Marching Band question

LaughingGravy

LaughingGravy

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hi all,
Our HS marching band will be marching prior to the 3PM parade. Woo Hoo!
I understand our situation may be specific, but for those that have done this, could you please post your experiences including where you met to change into uniforms and where your trailer was allowed to park, if you were looking at say, google maps or earth?
When were you allowed to bring the trailer to the spot? Did you need to remove it right away, and then, where did you park it, if so?
I'm obviously the one in charge of the trailer, but it's a long 28 footer and more knowledge in advance is always better and appreciated.
Once the kids get changed, as a 'backstage" person, will I be able to get a good spot to see them march?

Thanks!
 
Sage of Time

Sage of Time

Well-Known Member
As I was, back then, 'one of the kids', I'm not sure about some of this stuff, but, yes, you should be able to drive with the busses backstage so as to get the band to the parade facility where you will change and get ready to march.

All of this takes place behind Splash Mountain. There should be room to park back there and everything.

And yeah, Disney should let you go rejoin guests in the park so you see them march out of the gate.

I'd call ahead to ask them, though. This was nearly 10 years ago. :)
 
Dwarful

Dwarful

Well-Known Member
We go Feb. 25 - March 2nd with our Marching band. We are doing the same thing. When we get back I'll post our experience and information.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
We'll just say that WDW's organization skills have taken a nosedive. I deal with it a lot and it is almost unworkable logistics wise these days. Trying to get my Sat Truck to the finish line at the Marathon was a nightmare.
 
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TinkerbellKate

TinkerbellKate

Active Member
About a million years ago, I marched in a parade at MK. I know they parked the busses backstage, somewhere around the bridge over the Jungle Cruise. We didn't bring a trailer because we drove from so far away. Everything was just under the busses. We didn't seem to have any problems. There were 8 busses back there when we were there, four of ours and four from another band.
 
LaughingGravy

LaughingGravy

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sudcaro- Sudcaro said:
Didn't they give you any instructions when you got the news your marching band would be opening the parade?
Click to expand...
We have nothing so far. We had to go through a travel agent due to school rules for this sort of thing and how the funding needs to work. We may be waiting on him for the moment, but I would like to add that our kids buses are not going backstage.
The plan as, I understand it, is to have the kids go in like normal guests and I meet them later in the day backstage with the trailer with the uniforms and instruments.
I want to find out where I am able to park the trailer in the meantime, if I need to park at say the morning where(?), then move, then park backstage then move again, or if I can get it parked once in the morning backstage instead of killing probably an hour or so in park time just moving the trailer around 3 x over the course of the day, which would be the worst.
 
Fievel

Fievel

RunDisney Addict
It's been almost 20 years since I've done it but it doesn't sound like the routine has changed a whole lot. Your group will go in the main gate. Any equipment (uniforms, instruments, etc) will go by a group of trailers parked backstage between splash mountain and pirates. You'll have Magic Kingdom reps that will be your go to people and will be able to make sure you get where you want/need to be.
 
brifraz

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
I'll make sure to communicate clearly and effectively with all of you when I become the guy in charge of booking those bands in 10 years (after I retire from my 30 years as a high school band director). Sadly, I've never been in the situation where my band could go to Disney and march and can't help anyone right now. :( But, if you are planning to book for 2025, I hope to be there for you. :)
 
Goofy_guy

Goofy_guy

Active Member
I actually have marched in a Disney parade with a marching band twice. Once back in May 2013 with my high school band then this past December the day before New Years Eve with Marching Mizzou when our football was to play in the Citrus Bowl on New Years Day.

To be honest the whole time I was concerned about changing and making sure I had everything needed. I did end up in the same spot both times for changing, unloading, etc. but we were kind of sworn to secracy because there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff with CMs in character costumes and such. If I remember right the location I think was close to where Liberty Square and Frontierland intersect because you could see the back of Splash Mountain from where we were and marched right through Liberty Square on our route to Main Street.
 
mousehockey37

mousehockey37

Well-Known Member
When I did this back in the mid-late 90s for "Disney Magic Music Days", here's what I remember:
  • Left school at 4am
  • Got to watch everything get unloaded from the trailer into the airplane at the terminal.
  • Arrived at MCO and I think we had a rental truck or something which picked up all our instruments and such.
  • Day of parade, we (the entire band) entered the back of the park on our tour buses. We entered the park through the gate next to Pirates. I remember this distinctly because they asked my parents (who were band boosters along as chaperones) if they wanted to take my sister into the park a different way so it "didn't ruin the magic for her" (we entered where you could see costumes and such without CM's in them).
  • I think that's where we went back later in the day to get ready and do the parade, but other than that, I don't remember much except for it was 90+ in a full wool uniform, and it was funny because we were practicing in 30 degree weather up North to get ready for the parade and we could see the Hale-Bopp comet going by those nights.
That's what I remember. I don't have any info regarding the Travel Agency as I was just a student then.
 
Dwarful

Dwarful

Well-Known Member
Our information was : director and band kids only behind the scences with the tour. I am not impressed with our tour director. Even though we had to start making payments/fundraising over a year in advance and had everything paid for we didn't get our ticket information until 24 days prior to our arrival. Needless to say I expressed my extreme disappointment in not being able to get all of the FP's for the students...especially since most of the kids this is their first trip (and maybe only trip).

My husband is one of the truck drivers for the trailers but I cannot go with him in the truck...Disney was very clear on that ...limiting who can go back and no cell phones etc. on the students. But we get back March 3rd so I will post on our actual experiences when we get back. They are doing the 3 PM parade in MK and they music experience in Epcot that is 3 hours long....along with a few other things.
 
msbrit90

msbrit90

Active Member
I miss marching in Disney :cry: I did it twice and they were my best memories of all of high school and band (#FrenchHornPride)
anyway
It was different both times we marched.
Theres a changing room/area for busses and trailers to park out back near Splash mountain, both years we met near that gate entrance there. They have changing rooms 2, 1 for guys 1 for girls but it can be packed, we had 2 schools marching one year and all of kids were in there at once... advice for the kids : don't bring anything valuable in the changing room, where what they are marching in under your uniform to the park that day, and pack a change of clothes in a backpack and after they march find a bathroom some were to change ( bring a change of everything, socks, underwear ect, its HOTTTT)
My sophomore year we met by splash mountain...changed, then actually the parade started right there by splash mountain, down frontier land, cut through liberty square, came out in front of castle, went straight down main street, and ended by the fire station on main street...that was the best route.

My senior year we did it opposite, started by fire station and ended at splash mountain. That one kinda sucked bc we had to walk 100000 miles before we got to where we had to line up to start...but one plus is you go by the dressing rooms for the characters, this is when I found out most characters are short girls/guys, there are not many guy costume characters except for like Goofy and Jafar. Was very neat.

Tell the students: It is hot, your clothes will be soaked, drink lots of water that day, eat breakfast (normal band stuff) both times we had students pass out as soon as they got off the parade route. More advice...what we did after we marched is we went and got on the nice air conditioned monorail and sat, idk how many times we road it. But it was so nice to just relax on there ( we couldn't go back to our rooms or I would have)

Have fun! :)
 
loriloughs

loriloughs

Member
Four years ago my husband and I drove a 26 foot Penske truck with our high school music department's equipment and luggage down to Orlando. The concert band and choirs had workshops at Epcot and performed at Downtown Disney. The marching band marched in Magic Kingdom. When the kids had workshops at Epcot, they went using the front gates and my husband and I drove through the back lots. We dropped the equipment off and soon as they were done we had to get the truck out of there. We were vehemently told several times - NO PICTURES! Same thing when they performed at Downtown Disney. They had special coach buses and we all parked in a special area of the front lots (gone now with all the construction there). As soon as they performed we were all out of there. When the day came for the marching band to perform at Magic Kingdom, my husband and I with the Penske, AND buses with the kids went in behind the scenes. There were trailers and buildings for the kids to change. They marched down Main Street and around the hub. As soon as they were done, they got changed, they stayed in the park and my hubby and I immediately took the truck back to the hotel to rejoin the kids later. We were able to watch them March, however. My husband and I had gotten all the directions we needed to know where to go before we left home and it was a pretty easy procedure. The Disney people were great, but had very strict guidelines! Our music department is going again this May and I was told by our color guard instructor that the girls must use swing flag poles (short) so no one gets hit because of the liability! Last time the girls carried regular flag poles. Anyway, hope this info helps. Have a wonderful trip!
 
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Goofy_guy

Goofy_guy

Active Member
I have to say this. Its so nice to have shared the experience of marching down Main Street, one of the most magical places inside the most magical place on Earth, with so many people. I was thrilled to have done it once, but to have done it twice is so surreal and something I'll never forget and always remember as one of the top highlights of my life. :)
 
Sans Souci

Sans Souci

Well-Known Member
mousehockey37 said:
When I did this back in the mid-late 90s for "Disney Magic Music Days", here's what I remember:
  • Left school at 4am
  • Got to watch everything get unloaded from the trailer into the airplane at the terminal.
  • Arrived at MCO and I think we had a rental truck or something which picked up all our instruments and such.
  • Day of parade, we (the entire band) entered the back of the park on our tour buses. We entered the park through the gate next to Pirates. I remember this distinctly because they asked my parents (who were band boosters along as chaperones) if they wanted to take my sister into the park a different way so it "didn't ruin the magic for her" (we entered where you could see costumes and such without CM's in them).
  • I think that's where we went back later in the day to get ready and do the parade, but other than that, I don't remember much except for it was 90+ in a full wool uniform, and it was funny because we were practicing in 30 degree weather up North to get ready for the parade and we could see the Hale-Bopp comet going by those nights.
That's what I remember. I don't have any info regarding the Travel Agency as I was just a student then.
Click to expand...


Did you get one of those turquoise t-shirts, too? :)
 
HRHPrincessAriel

HRHPrincessAriel

Well-Known Member
The Magic Music Day team will give the director a call and give very specific instructions. I taken my dance team 4 times and we've always had one of their CM me members with us the entire time walking us through the entire process. I can't imagine band being and different.
 

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