Over spring break, the Rochester Band, Choirs, Color Guard, and Poms ventured down to Orlando, Florida; the trip many of us have been fundraising and saving money for since 5th grade. Five days in Florida, two days to drive down. When we first got on the bus, the energy was ecstatic. Disney trivia and snacks galore, but quickly, into the first few hours, many of us realized it was going to be difficult getting comfortable.
While the 24-hour bus ride down there was long and claustrophobic, we made it. As soon as we got to the hotel, all I wanted to do was lie down in the bed, considering I had slept on the floor of the bus, along with many other people, for most of the drive. That was not going to happen yet. As soon as we got unloaded and were given our room assignments, we ate a quick dinner before we had separate rehearsals for the band and the choir students. After rehearsals, some of us went out to the pool to swim while others called it a night and went to bed.
Before bed every night, our room chaperone did a quick room check to make sure everyone who was supposed to be in the room was in their rooms. At night, we each got a piece of tape put on the outside of our doors, and if our tape was broken in the morning, the chaperones would know that someone had tried to leave their room throughout the night. Luckily, to my knowledge, we did not have any instances of people leaving the room.
The first full day in Disney was EPCOT day! After a filling buffet breakfast, we all loaded onto the buses to head over to EPCOT. Throughout the day, we could ride as many rides as we wanted, as long as we were in a group of three or more. Both the choir and the band had separate rehearsals within the park. This was a super cool experience for both groups. We played/sang songs, and they were able to add the recordings of our playing on top of the actual movie clip. After these rehearsals, we were able to enjoy EPCOT for the rest of the day. We did many rides, lots of shopping, and at the end of the night, we watched the Luminous: The Symphony of Us light show. This was a great way to end the first night in Disney; we got onto the buses to head back to the hotel. Most of us went straight to bed, while others chose to utilize the pool.
On our second day, we went to Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs! We started the day by going to Animal Kingdom for about two and a half hours, before taking a pause, and riding the bus over to Disney Springs. While we were there, the choir got to perform their selections of music! It was a super cool experience! There was a huge stage that had an amazing sound system with a super cool view behind it. Right after we got done singing, we went straight back to Animal Kingdom to spend more time at the park until seven, when we went back to Disney Springs for some shopping for a while before going back to the hotel and calling it a night.
Day number three was a “rest day”! We were able to sleep in and spend the day sitting at the pool. We were pretty much able to do whatever we wanted at the hotel until three thirty. At three thirty, we all had to meet for a picture before getting on the bus and heading to the “Medieval Dinner”. This was the most interesting dinner some of us have ever had. It was a show of knights jousting and food that you ate with your hands. No silverware. There were sections that you were put in (like teams), and that “section” you were put in was your designated knight. For example, Black & White, and Yellow. After you get your knight, they fight, and you have to cheer as loud as you can for them. Half of our group was seated in the Yellow section, while the other half was in the Black and White section. A random knight wins each time. Luckily, at our dinner, the Black & White night won!!! This led to lots of cheering and chanting all the way back to the hotel; when we got back, most of us went swimming until room checks.
Our fourth day was at Magic Kingdom! This park was different from the others because you had to take a ferry to get over to it. Once we arrived at the park, we all took another group picture, this time in front of the castle. Once we got the picture, we were free to do whatever we wanted to. Later that afternoon, the Marching Band got the opportunity to march down Main Street. This was a breathtaking sight that left many of us in tears towards the end, especially the seniors. This was a great way to end the Rochester Band experience for many of the participants. For the rest of the day, we ate lots of good food and rode many rides before heading back to the hotel for the night. Sadly, this was the night we had to pack all of our belongings because that night was the last we were going to spend in the hotel. Check out was early the next morning.
Our last day was spent at Hollywood Studios! We spent all day here exploring Toy Story Land and the Star Wars area. We got to watch the Fantasmic show at the end! This park was so cool, and had many fun restaurants and rides! At nine thirty, we all met at the front of the park and got onto the buses. It was time to start the long journey back home.
This moment was bittersweet because we were all drained and ready to go home, but it’s also hard to leave such an amazing place after spending a week in it with amazing people. Overall, this was such a great experience, where many lifetime-long memories were made. We are so thankful for everyone who made it possible!!
