by Leigha Krym
The Hayward High School band students traveled to Disney World in Orlando, Florida with Mr. Kringle on March 6th to put on performances and to also have fun while they were there. They took a bus all the way down, which was about twenty-eight hours long before they arrived in Orlando on Thursday, around 3:00 p.m. Students said that getting sleep and constant time management skills were the two hardest things about the bus ride. The weather when they got off the bus, however, was a lot warmer than when they got on.
It is no secret that a trip like this is pricey, so the band students had to do fundraising in order for this trip to be successful. Lydia Breezee, a band student, said, “For fundraising, we sold kringles and fruit.” By selling these items, the students were able to pay for the Disney World trip and perform and experience the warm weather over there.
There are multiple parks in Disney World. Throughout the trip, band students will go to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. Each of these parks is very different from the others. Magic Kingdom is the castle where all the Disney Princesses live. Animal Kingdom has many opportunities to see animals that you can’t see here in Hayward. Hollywood Studios is known for having some of the best rides for kids, including their popular Star Wars land. Epcot is known for its themed festivals, rides, and international cuisine. As you walk through the Epcot park, you walk through many different countries that have places where you can try food from that country.
With multiple parks and things to experience, it comes with many things to look forward to. When asked about what they are looking forward to the most on March 9th, Alayna Wolfe said, “I’m looking forward to Epcot for the chance to be exposed to different cultures’ food.” Cera White said, “I’m looking forward to Hollywood Studios to experience the creation of a droid.” Troy White said, “I’m looking forward to the guitar-shaped pool at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort.”
On March 10th, when asked about their experience so far at the parks, Alayna Wolfe and Cera White said, “The experience has been fun and interesting. There are long days of walking to new experiences.” Also, Troy White said, “It is a life-changing and magical experience.” He enjoyed Animal Kingdom the most, as he got to see many different animals that are not typical on a normal day. Although Alayna and Cera have not been to Epcot yet, they anticipate for that park to have the best food. Troy White said that Rainforest Cafe in Animal Kingdom is the best place he has eaten so far.
Putting on performances was a big reason why they decided to do this trip. The band students planned on putting on a performance at Disney later on in the week that they were there. On Saturday, March 9th, when asked about their opinions on the performances they will be involved in, Alayna Wolfe and Cera White said that although they have not performed at Disney yet, they both feel “prepared” to do so and believe that “it will go well.”
The students performed at Disney Springs, a shopping and dining district on Monday, March 11th. They performed on a stage called “Waterside Stage,” which was near the water view. During the performance, the weather was very nice and sunny, and the atmosphere was calm and not crowded. After the performance, Lydia Breezee was asked about her opinion about the performance and how it went. She said, “At first it was a bit scary, but on stage, we all came together and it ended up being a really good performance.” She also stated that they performed five songs from a concert they performed at in Hayward not too long ago, including Crystal Fountain, Search For The Lost Colony, and Valdres. She said that the performance went great like they thought it would. Troy White says their performance was “perfect”.
The students’ trip to Disney World will be over on March 14th, when they will be taking another twenty-eight hour bus ride back to Hayward. Let’s hope they have a great rest of their trip and a safe ride back!
(Special thanks to Lydia Breezee for her help constructing this article.)
