College Program Parents Thread...

[wilkeliza]

Sorry if this has been covered. I did scroll back through a couple of pages and did not see an answer.

My son checks in on May 27. I am wondering what sort of free time he will have on that day after check-in. We are planning to get supplies at Target or Walmart, but I am wondering if we would have time to get to a water park. We already have several non-expiring water park tickets.

Any advice about move in day from other parents would be appreciated!

Day of check in wont be too much free time for water parks. I got to check in at 4 am sat around until 9 was out of casting and such by 11 and to a park by 12 but that was a park that was open until 11pm so I didn't feel like I was wasting a ticket. Also I was the first bus to casting and also had people unpacking my stuff while I was at casting so it is extremely hard to say if it is worth it.

The next day has loads if free time especially if he has the first housing meeting.

 

[gasman61]

Thanks for the reply. I am flying back home on the 2nd day, so that won't work for me. We actually might have enough time on the day before check-in.. if we get up and on the road in time! Will make that a priority now that I know we can't count on check-in day being enough time for a park.

 

[pmdeve]

When they have completed their College Proogram do they have a Graduation Ceremony?

 

[wilkeliza]

When they have completed their College Proogram do they have a Graduation Ceremony?

There is a graduation but it is for CPs only. Also it isn't like the read our names. We just go pick up our gift an ears and then get pictures. I didn't go I just picked it up as I was checking out.

 

[gasman61]

A couple of comments here

1. My understanding from the mom of an alumni is that there is a graduation ceremony, but it is only for the CP graduates. Parents cannot attend.

2. I did get my DS all settled in for his program this week. Check in was on Monday, and he left the Holiday Inn at 7:15am(with all his roommates, who had all stayed there) and walked to 8am check in. The students arriving were divided into several groups, and my son's group had a 10:30 bus to Casting. He was finished there (and for the day) and back to Vista Way at around 1:30pm. We went to lunch and shopping at Walmart and had plenty of time for getting him settled in his apartment.

3. On his 2nd day, everyone has a meeting at 10:45. My understanding is that it does not last too long, but if you are counting on your child driving you to the airport on day 2 I'd recommend an early morning or late afternoon flight.

4. I am pretty sure he (and all the roomies) are free on Day 3. If you want to spend a day with your child when they don't have any conflicts you will need to stay through this day. They do not receive their park passes (for themselves) until Traditions, so if you'd want to spend a day together in the parks you'd have to pay for your child this day.

5. Traditions is on Thursday. I am not sure how much time that takes since it hasn't yet happened. My son has actual work on Friday (although his roommates are completely free that day).

Hope this helps other parents trying to plan hotel stays/flight times! I think, if I could plan in hindsight, I would have scheduled my flight back on Thurs rather than Tues. I might have considered changing hotels after Monday, too, because the Holiday Inn is not the cheapest place to stay and has a pretty rotten location, traffic-wise. It was a very pleasant place to stay and is wonderfully convenient for the CP check-in, but after that process is done there is just plain too much traffic to pick this location over the thousands of other hotels in the city.

 

[stitchlovestink]

A couple of comments here

1. My understanding from the mom of an alumni is that there is a graduation ceremony, but it is only for the CP graduates. Parents cannot attend.

2. I did get my DS all settled in for his program this week. Check in was on Monday, and he left the Holiday Inn at 7:15am(with all his roommates, who had all stayed there) and walked to 8am check in. The students arriving were divided into several groups, and my son's group had a 10:30 bus to Casting. He was finished there (and for the day) and back to Vista Way at around 1:30pm. We went to lunch and shopping at Walmart and had plenty of time for getting him settled in his apartment.

3. On his 2nd day, everyone has a meeting at 10:45. My understanding is that it does not last too long, but if you are counting on your child driving you to the airport on day 2 I'd recommend an early morning or late afternoon flight.

4. I am pretty sure he (and all the roomies) are free on Day 3. If you want to spend a day with your child when they don't have any conflicts you will need to stay through this day. They do not receive their park passes (for themselves) until Traditions, so if you'd want to spend a day together in the parks you'd have to pay for your child this day.

5. Traditions is on Thursday. I am not sure how much time that takes since it hasn't yet happened. My son has actual work on Friday (although his roommates are completely free that day).

Hope this helps other parents trying to plan hotel stays/flight times! I think, if I could plan in hindsight, I would have scheduled my flight back on Thurs rather than Tues. I might have considered changing hotels after Monday, too, because the Holiday Inn is not the cheapest place to stay and has a pretty rotten location, traffic-wise. It was a very pleasant place to stay and is wonderfully convenient for the CP check-in, but after that process is done there is just plain too much traffic to pick this location over the thousands of other hotels in the city.

Each CP will have Traditions assigned at a different time. DD's roommate had it the first thing the next morning. DD didn't have it for a few days. One of DD's suitemate's had to wait almost a week because of a paperwork issue. There seems to be No rhyme or reason as to when they go to Traditions but the only thing I can say is it will be random and doubtful they will go will their roommates. And they can't get into the parks for free until after Traditions.
And honestly I wouldn't 'count' on them being 'free' on day 3. Each. CP's scheduule is unique. DD's friend who completed Traditions so quickly was literally working (training of course) right away! I was shocked! It was shorter shifts than normal, but I just wouldn't 'expect' anything....LOL! BTDT! I will know the routine when younger DD does the program.

 

[JKELLY]

Sorry if this is a repeat question, approximately how many apply for a semester internship and how many many are accepted? I don't seem to hear of a lot who don't get accepted which is a good thing but I can't imagine true.
Thanks!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Sorry if this is a repeat question, approximately how many apply for a semester internship and how many many are accepted? I don't seem to hear of a lot who don't get accepted which is a good thing but I can't imagine true.
Thanks!

Well the stats we 'heard' when DD applied were approx 24K to 26K apply per semester. They accept 6K. And approx 500 are termed in the first 2 weeks thinking they are there to vacation or party like they do at college. DD is currently there and knew a couple of kids who got 'termed' on days one and two for alcohol violations. They make the rules very clear but I guess some of the kids figure either They won't get caught or they'll get cut some slack. The rules are very black & white. The bad part is that one kid can get the whole suite termed for an alcohol violation which I don't really think is quite fair esp since you may be in a position where you didn't get to pick your suite mates. I've also heard that Vista Way is party central so if your kid is not a partyer, they may want to try to get into Patterson or Chattam (sp?) DD has lived in both of them and they are much calmer!

 

[travlnman1]

We will be autotraining it to Sanford on Thursday so my daughter has a car for her DCP.
I keep reading about having car insurance in your childs name. She doesn't own the car. We do. The policy can't be in her name if she is not the owner. I have the policy and she is listed as an insured driver of the car. Will that suffice?

 

[stitchlovestink]

We will be autotraining it to Sanford on Thursday so my daughter has a car for her DCP.
I keep reading about having car insurance in your childs name. She doesn't own the car. We do. The policy can't be in her name if she is not the owner. I have the policy and she is listed as an insured driver of the car. Will that suffice?

I would think a copy of the policy showing that she is named as an insured driver should be sufficient. I think they are really just trying to cover their butts and make sure that they are driving cars that they are covered to drive which makes total sense.

 

[carol-lamb]

Yes - all you need to show is a copy of the policy declaration certificate that shows she is the rated driver on the vehicle. That is what my daughter had in January and there was no problem at all.

 

[Ziggy]

If you're on the ICP and you feel you've been treated unfairly because of your disability is there an appeal process?

 

[Wishes Count]

If you're on the ICP and you feel you've been treated unfairly because of your disability is there an appeal process?

You'd have to give us more information Does this have to do with housing or with work? Are you trying to get accommodations for work? If it is related to housing go to the programs office at The Commons and ask for the phone number of who ever is in charge. Not the people behind the desk, but their leader. If they aren't helpful ask your manager to help you find out who that person is.

If you are having a problem at work, ask at the programs office for information for Human Resources or who can assist you.

I hope you can find the right person to talk to.

 

[Ziggy]

You'd have to give us more information Does this have to do with housing or with work? Are you trying to get accommodations for work? If it is related to housing go to the programs office at The Commons and ask for the phone number of who ever is in charge. Not the people behind the desk, but their leader. If they aren't helpful ask your manager to help you find out who that person is.

If you are having a problem at work, ask at the programs office for information for Human Resources or who can assist you.

I hope you can find the right person to talk to.

Thank you, I'll tell her to speak to the programs manager.

 

[wilkeliza]

If you're on the ICP and you feel you've been treated unfairly because of your disability is there an appeal process?

It is hard to say. Yes there is an appeals process but did your daughter inform Disney before she took the position by filling out the proper medical forms. As the pp said it is hard to help with out knowing details. Disney has a very strict policy in that they need paperwork filled out before accommodations can be made. If the paperwork is filled out and you still believe they aren't getting the accommodations they need then you can appeal the ruling.

Now if it is people making fun etc then that is an issue to take to management and if they don't respond taking it o the next level.

 

[Ziggy]

It is hard to say. Yes there is an appeals process but did your daughter inform Disney before she took the position by filling out the proper medical forms. As the pp said it is hard to help with out knowing details. Disney has a very strict policy in that they need paperwork filled out before accommodations can be made. If the paperwork is filled out and you still believe they aren't getting the accommodations they need then you can appeal the ruling.

Now if it is people making fun etc then that is an issue to take to management and if they don't respond taking it o the next level.

Thanks for your help, I'm just waiting on some news and will get back tomorrow .

 

[Ziggy]

wilkeliza and Wishes Count, thank you so much for your help. I hope you understand that I don't want to go into too much detail on a public forum about my daughter's medical condition so I really do appreciate your help as it all seems so vague. I stayed up late last night to speak to her when she came in from work to get a clearer picture of what had happened, she was very upset when she called me earlier in the day it was hard to make sense and I felt so helpless being on the other side of the Atlantic. She has a medical condition which isn't very well known but presents the same as another much more serious condition, she had to go and get assessed for work and the medic she spoke to didn't want to listen to her when she explained what her condition is, she offered a letter from her specialist and her local dr but its seems the medic didn't want to know and kept on about treating it as the more extreme condition which could be very dangerous to DD, DD felt that if she made too much of a fuss she would be sent back to the UK, working at WDW has always been her dream and she was heartbroken at the thought of this. Anyhow things did turn out well in the end when she went into work and handed over her form and explained how to treat her condition should there be any problems and everyone there was lovely, my faith is restored in the mouse , guess the medic was having a bad day and although it wasn't a nice experience for DD its something she can learn from as a life experience .

wilkliza we did look at the medical accommodation forms but the questions really didn't seem relevant to DD and according to the description,
"A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities." it seemed we would be wasting people's time filling it in for something which may or may not happen and was not a constant condition, it certainly doesn't substantially affect her.

 

[Shelly]

Cant believe this is the topic when it is so much on my mind today.
My DD is currently at Disney and her Dr. read this
"A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities."
He said it didnt seem necessary to fill out paper work. She has a job at home and has no issues. We don't know what she can and cannot do ahead of time. I think he didnt realize how hard she could be working. He just was thinking disney fun peace of cake.
So she gets to disney and starts working and it is just killing her she is getting sick. So I call her dr and he said he would fill out the form.
We do that and they freeze her from her current role and just tell her they will try to find her a spot. So she is not working until then. They say that after 10 days she will be termed if no position is found. They are not kind in any way, they don't try to find out what is exactly going on. They dont realize that each disability or illness is so different. She has tried going there, calling and they just blow her off.
I am certian she will have another position soon, because her manager loved her and put in a word to the office. It shouldnt be this way at all.
I am thinking there is a problem regarding disability and how disney proceeds that needs to be adressed. Each illness really is a case by case. No two are alike. There needs to be communication if nothing else. Luckily with my daughters illness there is a large advocacy group that I can bring this up with.

 

[Shelly]

Actually I am thinking of having her dr write a letter on this. Does anyone know a fax or a person to contact that is the head of college program?

 

[wilkeliza]

Actually I am thinking of having her dr write a letter on this. Does anyone know a fax or a person to contact that is the head of college program?

I'm not sure if head of CP or actually faxing it to Disney's HR is more important.

Unfortunately with jobs they only legally have to provide reasonable accommodations. They do look for jobs it is just as you said though that not all disabilities are the same and if your form says XY and Z are the accommodations you need but Disney doesn't have a role that allows those accommodations or all the roles that do are full then they can't really be held liable. I also believe some cases can be a risk for others so Disney as a service industry job has to weight other factors than say a simple office job.

I'm kind of surprised they didn't put you DD on light duty until a new rule was found. Light duty is all backstage behind the scenes work like going cast members pins etc.

I only wonder because I had several friends with a wide range if issues including anxiety, heat sensitivity, all the way to fully deaf who work in the parks.

Not saying Disney isn't wrong but with out details it is hard to say why they are doing what they are doing to your DD.