Describe your YES Program (Open Enrollment) Experience

[djm99]

I'd love to hear about other families that have participated in the YES Program Classes. 2 summers ago my family and I participated in the Wild about Nature class in Animal Kingdom (9am – I think). It was July so I wouldn't recommend the program in the heat of the summer. We did a morning class (we waited a few minutes for another family that didn't show up). We saw many animals I didn't even know AK had. Really I didn't. Tigers and Gorillas (and the cutest baby Gorilla I'd ever seen). About 1 hour into the class we made our way to the Safari - no wait (that was really nice – we just walked on). I was tired and super-hot. Did I say super-hot! The tour guide we had wouldn't even let us stop to get something to drink. I did NOT like that. We moved fast and toward the end, the 7 kids I had were antsy and thirsty (ages 8-11). All in all it was nice but I wouldn't recommend it in the heat of the summer, if you do, make sure you have something to drink and know its 3 hours in the heat. At the end we were given AK bandanas.

What has been your experience?

 

[MelaBella]

Just subbing. I'd especially like to hear about the World of Physics or Marine Careers classes.

 

[dunningdisney]

We did the same program last June (it was unusually hot) so as usual, even more hot at the animal kingdom--the guide worked getting drinks into the class so she stopped often for water and suggested we drink also. We thought the program was just ok. We also did ocean discoveries at epcot and we had a much better time--mostly indoors--so that helped. But we thought it was a lot more fun. The classes are geared toward kids, so they may not be that fun for adults, but I did enjoy it. My husband and older kids did dynamics of technology and enjoyed the program--mostly outdoors.

 

[limace]

We did the Art of Animation in January of 2010 and had the opposite problem-it was during the big freeze they had in Florida that weekend and we were really, really cold. Can't blame the guides for the weather, though, and it was a great experience. Pretty basic for my very-artistic kid, but we loved being in DHS before park opening and it was a really special time for us. Add that to the vastly discounted tickets and we'd do it again in a second. Only one other mom and daughter in our group, which was awesome.

 

[POOHDRMR]

We did the one at Mk last Aug-I think it was the physics one.My dd was 9 at the time and she thought it was pretty fun-there was a few things she had trouble with in the beginning because she hadn't learned about any of it yet in school-she had alot of older kids in her group that seemed to know about light and sound waves already.She liked getting to go on the rides and see how what she just learned about pertained to the ride.It was hot and our guide did try to keep us out of the sun when she could and she let the parents go and get drinks and use the restroom if needed.I am looking to do one this year again-hopefully the epcot one.The only bad thing was with our tickets throughout the week-I don't know if it hapened to anyone else but they were all listed as youth tickets and there was no fingerprint needed and we were questioned alot at the gate as to why we didn't have a regular ticket.Most knew when I said we got them through the YES program and it was fine but at HS the cm was very nasty and she said "SO" and told us to go to the guest service window but then the person next to her said they were fineI don't know if they gave us the wrong type of ticket and dh and mine should have said adult but we had them printed 2 times at different guest service windows and both times they were the same.The first time when we picked them up they printed the wrong arrival date on them so when we went to the class the next morning we couldn't get in!They reprinted them at MK and fixed the date.