Disney World 2007 - Trip Report and Photos
Over 100 parents, children, and family members traveled to Disney World
with us again in early
September (the week of Labor Day). This year's trip was very similar
to last year's trip.
The reviews of the educational programs so far are similar to last
year's. The
facilitators were friendly, enthusiastic, and informative (and one
was homeschooled from 6th through 12th grade), but many participants
felt they were not meaty enough, or were too "schoolish" for our
groups. They weren't as
behind-the-scenes, hands-on, unique-to-Disney as they could have
been. In general, the younger children seemed to enjoy the programs
more than the older students.
One exception to these reviews, however, was the Showbiz Magic
program. Students (and their families) attended the Cirque du
Soliel - La Nouba performance, and then students in grades 6-12
attended a behind-the-scenes educational program based on the
performance. It was wonderful (with students describing it as
"awesome," "amazing," "fun," and "exemplary"). This program will
definitely be on the roster again the next time we go, and I'll
encourage Disney's education staff to develop more programs like it.
The cost of this trip varied, depending on number of family members
participating, cost of hotel, and meal arrangements. The special
park tickets we received are
the least expensive tickets that Disney offers (by far). Families
last year and this year who have gone to
Disney before have told me that this trip was very inexpensive
compared to what they've paid in the past. And the free dining was
just icing on the cake.
I've received great feedback about this year's trip, so I'm
tentatively making plans for us to go back to Disney next September
(either Labor Day week or toward the end of the month). This time,
I'll definitely add some behind-the-scenes tours for parents and families
(hopefully at a good discount) in
addition to the educational programs for the children.
I enjoyed meeting the new families who traveled with us. More than a
few of them have been on previous trips to Disney, Washington DC,
and the USS Yorktown with me, so it was almost a "family reunion." I
look forward to meeting more families on upcoming trips!
Thanks to
everyone who traveled with us!
Trip Photos
Having fun at Disney World
Getting to know each other
Enjoying the Physics educational program
Enjoying the Showbiz Magic educational
program
Enjoying the Ocean Discoveries program
More pictures may be added later, so check back soon!
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