Chaperoning My Kids Band Trip! Tell Me the GOOD, BAD and the UGLY!

[DianaPrincessofWales]

We're leaving for WDW from MN in about a month. How much a headache will I have? I know we'll have fun. IT'S DISNEY!! But seriously, what are some good things to bring along to make the trip more enjoyable? 4 busses are heading down, so I'll have to be nice to a whole lot of kids!!

Please share your wisdom!

 

[FFXDSNADDICT]

So I can't answer this question from the view point of a mom, but I can give you all the juicy details from a students point of view. I don't recall reading your childs age so Ill give you some feedback from my high school band/choir trip.
We did not stay on property (BOOOOO), and ended up in a really gross roach motel. So that off the bat made all the students really wound up.
At the parks everyone really was on their best behavior. (not sure why WDW has such an affect one everyone, cause our trip to myrtle beach went REALLY badly the year before)
There was the bad stuff going on by the kids you know are up to no good. (drinking/drugs/sex) But it was a small percentage and it didn't actully happen at the world, just the motel.I just put it cause you said you wanted the good /bad /and ugly.
It you happen to have balconies watch out for people trying to climb down/climb up, throwing buckets of ice water on people below (friends/classmates).
Other then that it realy was a fun time. I know my mom enjoyed all the school trips she went on with me as a teenager. She would probably recomend earplugs or an IPod video for the bus ride down depending on how long the trip is going to be. I hope you all have a really fun trip!

 

[so_are_you]

big bottle of tequilla

I would pack an ER kit with thinks like motion sickness tabs
bandaids, tylonal,
santiary supplys
wet wipes
ear plugs

 

[ToasterWaffle]

Ooohh! Sounds like fun.

I can only speak from a band member's perspective here, but I totally agree with watching out anytime balconies and band kids are combined.

Actually on that trip the likely offenders pretty much behaved, if I recall correctly.

One room of ordinarily well-behaved, unlikely suspects got caught walking around the hotel grounds at 2am. Punishment was being superglued to the chaperones sides for the whole day at Epcot. Strolling at a middle-aged mom pace, going to places that a middle-aged mom wanted to go, etc. They finally did get off the hook, but so late in the day that they didn't have much time at all to wander on their own.

I second the sanitary supplies and add loads of cheap sunscreen (cause you know you won't be able to stand watching them BBQ when they forget to put it on, or consider themselves immune from sunburn)((and girls on band trips always used to get surprised, (this one time, at band camp, a chaperone had to drive for an hour each way to purchase emergency pads and came back with the biggest, hugest, most economy-sized box I have ever seen in my life and it was half gone three days later ))

Here's hoping that you all have a blast.

 

[FFXDSNADDICT]

Just talked to mom after thinking about your post a bit ago. Her main advice was to watch out for other parents who think they are pretty cool, or the kids think they are cool. She found out on our trip that one of the moms was the one holding her daughters pot stash so that it wouldnt be searched. Other then that she said make sure you have something to take your mind off of what your doing at night (Book, Magazine) She wished you the best of luck and hopes you have a wonderful time!

 

[eh24fan]

I chaperoned my cousin's band trip to Disney in April 2005. We had the BEST time! I was 27 at the time and was in the same band in high school. In fact, the band director was the same and he is more of a friend these days. He told my mom that I was going to be his personal chaperone, calling to remind him that it was bed check time and to remove himself from whatever bar stool he was perched on.

Anyway, we flew down from Philly on a charter flight with another group. The plane was about a 100 years old. LOL We stayed at ASMusic and were there for 4 days. We had a great group of kids and chaperones. The best thing for me was being there with my cousin. The fun thing was that I knew some of the kids and chaperones because their older kids had been in band with me. The asst. director was my ex-boyfriend from high school and one of my best friends to this day.

The bad...well, some of the kids were a bit obnoxious in the hotel and didnt' want to follow rules. Nothing huge, just the keeping the door open when boys/girls are together, etc Fortunately, they weren't my problem. I was in a room wtih my cousin and 2 other girls. At first they were a little about rooming with a chaperone no matter how cool she promised I was. In the end, I was the "cool" chaperone only because I was young. I didn't let them get away with anything and in some ways was harder on the kids because I KNEW the things they would pull.

We had a GREAT time and it was one of my best memories of a band trip. I was in WDW with my favorite cousin (we are super close, she's really my best friend), one of my oldest friends from HS, our fun, cool band director and a group of fun kids! Go, enjoy!! Just be ready for ANYTHING!

 

[DianaPrincessofWales]

Although I'm kind of about the whole sex, drugs, rock and roll shenanigans, I really am not shocked. But I will try to roll with the punches and be prepared for anything. I have a "trip" box started with some hand held games and other distractions. By the sounds of these stories the director I'm sure has heard and seen it all and is ready to hand out any punishments needed to make it a safe trip for everyone. I really like the idea of him being the "bad guy" so I don't have to be! I'd love to hear more stories (this is so juicy-makes me feel like being a naughty teen-ager all over again ) but also please give me ideas of "things to do" for the trip down. From MN to FL is a LONG way down!! There are video screens but I guess they don't watch all the time. We're taking charter buses. Anyone want to share how much $$ they paid for their trips? The director keeps re-assuring everyone how cheap they are getting this trip, but he doesn't know I pretty much live on the DIS-Budget Board! I'm 43 and consider myself a young 43, so if kids want to hang out with me or get '"stuck" hanging out with me, we'll still go on Rockn'Roller Coaster!! My kids are 14 (DD) and 16 (DS). The wierd thing about this trip is that I'm doing NONE of the planning. It's so UN-DIS like! Know what I mean?

Thanks, guys! Have a good night!

 

[OU1247]

As band kid, as a fine arts major, as music teacher...I can tell ya know...those band kids now how to party!!!

Have fun!!!!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

when I graduated high school in1982 the legal drinking age was 18...and I was 17.
Our class went to disney and daytona for a week, we partied,... to put it mildly, WE PARTIED.
One room bathtub was full to the brim with hotel ice and cans of beer, like a huge cooler,
the kids in that room put a **no maid service ** notice on their door every day and showerd in other rooms so not to be found out,...

how and where we got beer I do not know but I do have lots of pix of the parties.

we had a blast,yes...
will I allow my daughter to go when she is a Sr.? HEXX NO!! absolutely not, seriously.

Have fun, be prepared, bring bail money! and enjoy Disney

 

[buckler]

One tip I read on here was to print out driving directions in case the bus drivers aren't sure where they're going. I remembered this tip when my DD's class was going on a long field trip using a chartered bus service. Just to be safe I decided to Mapquest directions. Good thing I did. The charter company drivers didn't know where we were going! I was able to pull out the directions and give them to the driver. Thanks goodness for Disboards tips .

 

[eh24fan]

I think our trip was between $400 and $600 for 4 days. We flew down and back from Philly, took charter busses to and from the airport, we had charter busses to take us to Universal for one day, it also included a couple of meal vouchers at WDW and 3 or 4 nights at ASMusic. (I can't remember how many nights and days we were gone now!!!) Oh, and we had 3 day hopper tickets...I think it was 3 days. LOL Sheeeeesh

 

[Becky2005]

Anyone want to share how much $$ they paid for their trips? The director keeps re-assuring everyone how cheap they are getting this trip, but he doesn't know I pretty much live on the DIS-Budget Board! !

I can share what I've just heard via the grapevine that our choir trip took this year with charter busses. It was $750.00 -- that didn't include the food there & back, so you had to have $$ for that. I don't know where they stayed (my hunch is at a value on-site since food was included once they were at Disney). That included tickets to the park, the workshops, etc...

I don't know what your budget is but that sounded reasonable to me but probably because I had *just* been looking at another program that I found out about that goes and it is $1699.00 for a weekend. They fly though & stay at the Poly. The friends & family package is $950.00 and that doesn't include the food (the kids price does). So, I thought $750.00 sounded decent to ME -- although the mom talking to me told me "it's expensive".

Of course, I don't know the real cost because I do know the kids do fundraising, so it probably cost more than that but I think the $750 was the parent's out of pocket expenses. I have no idea how much the chaperones had to pay though. I am just trying to research as my DD's choir won't go until she's a Sophmore (she will be a Freshman this year)...so I have a couple years to save. They switch every other year with the band/orchestra group -- so next year is their turn.

Have fun.

Edited to add: I'm not 100% sure how many days but I think it was 4? All I know is it is a 25 hour bus ride and "it's grueling" is what the mom said. She wasn't a chaperone but her DD went & she was friends with a chaperone. Apparently the worst part is attempting to get the kids up & out the door early enough for all their workshops they did every day. Unfortunately, this time around they had a ton of sick kids with the flu (actually the choir director got sick & couldn't go so one from the neighboring town filled in for her so the kids could still go). They had the sick bus coming home. They put all the sick kids on 1 bus (out of 4 busses).

 

[aunties]

I chaperoned five trips to WDW many years ago. We stayed off-site as there were no value resorts back then. We had very strict rules that both the parents and the students had to sign off on. Basically, if someone messed up, there parents had to find them the next flight home at their expense and the next morning the student had to face the principal. There were no second chances. When we were at the hotel, all doors were propped open. We always had interior entrances (no balconies to hang off) and we were in the same area. We did bed check every night and I can say there was never a tub full of beer! The only thing I did find in a tub, was one kid and his pillow. He didn't want to share a bed. Each chaperone took a 2 hour watch to make sure those doors did not open in the middle of the night. Wish we had thought about the blue tape!

The bus rides were long, but the kids did entertain themselves pretty well. I packed a couple of decks of cards, travel games like Yahtzee, and Mad Libs. Besides all the other things PPs suggested, I always brought a few extra toothbrushes and a box of large trash bags. We always had coolers of water and soda.

One thing our director always had was a rental car at the hotel for emergencies and then to do a grocery store run to restock the coolers on the way home.

We made sure the days were pretty well-planned. There was little down-time. They did not have hopper passes so they really couldn't go any where else. We did allow them to roam the park, but they had to be in groups of three or more. And, they all had to be members of our group. One girl had several male "cousins" she met there! But they disappeared pretty fast when they found out they would have to stay with a chaperone. We had set times times during the day that everyone had to check in.

The Good - One story that always makes me proud- one of our students brought his accordian even though he obviously didn't play it in the marching band. One night I got one the elevator followed by security who pressed the button to our floor. I told him that I got to yell first. He laughed and said that he was told to check things out because it was too quiet up there for a large group. Next night, met the same security guard who told me there was an issue of kids running up and down the hall, and that I could yell first. When we got off the elevator, we saw the kids were not running up and down the hall, but doing the polka with a group of senior citizens! Apparently, there was a group of senior citizens on the floor above us and they heard the accordian music and came down to our floor. They were teaching the kids to dance. The hotel manager was so impressed that he set up a conference room with soda, coffee, and snacks and invited both groups to have fun.

There was very little bad/ugly. A couple of homesick kids (one cried from MA to NJ), a few sunburned kids, one who pretended to faint for attention and we had to take her to the emergency room by ambulance (she admitted to it), one chaperone (parent) who outrageously flirted with the student music teacher, and a few minor infractions of the rules like being a few minutes late to the meeting point. We never had to send anyone home early.

 

[jazzmine]

I was a band and choir kid and while we didn't go to WDW, we went to Hershey and Williamsburg. We were a good group - participated in little shenanigans here and there but overall we behaved. Some people got caught with liquor, that didn't go over very well. Just a tip - If kids are trying to hide something, check the drop ceiling or the vents.

We got "in trouble" for having boys in our room after curfew. Trust me when I say that absolutely nothing was going on there - they were our buddies. But at the time, it was a big deal and we got in a bit of trouble for that.

We used to plan things for the chaperones - nice surprises to make their nights fun. We all planned to do a "ghost walk" at midnight. Took the sheets off the beds and all came out of our rooms being ghosts. Silly high school stuff but we had a good time with it!

Hope you and your kids have a great time!!!

 

[gasman61]

Just got back from chaperoning a high school band of about 120 kids, and things were unbelievably well run! This was about the 10th trip for our band director, so the bugs were pretty well worked out. I think the best advice I can share is that we hired night guards to patrol the hallways at night. That way we chaperones could get our sleep! All the boys were in one hallway, and all the girls were in a different one, so we could get by with 2 guards for the group. It was definitely worth the cost of hiring them!

 

[rwrocksme]

Another student here! I did not go for a band trip...it was just a field trip to Epcot. Students were put into groups with adult chaperones (this was not HS). I was in the smallest group--me, my best friend, and my dad. We live in Florida, so we did not spend the night. We got on the bus at 3 AM, drove halfway down, stopped at a rest stop and had doughnuts (my mom donated them..enough for six classes of 24, plus teachers and chaperones!). Then we got down there and goofed of for about 8 hours before going home. We had a great time. One girl did open the overhead in the bus. She pulled out a card table and it fell on somebody's head (not her's). They punished the whole bus for that one...an hour of nonstop Care Bears. Overall, though, everyone was very well behaved.

Take sunscreen. No HS'ers are going to bring any. They also won't want to put it on. Make them.

 

[Aliceacc]

I've said this before:

You can tell when a teenage girl is REALLY in for the night: she washes off all her makeup!

FOrget what they tell you about having changed into PJs-- kids are fine wearing their PJs out. When the makeup is off, she's done for the night! Until then, keep popping in and counting heads.

 

[mykidsintow]

My aunt did this last yr for my cousins marching band. I think they said it was the most crowded things in MK history?! They waited for hours in every line. She said to take great walking shoes and plan to "see a lot, and experience very little".... meaning you can see lots of things, but you won't get to do much.

She said it was fun, but very chaotic!

 

[MAW137]

I had tons of fun on our band trips. We went to Vegas and spent most of our time wandering the strip w/o chaperones. Watch out for:
booze, porn, taking things from the rooms, girls in guy rooms, guys in girl rooms (overnight no less), water fights, things flying off balconies (little green parachuting army men), generally making a mess in the rooms.
We were in Arizona and bored so we took the tops off muffins and threw them at others when they opened their hotel room doors (muffin grenades)
We also had an overly friendly bus driver wearing too short shorts and decided to roll around in the snow w/ a girl at the grand canyon. Good times.
Crank phone calls, moving furniture out of one room into another across the hall. Ummm, good times.

 

[Becky2005]

I've said this before:

You can tell when a teenage girl is REALLY in for the night: she washes off all her makeup!

FOrget what they tell you about having changed into PJs-- kids are fine wearing their PJs out. When the makeup is off, she's done for the night! Until then, keep popping in and counting heads.

Good thing I never went on any HS trips -- my chaperone would never get any sleep whatsoever. I never wore make-up! I wouldn't consider a school trip important enough to pull it out. I still don't wear it unless it's a special occassion.

I know when we went to Washington, DC in 8th grade, they hired bodyguards for the hotel & we had seperate floors for the boys/girls. Then again we were stuck in a suite (it was a weird set-up 4 rooms enclosed in a set of double-doors to the regular hallway) at the end of the hallway & the guard was station just outside our door.