Disney College Program Update – One Month Left

If it’s possible, Joseph’s time in the Disney College Program has passed both quickly and excruciatingly slowly for me.  I’m not sure how that works, but I’m pretty sure it’s a mom thing.  Time goes quickly when I’m not worried then comes to a screeching halt when I start imagining all the things that might be going wrong.  At least this emotional roller coaster is about to pull into the station and I couldn’t be more excited!

Disney College Program Update – One Month Left

I’m certain this is the longest stretch of time Raymond and I have been apart from our favorite (and only) son.  We last saw him on February 26th and he’s due to come home on or about May 18th.  While he’s been gone, I’ve made a point of texting Joseph every couple of days with pictures of our pets and updates on everyone from Junior and Ricky to Arno (Joe’s tortoise) and all seven chickens.  (Yes, there used to be nine, but we’re not here to talk about that now, are we.)  Joseph sometimes responds, sometimes not, but does often enough that I usually know he’s okay and don’t have to creepily stalk him by his debit card activity (hey, my being a joint account holder comes in handy for both of us).  All of that changed in late March/early April when two things happened virtually simultaneously that turned my low-simmer worry to fully boiling anxiety. 

Joseph’s responses to my text messages became much less frequent and he was incommunicado with Megan and Raymond as well.  I knew Spring Break season was getting geared up and tried (I did really) to remain calm and not hover.  Then, one of Joe’s weekly paychecks ended up being about $68 and I knew something was terribly wrong.  As it turns out, he caught one of the stomach bugs going around and got sent home from work, then missed the next day, then couldn’t find any shifts to pick up on his scheduled day off.  Okay…Not too bad.  I stopped panicking for a few days. Then Spring Break hit in full force and Joseph seemed to drop off the face of the earth.

Parental Angst Run Amok

College Program parents and hopefuls, heed my cautionary tale.  No matter what time of year one participates in the College Program at Walt Disney World, there will be an insanely crazy, über busy period of time to work through.  I feel bad in hind sight that I over-worried and imagined the worst possible catastrophic events.  Joseph described that roughly two-week period like this, “Everything is exactly the same every day.  I work 10-12 hours and either go to the gym or go to sleep and that’s what happens.  It’s been incredibly busy and my hours have been extended every day.  I don’t do anything except work, eat, and sleep.  I’m not upset or anything, I just have nothing to report…it feels like every single day lasts about an hour and I feel like I have no time.”  What a relief that was!  There are five million and sixty-seven worse things than working tons of hours…I should know, I imagined every one of them.

Through it all I’m happy to say, Joseph is still having a great time!  Now that Spring Break is over, he’s had time to attended some Cast Member events, go to the movies, take in some of the Flower & Garden Festival, and resume his food reviews.  I can’t wait to see him in person (finally!) and hear all the details.  I’m sure Joe will have loads of tips and tricks and general Disney College Program information to share with you too.  If you’ve made it here to the end of this post – wish me luck over the next 29 days…I’m going to need it!  Better yet, send emotional support!

Disney College Program (DCP) – Getting Started (One Mom’s Perspective)

What happens after you say goodbye to your child at Walt Disney World?  For any parents out there wondering, there’s nothing to worry about (but we do anyway, I know).  Disney has had many years of practice with College Program participants and they do an excellent job, with rare exception, of easing them into their new housing and employment environments.

Disney College Program (DCP) – Getting Started (One Mom’s Perspective)

Raymond and I have been keeping up as Joseph embarks on his new adventure (while letting him handle everything by himself) and this is what we’ve learned so far…

Disney does an excellent job of communicating via email and dedicated website.  After his application and acceptance, Joseph took care of all the necessary pre-arrival paperwork and seemed to feel like he was well-informed about what to expect from the various aspects of the program.  He printed the documents he needed upon arrival and put them in a folder to keep his paperwork neat and handy.  He also paid his housing fees ($355 for Spring 2018) and parking fee ($85) as they came due.

Living at Walt Disney World

Housing requests can be submitted a couple of weeks pre-arrival.  Joseph ended up with his second choice of apartment complex and did not request any specific roommate(s) in advance.  Although he did connect with some potential friends via a DCP Facebook page, to be roommates, all parties’ arrival and departure dates must be the same.  There are four apartment complexes to choose from:  Patterson Court, Chatham Square, Vista Way, and The Commons.  (There are a big bunch of YouTube videos of apartment tours available, so it’s easy to check out the complexes in advance.)

Apartments house 2 to 6 (or more) in 1 to 3-bedroom units.  Joseph’s two priorities in making housing requests were that he live someplace quiet(ish) and be allowed to consume adult beverages in his apartment.  Disney is, as one would assume, extremely dedicated to prohibiting underage drinking.  Participants 21 or over who do not wish to be in an apartment where adult beverages may be consumed can request Wellness housing.  Participants under 21 will automatically be placed in Wellness living and the rules are strict – simply having a souvenir wine or shot glass would be a serious offense and could cause a program termination.  Disney performs regular apartment inspections.  Apartments are expected to be clean with beds made, dishes put away, no clothes on the floor, trash emptied, etc.  Each housing complex has a Service Center that, among other services, makes things like irons/ironing boards, vacuums, brooms, mops, basic tools, games, books, sports equipment, and more available to borrow.  Joseph found this to be very helpful in deciding what (and what not) to pack.

DCP participants report for housing check-in at an assigned time.  This seems to avoid that massive move-in crowd confusion seen on college campuses.  Arrival times are staggered and Disney correspondence firmly states that new program participants are expected to arrive on time at their scheduled time.  In Joseph’s case, he reported to the Chatham Square complex at 11:00 am on Monday, January 29th.  He said the process of checking in took about 10 minutes.  During check-in, Joseph received his housing ID and his apartment location and key.At check-in, Joseph was giving an inventory checklist of items he should find provided in his apartment (like dishes, pots, pans, etc.).  He reported a couple of missing items and they were immediately provided.  Once Joseph found his apartment, moved his things in, made his bed, and checked off the inventory list, he was ready to explore local grocery options.    Joe’s roommate, Logan, arrived later (also sans parents) and repeated the process.  By early evening, Joseph had grocery shopped at the nearby Publix and had treated himself to dinner at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar in Disney Springs.  Arrival day went off without a hitch!

Scheduled throughout the rest of the first week were two short meetings (Onboarding and Housing Welcome Sessions) followed by Traditions training on Saturday.  In the next DCP post, look for more details on these and other training sessions.  When he wasn’t in training, Joseph made the most of his WDW annual pass and spent as much time as possible hanging out in the parks and making new friends.

My advice for parents

Please try your best to let your young adult offspring do this on their own.  I’ve heard parents refer to these program participants as “kidults” and I worry that thinking of (and treating them) as half-child, half-adult may be doing them a disservice. (I am 100% positive Joseph would be offended if we referred to him thus.)  If they can’t navigate this process on their own, maybe it’s not the right time to participate.  I realize some parents spend several days up to the entire first week of the program at Walt Disney World helping their child move in, shop, clean, and get to training.  It may be better to step back and let them get acclimated, make friends, and navigate their surroundings independently (without any added parental pressure).  I found so many resources on the internet (blogs, videos, Facebook groups), I was completely at ease and knew what both Joseph (and his parents) could expect from the Disney College Program experience.For program participants without a car, utilizing the Disney-provided transportation may require a little practice to ensure arriving when and where necessary on time.  The going won’t always be easy, but coping skills (and a corresponding sense of accomplishment) that will serve these young adults well are often developed when problems are solved without parental involvement.   

I realize every person’s needs are different.  In our case, Joseph is very independent and not prone to serious bouts of homesickness.  He’s lived away from home for the better part of the last three years and has a good bit of work experience.  We’re 100% confident he has the skills he needs to be successful in the Disney College Program.  So, while we miss him like crazy right now, we know he’s busy achieving his dreams and so far, based on his very happy texts and phone calls, having a the time of his life.