Homeschool Chat

[DawnM]

Well, I haven't done it, but what I said earlier was what was posted by the Carolina Homeschooling group website....they go every year so I assumed that was correct.

We don't stay on property anyway, so I don't know the details.

Dawn

Last year, when i was looking into it, before we moved here, I was told that yes, you could get the DDP, but you'd have to pay for it. I opted for free dining and we unfornuately skipped out on the YES classes. I do not know if it is still like that.

 

[momto3disneyfans]

Hi guys! We're going in September and participating in The Ultimate Field Trip for the 6th time AND in Disney's Homeschool Days for the first time. I've gotten to know a lot of people in the Disney Youth Groups department when I train onsite but this is the first time I'm going to get to do anything with them. When I've coordinated trips for other groups to go onsite and participate in the Y.E.S. classes I've really not gotten great feedback. Does anyone have any thoughts on what classes might actually be worthwhile for us to sign up for when we go this year?

Guess I didn't just want to subscribe. Now back to reading the thread...

 

[wvdislover]

We're going on The Ultimate Field Trip, too! It's our first time--can't wait!!! If you'd like to find out what the Ultimate Field Trip is, PM me, and I'll be glad to tell you! Momto3disneyfans, can't wait to see you there! I know we'll have a ball!

 

[EeyoreEma]

Hi - I'm new to this area of the DisBoards - thanks to y'all who posted the link for me! We're planning on homeschooling both of our children, and dd will be starting a kindergarten program soon. Can anyone explain to me about homeschool days at Disney? I've never heard of that before, but it sounds awesome!

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Another request for Homeschool Days information! I think I understand it, but would really appreciate verification or correction.
1) If we purchase tickets for January, we would be able to use them from 7 days before Jan 24, or 7 days after? The Home school tickets include 1 selection for an educational program offered during that time?
2) If the kids want to do others they can be added on through the YES program for $26 each program?
3)If you are not interested in a program, you can choose not attend, and still use the Home School tickets?
4) How do the "premium" tickets work? eg, does the 4 day give you 4 park days and an additional 4 other days for water park, disney quest etc?
5) also, my husband and I have aps. these would be for dgks and dd and dsil. Can we still get into the park but just not do the ed program? I would think so.
TIA for the help. Grammy

 

[jetprincess]

Has anyone actually done any of the YES programs? in addition to the Special Presentation, we registered for 2. Synergy in Science and Disney Animation Magic.

When I spoke to a CM, he said these classes cap at about 20. At the Special Presentation, they expect about 200.

Just wondering what your experiences were! I would love to do The American Story but they are not offering during fall open enrollment

 

[momto3disneyfans]

Another request for Homeschool Days information! I think I understand it, but would really appreciate verification or correction.
1) If we purchase tickets for January, we would be able to use them from 7 days before Jan 24, or 7 days after? The Home school tickets include 1 selection for an educational program offered during that time?
2) If the kids want to do others they can be added on through the YES program for $26 each program?
3)If you are not interested in a program, you can choose not attend, and still use the Home School tickets?
4) How do the "premium" tickets work? eg, does the 4 day give you 4 park days and an additional 4 other days for water park, disney quest etc?
5) also, my husband and I have aps. these would be for dgks and dd and dsil. Can we still get into the park but just not do the ed program? I would think so.
TIA for the help. Grammy

1) I'm very curious why you think they just last for 7 days? I'm getting 8 day tickets for my kids in September and we're told they expire just like every other ticket - 14 days after first use. We're going to begin using them 2 days before the homeschool days events begin. I do know the tickets only include the presentation - they don't include the class. Those cost extra.
2) If they want to do any classes, you have to pay per class.
3) Different rumors are out there about how much you have to participate in when you purchase the homeschool days tickets, but the cast members tell me that they aren't tracking the entries into the presentations (the only event that could be required) However, I will see it for myself in September and I can tell you for sure what they do then.
4) A 4 day premium ticket means it has park hopping (multiple parks per day) plus the waterpark fun & more options - 4 days means 4 visits in the waterparks and Disneyquest
5) Definitely - you can get into the park - this is a tiny piece of what's going on that day. It doesn't even affect attendance.

Hope that helps! It looks like we may be going back in January for a DTA convention at that time, so maybe we'll see you there!

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Thanks mom to three for your reply. I saw something on the spot where you order the tickets that says something about seven days prior to your arrival and seven days after you leave(?) so I was thinking they meant before and after the home school event. Also, I didnt see any 8 day pass options only one to five day with and without the add ons. Maybe I am on a different site. TIA Grammy

 

[momto3disneyfans]

Thanks mom to three for your reply. I saw something on the spot where you order the tickets that says something about seven days prior to your arrival and seven days after you leave(?) so I was thinking they meant before and after the home school event. Also, I didnt see any 8 day pass options only one to five day with and without the add ons. Maybe I am on a different site. TIA Grammy

You're welcome! I think that line is really confusing - no clue why they would put it that way. You have to special order the other types of tickets - they can't be ordered online. We're on the same site - I just end up on the phone with Disney so often and ask so many questions I find out little ins and outs.

I'll post about my experiences this September after I go - we can both learn what some of this really looks like in person!

 

[lori1043]

Thanks mom to three for your reply. I saw something on the spot where you order the tickets that says something about seven days prior to your arrival and seven days after you leave(?) so I was thinking they meant before and after the home school event. Also, I didnt see any 8 day pass options only one to five day with and without the add ons. Maybe I am on a different site. TIA Grammy

Umm, I think they are for 7 days before till 7 days after- that's the impression a bunch of local homeschoolers got at convention and in calling them. I am in a Disney homeschool group for central Florida homeschoolers and our group has spoken to the homeschool days/YES coordinators multiple times. I have a friend who went the day before yesterday and she had to buy a one day pass(even though she spent thousands on AP's) and was told it was good 7 days before and 7 days after the YES program she picked that went with her 1 day pass. it's probably different in fall, but right now a 1 days pass includes a YES program.
Anyway- the 2 coordinators of our homeschool group got different answers multiple times from the YES coordinators there. It has been VERY frustrating for us locals who would love to take part in these wonderful programs. Seems they are tailored to vacationers only- not that that is bad(it's GREAT!) but we can't even use them easily-it is very complicated and expensive for us.

I am looking so forward to the day when local homeschoolers can just pay per program and not need to buy a hard ticket on top of out AP's. I hope Disney keeps track of all of our phone calls and posts about how frustrating it has been and accomodates us soon!

Lori

 

[momto3disneyfans]

Umm, I think they are for 7 days before till 7 days after- that's the impression a bunch of local homeschoolers got at convention and in calling them. I am in a Disney homeschool group for central Florida homeschoolers and our group has spoken to the homeschool days/YES coordinators multiple times. I have a friend who went the day before yesterday and she had to buy a one day pass(even though she spent thousands on AP's) and was told it was good 7 days before and 7 days after the YES program she picked that went with her 1 day pass. it's probably different in fall, but right now a 1 days pass includes a YES program.
Anyway- the 2 coordinators of our homeschool group got different answers multiple times from the YES coordinators there. It has been VERY frustrating for us locals who would love to take part in these wonderful programs. Seems they are tailored to vacationers only- not that that is bad(it's GREAT!) but we can't even use them easily-it is very complicated and expensive for us.

I am looking so forward to the day when local homeschoolers can just pay per program and not need to buy a hard ticket on top of out AP's. I hope Disney keeps track of all of our phone calls and posts about how frustrating it has been and accomodates us soon!

Lori

Imagine the irony -they tell us when we coordinate groups of homeschoolers that the homeschool days are really geared toward local homeschoolers, not towards us (people traveling there from other states). I really like a lot of the people in the department - I got to do some training onsite with them and then hang out with them again during the Earmarked Convention. They readily admit that they're struggling to figure out how to take care of the homeschool community, but I wonder if there are just too many of us talking to them for them to figure out how to accommodate us all?

Are you in the group having the mom's night out tonight? They're a great group of ladies!

 

[lori1043]

Ha! We had mom's night out last night. We had a blast!

It is def not geared to locals. I cannot easily bring my kids to YES programs and I live 20 miles outside Disney. I want to do the ones in fall and throughout the year b/c I have Florida resident seasonal passes and I wouldn't have to purchase hard tickets for the days we do it. But they do not have Open Enrollment in the fall. They have it now, but even if you have regular year round AP's, you have to pay for at least a 1 day pass to get in- then you have to book your Open Enrollment classes. One girl I mentioned above, her kids had thier 1st YES class day before yesterday, then she has 2 more booked in a couple weeks- she's sorta worried about getting into the parks on her pass, rather than a ticket, for the programs 2 weeks out. She is going to update us when all is said and done and let us know how everything worked out.

I am willing to pay for a 1 day pass to get my kids into it- but do I want to when I already spent a lot of money on passes? Then , if there's no Open Enrollment I couldn't do more than 1 class anyway(that I know of), if I only have a one day ticket. I am not sure about it though. At the very least I would have to get 1 day passes for me and my kids however many times a year they offer them. Kinda silly when you have AP's.

All that I do know is that the gals who lead the group have seriously given up for a bit on trying to get our group into the YES programs b/c there were many differences from each phone call to them(there were many) plus they talked to them at convention. I was going to call but decided not to until summer was past and fall was upon us. Knowing Disney, they will figure it out for us all. Many from our group bombarded them(excited to get our kids in YES programs!) at and after convention! Plus leaving it to the moms who have hubby's working for Disney, they worked for Disney, or have been here longer than us just seems right and they know what the issues have been.


So I agree that they are already bombarded with homeschooler issues!
They're getting to know us well though and over time we hope it will be a good thing. We do our best to be respectful and gracious while on property.

In my limited experience(my family just moved here in last 6 months) as a local Florida Disney loving homeschooler, we have benefitted greatly from some CM's. My kids did a project on an African country and 2 international CM's went more than out of thier way to make sure we understood thier culture as best we could- they made us CD's of thier common music, magazines from thier countries, did a Q&A that my kids drew up, took pics with them and were overall very interested and excited that my kids picked thier country to report on. I am even friends with one of them on FB.
All i can say is that the months of Feb/March was spent at AKL! LOL
We brought them some traditional south Louisiana goodies as a thank you-beignet mix, pralines, Zapp's chips, and Blue Runner red beans! LOL

Enjoy your programs! and your trips! I'll be patiently waiting for Disney to let us in soon enough and easily enough!

 

[grammynelliebelle]

I think I will call them on Monday and ask about the seven days before and after. I am mainly interested in the homeschool days tickets and if the kids are interested in the YES offerings we will add them. When you speak to cast members, do you make note of who you are talking to? The 7 days will make a difference for us as we have to book airline tickets. Great deal, but need to be sure of the facts. Grammy

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

I think I will call them on Monday and ask about the seven days before and after. I am mainly interested in the homeschool days tickets and if the kids are interested in the YES offerings we will add them. When you speak to cast members, do you make note of who you are talking to? The 7 days will make a difference for us as we have to book airline tickets. Great deal, but need to be sure of the facts. Grammy

The tickets are valid 7 days prior to arrival and 7 days after departure. Example you fill out arrival date to Orlando as Sept 20 and Departure date as September 27. Then your tickets will have Valid 9/13/10-10/4/10. Why are they valid a week before and after your arrival? It really does make sense. These are non-refundable, non-exchangeable tickets so if your plans change slightly, you are still covered.

 

[Michelle and crew]

Hi, I'm Michelle. I have 3 boys, 16, 13 and 11. We have homeschooled since the beginning, and now, I have one starting college classes this fall. He had to take the entrance exam, and luckily passed into comp 1 and College Algebra. I was nervous!

Joining for some homeschool disney company. We are planning on hitting the homeschool days in January, and I can't wait. I hope that they have something of interest for each of them.

 

[Denine]

Thinking about gearing up for the start of school.

Would love to do HS Days in WDW some day. We did HS days in Williamsburg this year and we may do them again in Sept. The focus is different from spring to fall.

I finally joined a HS group here at home. Looking foward to meeting other HSr's in the area.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

Thinking about gearing up for the start of school.

Would love to do HS Days in WDW some day. We did HS days in Williamsburg this year and we may do them again in Sept. The focus is different from spring to fall.

I finally joined a HS group here at home. Looking foward to meeting other HSr's in the area.

Great Wolf Lodge has a major homeschool discount for the Williamsburg homeschool days. We are staying for 3 nights in the KidsCabin suite. $139Very excited! If you need the discount code pm me.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hi ladies! Havent been here in a while! We started back to school the Tues after the 4th....We have been on summer break since mid-April...it was time! My younger two had started the grumblies...it always happens! 2 months off is quite long enough!!! So...we are using the Heart of Dakota for the younger two...Rod and Staff for all the Eng/lang classes....Rod and staff for dd7 and Teaching Textbooks for my boys' math. We are starting to ease in, adding subjects in each week---they are already doing well--dd is sooo excited--she loves her math and she has really made a jump in her reading fluency from when we finished in April. We should be ready for a 9th week break around Labor Day. Hopefully our area will not be hit with any major hurricanes...resulting in weeks with no power this year! If not,...we will sail on thru to mid- Nov when we will return to Disney!!!!! Enjoy the rest of y'alls summer and hope you all have great success in your new school year!!!!

 

[SCHBR'smom]

Hi ladies! Havent been here in a while! We started back to school the Tues after the 4th....We have been on summer break since mid-April...it was time! My younger two had started the grumblies...it always happens! 2 months off is quite long enough!!! So...we are using the Heart of Dakota for the younger two...Rod and Staff for all the Eng/lang classes....Rod and staff for dd7 and Teaching Textbooks for my boys' math. We are starting to ease in, adding subjects in each week---they are already doing well--dd is sooo excited--she loves her math and she has really made a jump in her reading fluency from when we finished in April. We should be ready for a 9th week break around Labor Day. Hopefully our area will not be hit with any major hurricanes...resulting in weeks with no power this year! If not,...we will sail on thru to mid- Nov when we will return to Disney!!!!! Enjoy the rest of y'alls summer and hope you all have great success in your new school year!!!!

Glad to hear your new school year is going well! We've started back up, too. I'm a bit more anxious because we decided to Letter of the Week with DD3, so I'm teaching 4 while pregnant and having a toddler run around. But, I have decided that since the baby is due at the beginning of Dec that we will take off from Thanksgiving through the New Year. For some reason, that helps set my mind at ease.

So far, school is going well. We will also add in subjects next week.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Glad to hear your new school year is going well! We've started back up, too. I'm a bit more anxious because we decided to Letter of the Week with DD3, so I'm teaching 4 while pregnant and having a toddler run around. But, I have decided that since the baby is due at the beginning of Dec that we will take off from Thanksgiving through the New Year. For some reason, that helps set my mind at ease.

So far, school is going well. We will also add in subjects next week.

Congrats on the baby!!! And that is the same break we do...Tday thru NY weekend....it helps when you have to have a major holiday or two to prepare for!! My oldest is Dec 4...so we have a busy schedule too--hang in there..you can do it!!!