Hello. My name is Andrea Carames. I will be attending the Disney College Program Fall Advantage 2014. My question for past Disney CP’s is, how was it adjusting to living in Florida and being away from your friends and families for such a long period of time. Also, I will be taking two Disney classes while in Florida, if you also took classes with Disney, what is your opinion of their teaching styles as opposed to those of college professors back in NY.
Thank you,
Andrea C.
Hello Andrea,
First of all, Congratulations on your acceptance into the Disney College Program! My name is Timothy and I am a Disney CP Alumni of 2010, I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.
When I did my program, I was already dorming upstate at SUNY Delhi for a year, so living away from my family and friends was nothing new to me. I know that for some, it will be the first time that you will be away from home for an extended period of time, but such is life sometimes. It’s an exciting time to be away from people you know and meet new people from around the world! At Disney you will discover new bonds that may last you a lifetime and how to be independent from the comforts of home. You will most likely make a new home and find a new family in the friends and co-cast members that you meet, having adventures and living in a new environment. With my own roommates, I’ve ventured to Walmart at 3 am to find other CP Cast Members shopping for necessities– Still in Costume! With my co-Cast Members, we’ve ventured to IHOP immediately after shift, with an entire crew of Cast Members to fill up the shop!
But be assured that your family and friends are not cut off from you entirely, other than the obvious skype phone calls that are accessible, it’s a great opportunity for your family and friends to come down and visit you and go to Disney World together! Especially if you consider all the perks and discounts you get as Cast Members!
In regards to their teaching style, I find that the classrooms are generally more open discussion than lecture hall. It’s a refreshing change of pace where Professor and Classmate alike are able to share in their experiences together and learn from them in a structure where you can apply these experiences into your everyday work environment!
I hope this helped answer your question!
From,
Timothy
Hello Fellow CP,
My name is Jennifer and I just completed my program here in Florida. This program was my first time away from home, away from my family, friends and fiancé. Upon coming over here, I was extremely nervous especially when I realized I was going in on my own, being the only CP from City Tech.
On my first day I felt extremely lonely, all of my roommates had their parents with them and I had to do everything on my own. I wanted to go home the moment I got here, but I must say now I’m sad to go back to New York.
Being here, Disney understands that coming to Disney and leaving your life behind can be difficult especially for students coming to the U.S. To compensate for this the program offers many opportunities to network with your fellow CPs. From welcome parties, to planned trips, volunteer opportunities to Grocery Bingo. By taking advantage of these opportunities, you will be able to feel more comfortable in this new environment. Also I recommend visiting a lot of the popular CP hang outs, Downtown Disney being the best.
While here I took Human resources and Leadership classes, and I found the classes easygoing. The course load can get a bit overwhelming when trying to manage work, and everyday life. However it was manageable, and the discussions interesting. The most difficult part was working on group projects with classmates who worked different schedules and having some drop out of the class in the middle of working on assignments. Over it was a lecture style and the dress code was not as strict as I thought, with a casual professional dress code, jeans were allowed.
Overall a great experience.
I hope you enjoy your time at Disney, Learn and Have fun!