Hi James!
Youth trips to the
Walt Disney World Resort are the best! Some of my favorite memories as a teen were our
Magic Music Days trips to Disney with my Fife & Drum Corps. (Think Revolutionary War type music complete with a tricornered hat.) My sons’ marching band has done the trip to Walt Disney World and we just got back a few days ago from a band visit to the Disneyland Resort!
We have always made the trip with our band kids, but we’ve done it on our own, rather than going with the tour company, as booking ourselves was less expensive. When our band has gone on these trips, the tour company has pulled some last-minute changes on us, so I understand your concern about having to possibly make changes to your plans.
For your
theme park tickets, the first day of ticket use is pretty important. There are potentially different price points for different start dates. It can be changed, it just takes a bit of work. If the first day you plan to use your park ticket changes, you will need to
call ticketing to have the ticket changed. While it’s not a problem, it may mean several hours on the phone. If the first day changes to a higher price point, you will need to pay the difference, so do be prepared for that.
In terms of
Disney Park Pass Reservations, these are complimentary and there is no charge to cancel and rebook them. The concern would be
theme park availability. Since you are going in mid-June, the odds are availability should be very good, and you might not see parks book until just a day or two in advance, or they may not book at all. If the parents on the trip book a Park Pass Reservation for a specific day, and the school group’s plans change, the parents will need to cancel the reservation they have, and then book a new one. There is not the option to “modify” and just switch them, it’s a cancel and rebook process. As long as there is availability at the new park, there shouldn’t be an issue.
For
Advance Dining Reservations, those can be made 60 days before check-in for parents staying at a
Disney Resort Collection Hotel, and 60 days before the day they wish to dine, for those staying off-property. Dining reservations book quickly, so I recommend anyone who wants to dine at a table service location make that reservation as soon as they are able. Reservations open at 6 AM Eastern time at that 60-day mark. A credit card guarantee is required, but don’t let this worry you. Except for Cinderella’s Royal Table, your card is not charged in advance. The guarantee is so that if you don’t show up, or you don’t cancel 24 hours in advance, then you are charged a per person cancellation fee. But you can cancel 24 hours in advance with no penalty. Because of this, it’s always better to book, and if you need to cancel or make changes later you can, but at least you won’t get stuck without a reservation which can happen if you wait.
I hope this helps with your group’s planning, James! Please let us know if you have any additional questions, we are here to help!
- Kate