Over the next couple of months we will be finalizing the itinerary, compiling rooming and bus lists, and scheduling a mandatory student/parent meeting. All correspondence will be done through the email address that you supplied when signing up for the trip. Important Note: please check your email for the correct procedures for trip payments to avoid paying more than you anticipate. In those instances, the Band Boosters are only able to refund the amount minus the transaction fee which will have to be paid again.
Numerous questions have arisen over the past several weeks regarding the trip. We will answer everything at the parent/student meeting but here are a few:
Q: Why am I being charged an expensive fee on top of the trip cost?
A: The Boosters are charged 2.9% plus $0.30 on each transaction. This fee is actually less than what we typically paid to the travel company for direct billing (2.9% vs 4%). Instead of adding a small amount onto every payment, the total fees were calculated and added to the invoice total. In essence we pay these fees every time we use a debit or credit card anywhere. The difference is that most of the time these fees are hidden and added to the cost of products and services.
Q: Why do we not have a final itinerary yet?
A: We submitted an audition video and have been accepted to perform at The Magic Kingdom during our trip. The entire itinerary is determined by our performance schedule. We will soon post an updated version on the website. Please note that Disney reserves the right to change our performance time which would change the itinerary.
Q: Why is the trip so expensive?
A: If you compare apples to apples and all of the inclusions, this trip is quite affordable. For example, the cost of all transportation (charter buses for 7 days) is being covered by the Band Boosters! This is a savings of over $200/person. Also, Numerous meals and meal debit cards are provided to the students every day. We prefer that to having students carry large amounts of cash on the trip.
Q: How are the tour buses we are taking? I have heard stories from other schools, trips, etc.
A: The safety of our students is our #1 PRIORITY! For that reason, we switched to the Barons for our last trip to Philadelphia/NYC. We found Barons to be an outstanding company, which is why many professional sports teams, colleges, and schools use them. In addition, Noteworthy Tours has an extensive list of drivers from previous trips and requests the best of the fleet!
