High School bands that have marched at Magic Kingdom

[Tuffcookie]

How do you apply to have your school band march before the 3:00 parade at Magic Kingdom? Our high school band is scheduled to take part in the Magic Music Days next April. Tonight the tour group that is handling all the arrangements presented the band parents the itinerary & costs for the trip. No mention was made about marching at Magic Kingdom. I know there must be an application but I don't know where to find it on-line. I talked with the travel agent after the meeting and mentioned it would be nice if they could march at Magic Kingdom. He seemed receptive to the idea but I'm wondering now, how far in advance do you need to apply?

The tour group also wanted to stay 4 miles away, at an off-site hotel. I also suggested he get quotes of the All Stars & Pop Century.

Where did your band stay if you have ever participated in the Magic Music Days or have marched at Magic Kingdom?

Thanks for any information.

TC

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

The form is in here:

http://disneyyouthgroups.disney.go.com/wdyp/programs/programOverview?page=MMDProgramOverviewPage

We have always stayed off site at the Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration. We travel by bus so our buses would take us where we were going each day, and would get clearance to go back stage with the group.

Just for an idea for you we went from Saturday - Saturday, 4 days in the parks, one night of dinner theatre, a reception given by the hotel, and breakfast every morning provided by the band. The cost was approximately 600 for band members, 750 for chaperones.

Please feel free to PM me if you want more specific information.

 

[klj27]

My daughter's band is going next April too! The tour group is taking care of helping the band director fill out the very detailed application to be able to march at the MK.

We are staying offiste and I am very glad that we are. I LOVE Disney and I LOVE staying onsite but I would not want to be a chaperone at one of the value resorts. We are staying at a hotel that has indoor corridors. Also included in our costs is paid nighttime security/chaperones so our chaperones will be wide awake at the parks.

I am curious to hear what your itnerary is and your cost.

 

[marciemi]

My sons' high school band also just found out they'll be doing this, but in mid-January. They're staying off-site (Springhill Suites I believe?) and we have our first meeting for it on June 1 so I don't know more of the details. We're way up in Green Bay though - the rough itinerary is leaving Thursday after finals and driving straight through the 24 hours (kids can sleep on the bus) so they'll have Friday evening, all day Sat-Mon, then they'd leave late Monday night and drive through to Tuesday night and get home. Cost was $780 per student, but that included everything - all meals, dinner show, parkhoppers, bus transportation everywhere, etc. Said the only thing they'd need money for was souvenirs. Granted, it's only 3 nights in a hotel (and 2 on a bus ). DH & I hope to fly down and join them - we could leave early Thursday and come home Tuesday evening for nearly 6 days in the parks. We'd definitely stay on-site and do our own thing while they do theirs and just go meet up with them where they perform. Silly me - I guess I was just assuming this meant they'd be marching at the MK! I guess I'll ask on June 1!

 

[klj27]

Your trip sounds very similar to ours except that our drive is about 8 hours shorter. We will leave Tuesday after school, drive through the night, arrive at the parks, 2 nights in a hotel and leave straight from EPCOT on Friday night. We will arrive home Saturday afternoon in order to be home for Easter.

 

[marciemi]

I'm amazed you know so much about it already - we just first got any info about this happening about 2 weeks ago and they just finally confirmed it (tentatively) the end of last week! Although maybe because you're going at so much more of a crowded time. I am really excited about when we'll be going - heading out the Thursday after MLK weekend so missing all of that and the marathon crowds so hopefully we should be in low crowds (unlike my last two July/August visits) and cool weather (ditto!). I'm hoping we can do as much in this shorter trip in January as during a longer trip in the summer (and at least be more comfortable doing it!).

Have you heard anything about the discounted tickets? They look like a really good deal on the website but I wonder if they're for chaperones only (I am NOT riding 24 hours on a bus with 200 teenagers!) since it says a 1-1 limit. Guarantee you most folks won't be going so wonder if the band director would be willing to give the code to the parents who decide to come along on their own (in addition to the designated 10-15 chaperones).

 

[Tuffcookie]

Tinker'n'Fun,

That seems to be the application for participation in the Magic Music Days. Is there another form to march at Magic Kingdom parade?

My youngest DS is graduating this year so I would be going by myself next year to watch our school participate and to take pictures! When youngest DS was a Freshman they gave all the band parents a questionaire and asked them what they would like to see the band program accomplish. I decided to put down "march in the parade at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World"! Little did I know it would happen but 1 year too late for DS.

TC

 

[klj27]

My good friend and Dis lover was one of the two people doing all of the research about the trip. They priced it with two or three travel agencies and without going through a travel agency. We voted at the band boosters meeting in April because if we were going to do this we wanted all the families to have a chance to do extra fundraising because of the higher trip cost.

We will leave after school on Tuesday and drive through the night. Our proposal was written with 2 55 passenger busses. Our school is a smaller private school and I think there are only 80+ kids in the band/color guard.

Arrive at HS Wednesday morning. Leave around 4ish to check in at hotel (Rosen Plaza) and have dinner. (I believe we are getting $10 lunch vouchers for each day in the parks)

Thursday will be at MK with marching in a parade.

Friday is at EPCOT. One of the evenings involves dinner at DTD and shopping, but I can't remember which one.

We will arrive home Saturday afternoon.

The trip costs $600 per student/chaperone. Students will be four to a room and chaperones will be two to a room. The hotel has a complimentary breakfast.

 

[SandrA9810]

I remember the evil bus ride from Ft Lauderdale to Ohio for WDI competition with the colorguard. Our guard was pretty big, nearly 50 members, so we took up a whole bus. And while the seniors got the center isle to lay down in... the rest of us got the cramped chair. I don't know how many charley horses I got that night.


There's several events that take place around the parks for Magic Music Days besides marching at the 3 o clock parade. They also do marches at 10am and before the 9pm parade during the summer. I'd strongly suggest going with the night parade, those band outfits are the hottest thing around. And while you think June is better... it's still hotter than blazes, especially in those things.
Now your one major difference, is Photopass will take pictures of the band marching (and any show stops) during the day time marches, but not during the night time. And up to three bands can march at each time frame.

All Stars is the resort that handles large groups like that. They have the staffing and the know how to make it work for the group, if they're staying onsite. I heard about a small band that scrimped and saved so their group could stay at the Poly, and while they paid a whole lot more, the hotel just wasn't prepared to handle a big group like that.

That's my two thoughts on it. I've always been impressed with the bands that have marched. And I took lots of great photos when I was a photographer there. (which btw, afterwards, you can request all the pictures be transfered to your personal card, and can be put on a CD. From there, you can duplicate the CD to share with the entire band.) Talk to the band director about adding a buck or two extra to the cost to purchase the CD for all the band kids. The pictures are good enough, that you usually will be able to zoom in on any particular kid, and there's probably about 2-3 photos of each kid. Show stops really help with getting those extra pictures in.
Now all photos can be transfered to the band director's card, but as a parent tag along just there to watch your kid, they usually only will let you transfer the pics of your child, not the whole group. Of course, they might not even care these days about that.

 

[disneychrista]

Click on the audition button...I think you may have to audition for it.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Thanks for the additonal information. I scrolled down the application and found a phone number to call for additional information. I'm going to call and find out what you have to do to march at MK.

We are the Barberton High School Magics. How cool would that be to have the Magics march at Magic Kingdom?

TC

 

[Live4FW]

Just found out that our band is going to Universal in spring next year. My oldest just graduated and never got to go on a decent trip but my next one will be a freshman and gets the cool trip his first year....

 

[ZanneMarie]

My son's HS band will be going at Thanksgiving this year and marching at Mk on T-giving Day!

Our band director came a few years ago from another district where he had done the Disney band trip thing several times. He told us at the parent meeting that they stay off site so that the students do not have access to the Disney buses that would take them back to their hotel in the middle of the day. Teenagers+free access to a hotel room=potential problems.

 

[Tuffcookie]

ZanneMarie wrote: Teenagers+free access to a hotel room=potential problems.

Certainly a good thing to consider! I had not even thought about that. I was thinking if they stayed on-site they could go to extra Magic Hours.

Band kids don't get into trouble!

TC

 

[Big V]

ZanneMarie wrote: Teenagers+free access to a hotel room=potential problems.

Certainly a good thing to consider! I had not even thought about that. I was thinking if they stayed on-site they could go to extra Magic Hours.

Band kids don't get into trouble!

TC

That gives a new meaning to "extra Magic Hours", doesn't it!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

EMH hours did not come into play at all for our trips. First, the kids do want to sleep in a bit in the AM. Seriously, most teenagers will veto any very early morning hours. Then in the evening we did not want them out too late since we did give them sometime at the hotel to decompress and be with friends for a bit. Don't forget someone (actually a group of chaperones) each night will have room check. The later you allow, the more chances of problems. The kids will be just fine with 11pm and 12am curfews. You will even find kids who are already asleep during your room checks.

Also, on the day of your performance, a great suggestion is to not get to Magic Kingdom until their call time (ours was 12:30pm) for the 2pm parade (you march prior to the 3pm parade). We had our girls all come in uniform and bring a change of clothes. Disney is 100% a stickler that everything is perfect. Shoes, hair, clothing, makeup, no jewelry etc. We would always stress to the parents, you would be upset if your child were to travel all that way and be pulled out of line and not be able to perform. The list is amazing that WDW provides. They are very, very specific! Then when the performance is over, it is okay to let them loose to have a good time.

Also, Disney provide park hopper passes. Since we stayed off-site our busses dropped us off at one park, and that was the park they stayed at. It is important to either not allow the kids to hop, or have a meeting on the proper ways to use Disney transportation and make sure that the kids are very well aware of the TIME it takes to get from point A to B.

In our trips there was only one time we allowed the girls to hop and it was because DHS closed early that day. We had them hop to the Magic Kingdom for a fuller park experience. Chaperone's were assigned to make sure that everyone got on a bus and made it to Magic Kingdom.

I know it sounds silly to us since we all are Disney people, but you will have children who have never been on a trip before. I have met children who didn't know how to order at a McDonalds and had never had fast food either. So please just remember to take every part of the trip very seriously, and remember to break it down to the simplest form possible.

Have a lot of fun planning, and even more have a great time performing!!!

 

[klj27]

It was decided not to get park hoppers for our group for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. We figure there is plenty to do for them to stay in one park and it will alleviate a lot of potential issues. It also saved a small amount of money by not getting phs.

 

[marciemi]

One thing I've read on these boards is that a lot of groups have the chaperones keep all the tickets so the kids can't leave the parks (or can't get back in if they do). However, that's a real bummer for those kids like mine who would know to take advantage of Fast Passes! Hopefully in late January that won't be a huge issue either way.

 

[klj27]

One thing I've read on these boards is that a lot of groups have the chaperones keep all the tickets so the kids can't leave the parks (or can't get back in if they do). However, that's a real bummer for those kids like mine who would know to take advantage of Fast Passes! Hopefully in late January that won't be a huge issue either way.

We have talked about away to get around this. When we get the passes we can photocopy all of them and note who they belong to. The kids can keep their passes so they are able to get fp and if one happens to get lost we just take the photocopies and receipt to guest services.

Since our kids won't have ph and won't be staying on property we aren't as concerned about them leaving. Our concern is losing the passes. (We aren't ignoring the fact that someone may try to leave, but strict consequences have already been discussed.)

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

We have talked about away to get around this. When we get the passes we can photocopy all of them and note who they belong to. The kids can keep their passes so they are able to get fp and if one happens to get lost we just take the photocopies and receipt to guest services.

Since our kids won't have ph and won't be staying on property we aren't as concerned about them leaving. Our concern is losing the passes. (We aren't ignoring the fact that someone may try to leave, but strict consequences have already been discussed.)

That is a good point that I forgot. We had each of the girls take pictures of the back of their pass in case it got misplaced. Most of the girls will have a camera or cell phone. They could also go to the media center at the hotel and use the photocopier.

I would not advise taking the passes away from the kids while in the park. It is good for them to learn a little responsibility. It is the same with money. Our girls have the choice of keeping and managing their money for the whole trip, or get a designated day envelope. Parents decide how much their child will need each day and put it in an envelope. That way if the child is not the most responsible, they would only lose one days money.

Also, please copy a few CS and TS menu's with prices off the internet and have them copied at the school to give in the trip packet. Parents can not comprehend the extreme amount of money needed to feed their child at Disney unless they have been there before. I won't even start to tell you the amount of money I have spent as a chaperone to pay for meals for kids with $100.00 Disney sweatshirts, but no food money!