Marching Band Itinerary/Where Is the Disney Event Area?

[Little E]

Our end-of-March spring break trip that is designed to parallel our sons' high school marching band trip is getting real! We just received the band's itinerary, and I'm trying to mesh as much of our family itinerary to theirs, so our guys can spend some time with their high school peeps. The back story is that our boys opted not to go on the band trip, and instead they chose to do WDW with us on property. They definitely want to see their band friends whenever the band friends have free time in the parks.

My question is for other families who have experienced marching band trips where they take part in a Disney clinic and then have a performance opportunity in the Disney Springs area. The band is doing a workshop clinic entitled "You're Instrumental" in the Disney event group area. Where, exactly, is the Disney event area?

I'm trying to get us as close to the band's itinerary as possible, and the band is free to go to a park after the clinic in the Disney event area. I'm just curious about where this area is, if it's not at a park?

Thanks so much for any info anyone has!

 

[danceteachermom]

There are quite a few Disney Event areas - some are near parks and others not. We have had workshops near the casting building and workshops in an area behind Epcot. I much prefer the Epcot area location because the kids can get escorted straight into the park...but Disney does not let you choose your area. The band director should know which event area the band is assigned to. The Disney Springs stage is in the old marketplace area right in front of the World of Disney. But when I have taken groups (11 times) we have always had to put the kids right back on the bus following the performance.

You should have signed up for the band trip...so many discounts. You'd be paying less for hotel and park passes plus you would have access through your director to meal coupons which can also be a great deal. I travel with 25-50 public school kids and about half of our parents/families usually come. So much work for the director but such an amazing memory for the kids and families!

 

[Little E]

@danceteachermom Thanks so much for the info! I didn't realize that there were multiple event areas in multiple places. I'll check with the boys' band director to see if he knows where their area is. It just says "Disney event area" on the itinerary.

We gave our boys the option to go with the band on the Disney trip, and we were sort of shocked that they opted to do Disney with us. The tipping point was when they discovered that the band would be traveling in a chartered bus (we live in the midwest, and it's a 24 hour drive) and staying off property. They both said NO WAY! They would both much prefer to fly with us and stay on property at the Poly. We promised we'd make every effort to line our trip up to the band's so that they can spend the band's free time with their buddies.

When the band itinerary came out today, we all were surprised at how little time the band will have in the parks. It's in chunks of only a few hours each day, I think in part because of the clinic and performance, and in part because of the travel time from being off property. The band will spend one whole day at Blizzard Beach-and my boys have no interest in water parks-and they will spend one whole day at Universal. While my boys would probably like to to go Universal, as we've only been once in 2014 before the big Harry Potter expansion, they felt that they would rather spend time at HS experiencing the new Star Wars area instead.

I'm helping the school process Disney band trip payments, and while the trip is definitely cheaper than staying on property, I don't feel it's insanely cheaper, for what's in their itinerary. Each day they are expected to eat at the free breakfast at the hotel, and they are given vouchers to eat quick service lunches and dinners at Disney or Universal. I know we have several chaperones, and the chaperones were able to take advantage of the ticket prices into the parks, but they have to ride 24 hours in a chartered bus with 200 high school kids. Ummm, no thanks! Plus, kids still don't have their tickets yet, and we aren't sure when they'll get them. Because they are staying off property, they can get FPs at 30 days, but we don't even know when they'll get their tickets.

So, all in all, my guys felt good about choosing to go with us, but we still want to maximize the time that our trip can overlap with the limited time the band has in the parks.

 

[danceteachermom]

Sounds like you made the right choice. With my group we always fly and I do not use a travel agent or tour company. We stay on property and book fast passes at 60 days and dining at 180 just like regular guests. We do not stay at the Poly though...sounds fun. We have done the Coronado, French Quarter, and Pop Century. I would never do a 24 hour bus ride with kids.

I am the dance teacher. Our orchestra attends every couple of years as well...they use a tour company and also stay off site. I was surprised they do not do full park days. I teach my kids how to rope drop...we have a blast!

 

[Tigerlulu]

You definitely made the right choice! I too forego traveling with the band to get their discounts in favor of my own trip. Next year will be my third time going with the band. The tickets don’t get handed out until maybe 2-4 weeks ahead of time, which kills fast pass booking at 60 days and even at 30 days, depending on the whim of the director. Plus they stay offsite in the DS area and use the charter buses to get to/from the parks. They never make rope drop and never make park close. Our band doesn’t do the workshops, only going to march and perform through magic kingdom. The rest of the time they are in the parks and they usually take one day for universal. Both times so far I’ve flown down ahead of them and flown back after them, and still left and arrived at the same time as my kiddos. I appreciate the chaperones who do go, but no thank you!!

 

[Boopuff]

My DD took the bus with the band. We flew with a few other parents. Our school purposely stayed off-site (that way they can control where the kids are and they can't jump a resort bus..) We didn't get to see our DD a lot, but she was able to spend a amount of time with us.

 

[Little E]

Sounds like folks have had similar experiences, although I'm really impressed with @danceteachermom! Way to go, teaching kids to rope drop on a class trip!! Unfortunately, there will be no rope drop for the band kiddos and no park closing either. With 200+ kids, it's just too hard to move such a large group quickly.

I'm sure the band kids will have a magical time, but I'm grateful my kids opted for a family trip. We'll figure out how to have them connect with their friends, and I'm going to have to let go of some of the planning and commando style touring we usually do for our family trips. I'm thinking it'll still be a really special trip.

 

[FastPasser.]

There are quite a few Disney Event areas

Having been a Disney Events Group CM for years, that's correct. And the locations can vary from year to year based on availability. For example, the venue in DHS where the Cars attraction is now housed was one of the Performance Arts location. I would ask someone for the exact location. Having said that, the location that pops up first, assuming it's still there, is the Disney Event Group-Rehearsal Hall on Live Oak Dr. in LBV.

 

[crazylady]

They bused our kids to their assigned event area from their HS day. It was not an area you could access without being part of the band trip. Do you have an itinerary yet? I would just plan to be in the park on the bands itinerary for that day. That's what we did in an attempt to see our band kid but we still only saw him for a bit.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

It's likely they won't know what area they are using until day of. Its futile to try and follow them around, and not how these trips are designed. They are intended for the kids to be part of the larger band group, then smaller groups of kids within the parks during free time, which is limited. It isn't designed for them to abandon the group to meet up with others, so its difficult to arrange that. I would suggest just having your child's friends text you when they have free time.

 

[Little E]

@crazylady The itinerary just says that the workshop/clinic will be in the "Disney event area". Then, they will depart by coach to the "park of their choice". So, we'll just sit tight and see where the friends wind up.

@eeyoreandtink You are exactly right...the band kiddos can't bail out on everyone else to come and hang out with my guys. Band kids have been instructed that they have to stay as a collective foursome that are assigned to the hotel rooms, but as a foursome, they can roam freely in the designated park, and meet up with either the chaperones, and/or the whole group at prescribed times and places. My guys would simply like to meet up with their friends whenever it's possible. We totally understand-now that we've seen the itinerary-that the band group won't have a ton of time in the parks. We'll work to honor the band kids' requirements and whenever it works, it will simply be a bonus for my kids.

 

[Little E]

@eeyoreandtink Wow! I just looked at my trip countdown ticker and noticed that your trip countdown ticker has both of us arriving at WDW on the same day! Whoo hoo! I hope you have a magical trip!

 

[crazylady]

Sounds like our band was a little more strick with the kids than yours. I'm sure you all will have a blast

 

[eeyoreandtink]

@eeyoreandtink You are exactly right...the band kiddos can't bail out on everyone else to come and hang out with my guys. Band kids have been instructed that they have to stay as a collective foursome that are assigned to the hotel rooms, but as a foursome, they can roam freely in the designated park, and meet up with either the chaperones, and/or the whole group at prescribed times and places. My guys would simply like to meet up with their friends whenever it's possible. We totally understand-now that we've seen the itinerary-that the band group won't have a ton of time in the parks. We'll work to honor the band kids' requirements and whenever it works, it will simply be a bonus for my kids.

yep, that's pretty much how it works. I just wanted to make sure you know they were going to have limited free time and had to stay together.

 

[danceteachermom]

I am curious...for those of you that have had kids go on band trips. How much did they charge per kid? How many park days and meals did that include?

I do all of our schools planning on my own without an agent and I hope I am saving my kids money or giving them a better value for their trip.

 

[crazylady]

Our trip was about $1200. That included but transport to/from Florida, off site hotel for 4 nights, 3 day non- park hopper for disney and 1 day hopper at Universal, the Disney workshop, all meals. One of the meals was at an Orlando dinner theatre kind of place. It was a group of about 200 kids.

 

[Little E]

My kids are not going on the band trip so I don't know all the ins and outs, but I think the cost of this trip is in the neighborhood of $1300 per student, and they have about 200(ish) going. It includes round trip charter bus transportation from Michigan to Orlando, and bus transportation daily to the parks. It includes the Disney Performing Arts clinic and opportunity to perform in Disney Springs. It also includes four nights at a nearby Hampton Inn, four day WDW park tickets with hoppers, plus a one day Universal park ticket which includes seeing the Blue Man Group. Breakfasts each day will be at the hotel, and vouchers will be given for quick service meals for lunch and dinner each day they are in the parks. They travel on the charter busses for 24 hours, and I think kids are expected to pay for their meals/snacks while traveling.

I know that there are some band parents who are staying on WDW property and they bought the tickets through the trip package at a discount, but I have no idea how much their discount for their tickets is? I suspect because they didn't buy a WDW package, they have to wait until the tickets are handed out to students, and they don't get the 60 day FP window, which would be a bummer.

 

[RangerPooh]

My DD is going on a band/orchestra/colorguard trip this week to Universal and Sea World. They plan to do WDW in two years.

A few years ago I saw multiple groups listed as performing in the concert hall at Saratoga Springs Resort.