Doing the CP while in a relationship

[Heartless1331]

I'm new here but i was wondering, has anyone here left a bf or gf home to do the CP? I plan on going after my last sem of college and my bf supports me but i can tell he really doesn't want me to go, and i know its only because he'll miss me and he'll worry about me being there alone. How have any of you handled leaving for so long? I can't wait to go but its so hard thinking of not seeing him for 5 months!

 

[carly3592]

I'm in the same boat. I want to do the CP next fall, but I'm kinda apprehensive about leaving my DBF here in Connecticut. I'm a year older than him, so we're already separated (I'm a freshman in college, he's a senior still in high school), so I'm kinda growing accustomed to being apart from him, but my college is only an hour from my hometown, so I can come home on weekends and stuff. I know that will definitely NOT be the case down in Florida!

So I guess I'd like to know how people have handled it as well. He supports me too, and I know nothing will happen (we'll stay together), I'd just like to know how people have dealt with it.

 

[Heartless1331]

exactly, we're both in college and we live right down the road from each other, i can walk to his house! its kind-of a long walk but i can do it lol. and i live in NY so going to FL will be a hell of a trip, i'll be lucky if i can see him once while i'm down there. its tough too because I get all excited and talk about the program all the time but he just gets upset when i mention it because he dosn't want me to leave so i can't even share my enthusiasm...

 

[SportsChick]

I'm going to be honest - it sucks royally. I'm engaged and my fiance is still at home in our condo with the dog. I see him every 2-3 weeks on average (I live 3 hours from Disney so that helps) but after 3 years of living together this has been the HARDEST part of the CP for me.

We talk, text, e-mail every day but it isn't the same.

 

[Broghantaylor]

skype helps
this is the reason we both are trying to get in
i already got my email just waiting on his
but over the summer jsut those 3 months sucked i couldnt do it for 7

 

[OilSlinger822]

I was in the same boat.. I did my program spring 2009 and I had just started dating my boyfriend in october 2008. So we were barely dating before i left. Before we started dating, I told him i was going away in the spring but luckily he still wanted to see how things would end up with us lucky me! It was super hard starting off our relationship long distance, but we made it work. some days were harder than others. luckily, we saw each other once a month (he flew to FL for valentine's weekend and spring break..i surprised him by flying home a weekend in april). I discovered skype then too haha BIG help. And while i was there i was successful in making him like disney more lol.. We just celebrated our 2 years together last week

 

[Heartless1331]

see we've been together for a while, almost 2 years now and by the time i leave we'll be at 4 years and i know we'll be able to stay together but it still sucks. The hardest part is that he won't even get excited for me, i know its cuz he worries and cuz he'll miss me but its really important to me and i wish he could share my excitement...

 

[TinkerMouse]

There are and have been tons of CP people who are married and temporarily left behind their spouses to do the program. It went relatively smoothly except for bouts of homesickness. The spouses came to WDW to visit and the CPers went home for vacation time. I would think that if married people can do it anyone in any strong relationship can.

 

[InPerfectClouds]

I'm sure there are plenty of couples who work out after the CP, but here's my experience.

My current boyfriend went down for Fall Advantage and got there in June. I didn't get there until August. When I got there, he had a girlfriend of 4 years. Well, they broke up, and we've been together for a year now.

Before Drew ((Weathaman)) and I started dating, though, I was hanging out with a different boy I met there, named Carl. So along these same lines, he and I quit hanging out because I found out he had a girlfriend of 2 years the whole time and had been leading me on ridiculously. Different outcome, similar idea.

I think being single is a lot easier, personally. That's not to say it can't be done with a significant other who's far away, though. Maybe Drew will post here because he has more input on what it's like to have a girlfriend living 12 hours away and how it was?

I hope everything works out!

 

[savannahjean85]

Honestly if I could give any advice I would tell people it is best to do program single. I am not saying it is impossible to do the program in a relationship but it is very hard.
I personally went on program with my fiance we had been together for 9 yrs and had never broken up...until we went on program together. We are back together now but we have never hit such a rough patch.
Right now a good friend of mine whose gf is on program just got dumped and they were together for a year and a half.
The best way to put it is that the program creates a "Fantasy Land" or "Never Land" effect on people. You go off to this magical world were most of your responsibilities are removed, bills are taken straight out of your pay. You are gonna make fast tight friendships and everyone is gonna wanna go out when you are not working. You be constantly busy between work and friends. The ratio of straight guys to girls is ridiculous. I saw alot people who had this "Neverland" sydrome and they didn't want to have to deal with the "real" world and tried to shed anything that drew them back to it
(i.e. their significant other).
With all that said it was the greatest experince in my life I would not change a thing. Just fair warning I am not saying all relationships fail on program but your relationship will be tested.

 

[WDW_lover_in_SC]

I think it's easier to be single as well. I made the mistake of falling for a girl who was going on the same program as I did (we're both supposed to still be there) we talked on FB skype the phone she was really into me. Then all of a sudden just bang everything changed when we got there. I realize now I shouldn't have cared but I fall for people easily. Turns out with her wanting to go home my dad being sick and all the stress it caused just from the hours at WDW I self termed...worst mistake ever. All I can say is don't let it affect your outcome don't lose focus on why you're there because you will regret it.

 

[symphie]

My boyfriend did the Spring 10 CP. We'd just started dating in November (he left in January) so it was hard to start a relationship that way. I told him I didn't want to start a relationship because I didn't want to hold him back while he was gone, but he was committed. If we weren't serious, I don't think we would've made it. As cheesy as it sounds, I knew he was the boy I wanted to marry when I first went out with him, and he felt the same.
For him, it was really hard because he felt guilty spending a semester with almost no cares or worries or stress and living in a "bubble of magic" for the most part while I was back home struggling. For me, I'm still dealing with the guilt that he only came back from the program for me. Another thing is that he was happier in Disney than he's ever been, and it was hard for me not to be there to experience that with him.
His roommate went in single, and ended up finding his fiance by the end of the program. Another of his roommates really loved the single life and had a different girl to take out every weekend. It all has to do with personality. My bf knew that I'm not the jealous type, so thankfully he didn't feel the need to ask every time he was hanging out with a group of girls. However, he kind of liked having an excuse to get away from people out partying and getting wasted because he "had a girlfriend back home who wouldn't want that."
We texted/talked/emailed every single day, and we sent letters and little gifts in the mail, but I didn't see him from the middle of December til the middle of May. It was a 10 hour trip and with his work schedule and me being in nursing school, we just couldn't ever work out a visit. We still made it though. We're happier than we ever have been, and already have plans to move back to Orlando after we graduate so he can go back to doing what he loves.

 

[jchampl]

The ratio of straight guys to girls is ridiculous.

hrrrmmmmm...... i like the sound of that

 

[JDelton1985]

Great thread! I am new here and have been wondering the same thing.

Currently I am single, but I may be in a relationship by the time I start so this helps.

Thanks!

 

[superdiz]

Depends on the type of person you are. There are going to be several temptations in Disney because boys from all over the US (world really) will be there and no doubt a few will want to be more than friends. While I did not have a boyfriend when I left, I did meet my husband in Vista Way (nicknamed Vista Lay for very good reason) and we've been together 11 years and are expecting our first baby in December! So... yes, your boyfriend has reason to worry. But if you're a good girl and he's "the one" then you shouldn't have a hard time staying faithful and it's only a semester. He can come visit!

 

[Sorahana]

Both times I did it I was in a relationship. The first time was easier since my boyfriend ended up being in bootcamp for the military at the same time, so we were both distracted/busy but he wrote me and I wrote him letters and he came to visit before he went to bootcamp.

The second time he really didn't want me to go back, but I went but we had some disagreements/I had stress from it while I was down there. I got a lot of friends out of that summer though, wow. It was crazy how many people I met XD.

It all depends on the type of relationship you have. If you know you two can handle the distance, it's very possible to be fine while you're on the program. If distance makes things worse between you, it may not.

Remember you're at Disney to work/gain experience with a world renowned company .

 

[hellojamie]

My boyfriend and I have been distant for a little over a year- we met in college but then he graduated a year before I did and moved back home. Granted, two hours of distance is a lot different than 22 hours, but it's not impossible. I'd say anyone in a strong relationship can handle it. We did hit a rough patch a couple of weeks in, but it had more to with us being distant for so long rather than me being in Florida. I got a PI so I won't be heading home until June rather than January, which I originally planned on- and that's if I head home in June. So now we have it worked out that f I stay here, he'll move down here to be with me; if I head home, I'll move to be with him.

I'm not going to say it's easy, but most of the week you'll be too busy to even think about anything but work and Disney, and if you're not actively putting yourself in the hookup-type situations that a lot of people get into, it won't happen, simple as that. I've been here almost two months, and I can promise you, the time flies by here. Five months is a blink.

 

[SoccerRob12]

The ratio of straight guys to girls is ridiculous.

As they say on the Bud commercial "Here we go!"

 

[sharpie89]

I am so glad to hear that there were married/engaged people in the program. I will be in the same boat. It has been the one thing that is really bothering me. I know he wants the best for me, but when I told him I wanted to go to Disney World, he was less then thrilled. Especially when he figured out that it was for a whole semester. I am so happy to see this is not as uncommon as I though it was.

 

[_givealittlewhistle_]

If it's any consolation...I am married, and not exactly a new bride, either. Leaving my children behind is a stressful difficult choice also. But this opportunity is so Me, they know this and support me. Although I will miss them dearly, I am thankful and very excited! You have one life: follow your dreams!