gooseberryhigh | SCHOOL TRIP: Juniors

SCHOOL TRIP: Juniors

As the junior class steps out off the Floo network, they're immediately hit by the humidity, in stark contrast with dry Utah. The excitement amongst the students (even if it's not totally unanimous) is palpable. They file onto buses, and soon they're on their way to the most magical place on earth. Everyone breaks out in high pitched teenage elation as the bus passes under the gate the proclaims this is the place where dreams come true. The Disney bus driver quips and jokes with the boisterous highschoolers.

Students are given packets that contain their hotel room key, park passes, allowance, a description of their dining plan and tickets, the itinerary, and a basic list of rules. For the most part, it looks like they'll have a lot of freedom, so long as they don't break any rules. "This is going to be great," Mr. Elmasty proclaims, who seems happy to be a kid more than a teacher this weekend.

HOW THIS WORKS

The junior class is visiting Orlando, Florida! They'll be staying in the Pop Century Resort.

They're in a block of rooms on the third floor of a set of buildings themed for 80's and 80's pop culture. The nearest swimming pool is themed like a 90's laptop.

Staff presence: Ms. Rhee, Mr. Elmasry, Ms. Whittle

Students will have to go through the North American Floo network, so they can't have any contraband in their bags, such as weapons or drugs. After arriving at the MACUSA Floo hub in Orlando, they'll be taken to their hotel on Disney property.

For the two non-travel days, in the morning there will be a set school activity that's mandatory, and in the evenings students can do whatever they want to.
- Friday: Our Body, The Universe Within / Orlando Science Center. Students leave at 9:00 AM, and return to the hotel at 3:00 PM
- Saturday: Disney World. Just... go. The staff knows that's the only reason you're here.
Juniors are given an allowance of $15 per day for food and leisure, as well as a Disney Dining Plan and a 3 day Parkhopper ticket to Disney World. Using the dining plan, students may spend "credits" on meals, allowing even those with minimal funds to go to expensive restaurants in Disney World if they strategize. Nice! Any room charges will come out of your character's allowance. They may spend their own personal money however they please.

Curfew is 12:00 AM. Teachers will come through to make sure everyone is in their rooms. The only exception is for the students who are staying out later for "Extra Magic Hours" on Friday and Saturday night at the Magic Kingdom. Mr. Elmasry will stay out until 1:00 AM with students opting to do this, and he'll return to the hotel with them.

Students are not allowed to take their wands into the Disney parks due to the International Statute of Secrecy. The staff give everyone a lecture reminding them about keeping their magic use under wraps.

The park will be busy because it's Thanksgiving Weekend, and it will be decorated for Christmas already. The weather will be fairly mild for Florida, but still expect heat and humidity.

ALTHOUGH THIS IS BEING POSTED ON 11/22, STUDENTS WILL NOT ACTUALLY BE LEAVING UNTIL THE MORNING OF 11/23!

Room 7359: Hazel / Susana / Cole

Room 7360: Austin / Samantha / Solomon / Regan

Room 7361: Bianca / Joanna / Milo / Isabelle

Room 7362: Gabriela / Evangeline / Charlotte

Room 7363: Madison / Ruby

Room 7364: Heathcliff / Spencer / Noel

Room 7365: Estella / Ira

Room 7366: Jefferson / Tristan / Zachary

Room 7367: Ariadne / Sebastien / Jade / Lucas

Room 7368: Calvin / Micah

Room 7369: Cassius / Todd

» DEPARTURE: Any scenes relating to leaving campus or arriving in Orlando can go here!

» THE HOTEL: Any scenes that take place at the hotel can go here!

» DAY TWO: EDUTAINMENT: Please just tolerate this one day of pretending the trip has educational value.

» DAY THREE: DISNEY WORLD: Your schedules are freed for an entire day in the Most Magical Place on Earth. You know, as far as muggles are concerned.

» GOING HOME: Time to pack up and return to Utah.

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fun fact is my sister is actually in Disney world right now Bc she (and her marching band) got to perform in the thanksgiving parade there today

Less fun fact is I had to Google rides Bc I've never been

Like is it just like six flags Bc I have no idea

lots of strollers blocking the paths
nowhere to sit
small children bolting in front of you
random rain showers
large brazilian tour groups trying to cut lines to join another member
no sitting on the rails in the sweaty 3hr line
an hour wait for overpriced food and no tables to sit at

i am filled to the brim with salt

Edited (gb kids are essentially a tour group so they will have fun because STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!!) 2017-11-24 12:36 (UTC)

OK BUT SALINESS ASIDE
i stayed at the disneyland resort about two years ago (the all-star music one i thiiink)

you get cool wristbands to wear that has your guest information on it and you can use that to pay for meals and merch within the park and open your room door. i think it also has your age on it so unfortunately that means you can't use it to drink at the parks or the pool-side tiki bars if you're underage.

HOWEVER, my father-in-law used his wristband to buy a drink for me and the stall vendor didn't bat an eye when he immediately handed it off to me. (they could've had me scan my band to verify my age but they didn't care.) HOWEVER, the bands don't work for the Disney Springs restaurants and they work like normal non-disney restaurants (since they're open to the public) so kids could potentially use a fake ID here.

magicband info is here.

if kids are using the fastpass system they can either use an app on their phone or use the kiosk. (there's usually a line for the kiosks, but there's always a nice employee to help you out so wizard kids should be fine.)

disney resort guests can get into the park after hours. AND IT'S AMAZING. the program is called extra magic hours. usually it runs from like... 10pm-12am and there are usually no little kids because they're asleep. the lines are super short and the employees running the rides are SUPER CASUAL about everything. (the dude running the tower of terror mockingly recited the ~spooky~ recorded monologue in the waiting room.)

there are limited rides running but... they're all good rides so it doesn't matter.

there's a bus just outside of the resort hotel that will take you to the parks or disney springs. it's easy to get SUPER LOST coming back from disney because it feels like there are a million buses, but there's a helpful person stationed there to point you in the right direction if you just tell him where you're trying to go.

the buses ONLY go to disney-owned locations so you're SOL if you need to run to walgreens or just want some mcdonalds because the resorts aren't in walking distance. i thiiink only disney-owned taxis can get into the resort parking lot. if you need tampons or forgot a razor or want chips or something, they have a supply shop where you can purchase these things for an inflated fee. they've definitely got a monopoly going on.

but these kids are wizards so it doesn't matter so much.

the resorts are actually just a TON of motel-style buildings on the plot that are grouped by subthemes. (pop century's motels are grouped by decades, 50s-90s, and there's usually a pool between the groups.) there's a map here.

when we stayed there, it felt like we had to walk a half-mile to our room because we were the farthest away from the lobby. (ok i was just v v tired and my feet hurt, but it is QUITE a walk.) luckily, there's benches along the pathway to your section?? it's really scenic and nice and sometimes i'd just go out there to sit on a bench and listen to the crickets.

the dining halls are a fucking war zone in the mornings. tired, screaming kids. staff frantically trying to clean up after everyone. it's a race to get seats and there are a few asshole families that hog them while they're not even eating.

i remember getting mad because a single slice of bread was a dollar and then you had to pay 50 cents or something for one of those tiny things of butter.

at my resort, it was cheaper to have them make you a whole pizza (~$20 or something) so me and ben would just order that and take it to our room and eat off it for a couple days.

pizza delivery runs til 1am, regular food court closes at 12am.

the pools are really cute and fun :( and HUGE. technically there are pool hours, but i think they close at 11... but... the lifeguards are off duty by then and i don't think anyone really cares as long as people are quiet and respectful. i saw a few adults hanging out in the pool area after midnight.

Holy shit god bless. This is way more info than the internet gave me.

**disney world

i just noticed lmao
my ass has never stepped foot in cali

ohhh and i just googled it and apparently uber can get to the resort hotels. so kids aren't totally stranded if they can't apparate. i just remember there being a parking arm checkpoint for car drivers so i assumed ppl with cars had to be guests to get through

ok but you and ali and i should go to six flags????

No see, I'm hella poor and hella far away, which is why I've never gone.

Don't crush my dreams so coldly :(

But yeah we can totally go, I mean

!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!

the only theme park i don't hate is universal, sry

see we can CHANGE that because u go with ME and my resting bitchfaced ENTHUSIASM will BRIGHTEN YOUR SPIRITS!!!

look i am EXTREMELY whiny and EXTREMELY out of shape. i'd rather die tbh

i haven't been back since i blacked out on the ninja. it's a terrible ride and renaming it doesn't make it any less shitty

plus all i wanna do is ride acrophobia over and over

IF I GO CRAZY THEN WILL YOU STILL CALL ME SUPERMAAAAAAAAN which is one of the best rides there tbh

but u HAVE TO AGREE that the Batman has some of the best staging??? like holy shit???

i just remember ppl sticking their nasty gum on the wall and being crammed in there for 3 hours with a million other sweaty, miserable bodies. HARUMPH!!!

superman is rly good though :(

Oh you poor thing. It is NOT like six flags. Six flags is awful and Disney is magical (at least our six flags is awful, I’ve heard from others that allegedly they’re not all bad)

Lmao I've gone to the one in St. Louis a bit while growing up and it didn't seem bad. It was basically like an advanced fair. Sixty bucks compared to the fair's fifteen but still.

SCHOOL TRIP: Juniors

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