Disney's Magic Music Days

[scanne]

Has anyone ever been to or put together a trip to Disney for an educational experience? I am trying to price out tickets, hotel rooms, airfare or bus service and food so I can present this idea to my administration. Disney offers some amazing programs I would love to be able to offer to my students. Any help would be great! I have already contacted Disney's Youth Group coordinators......they can probably help with transportation info, but I was thinking SOMEONE on these boards must have done something like this! Thanks for any advice!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[InstImpres]

As a fellow New Jersian, I can help. I organized MMD for my high school marching band many years ago. At the time, there was really not on-site options we could afford. We stayed off-site and I would not recommend that again.

MMD was an incredible experience that I still talk about all these years later (let's just say it was pre-Disney Studio's).

2 other mistakes, wool uniforms made for Thanksgiving Football games in NJ, will cause band members to pass out before even making it to Main Street in the April heat of Florida.

The train is a very-very-very long way to travel from Penn Station.

We announced our trip 2 years prior and did lots of fundraising. We kept a profit log by student and every student was responsible to raise or pay their own way.

If you want more details, feel free to PM or e-mail. I obviously love to talk, especially about Dis

Good Luck
Sandy

 

[Pooh's Pal]

I'd love to hear more about Magic Music Days also. Do they put you up at the All Star Music resorts?
My daughter is Captain of our color guard with the high school marching band and every other year is a trip year for the kids. The students and the Parent Band Booster organization run many, many fundraisers for these trips. 2004 is a trip year (my DD's senior year!)again and we are considering Disney's Magic Music days also, but our Music Director is retiring this year and the school department hasn't deceided on a replacement for him as of yet. (there are 3 finalists) So, while we are stuck without a director, we can not make any definate plans! (ugh!)
But we keep doing fundraisers, because we will go somewhere hopefully....We went to Williamsburg Va in 2002 which was great, a Festival competition.
I've spoken to other parents at competitions and they suggested to charter a plane, like through United, Delta or Us Air for the round-trip flight. I guess they put a block of seats out for you, then sell the rest to the public, or something like that and much cheaper than buying separate airfares for each, but we haven't gotten that far yet. School gets out up here on the 20th of June. And they tell us we'll know by the end of the year as to who the new director is and then we can approch him or her about next years trip.
From what I understand about Disney Days, there is no competing (so no awards etc.), just a march down Main Street, Epcot or in the MGM parade, then 3 more days to play at WDW..Tough huh? Unlike Williamsburg where they competed for 3 days and took home tons of trophies.
If anyone has more info, let me know also!
Thanks in advance, debbi

 

[jahexom]

I am the band director for a small Illinois school and I took my band to Magic Music Days 2 yrs ago. Stayed offsite for financial reason, but it was great. We stayed at the Homewood suites and had 6 per room, which also kept down costs. The hotel also had a free breakfast. We chose to perform a concert only, no parade due to the small size of our group. We performed at DTD on the stage by Legoland. We had a wonderful time. We used Trailways Tours. They were great and way less than other estimates that I received. About $325 per person for 5 days, 2 nights at homewood suites, 3 days at Disney and 2 meals per day on our Disney days, and bus transportation. I liked having our own bus because we could go wherever we wanted. We started our trip with a morning in Cocoa Beach. This is staring to get long so I'll quit, but feel free to ask any specific questions that you have or PM me. Good luck.

 

[Tess]

I organized a trip this past March/April for our High School Marching Band. Further, I did it with only TWO weeks' notice! It's a long story about why we were put behind the 8 ball on that one. . .if you're curious e-mail me and I'll share it with you.

We did not have a performance because of the short time frame (although we did try, rejected though because our tape was bad and we didn't have time to resubmit). Our group did take one of the clinics and the kids had a wonderful time.

The band and chaperones went by charter bus and stayed at ASMu. The package I put together was less expensive than one a travel agent put together AND it was onsite vs off-site as the TA arranged. The package included PH+ (with + feature good at water parks OR DQ), accommodations, the clinic, and we did a catered Illuminations dinner party on the French pavilion patio. I don't have all the figures at my fingertips, but I do have a file that I can access and give you exact costs for the trip. Just PM/e-mail and I'd be happy to share.

It was very easy to do with the group planners. I should say though, the one thing I would do differently is to look at those room rates and determine if it would be better to book the tickets/clinic/performance ONLY through the planners and the rooms separately. They charged way too much for the rooms ($116 p/n) since the rooms at ASMu were going for much less in late March/early April. They did give an awesome break on the PH+ tickets though which did counterbalance a bit.

I would definitely plan the trip again--next time though I hope they give me more time!

 

[JWimberley]

My high school band performed at MM Days in 1990 and 91. We were the last band to perform on the American Pavillion before it was redesigned. I can tell you that it was an absolute blast from the kids point of view. We were supposed to have gone to Ireland for the St. Patricks day parade in '91 but because of the war we had to "settle" for Disneyworld again. If you can pull it off I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Joshua

 

[SpaceAce]

Can you tell me how to get in contact with Trailway Tours?

 

[Mickey Mom]

Our band just came back from Disney in April. We left by bus the day after Easter and returned home the following Sunday evening. I was a chaperone on the trip and had a wonderful time. Our band is from western PA and we did march in the afternoon parade at the MK. We too had wool uniforms, and the students marched in these. (Our band director usually tries to get an evening parade for our band to march in, and we usually go in June.) The students were hot after marching in the afternoon parade, but Disney did provide a cup of water for each student marching after the parade.

I did nothing to plan this trip, so I really have no details, but I do have some information about our trip. We had all of the arrangements made through a travel agent in our area. We went by bus (luxury buses), and drove straight through (it took us around 22 hours with stops). We stayed offsite at a Holiday Inn. There was a large continnental breakfast (wonderful selelction---eggs, fruit, sausage, bacon, grits, bagels, muffins, etc) that was included with our room. Meals were included in our trip because the travel agent purchased food vouchers from disney. The vouchers are called, "Youth Market Lunch/Dinner at the Wald Disney World Resort" They are good at selected counter service restaurants at all of the parks (Pizzafari, Restaurantosaurus at the AK, ACB Commissary, Rosie's All american Cafe at MGM, Plaza Pavilion, Columbia Hoarour HOuse at MK, Liberty Inn, Sunshine Season Food Fair at EPCOT to name a few). We had PLENTY to eat. Included in the trip were 5 day park hopper plus tickets. The total trip cost us around $700 per person. We fundraise all year long for this trip and everything was paid for before we left home. The only money you needed to bring was for souvenors.

Sorry I don't have any other details, but the trip can be done and it is worth the effort.