Has your band ever marched at Disney?

[pgjam]

our band goes down once every 4 years & we always stay at the Radison Parkway. They either lead the afternoon parade or the night parade. We usually go in April or late March. We have had the orchestra perform at EOPCOT or DD; also the jazz band has eprformed at EPCOT. Any questions let me know.
pgjam

 

[CarolA]

This brings back memories. We went in 1978. At that time you had to stay off site for buget accomodations and I remember MELTING in the band uniforms. (We had the wool overlay uniform for you "oldies" out there!)

 

[snowiit]

Originally posted by Kitty 34
I just want to thank you all for the wonderful replies and helpful information!! I have written tons of notes from this thread which I will share with my band director soon.

If anyone else has any marching experiences please feel free to share!!! It sounds like it can be an exciting trip......once it's ALL planned!!!!

I just remembered and looked up the travel company we used. It's http://www.bobrogerstravel.com/
They seemed to be a really good group to work with and they had a representative that traveled with us the entire time we were there. Something at least for you to investigate!

Nancy

 

[Kitty 34]

Thanks Nancy for the link.

 

[sk!mom]

My son's high school band ("The Pride of Central High School- The Mighty Bobcat Band") marched the first week of June 2002. They stayed off-site and bussed in each day. They flew on a charter flight from San Antonio. They had a memorable time.

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm giving this a BIG bump as I will be going to our FIRST Disney Band meeting this coming Monday!!!

Anyone else want to add their band trip experiences it would be greatly appreciated.

Did you use a TA or did parents plan the trip?? That's going to be the first thing we decide on...........

Even those of you that have already answered to this, if you have thought of anything else, I would love to write it down for the meeting!!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[fanofmickey]

Two generations of us - I went to WDW in Senior year with my choir (1980) and got to go see DD in 02 in Marching Band at Magic Music Days. They marched at Epcot. We took all three DS out of school and went down to watch them. Have a great picture of her standing and playing her instrument with Spaceship Earth over her shoulder - cool! We (our band) would never attempt a trip like this without a TA - I was the Treasurer for the band during 02-03 and 03-04 school years, and the work involved on the behalf of the trip committee is tremendous even when working with a TA. I don't remember if you mentioned the size of your band - I think this would be a consideration when deciding to use TA or not. Our band is approx. 165 members, but everyone doesn't go on trip. We typically have 85% - 90% participation on our trips, then add in staff, chaperones, etc. We go on a trip every year (not to WDW - last year performed at Sugar Bowl in N'awlins!), and have a TA that we have worked with regularly for 7 or 8 years.

 

[KellyJ]

HI! We were there this past October with our daughter's high school band. It was a wonderful experience for all concerned. They marched in the Magic Kingdom and it was great!

It's a regular trip that our band director arranges every 2-3 years depending on other scheduled band functions. I believe she made all the arrangements with a Disney Magic Music Days cast member. The trip is always announced about 1-1.5 years in advance, which is then spent fund raising. I know that she makes the flight arrangements separately through Northwest because they have a hub here. A shuttle bus was arranged through Mears, which met everyone at the airport. The kids and most of the parents all stayed at All Star Music. The parents were given the choice of making a reservation through the band or doing their own separately. In addition to the fund raising, we also made monthly payments to keep from having a huge amount to pay right before the trip. When they got the final bill, they used the fundraising and each students monthly payments, then refunded whatever had been overpaid. All in all it worked very well, and it was nice to get a little cash back before the big trip.

The kids all had a blast, as did all of us parents. The next trip will be either our daughter's junior or senior year and I can't wait! I hope your planning goes well!

Kelly

 

[Kitty 34]

My band director said to tentatively plan on 120-130 students/chaperones. I'm sure a lot of parents and families will want to go as they have in the past so I would like to give them the option of rooms at the same hotel or elsewhere.


Has anyone here ever gone thru Disney? Do they have their own TA for groups? Is there a special # we would call to start getting prices?

 

[Amy]

Back in May when recruiting new kids for marching band, our band director told the kids that the band would be going to WDW during Spring Break 2005. Here it is, August, I'm now the financial secy of the band boosters, so I've been going to the board meetings. Even last night, the president asked the band director for news/details on the trip - he just said "nothing" and started talking about something else. He hasn't even given us a date, for cryin' out loud!!! What does he think - that he can wait until the season is over in November and THEN start planning a trip for March/April?????? This isn't going to be cheap - the parents need time for fundraising, budgeting, etc.

I have a feeling that the band WON'T be going to WDW in the spring.

 

[GADISNEYGIRL]

I was there with my band in 1990 for Magic Music Days. We marched at the MK, and also at Sea World. It was soooo hot at Sea World, really miserable...and us in our wool uniforms! We had fun at WDW, but after the Sea World parade, we were so hot that we just sat around there the rest of the day. Of course, there is much more to do there (Sea World) now than there was at that time... I know we spent an entire day at MK, and then I think the day we marched at MK we later went to Epcot and stayed until closing. We went to MGM (had just opened, as I recall) for a half day before coming home.

I don't recall where we stayed, maybe a Days Inn? Seems that now lots of school groups stay at the All Star Resorts (those weren't around way back when, either!). When we were there in April, there was actually a band playing (practicing) at 10:30 at night (All Star Movies). DH and I were both band nerds, but we were a bit perturbed to have that kind of disturbance~it was hard enough to get DS to bed as it was!

 

[Maude4Disney]

Many, many years ago our band went during Easter. Actually our school band goes about the same time every 3 years. When we went (April 1985) we stayed off-site and only spent 1 day at WDW (the day we marched) We also did Sea World and Wet N Wild as well as 2 different band competitions for our Concert Bands. I don't remember the hotel we stayed at, but it was nothing great.