Daughter is going to College Intern Program

[poohlover]

What type of courses do they offer?? My second DD is only a freshman in HS but is already talking about this program. I'm almost afraid to send her...I have a feeling that once there she won't return!

 

[safetymom]

http://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com/sap/its/mimes/zh_wdwcp/students/index.html

This is the website for the program. If you do a search on the Internet you will find many website dedicated to the WDW College program.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

For those that have already been on the CP, I am wondering what kind of rental rates they charge for the housing. I know it varies depending on the number of people in the room, but can you give me a ballpark idea?

 

[safetymom]

My daughter paid $65 a week for a 3 bedroom, this time she is paying $79 for a 2 bedroom. They take it out of your paycheck.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

She obviously felt that having less roommates was worth paying the extra money. Was she able to pick who she roomed with the second time? Also, where is the housing located? Thanks for any info you wish to share.

 

[jk1]

There are two housing complexes for the U.S. College Program particpants. One is over by the Premium outlets near Little Lake Bryan; the other is off of Vineland Rd.

Buzzme, my daughter commented on that very thing - she'd always be at the outlets if she lived in Chatham. Course she has a car down there so she still gets around to all the shopping places!

 

[disneyfan551]

I had 3 roomies, and I would have DEFINITELY paid the extra money to have less roomies!!! People are just so different, especially coming from all over the world to participate in the CP. Getting everyone to agree on things and just get along are difficult! One of my roomies drove me up the wall!!! Heck, I probably would have paid for her to move out!!

 

[Jan/Ma]

My daughter has also just been accepted for the college program. I believe she has been assigned to "operations". What exactly is Operations? She is to arrive Aug. 20th and leave on Jan.3rd. We are just in the beginning stages of the planning. I have a few questions now,and probably lots more as I think of them. What exactly will she need to bring besides personal items? Does she need to bring her own TV? Will she need a computer? Will she be able to get time off when we come to visit?
How does she go about making hotel reservations for her family?
Thanks in advance for any information you have to share.

Jan

 

[disneyfan551]

...granted it's been a while since I've been there, but I'll tell you what I know to be true. Operations is usually working within the parks, she may be a ride attendant. No matter what job the students held, almost everyone loved it, and it really didn't matter. Once I was there, I caught the Disney Magic for good! I have to go every year, and my dh can't stand it! Oh well, Dec. will probably be his last trip for a while and we will be back to "girls (& babies!) only trips!! (they are the best anyway!! )

The apartments did have basic furniture, but you will have to furnish the extras, such as the tv and computer. There's so much to do there, she will rarely need them! She will get an information packet with very detailed info. as to what they provide, so don't worry.

It's iffy about the time off when you visit, it depends on her job and the time that you go. Don't expect for her to be off during the holidays!

Tell her to enjoy the ride, it will be amazing...

 

[prince of thieves]

I will forward you an e-mail that was sent to me from someone that was just on the WDWCP that will bascially answer all of those questions in detail. But to answer your questions in a nutshell:

Operations is where she will work in the parks in either transportation, park greeter, or at an attraction of some sort. She might want to bring her own TV to have in the room. She will want to have a computer even though the rooms will be dial-up and they have computer labs there. It will be really hard to get time off. I assume that she will make reservations under her name so that she can get the CM discount, but that is only an assumption.

Once again, those answers are only in a nutshell and i will forward you an e-mail that was sent to me about WDWCP.

hope this helps
JAM

 

[jk1]

What exactly is Operations?

My daughter is in Operations right now at WDW. It basically is a park role. You could end up working an attraction/show, be a gate greeter, or parking lot attendant.


What exactly will she need to bring besides personal items? Does she need to bring her own TV?

The WDWCP website has a suggested list of things to bring. She will need to login to get that information and more.

TVs are not furnished. You could end up being the only one with a tv or have a tv for everyone in the apartment! No way to plan this out in advance since roommates are not pre-assigned. Some roommates go in together and rent a tv for their llength of stay. Others chip in and buy an inexpensive set.

My daughter took her college tv and a dvd/vcr player since she was driving to WDW. One of her roommates had brought a small 13" set. Since my daughter's tv was 19", hers is the one that ended up in the living room for all to use.

If she uses the tv in her bedroom, she can set it on the dresser. My daughter's tv is sitting on one of the end tables as a tv stand.


Will she need a computer?

It all depends. Using a computer is easier in Chatham as those apartments have a separate data jack so you don't tie the phone line up. In Vista, you have to use the one phone line, so that ties up the phone line.

You can also sign up for cable internet access in Chatham. Splitting it with roommates helps make the cost affordable. That option is not available in Vista.

My daughter took her laptop as she was planning on taking a couple online classes. She ended up in Vista. One of her roommates is also taking online classes. For some reason, my daughter has trouble dialing out on her laptop while her roommate has no problem! Both using AOL. And my daughter's laptop works fine in the Disney hotels! Go figure! I did get my daughter's laptop configured to use her cell phone as a wireless modem, but she still has problems staying connected.

Both apartment complexes have a computer lab, but computers are limited in number and I have heard sometimes hard to get.


Will she be able to get time off when we come to visit?

This all depends on your manager. You can put a request in before your schedule is made out, with the reason you are requesting off. They do try to accomodate the WDWCP'ers as much as possible when the reason is for 'family visiting'. If you don't get scheduled off, you can always switch shifts with someone in your location.

My daughter was able to get her 2 scheduled off days to be within our visit on days we had planned to do special things (it was a trip for her birthday). The other days she worked, we planned around her schedule.


How does she go about making hotel reservations for her family?

This information will be given to them during the training sessions/Traditions classes. Basically, she calls the number they give her and makes reservations in your name. If she will not be with you at check-in, she will need to present her CM id to the resort's front desk within 3 days of your arrival date.

My daughter picked up a lot of good info on this board as we were preparing for her departure.

Hope this all helps.

 

[prince of thieves]

This may be helpful to both parental units and college students interested in the WDWCP. if you go to www.wdwcpinfo.com you will find some info from students that just got accepted and Alum from previous years that share their info and tips.


JAM

 

[Jan/Ma]

Thank you all so much for all your responses. My daughter is amazed with all the information you have supplied. She also thanks you. Now all I have to figure out is how many trips I can fit in the budget. If the resort discounts are big enough maybe more than one. Thank you all again.

Jan

 

[mirmatt]

My little question has gathered so many responses. This board is great! I am flying in with my daughter on the 4th of June, when she is due to be at Disney. I am staying till the 8th, and my daughter asked me......"

"Mom, what are you going to do all those days, since I can't stay with you?" Does anyone think that I could just fly right home the same night!!!!

Is she kidding me? FUN FUN FUN
Oh yeah, I just remembered that I am helping her bring things to FL for her stay on the program.

Can anyone tell me what might be involved with the job category.... Full Service..Food and Beverage Hostess. That is the position that my daughter will have. She wants me to ask. Does it really matter which building she is in? What kind of clothing does one need there? Just casual? Would she need anything dressy? Since we are flying in the morning that she is due to check in, how do we go from the airport? Am I able to go with her to help check in to her apartment, or would I go there later? I am staying at All Star Music. Are the apartments anywhere near there or will I need to take a cab? Thanks for the info. Can anyone tell how the first day progresses. Can parents be anywhere around or must we just get lost? Marla

 

[safetymom]

You will need a cab or shuttle from the airport. To get from All Stars to the apartment complexes you will need a cab. You don't actually check in at the apartment. It is all done at the clubhouse in the Vista complex near Downtown Disney. That is one of the two complexes she will be assigned to. It depends when you are going which complex you get. You don't have a choice. My daughter lives in Chatham. She wanted Vista but she is glad now that she didn't get that one. Chatham has two phone lines in the apt. so you can be online and still get phone calls. Chatham is about a mile and a half away from Vista.

You can go with them when they sign in and fill out their paperwork. Then you stay behind while they go in the building and fill out more forms, get assigned housing and roommates, then a quick physical. Then they come back out. It took my daughter over an hour and she got to the sign up early. There is no reason that you have to stay. I stayed and talked with a lot of parents watching their children go through the door to "adulthood". After I saw that she was well taken care of I left for the parks with my other daughter. They take them by bus to the other housing complex if that is where they are staying. You drop their luggage and stuff out at the sign up building and tag it. It is then put in the buses and your child takes it out when they get to the other complex if that is where they are staying.

That night I met up with my daughter outside her complex and we went to the parks together. There was still time those couple of extra days that I stayed to hang out with my daughter.

I have been 5 times since she started in the program. The resort room discount is very nice and made it a lot easier to visit WDW.

I know they need a nice outfit for the Traditions class but other than that their normal clothes will be ok.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Do you not ever get to go inside of their apartment to see it?

 

[safetymom]

Sure you can visit. You have to sign in at the gate of the complex for a parking pass. I didn't visit the first time because there was so much going on. My daughter wanted to do that part on her own. When we went back 3 weeks later then I visited the apartment.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I think I would have to visit before I left town just so I would be able to visualize where my baby was.

 

[prince of thieves]

A.K.A this means that she wants to know every single detail about the place b/c she wouldn't want me to know something that she didn't!!!

 

[safetymom]

I wanted to do that but my daughter asked me not to. She was overwhelmed by everything and this was the first time she had spent any time away from home.

It is just chaos watching all these people moving in so I respected her wishes. When I went back 3 weeks later it looked like every other apt. I had ever been in.

When she moved in this time and I went to visit the rooms were a disaster so sometimes not knowing is a good thing.