Disneyland w/30 Singing Teenage Girls *Updated 5/25* About This Page:

[larissamorn]

This is the pre-trip trip report.

I hereby commit to actually writing the post-trip trip report. Really. Pay no mind to all the flash and thunder I made about the Platinum Adventure which I never wrote about after returning home...

So here's the basics:

Who: Myself, at least one other chaperone (I know because she's going to be my roommate and her name is Helen), the choir director and his wife, his son who is the accompaniest (i know that's spelled wrong!), and about thirty high schoolers including my own soon to be sixteen year old daughter, Victoria, heretofore referred to as DTD (dear teenage daughter, not downtown disney, though she does like downtown disney - the california edition, not so much the florida edition except for the boat rentals and Cirque de Soliel, but I digress...).

When: February 2-4, 2007.

How: Charter bus departing Orangevale at FOUR O'CLOCK AM. 8)

Where: Staying at the Clarion Hotel Anaheim Resort on Convention Way (we've never stayed here so we're not sure what to expect).

What I'm excited about: I don't know what to be more excited about: going to Disneyland, watching/listening to my daughter's awesome choir perform on the stage at the old Carnation Plaza Gardens, ditto at the Backlot Stage at CA, or the fact that she invited me to be a chaperone for the trip. I am such a lucky mom.

What I'm nervous about: Well first of all keeping tabs on between seven and fifteen teeage girls. At Disneyland. Wheee! Second about the long bus ride there and back. I do find myself experiencing the effects of getting older, ie. sore hips after long periods of sitting down. Also converting our park hopper passes to annual passports; I don't know if they still let you do this, and I don't know if we'll be able to get away from the pack long enough to go through the process. I'm formulating a Plan B.

What I'm looking forward to: Getting the shoulder tap indicating that we've won some incredible Year of A Gazillion Goodies treat. Also the new merchandise and getting souveniers for my coworkers. I'm also looking forward to hearing all the details of the trip - the times of the performances, the times of the clinics taught by the Disney Entertainment people (DTD is muy excited about that one - going backstage and getting coached by Disney Entertaiment people?! You can hear her shreiking it in your ear if you close you eyes and listen closely...). And finally I am looking forward to...

Coming home.

Even though our trip to WDW was probably the best vacation we've ever taken the Magic Kindgom was seriously disappointing to girls who were both raised on Disneyland. V came to me the other day and said that she thought maybe we hadn't evaluated the MK on it's own merits. She's right. We compared it to DL every moment we were there and it didn't compare favorably. So, and I know this must sound harsh, I'm still feeling a little bit like someone who has eaten creamy smooth chocolate ice cream all her life, who was given a bowl of 72% cocoa chocolate chips, and can't wait to get the taste out of her mouth. Now both bowls were still chocolate, mind you. That's what makes the analogy less harsh. Actually, I don't even like chocolate. You know what I do like? Those cupcakes at the Roaring Fork. Mmmmm. They don't have those at Disneyland.

So that's it for now. Oh, and one last funny thing... The choir director had asked V if she wanted to room with me and she said sure. Something happend and the plans changed so now she's rooming with one of her choir-mates and I'm rooming with the other chaperone (hmmm....). Anyhow, my first thought after hearing this was, "Shoot! Now we're gonna have to pack separate toiletries!" I still think that's funny.

Okay, more on Monday when we have the chaperone meeting and I have some more deets.

MUH!

I'm so glad to be back!

--L

[DyanKJ130]

Oh boy!! I can't wait to hear all about this trip! Sounds like you are going to have your hands full of some teenage fun!

[bsblady01]

more please

[snoozin]

This sounds like fun! Can't wait to hear the follow-up!

NOTE: As a former chaperone... it's not usually a good idea to have girls rooming together without a chaperone in there, unless you have connecting rooms with the door open. Too much temptation for teenage girls to sneak out, meet up with the guys they met, or hope to meet, etc.

[PrincessSharon]

Sounds like a great trip. Can't wait to hear all about it!

[Colexis Mom]

Have a great time! Can't wait to hear all about it

[DyanKJ130]

Originally Posted by snoozin

NOTE: As a former chaperone... it's not usually a good idea to have girls rooming together without a chaperone in there, unless you have connecting rooms with the door open. Too much temptation for teenage girls to sneak out, meet up with the guys they met, or hope to meet, etc.

There's always the reliable tape on the door.

[chezp]

Oh wow, that sounds like some trip with that many teenage girls! I can't wait to hear all about how you get on and what you think of Disneyland!

[lauren-roxy]

Great start!!! Can't wait to read all about it when you get back!!

[DrDolphin]

We did the tape on the door when I chaperoned the high school band.

[larissamorn]

Okay, so we had the chaperone meeting on Monday night and my excitement continues to grow!

We're boarding our bus at 4:00 am, roll call is a 3:30 omg! We'll be stopping for breakfast and function breaks about halfway down, then again for function breaks about 3/4 of the way down. The driver expects we'll arrive between 12:30 and 1:00 at which point we will check in, chuck our bags into our rooms and immediately proceed to guest relations where Mr. McA will hand over the gynormous check and we'll get our passports. At this point I am stealing my daughter away from her friends (she just found out that five of her better friends from choir are, in fact, coming) and heading over to the Bank to convert our passports to APs. Woo hoo!

We'll have check-in times every three to four hours, one in each park so the kids can go where they like, and the consequences for being late for a check-in are so dire I don't think we'll have a problem (the kids will have to spend time with the choir director who promises he is more than happy to sit on a bench in the Hub and listen to his ipod for hours on end). The plan is, in his words, to close the parks and head back to the hotel for some sleep...

but not much because roll call is at 7:30 the next morning. Now imagine, if you will, four to five high school girls in a room, most of whom straighten their hair and wear moderate amounts of makeup. They'll be getting up at 5 am to get ready. I can see it now...

The day will proceed much like the previous afternoon, but everyone is required to be in the lobby and transport over to the parks at the same time. We don't go until we're all there, so the peer pressure alone will be enough to keep the kids on schedule. Aaa peer pressure. It does have some benefits. We'll continue with the check-ins until the afternoon when we meet under the Toontown bridge. We will then proceed backstage for the four hour workshop with Disney Entertainment where they will put a fine polish on the choir for their performance the next day. I've read some trip reports over on mouse planet from people who've chaperoned this kind of thing before and they all give this part of the trip high marks. I can't wait.

We'll be "closing the parks" again that night and roll call again even earlier the next morning due to check out and getting all our junk onto the bus. The choir will be performing "as early as possible" Sunday morning at the Hollywood Backlot Stage in DCA. The concert will run about a half hour. Mr. McA advised us to "not expect alot" due to the profound exhaustion the kids will be experiencing at that time!

Then, alas, we will have just a few more hours before we have our final check-in where we'll board the tram back to wherever our bus is waiting and hit the road back to o'vale.

Sounds fun!

At the chaperone meeting Mr. McA also said, "Chaperones, be prepared for your kids to ditch you..." We sort of laughed and whatnot. I told V and she said, "No way, I'm gonna be dragging you everywhere!" Yesterday, when she discovered exactly who was going on the trip she politely informed me that, assuming it was still okay with me, she was going to ditch me. Sniff.

So this will be the first time in ages that I'll be wandering the parks solo. Solo-ish. My plan is to follow my daughter's group at a discreet distance. I am such a loser.
No, seriously, it will be really wierd, but also okay. No matter what it's still gonna be amazing seeing them perform.

Finally, my DTD presented me with her budget for the trip this morning. I wasn't even up out of bed yet and experienced shortness of breath and tightening of the chest. We then had a somewhat loud conversation about how much things cost and the difference between budgeting for what you want and budgeting for what you can afford. I don't think I learned that lesson myself until about ten years ago.

Well, one more day of work and then packing tomorrow and the grocery store for snacks and then pick her up from school tomorrow afternoon and then Chipotle (which works almost as well as prescription sleeping pills) and to bed by four in the afternoon so we can be up at midnight so we can be out the door by 3:10 so we can be to school by 3:30 so I can help corral the kids onto the bus and then we're off!

Pray for me.

Seriously.

[lauren-roxy]

Sounds like you are all ready for your trip!!!!

[Colexis Mom]

Have a great time

[DrDolphin]

Sounds like a fun (albeit tiring) trip!!!

[chezp]

Wow - that's going to be one interesting trip! All I can say is :goodluck: with it!