SweetPeasMom2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2006
That is good to know. I had a gift card but didn't know I could add it to my MDE. Will know for next time we go.
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Tips for teens traveling w/school?
- Thread starter Shughart
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2004
Best thing to do is to put your gift card numbers in your notes on the phone. Then copy and paste it into the mobile order area for gift card. Saves a little time instead of having to type in the number each time.
erinch
Parsing the same ee cummings poem for 20 years
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2001
On top of all the other great suggestions (including have her play around with MDE before she gets there), an in-park tip is to wait to buy things in the theme parks until exiting if possible, to avoid lugging bags around all day.
But back in the day I was a Youth Pastor and took bundles of kids on mission trips, including several times to WDW as an add-on. So what I am thinking about is the logistics and dynamics for presumably 4 girls in a small motel room. Even if you tell them to sleep, they don't sleep. So emotions and hormones can be running high. It might be a great idea to get the girls she will be rooming with together for them to talk about shower schedules, bathroom privacy and the importance of sleep, and how to talk about issues before they become conflicts. A couple of those over the door organizers between them is a great idea to avoid all their shower and toiletries stuff piling up on all surfaces. A couple of multi-extension power cords between them is also a great idea, as those external batteries are useless if not charged up. I've seen lots of drama over the years from rooming situations that cast a pall over park time and everything else.
But back in the day I was a Youth Pastor and took bundles of kids on mission trips, including several times to WDW as an add-on. So what I am thinking about is the logistics and dynamics for presumably 4 girls in a small motel room. Even if you tell them to sleep, they don't sleep. So emotions and hormones can be running high. It might be a great idea to get the girls she will be rooming with together for them to talk about shower schedules, bathroom privacy and the importance of sleep, and how to talk about issues before they become conflicts. A couple of those over the door organizers between them is a great idea to avoid all their shower and toiletries stuff piling up on all surfaces. A couple of multi-extension power cords between them is also a great idea, as those external batteries are useless if not charged up. I've seen lots of drama over the years from rooming situations that cast a pall over park time and everything else.
AprilsZoo
Why worry?
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2001
Sunscreen wipes. A few can easily be tucked into her purse. If needed, she can set an timer on her phone to remember to reapply.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Feminine supplies. Whatever amount she could need if she needed them for the whole time. Travel can make cycles unpredictable, especially if she doesn’t get enough sleep. If she needs something in the parks, I think they still have the machines in the ladies’ rooms (at least they did at Disneyland in October— and they still said “Free”
). Alternatively, a pad or tampon can be gotten at first aid.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
There are rides that will not allow her to tuck her purse under a leg— CMs will insist it be placed in the belongings pouch/basket. What can help is for everyone to ask everyone else if they’ve got everything, after every ride.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Hydration. Even though it is a ridiculous amount to spend for water, I’d give her the ok to pay with your card for as much as she needs. It can be a pain to try to get a free cup of water somewhere. We were turned away several places. Kiosks don’t have cups, so sometimes it can be a hike to get to a quick service place that isn’t doing mobile ordering only and wait in a line to get a glass of water. Many places just said, “We don’t have water cups right now/anymore.” Or “unless you’ve ordered food, you can’t go in just to get water.” It was quite frustrating. But ultimately there wasn’t really anything we could do about it. Guest services told us they should’ve let us in… but there was no way to get that thru to the CM guarding… erm, I mean, manning… the door.
Idk if drinking fountains are open again yet (most were still covered @ DL) and if it were my child, I wouldn’t want them drinking from them regardless.
It *is* almost certainly more than you spend if you were there as a family, with backpacks (or a possibly a stroller) to carry things like refillable bottles, but it’s a justifiable expense in this situation.
You can tell her to first *try* to get a free cup (2 at a time is better), but that she should buy a bottle rather than go without. At least 1 bottle of Gatorade every day wouldn’t be a bad idea…
She should also be told that if she feels a headache starting, her first thought should be: How much water have I had to drink today? Other fluids count a little, but water, or Gatorade/Powerade should be the #1 hydration provision. Early symptoms of mild dehydration are headache and nausea… drill this into her memory. It’s important!
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
There are rides that will not allow her to tuck her purse under a leg— CMs will insist it be placed in the belongings pouch/basket. What can help is for everyone to ask everyone else if they’ve got everything, after every ride.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
When I chaperoned my son’s band trips to DL, I would rent a locker to hold the kids jackets if they wanted. She could always ask her chaperone if they are renting one that the kids could put a jacket in. I wanted to give the kids a choice so they wouldn’t end up cold.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
The kids I chaperoned were required by the band director to touch base with me every hour via text, call or in person. This was to keep them clued in as to time. No excuses (well, far fewer excuses, anyway) about not realizing it was time to be wherever. Our director was serious. The one girl who decided to test this was in my group. She spent the last 3 days of the trip on a short leash in the company of the band director and his wife & kids. Frankly, she was lucky not to have been sent home.
The rules are there for a reason… it’s no fun searching for a “lost” teen. With little kids, CMs have a protocol. Teens aren’t seen as being as vulnerable. But since we were in Anaheim, it wasn’t hard to see how a kid could be forced somewhere off property & harmed… or for that matter, even run away & disappear into LA. Apparently, she had gotten tired of the friends she was hanging out with, and had left her phone in one of their backpacks. She went off by herself, and when she realized she didn’t have her phone, she just decided to shop & wander around looking for different friends… completely oblivious to the time, or the trouble she was causing. Those 3 hours were the most stressful I’d had in a long time, and I think our band director had an ulcer by the end.
If your daughter were to find herself in a situation where she’s alone & doesn’t have her phone,
she should head to Lost Children. (Or if she’d appreciate the humor, tell her it’s secretly called “Lost Adults/Parents” Since clearly, the one standing at the desk is not the one who’s lost.
) That is where the adults will be going once they realize they can’t get in touch with her. If she comes across any other bandmate or chaperone, she should have them contact the director immediately. Own up to the mistake, and prove she was trying to get in touch with someone, rather than blowing everyone off… that’s how she’ll stay out of the doghouse. Her sole goal needs to be making sure the director knows where she’s at.
Oops, sorry… I’ll get off that soapbox now. It was really scary, and it was a girl who I never would’ve thought would cause so much worry. I sure learned better than to assume how a kid behaves at band competitions was a good indication of what to expect at Disneyland. I also learned that I should take a photo of them as a group each day because I could not for the life of me remember what she was wearing. After that, there was also a new rule: I needed to know immediately if you decided to change who you were gonna be with. Mostly because it avoided the situation where someone’s phone is left with someone else.
So if your dd knows about a couple of these things ahead of time, then she should be able to avoid any trouble, and will know how to deal with it if something unforeseen comes up.
I hope she has an awesome trip.
DS’s trips were really cool. DL did awesome workshops, and seeing them marching down Main Street, was neat to watch, as was the huge ovation the Jazz band & DS solo part got at DCA. So many people stopped to listen. Made a mama proud.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Feminine supplies. Whatever amount she could need if she needed them for the whole time. Travel can make cycles unpredictable, especially if she doesn’t get enough sleep. If she needs something in the parks, I think they still have the machines in the ladies’ rooms (at least they did at Disneyland in October— and they still said “Free”
). Alternatively, a pad or tampon can be gotten at first aid.•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
There are rides that will not allow her to tuck her purse under a leg— CMs will insist it be placed in the belongings pouch/basket. What can help is for everyone to ask everyone else if they’ve got everything, after every ride.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Hydration. Even though it is a ridiculous amount to spend for water, I’d give her the ok to pay with your card for as much as she needs. It can be a pain to try to get a free cup of water somewhere. We were turned away several places. Kiosks don’t have cups, so sometimes it can be a hike to get to a quick service place that isn’t doing mobile ordering only and wait in a line to get a glass of water. Many places just said, “We don’t have water cups right now/anymore.” Or “unless you’ve ordered food, you can’t go in just to get water.” It was quite frustrating. But ultimately there wasn’t really anything we could do about it. Guest services told us they should’ve let us in… but there was no way to get that thru to the CM guarding… erm, I mean, manning… the door.
Idk if drinking fountains are open again yet (most were still covered @ DL) and if it were my child, I wouldn’t want them drinking from them regardless.
It *is* almost certainly more than you spend if you were there as a family, with backpacks (or a possibly a stroller) to carry things like refillable bottles, but it’s a justifiable expense in this situation.
You can tell her to first *try* to get a free cup (2 at a time is better), but that she should buy a bottle rather than go without. At least 1 bottle of Gatorade every day wouldn’t be a bad idea…
She should also be told that if she feels a headache starting, her first thought should be: How much water have I had to drink today? Other fluids count a little, but water, or Gatorade/Powerade should be the #1 hydration provision. Early symptoms of mild dehydration are headache and nausea… drill this into her memory. It’s important!
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
There are rides that will not allow her to tuck her purse under a leg— CMs will insist it be placed in the belongings pouch/basket. What can help is for everyone to ask everyone else if they’ve got everything, after every ride.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
When I chaperoned my son’s band trips to DL, I would rent a locker to hold the kids jackets if they wanted. She could always ask her chaperone if they are renting one that the kids could put a jacket in. I wanted to give the kids a choice so they wouldn’t end up cold.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
The kids I chaperoned were required by the band director to touch base with me every hour via text, call or in person. This was to keep them clued in as to time. No excuses (well, far fewer excuses, anyway) about not realizing it was time to be wherever. Our director was serious. The one girl who decided to test this was in my group. She spent the last 3 days of the trip on a short leash in the company of the band director and his wife & kids. Frankly, she was lucky not to have been sent home.
The rules are there for a reason… it’s no fun searching for a “lost” teen. With little kids, CMs have a protocol. Teens aren’t seen as being as vulnerable. But since we were in Anaheim, it wasn’t hard to see how a kid could be forced somewhere off property & harmed… or for that matter, even run away & disappear into LA. Apparently, she had gotten tired of the friends she was hanging out with, and had left her phone in one of their backpacks. She went off by herself, and when she realized she didn’t have her phone, she just decided to shop & wander around looking for different friends… completely oblivious to the time, or the trouble she was causing. Those 3 hours were the most stressful I’d had in a long time, and I think our band director had an ulcer by the end.
If your daughter were to find herself in a situation where she’s alone & doesn’t have her phone,
she should head to Lost Children. (Or if she’d appreciate the humor, tell her it’s secretly called “Lost Adults/Parents” Since clearly, the one standing at the desk is not the one who’s lost.
) That is where the adults will be going once they realize they can’t get in touch with her. If she comes across any other bandmate or chaperone, she should have them contact the director immediately. Own up to the mistake, and prove she was trying to get in touch with someone, rather than blowing everyone off… that’s how she’ll stay out of the doghouse. Her sole goal needs to be making sure the director knows where she’s at. Oops, sorry… I’ll get off that soapbox now. It was really scary, and it was a girl who I never would’ve thought would cause so much worry. I sure learned better than to assume how a kid behaves at band competitions was a good indication of what to expect at Disneyland. I also learned that I should take a photo of them as a group each day because I could not for the life of me remember what she was wearing. After that, there was also a new rule: I needed to know immediately if you decided to change who you were gonna be with. Mostly because it avoided the situation where someone’s phone is left with someone else.
So if your dd knows about a couple of these things ahead of time, then she should be able to avoid any trouble, and will know how to deal with it if something unforeseen comes up.
I hope she has an awesome trip.
DS’s trips were really cool. DL did awesome workshops, and seeing them marching down Main Street, was neat to watch, as was the huge ovation the Jazz band & DS solo part got at DCA. So many people stopped to listen. Made a mama proud.
I don’t have experience with a school Disney trip, but lots with other overnight school trips. You are going to overwhelm your daughter with information and tips in general, so make sure she knows which are priorities, such as trip rules from chaperones, sunscreen, eating and drinking water regularly, money mgmt, etc.
I would add one more suggestion: make sure she has the chaperones phone number on something she will have with her everyday, not just in her phone. If needed write it with a sharpie on her shoes. I had situation with my college daughter who got separated from her group, phone, credit card on a train in France. Fortunately the trip coordinators insisted on the group carrying their phone number with them. She was able to borrow a phone and call to coordinate a place to meet.
I would add one more suggestion: make sure she has the chaperones phone number on something she will have with her everyday, not just in her phone. If needed write it with a sharpie on her shoes. I had situation with my college daughter who got separated from her group, phone, credit card on a train in France. Fortunately the trip coordinators insisted on the group carrying their phone number with them. She was able to borrow a phone and call to coordinate a place to meet.
Chiming is, this is a great thread with good reminders and advice as my 14 year old is going at the end of March with her school music program!
Question: We were told at the information session that students would have to check in with chaperones to get their meal vouchers (our trip price includes all meals). I'm assuming they'll need to order in person to use these? I know there's been reports of some pushback from CM's about using the app when folks try to order in person instead, any advice on how to tell her to go about this?
Question: We were told at the information session that students would have to check in with chaperones to get their meal vouchers (our trip price includes all meals). I'm assuming they'll need to order in person to use these? I know there's been reports of some pushback from CM's about using the app when folks try to order in person instead, any advice on how to tell her to go about this?
spumonisowner
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2015
My dd is there with her band as we speak. They got dining cards as their meal vouchers which are like gift cards. I think they would be able to put the dining cards in as a gift card when they mobile order, although I'm not sure dd actually tried to do it yet. If you click on "continue to payment" there's a place to put a gift card in the app, so I think that would work. The dining cards don't work in some places, like non-Disney restaurants (like Rainforest Cafe).
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