Who is Kaleidoscope Adventures?
Kaleidoscope Adventures is a full service tour company specializing in student group travel. Our primary emphasis is developing festival and performance tours for middle and high school bands, choirs and orchestras.
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How long has Kaleidoscope Adventures been in business?
Established in 1993, Kaleidoscope Adventures has over a century of combined experience in the travel industry. Kaleidoscope Adventures is registered with the state of Florida as a seller of Travel and a member of the National Tour Association (NTA), American Bus Association (ABA), Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and adhere to a strict code of ethics to maintain that membership.
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Who will chaperone my child’s trip?
Kaleidoscope Adventures requires that each trip sponsor/director assign a reasonable amount of responsible adults as designated chaperones. The exact number of chaperones will vary by group depending on school requirements. Chaperones will assist in supervising students in the hotel, at the pool, and will stay with them at all times during the course of the trip, unless the students are given free time at an attraction. Additionally, a tour director will escort the group throughout their trip and be available on-call 24-hours a day.
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When will I know my child’s flight schedule?
Your child will receive their flight schedule from the trip sponsor/director approximately two weeks prior to departure. All airline tickets are sent directly to the trip sponsor/director.
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Will my child need a passport to board the plane?
For domestic flights, a passport is not required, however everyone IS required to have some sort of photo ID. Adults will need to have a valid form of government issued ID (driver’s license, passport, state ID, military ID, etc.). Minors will be allowed to use alternate forms of photo ID.
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What will my child be doing on the trip?
Your trip sponsor/director, along with your Kaleidoscope Adventures representative have put together a customized itinerary for your group. Contact your trip sponsor/director for a copy of the itinerary if you did not receive one.
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Where will my child be staying?
Your child will be staying in a nationally recognized hotel that meets Kaleidoscope Adventures guidelines and approval. The rooms are generally within interior corridors without balconies. Since each trip is customized to meet the needs of the group, you will need to check with your trip sponsor/director for specific hotel information.
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How can I reach my child in case of emergency?
In the event that you need to contact you child during the trip, you can call the Kaleidoscope Adventures office at 800-774-7337. We can then contact the tour director that is escorting your group. (NOTE: If the group is at a theme park, or if the group has free time to explore a city on own, this process will take longer. However, your child will receive the message by the end of the day.) You can also leave a message for your child at the hotel. Check with child’s trip sponsor for hotel information. He/she should have all of the hotel information approximately two weeks prior to the trip.
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Will there be a phone in my child’s room so I can get in touch with him/her?
YES. There will be a phone in each room at the hotel for incoming calls only. We instruct hotels to turn off all phones and pay per view television in all rooms. Students may receive calls in their rooms from the outside, but cannot call out. Most hotels place extremely high surcharges on calls made from rooms, even on toll free calls. Students will usually be able to call from room to room, at the trip sponsor/director’s discretion. Students may call home from the hotel lobby pay phone and are encouraged to do so especially on their arrival day to let you know their room number.
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Will my child get to choose who he/she rooms with?
A rooming list will be put together by the trip sponsor/director and the students will most likely be allowed to choose whom they room with, although rooming assignments cannot be guaranteed. Students stay four to a room with double beds in each room. We suggest that the roommates ride the same bus to expedite the check-in process. NOTE: There is a $5.00 name change fee for every name change once we receive your final rooming list.
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Will there be a curfew?
Yes, the trip sponsor/director will set curfew times. Most hotels have a policy that students are in their rooms by 11:00 pm.
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Will my child be allowed to stay in the hotel alone if he/she is not feeling well?
NO. If a student becomes ill and must stay in a hotel while the group is out for the day, a chaperone must stay with the student at all times.
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What medication may my child bring?
All medication taken on the trip must be kept and administered by the trip sponsor/director or a designated chaperone (as instructed).
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Will there be any Tylenol or Advil available for students that have headaches?
This is at the trip sponsor/director’s discretion. Follow the standards set forth by your school and/or school board. We recommend that the trip sponsor/director or a designated chaperone carry a first aid kit with: band-aids, antibacterial ointment, sunscreen, etc. ALL MEDICATIONS NEED TO BE KEPT AND ADMINISTERED BY THE TRIP SPONSOR/DIRECTOR OR A DESIGNATED CHAPERONE.
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How many bags of luggage can my child take?
Your child should limit their luggage to one suitcase and one carry-on. This will expedite check-in and checkout, as well as allowing more space for storage on charter buses. Each student may be asked to handle his/her own luggage and instruments (per instructions of director) when loading and unloading charter buses, and upon checking in and out of the hotel.
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Will my child need to take their instrument?
That depends on whether or not your group will be performing. Check with the trip sponsor/director to be sure. If your group will be performing or participating in a musical workshop, your child will need to have his/her instrument, music and any extra parts that they may need.
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Can my child bring a blanket and pillow on the trip?
YES, especially for groups traveling overnight by motorcoach. Keep in mind that everyone is responsible for keeping up with their own belongings. Remember to take everything with you when checking out of the hotel.
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When will we check into the hotel?
Generally, hotel check-in is in the evening of your arrival date. If you have a morning or afternoon arrival, you will go directly to your activity for the day. Most hotels do not allow group check-in before 3:00 pm (or later). Check your final itinerary for specifics. Final itineraries are generally sent to the trip sponsor/director two weeks prior to your trip.
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Are personal CD players, game units or cell phones allowed?
CD players, personal game units, and other portable electronic devices are generally allowed as long as you have headphones and/or can mute the volume on the game unit. (Check with your trip sponsor for approval.) Keep in mind that, each person is responsible for their own personal belongings; therefore, we suggest that you leave all valuables at home.
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Will my child be able to change once the group reaches their destination?
This depends on the destination, activities planned for the day, arrival time and the policies set forth by the trip sponsor/director. If time permits, generally students will have to change in a public restroom at a rest area close to the destination. Therefore, if your group plans on taking a few minutes to freshen-up prior to arrival, we recommend that a change of clothes and personal toiletries be kept in a small carry on bag, as they will not have time to access their main luggage.
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What happens if it rains?
In the event of rain, generally speaking, the day will continue as planned. Theme parks do not give refunds for inclement weather. Therefore, we recommend that everyone pack a poncho or a light raincoat for the trip. In the event of severe weather, the situation will be handled on a case by case basis, and the trip sponsor/director will be required to sign off on any changes made to the itinerary.
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Will my child need money for gratuities and tips?
Check with your trip sponsor for specifics. However, here are some general guidelines: For the Tour Director, a standard gratuity of $1.00 per person, per day is recommended. For meals/activities booked directly through Kaleidoscope Adventures, the gratuity has already been included and will be taken care of by the Tour Director. For the motorcoach driver(s) – if booked by Kaleidoscope Adventures, the gratuity has already been included. If booked directly by the school, a standard gratuity of $1.00 per person, per day is recommended. For meals on own, a standard gratuity of 15% of the bill is recommended for sit down meals. For fast food meals, gratuities are generally not expected.
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How much money should my child bring?
We generally recommend $7 to $15 per meal. However, some meals are generally included in the trip package, so please check with your trip sponsor for details regarding the particular trip inclusions. Students may also want to bring additional money for souvenir shopping at your own discretion.
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Can we use traveler’s checks?
Adults can use traveler’s checks. Although they are normally treated “same as cash”, be sure to have proper ID available to present when using traveler’s checks. Minors are discouraged from using traveler’s checks, as many vendors do not accept them from minors.
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Can my child order pizza from the hotel room?
Generally speaking, yes, except on Disney property. However, this is at the discretion of the trip sponsor/director. Some groups require that a chaperone order the pizza for the student(s) and have the pizza delivered to a chaperone room, rather than a student room.
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Will there be food/restroom stops en route to the destination?
This, too, is at the discretion of the trip sponsor/director. Keep in mind that this should be planned ahead of time, so as not to violate any D.O.T. (Department of Transportation) regulations by having the driver on the road more than the legal time allotted per day.
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Can we have food or drink on the bus?
This varies from company to company. Many motorcoach companies do allow food and beverage on the motorcoach, with an additional cleaning deposit. If you are booking your own transportation, check with the motorcoach company for details. If Kaleidoscope Adventures is booking your transportation, we will advise you of the motorcoach company’s policies. Contact your Kaleidoscope Adventures representative prior to your trip if we have booked your transportation and you are still not sure of the food/beverage policy.
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