RweTHEREyet
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- Sep 4, 1999
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Arriving on June 4, DD on College Program
- Thread starter mirmatt
- Start date
I am definitely excited for my daughter, and nervous, also, as this is her first experience being away, working, etc. However, she is so comfortable with DW that it is almost, but not quite, like sending her to be with relatives. She is assigned the position of Full Service Food and Beverage Hostess, whatever that means. My daughter is worried that she hasn't received anything since we sent the money order for 60.00. She said that it is not confirmed until they receive the mo and then will send confirmation within two weeks. It has been more than that and she wrote to someone there who said that it takes time to process everything. I have no clue where any of the apts. are, but I'm familiar with Walmart on Irlo Bronson Hwy. I am also interested in checking out the Sams Club that is somewhere in the area. Maybe my daughter will meet your kids and will have a nice group that she will be able to feel comfortable with if she has any concerns. I certainly have come to feel that way based on the very nice folks who have been writing on these boards. Hey, There Yet, when will you be there and what is your son's assignment? After your experience, maybe I'll hear back as to how everything went. Marla
RweTHEREyet
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My son's arrival date is June 18. He had applied for Fall and was accepted for Fall Advantage, which has made us really scramble around to get him all set to go.
He has been accepted as a Lifeguard and will find out where he will be assigned when he gets down there.
Make sure that your daughter keeps you informed on her room discounts, etc., as she will be able to book rooms for you at about 50% off, as long as there is availability, kind of like discounted seats on the airlines, only so many at that rate.
As far as where Vista Way is located--if you were at Downtown Disney and went out Hotel Plaza Blvd, which takes you past the Grosvenor and Hilton, etc. that are on Disney property, but not Disney hotels. You then come to a stoplight. If you went straight ahead, you would be in CrossRoads Shopping Center. Instead, turn right, you go under I-4 and then Vista is about 1/4-1/2 mile down on your right. The next big complex is Vistana Timeshare. I have never noticed Vista Way, and am giving this info based on what I was told, so I am hoping it is correct.
He has been accepted as a Lifeguard and will find out where he will be assigned when he gets down there.
Make sure that your daughter keeps you informed on her room discounts, etc., as she will be able to book rooms for you at about 50% off, as long as there is availability, kind of like discounted seats on the airlines, only so many at that rate.
As far as where Vista Way is located--if you were at Downtown Disney and went out Hotel Plaza Blvd, which takes you past the Grosvenor and Hilton, etc. that are on Disney property, but not Disney hotels. You then come to a stoplight. If you went straight ahead, you would be in CrossRoads Shopping Center. Instead, turn right, you go under I-4 and then Vista is about 1/4-1/2 mile down on your right. The next big complex is Vistana Timeshare. I have never noticed Vista Way, and am giving this info based on what I was told, so I am hoping it is correct.
My daughter also is in the Fall Advantage, but the dates of arrival that she had to pick from were May 21,28, or June 4. It is interesting that your son is expected to be there on the 18th. Maybe that has to do with when they get accepted. Oh well. We have done nothing to prepare other than to read these helpful boards and talk about it. I think it is time for me to give the lessons on......... how to do your own laundry, etc. Time will move quickly so I better start thinking. Does anyone have any suggestions to make about things to make sure that she brings......although I know that she can always go to the store if forgotten, maybe there are some helpful suggestions.
I guess I'm figuring that I'll rent a car for the four days that I'll be there. Wish I could stay for a week, but being a teacher in a high school, with finals and all, it is enough that I'm taking off 3 days. My family will be there visiting on our annual trip from June 23-July 1, so she will certainly not miss us too quickly. If I had my way, I swear, I'd stay all summer! How close are the cast stores that I can go to with my daughter, and what kinds of things would they have? Property Control? Thanks again, all of you!
I guess I'm figuring that I'll rent a car for the four days that I'll be there. Wish I could stay for a week, but being a teacher in a high school, with finals and all, it is enough that I'm taking off 3 days. My family will be there visiting on our annual trip from June 23-July 1, so she will certainly not miss us too quickly. If I had my way, I swear, I'd stay all summer! How close are the cast stores that I can go to with my daughter, and what kinds of things would they have? Property Control? Thanks again, all of you!
In the complex there are laundry rooms. Laundry was not a big deal for my daughter because she had been doing her own laundry here.
Property control is behind Magic Kingdom. It is by Mickey Univ. I am sure someone can give you directions. Sometimes they have more stuff than other times. I did fill a suitcase with shirts and stuff on one of our visits. Anything you see for sale in the parks might be at Property Control. Damaged packaging, small holes in shirts, dirty items will show up there. There is also a Lost and Found area. You can buy other peoples old clothes, cameras, strollers, etc. It is hard to describe but it sure is fun to visit.
As far as what to bring. I would say all the stuff you bring for vacation but more of it. I think my daughter overpacked for clothes. Also bring some stuff that reminds you of home if she wants to.
The kids usually end up going to the Goodwill to find things to decorate their apartments.
Property control is behind Magic Kingdom. It is by Mickey Univ. I am sure someone can give you directions. Sometimes they have more stuff than other times. I did fill a suitcase with shirts and stuff on one of our visits. Anything you see for sale in the parks might be at Property Control. Damaged packaging, small holes in shirts, dirty items will show up there. There is also a Lost and Found area. You can buy other peoples old clothes, cameras, strollers, etc. It is hard to describe but it sure is fun to visit.
As far as what to bring. I would say all the stuff you bring for vacation but more of it. I think my daughter overpacked for clothes. Also bring some stuff that reminds you of home if she wants to.
The kids usually end up going to the Goodwill to find things to decorate their apartments.
I would do both. Call the Doctor and mention that your daughter is living out of state. I am not sure about refilling prescriptions across state lines. A new prescription would probably be better.
Yes I would do it at the Super Wal Mart on John Young Hwy.
Yes I would do it at the Super Wal Mart on John Young Hwy.
I have been checking these boards regularly. Im glad to hear that someone else had roommate problems. My DD did the fall semester last year and got a two-bedroom with three other girls. Her suitemate was fine, but the other two were terrible, from my opinion. ANd her job wasnt much better. Quick Service Food, they moved her between four different hotels some weeks. DD would call crying wanting to come home and finally dec. 15, with two weeks left she packed up after classes and left for home. She still got her 3 credits, but an experience that wont be forgotten anytime soon. But we still love disney!!! She was in line with these girls and when they got to the table, the guy said four together, who wanted to say no? But I was hoping for her a better experience.
Is there a way to avoid having bad roommates? What would they be like to make them bad? What made your daughter so unhappy? I figure that if my daughter was that unhappy, she just leaves as soon as possible. I wouldn't want her to be that unhappy. There is no financial loss to anyone leaving as far as I can see. Atleast she had a roommate who was fine. If you are unhappy about your job, is there anything that they do to make things better? Like find another position? I feel like I should stand next to my daughter in line and see if I can determine if the kids near her seem like problems! (My teaching high school offers some clues!) I know that I am sounding overly protective, but the post that I just read is totally upsetting. Do they change rooms for you if you are so unhappy? I can't imagine my daughter being unhappy for the whole time there and my not getting her home rather than sticking it out. I hate hearing the bad stuff........ everything is always Disneylicious, unfortunately! I'm sad....... Marla
SoonerKate
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- 1,296
I was one of leslieh's daughter's roommates. (The good one, though, I promise!)
Our other two roommates were nice enough at the beginning, but they were both extremely inconsiderate and rude. Neither one wanted to take any responsibility for cleaning the apartment, but they were the first ones to complain when things were dirty. Both were definite "party girls" -- I would wake up in the morning and there would just be some random guy sleeping on the couch. (Except for the one time where there were just some random guy's pants on our coffee table. It was just lovely meeting my roommate's flavor of the week while he was in his underwear.) They brought beer into our wellness (alcohol-free) apartment, which, had we been caught, could have gotten all 4 of us fired and sent home. I honestly don't know how one of them managed to stay employed, she missed work so often because she was hungover. (Not to mention that neither one was exactly the sharpest tool in the shed...)
My roommate (the one I actually shared a bedroom with) made the living situation tolerable -- once she moved home, I pretty much moved in with a friend in another building.
There's a huge party atmosphere in the CP apartment complexes. There are parties every night, and some of them can get pretty wild. There are also very strict rules about drinking, especially if you're under 21. A lot of people are very cavalier about breaking the rules, and that's why a lot of people got sent home within the first couple of weeks. If you're not into that whole scene, it can be hard to get used to. It's avoidable, but that depends on who you live with. Being in a wellness apartment is no guarantee.
Some people had luck getting moved when they had terrible roommates, some didn't. My friends who did get moved all did so within the first week or so of our college program. As far as your job, supposedly it can get changed but I don't know of anyone who actually got theirs changed.
I was lucky -- for the most part, I loved my college program. Even with the horrible living situation, I still had a great job. That made all of the difference for me. That, and making friends who weren't CP's -- when I really wanted out of the whole environment, I just stayed with them. It makes a big difference sometimes to be able to get away from the whole Disney Thing.
Edited to add: The easiest thing to do for prescriptions is to transfer them to a Walgreens or Eckerds. (Eckerds if you have a car -- they're usually less crowded and less of a hassle.) Walgreens is right next to Vista Way, and you can take a bus there from Chatham or just walk over from Vista. Both stores have a national prescription database, so you can easily get your prescriptions from home while you're in FL. I transferred mine (while I was still at home), and never had any problems getting them. If you're just picking up a pre-existing prescription that they've processed before, they'll still take your insurance in FL. I know they took mine (Schaller-Anderson) no problem.
Our other two roommates were nice enough at the beginning, but they were both extremely inconsiderate and rude. Neither one wanted to take any responsibility for cleaning the apartment, but they were the first ones to complain when things were dirty. Both were definite "party girls" -- I would wake up in the morning and there would just be some random guy sleeping on the couch. (Except for the one time where there were just some random guy's pants on our coffee table. It was just lovely meeting my roommate's flavor of the week while he was in his underwear.) They brought beer into our wellness (alcohol-free) apartment, which, had we been caught, could have gotten all 4 of us fired and sent home. I honestly don't know how one of them managed to stay employed, she missed work so often because she was hungover. (Not to mention that neither one was exactly the sharpest tool in the shed...)
My roommate (the one I actually shared a bedroom with) made the living situation tolerable -- once she moved home, I pretty much moved in with a friend in another building.
There's a huge party atmosphere in the CP apartment complexes. There are parties every night, and some of them can get pretty wild. There are also very strict rules about drinking, especially if you're under 21. A lot of people are very cavalier about breaking the rules, and that's why a lot of people got sent home within the first couple of weeks. If you're not into that whole scene, it can be hard to get used to. It's avoidable, but that depends on who you live with. Being in a wellness apartment is no guarantee.
Some people had luck getting moved when they had terrible roommates, some didn't. My friends who did get moved all did so within the first week or so of our college program. As far as your job, supposedly it can get changed but I don't know of anyone who actually got theirs changed.
I was lucky -- for the most part, I loved my college program. Even with the horrible living situation, I still had a great job. That made all of the difference for me. That, and making friends who weren't CP's -- when I really wanted out of the whole environment, I just stayed with them. It makes a big difference sometimes to be able to get away from the whole Disney Thing.
Edited to add: The easiest thing to do for prescriptions is to transfer them to a Walgreens or Eckerds. (Eckerds if you have a car -- they're usually less crowded and less of a hassle.) Walgreens is right next to Vista Way, and you can take a bus there from Chatham or just walk over from Vista. Both stores have a national prescription database, so you can easily get your prescriptions from home while you're in FL. I transferred mine (while I was still at home), and never had any problems getting them. If you're just picking up a pre-existing prescription that they've processed before, they'll still take your insurance in FL. I know they took mine (Schaller-Anderson) no problem.
Yes, you can change rooms but before they do you have to have a meeting with your roommates. My daughter didn't want to do that and stuck it out in the first apt. until she was allowed to move because she extended in the program. Even then the roommates continued to harass her.
When I met the roommates they seemed OK. I would be concerned but your daughter is likely to have a great experience with roommates.
As far as scheduling the CP's are the fill ins. They have no seniority so sometimes their work assignments are not the best. Since my daughter extended she has gotten nothing but late shifts. When she asks why she is reminded that they had staff freezes, cutbacks. When you go into the program they ask if you are attending classes and schedule your work around that. Today my daughter has a final and they have her scheduled for work. She has talked with numerous people and they say she will be penalized if she is not there at work on time.
My daughter is learning to talk with managers and finally yesterday her manager said to just get there when she can.
Her first CP was great with the jobs. I am sorry that my daughter had to go through some of the stuff that she did but I think she is a stronger person and a better worker today. Did it turn her off from Disney, NO WAY. She wants to take a vacation to WDW after she returns from the program.
I am sure you will get some phone calls from your phone where she wants to come home or frustrated. But hopefully she will have many days where she will be part of the Disney Magic.
When I met the roommates they seemed OK. I would be concerned but your daughter is likely to have a great experience with roommates.
As far as scheduling the CP's are the fill ins. They have no seniority so sometimes their work assignments are not the best. Since my daughter extended she has gotten nothing but late shifts. When she asks why she is reminded that they had staff freezes, cutbacks. When you go into the program they ask if you are attending classes and schedule your work around that. Today my daughter has a final and they have her scheduled for work. She has talked with numerous people and they say she will be penalized if she is not there at work on time.
My daughter is learning to talk with managers and finally yesterday her manager said to just get there when she can.
Her first CP was great with the jobs. I am sorry that my daughter had to go through some of the stuff that she did but I think she is a stronger person and a better worker today. Did it turn her off from Disney, NO WAY. She wants to take a vacation to WDW after she returns from the program.
I am sure you will get some phone calls from your phone where she wants to come home or frustrated. But hopefully she will have many days where she will be part of the Disney Magic.
My daughter is coming to the end of her second CP. She loved the program. She is trying to get another position that would allow her to learn more with WDW. We are to hear something in the next two weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed for my daughter.
RweTHEREyet
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jk1 and safetymom, good luck to both of your kids in extending their programs. Also, thank you both for all the information you have shared, it has been really helpful.
All I can say is I am glad I have a son. Sounds like the girls have more issues than the guys. Guys don't care as much about cleaning up, etc. Not that that is a good thing, just the way it is. My son's first year college roommate was a total nightmare, so this experience will probably be a piece of cake for him.
All I can say is I am glad I have a son. Sounds like the girls have more issues than the guys. Guys don't care as much about cleaning up, etc. Not that that is a good thing, just the way it is.
My son's first year college roommate was a total nightmare, so this experience will probably be a piece of cake for him.RweTHEREyet, thank you for the good wishes. I hope your son has a wonderful time on the CP. I know that my daughter will look back fondly at the time she was in the program.
I hope your son has nice mellow roommates. It really is a wonderful program and my daughter has learned a lot. She is cleaning her apartment today so that at the last minute they don't have a lot of work getting it ready for inspection.
I hope after your son is in the program that you post his experiences. I wish him every success in the CP.
I hope your son has nice mellow roommates.
It really is a wonderful program and my daughter has learned a lot. She is cleaning her apartment today so that at the last minute they don't have a lot of work getting it ready for inspection.I hope after your son is in the program that you post his experiences. I wish him every success in the CP.
SoonerKate
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Don't get me wrong -- I still wound up loving my college program! Yes, there were times where I would have rather been anywhere but Florida, but they passed.
Honestly, I think liking your job or at least the people you work with is the most important thing -- I know it at least seemed like I spent a lot more time at work than at my apartment! (Then again, maybe some of that was just not wanting to go home!) I made a ton of friends and had the time of my life. Sure, there were bad parts. But I'd definitely do it again, even if I had to put up with the same roommates! (Of course, I wouldn't be hesitant to call security if I saw them drinking in the apartment again...that would have saved me and my good roommate a lot of trouble!)
Honestly, I think liking your job or at least the people you work with is the most important thing -- I know it at least seemed like I spent a lot more time at work than at my apartment! (Then again, maybe some of that was just not wanting to go home!) I made a ton of friends and had the time of my life. Sure, there were bad parts. But I'd definitely do it again, even if I had to put up with the same roommates! (Of course, I wouldn't be hesitant to call security if I saw them drinking in the apartment again...that would have saved me and my good roommate a lot of trouble!)
The WDWCP was one of the single most life changing experiences that I have ever had. I went down with the intention of doing an Advanced Internship after I got done with the CP, but wound up by the end of the program not wanting to set foot through the AI doors. There were days where I hated my roomates, hated my job(s)...I had 4 different roles...wanted to come home so badly that I even cried I think...that was mainly due to my mom having major surgery while I was there. But overall it was an amazing experience. I loved it so much that my days are filled with schemeing plots to get back to work for that beloved Mouse. I can tell you that no matter what the roomate situation is, there is probably going to be one or two that don't jive with the others....and that will be fine, remember, whatever doesn't kill ya only makes ya stronger. I still keep in contact with a few of my roomates, one who lives in spain. The holidays are acctually a great time to be down there...it is so beautiful with all the decorations and festivities. On Thanksgiving I had 19 people in my apartment that I cooked for. That was sweet! We had a little potluck where everyone brought something, but I cooked the turkey and stuffing.
Guess all this rambling to say that all of your children will be fine! It gives a taste of the real world while living in a fantasy world...
Remember all it takes is faith, trust, and a little pixie dust.
Blessings...
Tony
Guess all this rambling to say that all of your children will be fine! It gives a taste of the real world while living in a fantasy world...
Remember all it takes is faith, trust, and a little pixie dust.
Blessings...
Tony
I leave on Tuesday to go down to pick up my daugher. She shipped a lot of stuff home today. It seems hard to believe that she has been in the program for a year.
I am busy painting so I can sell my house and move to the Orlando area. So she will be back working at the Mouse in several months I hope.
Also getting a mini vacation in. We will be staying at CBR again. It is like our home away from home and have seen CBR more than some relatives this year.
Good luck to everyone starting the CP program!!!
I am busy painting so I can sell my house and move to the Orlando area. So she will be back working at the Mouse in several months I hope.
Also getting a mini vacation in. We will be staying at CBR again. It is like our home away from home and have seen CBR more than some relatives this year.
Good luck to everyone starting the CP program!!!
thanks, DAKTOLCMM, those were some great words of support. I can't believe that my daughter needs to be there on June 4 and we still haven't started planning what she is taking. Must be my denial.... I am so excited for her, but nervous too.
Safetymom.... you're too cool. I dream of retiring from teaching and then moving to Orlando. Seems too far off. I guess the time goes quickly. Wish we could meet you, I'd love to see some of the wonderful folks who have written and helped me and all of us out. My daughter is stressing out as she cannot get on the website since they made some changes. After we sent the 60 dollars, they never sent any notice and we hope everything is okay. Do you know if they have storage space for each of the college students? Just wondering whether DD should keep her big suitcase or whether I should take it back with me. Does Mears go directly to the apts, or does one need to go to Disney Trans. and get something there? Wondering how DD will get to the airport and back when she comes home for a couple days.(does that ever happen during this 7 month period?) Marla
PS How does daughter complete college, or had she already? Or is she taking a couple years off to be in another program?
Safetymom.... you're too cool. I dream of retiring from teaching and then moving to Orlando. Seems too far off. I guess the time goes quickly. Wish we could meet you, I'd love to see some of the wonderful folks who have written and helped me and all of us out. My daughter is stressing out as she cannot get on the website since they made some changes. After we sent the 60 dollars, they never sent any notice and we hope everything is okay. Do you know if they have storage space for each of the college students? Just wondering whether DD should keep her big suitcase or whether I should take it back with me. Does Mears go directly to the apts, or does one need to go to Disney Trans. and get something there? Wondering how DD will get to the airport and back when she comes home for a couple days.(does that ever happen during this 7 month period?) Marla
PS How does daughter complete college, or had she already? Or is she taking a couple years off to be in another program?
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