After a year of canceled senior plans and uncertainty over the pandemic, Clark’s senior class finally made it to their Disney trip. 213 students, the highest number of attendees in Clark’s history, were able to attend the trip safely with negative Covid tests and mask-wearing. 

At 7:15 AM, students piled up in front of Clark to wait for the bus. Teachers and chaperones diligently sorted students into their bus groups and ushered everyone into the buses. The school bus is a staple of American education, and for the seniors, Disney Day was one of the last times they would experience riding in one.  “The bus ride made the experience so much more worthwhile because I was able to talk with my friends and spend time with them. It also made the long ride feel shorter because my classmates made it more entertaining,” said senior Tiledia Markarian.

Senior class advisor Mrs. Tatevosian created a meticulous itinerary that kept the trip organized and the students well accounted for. The buses arrived at Disneyland at 9 AM and after an initiation process of handing out tickets and entering the park, the senior class took a group photo in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. As the rest of the seniors were taking their class photo, a group of Clark boys rode by on a horse-drawn buggy and Mrs. Tatevosian even hopped in.

After that, it was time for the students to have fun and enjoy the day with their friends. The class split up and explored the rides in their own groups. “Space Mountain was definitely my favorite ride,” said senior Davit Stepanyan. “It was an out of this world experience and I really enjoyed it.”  

The seniors also got to experience some new additions to Disneyland, including Rise of the Resistance. “The new Star Wars rides at Galaxy’s Edge were amazing. You really felt immersed in the culture and design of the Star Wars universe and personally it was a highlight of the trip for me to be able to really nerd out over Star Wars and interact with the cosplayers,” said senior Pierce Legita. 

As the day came to a close, the senior class watched Disney’s light show at 9 PM in front of the Castle. Due to high wind conditions, the firework display was canceled but the show still featured Disney music and projections of beloved Disney characters. Once the show ended, the students headed back to the entrance for a final roll-call and took the shuttle bus back to the parking lot. 

“It was a bittersweet moment. I loved spending the day with my friends and even going on rides with classmates I had never talked to at school before,” said senior Anaïa Elbaz. “But at the same time, I had been looking forward to the Disney trip for weeks and now it is over.” 

For the class of 2022, Disney Day felt like a time to interact and have fun  with their classmates in their final months before graduation. “After being in quarantine for so long, going to Disneyland felt like the first time I was actually able to be a teenager having fun with classmates and making new friends,” said senior Emika Davis.