Disney College Program for Parents Thread...

[ThatGuyOnce]

My DD is doing the Culinary Program June-November '15. We're not sure where to start. She's probably flying down by herself. I'm sure she can't pack everything in one suitcase. Does anybody ship bedding down to Disney, or does it make better sense to get the bulky items at Target or Walmart? Do parents usually come down to move their kids into the apartments? A drive from Connecticut to Florida isn't really practical.

 

[erinerin]

My DD is doing the Culinary Program June-November '15. We're not sure where to start. She's probably flying down by herself. I'm sure she can't pack everything in one suitcase. Does anybody ship bedding down to Disney, or does it make better sense to get the bulky items at Target or Walmart? Do parents usually come down to move their kids into the apartments? A drive from Connecticut to Florida isn't really practical.

Have her fly Southwest, they give 2 checked bags for free. Most people that fly end up buying most of that bulky stuff once they get there. Some people will pack it but then end up having less room to pack clothes and other stuff. Get some space bags, they really help in being able to get the most stuff into your checked luggage.

Quite a few parents tag along for checkin and a few will even stay a day or two more. It's really up to you if you want to go or not, some parents feel more at ease if they get to see where their kids are going to be living, especially if it's their first time living that far from home. If you fly with her she could bring extra stuff in your checked bags that she might not have space to pack otherwise, so that would be a plus. And if you rented a car it would definitely make the first shopping trip to get everything for the apartment easier (bulky stuff that couldn't be packed - hangers, laundry baskets, bedding, whatever else she needs plus the first major grocery trip). There's a good chance that at least one of her roommates would have car or she could maybe get a ride with someone else, but having to do that first big shopping trip on the buses tends to be a bit of a pain.

 

[dizagain]

I agree with the above......that is what we did. I flew down with mine- Southwest with two checked bags and we each carried a duffel. I rented a car and we were able to spend $200 at Wal-Mart getting the necessities and stocking up on food. There were 4 girls out of 8 with cars in her apartment so it would have worked out, I guess , if I wasn't there.

My DD packed sheets and a heavy fleece blanket but we bought pillows, a mattress pad, towels, etc there. The space saver bags seem to work but we didn't use them.....

I'm very glad I went!

 

[HopperFan]

My DD is doing the Culinary Program June-November '15. We're not sure where to start. She's probably flying down by herself. I'm sure she can't pack everything in one suitcase. Does anybody ship bedding down to Disney, or does it make better sense to get the bulky items at Target or Walmart? Do parents usually come down to move their kids into the apartments? A drive from Connecticut to Florida isn't really practical.

My DD had no intentions of letting us go. She was driving on her own. She had "met" her roommates on facebook. We ended up planning a week at the beach in S FL and she decided she wanted to go with us. So to save on taking two cars we squeezed in hers and booked flights for us home from Orlando. We booked CSR for Sat-Wed (her check in was Monday) and plans made for DH to work in Orlando office while I took DS to the parks.

All of DD's roommates families had also come to Orlando to combine it with a vacation. None of the parents went to check-in or to help them move in. DD drove to each girl's hotel, picked them up. They went to check-in, got their keys and started their move in process. They didn't all have the same schedule that week but they did do a big shopping trip together for the basics. One roommate had no car and her roommate this semester has no car. You meet friends fast (half hers have had no car) and there is always a ride to go get what you need. She will be fine going on her own if that is your plan and there will be plenty doing the same exact thing. If it were me and that far away I'd rather visit later once she is settled and can take a couple days and go to the parks with us.

 

[dpswift]

DH and I are planning on driving down with DD. We live in central New York, and I am not comfortable with her driving that far alone. We are planning on dropping her of at check in and meeting back up with her after to help her move in. After seeing the apartment we will buy what is needed, drop her off and head back to the hotel. We are arriving Saturday and flying back Wednesday.

 

[poison ivy]

We drove our son down for his first CP and but he wanted his truck the second time around so we packed it up and took the Autotrain down with him and flew back.

We were one of 2 sets of parents his first program and the only parents this last time.
Arriving solo seemed to be more common with the males. He also happened to be the only one with a vehicle.

We did help him move in.

 

[ThatGuyOnce]

Thanks! Good advice on Southwest. It looks like my wife wants to fly down with her to get her settled in. I get some travel discounts through work, so I'm checking for the best hotel & car rates.

 

[ThatGuyOnce]

Next question. DW does not want to rent a car. What's the taxi situation like getting them from the hotel to check-in, and DW back to the hotey? Are parents allowed on the shuttle buses with CPs? How much of a hassle is it to do the initial shopping by bus?

As far as hotel goes (because I don't want to read all 127 pages in this thread), Holiday Inn, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, or B Resort? I probably want to spoil DW a bit because she's taking one for the team.

 

[SingingMom]

We drove our son down for his first CP and but he wanted his truck the second time around so we packed it up and took the Autotrain down with him and flew back.

We were one of 2 sets of parents his first program and the only parents this last time.
Arriving solo seemed to be more common with the males. He also happened to be the only one with a vehicle.

We did help him move in.

How did you like the Autotrain? We are from the Northeast, so we are taking the Autotrain with DD, staying a week and flying home. We can help her move in and make a few supply runs. Then she'll have her car and we can see her if she's free or have a few days vacation on our own. I'm hoping we don't mind the train ride! Lol

 

[erinerin]

Next question. DW does not want to rent a car. What's the taxi situation like getting them from the hotel to check-in, and DW back to the hotey? Are parents allowed on the shuttle buses with CPs? How much of a hassle is it to do the initial shopping by bus?

As far as hotel goes (because I don't want to read all 127 pages in this thread), Holiday Inn, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, or B Resort? I probably want to spoil DW a bit because she's taking one for the team.

There's a hotel (I think it's Holiday Inn) that's practically right across the street from Vista Way (checkin location), so they could walk to check in together and not worry about a taxi. A lot of people stay there the night before. Some others opt to stay at a Disney Resort before checkin so that they can take the free Magical Express from the airport to the hotel and Magical Express takes care of your checked luggage for you. Then they get a ride from someone else that's checking in or they take a taxi or Uber.

Parents are not allowed on the CP busses, so if she ends up living in Chatham, Patterson, or Commons your wife would have to find some other way there. Shopping won't be too bad if your daughter ends up with a roommate that has a car, but if she ends up having to ride the bus it could be a hassle. Walmart gets super busy on checkin days and the bus that goes to Walmart gets packed. It's doable, many people have done it before on the bus, but it makes the shopping trip take a lot longer and she may not be able to buy as much since she'll have to be able carry everything herself. I think you said your daughter was Culinary Program, and I believe their check in dates are a bit smaller in terms of the number of people checking in compared to the normal College Program check in days, so it might not be as big of an issue. Some people will splurge for a taxi or Uber to get the first shopping trip out of the way. It's definitely doable without a car if she's not going to have access to one, it's just more convenient if she can find someone (roommate or friend) that has one.

 

[1pixiemom]

I didnt go with my son when he went, he drove from MI to Orlando on his own. He fit everything he needed in his car! I wont be going with him this time around either he is 22 and doesnt need his mommy helping him... I will be going to visit him a few months in like last time

 

[poison ivy]

How did you like the Autotrain? We are from the Northeast, so we are taking the Autotrain with DD, staying a week and flying home. We can help her move in and make a few supply runs. Then she'll have her car and we can see her if she's free or have a few days vacation on our own. I'm hoping we don't mind the train ride! Lol

We loved it. It was our first time taking it and we had no idea what to expect. If you click on the "Autotrain to College Program" link in my signature you'll find a ton of photos on the train portion of our journey.

We didn't get to really spend anytime with our son once he checked in but we had a great time vacationing on our own.
Best of luck to your daughter.

 

[dpswift]

We drove our son down for his first CP and but he wanted his truck the second time around so we packed it up and took the Autotrain down with him and flew back.

We were one of 2 sets of parents his first program and the only parents this last time.
Arriving solo seemed to be more common with the males. He also happened to be the only one with a vehicle.

We did help him move in.

I read the first few pages of your trip report and am enjoying it. I had read the Star Wars breakfast part earlier to get an idea of what the menu will be.

Thank you for the information about the majority of parents not being there for checkin. Our plan is to drop DD off and go shop until she is ready to move in.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I didnt go with my son when he went, he drove from MI to Orlando on his own. He fit everything he needed in his car! I wont be going with him this time around either he is 22 and doesnt need his mommy helping him... I will be going to visit him a few months in like last time

Our son won't need us either. He didn't need us last year when he drove to Massachusetts for a summer internship. He's graduating in May, heading to Orlando a few days later to start his internship for the summer at Disney.

 

[Dizzyworld]

We loved it. It was our first time taking it and we had no idea what to expect. If you click on the "Autotrain to College Program" link in my signature you'll find a ton of photos on the train portion of our journey.

We didn't get to really spend anytime with our son once he checked in but we had a great time vacationing on our own.
Best of luck to your daughter.

I loved your auto train report with pictures. It was very helpful. My DH is doing the auto train with our DD in June. I might be the person doing the return trip with her in Jan. Exciting times ahead.

 

[mickeyway]

Can they bring a trunk like a one would have for college for added storage? My daughter always had a trunk at college she kept under the bed locked with important stuff.

 

[erinerin]

Can they bring a trunk like a one would have for college for added storage? My daughter always had a trunk at college she kept under the bed locked with important stuff.

She can bring it but if she wants to keep it under her bed she'll probably need to buy bed risers.

 

[Boopuff]

Just curious about the hotel discount offered to parents of DCP kids. I understand that the discount is 40-50% but that can vary depending upon the time of year. I have reservations made for this Oct. and I'm hoping my daughter can apply her discount. Can anyone verify this? Thanks

 

[HopperFan]

Just curious about the hotel discount offered to parents of DCP kids. I understand that the discount is 40-50% but that can vary depending upon the time of year. I have reservations made for this Oct. and I'm hoping my daughter can apply her discount. Can anyone verify this? Thanks

It's not a given at all resorts so not like they can apply a discount. She will have to check the HUB or call the reservation number they give her and find out what is available for your dates. My DD has been there since August and I never used it because the dates I was going, there would be maybe 2 or 3 options available and they were always the nice deluxe rooms. While the rate was good it was still way more than I wanted to spend. She was able to use for herself once at CSR early fall and got a decent rate in the Business Class rooms. Was my biggest disappointment because I knew I would be going down several times.

 

[Boopuff]

Thanks for the insight. I'm booked at the Poly so maybe I'll get lucky with the discount!