College Program Parents Thread...

[tlynk]

Parents are allowed inside Vista. There is a waiting area for family/friends while the CP goes around doing stuff for check-in. And if they do have stuff with them, I've been told there is an area to put luggage so you don't have to lug it around.

For me, I've had my dad with me for all 4 of my check-ins. The first time he waited there, and my stuff stayed in the car. The next 3 times, he dropped me off and went back to the hotel while I checked-in.

This is good to know. DH or myself will definitely want to be there for her the first day of arrival. Thank you!

 

[HarleyMom]

I have so many questions and I apologize, but I'm trying to figure out booking airfares, etc.. for DD who was recently accepted into the Spring 09 CP.

For anyone who has a child who has gone through the program-how does your DS or DD haul their belonging to their apartment complex on the first day if they cannot bring a car and parents aren't allowed in?

Do they bring all their belonging to check in with them??

More than likely DH will be able to drive DD to the apartment complex, but in case he has to fly home a day early how would DD carry items the hotel?

This is worst case scenario, and probably won't happen, but I'm curious??

If she stays at a Disney hotel does Disney pick her up along with all her stuff? Again, this is highly unlikely, but I'm still wondering.

I don't know if I can answer all of your questions, but I think I can answer a couple...

Parents ARE allowed to help their kids move in - I just went through this in August w/ my DS. We shipped most of his stuff down to our hotel (Pop Century) and they held it for us until we were ready to move him. I know there's a Holiday Inn (Sunspree?) across the street from the apartments - maybe they'd allow the same thing? As for other stuff that he didn't need the first week or two, I went home and shipped all of that to him after I had his address. We only shipped the necessities, and the cheaper stuff (like clothes hangers) were purchased at Walmart once he got there.

If they stay at a Disney hotel, Disney does not pick them up - they are on their own for transportation. We rented a car for the day of the move (by Downtown Disney for convenience - I returned the car and hopped back on a Disney bus to Pop).

There is an area to keep luggage during check-in. Lots of kids stayed across the street at the Holiday Inn and were hauling large suitcases. They were all kept in the same place while they were in their welcome sessions. A word of caution, though, if your DD doesn't have access to a car - the welcome session is at one apartment complex, but that may not be where their apartment is. We had to drive to the apartment complex and were glad we had a car (I'm guessing, but it was probably 2 miles away??). There are alot of kids with cars, though, so maybe she could hitch a ride with someone going to the same complex??

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or need support! I know I was a wreck leaving him there! (right as a hurricane was headed their way, too!)

 

[Joanna71985]

This is good to know. DH or myself will definitely want to be there for her the first day of arrival. Thank you!

You're welcome.

 

[Joanna71985]

A word of caution, though, if your DD doesn't have access to a car - the welcome session is at one apartment complex, but that may not be where their apartment is. We had to drive to the apartment complex and were glad we had a car (I'm guessing, but it was probably 2 miles away??). There are alot of kids with cars, though, so maybe she could hitch a ride with someone going to the same complex??

They have busses that take CPs to the other 2 complexes.

 

[tlynk]

Parents ARE allowed to help their kids move in - I just went through this in August w/ my DS. We shipped most of his stuff down to our hotel (Pop Century) and they held it for us until we were ready to move him. I know there's a Holiday Inn (Sunspree?) across the street from the apartments - maybe they'd allow the same thing? As for other stuff that he didn't need the first week or two, I went home and shipped all of that to him after I had his address. We only shipped the necessities, and the cheaper stuff (like clothes hangers) were purchased at Walmart once he got there.

If they stay at a Disney hotel, Disney does not pick them up - they are on their own for transportation. We rented a car for the day of the move (by Downtown Disney for convenience - I returned the car and hopped back on a Disney bus to Pop).

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or need support! I know I was a wreck leaving him there! (right as a hurricane was headed their way, too!)

Sounds like renting a car will probably be the best bet for us. If I ship most of her stuff to the Disney resort that we are staying at- do I need to contact the hotel to let them know ahead of time? Is it OK with the resorts if our stuff arrives before we do?

 

[HarleyMom]

Sounds like renting a car will probably be the best bet for us. If I ship most of her stuff to the Disney resort that we are staying at- do I need to contact the hotel to let them know ahead of time? Is it OK with the resorts if our stuff arrives before we do?

Nope, you don't need to notify the hotel ahead of time. They will hold packages for 2 weeks. Just ship it to yourself (or the name of whoever the reservation is under if it isn't you) c/o the hotel. And make sure you put your hotel reservation # on there, too - that's VERY important. When we checked in, they had right in their computer system that we had 2 packages waiting. We made sure that they were noticable by putting colorful Mickey ears (cut out of construction paper) and large stickers on the front and even took pictures of the boxes before we shipped them so we could show the guy what the boxes looked like when they went in back to search for them. Our boxes arrived about 4 days before we did - we did that on purpose, though, so we could track them and make sure they got there.

 

[tlynk]

Nope, you don't need to notify the hotel ahead of time. They will hold packages for 2 weeks. Just ship it to yourself (or the name of whoever the reservation is under if it isn't you) c/o the hotel. And make sure you put your hotel reservation # on there, too - that's VERY important. When we checked in, they had right in their computer system that we had 2 packages waiting. We made sure that they were noticable by putting colorful Mickey ears (cut out of construction paper) and large stickers on the front and even took pictures of the boxes before we shipped them so we could show the guy what the boxes looked like when they went in back to search for them. Our boxes arrived about 4 days before we did - we did that on purpose, though, so we could track them and make sure they got there.

That is so awesome! Thanks for the info.

 

[SanFranciscan]

I just found this thread a minute ago and will be subscribing to read all of the posts. I attended the campus recruiting meeting for the Disney College Program at San Francisco State University last night. It was interesting. One of the recruiters there told me that they even have people in their 30's and 40's sometimes participating in the college program. One non-traditional student stated that she had brought her two daughters with her to her internship so the Disney College Program is clearly huge.

I sympathize with any parent wanting to make sure that his or her child is not being exploited by Disney or anyone else. That being said, I think that the Disney College Program has more to offer your son or daughter than the typical college experience does. It is not the loco parentis deal like that found in old-fashioned college dormitories because the "students" are working and paying bills as adults so they keep their own schedules and so on and so forth, but a support system appears to remain in place. If your children are thinking of participating in the traditional junior year abroad, having them do a semester in the Disney College Program or something similar with another company might be a good idea. It is a chance to get their feet wet so to speak before they go to foreign countries alone.

 

[tlynk]

My DD will be starting the Disney Program in January, and my family would like to stay at a Disney Resort the night prior. Does anyone know what Disney Deluxe Resorts are closest to Vista where the students check? I know we can stay across the street at the Holiday Inn Sun Spree, but I would like to try and stay at a Disney resort since our time will be limited, and I plan to ship some of her items to the hotel directly. Any suggestions are appreciated? Thank you.

 

[Traveliz]

My DD will be starting the Disney Program in January, and my family would like to stay at a Disney Resort the night prior. Does anyone know what Disney Deluxe Resorts are closest to Vista where the students check? I know we can stay across the street at the Holiday Inn Sun Spree, but I would like to try and stay at a Disney resort since our time will be limited, and I plan to ship some of her items to the hotel directly. Any suggestions are appreciated? Thank you.

Probably Yacht, Beach, Boardwalk would be the closest - but none of the resorts are more than a ten minute drive. I stayed at All Stars most of the time and hopped on 1-4 and was usuallyto Vista in about 7 minutes.

The MK resorts would be the furthest out.

Liz

 

[tlynk]

Probably Yacht, Beach, Boardwalk would be the closest - but none of the resorts are more than a ten minute drive. I stayed at All Stars most of the time and hopped on 1-4 and was usuallyto Vista in about 7 minutes.

The MK resorts would be the furthest out.

Liz

Thank you!

 

[Kim in SPR]

First, I want to say that I'm really thankful I found this thread. I've been reading this board since our trip in 2004. My daughter just dropped this CP thing on me today and this is the second place I ran to get info (the first being the CP website)! So far, I've learned alot, but I still have tons of questions and DD's presentation isn't until 11/5. Any help is greatly appreciated.

What is the "typical" number of work hours in a week? How many hours per day?

I understand that the program also offers actual courses (she's a Criminal Justice major and that is one of the curriculums offered). Is it true that they don't charge tuition for them? Her college does offer credits for the program, which we'll have to pay tuition for. Is it typical that colleges will give credit for these extra courses too? What I'm getting at is that she will have to be enrolled for 12 credit hours for the semester to maintain her full time status. If she needs to, she can take distance learning courses online. I'm just trying to figure out how many credits she will earn just for the experience and how many she'll have to take extra. Then it's a matter of how much time she'll have to do it.

Are they allowed to eat counter service during lunch breaks? If so, do CP participants receive food discounts during work hours?

Would you say that the living situation is more like dorm living or off campus living? I know there is security, but is there any other supervision? Is there a curfew? Are the rules strict, loose, non-existent?

I'm excited for her but nervous too. I'm sure that all parents reading can surely understand! She's never been away from home (she commutes from home to school since we're close by) and this will be a huge step for all of us. It's not so much that I'm worried that she'll go nuts being away from home - she's pretty responsible. I'm just wondering what the whole atmosphere is, kwim?

Thanks for listening to me ramble. It's 1:30 in the am here and I couldn't have gotten an ounce of sleep if I didn't at least get a chance to get some of these questions written down. I'm sure I'll have plenty more when when I'm a little more coherent.

Off to bed, if I can make it there. Thanks!

 

[graygables]

My older 2 girls both did CPs. They didn't take classes, though, so I can't help you with that part. They didn't have a typical number of hours, each week and each schedule was different. They worked a LOT. Both of them went home with some money saved. They could not eat CS at the parks, you can't eat on stage in costume and there wasn't time to change (and CS doesn't have CM discounts in some places). There were plenty of off-stage places for them to eat, but they mostly brought their own meals.

There are buses to get them around, but both of mine brought their cars. They networked and were able to have their gas paid for by hauling friends to WalMart or the mall or whatnot.

The apartments were more apartment and less dorm. They did have inspections (LOVED THAT!) and if they failed, I believe they got one more shot. Both DDs were in that uncomfortable situation one time each. There are rules and if they are caught breaking them, adios. One DD lost a roommate, packed and out in 2 hours. You'll hear stories of them getting by with things, but I never felt uncomfortable, per se. My oldest has some social issues (Aspergers) and she did NOT do well with her first set of roommates. They were into porn and "hooking up" and she paid the moving fee to get out of there. She was much happier. My other DD is a social butterfly and had no problems at all. She wound up extending with one of her roommates and they moved into a 1BR together that worked out really well.

I tell people that the next best thing to Mom is Disney. I never worried about them. I met their managers and they were wonderful mentors for them, giving them sage advice (and, just like Mom, some they listened to, some they didn't!).

Disney also has a record card system where you earn points for calling in. It is very important for future employability to keep one's record card "clean". It doesn't have to be *empty*, but too many call-ins or lates or no-shows can be bad for you.

I do warn people that the Mouse has a powerful and heady draw and once some people work for him, he will hold sway over them forever. Some of them will even drop out of school to go back to work for him. Both of mine did and they live/work there full-time now. Happily, the Mouse also values education, so both of them are also back in school, but are supporting themselves independently. It was a huge maturing experience for them and if parents can let go, it will change them forever (in a good way!).

 

[Kim in SPR]

Thanks so much for the response, Dawn. The answers about the college credit stuff I can always get from the school. You just provided me with the "parent only" view - much more important!

 

[HarleyMom]

Hi Kim -

My DS is currently a CP working as custodial at AK. He LOVES being there. It is his first time being away from home and he's having a great time. He even loves his job, which he thought he would hate. He's about 1/2 way through his CP, and is just starting to admit he's missing home. I think it's 'cause it fall up here and he's missing the trees turning colors and the football games. It's also getting close to the Holidays, and he isn't looking forward to working through them alone.

The apartments are actual apartment complexes. I guess I was surprised at how nice they really are. I do have a couple pictures of the outside of the buildings if you'd like to see them - just PM me. He had some roommate issues (see prior posts), but that roommate has now moved out and a new one has moved in. They get along very well. My DS also has Asperger's, so any social interaction can be stressful, but he's handled himself very well. He's only been there a little over 2 months, but I can already tell a difference in his personality that he's much more of an adult now then when he left.

He is also taking 2 of the classes. He has each one just once a week. One of them is 2 hours and the other is 4 hours on separate days. They do not schedule the kids to work on day they have class. Yes, it's true that there is no tuition to pay to Disney. He did have to buy a book for one of the classes. We paid full 12-credit tuition to his University, though, for his off-site learning. But check w/ the University, 'cause each one is different.

If you have any other questions, there's lots of great people out here and someone knows the answer to any question you can come up with! Good luck!!

 

[Traveliz]

Sounds like you got most of your answers - I will just add that each and every college handles the credit thing differently (and I sometimes wonder if it just depends on who you talk to that day).

My daughter did not have to pay her college any tuition YET they did give her credit for the classes! That was awesome. She got three hours for Hospitality Management and then she did an independent study Management Internship also.

Liz

 

[Joanna71985]

First, I want to say that I'm really thankful I found this thread. I've been reading this board since our trip in 2004. My daughter just dropped this CP thing on me today and this is the second place I ran to get info (the first being the CP website)! So far, I've learned alot, but I still have tons of questions and DD's presentation isn't until 11/5. Any help is greatly appreciated.

What is the "typical" number of work hours in a week? How many hours per day?

It can vary by role and location (it can also change week by week). Last summer, I usually had around 40 hours per week (8 hours a day). That was as a character attendant. In merchandise, I usually had around 35 hours per week. Same for custodial. You are supposed to be guaranteed 35+ hours per week as a CP.

I understand that the program also offers actual courses (she's a Criminal Justice major and that is one of the curriculums offered). Is it true that they don't charge tuition for them? Her college does offer credits for the program, which we'll have to pay tuition for. Is it typical that colleges will give credit for these extra courses too? What I'm getting at is that she will have to be enrolled for 12 credit hours for the semester to maintain her full time status. If she needs to, she can take distance learning courses online. I'm just trying to figure out how many credits she will earn just for the experience and how many she'll have to take extra. Then it's a matter of how much time she'll have to do it.

If you take any of the Disney classes, there is no charge (just have to pay for the book(s). Also, receiving credit for the CP varies by school. My school gave me credit for 2 of my CPs. But I know people who didn't get any credit.

Are they allowed to eat counter service during lunch breaks? If so, do CP participants receive food discounts during work hours?

CPs can not buy food in costume on stage (in costume). There are cafeterias backstage though (and the food there is pretty good). It's also pretty cheap.

Would you say that the living situation is more like dorm living or off campus living? I know there is security, but is there any other supervision? Is there a curfew? Are the rules strict, loose, non-existent?

Besides the security, there really is no other supervision. Security is pretty good though. There is a curfew for bringing in guests (all guests have to be signed in after 9pm, including CPs from other complexes, and no guests at all after 1am). Other then that, there is no curfew for in your own complex.

I'm excited for her but nervous too. I'm sure that all parents reading can surely understand! She's never been away from home (she commutes from home to school since we're close by) and this will be a huge step for all of us. It's not so much that I'm worried that she'll go nuts being away from home - she's pretty responsible. I'm just wondering what the whole atmosphere is, kwim?

It is understandable. My parents were the same way when I went down for my first CP (I had never stayed away from home for more then a week, as I commute to school).

Thanks for listening to me ramble. It's 1:30 in the am here and I couldn't have gotten an ounce of sleep if I didn't at least get a chance to get some of these questions written down. I'm sure I'll have plenty more when when I'm a little more coherent.

Off to bed, if I can make it there. Thanks!

Hope this helped.

 

[Kim in SPR]

Wow! You all have been so helpful and have calmed some of my nerves about the program. I really appreciate the perspectives from both parents and program participants. I will say that from reading the boards, all of the CPs just seem so mature.

We talked some more about it today. She's really bright, gets awesome grades, and has great work and volunteer experience. I'm not sure what the criteria is but the advisor at her college said he thought she had a good chance at being accepted into the program. She and I both have a huge love for Disney and I can't say that I'm not just a little bit jealous! DH and I were joking on our trip last year about how great it would be to live down there and work at WDW.

I know if she really wants it, she'll get it. Right now, she really wants it. The only thing that I think might hold her back is her BF of two years. That will be for the two of them to work out.

I know one thing, during our upcoming trip we'll both be looking at Disney a little bit differently. There may be a whole future there for her now.

Hugs to you all for the help!

 

[tlynk]

They were into porn and "hooking up" and she paid the moving fee to get out of there. She was much happier. My other DD is a social butterfly and had no problems at all. She wound up extending with one of her roommates and they moved into a 1BR together that worked out really well.QUOTE]

Now reading about this scares me. I hope and pray my DD ends up with decent roommates. I don't want her to have to deal with issues like this.

 

[Traveliz]

They were into porn and "hooking up" and she paid the moving fee to get out of there. She was much happier. My other DD is a social butterfly and had no problems at all. She wound up extending with one of her roommates and they moved into a 1BR together that worked out really well.QUOTE]

Now reading about this scares me. I hope and pray my DD ends up with decent roommates. I don't want her to have to deal with issues like this.

The roommate thing is weird - my daughter was there two semesters and I would guess she probably had about 17 different roommates during that time (I am not kidding). By that I mean different roommates in the apartment as a whole (not necessarily in her room). She managed to bond with one each semester but made most of her real friends from work (and many of those were full timers versus CP).

They really are at work and play so much they roommate thing even if not ideal is sometimes manageable. I never realized how icky last year was until this year ... she is now at UCF's Hospitality College and has great roommates with similar interests.

Hope that helps.

Liz