It all started 12 years ago when the band took their very first trip down to DisneyWorld. Back in 2011 the Band Directors–Mr. Truszkowski and Mr. Grevengoed originally thought it would be best to take the trip during spring break, then soon realized it was far too busy. So, this lead them to reschedule the trip to Mid-Winter break in 2015. It has been like this ever since. This Winter Break, the Band took their 4-year annual trip to Disney. The band left on Wednesday, February 9th and returned on Tuesday, February 14th. While they were gone, they created spectacular memories that will last a lifetime.

After a tiring twenty-four hour bus ride, the band finally stopped at Disney Springs. Upon arrival, they went to Planet Hollywood–a gorgeous two story building filled with records by famous musicians. As well as a big screen in the restaurant playing music videos of famous songs. Once the band finished their meal, they were allowed to explore the shops in Disney Springs, and there were plenty to spend a pretty penny at! Subsequently, everyone finished shopping at 8 o’clock, gathered by the meeting stop, and headed to the hotel. The students got all of their luggage and powered through the pouring rain. After they retrieved their suitcases, the band could go to their rooms and decompress for the night to prepare for the next day.

The next day was Hollywood Studios; this day was full of fun rides and concluded with a show called Disney Fantasmic. This show was nothing short of amazing–there was fire(!) as well as several Disney characters & iconic Disney Villians. 

The band’s next adventure was to the Magic Kingdom. Here, they had the opportunity to be a part of one of many Magic Kingdom parades and march down main street. Caroline Henry states, “My favorite part of the Disney experience is marching down Main Street and seeing and waving to all of the young, smiling faces, captivated by magic.” She described this trip as “celebratory”.

I also had the opportunity to interview Mike Truszkowski one of the band directors and he states, “The best part of this trip is it’s enjoyable to share the experience with a whole new group of students,” Truszkowski described this trip as “fun”,”educational”, and “memorable”.

Overall this trip is an unforgettable experience for the band members and anyone else involved. The environment is so much different there than it is back in Michigan–the Band was able to make new friends with other students from other bands, and broaden the exciting experience. Additionally, they created memories that they can look back to and laugh at for years to come!