I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[spacerangerqueen]

All that varies by person, but no it doesn't have to extend the time you are in college. Most kids take the full semester off but some take an online course or two. They work alot, so it would be really hard to maintain full time courses while at DCP.
To stay on track, you can plan ahead and have done dual enrollment in high school (good idea even if you aren't DCP) or take classes in the summer. DD did deal enrollment and takes classes in the summer anyways, so DCP didn't put her behind.

For someone who is on a specific track where courses aren't necessarily offered every semester, like nursing, for example, it would be a challenge to do DCP in the last 2 years when you take those core classes. That person would want to do DCP early on in their college career or in the semester following graduation.
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ETA: But, even in you graduate a semester late, who cares? Adulthood is long. An experience like DCP is once in a lifetime.



Here are the reflections my DD posted to social media when she got home:

"...and so our journey comes to an end." I just finished up my 7 month internship with The Walt Disney Company in which I was working in Magic Kingdom assigned to two locations -- Casey's Corner on Main Street USA and the Happily Ever After Fireworks Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace. It was the most challenging 7 months of my life both mentally and physically, but more rewarding than I could have ever possibly imagined almost a year ago when I was praying that this experience would be one full of personal growth.
I could probably go on for hours about all of the different ways that working for Disney World was demanding and exhausting (to say the least). I was scheduled shifts that didn't end until 3 in the morning, I handled my very fair share of no-good, very-bad guests, I washed, rinsed, and sanitized until my hands were so sweaty from the gloves that they smelled like feet, I took the 9 full trash bags from the Casey's dining room to the trash compactor just to turn around and have them be full again by the time I got back, I scooped fries until my face and arms were red from the heat, and I had to flip an entire dessert party with 200 guests over to a brand new dessert party for the after-fireworks guests in a matter of the 18 minutes that Happily Ever After Fireworks provided us to do so.
However, it wasn't all as bad as my complaints make it seem. In fact a lot of it was so good that I've cried about my time here ending. A lot. Every super late night shift led to lots of dancing to the the music coming from the DJ on the castle stage, laughing with coworkers so hard that I almost pee my pants, and so much time to pre-close that we actually got out on time. For every annoying guest there were 25 more that were celebrating a birthday, anniversary, engagement, adoption, you name it, and they chose to spend their celebration at the place I work. I got to give out souvenir Mickey Sippers, baseball brownies, free bottles of water (more valuable than it may sound), have the culinary team make elaborate desserts, bring them plates with special celebration cupcakes and strawberries, even pick out a group wandering around Tomorrowland to join us at the Dessert Party for free. I was making magic at every turn. Every full trash bag I threw over my shoulder and slung into the compactor, every 4 ounce fry boat that disappeared within 3 seconds causing an endless cycle of scooping, every application of lotion because my hands were so dry from hours of wearing gloves to clean or touch anything pretty much anywhere, were worth it because I was making magic. More importantly, I was learning a lot about putting others before myself.
I have always done what was the social norm. I graduated from my high school and went straight to the SEC university that was in my state and joined a sorority. I figured I'd keep doing what I was doing until I graduated. As much as I loathed her for it when I was crying before and after every every shift in February thinking that I couldn't handle this job, I have to thank my mom for pushing me to do this and for not letting me quit no matter how many times I begged her. I am so unbelievably grateful that I left my bubble. A very small amount of people get to say that they worked on Main Street USA or watched the fireworks every single night. I celebrated Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Cinco De Mayo, Memorial Day, my 20th birthday, and the Fourth of July in Disney World. People save their whole lives to be able to do just one. I permanently signed my name on one of the beams for the Tron rollercoaster debuting in 2021, I enjoyed every single week of Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival, surprised my friends from school in Ft. Lauderdale, went to bible study on the hub grass in front of Cinderella's Castle, saw the intricate giant Easter eggs at The Grand Floridian, rode Haunted Mansion on its very first day with a ride photo and participated in the one-day-only special perks of that, became friends with others that work for Disney from all over the entire world, bought a Universal Studios annual pass, hosted my Mom, Aunt Amy, Jen, Grandma, Grandaddy, Anderson, Harrington, Hattie, Tara, Daddy, Shawn, Rowan, Sydney, Kate, and Sydney's Aunt Jill, worked the first ever Villains After Hour Event in Magic Kingdom, visited Miami, rode Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure within days of it opening, discovered a serious love for trying new foods and ate at more restaurants than I could possibly count, got to watch Hercules with my coworkers in PhilharMagic after Magic Kingdom closed for the night, and so much more.
I want to thank my co-workers for putting up with my complaints and attitude and for turning my frowns upside down. Thank you for making fun of me when I deserved it and building me up when I needed it. I've never met a more hardworking, genuine, kind, non-judgmental group of people and I'm lucky to have been part of the TLC crew. You all saw more than what I just portray on the outside and loved me for what is on the inside. I'm never going to forget the time we spent together.
The Disney College Program changed my life not just because I got to hang out in Disney World every day for 7 months, but because I was so challenged and so out of my comfort zone that I was forced to grow as a person. My relationship with Christ and my faith in Him has never been stronger, my perspective on my priorities in life have shifted, and I feel like I know more about myself than I could've ever learned while stuck doing what everyone else around me was doing. All it took was some faith, trust, and pixie dust.
"And let us not forget one thing -- that it all started with a mouse."

Love this! My CP was 15 years ago. I had a lot of similar emotions after it was done. It was the best and worst time of my life. And 15 years later I am still friends with a lot of my fellow CPs from my work location. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. Glad your daughter enjoyed her experience!

 

[spacerangerqueen]

I was going to do the DCP, even dragged a friend of mine to the info session and he ended up doing the program, but when I realized that it would put me a semester behind due to classes I had coming up that were only offered every fall semester I didn't even apply. I did go visit my friend while he was doing the DCP and it was fun to see a semi-look behind the scenes but I do wish someone had convinced me to go for it. Being a semester or even a year behind wouldn't have been that bad in the grand scheme of life, there's a lifetime ahead of working. My husband and I joke that if we had known what was ahead of us we wouldn't have worked so hard to graduate in 4 years!! I would encourage anyone to take advantage of opportunities like the DCP or study abroad while they can - life comes soon enough and these won't be options then.

Now - let's see what I tell my kids when they want to leave for some study abroad halfway around the world!!

I turned down my offer the first time I applied when I realized it would put me an entire year behind in school. My degree is in architecture and the studio classes are tied together each year in the Fall and Spring and there is no option to take them over the summer. Ultimately I did the CP right after I graduated so it didn't interfere.

 

[godisney14]

SW won't be flying the MAX until Jan 2020 so if holiday flights are scheduled on a Max they will be changed. I don't know that I would pro-actively change though because if SW fixes it by switching in another aircraft you have nothing to be concerned about.

Thanks for the update.

Missed that news from last week. Only saw the news of delay till November from the week prior.
They’ve been doing ~monthly notices of the delay, but looks like they were proactive and delayed it further pretty quickly this time.

@disfanforlife hopefully, this latest update relieves any concern about flying on SW in Nov.

 

[disfanforlife]

They won’t cancel any scheduled flights. They’ll just change the plane to the -800 if they delay using the Max 8.
There’s two options for you right now:
1. Wait until end of this month to see whether SW delays using the Max 8 another month until December. This seems like a good possibility based on how things are going.
2. Switch to another flight now before finding out whether SW will further delay operating the Max 8.

I have one transfer tentatively scheduled for a Max 8 in Nov. But I don’t have to be at my destination by any specific time, and so I will be going with option 1 and wait until end of this month to see whether SW changes the plane.

I may wait too. This is the day we are flying home. Worse case is if flight is cancelled - we will stay in a Florida an extra day.

 

[disfanforlife]

Thanks for the update.

Missed that news from last week. Only saw the news of delay till November from the week prior.
They’ve been doing ~monthly notices of the delay, but looks like they were proactive and delayed it further pretty quickly this time.

@disfanforlife hopefully, this latest update relieves any concern about flying on SW in Nov.

Thanks, yes, a bit. Our flight down isn’t listed as a Max 8. I’d be more concerned about that flight than the return because I don’t want to miss any of our vacation.

 

[vanjust14]

Has anybody used AA miles for Universal on-site hotels and completed their stay yet? I'm thinking of switching my URs booking to AA miles to get better value out of them (and since the URs have a much more tangible cash-out value).

I'm seeing that AAvacations with the throwaway rental car is better than hotel only with Useaamiles (that one ceases to amaze me, lol). At any rate - if anybody has done this let me know! I'd love to hear if it all worked smoothly.

I just did this. I never picked up the rental car, and spoke to AA beforehand to make sure I didn't have to. Rep said I didn't, which was true. All went smoothly. Checking in was fine too, no issues.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I'm thinking of applying for the Barclays AA card (I decided against trying for another Citi AA biz given the mixed DPs).

Here's where I'm at with my cards:

Hyatt Chase	Personal	July, 2018
Chase Ink Preferred	Business	September, 2018
AmEx Hilton Aspire	Personal	14-Dec-18​
AmEx Hilton Business	Business	27-Jan-19​
AmEx Bonvoy Business	Business	18-Mar-19​
Chase Ink Preferred #2	Business	23-Mar​
AA Citi Bus (40,000 pts)	Business	13-Apr-19​
Marriott Brilliant	Personal	30-Apr-19​
Chase Ink Preferred #3	Business	June 27 2019

Does Barclays pull from the same CB as Chase and Citi for biz cards? Will my recent activity get me a denial? I don't mind calling in and talking to them -- I have a legit business with bank account and some paperwork. I need a card for an upcoming spend and don't want to strike out with Barclays. Thoughts?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

DH just told me that on one of his last work trips he was paying for something and the person noticed the labels on his card and mentioned them... so he explained... and she told him maybe it was time for him to be a big boy and learn how to use his own cards

That is...rude.

Right? I mean, it's funny but also what, like I would never make a comment like that to someone! Also surprisingly DH kept his cool because normally that kind of thing annoys him. When telling the story tonight he was all, I wanted to tell her weve basically been on one trip a month because of that and she probably hasnt been on vacation in years! Maybe she should use her cards better, she probably doesnt even have a credit card

He should have said that. Plus MYOB

They are fine but I really cringe with like how bad the acting is in some of them. I think mark hamill is awful. Rey is a much better Jedi

What? Treasonous

Here in Michigan we go back anywhere from mid August to the day after Labor Day.

In Chicago area, suburbs start mid to end of August, city of Chicago starts after Labor Day. DS starts 8/14. Of course the school is so lame I just got his report card yesterday from May.

This is when I was thinking most of the south was back in by. And are parents really taking vacations until a couple days before school starts?? Maybe, I guess...as a homeschooler, I am out-of-touch. I just feel like if my kids were back in school on Aug 12, I'd be done with vacations the weeks before. What is weird is that we are at WDW Aug 5-15. Our days at the beginning and at the end have all increased.

There are summer conflicts like jobs but my sister’s family just got back from vacation because my nieces swim and dive and the season goes through July. They literally left the day after last meet.

I just thought y’all needed to go back to school shopping - clothes, supplies, backpacks

That’s been done for a few weeks. I did pick up some new clothes because Kohl’s had 30% off and no tax this weekend.

I’m surprised by how many of your DHs don’t want anything to do with bills. We’re almost the opposite. We’re both fully on board with churning and ccs but Dh is actually the one that handles all of the bills and keeps track of the category spending. I’m the one that does all of the research (help from you guys mostly lol) so we know what card to go for next and I plan all of our trips.

Also, here’s your not so inspirational quote for the day: “If you make a mistake, don’t worry, we all knew you would”

It’s different for each family for sure. I’m totally a numbers person, DH is not. My sister is the opposite. Her husband keeps track of all the money and bills plus he is anti credit card so she won’t do anything churning wise because she’d have to do it herself and it might involve arguing with her husband. The control freak in me also couldn’t deal with my husband handling everything.

 

[gottalovepluto]

In case anyone is interested in what themes might be at EPIC Universe!View attachment 422606

My Mom (maybe) FTW. Was telling her Universal is building a new park and in speculating what could be in it besides Harry Potter and Nintendo she said “How To Train Your Dragon! They could easily do a whole land on that!”

 

[gottalovepluto]

-

 

[gottalovepluto]

My husband is exactly like yours...he does not manage cards, I have set up the log ins and use them....we have been married 35 years and he has never paid a bill and has no interest in doing so...as long as his credit score stays high....he is happy.
Depending on the 3rd 5% categories I may want to PC his CFU to a CF....and am dreading asking him to call...so I may have to try to do it first

Do you have a “How To” set up in the case of the something bad happening to you that he knows how to access? Very serious topic I know and it might seem like a no brainer to some people but it doesn’t necessarily occur to others.

 

[Natgridenergy]

Just disappointing. UPS tends to be busy and also parking is a nightmare. Closest Kohls CS area is ALWAYS a nightmare... I buy less at Kohl's because of that, in case of returns. I have returns in my car I have been putting off... guess I'll put them off until I grab my Amazon item too.

Say it’s defective. Always free returns then.

 

[DisneyMandC]

@TDSAXX I was just there a week a go and my view looking nothing like that. Have they filled in from like 41st down? Or is there a bit remaining between?

Yup, I’m at 37th street Courtyard. They’ve filled in to 38th street and are now working down to 36th. They told us it would be done in front of our hotel either Thursday or Friday night and it’s still going today. It’s moved slightly further down the block now, but the beach in front of the hotel is still closed and there’s a huge pipe that runs probably 5 blocks down the beach.

 

[amalone1013]

I just did this. I never picked up the rental car, and spoke to AA beforehand to make sure I didn't have to. Rep said I didn't, which was true. All went smoothly. Checking in was fine too, no issues.

You were more responsible than me lol. I didnt even check for the car with our Swolphin stay, just didnt pick it up lol. No issues.

 

[amalone1013]

Say it’s defective. Always free returns then.

It's a couch cover... I should say its defective because I had to order a recliner one and put it on upside down to fit the chaise end

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Imho you should be fine. Two thoughts:
-Do you currently have any Barclays cards? People seem to be limited to 2...
-Do you have a few weeks before this spend hits? Barclays can take 3 weeks for approval if you get kicked to security for identity review.

Totally different but since you have a legit biz... have you considered the Wells Fargo Biz Plat? $500 cash back after $5k spend, doesn’t report on personal credit report. Also, do you have 15k you’d be willing to put towards a bank account bonus for 90 days? My thinking here is sometimes when you go into WF and open a biz checking account under a bonus offer in the middle of the app the banker suddenly sees you’ve been targeted for the Biz Plat CC offer for $500 with $5k spend- and you don’t even get hard pulled if that’s the case! Some WFs work with “businesses”, some don’t, but since you’re legit maybe consider giving your local branch a call if you’re interested in the checking account to find out what you’d need to bring in to apply. Might get lucky with a cc offer as well. If you’re not into the bank account the cc offer might be good to check out on it’s own anyway. (Do remember WF limits you to one cc bonus every 15 months.)

No current Barclays cards. I have right around 3 weeks.

 

[mmmears]

Older daughter got accepted into the program twice and did not go because it conflicted with her graduation schedule. The last time she got to the point of knowing she would start as a transportation CM. I really wanted her to go because of the discounts and the experience, but after we looked at the impact on her schedule, I was with her in canceling out. She had already done semester abroad so was not lacking in experiences.

And way back when, I saw the ad posted at my university, gave it passing thought and continued on my way. I had not yet traveled to Disney, so had no idea!

I wish I had known about this when I was in college. I have a friend who did the CP back when she was in college, and she says it changed her life. It was not a fit for my DD who wanted to graduate on time and didn't even have time for study abroad if she wanted to get all the major/minor stuff she wanted. It's not for everyone, but I think it would have been good for me.

I’m surprised by how many of your DHs don’t want anything to do with bills. We’re almost the opposite. We’re both fully on board with churning and ccs but Dh is actually the one that handles all of the bills and keeps track of the category spending. I’m the one that does all of the research (help from you guys mostly lol) so we know what card to go for next and I plan all of our trips.

Funny, but we do things the same way. I used to pay all the bills, kept a budget back when we really made very little combined income and had to scrimp and save, etc. Then when I was staying home with a baby it was a bit too much and I didn't have a computer I could use so DH took it over. When I was ready to take it all back, he was thrilled but wanted it done 100% HIS way, meaning online but secure with 1,000 passwords and stuff like that. I gave him the choice of having things done the way I could do it or doing it himself. The rest is history. I can't say I mind the way it turned out. I have to keep running away with my iPhone because he keeps trying "2-Factor authentication" every single app and I hate this stuff. It's bad enough that I now have passwords that are super complicated and extra long for every account I have. I guess he didn't like the one password I was using for non-finance stuff.

 

[mmmears]

Churning fail - DH and I took 4 CCs to Staples this afternoon. They all had different offers on them. And there were NO Disney cards in the store. We settled for iTunes, Whole Foods and refill of printer ink that we actually needed.

 

[wisconsinmom]

I just checked card match and it looks like I'm pre-approved for the 100,000 Am Express Platinum offer. I can do the MSR but I'm trying to decide if this card is worth it for me. I already have a CSR. All 4 of us already have Global Entry. The Uber credit would be super hit or miss for us, I'd be lucky to use 6 of the months. We live in a rural area and only use Uber when traveling. The airline credit...I guess I could use it for ECBI with Southwest but that is stretching it because it isn't a normal thing I buy. I have Priority Pass with my CSR and the airports we use most often don't have a Centurion lounge. I really want to find a way that this card can be good for me, what am I missing?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I just checked card match and it looks like I'm pre-approved for the 100,000 Am Express Platinum offer. I can do the MSR but I'm trying to decide if this card is worth it for me. I already have a CSR. All 4 of us already have Global Entry. The Uber credit would be super hit or miss for us, I'd be lucky to use 6 of the months. We live in a rural area and only use Uber when traveling. The airline credit...I guess I could use it for ECBI with Southwest but that is stretching it because it isn't a normal thing I buy. I have Priority Pass with my CSR and the airports we use most often don't have a Centurion lounge. I really want to find a way that this card can be good for me, what am I missing?

What will you do with the 100k MRs?