High School Bands At Mk

[jeffn5631]

We have noticed recently that there are a good number of high school marching bands from all over the country in the parades at MK. Last week before Spectromagic they had 4. How do these bands get to be in these parades? It must cost a small fortune for these organizations to bring over a 100 kids down to WDW. We think its great for these young people to have this experience and must be high on their list of parades to take part in.

J & J

 

[puffkin]

When we went, back in 1995, we participated in Magic Music Days. We marched before the MK afternoon parade. I know there was quite an extensive questionaire and we had to send in a video and audio tape of the band in full uniform. Disney makes sure that you are decent and look good. That being said, I don't think it is that hard to get selected (eventhough some people pretend that it is a huge deal to get picked). They just want to make sure you are a decent band.

Our school did extensive surveying before the trip to find what the ideal price should be. They obviously wanted to make sure that no one got left behind because of the cost and that there was an ample amount of time to fundrais for those that needed to. Our trip was in the works for about 18 months so it wasn't too bad of a financial hardship.

 

[debster812]

My town's High School is heading to WDW in February. I bought a poinsettia plant from them last weekend to help defray. We'll be there at the same time, and I'd love to get to see them!!

 

[Kitty 34]

Our band (95 kids) marched two days before Thanksgiving in the Spectro parade. Our director sent a tape to Disney and they accepted it. This is our band's 4th time playing there...... the only difference is this time our director didn't want to go thru a tour bus package deal so me and three other parents coordinated the whole trip. It was a LOT of work but so paid off.

We did a 6 night, 4-day pass (plus a day at Typhoon) for $580 for the students and chaperones. That included all meals, their bus down and back and a day at Cocoa Beach. We committee members paid more because we flew down.

The kids sold fruit and nuts both this year and last year to help defray costs.

 

[KarenB]

One of those bands could have been us!! My DSs' band marched the Friday after Thanksgiving just before the 9 pm Spectromagic parade!! It was a wonderful experience for the kids (and us parents as well)!

Karen

 

[drp4video]

My daughter was not in a band, but last year in high school, her choir sang for magical music days, at Epcot. Her choir did a lot of fund raisers to help the kids pay for the trip. Whatever the balance was after the fund raisers, the kids paid that amount themselves. I think it ran around $550 child, they left on tuesday afternoon, and came home on sunday. THe cost included a 4 day hopper, room, and about half their meals. THey drove, and did not stay on property, which was too bad. (I went, but not as a chaperone..I flew down, I did not want to spend 24 hours on a bus with 44 high school kids each way, and I stayed at POP, but had their scheduled so spent a lot of time with them) It is a great opportunity for the kids to participate, and something they will always remember.

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

Our local HS band went 5 yrs ago and will be going in March 2007. They have lots of fundraisers to help pay for the trip. As a previous poster said, the band director sent in a tape and they were accepted. My sister got to go as a sponsor the last time, and we both are going in 2007. She is sponsoring one of her sons and Im sponsoring the other one!!!

 

[Barbruka]

My 16 year old son is going down with his high school band in three weeks. They are marching on the 28th before the afternoon parade. They are from Horicon Wisconsin and will be playing "On Wisconsin"! Everyone wave to Dan the tuba player!!! I am going down too with my dm who has never been to WDW. I wouldn't miss this for the world!

The high school band here has been going down every four years for about 15 years now. The band fund raises for four years to bring the price down for the kids. I think total cost was around $350 per kid. That includes hotel (outside WDW) for six nights, four day pass, two meals a day, bus to and from WDW, Disney Quest, Arabian Nights. They too had to send a video down for the audition.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

There have been rumors that Magic Music Days are going to stop being offered next year. I don't know if anything will take there place but we have heard that some schools are being told that they cannot play in certain spots next year.

 

[donnabc]

Our band went in 1985....it was a blast. It was very expensive as you said but we raised the money with fund raisers....well worth the effort. We had a great time.

 

[Kitty 34]

My 16 year old son is going down with his high school band in three weeks. They are marching on the 28th before the afternoon parade. They are from Horicon Wisconsin and will be playing "On Wisconsin"! Everyone wave to Dan the tuba player!!! I am going down too with my dm who has never been to WDW. I wouldn't miss this for the world!

The high school band here has been going down every four years for about 15 years now. The band fund raises for four years to bring the price down for the kids. I think total cost was around $350 per kid. That includes hotel (outside WDW) for six nights, four day pass, two meals a day, bus to and from WDW, Disney Quest, Arabian Nights. They too had to send a video down for the audition.

'On Wisconsin' is our school's fight song but our band didn't play it last week at MK. I wish they had. Another coincidence Barbruka......I was telling everyone to wave to my 16 yr old DS.....Dan the bass drum player!!! :bouce:

 

[Eric_Callahan]

I'm in a marching band thats going to go to WDW to march in April. We had to send a video of us marching and then a audio tape of us playing our music.

 

[Piecey]

My band went about two years ago.
We marched in a competition parade in MGM (and won first place, too) and as far as I know.. my director didn't send them anything.
And if he did, he didn't tell us. Haha.

We took a bus down (from Northern WV) and spent a day at Islands of Adventure, Wet-N-Wild and three days in Disney.
We also ate at the Medival Nights Dinner Theater, had a Planet Hollywood Character Breakfast just for us and then Hard Rock Cafe.

Total, including our tickets, transportation and ALL meals was only 380 per person.

 

[ReggieB]

For any of you that are there in Feb - Twinsburg High School Band will march down Main Street at the Magic Kingdom on February 17th. This will also be the first trip to DW for their band director, who his members call Ski.

I know this because I was able to be a fairy godmailer to them recently and mail them a card from WDW (and Cinderella) I am so excited for them!

 

[spaceacewannabe]

but I really hope they do end the Magic Music Days. I understand that it's a fun experience and exciting, but speaking as a music teacher and someone who loves Disney, I take issue with them. Too many programs use regular trips as a bribe to keep kids in their program and to gain community support rather than keeping kids and parents interested by teaching anything of substance. There are National Standards for Music Education, and marching at Disney is not one of them. And I have yet to hear of any group that doesn't get accepted...as long as they can pay. Additionally, I've seen (and heard about) way too many trips where the kids weren't well-supervised enough.
Just my perspective. I would LOVE to be able to do all the great, educational things at Disney with a group of kids, keep them perfectly supervised, and make it really a worthwhile school experience, but in the real world, I haven't seen that happen too much.

 

[Kitty 34]

but I really hope they do end the Magic Music Days. I understand that it's a fun experience and exciting, but speaking as a music teacher and someone who loves Disney, I take issue with them. Too many programs use regular trips as a bribe to keep kids in their program and to gain community support rather than keeping kids and parents interested by teaching anything of substance. There are National Standards for Music Education, and marching at Disney is not one of them. And I have yet to hear of any group that doesn't get accepted...as long as they can pay. Additionally, I've seen (and heard about) way too many trips where the kids weren't well-supervised enough.
Just my perspective. I would LOVE to be able to do all the great, educational things at Disney with a group of kids, keep them perfectly supervised, and make it really a worthwhile school experience, but in the real world, I haven't seen that happen too much.

Luckily our director feels like you and only uses Disney as a reward to years of hard work for our band students. This Fall we earned 88 points at one of our big marching competitions here in Michigan which broke the school record. Our band has taken "ones" in all our competitions in the past several years and the students having earned this in the past three years hadn't gone yet to Disney. I think that's why the director only goes every 4 years so the high schoolers only go once.