Faq

• Performance opportunities
• Regional museums and activities
• Harbor cruises
• National historic places
• Theme Parks
• Symphony concerts & Broadway shows
• Festivals, exchange concerts and clinics
• Guided tours
• Group-friendly restaurants

• Let’s order buses as soon as you have a confirmed date. We’ll get a clear picture of costs upfront, so you have an accurate quote. A deposit will be required to hold your bus.
• The Department of Transportation determines rules about off-duty hours for drivers. Safety is top priority. Drive time limits are key when planning your return trip.
• Traffic jams, bathroom breaks, & surprises happen. Our itineraries provide drivers with precise destinations. We confirm it all, so you don’t have to!

• Make final changes to your Universal ticket count to Forum 10 days prior to your trip.
• Digital tickets will be emailed to you the week of your trip unless otherwise requested.
• Tickets will not be emailed until the final payment has been received by Forum.
• Tickets will be accessible on mobile devices.
• Once you have the tickets, you may print them on your own, if you prefer.
• Please note that meal vouchers will NOT be emailed and will be available for pick up at Will Call on the day of your visit.
• Educators will swipe through each unique QR code at the front gate for Universal Studios for entry to the park for all students and chaperones unless you have printed your tickets for individual distribution.
• Digital tickets MAY be refundable for a certain time frame – please contact Forum directly to confirm if your tickets are eligible for refund.
• Tickets should be good until the end of the year pending block out dates – contact Universal directly to check availability.
• Forum staff will not be able to help with technical issues – these issues must be addressed at the front gate with Universal Studios staff.

• Parents cannot purchase tickets at the Disneyland front gate unless space is available over and above reservations, which is unlikely.

• Purchasing a group ticket order by or before 60 days prior to your visit date through Forum Educational Travel means your group will have a reservation to enjoy the park on a designated date.
• All tickets are date specific.
• Please notify us of the day(s) that you will use your Disneyland Resort tickets. We can’t order your tickets without this information.

• Forum cannot secure a Disneyland Resort reservation for Keyholders.
• Your Keyholder student or chaperone must make their own reservation for the day the group visits the park. If the student fails to do so, Forum will be unable to help on your visit date.
• If your group is doing an Imagination Campus workshop a group ticket is required. No Magic Keys will be accepted by Disney for Imagination Campus events.

• To ensure reservations for your group, we must receive your ticket order with final count AND 100% payment 60 days prior to your visit date since Disney will not guarantee reservations for orders after this time.
• We will review your payment schedule to ensure that your 90-day payment will cover the cost of your Disneyland Resort ticket as well as other deposits due for your trip. If your payment plan is revised to cover this earlier timeline, we will contact you.
• Your payment due dates must be met promptly so we may order your tickets.
• Plan ahead - adding Disney tickets after the 60-day period will be very difficult, if not impossible.

• Disney tickets are non-refundable. Please do not turn in tickets after your trip.

• If your group orders a Park Hopper ticket, please be aware of the Disneyland Resort policy:
  • Guests must enter their “first park” if arriving PRIOR to 11 AM. You will not be able to “hop” until after 11 AM.
  • The “first park” will be Disneyland Park unless you notify us of your preference before the tickets are ordered or if Disney requires that California Adventure Park is your “first park” due to reservation availability or Imagination Campus scheduling.
  • If the group arrives AFTER 11 AM, you may enter either park first.

• Make final changes to your theme park ticket count to Forum 10 days prior to your trip.
• Digital tickets will be emailed to you the week of your trip unless otherwise requested.
• Tickets will not be emailed until the final payment has been received by Forum.
• Tickets will be accessible on mobile devices.
• Once you have the tickets, you may print them on your own, if you prefer.
• Please note that admission tickets and any meal vouchers may be emailed in separate emails.
• Educators will swipe through each unique QR code at the front gate for entry to the park for all students and chaperones unless you have printed your tickets for individual distribution.
• Digital tickets WILL NOT be refundable after they are emailed to you. Once digital tickets are in your possession, we cannot accept any returns. Tickets may be used through the end of the calendar year.
• Forum staff will not be able to help with technical issues – these issues must be addressed at the front gate with Six Flags Entertainment staff.

• You will be required to have 1 adult chaperone (18 years+) in your group for every 10 students.
• Each group leader must submit a list of chaperone names and cell phone numbers to Knott’s Berry Farm before your visit. The link to this form will be emailed to you closer to your travel date and will be returned to Knott’s Berry Farm directly.

• Plan early. Students need time to meet fundraising goals. This yields a higher ratio of involvement. Start with a realistic number to avoid returning to students for additional funds. Building in a buffer gives you options—reduce final amount due, refund money, or plan a special meal or extra outing.
• Confirm with your boosters or district purchasing for specific payment processes (vendor approval, invoice processing time, etc.). Any delays in payment past invoice due date without prior approval or communication may result in the assessment of late fees.
• Create a timeline for collecting funds. Consider holiday breaks and payment processing time. Give specific due dates for payments that are early enough to coordinate with Forum's payment deadlines.
• Transportation is a large part of the travel budget. Determine these costs before giving a per person cost to students. Base these expenses on a realistic number of travelers so if there’s a drop, your bus expense is covered. Other charges may apply—driver’s rooms, parking or toll fees. Let Forum arrange your transportation so we can help ensure all the details are clear!

• 30 Days after Registration:
  • Travel & Bus deposits due.
  • Return Liability Release (sent via DocuSign)
  • Share travel protection options with your participants so they may meet deadlines.
• Note: Airfare will be billed separately based on carrier due dates and requirements
• 90 Days prior to first date of travel:
  • Payment #1 (50% of balance) due
• 75 days prior to travel:
  • Submit final rooming list online.
  • Send list of names/emails for DocuSign releases or share web form link with your participants.
• 60 days prior to first date of travel:
  • Payment #2 (25% of balance) due
• 30 days prior to travel:
  • Participant Release forms due for ALL participants (sent via DocuSign)
  • Final payment due (based on rooming list)
• 3 weeks prior to travel:
  • Itinerary finalized.
• 1 week prior to travel:
  • Pre-trip package shipped to school with tickets, itinerary, and helpful information.

• While uninterrupted travel during the late night and early morning is not prohibited by law, we recognize that night-time driving can contribute to drowsiness in the driver. We strongly encourage groups to plan alternate itineraries to avoid a late evening departure. For that reason, trips will no longer be booked by Forum Educational Travel trips that require drivers to drive between the hours of 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM. Drivers must be off the clock during these middle of the night hours.
• Seat belts will be requested and provided unless otherwise notified.
• Please know California law now requires seat belts be worn in buses equipped with them.
• If a district has a list of pre-qualified charter bus companies, we will confer with our client and double check the charter company’s safety record so we may abide by the district’s guidelines.

Federal Regulations mandate that...

• Motorcoach drivers cannot drive more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period.
• Motorcoach drivers may not drive after having been on duty for 15 hours.
• Motorcoach drivers must have at least 8 hours off before their next shift can start (some bus companies may require more).
• Motorcoach drivers may not drive after 60 hours on duty over seven days or after 70 hours on duty over eight days.
• Driver hours are now tracked using electronic logging devices.

California regulations mandate that...

• Charter buses and drivers who transport California students must complete SPAB certification. SPAB stands for School Pupil Activity Bus and is certified through the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
• Effective July 2018, California State Law SB20 requires that both drivers and passengers wear seat belts. Parents, guardians or chartering companies are being held responsible for making sure children 16 and under are buckled up. ANY charter bus manufactured with seat belts traveling through the state of California, regardless of where they originated, must comply with this law. Educators and chaperones must ensure all students are wearing seatbelts. Fines will be written for offenders.

• 30 Days after Registration –
  • Travel deposit due.
  • Motor coach deposit, if applicable.
  • Airfare will be billed separately based on carrier requirements.
• 90 Days before First Date of Travel –
  • 50% estimated balance due.
• 60 Days before First Date of Travel –
  • 25% estimated balance due.
• 30 Days before First Date of Travel –
  • Final balance based on final Rooming List.
  • Final motor coach balance due.
  • Any discounts deducted from this invoice.

• Schools must submit an accurate rooming list 75 days before the trip so we can forward a final invoice to you at 60 days, payment due 30 days before the trip. Most hotels require a room list 30-60 days before the travel date or the reservation may be dropped. Some hotels have earlier due dates, but we will advise the educator, as needed.
• Educators may make one change at no charge after the rooming list is submitted. After that, a fee is charged for added changes. Rooming list changes are not accepted within 30 days prior to the trip. Pricing is subject to hotel availability at the time the group approves the trip, which may affect per person pricing from the initial proposal.