Marching Band

[dzorn]

Need all the good vibes we can get. DS broke his baby toe on Monday and they leave Friday. Have been taping, icing, and elevating but it's still painful. Forecast does not look good for Tuesday either.

Oh my I hope he heals quickly. And no Rain!

I think I've decided to send DH on the bus I will drive the van down with DSil and drop her off at in-laws stay a day then continue on and meet the bus in Disney.

Had the mandatory meeting last night, still missing some parents. What part of mandatory did they not understand?

Decided to book a day at universal hotel when the band checks out to have on site perks there then will move to SSR Had to cancel BC. Then back to In laws, before we head home.

Denise in MI

 

[Liz]

My friend's son is going to WDW with their band at the end of this month. Do the band kids not get to prebook their FP+ even though they are staying onsite?

Thanks!

 

[MelanieRI]

My friend's son is going to WDW with their band at the end of this month. Do the band kids not get to prebook their FP+ even though they are staying onsite?

Thanks!

My DD isn't going until next year and I also wonder how it will work with the magic bands and FP+. We have annual passes and already have magic bands. I told her, she could just wear hers and still use it for entering the parks and charging things. She was like, not if the rest of the band isn't wearing them, I'm not. (I'm not sure if they will stay on site) Her high school goes every 4 years to Disney but this is a big change. I'm wondering how it'll all work out.

 

[dzorn]

My friend's son is going to WDW with their band at the end of this month. Do the band kids not get to prebook their FP+ even though they are staying onsite?

Thanks!

My understanding is the discount tickets are not link able to magic bands, either way we do not have our tickets to link them to the bands. We won't get them till they arrive.

Denise

 

[nuke]

Apparently there are no night time parades any more for high school marching bands. Kids were a bit disappointed about that. Two years ago the band went to Disney and marching in the night time parade was a huge highlight for them.

My son is marching the last Saturday in April before the night time parade.

 

[11290]

Apparently there are no night time parades any more for high school marching bands. Kids were a bit disappointed about that.

Not true, we have 3 bands tonight.

 

[dzorn]

calling for scattered showers the day they are to march

Denise in MI

 

[quest4dl]

Not true, we have 3 bands tonight.

Yes - I think it was originally presented to the kids that way. I asked the director while we were in Disney how it is decided when and where the bands march. He said they put in their requests - he had asked for night parade first. Not sure if there is any criteria, lottery, or order of requests.

Don't worry too much about the forecast - it was fortunately much better than predicted for most of our week there. Their marching day had the worst prediction but it was actually sunny while they marched!

 

[zippy doo dah]

My 2 girls' high school marching band was just there (3-26-3-30)...DH took several videos (IDK how to upload them...but I can try to post a link later). They marched on 3-27 in MK at 10:00 with 2 other marching bands (there was some separation between each group) down Main St. from the firehouse to Frontierland.

Parents weren't able to be chaperones so it was 5 staff members to 70 kids. They had to be in groups and be with a buddy at all times, but inevitably several kids were "forgotten" and ditched by their group. I saw several instances where kids were just sitting/standing alone waiting for their group, so I waited or called one of my girls to come with their group.

The kids had to check in with their chaperone at designated times and that's when they got their meal vouchers. If that's the way you're going, there is a list of restaurants on the back that will accept them and it gives an entrée, drink, side and dessert. If they wanted a resort mug, those had to be purchased separately.

Room doors were taped, but it didn't stop them from opening the door in the morning to check the temperature. Our boosters purchased a case of water and snacks for each room. So the kids who had bags with them were able to bring some water with them. Definitely put a poncho in the bag...the kids last day rained almost all day (there was also a tornado in the area, but Disney was not impacted). And lastly, don't expect it to be like a typical family vacation to Disney...talk with groups about must do attractions and splitting up that way may help...just have fun knowing that you're in Disney with a group of friends that you probably wouldn't travel with normally!!

 

[MaumeeMom]

Kiddo's HS band is marching at MK before the night parade. Any advice regarding photos and viewing is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[subtchr]

Kiddo's HS band is marching at MK before the night parade. Any advice regarding photos and viewing is appreciated. Thanks!

I am a tour director for bands and choirs and visit with groups 5-8 times a year.

The night parades are fun for the kids, with the lights and crowd cheering them on, but it is VERY difficult to get good photos.

Unless you have a very fast lens and experience with night time action photography, don't count on great pics. What I usually advise parents is to stand at the edge of the hub, farthest from the castle, and try to catch the group coming up Main Street toward you. Here are some pics I have taken from that spot:

[/url]Untitled by suegee57, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]Untitled by suegee57, on Flickr[/IMG]

You can see they are a bit blurry, because of the difficulty of capturing a moving target in low light. Use a sport setting, if you don't have manual controls on your camera, and hope for the best. Flash does not really help because the range is not long enough.

If there are people already there when you arrive, waiting for the MSEP, strike up a friendly conversation and tell them you would like to take pics of your group, then you will be out of their way. It has always worked for me!

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have about 5 groups scheduled this spring -- I love my job!

 

[MaumeeMom]

I am a tour director for bands and choirs and visit with groups 5-8 times a year.

...

If there are people already there when you arrive, waiting for the MSEP, strike up a friendly conversation and tell them you would like to take pics of your group, then you will be out of their way. It has always worked for me!

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have about 5 groups scheduled this spring -- I love my job!

Wow! Thanks for the info! Sounds like a fun job!

Great advice, I think this is exactly what we will do now that I have seen the pics.

-MM

 

[chartle]

I am a tour director for bands and choirs and visit with groups 5-8 times a year.

How did you get this job?!

For the last trip I did with my son's band I was not only the tour director on the trip but the TA. I made the initial contact with Disney (after that they really want to deal with just the director), found the hotel and booked the buses. Last two were pretty easy. We stayed at a sister resort to the one we stayed at before (same great pool) and I work for a transportation company. We don't have 55 long haul buses but at the time were the coordinator for the 2009 G20 and we used another company for those so I already had a contact.

 

[dzorn]

Kiddo's HS band is marching at MK before the night parade. Any advice regarding photos and viewing is appreciated. Thanks!

One thing another group mentioned have them practice marching at night. One group mentioned it was difficult because they never march at night.

Denise in MI

 

[MaumeeMom]

One thing another group mentioned have them practice marching at night. One group mentioned it was difficult because they never march at night. Denise in MI

That is great advice! We have done night parades before so hopefully the kiddos will do well. This is so exciting, we can't wait!

 

[grimley1968]

I just wanted to say "Thanks!" for this thread and the info in it. As a current high school band parent, whose wife is the band boosters president, I hope they get to go to WDW sometime while one or both my DDs go through their band years.

The only experience I can add is that my older brother got to march in MK in the 70's when he was in the marching band. We watched him in the parade, as he swallowed a bee while playing the tuba. Of course I can laugh about it because he wasn't allergic, but his experience wasn't too much fun. I guess the best advice I can give after seeing that is to learn circular breathing techniques.

 

[subtchr]

How did you get this job?!

For the last trip I did with my son's band I was not only the tour director on the trip but the TA. I made the initial contact with Disney (after that they really want to deal with just the director), found the hotel and booked the buses. Last two were pretty easy. We stayed at a sister resort to the one we stayed at before (same great pool) and I work for a transportation company. We don't have 55 long haul buses but at the time were the coordinator for the 2009 G20 and we used another company for those so I already had a contact.

Just lucky, I guess! Hah

I was a volunteer when my kids were in band -- booster president, head chaperone, band secretary, you name it, I did it -- and when my kids graduated, I met some people who worked for a travel company based in Indianapolis. They organize trips for bands and choirs, and they hire former teachers, directors, and others with the right sensibility to travel with the groups. I love it! I handle everything from transportation to meals to tickets and everything in between, leaving the directors to only worry about performances and chaperoning. I had about 20 trips last year; I think 7 to Orlando, plus Chicago, New York, Boston, New Orleans, and even a 19-day trip to France, Switzerland, and Italy with a jazz group.

Sounds as if you would be good for the job, too!

 

[MaumeeMom]

...
We watched him in the parade, as he swallowed a bee while playing the tuba. Of course I can laugh about it because he wasn't allergic, but his experience wasn't too much fun. I guess the best advice I can give after seeing that is to learn circular breathing techniques.

Yikes! Our kiddo plays tuba/sousa - thanks for giving me one more thing to worry about, LOL!

Band is the best thing to happen to us, it is a great community! I hope your kiddos get to march at Disney soon!

 

[grimley1968]

Yikes! Our kiddo plays tuba/sousa - thanks for giving me one more thing to worry about, LOL!

Band is the best thing to happen to us, it is a great community! I hope your kiddos get to march at Disney soon!

I played trumpet all the way through college, though I never got to march in anything except games, parades and band contests within 4 hours of home. Even though it's probably easier to take smaller breaths playing trumpet than tuba, I got pretty good at it due to witnessing the Great Bee Disaster when I was 9. Kind of hard to forget, and hard to stop laughing about.

 

[Vernie822]

I am glad I saw this thread! My mom, cousin, aunt and I are heading to watch my brother and his HS band in March. I am the planner of the group, my mom likes to plan but has no experience with ADR's and FP's so that's all my territory.

I think the most nerve-wracking thing is trying to plan our days, knowing we have no clue what the band's schedule will be. We are so excited to watch him, though!!