145 Middle Schoolers: Wicked Awesome or Epic Fail???DeParting-Such Sweet Sorrow p. 76

[DT83097]

Loving your TR Dee! I'm a little late to the party (took me awhile to catch up on the BC/YC posts)!! But here now and subscribing. Great photos too!

 

[tinacaplan]

I'm here and subbing! Now I need to go back and read! Cannot wait to hear how this all turns out!

 

[eandesmom]

great idea on the magnets. Heck, that could come in handy for teenagers in general!

So glad to see the YES program is improving as the morning goes on, the HM portion sounds seriously cool.

 

[natebenma]

I am thoroughly enjoying you report. Different, informative and entertaining!

Whoever came up with those magnets at the doors in the hotel is a genius. Way to keep everybody in their rooms. I am not going to lie, it crossed my mind to get one for Bea's room here at home for when she hit her teens. Shhhhh!

That was a bummer about Stitch's ride but I guess you can include that on the list of "Done" rides.

And every time you get to see some backstage action is a good day to me.

Cannot wait to read more.

Q

Thanks, Queila!

The magnets are a hit! I just passed along everyone's enthusiasm to the teacher at our school who came up with this.

That is exactly what my husband texted back to me about Stitch:

"At least its new, LOL!"

Backstage was cool.

Phew! I'm all caught up. We have had family in visiting and it is really cutting into my Dis time!!

The magnets are a great idea! Wish I had known about that when I was a girl scout leader.

I think the teens sharing a bed is just an issue with the boys. My DD(15) and her friends still share beds when they have sleepovers. But teen boys.....not going to happen!!

Going on your least favorite ride was not a great start! We have only been on it twice in all of our years of going and I'm sure that will be all we do. Kids are not impressed with that one!

And how cool to get a behind the scenes tour of HM!! One of our favorite rides and one that we always talk about wondering how they do some of that stuff.

Looking forward to the rest of your TR!

Thanks for giving a girls perspective. I wondered if it would be different.

The morning so far has definitely been one of extremes. And hot. I forgot to mention that. It was HOT!

Now backstage in The Haunted Mansion sounds a LOT better than Stitch's Great Escape!

You got that right!

Dee,

A couple of those castle shots are post card perfect! Great job!! Also I 100% agree about Stitch!!! Waste of time!!

~Nannette

Thank you so much! I'm surprised and pleased the pictures came out so well. Like most of my photos, they are taken "on the go" while I am lagging a few steps behind the group I am with, then racing to catch up.

The back stage tour under the Doombuggys would present quite the challenge for me!

Do I "Plus" the guest experience and add to the "sound track" as the guests ride above or do I behave? Could you reach up and "goose" the guests? Perhaps appear as a grim grinning ghost in the car with the riders? I can rock a mean bed head, way beyond what Disney Imagineers can conceive of, so I'm sure I could be quite effective appearing unannounced next to the guests.

I'd probably be the first chaperone locked back in the room with magnets on my door!

There are no words.

Wow! I would have loved to been with ya'll when you went "behind the scenes" of the Haunted Mansion. I bet your fingers were just itching to take pictures.

Really really itchy fingers, but I knew there was no leeway on that rule. More than one student, who noticed my attachment to my camera and taking pictures, told me to put it away.

Don't get me wrong- I have my share of renegade photos, but this was not a place to be testing the limits!

Loving your TR Dee! I'm a little late to the party (took me awhile to catch up on the BC/YC posts)!! But here now and subscribing. Great photos too!

Glad to have you here. Yes, very important to keep current with te BC/YC FAQ. That thread moves quickly!

I'm here and subbing! Now I need to go back and read! Cannot wait to hear how this all turns out!

It will be interesting to hear if you have any comments as someone who also recently returned from an 8th grade trip.

great idea on the magnets. Heck, that could come in handy for teenagers in general!

So glad to see the YES program is improving as the morning goes on, the HM portion sounds seriously cool.

The Haunted Mansion portion was definitely one of the highlights.

 

[JanetMom]

OMG!!!!! Going backstage at the HM would be a dream come true for my family.

I was going to comment on the great castle shots etc., but now all I can think of is how absolutely fantastic it would be to have gone behind/under the scenes at HM.

While I would like to think of causing mischief like some ninjas on this thread, I know that I would simply be walking around awestruck with my mouth hanging open.

So cool!

 

[thumperjr9]

My DS13 is signed up for Energy and Waves in Aug. Now I'm questioning our choice. Is it worth putting up with the nonsense of Stitch for the backstage of HM? My DS is really intriqued about the HM part. They actually opened up more YES classes that fit better into our itinerary....wondering if I should try to change it??

Enjoying your TR so far!!

 

[333disneymom]

Now that's what I was thinking when I pictured a YES class. Behind the scenes at Haunted Mansion - would really love to do that some day. Glad to hear the day improved.

 

[natebenma]

OMG!!!!! Going backstage at the HM would be a dream come true for my family.

I was going to comment on the great castle shots etc., but now all I can think of is how absolutely fantastic it would be to have gone behind/under the scenes at HM.

While I would like to think of causing mischief like some ninjas on this thread, I know that I would simply be walking around awestruck with my mouth hanging open.

So cool!

It was way cool!

My DS13 is signed up for Energy and Waves in Aug. Now I'm questioning our choice. Is it worth putting up with the nonsense of Stitch for the backstage of HM? My DS is really intriqued about the HM part. They actually opened up more YES classes that fit better into our itinerary....wondering if I should try to change it??

Enjoying your TR so far!!

Good question. I knew you were signed up for Energy and Waves. What are some of the other options you have? I would consider switching classes, especially if it worked better with your schedule.

The backstage part was very short. Maybe 5-7 minutes. But it was definitely cool.

I don't think I'm giving anything away saying that the final attraction we did was Mickey's Philharmagic. I enjoy the show, but it is not most impressive thing we could have done. It also wasn't the best choice for 145 teenagers, especially the boys.

Now that's what I was thinking when I pictured a YES class. Behind the scenes at Haunted Mansion - would really love to do that some day. Glad to hear the day improved.

I am so glad we got to do that!

 

[Cinderella16]

I am subbing!

Love it all so far. You are brave to take a trip with that many middle schoolers!

Backstage at the Haunted Mansion?? How awesome is that?!?!

Btw, your link for the "Shhh" chapter doesn't work. Just thought you want to know!

Can't wait for more!

 

[Best Aunt]

Of course I took a picture of the magnets!

Yes, the doors and the frames are metal. Same at most of the resort and even on the Disney (and other?) cruise ships. So a lot of times people will bring along magnetic decorations to spruce up their doors during vacation.

Not much of that goes on at the Deluxes, though.

The doors at the Deluxe resorts are wood, not metal. I remember trying to stick a magnet on the door at the BoardWalk Villas once. Didn't work.

Not sure about the Moderate resorts.

 

[tinacaplan]

Things seem to be going well so far, considering! We always stay at college dorms, so some of the issues you've already talked about aren't issues for us at all. For example, we get breakfast in the dining hall and the kids have single beds, so no worries about bed-sharing. I wish I could somehow convince the leadership team at my school that a Disney trip would be good to work into our trip rotation, but I don't see that happening. We travel, in large part, to visit college campuses and whatever else we see is often secondary to that.

The magnets are a great idea! We had a small group on our trip, so monitoring them at night wasn't too tough, plus boys and girls were on different floors entirely.

I feel you on the coffee thing, for sure. For us, we're the only chaperones and we're really tied to the kids all week, which is fine, but makes satisfying some basic needs a bit tricky at times.

The education program sounds cool, particularly now that you've moved on to the Haunted Mansion! Hmmm...how could I get that job? I don't know anything about physics, though. Drat!

 

[natebenma]

I am subbing!

Love it all so far. You are brave to take a trip with that many middle schoolers!

Backstage at the Haunted Mansion?? How awesome is that?!?!

Btw, your link for the "Shhh" chapter doesn't work. Just thought you want to know!

Can't wait for more!

Thanks for your comments. I do appreciate the heads up about the faulty link. I have fixed it.

I am so glad we had the opportunity to spend some time backstage at the Haunted Mansion.

The doors at the Deluxe resorts are wood, not metal. I remember trying to stick a magnet on the door at the BoardWalk Villas once. Didn't work.

Not sure about the Moderate resorts.

That's good to know about the doors. I remember someone asking once on the BC/YC thread if any of the guests decorate doors and I know Teena said that really doesn't go on at the Deluxes. I don't recall if anyone mentioned the doors are wood.

If you are sneaking out of a Deluxe room, there's something wrong with you!!! Just sayin'

Things seem to be going well so far, considering! We always stay at college dorms, so some of the issues you've already talked about aren't issues for us at all. For example, we get breakfast in the dining hall and the kids have single beds, so no worries about bed-sharing. I wish I could somehow convince the leadership team at my school that a Disney trip would be good to work into our trip rotation, but I don't see that happening. We travel, in large part, to visit college campuses and whatever else we see is often secondary to that.

The magnets are a great idea! We had a small group on our trip, so monitoring them at night wasn't too tough, plus boys and girls were on different floors entirely.

I feel you on the coffee thing, for sure. For us, we're the only chaperones and we're really tied to the kids all week, which is fine, but makes satisfying some basic needs a bit tricky at times.

The education program sounds cool, particularly now that you've moved on to the Haunted Mansion! Hmmm...how could I get that job? I don't know anything about physics, though. Drat!

I can see how staying at college dorms is a great solution for a large group of teens!

I had more anxiety trying to figure out how I was going to manage my caffeine addiction during my early morning wakeups. I seriously considered bringing a coffee maker, but I didn't know who my roommate would be until I arrived in Florida. I feel bad enough running the noisy coffee maker with my family in the room (not bad enough NOT to do it, though!), but I didn't have the guts to do it with someone I didn't know well.

 

[DrMomof3]

So cool about Haunted Mansion! That's seriously awesome!!! Almost makes up for Stitch.
I've never done ITTBAB. Tom took Nathaniel and Jessica on the day that I stayed back with a sick Zachary (I'm sure you remember the vomit trip ). I also have never ridden EE but that's another complaint. I never warned Tom to avoid ITTBAB so he took them and.....They LOVED it! The 2 kids spent the rest of the trip quoting it. Go figure. I would have thought it would be traumatic, too.

Amanda

 

[chica622]

Subbing! Middle school teacher here, so looking forward to reading more of your adventure.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Dee - as usual your pcitures are fantastic!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

love that you got to go backstage at HM
ITA with you on Stitch-did it once-NEVER AGAIN!!

Amazing photos as always

 

[cfw213]

The magnets are a winner!

I have to say, the boys we had were really good. Most of the time. Compared to some of the other, smaller walking groups I saw, we lucked out.




Thanks for your kind words!

Do you take any of the Y.E.S. classes or is it just a class trip?

My first trip to Disney World was with members of my high school class (which included my DH).

I want to say at that time the drinking age was 18 in Florida, and we may have had one or two students who "qualified". But I could be wrong.




According to the teachers, the magnets have been a very effective method throughout the years to avoid any nocturnal wanderings.

.

Nope, we didn't do the YES program...just a "vacation". My school didn't do the whole "senior week" thing that I hear about from other people.

But they were VERY strict about not drinking! We weren't allowed access to our rooms unless it was an emergency. We could only go in for an hour before dinner to change/shower whatever. I didn't hear of anyone drinking but I'm sure it happened!

 

[HockeyMomR]

Dee - great pictures and so excited for you back stage at HM....and the ballroom scene. How fun!

 

[natebenma]

So cool about Haunted Mansion! That's seriously awesome!!! Almost makes up for Stitch.
I've never done ITTBAB. Tom took Nathaniel and Jessica on the day that I stayed back with a sick Zachary (I'm sure you remember the vomit trip ). I also have never ridden EE but that's another complaint. I never warned Tom to avoid ITTBAB so he took them and.....They LOVED it! The 2 kids spent the rest of the trip quoting it. Go figure. I would have thought it would be traumatic, too.

Amanda

Almost!

So they liked Tough to Be a Bug. Maybe they are ready for Stitch!

Subbing! Middle school teacher here, so looking forward to reading more of your adventure.

Glad to have you here!

Does your school do a class trip?

BTW- whenever I "meet" a Middle School teacher, I tell them- Bless you for what you do! This can be a very difficult age group to work with so although I am grateful for everyone who is dedicated to the teaching profession, I have particular admiration for teachers who work with teenagers.

Thank you!

Dee - as usual your pcitures are fantastic!

Thank you!

Have I mentioned I love my new Lumix camera??? Best ride photos I have ever taken, at the Safari, EE and ToT.

It's a waterproof point & shoot and it never leaves my wrist.Except at Haunted Mansion.

love that you got to go backstage at HM
ITA with you on Stitch-did it once-NEVER AGAIN!!

Amazing photos as always

Backstage at HM

Stitch- hopefully I have paid my pennence and it is one and done.

Hey- did you get a camera yet??? See above comment.

Nope, we didn't do the YES program...just a "vacation". My school didn't do the whole "senior week" thing that I hear about from other people.

But they were VERY strict about not drinking! We weren't allowed access to our rooms unless it was an emergency. We could only go in for an hour before dinner to change/shower whatever. I didn't hear of anyone drinking but I'm sure it happened!

You know, I don't remember if we even had chaperones on that high school trip.

No drinking on this trip! Students or chaperones. At least this chaperone.

Dee - great pictures and so excited for you back stage at HM....and the ballroom scene. How fun!

Thanks! The backstage bit was great. Someday I would like to do the Keys to the Kingdom or one of the other Behind the Scenes tours. I think that would be fun.

Have you done anything like that?

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Have I mentioned I love my new Lumix camera??? Best ride photos I have ever taken, at the Safari, EE and ToT.

It's a waterproof point & shoot and it never leaves my wrist.Except at Haunted Mansion.




Backstage at HM

Stitch- hopefully I have paid my pennence and it is one and done.

Hey- did you get a camera yet??? See above comment.

Havent bought the camera yet but only because I went to do school run (in my car lol) this morning and discovered a major crack in the windscreen Now I have to spend my cash on getting it fixed and I think thats going to be £200 if I'm lucky or £300 if I'm not! I'm beginning to think getting my camera is jinxed!
On better news though my daughter passed her final exams and graduated from university as a teacher today My eldest boy got the all-clear from kidney specialists Youngest boy got his 1st school report which was all good except apparently he likes to regale his teacher with tales from home and has "a lovely turn of phrase"