The orchestra is coming!

[maxiesmom]

My DNephew has just found out that his orchestra is going to WDW next April! Yay! Another excuse to go to Disney! Anyway, I am hoping for some info and tips from the adults who have had children participate in band or orchestra trips. Do the groups spend pretty much all of their time together? How much free time do the children have to spend with family? Did you stay at the same resort or a different one? What do we need to do in order to make this trip as easy as it can be?

Any tips will be greatly appreciated. TIA!

 

[Lildee]

I have gone with my daughter's marching band twice. They usually book rooms at All Star Music and try to keep all the rooms as close as possible. They day of their performance is really the only time they are tied up and after performing they are free again. It depends on the director of the orchestra how much free time the kids have. We get 4 day hopper passes and the director lets our kids go to the park they want to. The chaperones collect keys to rooms in the morning and the kids do not get their keys back until the evening at a set time. The first day of the trip we take medical forms for everyone attending the trip to a first aid station and they are entered into a computer. Then chaperones have to call the first aid station every so often to see if anyone from the trip is ill or injured. If someone is ill they let you know which park they are at and the chaperone must go to the first aid station.

I have heard some directors make the kids go to the same park every day, but with the way Disney has the computer set up with medical forms, that really isn't necessary. We have always had a good time and have never had any problems.

 

[Hannathy]

My sister takes her band every other year and they stay off-site and have a set schedule that they all go to together. They all go to the same park or water park together on the bus and then split up and have to stay in that park till the scheduled time to go to another activity. Like MGM till 2 then bus over to Epcot till 9:30. Their chaperone's have points in the park where someone is stationed and I'm not sure if the kids have to check in at a certain time or if they are just there in case they need something. The last day I remember they went to BB first thing in the morning and left for home from there at 3.