THEME PARK THRILLS RETURN
These new attractions, programs and seminars will appeal to student groups
T
heme parks are a staple of student travel for good reason. These locations offer high-velocity thrills in a contained environment that places teachers and chaperones at ease. They also offer a variety of educational programming that can allow theater groups to participate in backstage workshops, bands to march in a parade and choral groups to perform for park guests. For students interested in STEM, many of these parks allow visitors to learn about the physics of roller coasters and the mathematics behind ride design. Many school groups had temporarily paused their off-campus travel due to health precautions or budget reasons, but while the student sector was paused, these theme parks were busy creating new attractions for groups to enjoy. Here are the latest additions for major American theme parks over the past two years and educational programs to supplement them.
WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT Thousands of school groups annually visit the “Happiest Place on Earth” for the opportunity to march down Main Street, U.S.A. or perform in Tomorrowland. In 2021, Disney re-branded its highly popular Youth Program with a suite of workshops and experiences called the Disney Imagination Campus. Hosted at both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, the programs are targeted primarily to middle and high school students under four areas of interest:
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STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2022
Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City
By Miles Dobis
