Through the magic of Disney, Clark’s annual tradition for seniors was underway. One of the most anticipated events of the year arrived and the Clark senior class of 2024 was ready to take over Disneyland and have a blast.
Arriving at Clark around 7 a.m, 221 seniors quickly waited by one of the five school buses, scanned into 5-star and were on their way.
Seventeen teachers and staff were ready to chaperone and ready to enjoy Disneyland with colleagues, friends and even family members, and enjoy the magic of Disneyland alongside the students. The atmosphere was filled with the chatter and laughter of students and teachers combined throughout the bus ride and the whole day. Students were especially excited to be surprised with the attendance of Ms. Margaryan, a very loved counselor that many of the students have gotten to know over their last 3 years at Clark. “It was really thoughtful of the Class of 2024 to include me on their senior Disney trip. I had a great time catching up with the seniors that I have known from their freshman year!” Margaryan said.
It was also Ms. Hayrapetyan, our new Vice Principal, first time experiencing Disneyland with Clark. “It was a really fun experience and honestly was much more enjoyable than I originally thought it would be. The chaperones were wonderful and enjoying rides with one another and students were the highlight of the day.”
Once everyone arrived in Anaheim, students received their tickets and headed to the front of the castle to take the annual group photo. Immediately after the photo was taken, students cheered excitedly and started to break into their groups to rush over to their favorite rides. Some students strategically went to the rides they knew would have the longest lines like Space Mountain or Star Wars – Rise of the Resistance to ensure they’d get to ride them without too long of a wait time. Some students even took photos with their favorite Disney characters from childhood. “I was so excited to see Jack Sparrow so I knew I needed a picture with him and my friends,” senior Tessa Cuccia said.
Teachers who came on the trip also joined in on the fun as they went on rides with some of their students. Mr. Ghavam joined students on Space Mountain and filled the ride with screams and laughter. “Riding space mountain with Mr. Ghavam was the highlight of the trip. It was a lot of fun because throughout the ride he would make a lot of jokes with us and kept us laughing the whole time,” senior Hailey Wong said.
Not only did the trip provide lots of fun for the weekend, it also gave the seniors some relief from the stress of applying for colleges. With the smells of churros,pretzels, and popcorn in the air, the seniors were able to put aside their various stressors and just enjoy the day with their friends and peers.. “School has been the only thing on my mind 24/7, so to finally have a weekend to go to an amusement park with friends was exactly what I needed,” senior Ella Khatchaturian said.
Time flew by even through the long lines, with everyone enjoying delicious new foods and drinks such as churros and pickles from all over Disneyland. One popular destination to eat at was the newly-opened Tiana’s Palace, in New Orleans Square serving dishes such as their house gumbo and cornbread that warmed students up from the cold.
After about 13 hours of walking and 25,000 steps walked from going on rides, seniors were finally able to sit down and get ready for the firework show to begin. Groups met up in different sections around the castle taking in the glistening fireworks and lit-up castle together.
After the show, seniors all met up in front of Disneyland to regroup with their buses to go home. They were once again checked in on 5-star to ensure that no students would be left behind. The final bus arrived a bit later due to traffic around 12:05am and students either drove themselves home or got picked up by a parent, sibling or friend. The night ended with everyone fulfilled and exhausted, but ultimately happy for the senior Disneyland trip to have happened once again.
