Seeing Mickey & Co. gets more expensive for third time in past two years

Another reason why touring groups should avoid Orlando and perform in MCI’s National Festival of the States concert series instead!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Walt Disney World is raising ticket prices for the third time in two years, company officials announced.

An adult one-day, one-park pass will increase 6 percent, $67 to $71 beginning Sunday. Discount packages also will be affected, but the per-day cost could be less than $23 for adults who buy as large as a 10-day package.

The change is due to an annual planning cycle of travel wholesalers, tour organizers and commercial publications, Disney officials told the Orlando Sentinel.

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I was very, very pleased with the tour to San Francisco. Singing in Grace Cathedral was the highlight of the tour! It was a magnificent place to sing, so beautiful with wonderful acoustics. The sightseeing was fantastic! The Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods and the time at the beach were our favorites. I can’t thank Music Celebrations enough for time spent in making sure our tour was perfect. They are wonderful people and it was a pleasure working with everyone at MCI. I would happily recommend MCI to all of my colleagues. I would love to serve as a reference. MCI is fantastic with all aspects of music travel!

Julie A. Brott
Associate Choir Director
Lakeville North High School

Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco, proclaimed Sept. 18, 2006 as “Oregon Coast Chapter Of Sweet Adelines International Day” following their performance at city hall (pictured above). The venue was just one stop on a whirlwind tour of the San Francisco Bay area, where the chorus represented Oregon in the Annual Festival of the States, a program sponsored by Music Celebrations International. “It was indeed, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Oregon Coast Sweet Adelines,” director Carol Duvall said following the group’s arrival back in Newport early Wednesday morning.

Article from Newport News-Times

The Oregon Coast Chapter of Sweet Adelines International has been preparing almost a year for the trip of a lifetime. “Last fall, we received an invitation from Music Celebrations International to represent the State of Oregon in the Annual Festival of the States in San Francisco,” explains director Carol Duvall. “Needless to say, we were extremely flattered by the invitation but concerned that we’d be able to raise the money necessary to travel there.”

The Lincoln County community got behind this active chorus and through fundraising, donations and performances, the chorus raised the $27000 necessary to take 25 singers, three spouses and one director on the San Francisco tour.

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Today, 43 years ago, Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay closes down and transfers its last prisoners. At it’s peak period of use in 1950s, “The Rock, or “”America’s Devil Island” housed over 200 inmates at the maximum-security facility. Alcatraz remains an icon of American prisons for its harsh conditions and record for being inescapable.

The twelve-acre rocky island, one and a half miles from San Francisco, featured the most advanced security of the time. Some of the first metal detectors were used at Alcatraz. Strict rules were enforced against the unfortunate inmates who had to do time at Alcatraz. Nearly complete silence was mandated at all times….

The following year, Alcatraz was added to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is now open for tourism and can be visited during your participation in Music Celebrations International’s National Festival of the States in San Francisco.

The Mountain Brook High School Ensemble recently returned from a five day concert tour to San Francisco, performing in the National Festival of the States concert series and experiencing the vibrant culture and flavor that this exciting city and surrounding region have to offer. This is what director Dwight Brown has to say about his experience with Music Celebrations:

The choirs of Mountain Brook High School have traveled with Music Celebrations for the past two years (Austria & San Francisco). Both trips were tremendously successful largely because of the professionalism of Music Celebrations. Every detail was taken care of from accomodations and transportation to the performing venues. In the twenty five years that I have traveled with students Music Celebrations has met my needs more effeciently than any other organization. I will continue to use Music celebrations for my travel arrangements.

MCI’s experience has been that if a fundraiser doesn’t make at least 50% for your group, it probably isn’t worth your time. That being said, we’ve recently spoken with Tom Gifford at Winnetonka High School in Missouri who has had success with the Sally Foster catalogue fundraiser. On the website the company guarantees 50% profit on every item sold. We’re not in ‘cahoots’ with Sally Foster, but are happy to offer this as a suggestion. Mr. Gifford has traveled with MCI many times (Europe ‘94 & ‘97, NYC ‘01, San Francisco ‘04) so when he says something is working for him - we listen!