Band to Attend Annual Disney Trip

The band will take the traditional Disney World trip on March 12 through March 17 over spring break. They will march through the Magic Kingdom including down Main Street USA on that Thursday at 2 p.m.

“I can’t believe that Disney is coming up so soon,” head Drum Major and junior Conner Jackson said. “We’ve been doing so much to prepare and I can’t wait to lead the band down Main Street.”

This year, 175 students and 75 parents and family members will go on the trip. It is the biggest band yet to go.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a big band or not,” director Bill Large said. “I still enjoy going with a band as great as ours.”

The band takes the trip every four years.

“This comes every four years,” drummer and junior Devin Johnson said. “It feels like I’ve been waiting four-ever for it to come around again.”

Previous band director Gordon Small started going to Disney World in 1978, and Mr. Large has carried on the tradition since he took over.

“My favorite part about going to Disney is seeing all of the student’s excited faces throughout the whole trip,” Mr. Large said.

The band has been raising money for the past four years with many different fundraisers including cookie dough sales, bake sales, silent auctions, video game comic cons, fuzzy jacket sales, and poinsettias sales. They’ve also had to make monthly payments since November to cover all of the cost since there are so many students going.

“We’ve had to do a lot of fundraising individually to prepare for Disney World,” flutist and junior Naydelin Espinoza said. “It’s nice to see everyone pitch in for a common cause.”

About 230,000 people and bands are scheduled to be at the park this spring break.

“I’m excited to march in front of thousands of people along with all the other bands,” trumpet and senior Bryan Baez said. “As a senior, I’ve been waiting so long to get to this point.”

Baritone and senior Chandler Sleziak will be going his second time with the band.

“Even though I’ve already been to Disney with the band in 2011 with my sister, I am still looking forward to the trip even more because this time I’ll be the one marching down Main Street instead of just watching,” Sleziak said.