College Program Parents Thread...

[Brockdancer]

Originally Posted by Lori-n-NY

My daughter was accepted for Spring Advantage 2013 for attractions. She will be going to the character/dancer audition on Oct 15. Her dream role is dancing in a parade but ultimate dream is being the green light up dragonfly in the Electric Light parade at MK. She will be thrilled with whatever role she gets.

Her program dates are Jan 7 thru Aug 2. (207 days in case you were wondering -DD told me that )

She has met some roommates thru facebook and they have weekly skype dates and really seem to get along great. Only downside I see is there is 8 of them. They are hoping to get a 4 bedroom apartment in Chatham.

We are flying down on Jan 3 to spend a day or two in the parks and then do some shopping before check in day. We are staying at Art of Animation Resort but may switch to Pop Century if and when the annual pass discount comes out. I will be flying home Jan 9.

I requested to join the parents facebook page and hope to chat with all the new DCP parents there too.

Hi Lori!
I was tickled to read your post, as our daughters must have tried out together in Saratoga Springs! My daughter was accepted into the college program five days ago and received a performer offer last night. It's very exciting, but there are a whole lot of considerations to hammer out in a short period of time. It sounds like you and your daughter have most of that figured out already. It your daughter would like to connect with someone else relatively local (and /or there are other New Yorkers reading this), I'm certain that my daughter would enjoy that too.
Best wishes to you both--and anyone else reading this as well!

[carol-lamb]

My daughter was accepted for Spring 2013 - attractions. She arrives Jan. 28th. There are so many things to take into consideration before that. We are still deciding on how we are getting her down there. She really wants her car and her dad has a connection to have it shipped down there. We would all fly down together and then her dad and I would fly home. It is kind of expensive, but my husband is trying to avoid having to make the drive down from Michigan in the winter. She has a girlfriend who is planning on subletting her apartment for the four months she will be gone from school. That will certainly help financially. Now she is deciding on what she want to do with respect to finding a roommate. She is so excited and I am so happy that she is doing the college program.

[jking6]

My daughter is currently in the DCP and loves it. She is in an apartment with 6 other girls. I love the fact that it is a gated area. While she was there one girl termed early on and a new room mate moved in. recenly another girl termed due to medical reasons so thats why only 7 in apartment now. I truly reccommend them having a car if possible. 5 out of the 7 have a car. busing is okay but you have to leave at least an hour early to get to work some earlier if depending on the park. My daughter had to catch a bus i hour early or a 7 mile ride to HS. she drives herself now on a regular basic.
When I took my daughter down we drove as far a VA and took the Autotrain from there. It was awesome they loaded her car right on and for 3 of us with the car it was $433.00 which I thought was not to bad considering it included snacks, dinner and breakfast in the morning. She does photopass at HS.
Her hours are getting crazy as we are nearing the holidays. in the next few weeks her hours have increased to 11 1/4 one day and another day she has to work from 9am to 10:15.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. There has been a few rough days must she keeps saying I miss home but at the same time I love it here! They do have one roommate that none of the girls get along with very well. she is very hot tempered and butts heads with all of them. I think she has made at least 4 of them cry at one time or another. But the others stick together and for the most part have a great time.

[Andtototoo]

Originally Posted by carol-lamb

My daughter was accepted for Spring 2013 - attractions. She arrives Jan. 28th. There are so many things to take into consideration before that. We are still deciding on how we are getting her down there. She really wants her car and her dad has a connection to have it shipped down there. We would all fly down together and then her dad and I would fly home. It is kind of expensive, but my husband is trying to avoid having to make the drive down from Michigan in the winter. She has a girlfriend who is planning on subletting her apartment for the four months she will be gone from school. That will certainly help financially. Now she is deciding on what she want to do with respect to finding a roommate. She is so excited and I am so happy that she is doing the college program.

Last time, we drove down from Wisconsin. It took us two days. We had some time off flexibility from our jobs, so we had planned on leaving early if the weather forecast for later on was bad. As it happened, last winter was a non-event, so we left three days before her check-in date (just to give us some wiggle room). Then we brought her to check-in, waited around, took her and one roommate to lunch and went to the airport.

[mynameisnobody]

My daughter was finally accepted for Spring Advantage 2013 this past Monday. It was her third attempt applying. She had her interview in Sep and has had her share of ups and downs with each pending email that she received. In fact she had just received the latest "pending, please be patient" email on Friday, then the acceptance email on Monday. She will be in Transportation which was kind of a surprise because it's not something we had really thought of previously. Her start arrival date is Feb 11. I'll be driving her from Dallas. I'll have her car on a trailer behind my truck.

A couple of questions.
For those that have lived offsite how well has that worked out? What is the maximum distance that you drive or would be willing to drive? My daughter's boyfriend just transferred to Orlando this fall and is living in Winter Park. That seems like a bit of a haul every day and I'm just not sure it's the best thing given the extra wear and tear on the car and the gas costs. They're not making anybody rich in the CP.

Now a question about roles. Those that have been in Transportation, what duties have you been assigned? I'm really just curious, we've speculated on what the possibilities could be given the variety of transportation modes there are at WDW. It'd be nice to know if there is a particular area they tend to put CP participants in or if it runs the gamut.

Mike

[mckennerk]

Originally Posted by mynameisnobody

My daughter was finally accepted for Spring Advantage 2013 this past Monday. It was her third attempt applying. She had her interview in Sep and has had her share of ups and downs with each pending email that she received. In fact she had just received the latest "pending, please be patient" email on Friday, then the acceptance email on Monday. She will be in Transportation which was kind of a surprise because it's not something we had really thought of previously. Her start arrival date is Feb 11. I'll be driving her from Dallas. I'll have her car on a trailer behind my truck.

A couple of questions.
For those that have lived offsite how well has that worked out? What is the maximum distance that you drive or would be willing to drive? My daughter's boyfriend just transferred to Orlando this fall and is living in Winter Park. That seems like a bit of a haul every day and I'm just not sure it's the best thing given the extra wear and tear on the car and the gas costs. They're not making anybody rich in the CP.

Now a question about roles. Those that have been in Transportation, what duties have you been assigned? I'm really just curious, we've speculated on what the possibilities could be given the variety of transportation modes there are at WDW. It'd be nice to know if there is a particular area they tend to put CP participants in or if it runs the gamut.

Mike

The only thing about living off property is what is the point? She could honestly apply for any job at Disney and make more money while living with her boyfriend. The point of the program is to live in the apartments, go to events and be with other college students. I think it's the entire package that makes the program so great. She would not be allowed to go to the programs offered (they are paid for through fees of residents), and would not even be allowed to sleep over in the apartments if she did make friends. If she lived with her boyfriend it would really just be living with her boyfriend and working a minimum wage job. She should stay on property with everyone! She'll have so much fun and really get the most out of the amazing experience

ps. winter park is like 40 minutes away! traffic can be a nightmare too

[Praise2Him]

Originally Posted by mynameisnobody

My daughter's boyfriend just transferred to Orlando this fall and is living in Winter Park. That seems like a bit of a haul every day and I'm just not sure it's the best thing given the extra wear and tear on the car and the gas costs. They're not making anybody rich in the CP.

Congratulations to your daughter!

Winter Park is a good 45 minute drive and it's also toll roads, which can add up fast! I'd recommend that she live onsite, and then after her program she could decide to stay on as seasonal or part time, or whatever and move then. She'll know more about the area, the best back roads and shortcuts, etc!

[justwonderful]

[QUOTE]My daughter was accepted for Spring 2013 - attractions. She arrives Jan. 28th. There are so many things to take into consideration before that. We are still deciding on how we are getting her down there. She really wants her car and her dad has a connection to have it shipped down there. We would all fly down together and then her dad and I would fly home. It is kind of expensive, but my husband is trying to avoid having to make the drive down from Michigan in the winter. She has a girlfriend who is planning on subletting her apartment for the four months she will be gone from school. That will certainly help financially. Now she is deciding on what she want to do with respect to finding a roommate. She is so excited and I am so happy that she is doing the college program./QUOTE]

I'm not sure I did the "quote" correctly, but Carol, my daughter is also arriving on January 28 and we live in Chicago, so not terribly far from you. I wonder if we'll all meet up down there. My daughter will be in a "Wellness" apartment because she's not yet 21 (she's 20) - what about yours?

[carol-lamb]

I'm not sure I did the "quote" correctly, but Carol, my daughter is also arriving on January 28 and we live in Chicago, so not terribly far from you. I wonder if we'll all meet up down there. My daughter will be in a "Wellness" apartment because she's not yet 21 (she's 20) - what about yours?

My daughter recently changed her arrival date to the 29th because she was having a hard time finding other girls with her original date of the 28th on some Facebook group where you try and find roommates. As soon as she changed her date, she was contracted by another girl her age and they decided to room together. They have since added two other girls. They will be in a wellness apartment too because my daughter is only 20. She won't be 21 until the middle of August.

[AnnaS]

Originally Posted by carol-lamb

My daughter recently changed her arrival date to the 29th because she was having a hard time finding other girls with her original date of the 28th on some Facebook group where you try and find roommates. As soon as she changed her date, she was contracted by another girl her age and they decided to room together. They have since added two other girls. They will be in a wellness apartment too because my daughter is only 20. She won't be 21 until the middle of August.

Do you mind giving me the link to fb for my daughter - thank you. When do they choose wellness and non-wellness?

[Joanna71985]

Originally Posted by AnnaS

Do you mind giving me the link to fb for my daughter - thank you. When do they choose wellness and non-wellness?

Anyone under 21 is automatically places in Wellness. For those 21+, they go into Non-Wellness (unless they request to go in a Wellness apartment).

[AnnaS]

Originally Posted by Joanna71985

Anyone under 21 is automatically places in Wellness. For those 21+, they go into Non-Wellness (unless they request to go in a Wellness apartment).

Thank you. I won't need to remember this since she will be automatically placed in Wellness.

[justwonderful]

Originally Posted by carol-lamb

My daughter recently changed her arrival date to the 29th because she was having a hard time finding other girls with her original date of the 28th on some Facebook group where you try and find roommates. As soon as she changed her date, she was contracted by another girl her age and they decided to room together. They have since added two other girls. They will be in a wellness apartment too because my daughter is only 20. She won't be 21 until the middle of August.

Oh - that's good for her! I don't think that my daughter has even thought about roommates yet. Hopefully that Disney matching plan will come through for her. She's going to be a lifeguard, and there were only two dates the lifeguards could choose from, so maybe we'll bump into some lifeguards checking in that day. In any event, best of luck to you and your daughter -- it will be great!

[babyrich]

My niece will arrive on Jan. 15, her mother and I will be moving her down, does anyone know if she can rent a TV when she gets there? I dont mean from Disney but if there is a local Rent-a-Center.

We will buy one if she has to; but thats just more stuff to take home.

[ltlmiracle]

Disney does not supply t.v.'s. Unless she gets a roommate who already has one, she will either need to rent one or buy one. My hubby went together with his roommates and they all chipped in and got a cheap one at Walmart. That way it would only cost about 25.00 a person.