The Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band (JURB) and Color Guard embarked on arguably their biggest spring trip in history on March 22, 2013, a four day educational vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida. That Thursday, the Jesuit and Ursuline students traveled to Orlando International Airport via two early morning Southwest Airline flights which left from Dallas-Love Field Airport. JURB musicians on the first flight, a 6:00 AM departure, had to arrive at the airport at 4:30 AM. Both flights had a short layover in New Orleans before having to board another plane to Orlando.
Students spent their time in the air sleeping, doing homework, gaming, and talking. Despite the early times, the two planes were very lively. Color Guard member Zoe Nash ’14 mentioned that she “loved every single part of the trip, from the roller coasters to the plane rides.”
And this was just the beginning. Upon arriving in Orlando, the band took a shuttle tram to the front of the enormous airport and ate a lunch catered by Jason’s Deli consisting of sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Everyone then boarded Disney’s Magical Express, a bus which took them to their hotel, Disney’s All Star Music Resort.
The colorful resort boasted two pools, multiple buildings, a cafeteria, and a souvenir shop. At the hotel, the rooms were not yet ready when the band arrived, so students stowed their carry-on bags in storage units near the entrance. All of the checked bags were held by Disney and would be waiting for students in their rooms when they would arrive back later in the evening.
From the hotel, the group boarded a Disney bus to the Epcot, one of Disney World’s four amusement parks. Some of the most popular attractions at Epcot were Test Track, Mission Space, and Spaceship Earth. One of Epcot’s specialties is its World Showcase. This section of the park is divided into dozens of “countries,” each representing a different nation. Each of these countries boasts food, architecture, and culture native to its respective nation. For example, in France, one could purchase crepes while admiring a model Eiffel Tower and smelling fresh baguettes being baked. Percussionist Patrick Gleim ’15 could not believe that “it was real,” amazed that he was actually in Disney World, a magical place where every kid dreams to visit.
After a long day traveling and playing, JURB boarded a bus back to the hotel. At the hotel, a skirmish took place between two guests in line to check in. One of the men, impatient with the hotel workers, cursed out loud. Another man, who was with his children, confronted the man because he did not want his kids to hear the profanity. The two men argued verbally, and cocked their fists to strike, but no punches were thrown before the angry men were broken up. Waiting to be assigned their rooms, JURB members got to witness the “fight” first-hand. Drew Curran ’15 called the squabble “weird” to watch. The band was ushered out of the lobby outside, where they sat and ate pizza delivered from Papa John’s.
Each night of the trip, Mrs. Jo Skelton ordered the band pizza as a late night snack. Mrs. Skelton, the mother of trumpet player Julie Cordell, led, organized, and planned the entire trip. Her daughter Julie ’15 said that “[her] mom had a blast planning the trip. I can tell she worked hard but she really enjoyed seeing us have such a good time on the trip.”
Michael White ’15 also appreciated Mrs. Skelton’s dedication, saying that “the Disney trip was a great way to bond with the band since it was a nonstop onslaught of sweetness . . . we owe it to Mrs. Skelton to express our gratitude.”
Skelton passed out room keys, and students were released to find their rooms. The rooms each had two beds, a television, and a bathroom. Since curfew was not until eleven, many JURB kids put on their swim trunks and went to one of the hotel’s pools to socialize with students from the other bands. Many bands and choirs from across the country were present, and Jesuit students took advantage of the opportunity to meet some new people with similar interests.
Finally, at curfew, everyone went back to their rooms. The various chaperones, including directors Mr. Donovan Putnam and Mr. Zane Crownover, Mr. Corey Marr, ASC member Mr. Christopher Patterson and Father Sam Wilson, SJ, checked to make sure that all students were in their rooms at 11 and to hand out meal tickets. For every meal, students were given these tickets, valid for an entrée, drink, and dessert at participating Disney restaurants. That way, no one would have to worry about keeping track of money. Finally, after a very long first day, everyone went to bed to rest for Saturday.
Early Saturday morning the band gathered at the bus stop following breakfast in the hotel cafeteria. Saturday would be spent at Disney World’s second amusement park, Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM Studios). One premier attraction is the Hollywood Tower of Terror, an attraction where riders board an old hotel elevator and are flung upwards and dropped down many stories. Another popular ride was the Rocking Roller Coaster, an indoor coaster where riders go through flips and sharp turns while listening to Aerosmith rock ‘n roll music. The band rode these rides and others until after lunch. Finally, it was time for the Disney music clinic, which was the main purpose of trip.
At thi
s clinic, the band rehearsed and recorded various Disney movie soundtrack songs, directed by a local college director. At the end of the session, a technician put some of our music to one of Disney’s films, the Lion King. The musicians were able to see how music for the Disney movies is recorded and applied to the visual scenes. Allen Madathil ’14 enjoyed the clinic, as well as the rest of the trip, commenting that “the whole trip was magical, just like what Disney is known for being, and I’m glad the directors and band parents came up with this idea.” Many other band members enjoyed Allen’s view of the clinic and clinician, thoroughly enjoying the unique experience to see the life of a professional Disney musician.
Following the music workshop, everyone got back on a charter bus and returned to Hollywood Studios to spend the rest of the afternoon and nighttime. After dark, Disney performed Fantasia, a visual and auditory spectacle featuring Mickey and the Disney villains. It consisted of a spectacular display of fireworks, waterworks, and lights galore. Shannon Turner ’13, a color guard member, joked that “they aren’t kidding when they say [Disney is] the most magical place on earth” after viewing the amazing performance.
Again, everyone ate a late-night pizza snack at the end of the night outside of the hotel. While the band ate, Mrs. Skelton explained the next day’s activities. A few months prior, students had to choose a small group educational activity to attend Sunday morning. Some of the choices included zoology, improvisation, marine biology, and physics. Everyone split off into their different groups and were shuttled to the different parks where the activities were being held for the morning.
Following the activities, the entire band regrouped for lunch, (yet another) pizza meal. Then, Father Wilson, S.J, held a prayer service since it was Palm Sunday. Even though it was optional, the majority of the band still showed up. After the prayer service, the group had a few hours of free time to swim, sleep, study, etc.
Following free time, it was time to visit Disney World’s biggest amusement park, the Magic Kingdom. The oldest and most famous of all of Disney’s parks worldwide, the Magic Kingdom has rides for everyone. From storybook rides such as It’s a Small World that have been open for as long as the park has to newer roller coasters the park is famous across the globe. After surveying the Jesuit boys on the trip, the top rides were most often identified as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Thunder Mountain Railroad. However, many were also fans of classic rides such as Winnie the Pooh, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Buzz Lightyear. Hannah Saada ’14 referenced a quote from the Pooh ride when describing the trip as a whole, saying that “Winnie the Pooh was so right when he said ‘here together, friends forever, some things were just meant to be. It was honestly one of the best trips I’ve ever taken, truly magical.”
That night, students had the option of staying at the park for Extra Magic Hours. If you are staying in a Disney hotel, as JURB was, you can come to the park early and stay late on specific dates. On that Sunday, the Extra Magic Hours allowed some kids to be able to play in the park until 3:00 AM! For those who didn’t want to stay that late, chaperones were heading back to the hotel at earlier times.
Finally, around 3:45 AM, the students who had stayed for the Extra Magic Hours returned to their rooms, only to wake up bright and early the next morning. On Monday, everyone met at the entrance to the hotel to do early check-in for the flights home that day. After doing so, it was time for the last hoorah, the last park at Disney World: Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Known for the extensive variety of animal species cared for and showcased in the park, Animal Kingdom was a hit among JURB members. Overall, their two most well-known attractions are the Expedition Everest roller coast (an extremely fast coaster that goes forwards and backwards through a snow-capped mountain) and the Kilimanjaro Safari (a safari that takes you through the grasslands of Africa in a camouflaged bus with a tour guide). Another popular ride takes riders through river rapids in a man-made river. Students tried to do as much as they could, for it was the last park on the last day. Lots of pictures were taken so that students could remember the amazing trip.
Eventually, it was time to head back to the hotel. Students grabbed their carryon items from the storage units and got back on the Disney’s Magical Express to head back to the airport. After making sure all instruments were checked, everyone sat down to another Jason’s Deli catered lunch at the front of the airport to hold them over until arriving back in Dallas. The flights home were each a bit delayed, and so the band had to wait in the lounge areas for a while. Despite some difficulties, everyone was able to find their flights. One of the planes had to stop in Houston, while the other had a layover in New Orleans. At last, late on Monday night, the last JURB students disembarked from their plane and gathered their checked bags and instruments from the baggage claim. It was time to return to reality.
After missing two days of school, the Jesuit and Ursuline students on the trip had a lot of homework to do Monday night, and hours of make-up work to complete. However, everyone agreed, the incredible trip to Disney was well-worth the extra work. The JURB members who went on the trip will likely remember it for the rest of their lives. When they look back on their high school years, they will most definitely reminisce on their band trip to Walt Disney World, the most magical place on Earth.
JURB had initially planned to join the football team in Ireland in September 2012, but the logistics didn’t work out, so the band was promised a fantastic trip to take its place, which turned out to be the trip to Walt Disney World, a worthy replacement for sure!
The band typically goes on a big trip such as Disney about once every four years, so the next big trip will probably be in 2017. Most likely, none of the students who attended the 2013 Disney trip will still be in high school by the time the next one comes around. However, no one was depressed about the end of the trip. It will surely be remembered for years to come by students as a highlight of high school tenure. Mercedes Salazar ’15 spoke for everyone who attended the trip when she said that “the trip was life changing. Disney is where all your dreams come true.”
