Disney College Program for Parents Thread...

[stitchlovestink]

Ok, was really hoping not to have to ask this question, but here I am....dd tried to apply for perm employment last week, her six week window. Transfer Genie wouldn't allow her to continue the process due to her having 5 pts. One for lateness, the others due to illness. Yes, there were probably a few days she could have gone to work. So when she was really sick (and there were two times that happened!) she went over the 'acceptable' number of points. Yes, stupid.
So, what are her options? Her program ends May 11. She is planning on looking at US/IoA and DS. But still wants to work for Disney. Any idea how long she has to wait to apply? And what her chances will be when she does? I'm such a sad mom at the moment .

I don't understand. Why is it stupid that they have a restriction in place on how many points you can have in order to apply to transfer?
You can't apply to extend your CP if you have over a certain # of points and if you want to change roles when you extend, you can have even fewer points.

 

[Monykalyn]

DD is having issues getting her school to give her credit for her internship. The co-op/internship said since her role isn't directly related to her major she can't get credit for working. That is fine, but there are the seminars etc, that pertain to her minor. Plus the co-op has the option of an "elective" credit. She has been talking to the dean of the co-op for her college, her academic advisor and has meeting with her minor advisor as well (she has to apply and be approved for this particular minor). She has also emailed Disney for information on the seminars etc (who have been amazingly responsive!). I think her persistence is paying off (dd sent me a copy of the email reply from the co-op dean and the first line is "I appreciate your tenacity") as the dean did go to the board for the college and she may have tentative approval for a co-op credit if she can do an independent project (has to get a proposal, learning objectives etc). She really wants a way to stay enrolled in school & co-op would consider her full-time for insurance purposes and scholarship purposes.

Anyone else who's gone through this have any other ideas? DD has reached out to her facebook groups as well...

 

[goofy4tink]

I don't understand. Why is it stupid that they have a restriction in place on how many points you can have in order to apply to transfer?
You can't apply to extend your CP if you have over a certain # of points and if you want to change roles when you extend, you can have even fewer points.

Nope, you misunderstand! My dd was stupid, not Disney's system!! She, and I, understand the system and have no issues with it! Well, other than Disney changing the giving away of shifts policy! If that hadn't happened, she would have fewer points, but she made a choice and now has to live with the consequences!

 

[goofy4tink]

DD is having issues getting her school to give her credit for her internship. The co-op/internship said since her role isn't directly related to her major she can't get credit for working. That is fine, but there are the seminars etc, that pertain to her minor. Plus the co-op has the option of an "elective" credit. She has been talking to the dean of the co-op for her college, her academic advisor and has meeting with her minor advisor as well (she has to apply and be approved for this particular minor). She has also emailed Disney for information on the seminars etc (who have been amazingly responsive!). I think her persistence is paying off (dd sent me a copy of the email reply from the co-op dean and the first line is "I appreciate your tenacity") as the dean did go to the board for the college and she may have tentative approval for a co-op credit if she can do an independent project (has to get a proposal, learning objectives etc). She really wants a way to stay enrolled in school & co-op would consider her full-time for insurance purposes and scholarship purposes.

Anyone else who's gone through this have any other ideas? DD has reached out to her facebook groups as well...

I've seen so many kids having this issue. When Disney calls something the 'Disney College Program' one would think it would be the same as taking classes at college. But, it isn't. Not even close. When someone asks me about the program, and if I think it's a good idea to do while in college, my answer is 'it depends'. It's a terrific opportunity. But....it's isn't a substitute for college. There really aren't all that many available classes that will allow a kid to get academic credit, in order to be considered as still enrolled in college and have financial aid packages stay in force! A lot of colleges won't even try to work with the student, while others are good about it. It's a wonderful experience for kids, and can have lasting repercussions in the employment world. But, if a child can't make do without taking a 'for credit' class while there, it may not be a good fit!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Nope, you misunderstand! My dd was stupid, not Disney's system!! She, and I, understand the system and have no issues with it! Well, other than Disney changing the giving away of shifts policy! If that hadn't happened, she would have fewer points, but she made a choice and now has to live with the consequences!

Ahh...you are correct, I did misunderstand.
I don't disagree with you about the change in policy stinking. BUT I do understand Why they did it. There were an awful lot of kids who were giving the majority of their shifts away. My DD had a roommate who did this. She would only work enough to pay her rent and maybe $10 over. She wasn't a "party" girl and wasn't even spending tons of time in the parks. She just hated her job, her location and didn't want to work. Having been through 3 programs with my DDs, I have seen lots of it. The kids figure out the system and how to beat it. I honestly think in the long term this is going to discourage those who see it as a long term vacation (with a little bit of work thrown in here and there) from even applying. I could be wrong, but time will tell.

Was your daughter able to figure out when she can reapply and a workable solution?

 

[SingingMom]

Ahh...you are correct, I did misunderstand.
I don't disagree with you about the change in policy stinking. BUT I do understand Why they did it. There were an awful lot of kids who were giving the majority of their shifts away. My DD had a roommate who did this. She would only work enough to pay her rent and maybe $10 over. She wasn't a "party" girl and wasn't even spending tons of time in the parks. She just hated her job, her location and didn't want to work. Having been through 3 programs with my DDs, I have seen lots of it. The kids figure out the system and how to beat it. I honestly think in the long term this is going to discourage those who say it as a long term vacation (with a little bit of work thrown in here and there) from even applying. I could be wrong, but time will tell.

Was your daughter able to figure out when she can reapply and a workable solution?

Unfortunately, I think this new policy was like "throwing the baby out with the bath water!" Wish there had been a way to weed out the offenders. My DD is a PT CM in an area that has CPs but no other way to pick up hours. She would LOVE to take some of those extra shifts off the CP hands. Such is life I guess! lol

 

[Monykalyn]

I've seen so many kids having this issue. When Disney calls something the 'Disney College Program' one would think it would be the same as taking classes at college. But, it isn't. Not even close. When someone asks me about the program, and if I think it's a good idea to do while in college, my answer is 'it depends'. It's a terrific opportunity. But....it's isn't a substitute for college. There really aren't all that many available classes that will allow a kid to get academic credit, in order to be considered as still enrolled in college and have financial aid packages stay in force! A lot of colleges won't even try to work with the student, while others are good about it. It's a wonderful experience for kids, and can have lasting repercussions in the employment world. But, if a child can't make do without taking a 'for credit' class while there, it may not be a good fit!

Yeah I get why colleges won't let kids just take off to play at Disney. I do, however, think more academics should think outside the little box they put themselves in. And while the program has changed from when I did it 26 years ago--easier now-((I HAD to take the seminars (had choice of specialty-mine was "Management Disney Style"), was assigned a major group (didn't get to pick who was in group) project that had to be presented to Disney execs; by attending all seminars, getting good remarks on the project from execs (and they did NOT hold back-student or no-they held feet to fire!!) and get an excellent rating with no unexcused call ins to get my "degree"-both DH and I got Ducktorates)) it is still worthwhile. Neither of us had any problem getting a co-op elective credit-even though I came home and immediately changed my major. My field now has zero to do with anything I did at Disney-yet over 20 years of experience in my field I still get asked about Disney LOL. That part of the experience I do wish colleges had an inkling about.

I think she has it worked out to get an hour of credit through the co-op; all she wants as it allows her to be considered "Full time student". She will technically be a junior when she starts back to school next spring (she was able to take advanced classes at her HS that were dual credit with a local university) along with the 8 credit hours she is taking over the summer she is still ahead of curve; although it will be her "sophomore" year on campus. I do think many kids aren't planners like DD is and find themselves behind or having to wait til graduation-and only getting the one shot.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Yeah I get why colleges won't let kids just take off to play at Disney. I do, however, think more academics should think outside the little box they put themselves in. And while the program has changed from when I did it 26 years ago--easier now-((I HAD to take the seminars (had choice of specialty-mine was "Management Disney Style"), was assigned a major group (didn't get to pick who was in group) project that had to be presented to Disney execs; by attending all seminars, getting good remarks on the project from execs (and they did NOT hold back-student or no-they held feet to fire!!) and get an excellent rating with no unexcused call ins to get my "degree"-both DH and I got Ducktorates)) it is still worthwhile. Neither of us had any problem getting a co-op elective credit-even though I came home and immediately changed my major. My field now has zero to do with anything I did at Disney-yet over 20 years of experience in my field I still get asked about Disney LOL. That part of the experience I do wish colleges had an inkling about.

I think she has it worked out to get an hour of credit through the co-op; all she wants as it allows her to be considered "Full time student". She will technically be a junior when she starts back to school next spring (she was able to take advanced classes at her HS that were dual credit with a local university) along with the 8 credit hours she is taking over the summer she is still ahead of curve; although it will be her "sophomore" year on campus. I do think many kids aren't planners like DD is and find themselves behind or having to wait til graduation-and only getting the one shot.

Why is being a full time student so critical? Insurance companies cannot make a parent drop a child under the age of 26 from their coverage even if they are not a full time student. It's illegal now. So keeping them on your insurance should not be an issue. We have known many kids who were able to "take ONE semester off to work the program" and still keep their scholarship(s) and not have to worry about changing the status on their student loan(s). One of my DD's roommates was offered a very lucrative face character position for an extension but when she did her research, she found it would negatively impact her scholarships and loans (taking 1 semester off wasn't a problem, the 2nd one would be.)

Here's the reality though. Disney is a company. It has to do what's best to operate it the company. The reality is these kids are cheap labor for Disney. In return, these kids get the opportunity to work for a Fortune 100 company and get to include that in their resumé. Many of these kids are only there for between 4 and 5 months. Disney has selected them (from Thousands and thousands of applicants!), they need to be there to work first and foremost, not for play or even for schooling.
And I'm not sure I agree that it was throwing the baby out with the bathwater. There was a HIGH amount of "offenders". If someone doesn't like these terms, no one is forcing any student to apply. Just like you are not forced to go to a certain college. If you don't like the way the school handles the DCP and the DCP is that important to you, maybe the college isn't a good match. It's all about choices and priorities.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I've seen so many kids having this issue. When Disney calls something the 'Disney College Program' one would think it would be the same as taking classes at college. But, it isn't. Not even close. When someone asks me about the program, and if I think it's a good idea to do while in college, my answer is 'it depends'. It's a terrific opportunity. But....it's isn't a substitute for college. There really aren't all that many available classes that will allow a kid to get academic credit, in order to be considered as still enrolled in college and have financial aid packages stay in force! A lot of colleges won't even try to work with the student, while others are good about it. It's a wonderful experience for kids, and can have lasting repercussions in the employment world. But, if a child can't make do without taking a 'for credit' class while there, it may not be a good fit!

It set up as internships because Disney gets tax benefits for it that way.
Also, many if not most universities have online classes that students can take to keep their status. The thing is...1. They may not be classes (or enough of them for FT status) in their major. Especially if they are in the latter part of their college years. So effectively they could have to take classes that are useless to them credit wise just to maintain a FT status. 2. It is very difficult to take a FT course load and work a demanding FT job! Can it be done? Absolutely! But chances are there isn't going to be much time for the fun that surrounds them. Plus trying to keep excellent grades will make it even harder.
It has worked for my DD because she didn't have loans and her scholarships weren't renewable. They were just lump sums given to her when she won them.
It works for many but not all. But again, it comes back to choices and priorities.

 

[Monykalyn]

Wow peeps-i simply asked for ADVICE not a lecture. I am FULLY aware of the situation, and DD has planned for this for a number of years. I could say more but I will stop there.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Wow peeps-i simply asked for ADVICE not a lecture. I am FULLY aware of the situation, and DD has planned for this for a number of years. I could say more but I will stop there.

You aren't the only one reading the responses though. There is an ignore feature that canbe used if you do not like other's responses (or what you refer to as a lecture). That's the thing about Internet boards...When you post you don't get to decide if, when, how others respond. If you don't want to hear other thoughts/opinions, it's probably best not to post since you only get to control what you type and not how others respond.

 

[SingingMom]

And I'm not sure I agree that it was throwing the baby out with the bathwater. There was a HIGH amount of "offenders". If someone doesn't like these terms, no one is forcing any student to apply. Just like you are not forced to go to a certain college. If you don't like the way the school handles the DCP and the DCP is that important to you, maybe the college isn't a good match. It's all about choices and priorities.

The reason I said that is the new policy really has been a minus for PT staff. If the CP's used the "give away shifts" to have an occasional day off, or a break from crazy 60 hour weeks, many PT CM's would be thrilled to add more shifts to their schedules. It could be win-win when used responsibly. Now it's "lose-lose".

 

[stitchlovestink]

The reason I said that is the new policy really has been a minus for PT staff. If the CP's used the "give away shifts" to have an occasional day off, or a break from crazy 60 hour weeks, many PT CM's would be thrilled to add more shifts to their schedules. It could be win-win when used responsibly. Now it's "lose-lose".

I understand exactly what you mean as far as the PTimers. When I came to visit and they did not approve my DD's time off request, she was able to give away a few of her shifts. The PTimers she worked with "gobbled" the shifts up quickly. It was win-win.
I just don't know how they could monitor this in a reasonable way without it creating extra work for someone or possibly even many. And how do they determine "responsible versus irresponsible use"?

 

[SingingMom]

I understand exactly what you mean as far as the PTimers. When I came to visit and they did not approve my DD's time off request, she was able to give away a few of her shifts. The PTimers she worked with "gobbled" the shifts up quickly. It was win-win.
I just don't know how they could monitor this in a reasonable way without it creating extra work for someone or possibly even many. And how do they determine "responsible versus irresponsible use"?

If I were "Queen"....
My suggestion is a limit on it. Allow CP's to give away once a month (twice a month maybe) - (use it for "mental health day", family visit, etc) You MUST get shift covered. You are termed if you use it more than "x times".

 

[stitchlovestink]

If I were "Queen"....
My suggestion is a limit on it. Allow CP's to give away once a month (twice a month maybe) - (use it for "mental health day", family visit, etc) You MUST get shift covered. You are termed if you use it more than "x times".

CMs already have to get the shift covered and get it approved. If you don't and you don't call out that day, it's considered a no call/no show. A CM is no longer responsible for the shift once the give away is approved, but until approved it's still their shift.
I don't disagree with you about once or twice a month being unreasonable. The problem is it still creates work for someone else... keeping track and making sure it doesn't get used more than they are allowed.
And JMHO, but if they are only there for several months, should they really be needing a mental health day that much?? What are they going to do when they enter the work force after college??
A lot of jobs (not all, of course) don't sit and wait for someone to return. Someone else has to pick up the slack. Not all jobs can call someone in on short notice because an employee needed a "mental health" day. Scheduled time off and a serious illness are totally different situations. It's my opinion, you don't have to agree with it, but it doesn't make me wrong.

 

[goofy4tink]

Ahh...you are correct, I did misunderstand.
I don't disagree with you about the change in policy stinking. BUT I do understand Why they did it. There were an awful lot of kids who were giving the majority of their shifts away. My DD had a roommate who did this. She would only work enough to pay her rent and maybe $10 over. She wasn't a "party" girl and wasn't even spending tons of time in the parks. She just hated her job, her location and didn't want to work. Having been through 3 programs with my DDs, I have seen lots of it. The kids figure out the system and how to beat it. I honestly think in the long term this is going to discourage those who see it as a long term vacation (with a little bit of work thrown in here and there) from even applying. I could be wrong, but time will tell.

Was your daughter able to figure out when she can reapply and a workable solution?

She can reapply in six months..unless she is told otherwise by her managers. She has also been told to head to Casting, and ask what is the best approach to working for Disney again. Fingers crossed she will do those things. It's her life and she has to deal with it.

Wow peeps-i simply asked for ADVICE not a lecture. I am FULLY aware of the situation, and DD has planned for this for a number of years. I could say more but I will stop there.

I'm sorry...I don't think anyone meant to 'lecture'! It's hard to see intent when reading posts!!!

As far as the new system goes, it shouldn't be all that hard to deal with the chronic abusers. When the paycheck is below a set amount, it could trigger a look see! If that happens, then they get an email telling them that this is not acceptable, and if it happens again, there will be consequences. The third time and they are termed! I was almost relieved that dd wasn't able to apply. Why? Because she would probably get part-time, and that meant another job since there would be no way she would get at least 30 hrs each week! So now, she still has to look for a job, but it can be closer to the hrs that she needs.

 

[Eureka]

I think the idea behind being a full time student is not health insurance, but to keep any financial aid/scholarships.

 

[SingingMom]

CMs already have to get the shift covered and get it approved. If you don't and you don't call out that day, it's considered a no call/no show. A CM is no longer responsible for the shift once the give away is approved, but until approved it's still their shift.
I don't disagree with you about once or twice a month being unreasonable. The problem is it still creates work for someone else... keeping track and making sure it doesn't get used more than they are allowed.
And JMHO, but if they are only there for several months, should they really be needing a mental health day that much?? What are they going to do when they enter the work force after college??
A lot of jobs (not all, of course) don't sit and wait for someone to return. Someone else has to pick up the slack. Not all jobs can call someone in on short notice because an employee needed a "mental health" day. Scheduled time off and a serious illness are totally different situations. It's my opinion, you don't have to agree with it, but it doesn't make me wrong.

I never said disagreeing with my opinion made you "wrong". (it wasn't me! Really! )

I also understand the rules of "no call/no show" etc. What I was trying say was I think a blanket "no more giving away a shift" was a dramatic decision. The creating extra work is debatable - I'll bet it's a tweak of the automated tracking system they have in place. A program change to flag the situation. But, so be it. We can agree to disagree.

But as for needing a "mental health day" - I can certainly see that being the case. Maybe not for a 9-5 job, but for holiday or busy season times, when they are working with minimal time off, "on stage", needing to be constantly courteous, can be tough for anyone - add to that being away from home & friends, maybe this being a first full time job, etc etc.... that "mental health day" to even catch up on sleep could be a Godsend.

 

[RJake1]

Does anyone know when the application period for Spring 2018 opens? THanks.

 

[AARCLUKSCH]

Congratulations! My DD also auditioned on 3/8 in MI and was offered a Character Performer role! Her arrival date is May 15th. Did your DD have to read a script and be video recorded?

No voice audition at all. It was mostly dancing and improv. How exciting for both. I'm sure we must have run into each other in Michigan.