went great.

I have a few questions for you:
How did they handle the meals since the dining plan isn't up and running right now?
Did your crew fly to WDW? If they flew, how did they get to and from the airport to their hotel?
Did your crew stay on-site?

Thanks!!!

 

[NavyDad]

I have a few questions for you:
How did they handle the meals since the dining plan isn't up and running right now?
Did your crew fly to WDW? If they flew, how did they get to and from the airport to their hotel?
Did your crew stay on-site?

Thanks!!!

They got meal vouchers for each day. I think it had a certain dollar value attached to it. BrightSpark had different packages that they could purchase from cheap to expensive but everyone had to be on the same package. They could use their vouchers at the hotel or in the parks. On the days at Universal they set up a big breakfast at Hard Rock Hotel that was included in the price and they had lunch vouchers. On the last evening before the flight, we set a pizza party for the kids through Pop Century and paid for that separately.

Yes - they flew. BrightSpark set up private coach service to and from the airport on both sides of the flight. They also set up coach service every day to all the different places the kids had to go. It was fantastic and more reliable than the Disney transportation honestly...

They stayed at Pop Century which they all loved.

I would highly recommend using BrightSpark. I was skeptical as to why we needed a travel company like that and thought we could save money by doing it on our own but they really handled every little detail including things we didn't think of....

 

[NavyDad]

So last night, I attended my first high school marching band meeting with my daughter who will join the group in the fall. One of the reasons why I supported my daughter joining the marching band is the chance going to WDW with the band. Although we have been to WDW four times by ourselves, the trip would be more fun if my daughter gets to go with her friends and I get to go without my husband who is really not a Disney fan. However, during last night's meeting, the band director said a trip to WDW is not possible due to 1. the cost and 2. the difficulty of using Genie +. So instead the band will go to Chicago next year. (Thanks a lot, Mr. Chapek for ruining my dream!)

(Note: I post the above message on the "Disboard on Facebook" group for some sympathy... but it didn't work out the way I had hoped. I got called a Karen and some people thought my message was stupid. So I removed it and try here )

Since I will be joining the band PTA, is there anything that I can suggest to the band director and even help him plan a WDW trip so we get to go??

I wanted to add one more thing:

Getting to march down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom was a once in a lifetime experience. I'm so glad my daughter got to do it. It's something she, along with my wife and I, will never forget.

 

[CNYGuy]

Refreshing this thread...our two youngest are in Marching band. In alternate years we will have one performance/ trip close to home followed by a long distance trip the next year. Did the long distance trip this year, so thinking in 2 years we may be looking at WDW either in February break or Easter break...

Wondering if any other Band Parents can weigh in on their recent experiences:

Duration of trip and time of year
Hotel name and WDW on site vs. adjacent?
Meal choices/ arrangements?
Marching performance vs. Concert performance
Travel Company/ Agent Use?
Day at Universal also?

Appreciate all feedback and suggestions...

 

[Dolphindee]

My son's band will be marching at MK on Thursday afternoon. We are staying off site. We are doing Epcot on Wednesday, MK Thursday and Universal for Friday and Sat. The band does the parade on Thursday and a workshop at Universal on Friday, outside of that it is all free time for them. I am not chaperoning but going and staying at the same hotel as the band.They are taking a Coach Bus down from SE PA and I am flying down with my mother in law. They used a localish company called Peak Performance Tours. I know we are getting vouchers and paper tickets but not sure how that all works until we get there. The cost is $1,450 for each band member (4 to a room). Without airfare my package was $1,315 for a double room. That includes the hotel, the parks (with the park hopper at Universal), breakfast at the hotel, meal vouchers each day and transportation between the hotel and parks (we have to get our own transport to and from the airport).