DL with band in March!! UPDATE: Just back! Mini TR 3/21 16 major rides in a day

[DLR29]

Today in band class we got the official "itinerary" for our short DL/So. Cal trip in March!

We're gonna be in So. Cal for only 2 days (Friday and Saturday), but all day Saturday will be at DL!! It's March 20th, which will hopefully be a good time to go. I don't know yet what time we're getting to the park, but we're defintiely staying until midnight! (then riding back on a bus that overnight)

I'm so excited. My friends are already asking me to be their tour guide lol.

 

[daneenm]

What fun! Where are you in N. CA? We are in San Jose. DD's school is sending their concert band also.

 

[HydroGuy]

Very cool. Do you get to perform inside DL?

 

[pixiewings71]

That's awesome!! DD13 is in marching band this year, she is all excited because they are going to Great America...she's never been, but she's been to DL about a hundred times....LOL

 

[The Orchid]

Oh how fun! My daughter's band went to DL all the way from Washington State last April. We had so much fun and my daughter loved marching down Main Street! I know you guys will have a blast!

 

[deejdigsdis]

Oh you lucky kids! How fun to be able to lead a bunch of friends around DL like only DLR29 can. Have fun!

 

[DLR29]

Very cool. Do you get to perform inside DL?

No, not this time. 4 years ago they did, but our band director is giving us the whole day this year for rides. We are doing some kind of festival at a nearby college that has some DL package. It's a festival thing with judging and everything, and then there will be an awards ceremony at DL that night.

That's awesome!! DD13 is in marching band this year, she is all excited because they are going to Great America...she's never been, but she's been to DL about a hundred times....LOL

I love GA. I go there like 30 times a year because I've gotten a season pass for the past 9 years. I went there in 6th grade for band, which was fun.

What fun! Where are you in N. CA? We are in San Jose. DD's school is sending their concert band also.

I go to Palo Alto High. When is your DD going?

Oh how fun! My daughter's band went to DL all the way from Washington State last April. We had so much fun and my daughter loved marching down Main Street! I know you guys will have a blast!

Unfortunately, since we're not like a "marching" band, we won't be doing that. But that would be totall cool to be in a DL parade or just marching down M:S.

Oh you lucky kids! How fun to be able to lead a bunch of friends around DL like only DLR29 can. Have fun!

I'm limiting my group to 7 other people because 8 is an ideal # for DL park touring. I'm going to make sure that they all have the best day ever and experience as much as possible in one day.

 

[DLR29]

My trip is getting closer so I thought I'd revive this. I made and printed out surveys for the 7 other people in my group to see what they want to ride and see so that I don't waste their day riding things that none of them want to ride. I'm pretty proud of my survey. It's very detailed and it should give me a good idea of how to plan the day.

I did get confirmation that we're getting park hoppers, so at 10 we're heading over to TSMM and Screamin!!

Since I will want to just have fun, I probably won't do an intensive picture TR, but I'll take a few pics and have a full written report on how our day went. 54 days and counting!!

 

[christineka]

Dh and I did the band trip to Disney a few times. It was fun! I remember standing in line for Splash Mountain for 3 hours. Then we hung about at the newly opened toontown because we thought we didn't have much time, then found out there was a time change.

 

[HydroGuy]

I did get confirmation that we're getting park hoppers, so at 10 we're heading over to TSMM and Screamin!!

When I was with DS13 and his middle school jazz band last May we paid I think what was the regular price for a one day DL ticket and then when we arrived at the band competition there was a lady giving out the tickets who had park hoppers for only $10 more. So we did that. FYI. Have fun!

 

[DLR29]

Dh and I did the band trip to Disney a few times. It was fun! I remember standing in line for Splash Mountain for 3 hours. Then we hung about at the newly opened toontown because we thought we didn't have much time, then found out there was a time change.

Ah, the days before FP. I am going to guarantee that my group does not wait in a 3 hour line for anything!

When I was with DS13 and his middle school jazz band last May we paid I think what was the regular price for a one day DL ticket and then when we arrived at the band competition there was a lady giving out the tickets who had park hoppers for only $10 more. So we did that. FYI. Have fun!

I think the package with the festival was inexpensive enough that we "upgraded" to hoppers already. The problem with the package thing is that I'm pretty sure we're staying way offsite, so bus to the park in the morning??? We'll see. Also on the park hopper thing, one of our band directors really likes DLR too and was begging for hoppers to go ride his favorite ride, California Screamin!

 

[Finding Gigi]

Ahh. Good old band days. Best time of my hs life. Marched in DL every year of middle school and hs. Have fun. My husbands middle school marching band is marching this Sunday. It is so fun to watch how excited they are to perform.
Enjoy your trip.

 

[hulamom]

Aloha! We'll be doing the same thing with DD's middle school band/choir in May (mother's day weekend). DD is in the choir only. I think they said that the actual performance is at a local school with the award presentation at the Big Thunder Mtn. picnic area. Can't wait!

 

[kaoden39]

Oh that's great!! How fun for you. My son is in marching band with Pixie Wings daughter and he has gone to GA with the band for the last two years with the marching band. He would prefer Disneyland.

 

[DLR29]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

2 things of bad news:

1. DCA's park hours are totally switching up on me! Now the park is opening at 9 instead of 10! I wanted to get to DCA's opening after grabbing a couple FP, but it's not going to be like that I guess.

2. It turns out that we are actually performing in the festival thing on Saturday morning at 8. This means, after playing and giving people time to change and actually boarding the buses and getting there, it could be like 10AM or later! This is seriously screwing up my "plan" and it will most likely limit the amount of stuff that we get done. But I just have to deal with it and figure out a way to get around....

Frustrating...

 

[HydroGuy]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

2 things of bad news:

1. DCA's park hours are totally switching up on me! Now the park is opening at 9 instead of 10! I wanted to get to DCA's opening after grabbing a couple FP, but it's not going to be like that I guess.

2. It turns out that we are actually performing in the festival thing on Saturday morning at 8. This means, after playing and giving people time to change and actually boarding the buses and getting there, it could be like 10AM or later! This is seriously screwing up my "plan" and it will most likely limit the amount of stuff that we get done. But I just have to deal with it and figure out a way to get around....

Frustrating...

Yah, know what you mean after our band gig last year. You have to realize this is not a "regular" DLR visit and you cannot control as many things as you usually do. So relax and go with the flow. Getting uptight because you can't get your FP, etc., will just be counter-productive. Use your knowledge to have the best trip possible.

 

[DLR29]

We're leaving in 5 days, going to the park in exactly 1 week. I mentioned earlier that we'll be performing on Saturday morning, but it's at Fullerton College which is super close, so we should be at the parks no later than 9:30. I'm so excited and my group of friends is excited too! I've devised a relatively flexible plan that should allow us to get in 15-20 rides + the fireworks + this little awards ceremony that we have to go to + 2 meals. So I'm all set to go!

Oh, we're also staying at either the Marriott Anaheim Suites or the Anaheim Park Hotel.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Wow! You are the man! Sounds like you've got everything under (flexible) control. Hope you and your friends have a great time!

 

[DLR29]

Back very early this morning from a great day at Disneyland. I'll give you a short run down of the day.

We woke up at 6 because our band was playing in the festival at 8 at Fullerton College. We played and we weren't great. We definitely could have played a lot better.

Anyway, we changed and boarded the buses to go to DLR. We had to go through the parking lot (Mickey and Friends) which took forever and then we waited for the tram to go to DL. Then our director made us (as a whole group) follow to the designated place where the chaperones would be (Carnation Plaza) and then back to the place where the festival awards ceremony would be (Big Thunder Ranch). Since I already knew where those places were, I asked if I could just go. Guess who ended up leading everybody to those two places?? But fortunately, I sent two of my "group" members to grab Splash FPs (people I thought he wouldn't notice being gone). I'm so sneaky. But he called roll at the Ranch. Fortunately, we faked being there by having other people call "here" for them. Phew....

So it wasn't until 10:30 that we were let off on our own. I led around a group of 11 other band/orchestra members. We hopped first. We got in a lot of rides in the whole day. Then at 9:30PM we all met back at the ranch to watch the fireworks and for the awards ceremony. The awards ceremony was SO long and I feel bad because there was a sing/dance show that was ok, but I did not want to waste my time sitting there watching it. The ceremony started at like 10:15 and didn't end until 11:30 because of all of the band/choral/orchestra groups. We ended up getting 2nd place (out of 6) and a couple of individual awards came from our school.

But as soon as they said we could go, my whole group of 11 people sprinted to Indy (which we hadn't ridden yet) to use our FP. Then after that we ended with a ride on Matterhorn just before 12. We walked out of the park, back on the tram, and boarded the bus. We drove home and got back this morning.

Tiring day, but even with getting there late and that dumb ceremony, I squeezed in 16 rides and 2 meals. I used 7 sets of FP and our only long wait was TSMM at 50 min. This is the order that we did the day:

-Get Splash FP
-Hop and get Soarin FP
-ToT
-GRR
-Screamin
-Get Screamin FP and hop
-Get Space FP
-Lunch at Rancho del Zocalo
-Splash w/ FP
-HM was closed due to a "very involved incident" ??? It was closed for a very long time
-PotC
-Got Indy FP
-JC
-Dole Whips and hop
-Got ToT FP
-Soarin w/ FP
-Screamin w/ FP
-TSMM (50 min line)
-ToT w/ FP and hopped for the last time
-Got BTMRR FP
-Space w/ FP
-Dinner at Redd Rocket's
-BTMRR w/ FP
-HM
-Indy was closed at this point
-Star Tours
-Awards Ceremony at 9:30, we saw the fireworks from back there, but the experience was not as good as in front of the castle
-Indy w/ FP
-Matterhorn
-Leave.

 

[Shay1]

OMG, I went to Paly! And I was in the marching band (we marched back then!). We went to Disneyland to perform in 1989? Sometime around then, doesn't feel like a long time but it looks like it when I type it out!