What would you pay for your child to go to WDW on a school trip?

[Kitty 34]

I'm on our HS band's Disney planning committee. We will be going Thanksgiving week '05.

We came up with an estimated $800 per student for the trip.

This includes:

1. rt airfare from Michigan
2. staying ONsite vs offsite (the band has only done offsite )
3. meals
4. 4-Day Park passes.

This would be for 5 nights.

We presented this figure to some other band parents and were told that that was too high. They want us to get it down to the $600 range and this is before we start doing any fund raisers!

Any of you wonderful experts have any advice?? I don't think $800 is too high but maybe I'm wrong.........any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!

 

[JayBee]

Will the band be actually playing in a WDW parade, or is this just a "fun" trip? I thought if you were playing for WDW they gave you a break on hotel costs(??)

 

[tiggerlover]

I don't have a HS student, just elementary school student, but I think $800 is too high. I think the band needs to do a lot of fundraising and try to bring the cost down. But that is just my two cents, I am sure others will disagree.

Edited: I just re-read what it included and I suppose the price is a good one for what they are getting. But as a parent I would not want to put out that much money, my child would have to fundraise or earn part of the money himself if he wanted to go.

 

[Parrothead1964]

IMHO, I would jump on this deal. My DS (14 yo) called me a couple of months ago and asked for $1800 for a trip to Europe during the summer of 2005. After I picked myself up off the floor, I told him that there was no way on God's green earth that I would allow any of my kids to go anywhere overseas now. (Call me overprotective, but that's me).

I would have been fine with a trip to WDW.

 

[Kallison]

Hi my nephew is going on Thursday for a football trip. They had to pay I believe $800 per kid. They raised a total of 45,000. I'm not sure if that money took away from the $800? I know parents going have to pay $800. They will leave early Thursday AM and coming home Sunday afternoon. Includes everything and a few meals, staying at All Stars. Personally I think that is too much, they only get 1/2 day Saturday in the parks, they will be playing the rest of the time. I think your price sounds reasonable.

 

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by JayBee
Will the band be actually playing in a WDW parade, or is this just a "fun" trip? I thought if you were playing for WDW they gave you a break on hotel costs(??)

Yes, they will be playing even tho our director cannot submit the application until exactly a year before so that's why this $800 was just an estimate.

 

[Pinnie]

Yes, you could do it cheaper. BUT what are they willing to give up?

My DS went with his band from Livonia, MI to WDW in 2000 for about $350 per kid BUT they took a bus. 23 hours on a BUS!!! They stayed OFF site, which was ok, but not perfect.


Other things that are factored into your fee are transfers to and from the airport. You are talking a band and instruments, so that is going to cost a few buses! Also, you will need transportation to wherever your kids are going to play. Our kids played a few off site venues so that needs to be factored in.

We had to pay for a nurse to go along as per our district's requirements. In addition to paying her way, we also had to give her a per diem stipend.

Personally I think the $800 is right in the ballpark and I hope your child gets to experience the trip. My DS still talks about the great time he had a Disney's Magic Music Days!!!! Now the question is are you going along to supervise?

pinnie

 

[mom2boys]

It's all relative. To some families (especially those with multiple kids in band) it might be cost prohibative. However, knowing a year in advance gives the kids time to earn the money themselves. $800 earned over 12 months comes out to about $67 per month. Around here a teen could make 2x that babysitting one night each weekend.

 

[CamColt]

I think thats about right, especially considering all they are getting. Where will they stay?
Since you are talking HS kids, I would assume they are old enough to have jobs so I dont think the parents should "have" to pay for it all. I spent more than that on my HS spring break trip to Bermuda 15 years ago and it only included airfare, hotel, and breakfasts. I was working part time at a bank for about 7 months prior to the trip and I paid for it all myself.

 

[Kirby]

I think it's a deal. And good for the band parents for already planning. Our high school band is planning a trip to either WDW or Hawaii next spring. No cost has been put before the parents yet so we don't know how much we are going to have to dole out. Fundraisers have begun but if the kids knew where they were going, it would help. Oh, well......

 

[poohbears5]

My dd did senior trip in June it was 800.00 for 4 days at allstars included breakfast and one meal voucher for dinner.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

My brother did his band trip when he was in HS about 5 years ago and i think it was about $700. (I was a chaperone )

So $800 5 years later does not sound that bad to me.

 

[shortbun]

Our friends paid $700 per child last year for 5 nights off site,
a couple of charter buses from Ohio, most meals and admissions.

 

[NMAmy]

Two years ago I paid $850 for DD to go on a school trip for 4 days. They stayed at All Star Movies and all meals were included, airfare, and tickets. They also were in the program (I can't remember what it's called) where they got to go backstage at different attractions (Haunted Mansion, Space Mtn with the lights on, etc) I thought it was a great deal and she had a blast.

 

[miche61]

I don't think $800 is too bad for all of that. What a chance for a fun memory! I, however would be trying to figure out a way to go to chaperone.

 

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by NMAmy
Two years ago I paid $850 for DD to go on a school trip for 4 days. They stayed at All Star Movies and all meals were included, airfare, and tickets. They also were in the program (I can't remember what it's called) where they got to go backstage at different attractions (Haunted Mansion, Space Mtn with the lights on, etc) I thought it was a great deal and she had a blast.

NMAmy, was your DD's school trip a band trip? Where did you fly out of and what airline did you use? Please PM me if you would rather, with the info.

 

[KarenC]

Our band did WDW and the Gator Bowl this year. The cost was $950 and included:

--Round trip bus fare from Chicago to Orlando to Jacksonville to home (on buses that broke down twice)
--3 nights in an off-site hotel in Orlando (Rosen Center)
--3 days of admission to Disney parks
--2 nights lodging in a terrible hotel in Jacksonville
--Ticket to the Gator Bowl
--Meals

In 2001, the band was scheduled to go to Paris, but the trip was canceled after September 11. The trip was $1,500. I think we ended up getting $600 of that back.

I don't think $800 is unreasonable. And if you can avoid making it cheaper by sending them on a bus, I think it's worth it.

One thing to think about, though, the reason our kids stayed off site was to ensure they couldn't go back to their rooms while the band was touring the parks. Disney transportation would allow them to get back to their rooms without the chaperones knowledge. A quite a few romances develop on those band trips...

 

[Shugardrawers]

Air fare is making all the difference here. DH's DD 17 goes with her band every year. They live on the MS Gulf Coast and it's just a 10 hr drive from there. We generally pay $400 to $500 plus spending money for a total anywhere from $600 to $700. I don't know why some years it's less than others unless they are getting a good rate that particular year. Adding in airfare, I don't think your estimate is all that high. JMO

 

[DukeStreetKing]

I'd only pay half if they insist on bringing the child home.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Sounds reasonable to me. And how considerate to have the estimate up front to give everyone the opportunity to save the money for the trip. If a parent thinks it is too high, he can let the kid save the money if the kid wants to go.