Anyone ever go to WDW as a chaperone for a high school band?

[Now Is The Time]

My wife is a teacher and is taking over forty high school band kids to WDW this year. They will perform and march for the 3pm parade at MK. I will be going to "chaperone" as well. Anyone done this before? (I'm asking the adults, not the kids) I'm just wanting to know some of the cautions when it comes to having kids footloose and fancy free at the parks and if there are any tips in handling problems, behavior, etc. and anything I should expect. I'm sure the hotel room situation with 4 kids per room should be rather interesting.

Many thanks!

 

[ImaYoyo]

My wife is a teacher and is taking over forty high school band kids to WDW this year. They will perform and march for the 3pm parade at MK. I will be going to "chaperone" as well. Anyone done this before? (I'm asking the adults, not the kids) I'm just wanting to know some of the cautions when it comes to having kids footloose and fancy free at the parks and if there are any tips in handling problems, behavior, etc. and anything I should expect. I'm sure the hotel room situation with 4 kids per room should be rather interesting.

Many thanks!

What group is it? I may see you I've never been a chaperone, but I have PLENTY of experience with MMD Groups. The best tips I can offer are the following:

1.) Have a meeting time and place. Make it simple.
2.) Most band groups are EXTREMELY well behaved. Band (especially marching band) seems to require the most amount of discipline and respect for the music and drill, and this seems to replicate itsself in daily actions as well.
3.) There will be misbehaving, it happens. Deal with it discreatly, as not only their actions, but how you handle their actions will be representative of the group.
4.) Have a great time! See you when you march!

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I have performed that duty, both at WDW and DL.
As was said before, bands are probably the best behaved of any HS group you could hope to have.

With that said, early on, we made it clear to the kids and their parents that Disney does not tolerate much, and you will be sent home at your expense if you are caught breaking any of the rules.

While there, we have the kids broken down into managable sized groups. I never insisted that we travel as a group, but go to a single park (usually, the whole band is at a single park on a single day). Then we set up two meets, one mid day and the other prior to heading back to the room. They must check in at those times. After that, we do set a curfew, have room check and monitor the outside of the rooms (occasionally have hired a "hall monitor" from Disney.

If there is a daily allowance, hand that out on a daily basis or you'll have some spend/eat it all in one day then go begging the rest of the trip as they brought no backup.

 

[mickey&me]

I've not taken a group to WDW, but I have chaperoned groups of teenagers at other places, including other theme parks. Here are some of my best tips:

1. Have a mandatory meeting before you go where expectations, requirements, and consequences will be discussed in depth. Then stick to your guns with the consequences.

2. In the parks, require that students remain in groups (we allowed the groups to be of their choosing, but you may assign groups). We used groups of at least four so that if one person didn't want to do an activity, he wouldn't be left alone while his partner went. Our rule was that if a chaperone found you alone, you became his shadow for the rest of the day.

3. Discreetly patrol the rooms at night. Have a curfew and enforce it.

4. Have mandatory meetings periodically in the parks at set times in obvious places with a role check of some kind.

5. Be sure that your chaperones and the kids know who has the authority to do what. Also, remind the chaperones that they are on the trip to help out, not just to vacation (there are nice ways of saying this).

The more clear you are about what the expectations and consequences are, the easier your trip will be. Start out firm, stay firm, and everybody will have a more enjoyable trip.

 

[KaliSplash]

Haven't done this.
But having been in the band, and never able to go to anywhere nearly as neat as WDW, I can only say, May the Lord have mercy on your soul!

 

[figmentmom]

I haven't chaperoned to WDW, but I've chaperoned band trips elsewhere! I agree, band kids are the BEST! However, when you lay down the rules in advance, be very clear about consequences should those rules be broken! Kids like to push their limits, so hang tough. And if the rules are broken, FOLLOW THROUGH. Nothing says chaos like a group of kids who've just realized that rules are meaningless.

Definitely patrol after curfew, too. :lol:

 

[Craig & Lisa]

One word of advice, and this will keep alot of people from getting mad at you. If you will be holding onto the kids tickets do not go up to any fast pass booths and try to get all of them at once. I got stuck behind some real jerks who thought it was safer to get them for the kids rather than let them get them themselves. I stood behind them for what seemed 20 minutes because they couldn't trust that the kids could do it themselves. Alot of people me including had a few choice words as they passed by us when they finished. And they just looked at us as though we were nuts. :shrug:

 

[blue_dragon_192]

I have not been a chaperone for HS kids, but I have been with the Middle School Marching band at Universal.

1) Two meeting times, mid day and then at the end of the day
2) all kids must be with another kids (2 kids together minimum) No wandering around alone........
3) Lay the law down first, and make sure that they know the rules and if the rules are broken, then they will suffer the consequences.
4) Girls on one floor or building, and boys on another.
5) set a curfew for them to be in their rooms
6) this will seem odd, but worked very well. after curfew, tape their doors with a piece of masking tape, if the tape is broken (they left the room), they are punished. (no more trips for them, or their parents need to get them, depending on how far from home you are).
7) have a great time.

 

[atterris]

6) this will seem odd, but worked very well. after curfew, tape their doors with a piece of masking tape, if the tape is broken (they left the room), they are punished. (no more trips for them, or their parents need to get them, depending on how far from home you are

this is sooo good I will pass it on to the music teachers going on thier next trip:goodnevil

 

[Figment1989]

6) this will seem odd, but worked very well. after curfew, tape their doors with a piece of masking tape, if the tape is broken (they left the room), they are punished. (no more trips for them, or their parents need to get them, depending on how far from home you are

this is sooo good I will pass it on to the music teachers going on thier next trip:goodnevil

For the record...as a former band kid, this can be easily averted - all you need to do is take the tape off of the entire floor's doors, so that no one can be punished.

 

[Figment1989]

Ohh, also, watch out for the trick where 3 out of the four people in the room will be there and the shower will be running. They will say that the 4th person is in the shower, but actually, the 4th person is in someone else's room. (either their boyfriend or girlfriend's or just another friend's room)

Also, at my school, they went through all of the luggage the day before the trip so that the kids couldn't bring alcohol or drugs.

 

[MinnieLee]

My husband & I chaperonerd our H.S. band twice. Our group also did the tape on the outside of the rooms right after "room check." Our whole group went to one park together and then they could break off into smaller groups. We had a couple of times during the day where they had to meet the chaperones at one location to check in. I don't know if they still do it but we had food coupons that we handed out at that check in time so we knew that they would come. NO group was allowed to have any member of the group go off alone whether it be to eat, bathroom or they just wanted to go back to the resort for the pool. We marched at MK and EPCOT, Universal and once at Busch Gardens. With chaperones all through the parks having fun we were always spotted by one of the band members in the event they needed something. Cell phone numbers were also given out for use in case of an emergency. We stayed at All Star Music so all the parents would wait at the tables by the pool so we would see them come back for curfew. Our band was fantastic and it was a great experience. Mention marching at Disney and our band numbers always grew. They knew that they would be a reflection of their school and any misbehaving meant being sent home at the parent's expense (if the parents were not coming) and discipilinary action when they returned to school. When we took the bus down we did luggage checks before they got on the bus. With the airline regulations we did not have to do that. Since this is also a high school group there was also NO smoking allowed. What a great experience! :sohappy:

 

[MinnieLee]

My husband & I chaperonerd our H.S. band twice. Our group also did the tape on the outside of the rooms right after "room check." Our whole group went to one park together and then they could break off into smaller groups. We had a couple of times during the day where they had to meet the chaperones at one location to check in. I don't know if they still do it but we had food coupons that we handed out at that check in time so we knew that they would come. NO group was allowed to have any member of the group go off alone whether it be to eat, bathroom or they just wanted to go back to the resort for the pool. We marched at MK and EPCOT, Universal and once at Busch Gardens. With chaperones all through the parks having fun we were always spotted by one of the band members in the event they needed something. Cell phone numbers were also given out for use in case of an emergency. We stayed at All Star Music so all the parents would wait at the tables by the pool so we would see them come back for curfew. Our band was fantastic and it was a great experience. Mention marching at Disney and our band numbers always grew. They knew that they would be a reflection of their school and any misbehaving meant being sent home at the parent's expense (if the parents were not coming) and discipilinary action when they returned to school. When we took the bus down we did luggage checks before they got on the bus. With the airline regulations we did not have to do that. Since this is also a high school group there was also NO smoking allowed. What a great experience! :sohappy:

 

[minnie2000]

"6) this will seem odd, but worked very well. after curfew, tape their doors with a piece of masking tape, if the tape is broken (they left the room), they are punished. (no more trips for them, or their parents need to get them, depending on how far from home you are)."


But if there are 4 in a room, and perhaps only one has left the room, would you send all 4 home? That doesn't seem very fair.

 

[Now Is The Time]

This is great so far. Thanks to everyone. Keep going!

 

[accord99cutie]

Just a note with the tape thing, when I went to DL in HS with my band, where we stayed the windows actually opened, so we "snuck" out and were able to tape the door back up and then one of us would climb back in through the window... also, we had a girl in our room who's mom was there to chaperone, so we could always just send her out to go to her moms room, and then we had a reason for our tape to be broken. Granted, it still will scare most of the kids into staying in their rooms.

 

[The Mom]

"6) this will seem odd, but worked very well. after curfew, tape their doors with a piece of masking tape, if the tape is broken (they left the room), they are punished. (no more trips for them, or their parents need to get them, depending on how far from home you are)."


But if there are 4 in a room, and perhaps only one has left the room, would you send all 4 home? That doesn't seem very fair.

This is always tricky. I know that if I were a roomate, I would do everything in my power to stop another roomate from doing something that would get me punished, also. I guess that's what the chaperones are hoping.

Then, there's always the "do I alert the chaperones so my trip isn't ruined (if I can't stop someone else, or he/she sneaks out while I'm sleeping), thereby being known as a snitch, or do I keep my mouth shut and take an undeserved punishment?" Of course, my children's school has an honor code, so NOT doing anything if another student violates it makes the punishment deserved, so I and my children know that they might get undeserved punishment from time to time.

Of course, the person violating the rules knows that he/she is jeopardizing everyone else, so I would hope that he/she would be as despised as a snitch would be. But, being teenagers, maybe not.

Life is full of tough decisions.

 

[blue_dragon_192]

This is always tricky. I know that if I were a roomate, I would do everything in my power to stop another roomate from doing something that would get me punished, also. I guess that's what the chaperones are hoping.

Then, there's always the "do I alert the chaperones so my trip isn't ruined (if I can't stop someone else, or he/she sneaks out while I'm sleeping), thereby being known as a snitch, or do I keep my mouth shut and take an undeserved punishment?" Of course, my children's school has an honor code, so NOT doing anything if another student violates it makes the punishment deserved, so I and my children know that they might get undeserved punishment from time to time.

Of course, the person violating the rules knows that he/she is jeopardizing everyone else, so I would hope that he/she would be as despised as a snitch would be. But, being teenagers, maybe not.

Life is full of tough decisions.

The tape thing worked well for us, it may not work for others. There is one thing that the kids in the band understood. Break the rules and you will get punished. I know that our band director, if he found that all the doors had no tape, would make sure that there would be no more trips for that year. I know it sounds harsh, but they all respected it. Now we did have a few of the kids trying to stay in the halls beyond the curfew, getting ice and such, but for the most part they were good.

There was a lot of respect between the kids and the parents. The parents were fair and the kids respected that.....Band kids are like Scouts (girl and boy scouts) they have respect and show it.

Those decisions about being a snitch or going with the crowd is tough.....either way, they break the rules, they do not get to go on another trip......it was simple.....and he made it clear the entire band would feel the wrath.......

 

[kstella]

My DS music department is in the middle of planning a trip over spring break for Magic Music Days. We've been discussing rules and whether to tape or not. Obviously sending a misbehaving student home would be logistically not possible for us. I approach this trip with excitment for my son for the ability to have the experience and with trepidation hoping that all will work out fine.

 

[Disneybird]

Though my girls were not in band, they were in show choirs. I was president of the booster club, and my husband and I chaperoned 80-100 kids for 3 years. There is some great advice on here from everyone, such as 2 meeting times, you must go in groups, monitor the halls up to an hour or more after curfew, separate floors for the boys and girls, etc..
A few more though:
1.Don't set your meeting place on Main Street or at parade times.
2.We had parents donate a few $'s each for snacks. We went to Sam's and bought cookies, crackers, chips, etc., in bulk and passed them out to the rooms after check-in.
3. Have a meeting with the parents of all band members going, before you leave. Let them know what will and will not be tolerated.
4. We printed all chaperone cell phone #'s on small cards and gave one to each student. Cell phones don't always have reception in every bldg. at the world, so if the kids needed to get a chaperone, they were usually able to reach someone.
5. Take medical info for everyone and a First Aid Kit with plenty of aspirin, bandaids, sunscreen and sunburn cream.
6. We shut down Space Mountain because of a towel taken from a hotel room, that got loose on the ride, and hit a sensor. So the next trip down, the kids were warned not to let this happen again.
7. Don't give your own child privileges that you don't let others have. I've seen this happen more than once.
8. Each chaperone should have certain students they are responsible for.
9. Keep in mind that it's because of the band kids that you are there. They have worked for this all year, and they are just as excited or more to be at WDW, as you are. Let them have fun! Let them know that they can come to you at anytime, if needed.

I loved the trips we took with the choirs. The students were great. It's something I would do again in a heartbeat. The chaperones were a different story. All the arguments that happened on our trips, other than the occassional boyfriend, girlfriend spat, were between chaperones.