Thank you to all who made the Disney tour a success - directors, staff, chaperones, students.  It was a great time making music and memories together!

Dear Choir Families,
 
The Disney Tour is almost here!  Attached, please find a list of final updates to consider over the next couple of days while you pack and prepare for Orlando.  I will go over this with everyone tomorrow in person and will also distribute paper copies just to make sure everyone has seen it.  Also included is the final itinerary, including addresses and phone numbers for the hotel and our tour escort Lauren Campolongo.
 
TOMORROW is our final mandatory rehearsal for all who are performing with the Tour Choir, regardless of whether they are traveling with the choir or band & orchestra.  This is our ONE last time to sing through our performance, to figure out riser standing positions, and to distribute performance polos.  The next time this specific group of singers is together will be at Disney Springs right before our time on stage! Remember that everyone performing needs all parts of the uniform: polo, black dress pants, black shoes.  See the pdf for more details.  We will meet in the auditorium from 2:15-4:00 tomorrow.  Families are welcome to watch our final run-through at 3:30 on stage.
 
CHOIR FAMILIES (those traveling with us): we need cases of water!  Please bring them to the robe room some time before we depart after school on Thursday.  It can be in the morning before school starts, right after school, at the end of tomorrow’s rehearsal, during medication drop-off, whatever is most convenient to your family schedule.  We will split the cases between the 2 buses and have them available for the 5 days we are together.  Thank you in advance for your donation!
 
I hope you are all getting excited.  It’s going to be a great time together!
 
See you soon,
Mr. Cloonan

Several of our students have dietary restrictions.  Lauren at Artistic Ambassadors compiled a list of all options available at each place we will have food available, including all of the Disney parks.  We've made arrangements already for the Panera and pizza meals, but the remaining meals have multiple options available for those students to choose from when eating on the tour.

Click to download PDF versions of the following:

• Meeting Packet (includes all forms needed)
• Administering Medication at School Form (ADA Compliant PDF Document) (must be completed by physician for medication that must be administered by an adult while on the tour) - only needed if this is not already on file with the school

Click to complete t-shirt and Panera Boxed Dinner order:

• Google Form for t-shirt & dinner order

Dear Choir Families,

As you know, we recently had hotel room sign-ups for our Orlando Tour. As we finalize this process, below are a couple reminders so that we can finish the process on time: 

• Check the list posted here of who has signed up to room together.
• Each room should have 4 MEMBERS. We tried our best to avoid surcharges for triples and avoid doubles at all costs.  After the Thursday rehearsal, several discussions took place to move a few people around to fix the large number of triples we ended up with originally.  The posted list is our attempt at minimizing this situation.
• In considering roommates, please note that school policy states that students are not permitted to room with another student whom they are dating.
• Parents, if there are any concerns or issues, please contact me via email at [email protected] by Monday morning, February 12 at the absolute latest.  Room lists need to be sent to the tour company by the end of the day so they can finalize the hotel reservation process.

If there are any changes that need to be made, or if I can be of any help, please let me know.
 
Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.

Mr. Cloonan

Please note that there is a parent meeting for those traveling with the choir on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at 7:00PM in the High School Auditorium.

Those performing with the Disney Tour Choir this spring will need to have a uniform (and Disney is very strict about what is allowed as a uniform, so we must all wear the same thing!).  We will be wearing black dress socks & shoes, black dress slacks (not jeans or leggings), and embroidered red and black color block polos designed by GPSA.  They would like to start working on the order, so we need your sizes.  Fill out the form below to place your order.  I need a final count to send them by Friday so that they can order the shirts and begin the embroidery process and have them to us before the tour.

We have finally been able to connect with the staff at Disney Performing Arts to get some more definitive answers regarding our schedule.  It appears that the weekend we are visiting Orlando is one of the busiest for school groups and there are waiting lists for performance and workshop slots.  As we have 3 groups between the choir, marching band, and orchestra, each with a workshop and a performance, it has been challenging to try to put together a schedule that works for everyone that allows time to also enjoy the parks.

The marching band is scheduled to perform on Saturday in the parade at Magic Kingdom at one of 3 possible times.  A major concern was raised that if anything delayed our arrival, they could potentially miss the scheduled performance time (not to mention coming straight from an 18+ hour bus ride directly into a performance!).  We attempted to move days, but with so many schools competing for performance slots, there was a waiting list and no guarantee that it could be moved.

So after talking with our tour companies, we've adjusted the dates of the tour to depart after school on Thursday, March 22 and return late afternoon on Tuesday, March 27.  Leaving after school on Thursday will allow everyone to be well-rested and ready for performances/workshops as well as time to ride and experience Disney.  Students will now miss one day of classes, but will return a day earlier and be with family for an additional day of spring break. (Note that when the tour was originally proposed to the School Board last spring, we requested itineraries leaving either Thursday, March 22 or Friday, March 23.  We were initially confident in departing on Friday, but Disney's scheduling now requires that we depart on the 22nd.)
As more specific times and details become available, we will add them to our itinerary.  What we can communicate so far is the following:

Thursday, 3/22
Depart NHHS after school
Travel overnight

Friday, 3/23
Disney Water Park
Check in to hotel
Visit Disney Springs
(possible orchestra performance: on waitlist)

Saturday, 3/24
Magic Kingdom day
Marching Band performance in morning parade down Main Street

Sunday, 3/25
Hollywood Studios in morning (since half of the park is under construction)
Animal Kingdom in afternoon/evening
Choir performance TBA at Disney Springs

• (performance time will dictate the schedule - for example, we may leave Hollywood Studios to go perform, then go to Animal Kingdom, or leave AK and return, or go back to the hotel, etc.)

Instrumental workshop at 6:00PM
Possible Flag & Majorettes workshop TBA

Monday, 3/26
EPCOT day
Choir workshop at Sarasota Springs Resort at 6:00PM
Depart Orlando at 8:30PM

Tuesday, 3/27
Arrive at NHHS late afternoon

The deadlines for meeting individual contribution goals are as follows:

• Initial $200 Deposit & Commitment Letter: Friday, October 6, 2017
• 2nd $200 Payment Due: Friday, November 3, 2017
• 3rd $200 Payment Due: Friday, December 8, 2017
• 4th $200 Payment Due: Friday, January 5, 2018
• Rooming Lists Finalized: Friday, January 26, 2018
• Final Payment Due: Friday, February 9, 2018
  ​(Final amount will be based on final numbers and any amount the Choral Parents may be able to contribute from the choir-wide fundraising events)