For four days, 210 students from Strath Haven’s Marching Band and Orchestra got to act like little kids again. 

March 8 to 11 marked the marching band and orchestra’s bi-annual trip to the theme parks in Orlando, Florida. This year, they went to Disney World and Hollywood Studios.

The trip was an unforgettable experience for many students.

“It’s just a great time to bond with friends, and you get to experience playing music for people you don’t know,” sophomore marching band member Kazi Bhuiya said. “It’s not just like a regular football game experience.” 

The marching band performed a one-mile parade in 90-degree weather for a large crowd of tourists and parents in Magic Kingdom, marching in front of the castle and Main Street, U.S.A. 

“It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my entire life,” senior drum major and orchestra member Sara Ventriglia said. “Seeing the whole band kind of curve around behind me whenever we took a turn—I could see the entire band, and it was still stretching back.” 

The marching band played a medley of songs, including “Hooked on a Feeling” and the Frozen songs “Let It Go” and “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman.”

The orchestra performed a book of music from different Disney movies in a recording studio. Disney provided a recording of the performance set to the movie clips that featured the songs.

“They had this cool guy in the back, and he would say, ‘clear.’ That would tell us that he was recording,” sophomore orchestra member Sofia Tsetseni said. “Then we had to wait, and we couldn’t make a sound until once we were done because he had to say ‘cut.’”

Besides the trip’s musical aspect, band and orchestra members had the chance to explore Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom with their friends. 

“I got a lot closer with some of my friends,” sophomore marching band and orchestra member Josie Wieland said. “Typically, I’m not a big roller coaster person, but at Disney… I was just going for it.” 

“I was so scared, but [my friends] made it a lot better for me,” Wieland said. “I have photo evidence too. I was screaming my head off.”

Many students noted that the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom was a unique addition to their experience. 

“There’s always an animation that comes on right before every Disney movie, so it’s kind of cool to see that happen in real life,” senior orchestra and marching band member Michelle Ding said. “It was such a good show, and the music and the town around it.” 

Some seniors were grateful for the chance to spend one last time with the band and orchestra in Orlando. 

“I’m glad that I had [the trip] because it made the end of the official marching band season easier to pace because I knew that I would still have this,” senior Marching Band member Amy Clark said. “It made me feel very happy about it. It’s always sad to end at a loss, so it was good to end on a high instead.”

There are big takeaways as the band and orchestra’s trip to Orlando closes for the next two years. 

“I think it’s really important to do stuff like that with friends and at school, because when are you going to go on trips with all your friends?” Tsetseni said. “It’s not something you get to do very often.”

DISCLAIMER: Both reporters are members of the marching band.