Daughter is going to College Intern Program

[safetymom]

My daughter calls almost every day to torment me with something that she got to do at WDW that she knows would make me jealous.

My last trip down I showed her a lot of Disney secrets that she didn't know. Now she calls and asks me for Disney info.

 

[prince of thieves]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That sounds like our family

 

[jk1]

My daughter's one roommate is Full Service Food and Beverage Hostess. She works in the Crystal Palace, greeting guests and seating them. Basically, that is the Hostess role. You will be assigned a table service restaurant in one of the parks, possibly in one of the resort hotels. My daughter's roommate loves her role!

As far as the building, you don't get a choice; they assign you the building based on your arrival date and your number of bedrooms preference. My daughter had hoped to get Chatham, primarily because of the data jack. But everyone on her arrival date went to Vista. I'm sure there are good and bad points for each complex. The extra data jack and more cable stations in Chatham. The buses run to the final destinations from Vista. People in Chatham need to catch a bus from Chatham to Vista and then catch another bus to their final destination. So Vista has the edge there. Wendy's, Chick-Fil-A, and Walgreen's are a half block away from Vista. Chatham, put on your hiking boots. Laundry facilities are in every building at Vista; Chatham has central laundry facilities. Hot tubs are only at Vista.

After the intial disappointment in Vista, my daughter and her roommates decided they really like their apartment in Vista and are glad they got it, despite the lack of a data jack and fewer cable tv stations.

Clothing guidelines are on the WDWCP website once she has a login. Casual is fine, but you do need business casual for Traditions and the training sessions. Dressy is needed for graduation.

I waited with other parents while my daughter checked-in at the various stations. Then we went to her apartment and started moving everything in. I do recommend you get a car for the time you are there. It will help get all her stuff to the apartment and also help when you want to meet up with her. Plus it will be of great help to do an initial grocery trip and maybe Target or Walmart for anything else she might need. That first day there, I ended up taking 3 out of the 4 girls in the apartment to Target and the grocery store. The following day, I took them all to Property Control where they found some posters and little things to help decorate the apartment Disney style! My car got them to Property Control; their WDWCP ids got me in there! We also were able to go shoe shopping once she got her actual assignment.

Parents can be seen throughout the complex that first day. And some even attended the first night welcome picnic.

Safetymom, my daughter loves to call me and tell me what she just got to do, too! She has over 30 visits to WDW under her belt so she doesn't need any more Disney secrets from me. One of my favorite calls from her was from the MK CM parking lot as the fireworks were going off. Everytime they had another big boom, more car alarms went off! She was so excited, and still is, when she calls to tell me about her day at Disney as a WDWCP'er.

 

[prince of thieves]

In talking about the differences between the rooms, I've also read that those in Chatham will splurge for a cable modem and then the roomies will split the bill every month. They like this b/c they will use the internet a lot and don't have to suffer with a dial-up connection. I've also read that Vista is not applicable for cable modem or DSL.

 

[jk1]

Prince of Thieves, what you have read is correct. I believe I pointed this out in one of my earlier posts. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone when my daughter moved into Vista trying to get cable internet access there. The cable companies that service the apartment complexes are different. Only the cable company who services Chatham offers cable internet access.

 

[BuzzMe]

I found it very helpful to have a car rental for moving my daughter and her friend into their apt. They think they were assigned to Chatham because they answered "messy" and "late-night, noisy" when asked their preferences. At first they were disappointed they weren't near Walgreens but are much happier to be near the outlet!! After dragging luggage upstairs, I took them over to the super-Super Walmart and we filled up the entire back of the Tahoe with packages. The store was filled with College Program kids and parents-it felt like moving into college freshman year! My DD usually works in the evening, so we've been able to spend most of our days together when we visit. Her manager has been quite accomodating in arranging her schedule so she can have time off. I've been able to make room reservations myself; you'll need to have all your child's ID #'s and info. We didn't stay onsite when we moved her in. We stayed at the Summerfield Suites LBV and the location was very convenient for getting to check-in, moving into apt, and shopping.

 

[prince of thieves]

what is your daughter's role down there?

 

[BuzzMe]

She's a "Merchandise Hostess" (salesperson!) in the Emporium in the MK. She loves working there.

 

[mirmatt]

Can anyone tell me where it is both economical and close to have easy access to getting to my daughter the first days, as I won't have a car there. I would like to be able to take Mears from the airport to where she must meet and also be able to meet up with her without taking cabs. Is it possible? Marla

 

[house_of_princesses]

Just curious, I keep reading about all your DAUGHTERS. Where are all the sons?!

 

[prince of thieves]

I'm a son!! I will hopefully be a son that will be going down in Fall 03 WDWCP!!

 

[jk1]

mirmatt, if you really don't want to have a car and still be able to meet up with your daughter, then I think the easiest place to stay would be on-site. Your daughter can use the provided transportation to the TTC and you can use the resort transportation to get to the TTC. There really is nowhere to stay off-site that will let you meet up with her at the apartment complex without taking a taxi.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Just where are Vista and Chatham located? I get the impression that they may be fairly close to Downtown Disney.

 

[safetymom]

Vista is very close to Downtown Disney. When we stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott and you looked across I-4 you could see Vista. So it is about a mile away. Then Chatham is about 1 1/2 miles from there in Little Lake Bryan near the outlets.

The joke when I went to visit my daughter was just follow the buses.

 

[jk1]

Fairly close to DTD, but not within walking distance. Vista borders I-4 as you approach the Apopka-Vineland (Rt 535) exit from leaving WDW. On the other side of Vista is Vistana Resorts.

Like Safetymom said, Chatham is back by the Premium Outlets in Little Lake Bryan, down the road from the Mary, Our Queen Shrine.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I have stayed at Vistana, so this gives me a great visual location. How often do their buses run and just where all do the buses go?

 

[jk1]

The WDWCP buses run to various points in the WDW resort to take the kids to their work places. In addition, buses run to the Super Walmart. I'm not sure what times as I have never seen a schedule as my daughter has her car there. It's a pretty good system.

 

[safetymom]

My daughter takes the bus all over. She has been very happy with the buses. She uses them to get her groceries also.

 

[safetymom]

Disney's Secret College

To get into Disney's Secret College you first must be able to prove that you
can perform tricks of amazing proportions.

1) You must be able to understand all foreign languages, you can't get
away with a simple smile and nod.

2) You must be able to sprint 50 yards, while being chased by a group
of people waving a flag and wearing the same colored t-shirt.

3) You must be able to keep smiling while someone screams at you over
something that you can't do anything about.

4) You must know where everything is in central Florida, especially
Splendid China.

5) You must know where everyone's hotel is and how they get back to it
regardless if it's a Disney Resort or not. This can be tricky when the
guest tells you "I got off the bus right here"

6) You must be able to spot all hidden Mickey's and realize that just
because there are 3 circles in the same area does not make it a hidden
Mickey.

7) You must be able to yell, "Excuse Me Folks" and push a large cart
full of ice cream bars and dry ice through a small mob.

8) You must be able to spot a cigarette butt at 100 paces

9) Learn the finesse of protein spill art

10) Be willing to have your blood tested and DNA cataloged just so you
can get into your place of residency

11) Be able to consume an obscene amount of alcohol, stumble back to
your apt in the dark among 40 buildings that all look the same, AND get up
at 8 am for a long boring lecture

12) Be able to control your temper when one roommate might like a desert
climate and another one a sub-arctic climate

13) Be ok with the fact that you may be the only one who is speaking
English on the bus from EPCOT

14) Keep hundreds of people from crossing in front of floats that weigh
a couple of tons and whose drivers can barely see

15) Be able to use many rolls of masking tape to put up a barrier that
keeps people away from danger

16) "No Flash Photography" translates "Take as many Pictures as You
Possibly Can" in many foreign languages. You must be able to state which
languages.

17) Understand and be able to explain that "the big golf ball" was
never in Tomorrowland

18) Be able to console the die-hard Michael Jackson fans after they
find out that Captain EO is no longer being shown

19) Know that when standing at the American Adventure the quickest way
to get to the front of the park would be to swim across the lagoon since the
walk is about the same if you go towards Italy or Japan.

20) Be able to tell where Pocahontas is at any given moment

21) Be able to find on a map exactly where Zephyr Hills is

22) Know the most popular locations for couples to have sex at Walt
Disney World.

23) Know when it is most safe to have sex there in case you decide you
want to try it out

24) Realize that if you are really, really, really drunk it is not a
wise idea to go onto the dance floor at Mannequins

25) Be ok with the fact that you are not going to have weekends nor is
it very likely that your schedule will remain the same week after week

26) Be able to pace the number of times you call in sick so that you
won't get terminated

27) Be able to tell someone with a straight face that age "old three
o'clock parade" reply

28) Be able to talk non-stop for hours while floating through a jungle

29) Know that River Country is a magnet for white trash

30) Be able to hook up with as many people as possible in a 3-5 month
period of time.

31) Be able to calculate double time and time and a half our using the
nice low number 5.60

32) Be able to say "Please Watch Your Step" and "How Many in Your
Party" in as many ways as possible so that you do not grow bored.

33) be able to tell what the following initials stand for: DAK, ER,
DOS, TTC, ADO, MK, ST, EC, DU, WDW, I-4, PI, CP, CR, GMR

34) Be able to take a good picture for your ID

35) Be able to navigate through smelly tunnels

36) Realize that if you work in Magic Kingdom, there is a chance that
you may never see the sun

37) Be able to smile all day long even while wearing polyester

38) Be able to not get freaked out when you walk past the Zoo

39) Realize that Main Street is a long walk from wardrobe especially
when you are late

40) Know that Fishtale Freddie, Lucy Bluz, Jungle Jim, Phineous Phogg,
Rosie O' Grady, and Johnny Rocket are not Disney characters

41) Realize that Vista Way ain't what it used to be

Once you can demonstrate these skills and prove that you possess this
knowledge, you may be asked to interview for Disney's Secret College,
and even then you may not get in. And even when you get in, you may not
make it all the way through and become an ALUMNI. But if you DO make it all
the way through your 5-7 month tour of duty and get your Ducktorate or
Mousters, you
will then become ALUMNI!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

O.K., what is the Zoo

Got must of the initials, except ER, DOS, CR and GMR

Wait minute, I love River Country, it was the first ever water park. Haven't been in years, but I still have some re-entry tickets from a day we got rained out about 13 years ago.

gross on the protein spill art. Yes, I do know what that means.

Sounds like I could amost master Disney's Secret College.

thanks for list. I enjoyed reading it.