Language students have spent all year studying culture, but on Dec. 6, they were given the opportunity to explore them in person.
French, Spanish and Chinese language students took a field trip to Epcot, chaperoned by French teacher Pamela Lynch and Chinese teacher Zhengzhen Zhang.
Students were told to meet up at the designated check-in areas twice during the trip, once at 3:30 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m., so the teachers could make sure no one was lost.
Everyone was free to roam around as they pleased, stopping into shops and riding all the rides the park had to offer. As long as they stayed in the park, they could go off on their own schedules, so many were able to get passes to get into popular rides.
“We went on rides such as Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, but we mostly just walked around and enjoyed everything,” sophomore Kayla Castaneda said.
Epcot has 11 pavilions each dedicated to a country, so there’s a lot to explore. Not everything is country based though—there’s rides based on popular Disney movies, as well as rides like Test Track and Mission: SPACE that focus on a futuristic theme. Certain attractions tie in with what Epcot stands for: “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.”
“A lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to travel abroad,” Lynch said. “Having the countries represented a little bit gives them the chance.”
Lynch had first set up the Epcot trip after she found out that there was a student discount for tickets if it was a field trip, back when Hagerty had first opened.
“I think they learn a little bit about other cultures that maybe they wouldn’t,” Lynch said. “Maybe they’ll never be exposed to the places. Maybe they’ll never leave Florida.”
Disney parks are expensive, and planning a field trip can cost a lot. The tickets for the trip were $115, which included the $15 bus transport to the park. Typically, Epcot tickets range from $109 to $159, but thanks to Disney’s student group program, it was $100 per person.
However, students with passes to the park were able to use that to their advantage, only paying for the round-trip.
“[My parents] didn’t care, we already have an annual pass, so I just used my own money for food,” Castaneda said.
Epcot provided the experience for students to be able to immerse themselves with the culture they’ve been studying, and have fun while doing it. Spanish III student Juliana Alvarez was able to do just that in a group with her friends.
“I loved being with my friends, and hanging around the park.” Alvarez said.
The trip happened to be scheduled at a perfect time, due to Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays. The park was decorated for different holidays across the globe, and each pavilion featured a holiday show, where a cast member dressed up as an icon from the specific holiday would tell a story and interact with guests. There were also themed dishes and desserts, so everyone could enjoy holiday food from different countries.
After 10 and a half hours at the park, students boarded buses, leaving at 9:36 PM and getting back at 10:42 PM.
