The East Carolina University Campus Recreation and Wellness Center will take 10 students on a week-long trip to Florida for spring break this year, where students will have the opportunity to visit Walt Disney Parks World, to observe wildlife and to go to the beach.
Emily Warner, a graduate adventure assistant and master’s student in the recreation therapy department, said she was responsible for arranging trips and the rock climbing wall with the adventure program through the recreation center and of well-being.
“We really wanted to take a spring break trip, you know, with the COVID-19 restrictions lifting and stuff like that, we thought it would be a good morale boost, not only for the staff but also for all the participating students who wanted to go,” Warner said.
That trip will include an airboat ride, snorkeling with manatees, wildlife sightings, Disney parks and a day at the beach, Warner said. For participants it was on a first come, first served basis and as this is such a complex excursion there were limited places to fill.
Warner said this trip is heavily based on the same trip that has been taken in the past, with some updates and changes to the itinerary. In the past, this trip was very popular among students and it was easier for officials to organize a trip that had already been taken, she said.
“I think it’s a great way to do something a little adventurous, if you think about it, driving 10 to 12 hours in a car with people you might not know so well,” said Warner.
Brian Hatter, a recent hotel management graduate, said he worked for the adventure center within the recreation center and was chosen to be one of the few leaders to go on the trip.
He said that this trip is a little different from those that have been done in the past through the adventure center because leaders have to pay to go on the trip due to the cost of Disney park passes and other activities in which everyone will participate.
“I think it benefits the ECU community by allowing students to go out and do other things that they might never have done before, and kind of broaden their horizons with that,” said said Hatter.
Most of the planning for this trip was done by the graduate assistant students, Hatter said, and they worked very hard to make sure all tickets and passes were purchased so everyone was together. .
The recreation center’s adventure center frequently takes trips in and out of Greenville, North Carolina, to promote new experiences, Hatter said. He said a popular activity at the adventure center is floating in tubes on the River Tar.
“It’s really good for the adventure leadership program within the rec because we get to get our name out there,” Hatter said. “The more people we have signing up for stuff, the better because we want to push people out of their comfort zone and get them to do things they’ve never done before.”
Marius Morrison, a Master of Recreation in Parks Management student and US Army veteran, said he signed up for the Florida experience trip because he had never been to Disney World. before, so he wanted to go there for the first time.
The cost of this trip is $700, which covers all transportation, accommodations, airboat rides and park tickets, according to the ECU Campus Recreation website. Morrison said if you have the money, it’s definitely a good opportunity to get involved in the community.
“I’m excited to get out and experience new things, I thought it was a great opportunity,” Morrison said. “And I think it will bring all the students a new experience.”
One of the trip managers encouraged Morrison to take the trip because he had never been to Disney before, Morrison said. He said it’s exciting to be able to meet new people and go on adventures with people you don’t really know.
Morrison said the group of students and staff going on the trip had their first meeting last week about the logistics of the trip. He said that in the airbnb that has been rented, each student will have a roommate and two vans will take them on the 10-hour drive.
“I think experiences define people, you know, when you get a bunch of kids who’ve never been out of state, they have a new opportunity to see what they’re comfortable with and give them an opportunity to grow,” Morrison said.
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