Seventy-five Academy students experienced Disney magic firsthand on a four-day, three-night trip to Epcot and Magic Kingdom on March 19-22 during Mini Course Week.

This field trip marked religion teacher and chaperone Ms. Virginia Liston’s final Epcot mini-course excursion before retiring at the end of the school year. Each day, the seniors presented a small gift to her. During dinner at the Hoop-Dee-Do Revue on Tuesday night, the cast members joined in the celebration of Ms. Liston’s retirement with a shout-out during their performance.

The other chaperones included trip coordinator Mrs. Lori Kearney, Mrs. Beth Chase, Principal Mrs. Camille Jowanna, Mrs. Jenny VanPelt, Sr. Ann Regan, Ms. Kerry Keegan, Mrs. Patricia Bohannan, and Mrs. Emily Swiger.

On Wednesday, the group visited Epcot where they had the chance to immerse themselves in the Future World and World Showcase pavilions. Future World features past and future applications of technology, while World Showcase explores eleven different cultures, including France, China, Mexico, and Morocco. All the Academy girls and chaperones assembled together to watch The American Adventure, an audio-animatronic stage show about nothing other than American history.

Magic Kingdom provided a fun day of rides and meet-and-greets with beloved Disney characters. Some favorite attractions among Academy girls were Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion.

Freshman Megan Bajo enjoyed the free time at both Epcot and Magic Kingdom given by the chaperones. “I appreciated Mrs. Kearney’s trust to allow us to wander around the parks ourselves in small groups with our friends.”

To end the long day at Magic Kingdom, the group gathered on Main St. to watch the spectacular fireworks show above Cinderella’s Castle before heading to the hotel to pack for departure the next day.

Senior Savannah Cruz regularly attends this annual “Mission of Fun” and has only missed it for her junior year. “This was my third year going, and I never get tired of it! These trips have made some great memories that I’ll always remember.”