Disney Imagination Campus Blog

Planning Tips for Your Next Field Trip

by The Disney Imagination Campus team

June 10, 2026

According to the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA), almost one million students participated in a domestic travel field trip in 2024. Disneyland® Resort in California and Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida were delighted to welcome many of those students for days filled with imagination, discovery and memories they’ll be talking about long after they’re home.

Planning a student group field trip to Disney theme parks requires preparation and coordination. Coordinating logistics and mapping out a schedule often means bringing together administrators, parents and students with the guidance of a dedicated teacher or travel planner.

At Disney, the safety of our guests is of the utmost priority. Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort take a comprehensive, coordinated approach to safety across our properties to help provide a safe environment for all who visit. Guests may encounter a variety of security efforts across our property designed to support a safe visit, such as the presence of uniformed police officers, security screening technology, bag checks and other measures.

To help keep our approach effective, certain security procedures are carefully managed.

Some measures you can take to enhance the safety of your group during your next field trip to Disney theme parks include:

#1 - Preparation is Key. Organize before arrival.

Before you arrive, it’s important to have a plan for your trip. Create a digital information packet for your group that includes a schedule and guidelines for students. You can also include reminders, information about the resort you’re staying at, important phone numbers, and directions to nearby hospitals or urgent care centers. Include a brief packing list for your park bag with helpful items for staying safe and comfortable. Feel free to use the list below as a starting point and then customize it for your group.

Host a pre-trip meeting with parents, chaperones, and students to review the information. Allow time for questions and talk through any questions.

⭐️ Bonus Tip: For additional security, avoid printing the info packet, which could be easily lost. Before the trip begins, encourage chaperones and students to screenshot the information packet, so they always have information available, even without reliable cell service.

#2 - Regular check-ins are non-negotiable.

Most groups break up into smaller units and appoint a chaperone to oversee each unit. At the start of every day, encourage chaperones to gather with their unit to determine a regular check-in cadence. This can be on the bus, at breakfast, or at another predetermined time.

As the trip organizer, set expectations for students and chaperones. Do you want chaperones to always accompany their student group, or are regular check-ins sufficient? You know your group best.

Also, as a reminder, adult supervision is required in the parks for guests under the age of 14.

Establish meeting locations/spots that everyone can easily find. Use maps provided on the Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort websites to identify meeting locations before you arrive.

#3 – Communicate consistently throughout your trip.

Earlier, we mentioned that communication should start before your trip begins. It should also continue throughout your trip as you travel and head into the parks. Use communication apps to build group chats that can be used throughout the day to communicate with chaperones and students, ensuring regular check-ins are on track and important information is received.

If appropriate for your group, you could even make a game out of group communications. Send fun, random prompts throughout the day to encourage communication from your students. Feel free to copy and paste the prompts below, then customize for your group!

Not only does this get students talking and sharing, but it’s also a fun way to identify the students’ whereabouts within the parks.

You can also have some general reminders ready to send throughout the day. Feel free to copy and paste these reminders below, then customize for your group!

Ask chaperones to spend a few minutes at the end of each day debriefing with their group. Have students share their favorite moments from the day, then take time to review important reminders to get ready for the next day. Talk through questions and communicate expectations clearly.

#4 – Use identifiers, such as matching shirts, to easily stand out from the crowd.

Brightly colored matching shirts help you easily identify your group in the parks. Our repeat groups often recommend one matching shirt day and school spirit wear on other days. You could also do “theme” days. Here are some examples:

Shirts are not the only identifiers. Groups can also use backpacks, hip bags, brightly colored shoes (common with athletic groups), custom buttons, or bandanas. This is especially helpful for multi-day trips. Bags also encourage students to carry the essential park bag items mentioned earlier under tip #1.

⭐️ Bonus Tip: In the unlikely event that someone is separated from the group, it is extremely helpful to have a current photo of them and what they are wearing. Encourage your students to take an “outfit of the day” (OOTD) photo or video and share it with a trusted friend. You can also encourage chaperones to take a group photo with their unit at the start of each day.

#5 – Use a buddy system to ensure accountability.

The buddy system is a proven safety and mutual accountability measure in which students are grouped together and responsible for one another’s safety. Before departure, have students identify 1-2 other students they trust as their designated trip “buddies.”

Students should communicate with their buddy throughout the trip, moving through the park together. This practice teaches students to have situational awareness. They will have to keep track of their buddy, be mindful of their surroundings, and mentally check that their buddy is nearby.

It also makes communication more reliable. In a busy environment like a theme park, messages are missed, devices can run out of charge, and students get distracted. But when they’re paired or grouped, communication becomes a shared responsibility instead of an individual one. This makes check-ins easier and more efficient.

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Ready to start planning your trip? Connect with a Disney Imagination Campus Representative and start planning an unforgettable youth trip to the Disney parks.