From the Comfort Inn to the Polynesian.....Two Trip Reports in One!!!

[Renee1061]

We have made two trips to Disney World since writing my last trip report. My daughter keeps asking me when I am going to write another one. I had decided to write one for our trip coming up in May, with Lindsay’s high school band. I thought it would be a little different and out of the ordinary, since instead of just the two of us, there would be around 90!

So….that is what I had decided to do. Plans for the trip have actually been under way for almost two years. It takes a long time to raise enough money to take 90 people to WDW! Most marching bands take only 3-day trips, but our band director (who shall hereafter in this report be referred to as T-Stitch....and if he ever reads this, he'll know why) is a huge Disney fan also, and said he wasn’t taking the band to Disney World unless he could do it right. The only concession he was willing to make is that we will stay off-site because it is a LOT less expensive. We will leave on two chartered buses next Monday, May 4th, at around 10:00 a.m., and hopefully arrive in time for rope drop at AK on Tuesday. I’m sure we will all look lovely after spending the night on a bus!!

So, here is our planned itinerary:

Day 1, May 4: Leave at 10:00…..drive the rest of the day……and ALL night.

Day 2, May 5: Stop at rest area outside Orlando to freshen up and eat breakfast. Arrive at AK at 8:00, spend the day there until closing at 5:00. Travel to hotel (Comfort Inn, Lake Buena Vista), get room assignments, eat pizza, and try to get settled in early. The next day will be a big day!!

Day 3, May 6: Magic Kingdom. I’m really disappointed that Space Mountain will be closed. This is the only time a lot of these kids will ever be here, and I want them to be able to experience everything! Well, this is the really big day! The band is marching before the afternoon parade! T-Stitch has started marching them around the high school track, to get ready for marching around the hub! We plan to spend the entire day at MK, ending with Wishes at 9:00, then back to the hotel to get ready for another big day tomorrow!

Day 4, May 7: The day will begin at 8:30 at Epcot, where the band will participate in the “You’re Instrumental” workshop. They will learn a piece of music from a Disney movie and then have a video made of them playing the music, with the movie playing on a screen behind them. I think this is going to be so exciting! Chaperones are not allowed, so our plans are to head on over to DHS, which is our “Park of the Day.” We chose this day because it is the only day that Fantasmic is showing while we are there. So I’m afraid the park will be really crowded. I did just find out tonight that they have added a second show at 10:00. We are thrilled about that! It will give the kids an extra 2 hours to tour the park.

Day 5, May 8: We will start the day at Typhoon Lagoon, where we plan to spend 3-4 hours. That afternoon and evening will be spend at Downtown Disney and DisneyQuest.

Day 6, May 9: We are spending the entire day at Epcot!! My favorite park! This will be hard for me and Lindsay, because we do not feel like we are at Disney until we have been to Epcot. We will end the day, and our Disney experience, with IllumiNations, after which we will get on the buses and head for home.

Day 7, May 10: Arrive home around 6:00


But wait a minute! Doesn’t my title say this is two pre-trip reports in one? Yes, it does! Part two coming up!

 

[Renee1061]

Here are some pictures of the band at a marching contest last October.

And this is my daughter, Lindsay.

 

[White as Snow]

Great start! I'm excited to see what the two-in-one title is all about

 

[shordiebecka]

ohhh how exciting! i was in marching band in high school, and we never made it to WDW. We just went to Philadelphia, Virginia, etc etc. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[Renee1061]

Part Two of my two pre-trip reports in one came about when my sister called and asked if Lindsay and I wanted to go to Disney World with them in June. I hesitated for a moment, since we were going to be going in May, but a couple of pieces of logical thinking made my mind up for me. First, the band trip is practically free. We were able to earn our money by working in the concession stand during football games and through various fundraisers. The only expenses we will be responsible for are souvenirs…even the meals are paid for! And second, my sister had booked the Polynesian with the 4/3 special. There would be five of us going and she said we could pay 2/5 of the total cost. No way did I ever dream I could have stayed 7 nights at the Polynesian for that price! Oh....and a third piece of logical thinking....it was Disney World!!

So, the second trip will be my sister, brother-in-law, niece, Lindsay, and me. The dates are June 20-27. Hot…..crowded……and wonderful!!!

She had booked the Quick Dining Plan and I was foaming at the mouth to upgrade to the regular Dining Plan, but since I wasn’t the one planning the trip, I didn’t say anything. Then my sister said they might want to eat a couple of times at a table service restaurant. I told her that just two meals would practically be the same price as the upgrade….and we could get seven meals instead of two. So we did it! Still trying to work out some of the ADR’s. LeCellier was not available at ANY time, and she called 89 days out.

So both trips are going to be totally new experiences for us. One with 81 other people, and one with other family members for the first time (and first time at the Poly)!

I will try to update again before leaving Monday (five days away!!)

 

[shordiebecka]

so jealous that you're so close to going to the world. I would LOVE to stay at the Poly one day.... I went right around this time last year and let me tell you it was BEAutiful!!!!!

 

[Renee1061]

so jealous that you're so close to going to the world. I would LOVE to stay at the Poly one day.... I went right around this time last year and let me tell you it was BEAutiful!!!!!

Just two days until the Band trip and 49 days until the Poly!

 

[Renee1061]

Well, after a few tense hours on Thursday, wondering whether our band trip was going to be cancelled due to the swine flu scare, final preparations are under way!!

All Texas UIL sports and academic competitions were either cancelled or postponed until May 11. Since our trip is not a UIL event, it was up to the local district as to whether we got to go or not. Since our superintendent is going with us.....well, I think maybe that made the decision a little easier!

We had a meeting with all parents and students Thursday night. Some of the kids, especially the boys, are at that age where they think they are "too cool" for Disney. But you could feel the excitement in the air. I think everyone will love it!

Today is packing day. Tomorrow, the band has an afternoon practice and while they are practicing, the chaperones will inspect all the luggage and lock it up in a storage room. Then Monday morning, the kids will go to their first period class (like they'll really get anything done). At 9:00 the buses will arrive and we will start loading. It will be interesting to see if everything actuually fits.....luggage, uniforms, band instruments (two for some students....a marching instrument and a concert instrument). We'll probably be dragging the ground!

Well, it's going to be a busy day, so I'd better get to it! I'll continue with my Poly pre-trip report when I return and start a trip report on the band trip!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Oh, you are going to love the Polynesian! We used to stay there all the time and it is one of my favorite resorts. Love it!

And how exciting to have 2 trips planned so close together!

 

[shordiebecka]

Can't wait to hear how it all went! I'm happy that they let you guys goe still..it would be so heartbreaking if you got all pumped and then it didn't work out!

 

[Renee1061]

Well, we are back from the band trip. It was the most amazing experience ever!! As many times as I have been to Disney World, nothing could compare to this.

Day One

The trip officially began Monday morning, May 4th. I took Lindsay to school at 8:00. They had to go to first period class, although I'm sure they didn't do much work! I went to the Band Hall and helped with some last minute preparations. The buses arrived at a little before 9:00 and the loading began! Amazingly enough, everything fit! Instruments (two for some students), uniforms, and luggage. I forgot to take any pictures of the loading or bus trip at all.

We pulled out of the parking lot at about 10:45 a.m. After two years of planning, we were finally realizing the dream!

Before I go any further, I need to name all the incredible chaperones that went on the trip. Rather than trying to think up clever nicknames for everyone, I’ll just give their real names:

T Jon (or T-Stitch), who since the trip has also become known as Sombrero Man, our awesome band director; Adair, assistant director; Cindy, assistant director, and her husband James; Kevin, assistant director; Lisa & Jay; Treva & Greg; Bill; Sherdona; Carrolyn G; Carolyn S; Sharon; and me.

The bus trip was actually pretty uneventful. As we crossed the Mississippi River late that afternoon, we realized that it was a sight a lot of kids had never seen. So we stopped at a rest area on the other side of the river and let them explore and take pictures.

We watched a few movies, stopped & ate two meals, and at around 11:00, somewhere between Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL, shut everything down and tried to get some sleep.

 

[Renee1061]

DAY TWO

I can’t remember for sure what time we pulled into the travel plaza just outside Orlando, but it was pretty early (around 6:30 or 7:00. We ate breakfast at Burger King and everyone changed clothes and freshened up as best as they could. Yep, it was definitely a hat day!

We got to Animal Kingdom around 8:30. We passed out tickets and lanyards to everyone and gave instructions on checking in with chaperones, then turned them loose! We did AK the first day because it closed early, which would allow us to get to our hotel fairly early.

Our group started out with ten. I took everyone’s tickets to get fastpasses for Everest while everyone else headed for the Safari. I met them over there and we had a very short wait. The animals were pretty active today!

It was already time to use our fastpasses, so we headed that way. T Jon took fastpass duty this time, running ahead to get fastpasses for Dinosaur. We made a few stops along the way, so he actually beat us to E:E. Adair, one of the assistant directors, is also going back in June with her family, and she knew I had been to WDW many times. She said she didn’t “do” scary rides and was depending on me not to steer her wrong. I told her I thought she would be fine on Everest. All ten of us rode it, even though we didn’t all make it on the same ride. Adair was fine and loved it. She told me she trusted me now. I told her I thought the only thing she might possibly have a problem with in all of WDW was Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

When we got off the ride, we found Treva sitting on the steps, suffering from motion sickness. They had lunch reservations at Rainforest Café and it was almost time for them to eat anyway, so the group split up. For the rest of the day it was T Jon, Kevin, Adair, and me.

I can’t remember the exact order we did everything in. We rode Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Everest again, walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek, and saw Finding Nemo, Flights of Wonder, and Festival of the Lion King. Somewhere in the midst of all that, we ate lunch at Flametree Barbeque. I do remember the last thing we did was Festival of the Lion King. After that, it was time to go.

Pictures from the day:

Everyone made it back to the buses and we went to CiCi’s Pizza for dinner. I was REALLY craving a shower by now. One of the band members was having a birthday that day, and we had a huge birthday cake for her. She was extremely surprised.

We finally made it to the hotel and everyone got their room assignments. This would be our only night with any free time. Almost everyone went for a swim. Then it was off to bed (FINALLY).

Tomorrow….Magic Kingdom and the Parade!!!!

 

[Renee1061]

Okay....here's a pre-trip post in the midst of my trip report. We've been back from the band trip for two weeks, and my next trip is just four weeks away! This is so fantastic, it doesn't even seem real!

Here are our ADR's for the upcoming trip:

Saturday, 6/20, 6:15 - Tutto Italia (going to try to change this one to either Cape May or Coral Reef)

Sunday, 6/21, 8:50 - Whispering Canyon Cafe (trying to get this changed to an earlier time....don't want to miss Wishes!)

Monday, 6/22, 11:45 - Cap'n Jacks

Tuesday, 6/23, 1:30 - Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater

Wednesday, 6/24, 4:30 - San Angel Inn

Thursday, 6/25, 7:40 am - 'Ohana

Friday, 6/26, 12:00 - Marrakesh (thinking about changing this one, too)

I'm trying to get LeCellier, but have been unsuccessful so far.

We are flying in to Sanford Airport. We have decided to rent a minivan at the airport and turn it in at Regal Sun Resort across from Downtown Disney the same day. Then we'll rent one again the day before we leave for the trip back to the airport. This was the least expensive transportation option we could come up with. On Live Search Maps, it looks like it is easy to walk from Regal Sun Resort to Downtown Disney to catch a bus. Has anyone else done this?

 

[shordiebecka]

sounds good to me! Why are you trying to change tutto italia? Just out of curiousity?

 

[Renee1061]

sounds good to me! Why are you trying to change tutto italia? Just out of curiousity?

My sister was wanting to eat at a place that had seafood, so we were thinking either Cape May's or Coral Reef. I have never eaten at any of the three.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Looks like you've got some good ADRs planned! I'm so jealous you have another trip so soon.

 

[Renee1061]

DAY THREE, PART ONE

I set my alarm for 5:30, but it didn’t go off. Luckily, I was too excited to sleep late!! I got ready and went to wake up my boys at 6:00 (I had 4 kids I was responsible for during the trip….my daughter, who was in the room with me, and three boys). We ate breakfast and by 8:00 were off to Magic Kingdom, where we arrived in plenty of time to see the Opening Ceremony.

One of our chaperones is a veteran and T Jon wanted to try to arrange for him to participate in the flag retreat. So they rushed through the gates as soon as they opened, but they missed it by about 30 seconds.

We decided to pick up fastpasses for Jungle Cruise, then hit standby for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. This worked out well. The wait time for both was less than 10 minutes. In fact, wait times all day were incredible. This was the lowest crowd level I had EVER seen at Magic Kingdom. Not sure if it was the swine flu scare or just a fluke, but we loved it!

We ran into Goofy near Splash Mountain.

Burgandy and Lindsay (my daughter)

After riding Jungle Cruise, we stopped for a Dole Whip, then headed to Tomorrowland. So sad that Space Mountain is closed! We rode Buzz Lightyear and saw the new interactive Stitch show. It was a blast. One of our assistant band directors was singled out in the show. Stitch named a planet after her, but accidentally blew it up….lol.

Just before the show, we got to see Stitch.

We headed back through Adventureland and rode Pirates of the Caribbean. Took some silly pictures in the shop.

T Jon, our fearless leader (after this picture made the rounds, he became known as "Sombrero Man"):

Day Three, Part Two......Coming Up!

 

[Renee1061]

DAY THREE, PART TWO

Then it was time for everyone to start gathering at Pecos Bill’s for lunch. Then, at 1:00, it was time for the band to go backstage to dress and get ready for the parade. Only the directors were allowed to go back with them, so the rest of us chaperones headed back toward Main Street. We rode Haunted Mansion on the way, then did some shopping on Main Street. We decided the best place to get pictures of the band would be around the hub. I was taking video with the band camera, so I had given my camera to someone else to take still shots.

Here we are, anxiously awaiting the parade! (That's me in the middle, in the pink visor)

This is Marc, president of the agency that arranged our trip, and our tour director for the week.

At 2:45, the first band (a middle school band) began to make their way up Main Street. Then it was time. It seemed like it took forever for them to make their way to us. As they marched around the hub, I raced around the other direction to get a shot of them marching in front of the castle. I had planned for that to be it. Then I decided to try to run through Adventureland and cut across and meet them as they were making their way through Frontierland. I made it! Being familiar with MK has its advantages! Here are pictures and a link to the video. This was truly an experience the kids (and adults) will never forget!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRy28Zl1GtY

This was the realization of a career-long dream for T Jon. I don't think this smile left his face the entire day (or week, for that matter)!

That's my daughter, on this end with the tuba.

By the time the kids recuperated from the heat, changed, and made their way back out to us, it was around 4:30. For some reason, I have a harder time remembering the order we did things in the evening. We saw Mickey’s Philharmagic (twice), rode Haunted Mansion again, ate at Cosmic Ray’s, watched Carousel of Progress, and rode Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan’s Flight. At about 8:30, we staked out a spot on the bridge to Tomorrowland and watched Wishes at 9:00.

Everyone eventually made it back to the buses and we headed to the hotel. All in all, it was a great day!!

Another big day tomorrow…..the music workshop at Epcot!